A little over an hour later, Max starts to look pretty exhausted. I kindly tell the guys we’ll talk more tomorrow and they take the hint, start cleaning up their mess, and Nash, Cam, and Sam walk out the door. Drew, as usual, is the last to leave, which is perfect because I wanted to talk to him away from the group, anyway.
“Hey, wait for me. I’ll walk you out.” I grab a jacket from the closet and slip into a pair of shoes. “Max,” I turn around and give him my best protective sister glare, “I expect you to be in bed when I get back inside.”
“He’s a big boy. You don’t have to walk him out,” he retorts, raising the ante on the protective sibling.
“Oh, calm down, killer. Get in bed. Or do you need help?” I challenge, raising my brow.
“You win.” Max raises his hands in defeat. “I’m going right now.” He slowly rises from the chair and walks down the hall. I don’t know much about cancer, other than the last time Max was sick, but the way he walks breaks my heart. A man at twenty-seven shouldn’t be limping down the short hallway on his way to bed. If he were wearing a hat and you didn’t know him, you’d swear he was an old man, maybe with arthritis. This plan has to work because I can’t keep watching him suffer this way.
“Are you coming or what?” Drew asks from the door, and as soon as Max crosses the threshold to his bedroom, I head out the door with Drew.
“That went better than I thought it would,” I admit as we make our way into the cold night air. The breeze from the impending winter is stronger than I remember. New York has terrible winters, so it’s not the cold that gets me; it’s the wind and the smell of the salt in the air from the ocean. It’s just one of those things that make Australia home and New York a place I’ve lived, no matter how hard I’ve tried to change that fact.
Drew chuckles. “There was never any doubt. They’re like me. They’ll do whatever it takes for Max. He’s one of a kind. Doesn’t deserve this. Not to mention, he’s our responsibility. We might be arses most of the time, but we protect our own.”
He reaches up and rubs his jaw, and I wonder if it’s to cover the fact that he’s choking up. I smile. I didn’t think it was possible to crush on the guy any more than I already am, but then he goes and says something like that.
“All this—it means the world to me, Drew. You’re right. Max is special, but you’re just as great. I know you think you’re doing what any friend would do, but you go way beyond the call of duty.”
“Yeah, well…” He laughs me off, embarrassed. “Don’t let that get out, okay? I have a reputation.”
“So I’ve heard,” I grin.
“Your accent really is almost gone,” he says while tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, and it’s swoon city.
“It comes out badly when I’m upset. My roommate and best friend, Jacey, makes fun of me most of the time. She used to tell people when I turned Aussie, that’s when it was about to go down.” I really do miss Jacey. I hope she’ll get to come visit after finals. Sure, she’ll be giving up her New York summer for a Melbourne winter, but she’ll get to meet the people who have had the most influence on who I’ve become.
“A little Aussie firecracker,” he jokes, and I can only shake my head.
“Yeah, something like that. Thank you again for being here. Max really does care about you guys, and I think you more than the rest—but don’t tell them I said that. He’s going to need each of us to make sure he gets through this. And I couldn’t do this without you, either.” I wonder if I should have divulged that kind of information—am I making myself too vulnerable? Then again, it’s Drew, and if there’s anyone in this world who knows how much I need Max and vice versa, it’s Andrew.
I lean over and kiss him tenderly on the cheek, allowing my lips to linger a little longer than appropriate for a friend thanking another, and he knows it. He breathes in sharply and turns his head, so his lips are inches from mine. My heart pounds as his fingers entwine with mine and he places them on his chest between us. His sweet, musky scent surrounds me—the same scent I’ve known for too long—and I’m struggling to think straight as his warm lips press roughly against mine. The kiss only lasts seconds, or maybe it’s longer, but everything around me stops. When he finally pulls away, I realise that somewhere in those lost moments, his fingers found their way to my hair, wrapping around the locks at the base of my neck, and my hand up the bottom of his shirt, softly grazing the chiseled muscle of his stomach.
“Night, Aubs. Sleep tight,” he whispers before disappearing behind the closed door.
Exactly what was that? And how do I make it happen again?
