Dating Her Brother’s Best Friend (Silver Spoon Single Serve)

7. Caroline

CHAPTER 7

CAROLINE

“The Broadway Steakhouse, huh?” I grin over at Jeremy as he slips into the seat next to me, wrapping his arm around me to pull me up against his side. “Awful fancy first date, Mr. Head.”

He smirks, brushing his lips across the side of my face. “I wasn’t going to risk your brother annoying the fuck out of us at Midnight Brew. You know his ass practically lives there.”

This is true. Asa spends most of his free time at Midnight Brew or at Trick or Treat in Midnight Falls. The man needs a hobby. Or a wife. Neither is likely to happen anytime soon. He gets too much joy out of annoying the hell out of everyone else.

“Maybe we should ask my Fairy Godmother to find him a girlfriend,” I muse out loud.

Jeremy’s grin widens. “Actually, I think she may already be working on it.”

“Seriously? Since when?” I gape at him. This is news to me.

He shrugs, staring at me levelly. “Since I threatened to hunt her down if she didn’t help me convince you to give me a chance,” he says. “She agreed on the condition that I help her with Asa. Guess she thinks it’s time your brother settles his big ass down.”

I place a hand over my mouth, trying to stifle a laugh. “Um, does she have any idea what she’s getting into with him? He’s basically a madman, Jeremy. He terrorizes the whole town. It’s going to take a saint to deal with him!”

“That’s her problem.” He shrugs again, grinning. “I agreed to help convince him to hear her out. I did not agree to help rein him in.”

Laughter burbles from between my lips. “You’re terrible!”

“She called me a jerkwad and refused to help me.” His brows pull down, a scowl overtaking his face. “I spent a whole day in hell without you talking to me, sweets. If he gives her a little bit of it back, it serves her right.”

My heart flutters, my expression softening. “You really missed me that much, huh?”

“No,” he says seriously. “I missed you more. I was worried as fuck you were never going to talk to me again. I was in hell, Caroline.” He exhales a rueful chuckle. “I actually bribed Simon to smuggle my letters into the school just to make sure you’d read them.”

“I read all of your texts,” I whisper, only to pause when the waitress stops by the table to take our order. We both pick steak with asparagus and loaded potatoes with a local beer. Once she leaves the table, I turn back to Jeremy. “I obsessed over them.”

“Yeah?” He smirks, running the back of his fingers along my cheek. “You missed me, didn’t you?”

“Like crazy,” I admit, my mouth dry. “I missed you as soon as I kicked you off the porch.”

He tips his head down, brushing his lips across mine. Heat unfurls inside me, turning me inside out. Lord, I want to kiss him all day, every day. Which is basically what I did all day today. We didn’t even leave his bed until noon. We just cuddled and fucked and talked and laughed. It was everything I imagined, only ten thousand times better. There was nothing awkward about it. It felt exactly right.

“I’m glad you missed me, baby,” he breathes against my lips. “Means you knew that kiss was meant for you.”

“I wanted it to be mine so freaking bad.”

He smiles, stroking my cheek again, and then he clears his throat. “Have you talked to your brothers?”

“Briefly. Why?”

“Because you should know they both know how I feel about you.” He holds my gaze, his serious. “Apparently, they’ve always known.”

“Asa has his moments,” I murmur, not really surprised. “And Aidan is very perceptive.” My gaze flits across Jeremy’s face. “Asa isn’t mad about it. I don’t think Aidan is, either.”

“No,” he says slowly. “Aidan did threaten to break my arms and shove them up my ass if I make you cry again. Asa was less kind with his threats.”

“At least he threatened you,” I mutter. “When I texted him, he was all flippant and cool about it. So annoying.”

“What the fuck, Caroline?” Jeremy narrows his eyes on me. “You’re not supposed to want him to murder me.”

“I don’t. I just wanted him to threaten you a little. I was mad.” I shrug. “It was a whole thing. If it helps, I’m over it now.”

