Breaking The Bro Code (Hawthorne Brothers 3)

“I guess it’s a good thing I put on my swimsuit,” I say.

“I guess,” Ryker agrees.

Somehow, the sight of him shirtless and drenched in rain sends ripples of fresh heat through my veins. Maybe the adrenaline from running across a beach in the rain has something to do with it, too. Whatever the case, I want him again.

I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of him.

I flatten my palms against his wet, bare chest and bring my lips to his. He claims them as his hands grip my shoulders.

Around us, rain continues to fall, but we ignore it, lost in our own storm.

Then, like a blinding bolt of lightning and a deafening clap of thunder, I hear a voice that makes me stop.

“Claire?”Chapter Twenty-TwoRyker

Joel?

At the sound of his voice, I immediately step back from Claire, but it’s too late.

Joel is standing just three feet away, a large green umbrella over his head. His face is pale, his jaw slack from shock and confusion. The same emotions are written all over his gaze as he looks at me and Claire. But mostly me.

Just like that, the guilt I’ve been living with, the guilt I thought I’d befriended and buried deep inside me, turns into a sharp knife and stabs me in the chest. A voice blares in my head as well, calling me a fool over and over as it enumerates my mistakes.

Why did I have sex with my best friend’s little sister knowing it was against the bro code? If I really respected him and if I was really serious about Claire, why didn’t I ask for his permission to go out with her before everything started? After everything started, why didn’t I stop? Why didn’t I tell him? Why did I lie and make up some imaginary girlfriend?

And the biggest mistake of all: Why did I kiss Claire out here on the porch knowing that Joel was in a cottage nearby and might see us? Why didn’t I think he would? Just because it’s raining hard?

Stupid.

Clearly, the rain didn’t stop him. Because of my stupidity, he’s just seen me kissing Claire, a situation I know I can’t lie about or talk my way out of. The secret’s out.

I thought I was ready for it. I meant what I said to Claire when I told her I was going to tell Joel about us tonight. I made up my mind to do so right after I told Ethan about the Hawthorne Foundation. I actually even considered telling him when we were in Chicago, but I wanted to get Claire back first before I did it.

I had a plan. I was going to come to Jamaica, get Claire back, have one last drink with Joel, and then tell him about Claire and me. I didn’t want him to find out like this. I didn’t want him to just suddenly show up while I was kissing Claire.

But that’s exactly what just happened. Joel saw me kissing Claire.

And I realize I wasn’t ready for him to find out about us.

Claire looks shocked as well. She hasn’t said a word. For what seems like the longest moment, the raindrops just patter around us. On the roof of the cottage. On Joel’s green umbrella. On the sand. Other than that, everything is silent.

It’s the most awkward silence ever.

Finally, Joel breaks it. “What are you doing?”

Good question.

Claire answers. “I…”

“Not you,” Joel tells her. “Get away from him. I’ll deal with you later.”

Okay.

Claire, however, doesn’t move. I decide to step further away from her instead. I swallow the lump in my throat and open my mouth. Still, no words come out. How do I start?

“Joel, calm down.”

“I am calm.”

Right.

“But I won’t be if you don’t explain to me why you’re kissing my sister. Weren’t you going to get back together with your girlfriend?”

“I was,” I answer. “I did.”

“Oh.” He turns to his sister. “Hear that, Claire? He has a girlfriend.”

Then he turns back to me.

“So why did you kiss my sister, Ryker? Either you have a good reason or I don’t really know you, because the Ryker I know is no cheater.”

“I’m not a cheater,” I tell him.

He raises his voice. “But you just said you had a girlfriend, and I just saw you kissing Claire.”

I better make things clear before he loses his patience.

“I do have a good reason, Joel.” I glance at Claire and draw a deep breath. “Claire… is my girlfriend.”

Joel gives me a puzzled look. “What?”

“I’m his girlfriend,” Claire says.

“Shut up,” Joel tells her. His eyes look straight at me. “What do you mean? Have you gone crazy? You’ve been sleeping with another woman, remember? You told me about her a few times.”

“There’s no other woman, Joel. It was Claire all along. She’s the one I’ve been telling you about, the one I’ve been going out with.”