by Kali Argent
His Brat
Off Limits, Book 1
Laurie Roma & Kali Argent
Table of Contents
His Brat
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
Thank You!
About the Authors
His Brat
I should have said no. I should have walked away, but I was powerless to resist him.
I don’t remember a time I wasn’t hopelessly in love with Gabe Turner. He’s every fantasy I’ve ever had come to life, but I’m not supposed to want him. He’s gorgeous and cocky and totally wrong for me. Plus, he’s my brother’s best friend, which means he’s completely off limits.
Anyway, it’s not like he sees me as anything but a brat.
Right?
After that last kiss, I’m not so sure…
WARNING: This book contains one over the top alpha, a sassy heroine, and enough laughs to crack a rib. If laugh-out-loud insta-love with lots of sexy time isn’t your thing, this story probably isn’t for you.
HIS BRAT
Cover Design by Black Butterfly Designs
Published by PECCAVI PRESS
Copyright © April 2019 by Laurie Roma & Kali Argent
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission, except for the case of brief quotations in reviews and articles. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI, and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. It is fiction, so facts and events may not be accurate except to the current world the book takes place in.
Dedication
For those living the fairy tale, as well as those still searching, this one’s for you.
Chapter One
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, brat?”
Uh oh.
I knew that voice. Knew it as well as my own. That raspy growl haunted my dreams enough that I was primed and ready every time I heard him speak. Sometimes I thought he could make me come just by demanding it. Not that he would. Unfortunately for me, we didn’t have that kind of relationship. But the teasing tone that was usually present whenever he spoke to me was replaced with a dark thread of anger that sent a shiver down my spine.
An angry Gabe Turner was definitely a dangerous thing.
Dancing on top of the bar had seemed like a good idea a few minutes ago. The drink in my hand gave me the courage needed to overlook the fact that everyone had a pretty good view of my red thong and curvy derriere beneath my black skirt. Oddly, a room full of strangers checking me out didn’t bother me, but Gabe was a whole different story. This was so not how I pictured sticking my ass in his face for the first time.
And I had imagined it…a lot.
Just thinking about sitting on his face made me flush with heat.
Bad hormones.
Perhaps he was an alcohol-induced figment of my prurient imagination. I mean, really. How could he have found me in a random bar in the middle of Mardi Gras?
I swallowed hard when his large hand clamped around my ankle like a snug vise. Okay, that wasn’t imaginary. The heat of his rough palm felt like a brand against my skin. My heart did a little happy dance, and I felt my thong growing damp under the flirty layers of black ruffles. That simple touch turned me on more than the cute guy who had practically humped me on the dance floor earlier.
What was his name again? Tim? Trey? Thor?
No, I would have remembered if his name was Thor. That thought made me giggle. If anything, Gabe looked more like a mythical god than that other guy did. But Todd, or whatever his name was, had bought me shots, and I liked shots.
At least, tonight I did.
Since I was standing near the rounded corner of the L-shaped bar, all I had to do was glance over my shoulder to see him. I met Gabe’s intense gaze, and the rest of the room seemed to disappear. As a sculptor, I knew faces, and his was absolutely magnificent. His face was a masterpiece of symmetry, made up of sharp cheekbones, flawless skin, and full kissable lips. His icy blue eyes were mesmerizing, and the nose that had been broken a time or two only added an intriguing element to his otherwise perfect features.
There was a shadow of stubble on his angular jawline a shade or two darker than his light brown hair with sun-bleached highlights that always looked as if he’d just run his hands through it. He might look like a freaking model, but his hard body had been honed from years of doing construction. His muscular form was hidden beneath jeans and a crisp, white button-down shirt, but he would have looked amazing wearing just about anything.
It should have been a sin to look that good.
For years, I’d dreamed of stroking my hands over him. I wanted to memorize every inch of his body by touch alone. I wished I could sculpt him in clay, then cast him in bronze so I could capture a piece of him for all time, but that would be creepy. Especially if he didn’t know about it. That didn’t mean I haven’t sketched him a time or two…or a few dozen.
Dear god, he really was pretty.
Too pretty for my own good. And totally off limits. Like wrapped in caution tape that clearly meant stay away. Or perhaps I was the one wearing the damn caution sign since every time I was close to getting some action or letting go and stepping outside my comfort zone, one of my big brothers seemed to pop out of nowhere to spoil it for me.
Or in this case, my brother Aiden’s best friend…the very fuckable Mr. Gabriel Turner.
He had asked me a question, but I couldn’t remember what he’d said. I could barely remember my own name when he focused on me that way. Since I was almost a foot shorter than him, he usually stared over my head whenever he spoke to me. It annoyed me, but I’d gotten used to it. From my vantage point on top of the bar, I had a whole new perspective. I kind of like being able to look down at him for once. Then, I realized that my ass was still right there in front of his face.
