Tangled: A Small Town, Brother's Best Friend Romance (Willow Springs Series Book 2)

by Laura Pavlov

  She turned around and shook her ass and laughed. She wore a red sequined dress that was barely there. It dipped low in the front and stopped short in the back. Way short. Leaving very little to the imagination.

  “Yep. We’re going.” Addy dropped to sit on the bed.

  “Well, I know who you’re going with, but who’s taking you?” She narrowed her gaze and looked at me.

  “I’m going with Gray.”

  “Awww… that’s sweet. Your brother’s best friend is taking you. Hashtag thank god for big brothers and small favors, right?” She smirked. I saw Jett and Gray appear in the doorway when I looked over her shoulder.

  Gray moved right past her, walked up, wrapped a hand around my neck, and kissed me hard. I was breathless when we pulled apart and I’m sure my eyes had doubled in size.

  “Hey, beautiful.” He stared down at me, and Jett and Addy laughed behind him.

  “Oh, ooohhhhh,” Bailey said, and it felt damn good to put her in her place.

  “Damn straight. Nobody’s thanking god for her big brother here. Just a guy who’s crazy about his girl. You good with that?” He turned to look at Bailey as she gawked in shock.

  “Yes. Of course.”

  My fingers intertwined with his and I let out a breath that I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding. “You look really pretty, G,” he whispered in my ear.

  “Thank you. You look great.” I leaned into him because I could feel my cheeks heat. Addy and Jett led Bailey out of the room, and I looked up at Gray. “Should you have done that? Isn’t this still kind of a secret?”

  “She was being a bitch to you. And she doesn’t know Cade. You worry too much.” He kissed my forehead and I melted.

  We loaded a party bus, and the booze was flowing. Gray wasn’t drinking again and hadn’t since we’d returned from Thanksgiving. We hadn’t run into Tiffany yet, but she’d just stepped on the bus, and I sipped my drink because I was a little anxious about how she’d treat me once she saw he was here with me. She had been hot and cold with me every time we were at the house. She really only acknowledged me if she needed me to do something for her; otherwise, she didn’t give me the time of day. He wasn’t fazed by her, but I most definitely was. She could make my life very difficult at the house.

  “Well, well, well, I guess I know who you’re busy with tonight, don’t I?” She raised a brow at Gray.

  “I guess you do,” he said confidently, as if they were discussing the weather.

  “So, what? You’re her sympathy date? Is it your best friend duty to take his little sister to a dance? You did get her in the house after all.” She smirked and took a long pull from her red Solo cup. Her words slurred a bit and my stomach twisted because she looked at me like she was ready to scratch my eyes out.

  Gray lifted my hand with his and showed our fingers intertwined. “No sympathy date here. G wouldn’t need me to do her any favors, so go ahead and take your shots because we don’t give a shit what you think. Why don’t you focus on who you came here with.”

  Two guys from Gray’s fraternity stumbled past us and gave him a high-five in greeting as they moved to the back of the party bus.

  “Really?” she hissed before reaching over and snatching the cup out of my hand. “Did I not tell you that you are going to be a sober sister tonight? It’s about time you start paying your dues for getting in this house.” Her smile was forced, and it sent chills down my spine.

  “No, you didn’t mention it, but that’s fine. I don’t mind not drinking.” I cleared my throat.

  Addy leaned forward and handed her cup to Tiffany. “I’ll join her. I’ve clearly not earned my way in either, since you did us such a big favor and all.”

  Jett laughed, and Gray’s face remained hard. “Are we good now?”

  “We’re far from good, Gray.” She crossed her arms over her chest and studied him.

  “What is this? We’ve barely spoken in months. We got together once over the summer. Nothing has happened since. What is happening here?” he said, not hiding his irritation even a little bit that she was pulling this.

  “Listen. That’s not how this works. Sure, if you’re a player, I can get on board with that whole fear of commitment bullshit. But if you think I’m going to stand by while you fuck around with some… freshman when I’ve made it clear that I’m interested—you’re dearly mistaken. You and I are not finished.”

