LYING ON THE COUCH, some infomercial was playing on the TV as she typed on the laptop balanced on her stomach.
The first sound stopped her typing. There was a click, a snap and…
Grabbing up the laptop, she put it on the floor as she flipped over to watch the front door over the edge of the arm of the couch.
Damn, she needed a gun, should have got a gun from somewhere.
The door swung open. As soon as she registered her brother, she exhaled.
“What the hell?” she exclaimed, throwing off her blanket to leap up. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Oh, good, you are alive,” Lachlan said, tucking something into his pocket.
His lock pick doohickey, no doubt.
“I’m calling the cops,” she said, snatching her phone from the end table.
He opened his arms. “At your service.”
“You know you swore to serve and protect,” she said, shaking her phone at him. “How is breaking into an innocent woman’s apartment protection?”
He sauntered to her fridge. “If you answered your phone, I wouldn’t have to break in,” he said, sniffing a box of three- or four-day-old Chinese food. His face contorted in disgust. “Shit, looks like I showed up just in time.”
“You didn’t show up just in time. You shouldn’t have shown up at all.”
He swung the fridge door closed to wander over. “You do remember, like, two weeks ago being attacked and hospitalized?”
“Yes, I do, but—”
“And I told you I was worried about you, asked you to stay at mine.” He stopped in front of her, a frown forming as he surveyed the living room before finally zeroing in on her. “Who was he?”
“Who was who?”
“The only time you live on take out and work on the couch with the TV playing bullshit is if you’ve had your heart broken.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“It’s Wednesday, you get that? Steeple hasn’t seen you since last week. If this is the trauma catching up to you—”
“This is nothing catching up to me. In fact, I ordered a ‘Dealing with Trauma’ audio package already.”
“It’s not working.”
“These things take time,” she said, watching him go around her to step over the laptop and sit down. “I didn’t invite you to stay.”
“This couch pulls out, right?” he asked and bounced on it.
“Why do you care?”
“Because I’m staying,” he said, laying his arms along the back.
“No, you’re not,” she said, rushing over to stand in front of him.
While she was heating up, he seemed so relaxed, which didn’t help his case much.
“You’re my sister. It’s my job to look out for you.”
“I don’t want to be your job—”
“I want to look out for you,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “You didn’t stop McDade doing it. Why would you have a problem with me doing the same thing?”
“Maybe because you’re my brother.”
“Hiding something?”
“Is that what this is? You’re investigating me?”
“I want you to be safe. I don’t want to spend days worrying about you because you don’t pick up your phone. I gave you the chance to do this your way—”
“You can’t move into my apartment.”
“Because? Why would you worry about me investigating you unless there was something to find? How many guys are you dating?”
Zero. Which was kind of the problem.
“That’s none of your business,” was what came out. “I could be screwing twenty guys. If I was, having my brother around might put a dampener on my social life.”
“If you were, someone would be home checking up on you.” He smacked the couch cushion next to him. “Sit down, sister. This is happening whether you like it or not.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for reading this tale!
If you can, please take the time to review.
~
Ask your local library for more Scarlett Finn novels!
~
For all things Scarlett Finn
check out:
www.scarlettfinn.com
Did you love Forbidden Want?
Then you should read Forbidden Wish (Forbidden…, #3)!
Brother's Best Friend Steamy Romance
"One rule... we never breathe a word of this to your brother."
Warning: Contains explicit language and imagery. Suitable only for ages 18 and over.