Turning, I finally faced him but couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
“Hi.” Well, that was something.
Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten this last drink. Who knew consuming something called a Grenade could lead to it blowing up in my face so spectacularly? I could see Gabe’s lips moving, but the loud music and chanting crowd surrounding us drowned out his words.
“Show us your tits! Show us your tits!”
Several of the girls standing next to me on the bar lifted their tops, showing their bare or bra-clad breasts to the raucous crowd. Colorful strings of beads were thrown from every direction, but I didn’t reach for any. I couldn’t. Not when Gabe’s hand fisted the bottom of my silver halter top, holding it in place while he pulled me closer to him.
“Don’t even think about it, Layla,” he shouted, making sure I heard him over the noise. “Get your ass down here. Now.”
Unwilling to wait for me to comply, he simply reached up and plucked me right off the bar. His tone irritated me, but the feeling of his hands around my waist distracted me enough to forget to protest. He held me suspended a few inches off of the ground for a second or two, and I had the insane urge to wrap my arms around his neck and press my lips against his. I wanted to bite his lower lip, suck on it until he growled my name
.
As if he could read my mind, he dumped me back onto my feet so quickly I teetered on my platform sandals. At least I hadn’t spilled my drink. I wished I had put my long hair up to keep it off my neck and wondered if I had any makeup left on my face. I probably looked like a hot mess, but it was almost impossible to look sexy after sweating on the dance floor for most of the night.
Sighing, I reached for the rubber band on my wrist. Before I could pull it off and make use of it, Gabe grabbed my hand and started dragging me through the crowd. I felt a little thrill race through me, and goosebumps covered my arms even though it was hot as hell inside the bar.
“Hey, where are you going? You’re not leaving yet, are you?” Todd asked as he moved in front of us.
Gabe shot him a frigid glare. “Kid, don’t even.”
Even drunk, the younger man’s self-preservation kicked in, and he took a step back. “Chillax, bro. I didn’t know she was with you.”
“Did he just tell me to chillax?” Gabe shook his head in disgust.
I smiled up at him sweetly. “Yeah, Gabe. Chillax. And don’t be rude to Todd.”
“It’s actually…ah…I’m Chris.”
I wanted to groan. Where did I get the name Todd from? Was he the bartender? Or maybe Todd was the guy one of my friends had hooked up with at the last bar. I didn’t have time for more than a fleeting moment of guilt before Gabe began pulling me toward the exit.
Wait, I wasn’t ready to go yet.
I tried to make him stop, but he just kept going. What was his freaking problem?
The cool night air brought instant relief to my overheated skin, but the crowd outside was even bigger than the one we had just left behind. My friends and I had started drinking early that afternoon along with what had seemed like half the city, but a new wave of partiers had descended on Bourbon Street while I’d been inside.
I felt the weight of my phone in the small purse that was slung across my body and figured my ID and money was where it was supposed to be since the purse was still zipped closed. I wanted to check my phone to see where my friends were. A few of them had been in the bar with me, but the rest had scattered.
I tried to open the zipper, but the neon green yard cup in my hand got in the way. Since it was there, I lifted it and drank from the straw.
Mmm…fruity. I was going to need a refill soon.
“Where are we going? And will you slow down? I can’t run in these sandals.”
Gabe stopped moving so fast, but he didn’t release his hold on my hand. He also didn’t bother to answer me as he continued to weave through the crowd of people like the football star he’d been during his own college days. That seemed like a million years ago considering how he was acting. I was graduating from college in a few months, and he was ruining my last chance to experience a wild and crazy spring break.
Plus, he was seriously killing my buzz.
My irritation returned full force. “What are you doing here, Mr. Turner?”
His grip tightened on my hand, and I knew I had successfully annoyed him. He really hated when I call him that, but I did it anyway. Especially when he tried to act like my brothers, all judgy and overbearing. It was just my little way of poking at the age difference between us, which was something he brought up all the time. Thirty wasn’t exactly old, but he used every year between us like a concrete barricade.
To him, I was just his best friend’s bratty little sister.
As the crowd grew thicker, we had to slow down to a crawl. Gabe narrowed the distance between us, holding my hand against the small of his back to make sure I was right behind him. I wanted to slip my hand under his shirt to feel the heat of his bare skin against my palm. I would have held onto his belt if he let me, or maybe he was worried I’d try to cop a feel of his ass if he let go of me.
I totally would have copped a feel.
When a group of people stumbled out of a bar and almost collided with us, one of the men staggered back to keep from bumping into Gabe.
“Whoa. Sorry, man.”
A pretty blonde weighed down with dozens of beads around her neck put her arm around my shoulders. “Honey, where are all of your beads? How come you only have one strand on?”