  “There is no you and me.” He raised a brow in challenge. “Who I date is not up to you.”

  “I guess we’ll see about that.” She glared at each of us before storming off.

  “Jesus,” Gray said, wrapping an arm around me. “I think she’s just drunk. That was batshit crazy.”

  “Some of the girls in the house were telling us that she’s unstable,” Addy said, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening. “Apparently she’s been bullying a few of the girls that live in the house. They all can’t wait for her to graduate this year and be out of there.”

  “You let me know if she gives you two a hard time at all after this. I’ll take it to the board. She can’t throw a fucking hissy fit every time she doesn’t get her way.”

  “Yeah. What the fuck was that?” Jett said, shaking his head. “Don’t take any shit from her crazy ass.”

  Addy and I both laughed, but a pit settled in my stomach because I highly doubted this was just going to go away. A few of Gray’s fraternity brothers and two players on the football team with Jett were there, and they came to sit with us, and we laughed and talked all the way to the event location.

  “You okay?” Gray whispered in my ear.

  “Yeah.” I nodded.

  “I promise it will be okay. Don’t let her ruin your night.”

  “We could just Uber home when we get there. I don’t even care to be here.”

  “Nope. These are experiences you only get once. Fuck Tiffany. We’re staying.” He pulled me close and we stepped off the bus when we arrived.

  The night ended up being a lot of fun. Tiffany apparently vomited in the bathroom and had to be taken home early, and I definitely relaxed after she was gone. Gray was the life of the party on and off the dance floor. He even got pulled up to the DJ booth because the DJ was a Sig Alpha Alumni. He was hilarious the way he got everyone to come out and dance, and my heart melted because Gray announced that he was there with the prettiest girl he’d ever laid eyes on.

  “Wow. Do you think you guys will tell Cade soon? Gray seems okay with letting everyone know tonight,” Addy said while Jett chatted with a few friends.

  “I don’t know. I’m sort of dreading that whole conversation. You know how crazy Cade gets and he won’t take this well.”

  “Yeah, it’s definitely going to be added pressure. But how long can you keep it a secret? You guys are so cute together. I’m really happy for you,” she said, leaning forward to hug me.

  “Thanks. I don’t know. And I’m a little freaked out by the whole scene with Tiffany. She’s going to be a total bitch to us when we see her next.”

  “She’s a bitch to us now. I don’t care. We were doing this for fun, and if she wants to make it awful, we can quit. I’m not letting her bully you or me. Got it?”

  I laughed. I loved when Addy acted like a badass. Jett had been so good for her as far as finding her voice and standing up for herself. We all noticed how she’d come into her own and we loved him even more for it.

  “Coco is going to freak out when we tell her about Tiffany.”

  “She will want to come here and put her in her place for sure,” Addy said over her laughter. “She doesn’t think you and Gray should tell Cade yet either. She makes some valid points.”

  “She does. It will add a lot of pressure. And what if he ends up wanting out of this but feels obligated because my brother will freak out if things don’t work out. That would be horrifying
. I wish Cade wasn’t a factor, because things are going so well. And Gray has so much drama to deal with about his father as it is. He doesn’t need the added pressure of my brother’s anger.”

  “Maybe that’s your answer. Give yourself some more time. After winter break, you won’t be home with Cade for a while. By then you’ll know where you stand. But I’m telling you, you guys are so stinking cute together. I think you better prepare to tell your brother at some point that you’re in love with his best friend.”

  I nod. Because I am. But telling Cade is a different story. Thankfully he’s been so busy with Camilla and his classes we just haven’t talked as much lately. He was happy that Gray was taking me to the dance because he had no idea that we were actually together.

  “Yeah. It would be nice to give it some time before we involve him.”

  “You’ve slept over there every night since we’ve been back. Everything still going well?” She smirked and her cheeks pinked.

