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Cara smiles and steps closer. I'm always surprised when I stand next to her without her heels on. She's really tall, but still seems tiny to me. I'm used to her looking me straight in the eye. I don't think I've ever seen Bree wear heels. She would be so tall, and her legs would look amazing. Another thing to add to the naughty time list in my head.
"She's on her way. Probably pulling into the garage as we speak."
"Oh...maybe I should bring her this then?" I ask, holding up the gun and goggles. Please say yes, please say yes. "I mean, she shouldn't be left undefended. She's walking into war, Cara."
Cara smiles, idly swinging her goggles from one fingertip. "That's a good idea. I know you'll take care of her, Nick. She's safe with you, right?"
Oh shit. I don't like the way she's looking at me. There's a ton of subtext here, but I'm going to play dumb and just answer her truthfully. It's all I can do. "I'll always take care of her," I tell her. "Promise."
Cara pats me on the cheek, a mix of threat and affection on her face. "Good. We're both lucky to have you. Have all of you. We really needed a family, Nick."
Fuck. This is exactly why I need to rein my shit in. Bree's never going to be mine. Never. And the sooner I can get that through my thick skull, the better.
3
BREE
The elevator doors slide open just as I'm about to punch the button. Heart racing, I step back. A wave of relief washes over me as the tall, incredibly sexy man wearing bright pink goggles grins at me.
A chuckle escapes as I take him in. He's dressed all in black, except for the ridiculous goggles. "Nick," I say through my laughter. "What is going on?"
He truly has the best smile. It lights up his face and makes him go from sex on a stick to heartthrob in a second. How does God grant one man so much sex appeal? It's not fair.
He turns and presses his back against the open door, holding it open, NERF guns and another pair of goggles clutched in his arms. "Come on, Bree, there's a battle afoot. I need a teammate."
How can I say no? Why would I say no? These guys are pure chaos, and I'm here for it. It's hard to stay stuck in your own head when they're around. They're too alive. Too filled with joy. "Gear me up. I'm ready to fight."
His warm, husky laughter rolls over my skin as I slide past him. So maybe I slide past him slowly, and let myself rub up on him just a tiny bit. Who would blame me? Besides, it's harmless flirting. He's practically my brother.
Okay, he's not even close to being my actual brother. If I had a brother and felt this way about him, that would be really, really gross.
But I like Nick. He makes me laugh, and he's really good at helping me get out of my head. I like being around him.
Maybe too much.
The elevator doors close behind me and the moment they do, I turn and punch him on the shoulder. "You're such an ass. I thought I was going to have a panic attack." He didn't do anything, not really, but I've discovered treating him like one of the guys is the best way to put him back in the friend box in my head.
"What?" He pushes his goggles up, revealing his rich brown eyes. They light up even more when he laughs, and they sparkle when he smiles. They're so pretty. "What did I do? I came down here to invite you to play."
"Never mind. I just got startled." I wave away his words and take the extra gun from him. "I haven't had a NERF battle since I was a kid. Why am I not surprised that you guys are having one? And what's with the pink goggles?"
"We're not that bad. We haven't had a NERF battle in at least a year. It got a little out of hand that time, so we thought it would be smart to take a brief break. Maturity is overrated anyway." He leans against the elevator wall and grins at me. "Toy store didn't have much to choose from for goggles. We're making do." I grin at him, because he's adorable, and because I'm picturing the rest of the guys in pink goggles too.
Nick wiggles his eyebrows at me playfully, and even though my heart is racing, I roll my eyes. Keep it in the friend zone. I have too much baggage. I'm too damaged. Tyler damaged me, and I don't know how long it will take to find myself again. To get back to me. I don't have the energy or the time to try and date.
And if I did, it wouldn't be Nick. I need someone easy. Someone simple. Nick is anything but. I distract myself by checking how many bullets I have, and sliding on the goggles.
The elevator doors open on the thirty-fourth floor, revealing Mia, her tiny frame armed with a giant three-foot-long NERF gun. Nick and I freeze, trading glances. We raise our hands and step slowly, carefully off the elevator.
"That gun is bigger than she is," I mumble out the side of my mouth. "How on earth is she even holding it up?"
"I have no idea. I thought it was funny when Colton gave it to her. I don't think it's funny anymore."
Colton appears out of John's apartment, and the second he spots us, a huge grin covers his face. "Mia, baby, what do we have here? Looks like you got the drop on them. That's my girl."
"I no drop it. I strong, see?" She lifts the gun a little higher and waves it in our direction.
"You're right. You're not going to drop it," he says soothingly. His grin's even bigger. His whole face is smiling. We're going to be hearing about this for a long time unless we can get out of it.