Chapter Nine
Drew
Well, what the hell was that? Why did I do it? I crossed a line. A line I’m not sure I’ll be able to uncross. If Max found out, he’d have my balls in a vice. Not that I blame him. If he tried anything on my sister, there would be hell to pay. The biggest problem is, I’m not even sorry. Even with the knowledge of letting Max down by doing exactly what he asked me not to do, there’s not a chance in hell I’d take it back.
I’ve kissed so many women in my day, this quick kiss shouldn’t have been anything special, but it was different on so many levels. I’ve never felt lips that soft, or hands so warm, nor has a kiss ever made me feel … well, anything. For those few seconds, her body was completely under my control, as if she couldn’t stop herself any more than I could.
I replay the moment in my head, over and over, as if I’m memorising every tiny detail: the way her hair felt around my fingers, or the way her hands found their way under the fabric of my shirt. The moment her skin touched mine, I was gone. I wanted to go back and kiss her again. More than that, I wanted to feel myself inside her. That’s how I felt right there in my best mate’s home with him upstairs in his bed, unknowing of what was happening just outside the main entry with his sister. There’s no telling what I would’ve done if we’d been alone, not outside for the world to see. God, what am I doing? Am I actually contemplating starting something with Aubrey? I let out a low laugh. It’s a bit late for that, isn’t it? The second her tongue ran the seam of my lips, then battled mine for control, I ran the risk of losing my best mate. The question is, how far am I willing to go? I rub my head. I’m in no condition to make any decisions now. I’ve had too much to drink and too little sleep. I’ll see how I feel in the morning.
*****
Sleeping on it didn’t do much good. All I did was toss and turn all night thinking about how soft and pliable Aubrey is and how sweet she tasted when our lips locked. Only my damn dreams didn’t stop there. They went way too far. I haven’t had a wet dream since high school, but leave it to Aubrey to have me waking up sweating like a marathon runner with a cum stain on the bed.
I shake it off as much as I can before hitting the shower. I’m exhausted and the day hasn’t even begun. My saving grace is it’s Sunday. I’m not required to be anywhere, and I have my morning and most of the afternoon to myself to get my damn life in order before facing the real world. The worst part? Everytime I try to put two and two together, figure out where to go from here and how I’m going to deal with the sexiest mess I’ve ever made, I get an ache just behind my eyelids and the thinking stops, leaving me in the same place I was when I started: wanting to start shit with my best mate’s sexy-ass little sister.
I need to get my head straight before I head over to my mum’s. If something’s up, she’ll pick up on it the second I walk through the door, and passing on dinner isn’t an option. Not when I know she’s got a roast on. Once a week, Mum makes sure to make a family dinner, and no matter what, we all attend. It’s our tradition. Even after Mum and Dad split, we didn’t even miss a week of our Sunday night roast.
I’m about to leave when I get a text from Em telling me Mum is cooking her famous double chocolate cake for dessert to try and cheer me up about Max. I don’t think there’s anything that could distract me from Max being ill, but Mum’s chocolate cake always makes things just a little bit better.
Just before five, I pull into Mum’s driveway. Em sits at the picnic table down the side. She flicks something away when she sees me but not before I realise what it is. Since when does she smoke?
“Are you kidding me?” I growl, stalking over to her. I reach down and pick up the still-warm butt. She stares at me, wide-eyed, probably scared I’m going to blow my fuse. And she’s right. “My best mate is dying of cancer, and you’re willingly killing yourself? Are you fucking stupid?”
“Give it a rest, Drew,” she sighs, her eyes flashing. “Max never smoked a day in his life, worked out regularly, and ate healthy, yet he’s still got cancer. Twice. The world is backwards and if I want a cigarette, I’m an adult, I’m going to have one.” She pulls another one from her purse and places it between her lips.
“Bullshit,” I snarl. I snatch the cancer stick from between her lips and throw it down on the grass, grinding it into the ground beneath my boot. “The world is fucked. A great guy is dying because a disease has a hold on him. I’ll be damned if I sit back and watch my kid sister pollute her body. And for what? To prove how grown up she is? Get over yourself, Emma.”