  “Nothing to report. I mean, I’m starting to wonder why we aren’t doing anything more. I’m not complaining, because...” I bit down on my bottom lip and shook my head. This boy made me feel things I never knew were possible. The way he touched me was like nothing I’d ever experienced. But I wasn’t about to get into the details here. “Well, it’s all good. But he isn’t trying to have sex with me, and he always stops things before they go too far. He keeps telling me we should wait. That’s what makes me wonder if he is really all in with me. I mean, why wouldn’t he want to do… everything?”

  “Have you asked him?”

  “No. It’s kind of embarrassing. Obviously, he’s been with lots of girls, so it makes me feel like maybe he doesn’t want me that way.”

  “I promise you that is not the case. I think you’re the first girl he’s actually ever cared about and loved.” She bumped me with her shoulder, just as Gray slid in beside me.

  “You guys having fun?” He nuzzled my neck and I leaned into him.

  “Yes. Thanks for doing this. It’s been a lot more fun than I expected.”

  “Are you guys ready to get out of here?” Jett asked, taking Addy’s hand in his.

  “Yeah. I’ll call an Uber now.” Gray led us out the door and we made our way to the car.

  We dropped Addy and Jett off at his apartment and drove to the fraternity house. It was quiet since everyone was out tonight. I slipped into one of Gray’s T-shirts and climbed into bed and he went to the kitchen to grab us a few waters. When he slid in beside me, I was sleepy, but I had a lot on my mind. He pushed the hair out of my freshly washed face and his legs tangled with mine.

  “Did you have fun tonight?”

  “Yeah. Did you?” I asked.

  “I did. I always have fun with you. Are you okay that people know about us now?” he asked as he pulled me closer.

  “Yeah. I don’t feel the need to keep it a secret aside from Cade, and that’s only because I think once he knows there will be a lot more pressure, mainly on you. And that’s not fair to you.”

  He pulled back to look at me. “I don’t give a shit about pressure. But I do give a shit about losing my best friend, and I don’t think he is ever going to be okay with it.” He leaned forward to rest his forehead against mine.

  “He’ll just have to get over it.” I tugged his mouth down to mine and he kissed me hard.

  His tongue slipped in and explored my mouth and I arched into him. His hands moved beneath my T-shirt, making their way up my back. He tugged it over my head as his mouth moved down my neck and wrapped around my breast. The sensation was so strong I couldn’t stop the moan that escaped my mouth. He gave equal attention to each side, and his mouth made its way down my abdomen as his fingers settled on my lace panties. I paused and tangled my hands in his hair to stop him. This had become our routine.

  Gray giving me pleasure, and me doing the same back to him after.

  But I wanted more.

  I wanted everything.

  “Are you okay?” He looked up at me before pushing up and propping himself above me. “Do you not want me to do that tonight?”

  I laughed because the fact that I’d just stopped him was ridiculous because I knew how good he would make me feel. But I wanted to know why we weren’t taking things further. I was breathing heavy and he dropped to lie beside me and we both rolled on our sides to face one another.

  “Why aren’t we doing more?” I whispered.

  His eyes went wide, and he looked very caught off guard. “What do you mean? Isn’t this all new for you?”

  “Yeah. But we love each other, right?”

  “Of course I love you. You’ve lost me,” he said, tucking my hair behind my ear as he studied me.

  “Obviously you’ve had sex before. Do you just not want to have it with me?” My voice wobbled as the words left my mouth, and as mortified as I was for asking, I knew we needed to have this conversation.

  “Is that what you think? That I don’t want you?”

  “It’s crossed my mind.” A nervous laugh escaped, and I let out a long breath. “If you aren’t attracted to me that way, you need to let me know.”

  His mouth dropped open and he stared at me as if he couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth. “G, that is not the case at all. I want you so bad I’m going out of my fucking mind.”

  “Then what’s the problem? I love you. I’m ready for this. For everything.”