“I haven’t earned any yet.”
One of the blonde’s friends took a handful of beads off of her own neck and playfully swung them on her finger. She was a sultry redhead with enormous breasts who obviously had no problem collecting more than her share. “Come on, sweetie. Show us some skin, and I’ll give you these.”
“No,” Gabe snapped, trying to shove me behind him.
“Ooh, he’s so possessive.” The blonde giggled. “That’s so hot.”
“You can just show us your bra,” one of the guys in the group offered, as if that made it better.
“I’m not wearing a bra,” I announced cheerfully.
“Well played,” the redhead said with a laugh. Winking, she slung her beads around my neck, then their group disappeared into the crowd.
“What is wrong with you? Don’t encourage that shit,” Gabe demanded.
“Chillax, Mr. Turner. You’re being a party poop.” Hmm, that didn’t seem right. “Party pooper,” I corrected myself proudly, then I ruined it by giggling.
“Layla Marie Maddox, this isn’t funny.”
Uh oh. He really had to be pissed if he was using my full name.
“Take a look around. Do you see how many people are recording this shit on their phones? What if some asshole posts a video of you online?” he snapped. “You can’t get that kind of stuff taken down. Ever. And how do you think your brothers will react if they saw you flashing someone?”
“Are they here?” Panic and anger warred inside me, and I looked around expecting to see my brothers pop out from behind a pillar. “I’ve come home every other year they’ve asked me to, and all I asked for is one spring break to hang out with my friends. One! If they broke their promise and came after I told them not to, I might just stay here after graduation instead of moving home.”
Gabe’s gaze sharpened. “Calm down, brat. They’re not here. Why do you think I’m here playing wrangler instead?”
“Playing…” I sputtered, practically choking on my outrage.
“Better me than Noah or Aiden, right?”
That was true enough. My brothers would have gone ballistic if they’d seen me dancing on the bar. People hadn’t nicknamed them the ‘Mad Maddox Brothers’ for nothing. And if they thought anyone had a video of me, they’d track him down and pound him into the ground. Then, they would probably lock me in a room until I was forty.
They were both extremely successful in their respective careers, but back in the day, they had been wild and crazy. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean they allowed me the same freedom they’d had when they were my age. They had always looked out for me, though they had become excessively overprotective since our parents had died.
I usually stayed out of trouble, but this was spring break, damn it. Still, I hadn’t considered someone taking a video of me, and I should have. People recorded everything these days, and the allure of bare breasts would have been too tantalizing to ignore. I was glad I hadn’t made that mistake in the bar, but I wasn’t going to thank Gabe for it. I also wasn’t going to tell him that he was right…even if he was.
The man was way too arrogant already.
“I didn’t flash anyone.”
“And you’re not going to.”
I huffed out a breath. “Why are you even here, Gabe?”
“I’m going to a wedding this weekend.”
“But…it’s Tuesday.”
“I have a meeting here tomorrow. I wasn’t aware I needed your permission to be in New Orleans.” When he smirked, my heart skipped a beat.
“And I don’t need your permission to have fun with my friends.”
“I think you had enough fun for tonight. I’m taking you home.” He glanced around. “We’re never going to catch a cab anywhere near here.”
“Where the hell are you going?” he demanded. “I’m taking you to the hotel.”
“No, I’m going in there.” I pointed toward the closest bar and bounced a little on my toes. I knew I was blushing, but I couldn’t help it. “I really have to use the bathroom.”
His jaw clenched, then he jerked his head in a terse nod. This time, I gladly followed him as he plowed the way through the crowded bar. Someone bumped into me, almost making me lose my grip on the yard cup in my hand. Since it was empty, I should have thrown it away, but I wanted to keep it as a souvenir.
When we reached the back of the bar, I groaned as I saw dozens of women waiting in line for the bathroom. Suddenly, it felt like my bladder was going to explode, and I feared I wasn’t going to be able to wait that long.
“Let’s try next door,” I pleaded.
Cursing under his breath, Gabe put his arm around my waist and practically carried me to the opposite end of the hallway. There were several men waiting for the bathroom, but it seemed to be moving much quicker than the women’s line. He snagged the arm of a passing waitress carrying a tray of test tubes shots.
“Excuse me. I need to borrow you for a minute.”
“You can have me all night if you want,” the waitress purred.
Typical, I thought with disgust. I started to walk away, but Gabe wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me against his hard body. I leaned in and sniffed his neck, drawing the scent of his cologne deep into my lungs. Mmm, he always smelled so good. He recoiled from me as if I had just bitten him. His reaction would have been comical if I didn’t feel so insulted.
Wow, what a way to kill a girl’s ego.
Ignoring the waitress, he turned toward the line of men. “I’ll buy all of you a shot if she can use the bathroom first.”
