Consolation Prize (Forbidden Men 9)

She groaned. “Dear God, you’re an annoying pest to everyone, aren’t you?” But there was a smile playing around her lips and amusement in her eyes.

“Everyone,” I murmured before returning my attention to my brother. “And my texts answering that question were clearly a diversionary tactic if I ever heard one. You’re the dumbass for not catching on.”

Eyes narrowing, Brandt grit out, “Thanks, little brother. You’re the one who lied to me, and I’m the dumbass?” Then he pierced a probing, stern glance toward Juli. “And you.”

I swear she sank closer to me. Then her throat worked as she swallowed her dread. “Me?” she whispered.

“I thought we were friends,” he charged softly, hurt and betrayal coating his expression and making her grip on my hand tighten. Then he tightened the screw on the guilt trip he was winding into her by adding, “Confidantes.”

But instead of making her blurt out an aggrieved apology, she narrowed her eyes. “Confidantes?” she repeated in a low, hard voice. “Confidantes? If I was such a confidante to you, why didn’t you come to me with your worries when you thought I was still into you? I would’ve been open and honest and told you that wasn’t the case. But no…you sent your little brother over to distract me at your own wedding? That doesn’t seem very confidante-like to me.”

Brandt’s mouth fell open before he sniffed. “I’m sorry, but the way you were staring at me that night said you weren’t over shit. So excuse me for loving my wife and wanting to be faithful to her. I—wait.” He shifted his gaze suspiciously between us before he whirled to me. “You told her about that?”

I winced, unable to answer. But my non-answer made Brandt’s face clear as if he’d just figured something out. Pointing between us, he asked, “So…curious question. Did you tell her about that before or after she first slept with you?”

My mouth opened, but it took me a second to remember the answer.

Brandt started nodding as if he already knew, though. “Uh huh,” he murmured. “I’m guessing you told right before the first time. I bet learning I pushed you at her pissed her off so much she thought she’d get her revenge against me by fucking my susceptible little brother.”

I blinked, never having even thought up that notion before.

Next to me, Julianna huffed out a sound of outrage. “Wow,” she muttered. “That’s quite an insulting theory.”

My brain kicked back into gear, and I nodded. “Hell yes, it is,” I agreed, as I took a step closer to Brandt. “To both of us. Do you think I’m so stupid I would really fall for such an awful scheme, or do you really think she couldn’t possibly like me for me?”

Brandt straightened and sent me a look as if he couldn’t believe I’d apply either label to his thought process. “I think you need to find someone who does like you for you,” he murmured, “someone who loves you without a doubt. That’s what I think.”

“I don’t have any doubts,” I told him, staring him straight in the eye, when okay, sometimes I did, like twenty seconds ago when he’d come up with that idea, or twenty minutes earlier when he’d called her phone, or that day on campus, when I learned they talked—like talked—at work together.

But she’d told me she loved me, dammit.

Then again, she’d also told me she loved Brandt the night of his wedding.

Jesus, I hated doubts.

My brother quirked a brow as if he knew I was lying. But I continued to stare at him steadily.

So he whirled toward Julianna, pointing threateningly. “Stay the fuck away from my brother.”

Her lips parted in shock. I stepped in front of her, glaring him down. “Don’t fucking talk to her like that.”

“And you.” He pointed a finger at my nose next. “You’re done with this. With her. With this whole…whatever you two are doing. You’re done. No more.”

I laughed in his face. “Yeah, you don’t tell me who I can and cannot date. Sorry, bro.”

“When it’s my leftovers you’re sniffing around, I sure the fuck can.”

“Leftovers?” Juli and I cried in unison.

“As if,” I added. “You didn’t even finish a single date with her.”

“Yeah. Are you sure that’s all that ever happened between us?” he asked in the most taunting voice I’d ever heard him use.

“Hey!” Juli nudged me aside so she could get into Brandt’s face and glare. “Stop putting ideas in his head.” Turning to me, she stared beseechingly into my eyes. “Yes, half a date is all that ever happened between us. He’s being an ass.”

I swiveled my gaze to my brother. He stared at me a quarter of a second before folding.

“Okay, fine, dammit,” he admitted. “That half a date was it. But I still considered it. You cannot date someone I considered. It’s weird, so…you two…done.”