“Kiss me before I decide to spank you right here in this restaurant.”

I giggle, leaning forward to press my lips to his.

“Stop kissing my sister, fucker.”

I jerk back, shocked when I hear Aidan’s voice… only to groan when I glance up and see him and Asa both standing beside our table, wearing matching little boy grins. “What the heck?”

Asa pulls out a chair across from us, taking a seat. “Fancy seeing the two of you here.”

“Motherfucker,” Jeremy mutters, scowling daggers at his best friend. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”

“Says who? It’s a free country.” Asa leans back in the chair, crossing his arms behind his head with a shit-eating grin.

Aidan chuckles, crossing his massive arms. “He’s not wrong. We can eat wherever we want.”

“No way,” I growl, scowling at my brothers. “You can’t eat here. Not tonight. Go away.”

“Aww. You don’t want us to join you?” Asa teases.

“I will murder you,” I hiss.

“I’ll help,” Jeremy offers.

Aidan throws his dark head back, laughing. “I don’t think we’re wanted, brother.”

“I’m picking up on that. Rude, aren’t they?”

“Oh, my God. If the two of you don’t go away right now, I swear to God, I will?—”

“Uncle Jeremy! Look, Dad! It’s Uncle Jeremy and Miss Steele!” Simon cries from somewhere behind us. “She must have forgived him!”

“Son of a bitch,” Jeremy groans as Aidan and Asa both crack up laughing. “We’re fucking moving, baby.”

“Agreed,” I whisper as Simon and Sawyer materialize at the table, Simon bouncing in excitement. Sawyer glances at everyone before his dark eyes come to me. Like Jeremy, he can be intense.

“Have you talked to Harmony?” he growls without preamble.

“Um, no?”

“Dammit.” He shoves a hand through his hair, messing it all up as he slides into the seat beside Asa. “I need your help.”

I hesitate, glancing around, but our date has officially become a family affair. Simon is chattering a thousand miles a minute to Aidan about how he helped me forgive Jeremy, Asa and Jeremy are arguing over… something. And Sawyer is looking at me like his whole life hinges on me helping him.

“What do you need?” I ask Sawyer, knowing when I’m defeated. And with brothers, let’s be honest… I’m always defeated.

“I’m taking you somewhere next weekend,” Jeremy says hours later, running his hands down my back as the sweat dries on my skin. We’re tangled together in his bed, his hard body still pinning me to the mattress, his hard cock still inside me.

“Far, far away, I hope,” I mumble, only partially kidding. Dinner with our brothers and Simon was good. It was fun. It wasn’t the first date I had in mind, but it wasn’t terrible, either. My brothers gave Jeremy all kinds of shit, but I could tell that they were happy to see us together as a couple for once. Asa couldn’t stop smiling. It feels good to know that he’s on board with this. The last thing I want is to come between their friendship.

Jeremy chuckles, rolling me over so I’m sprawled across his chest. Somehow, he manages to do it without separating from me. “Houston,” he says, brushing his lips against mine. “But that’s all I’m telling you, so don’t even bother asking for hints.”

“Houston, huh?” I smile up at him, my heart fluttering. “Well, that should be far enough to keep our brothers from showing up.”

“I will kill them all if they show up,” he growls, making me giggle. And then he turns serious, his eyes boring into mine. “I have a surprise for you. And something I need to tell you.”

“What?”

“You’ll see next weekend.”

“Jeremy,” I groan. “I hate surprises.”

“No, you don’t.” He rolls his hips, grinding the root of his erection against my clit. I gasp, my head falling back. “You fucking love them. You just hate waiting. But you’re going to be a good girl for me, sweets, and be patient. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Please,” I whimper, scratching at his back.

He chuckles, taking my mouth in a deep kiss, as he begins to move on top of me.

By the time he’s done making it worth my while, I’m willing to give him anything.