Page 18 of Trick or Tease

She was so close now I could smell her shampoo. It smelled like apples. The scent reminded me of summer mornings back home. Her lips parted slightly, and I felt myself leaning in, drawn by an invisible force I couldn’t resist. Her eyes fluttered closed, dark lashes casting shadows on her cheeks.

This was happening. After all these years, all this time apart, something was finally⁠—

“Where’s the beer, bro?”

Billy’s voice cut through the moment. It felt like ice water had been dumped over our heads.

We both jumped back. I stared at her, trying to decide if I was going to invite her to sleep in my bedroom. But she got up and walked inside before I had a chance.

“Fucking cockblock,” I muttered and followed her inside.

7

SABRINA

Ifelt my cheeks burning as I walked back into the apartment. My heart still hammered from that almost-kiss. What the hell had just happened out there? One minute we were talking about his parents’ retirement party, and the next I was leaning in like some lovesick teenager. The wine was clearly going to my head faster than I’d expected.

No. It wasn’t the wine.

I wasn’t a lightweight. I was a country girl who could shotgun a beer and do a keg stand with the best of them.

It was him. He unsettled me in the best way.

Lucy emerged from the guest room with her hair wet. She had changed into a pair of sweats and a hoodie. I was glad we had all brought a change of clothes. We were prepared to stay in a roadside motel but this was way better. Lucy had that satisfied glow that made it obvious what she and Billy had been up to. I tried not to roll my eyes as she tried to look innocent.

Billy wandered over to the massive stainless-steel refrigerator and pulled it open, letting out a low whistle. “Damn, Garrett. Your fridge is bigger than my entire kitchen.”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Garrett said, joining us. He’d loosened his tie even more, and I tried not to notice how the top button of his shirt was now undone, giving me a glimpse of his collarbone.

Billy pulled out a bottle of beer and held it up like it was some kind of foreign artifact. “What the hell is this? Heineken,” Billy read off the label, then looked at Garrett like he’d discovered some exotic artifact. “This is fancy beer.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Billy, Heineken isn’t that fancy.”

“It’s imported,” he said defensively. “That makes it fancy.”

Garrett shook his head, that small smile playing at his lips again. The same one that had been there right before he almost kissed me. My stomach fluttered at the memory and I quickly looked away.

“Here,” Garrett said, appearing at my elbow with a fresh glass of wine. His fingers brushed mine as he handed it to me. Electricity shot up my arm. “This one’s a little sweeter. Thought you might like it better.”

I took a sip and nodded, not trusting my voice. The wine was good, but I was more focused on the way he was looking at me. Like he was remembering exactly what had almost happened on that balcony. Like he was thinking about finishing what we’d started.

“Thanks,” I managed, then immediately walked over to the armchair furthest from the couch. If I sat anywhere near him, I might do something stupid. Like climb into his lap and pick up where we’d left off.

Billy flopped down on the leather couch with his beer, and Lucy curled up next to him, tucking her legs under her with her own beer. They looked so natural together, so comfortable. I envied that ease.

I had to stifle a yawn. The wine was relaxing, and after the long drive, I was exhausted. We all got up early to take care of chores before we left town.

And it was all catching up to me.

“Billy, I’ll come home for the party.”

All of us looked at Garrett like he sprouted a second head.

The transformation in Billy was instantaneous. His face lit up like Christmas morning, and for a second I could see the little boy he used to be. It was the Billy who would follow his big brother everywhere, hanging on his every word like gospel.

“Seriously?” Billy jumped up from the couch so fast he nearly knocked over his beer. And Lucy. “You’re not messing with me?”

“I beat my deadline on that deal, so I actually have some time. Mom and Dad deserve to have both their sons there.”