AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But would you have skinny-dipped in the Waldorf’spoolwithout it?”
“Hey, we all swore not to talk about that ever again after West’s dad erased the tape.”
“Youmight’ve.” East grinned. “But how do you know that was the only copy?”
Caleb narrowed his eyes, but before he could say anything, I shoved the bottle at him. “Drink up. If anything, it’ll help you put up with him.”
Caleb chuckled, his easygoing smile coming back full force as he brought the tequila to his lips and took a gulp, wincing as the fiery liquid made a path down his throat.
As the bottle made its way around the group a second time, everyone was joking a little more until it finally came back to me and Caleb.
That was when Donovan held up his hands for us to wait, then said, “To Vera and Richardfinallytying the knot, and to the two of you, who will finally understand just how annoying it can be to have a brother.”
Caleb and I looked at each other and immediately laughed, because we’d been living with each other for years now, beenbest friends for all of them. This wedding would change nothing, and neither would the title.
Donovan was delusional. I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather be stepbrothers with, and hell if we didn’t have a couple more drinks to celebrate that.
“OH NO YOU don’t.” Caleb grabbed the back of my untucked shirt as I attempted to climb the stairs that led up to my bedroom in our parents’ penthouse. “You’re veering a little too far to the right for that to be a safe choice right now.”
“Maybe it’s you with the wonky vision. I’m tobally—” The word felt wrong on my tongue. “Totomally. Shit.”
“Totallyfine?” Caleb laughed. “Yeah, you sound like it.”
I kicked one dress shoe off and it went flying straight at his head, but his reflexes were quick and he ducked out of the way just in time.
“Dude. Trying to kill me already? I don’t think that’ll mean more in your trust.”
A snort-laugh escaped me. “Whoopsss.” I toed off the other one and added it to the pile before following Caleb into the family room. It wasn’t easy not to look at him when I was sober, let alone after tequila shots. I knew I shouldn’t, but hell, looking wasn’t hurting anyone, and it wasn’t like he knew.
The front tails of his shirt were pulled out, but the back was somehow still tucked in, showing off the curves of his ass in those tailored pants he should really wear more often. We were about the same height, but his build made his shoulders seem broader. He wasn’t a sporty kind of guy—me either, for that matter—but years of carrying his camera equipment and holding position for hours had given him powerful arms…and hands, but I wasn’t thinking about that. Much.
Ugh. It was his fault he was so good looking it was almost painful, but then he had to go and be the most kickass person I knew. When we’d first met, I wanted to hate him, but then he flashed that easygoing smile and I figured…it wouldn’t hurt to have a hot best friend.
Best friend and nowstepbrother. It wasn’t enough he had to be straight, now the universe was all, “Haha, fuck you, Travis, now you really can’t have him.”
So I looked, but I’d never touch.
His dress socks must’ve been as slippery on the marble floor as mine, so when he started sliding toward the couch like an ice skater, I realized he was onto something. Much easier and less likely to fall on my ass. At least one of us was thinking smart.
“I feel like Tom Cruise inRisky Business,” he said, sliding sideways and almost knocking into the wall.
I shook my head. “Nah. You’d have to lose your pants first.”
His forehead wrinkled, like he was replaying the scene in his mind, and then he chuckled. “Oh yeah.”
Before I could ask, “Who’s drunk now?” Caleb was undoing his pants and kicking them across the room.
What…the fuck?
All I could do was stand there staring and wonder if somehow I’d actually passed out and was dreaming this.
“Wh—what are you doing?” I said.
“Duh. I can’tRisky Businessin pants.” To prove his point, he skated behind the wall and then slid sideways across the floor several feet. “Hah. Beat that.”
Somehow through the haze of alcohol I snapped my focus back to Caleb’s face and away from the fact that he was in his boxer briefs. “You want to challenge me? Are you sure?”
Caleb kicked his chin up. “I’m not scared of you.”
