My Brother’s Best Friends

***Reagan***

Theo’sthickarmswrapped around me firmly and he easily helped me get my feet under me, all without letting me go. He towered over me, even in my heels, and I embarrassingly found myself tucked just under his chin. A million thoughts raced through my brain, most of them about how solid Theo’s chest felt, but some of them about how I was seeing him again, and it was while I was falling over myself.

“Whoa, there. You okay?” Of course, his voice had gotten even deeper since the last time I’d talked to him. He was one chorus away from swoony country music star. “See something you didn’t like?”

I pried myself off of Theo’s chest and kept my eyes on my own body as I made sure I was still put together. “No. I’m just not used to these heels, I guess. I, um, should go. I think I’m supposed to be…somewhere else…”

Theo wrapped his hand around my bicep and gently pulled me closer to the edge of the gym, where things were quieter. His fingers were rough against my skin and left goosebumps trailing up and down my arm. “I can’t let you get away from me that easily, Reagan. How’ve you been?”

I made the mistake of looking up at him and felt heat swarm my cheeks almost instantly. Theo had always been good-looking. I’d crushed on him for years and had spent way too much time considering every part of him. It would’ve taken a lot longer than a decade for me to forget the features of his face, but age had added something, made him sharper. I was too surprised by the subtle changes to remember that staring wasn’t polite.

With his olive complexion and dark eyes, he’d always reminded me of an Italian actor from a teen show when I was growing up. The way his thick, dark hair curled back then had made him look almost innocent, but that curl was gone. His hair was short and pushed back from his face. The bones in his face had gotten just that much sharper with time that he’d gone from teen star to sexy Bond villain. With a painfully attractive shadow of a beard on his jaw and full lips, he was a walking, talking wet dream. I hadn’t watched the movie Eat, Pray, Love, but I was pretty sure Julia Roberts had gone looking for Theo.

It wasn’t fair. He’d grown into the sexier, updated version of the Theo I remembered and I was pretty sure I was still the same loser I’d always been.

“Should I be concerned that you’re not speaking?” One full eyebrow quirked higher and his lips tilted into a crooked grin. It made for a breathtaking effect that I was sure melted panties on the regular.

I forced my eyes out on the rest of the gym and shook my head. “No, sorry. I just got into town. Maybe I’m a little jetlagged.”

“We didn’t think you were coming. Russ said you weren’t when we talked to him a couple of days ago.”

I wrapped my arms around myself and watched as Russ and Lisa passed by without glancing over at us. “I wasn’t sure I was. I was already in town, though, so Theo insisted I come.”

Theo boldly tucked his finger under my chin and turned my face towards his. “I’m glad you came. You’re a sight for sore eyes. You planning on staying around for a while?”

I swallowed and watched his eyes move to my throat and lower. The dress I’d purchased was daring up top and I imagined that from his taller viewpoint, he was getting an eyeful. Like ten years hadn’t passed, my body reacted. “Uh-huh.”

Turning into me, Theo’s big frame gave us the façade of privacy. His hungry expression raked over me and then came back to meet my gaze. “What are your plans while you’re here?”

The idiot kid inside me was still jumping for joy that her crush was paying attention to her. It was easy to give into her excitement for a moment, but I pulled myself back and reminded myself that Theo wasn’t my crush. He was one of the guys who’d helped make my life hell. Beyond that, I’d had enough of sexy men causing me trouble, which was what Theo was sure to bring.

Forever polite, I forced a smile and eased away from him. “I’d better go find Russ and Lisa. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

I was suddenly an Olympic athlete in my heels as I practically sprinted across the gym to find Russ and Lisa. They were already seated at a table and I threw myself in the chair next to Lisa and looked at the drink in front of her. “Is there alcohol in that?”

She looked at me with wide eyes and nodded. When I snatched the glass and drained it, her mouth fell open. “Well, hell, Reagan!”

I searched the table for more liquor and was just about to demand Russ go get more when my gaze slammed into August’s. I sucked in a sharp breath of shock and choked, doubling over into Lisa as the alcohol I’d just sucked down threatened to come back up.

“Jesus, Rea! You’re just about showing the entire gym your tits!” Russ, clearly scandalized, held a cloth napkin in front of me. “I knew that dress was a bad idea.”

Lisa snorted as she tried to hold in her laugh, but then it just exploded out of her anyway. She shoved another drink into my hand and told me to drink it through her giggles.

I did as she said and grabbed the napkin from Russ as I sat up again. My head felt a little wobbly as I put the empty glass down on the table. “What is that?”

Russ grunted. “That was my drink. And now that you’ve had two, you shouldn’t have more. The Lunar Eclipse could knock a grown man on his ass. You’ll probably need to be carried home.”

Lisa rubbed my shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ve had two before. I was okay after a day or two.”

I looked back at the glass and then at them again. “You’re kidding, right?”

August made a sound that was suspiciously close to a laugh and rapped his knuckles on the table. “I need to get myself another beer. I’ll get everyone more drinks.”

“There are nuts at the bar. Maybe getting something in your stomach will help, Reagan.” Lisa didn’t realized she was putting me in another position that I didn’t need to be in. “Get some water, too. And maybe see if they have any of those hangover stoppers.”

I stood up and looked over at August. “Anything else?”

“Lemons. I would love some lemon wedges!”

I moved around the table and then fell into step with August as we crossed towards the bar. I didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t like we’d been friends when we parted ways in high school, not after what happened. I didn’t know if we had anything to talk about at all.

“I won’t lie. I was a little pissed Russ pulled that napkin shit. How else am I supposed to know if you’ve changed in the past ten years?”