The Bet (The Bet 1)

“Hey, I’m just trying to help. But yeah, Travis was the one that convinced Dad to get that local band to come play at your party. You know, the one everyone was so obsessed with?”

Kacey nodded. “Everyone heard they were playing exclusively at my party, so they came, even when my idiot boyfriend Tanner told everyone to blacklist me because I wouldn’t sleep with him.”

“Yeah, well…” Jake shrugged. “Travis also took care of that guy.” Why the heck was he being so nice to his brother? If he’d had any suspicions that they were physically attracted to each other he wouldn’t be helping at all, but he didn’t like it when they were fighting so much. It stressed him out. And he didn’t want to get wrinkles before his time, or gray hair.

“Jake!” Travis waved him off. “Don’t.”

“He beat him up, threatened him, and then told everyone he had an obsession with vampires.”

“That’s why people kept bringing garlic to school?” Kacey laughed. “Aw! Travis, why didn’t you tell me any of this? I might not have stuffed eggs down your pants.”

“Gee, thanks,” Travis muttered.

Jake used this golden opportunity to pull Kacey into a hug. “Well, can’t I have a reward for sharing good information about my brother?”

Her eyes darted between the two of them. She nodded and returned his hug.

And in that moment he remembered exactly why he had fallen for her in the first place.

She fit.

Perfectly in his arms.

As if made for him. Her scent, the way her hair tickled his nose, everything about her screamed comfort and home. He didn’t want to let her go.

Travis cleared his throat.

“Sorry.” Jake pulled back. “I must have spaced out.”

“It’s okay.” Kacey blushed and walked over to the counter.

****

Oh, hell no.

Not this time.

Not this time.

Travis was ready to unleash whatever tricks he could to get Kacey to stay away from Jake.

He would kidnap her and take her to Mexico before he let his brother sink his claws into her all over again.

“Kace.” Travis stacked the napkins in her hands. “Wanna help set the rest of the table?”

“Sure.” She went around the table putting napkins on the plates, while Travis whistled. Jake eventually got bored, as Jake often did, and made up some excuse about seeing what was on TV.

Finally.

“So, vampires, huh?”

“It was the best I could come up with. I did have a stutter, you know, and my only social interaction was that of my family and the drama club.”

“Ah yes, the lovely drama club. Tell me, what part did you play again?”

He smiled. “Not the dog, thank you very much.”

Kacey raised an eyebrow, pausing with the napkins mid-air.