AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lucas
Ishifted in the bed, setting our plates to the side in order to gather her close. “You’re an incredible doctor with the ability to put expectant mothers at ease. Your ex and mother stole the spotlight because they were jealous of your natural ability to care for your patients.”
She swallowed hard. “Jesus, I don’t know whether to thank you or rip your clothes off.”
I chuckled. “Considering I only have boxer shorts on, it would be an easy feat. But I promise those words had nothing to do with hoping to get laid.”
“Please, at this point you’d get laid just for breathing.”
I placed her hand on my chest so she could feel the rise and fall. “Look at that, I’m breathing.”
“In that case.” She set out to rock my world.
Later as Brooke lay asleep in my arms, both of us naked and sated, I found myself the most relaxed I could ever remember. Maybe it was because there was no pressure to make this work as a relationship.
The next morning, after an incredible shower together, we left the condo for breakfast at a nearby place where they seated us on the patio. Brooke wore a black and white sundress with her hair in a ponytail. She glanced up from her menu, cocking her head to the side. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I’d been staring and trying to put my finger on why things felt off. “This feels like a date.”
Her eyes rolled. “You could always go sit in the car. I’ll eat and then bring you something after.”
“Ha. Funny.”
She smirked. “Actually, I have a better idea.”
When the waitress walked up, mischief was all over her face. “Excuse me, my brother was inquiring if you had any specials.”
Now it was my turn to roll my eyes, giving her a look like, “Really?”
The waitress, a cute young blonde, beamed. “Sure, we have an eggs Benedict special with smoked salmon, and a crepe special with chocolate and berries. The Benedict is my favorite.”
“Thank you. I’ll have coffee and try the eggs Benedict,” I told her.
Brooke grinned. “I’ll have the same, but please add a mimosa. Thank you.”
After the waitress gathered the menus and left the table, I shook my head. “Was that necessary?”
She shrugged. “It worked. Now you can rest assured I won’t take your hand, call you honey, or play kissy face with the man I just called my brother. Then if, you know, the waitress gives you her number, you can feel free to take it without thinking it awkward. Can’t get much further from a date than that, can you?”
No, you couldn’t. “It wouldn’t bother you if I took her number?” I asked because it would upset me a lot if she were to get another man’s digits.
“I’m under no illusion as to what this is. You’re free to date who you want, and so am I.”
“And you wouldn’t find it the least bit disrespectful for me to be on a date with you, but get someone else’s number?”
A smirk played at the corners of her mouth. “Not a date. Remember?”
“I don’t like it.” I was aware of how ridiculous I was being. I couldn’t have things both ways. Either this was a date, or it wasn’t. Either we were exclusive, or we weren’t. What was my problem? I sounded like a four-year-old who wasn’t getting his way. It wasn’t surprising when Brooke called me out on it.
“What do you want from me, Lucas? Assurances every time we go out that I’m not reading anything into it? A verbal disclaimer each time we eat together in public that this is not in fact a date? Or perhaps a thumbs-up while you’re fucking me just so you’re aware there’s still no feelings?”
The last sentence landed at the same time the waitress arrived with our drinks. The poor girl’s face flushed red with what she’d overheard.
But instead of being embarrassed, Brooke went with it. “Stepbrother, not a Game of Thrones brother thing in case you were wondering.”
The blonde dumbly nodded, practically bolting from the table as soon as the drinks were set down.
We both erupted into laughter.