  He chuckled and nipped at my bottom lip. “I have never wanted anyone or anything more than I want you. If that means taking it slow, that’s what I’m willing to do. This is all new for you, and I want to make sure you’re ready. When we finally talk to Cade about this, I don’t want him thinking I pressured you into anything.”

  “You have to take Cade out of this conversation, Gray. I’m a grown woman.” I tried to remain calm, but I was frustrated that this was becoming such a factor.

  “He’s my best friend. And you’re…” He paused.

  “I’m what?”

  “Listen, Gigi. I haven’t had a lot of good in my life. I have a drug addict father, a mother who is too submissive to stand up for me, and a stepfather who hates me. Your family has been there for me when no one else was. And you… you are the best person I know. In all the years I’ve known you, I’ve always been blown away by how pretty you are. How smart you are. How good you are. I still struggle with the idea that I’m deserving of any of that light. But I’ll be dammed if I tarnish it, I can promise you that. So, me waiting, is because I love you so damn much, I want to do right by you.”

  Tears streamed down my face at his words. “You are doing right by me. You deserve to be happy too.”

  He used his thumbs to wipe away the liquid rolling down my cheeks. “How do you know you’re ready?”

  “Because it’s all I think about. I want you, Gray. I want us to do everything together. No more holding back. This has nothing to do with Cade. Not this part of it. This is just ours. We can tell him that we love each other when we’re ready, but this—this is something I want to share with you. Please.”

  He rolled me on my back and leaned forward and kissed me.

  He kissed me like he was never going to stop.

  I only hoped he wouldn’t.

  Chapter Twenty

  Gray

  I wasn’t prepared for her to tell me she was ready. Maybe a part of me was holding back because the thought of making a mistake with this girl would be the worst decision of my life. She deserved the best of everything, and I was damn well going to try to be that person. And one thing I was the fucking best at—was sex. I’d obviously tread with caution because it was her first time. And I wanted to both rock her world and take it slow—and I was up for the task.

  I kissed her until I knew her lips were aching because mine were. And I didn’t fucking care. I could kiss Gigi for the rest of my life and never ti
re of it. She was grinding her hips up against me, and it was driving me wild. She tugged at the hem of my shirt and yanked it over my head, and I chuckled against her mouth. I kissed my way down her body and the frantic breaths coming from her mouth were all the motivation I needed to keep going. I loved the way her body reacted to my touch.

  “Gray,” she whispered. “Please.”

  I moved back up to her mouth. “You sure, baby?”

  “I’m positive.”

  There’s no one I wanted to please more than this girl. I reached over to my nightstand and pulled out a condom from the drawer. She pushed up on her elbows and watched me with wide sapphire eyes. I tore the foil packet open with my teeth and rolled it over my erection. My dick was on high alert as he’d been anticipating this moment for a long time.

  I leaned down, propping myself above her on one arm. “We’re going to take it slow, okay? If it hurts, just tell me and we can stop. There’s no pressure.”

  She nodded, her eyes were hooded, and she bit down on her full bottom lip. I nearly came undone right there. I positioned myself at her entrance and kissed her as I moved forward so slowly it took every ounce of restraint that I had.

  “Jesus Christ, you’re so wet. You feel so fucking good.”

  She tangled her fingers in my hair and kissed me. She stiffened at the intrusion and I paused.

  “Don’t stop.”

  “Am I hurting you?” I asked as I moved slowly.

  “It hurts and it feels good. Is that normal?” She looked up at me like I hung the fucking moon, and I swore in that moment that I would spend every day trying to.

  “Yes. Totally normal. But if it’s too much, just tell me, okay?”

  I moved a little further and waited for her to adjust to me for a moment.

  If I died right here, right now—it would be totally worth it.

  Nothing had ever felt better.

  “You were fucking made for me, Gigi Jacobs.” I groaned into her neck.

  She started to move, which let me know she was okay. We found our perfect rhythm and when I say it was perfect—it was fucking mind-blowing.