“You’re a real dick; you know that?” She looks down, and my eyes follow. I see that she’s shaking. “You don’t think I know they’re bad for me? Of course, I do, it’s just they make me feel like I actually have a grip on my life.”
It’s the first I’ve ever heard Emma even hint to feeling like her life is out of control. I take a step forward and put my hand on her shoulder. She looks up at me, her eyes glazed with tears.
“What’s going on?”
She shrugs. “Everything.” She lets out a laugh. “I don’t even know. Maybe it’s this stuff with Max. I just feel like, what’s the point? And I’ve never felt like that before, no matter how bad things seem. I’m not used to feeling this way.”
“These aren’t going to help,” I say gently, reaching into her purse to retrieve the half-empty packet. “You’re better than this, Em. You’re one of the strongest people I know.”
“That’s just what I want people to think,” she mutters. “The truth is, I’m not tough. Not like you.”
“Me?” I laugh.
“Yes. I’m in awe of you most of the time. You’re there for everyone. Max, Mum, and Dad. Me…” She shakes her head. “I don’t know how you do it. I wish I could be more like you.”
“Em, you’re an amazing chick. Don’t beat yourself up. You’re only twenty-one. You’re not supposed to have all the answers. That’s why you have such an amazing big brother. Now, if I catch you with one of these things in your mouth again, I’ll lose my shit, okay?”
“Don’t worry; I know you’re right.” She stands up, wrapping her arms around her chest in an attempt to block out the cold. “I’m never going to say that again, so don’t get used to it,” she adds, her eyes sparkling. I pull her into a tight hug, which she fights every second of, twisting and squirming away from me. “Get off me,” she squeals, and I let go, but not before I plant a big, wet kiss on her cheek.
“I love you, kid.”
“Yeah, yeah. So does everyone else. What’s not to love?”
“That smart mouth, that’s for sure,” I smirk, hitting the back of her head playfully.
“The ladies love my mouth, big brother.” My stomach rolls, as do my eyes.
“You’re sick. Please keep your bedroom talk to yourself.”
“Is it because I like vagina?” she asks, her eyes narrowing. “Are you discriminating against me?”
“Not even a little bit, Emma. I don’t want to hear about you and another woman the same as I don’t want to hear about you and a guy. Would you like me to tell you about the women I’ve slept with?”
“We don’t have enough time, manwhore,” she retorts, poking out her tongue. “I’m just teasing, anyway. Come on, let’s go eat. I’m starved.”
*****
“Dinner was great, Mum. Thank you.” I kiss the top of her head, noticing the few grey hairs that haven’t been coloured recently. I really do hate the idea of my parents getting older. Life goes by too quickly, and I don’t like the thought that one day they’re not going to be around. Nothing like death surrounding someone close to you to bring out the mortality of everyone else you love.
“You can stop by more than once a week, Andrew. This is your home, and the door’s always open, even if it’s just for a free feed.”
“I appreciate it.” She smiles as I wrap my arms around her tiny frame. I know I’m lucky to have a family I love and get along with. Not many people can say that. “I hate to eat and run, but I should get going. We’ve got something in mind to help out Max.” I stop as I pass the kitchen counter, where her double chocolate cake is waiting. My mouth waters. Mum laughs. “Shall I cut you a slice?”
“It’s like you can read my mind. I hope I can grab one for the road,” I grin.
“No, just your stomach,” she replies to my first statement, her eyes smiling as she places a huge chunk in a bowl and covers it with cling film. “I figured,” she laughs.
“Love you, Mum.” I give her another kiss and head for the door. Em comes running after me.
“I’ll walk you out,” she puffs, catching me as I’m heading down the footpath.
“I think I can manage to see myself to my car,” I chuckle. She gives me a dirty look and falls into line next to me.
“Nash called me today.”
“For what?” I ask, halting to a stop. Now I know why Max gets so upset over the thought of me messing around with Aubrey and it has to do with the gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach. There’s no reason for Nash to call my baby sister. Over the course of twenty years, he’s maybe said a hundred words to her. Why all of a sudden does he need to talk to her? And behind my back, no less.
“Because with what you guys are planning, you’re going to need a kickass DJ.”
“Yeah, you know someone?” I joke. But inside I’m not laughing. I’m going to kick Nash’s arse. In all of Victoria and all the clubs, he has to call my sister to emcee this? That’s exactly what I need … for Em to watch me grinding my junk for a bunch of screaming chicks after I scolded her for talking about what she gets up to in the bedroom.
She reaches over and whacks me on the shoulder. “You know I mean me,” she growls.
“Sorry, but I don’t think you’re right for the job, sis. No offence.” I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but something has to give. There is no fucking way she’s getting in on this.
“Nash said you need a DJ to donate their time. How am I not perfect for this? He said Aubrey’s helping, too. If she gets to help, so do I.” Em folds her arms across her chest, the frown not budging from her lips. I sigh; the only person more stubborn than myself is my sister. “The Rosewoods are our people. There’s nobody better to emcee this thing than me. You know that. So stop the whining and tell me what’s going on.”
“It wouldn’t be appropriate for my sister to be there,” I snap. “Can we leave it at that?”
“Why? Because you and your friends are dancing to raise cash for your sick friend? Jesus, Drew. It’s not like you’re stripping or anything.” Unable to meet her eyes, it only takes Em a few seconds to put together what I’m not saying. Her eyes light up and she laughs, clapping her hands together. This just made her fucking year. “Oh my gosh, you are, aren’t you? I can’t believe Aubs talked you into stripping. This is gold!”
“Enough,” I growl. I walk the short distance to my car and yank open the door.
“Wait,” Em says. “I thought Aubrey and I were going to dance? Is that not happening now?”
“Of course it fucking well isn’t,” I yell. I lower my voice as my parents’ neighbours come into view. “That’s the point. I’m not letting you or Aubrey get on stage and take your clothes off while creepy old dudes stare at your bodies and nurse their hard-ons. The guys and I are going to put together a showcase, I guess.”
“And you need a DJ.”
“We do need a DJ, but it can’t be you. I can’t do this thing knowing my sister’s out there watching me. It’s creepy.”
“For fuck’s sake, Drew, it’s time for you to get over yourself,” she huffs, stomping her foot. “Firstly, I’m gonna be there whether you let me emcee or not. Secondly, do you know how many times I had to lie in bed and listen to you screwing chicks in your bedroom?” She throws her hands up in the air. “You need to suck it up and let me do it. I’m the best DJ around, and you fucking know it. Plus, I’m free. Besides, you wanna cater for everyone, right? Some girls might not be into the whole muscles thing and might want a little lady action.” She winks and I laugh. There’s not going to be any talking her out of this. Her mind is made up, so I might as well give in.
“Fine. But when I dance, you look somewhere else, got it?”
“You think I want to see you shake that sorry arse?” she giggles, and I shoot her a glare. “Got it,” she sighs, rolling her eyes. “This is going to be great, Drew. Max is lucky to have friends like you.”
“Yeah, well, it was mostly Aub’s idea,” I mumble, not wanting to take all the credit.
“Speaking of…” Em says slowly. “What’s going on with you and Aubrey? I wasn’t there last night, but I could feel the tension through the phone.”
“Nothing’s going on there. She’s Max’s kid sister. A friend. Nothing else,” I lie. I slide into my car and slam the door, cracking open the window. “I’m catching up with the guys now to sort this all out. I’ll let you know dates as soon as I can so you can plan.”
“I know you’re leaving to avoid the topic, and that’s okay,” Em says, lifting her chin. “Just remember, if you’re not going to act on it, I will. Aubrey came back hot as hell.”
“Knock it off, Emma.”
“Start knocking it, Andrew,” she retorts, mimicking my tone.
Shaking my head, I slam my foot down on the accelerator and tear out of the street. Is she serious? Would she actually hit on Aubrey? Better yet, would Aubrey reciprocate? The thought of anyone hitting on Aubs pisses me off, especially my sister. Em’s been bi-sexual forever, but we’ve never chased the same girl. She’s just trying to light a fire under my arse. Not that it’s going to make a difference. I’ve already betrayed Max enough. And I’m not sure I’m done with my Judas portrayal.
Slow Grind (Men of Mornington Book 1) Page 9
