The Brothers Next Door (A Striker Brothers Romance #1)

by Terry Towers

  I chanced a look at Darrin, who was drinking down the remainder of his beer, his expression unreadable. It got me wondering if there was more to the story than they let on. Or maybe I was just reading more into it than necessary.

  “What about you? Your job. It seems so…”

  “Boring,” I filled in for Darrin, who’d finally decided to speak up and rejoin the conversation.

  He grinned. “I’d never insult you like that.” It was nice to see the smile return to his lips and the dark cloud which had seemed to be floating over him at the mention of why he was in anti-gang unit lift away. “It means you have brains and smarts, which are always a sexy quality on a woman.”

  “Liar.” I returned his grin. “It has its moments. It may not be out there cleaning up the streets of bad guys and keeping New Yorkers safe, but it’s a good wage under a semi stress-free environment. Numbers never lie and are never wrong. And there’s a sense of satisfaction knowing I’m helping people keep their hard-earned dollars where they belong—in their pockets.”

  “Oh, so I should probably do my taxes then, huh?”

  I laughed, looking at Nate. “Not until next spring. Unless you haven’t sent in this year’s yet? Please tell me you filed, the penalties for late filing are horrid!”

  “I haven’t for a few years.”

  I swear to God, my heart stopped beating and not in the sexy way he’d made it stop in the past. The expression on my face must have matched the feeling of horror and anxiety I was feeling because both brothers burst out laughing as I sat dumbfounded.

  Nate grabbed my hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m messing with you, Layla. Of course it’s done.”

  “And you’re up to date? If not, give me the returns and…” He may have been laughing but I was getting some serious anxiety from this.

  “He’s really teasing, honest.” I felt Darrin take my other hand. “I do the taxes for both of us each year. Now if he didn’t have me to do them, then that would be another story entirely.”

  Air returned to my lungs and I gave him a wobbly smile, feeling a little embarrassed for my overreaction. I saw people fall into the same trap every day and it upset me each time I saw people having to spend thousands of dollars they didn’t have needlessly. Why put off for tomorrow what you can do today, especially when it came to the important stuff like filing tax returns?

  “Have we tormented you enough for one night or would you like to do something else now that dinner is over?”

  The last thing I wanted was the night to end. “I’m up for anything.” Sure there was some awkwardness, but it was getting less awkward with each passing moment and I was enjoying being with them immensely. The last thing I wanted was for the time with them to end.

  ~*~ TT ~*~

  Darrin

  “Don’t worry about me, you two have some fun.” Nate ushered me and Layla into the line for the Cyclone, a staple ride at New York’s Coney Island.

  “I feel bad…” Layla looked over her shoulder at Nate, who gave us both a wave as we made our way along the line.

  “Don’t be. He’s always hated rides, especially the thrill rides. I was able to get him on the tea cups when we were at Disneyworld, about fifteen years ago.”

  “But you love them?” She grinned at me, her love and excitement for the rides mimicking my own. It was nice to be with a woman who seemed to have a fearless streak.

  “The wilder the better.”

  “I wish you two had mentioned that. We do live in New York and there’s plenty of other things to do in this city. Coney Island is only one of thousands of things.”

  “He’ll be fine, he’s a big boy. Besides, I’m sure he’ll want to show you his prowess by winning you a teddy bear or something.” Placing a hand at the small of her back, I ushered her forward. I really didn’t need to guide her considering there were wooden rails doing that, but I wanted to. Her body had such feminine curves and she smelled of rose. It was taking all of my restraint not to pull her into her into my arms and taste her lips again.

  It proved first impressions were not always correct. Though in her defense, she had thought I was my brother who blew her off with a thank you note. Under those circumstances it made sense she was shooting me dirty looks and trying to escape my presence. But that was all straightened up now, which led me to another concerning problem…

  I liked her.

  Layla was the first woman since Gabriella that I was genuinely interested and intrigued with. I wanted to get to know her and not just as a friend, but more intimately. I wanted to explore the connection we had the other night and feel the electricity that jolted my dick into full alertness.

  But she was Nate’s girl.

  Though was she really? They’d fucked… But Nate fucked different women all the time. A minimum of one new one per week. None of his playthings ever became relationships. While I—fuck, the whole family for that matter—hoped he would want to settle down eventually, he still prided himself in being the playboy. Layla was just another girl to my brother, but to me it could be so much more. And I had a feeling she wasn’t the type of girl to be just fun when he wanted it. Sure, she’d fucked him that first night, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want more from him.

  Or maybe me.

  Everything had happened so quickly. It hadn’t even occurred to me that she had mistaken me for my brother when she arrived at my place and kissed me. Mind you, the pain killers I’d taken about a half an hour prior hadn’t helped, I was sure. It should have been the first thing that sprang to mind. When we were young we used to get mixed up constantly, and we each kissed our fair share of each other’s girlfriends. The girls were none the wiser. We were immature teenagers then. But it hadn’t happened in so long, and I’d completely forgotten it could happen now. Coming to the front of the line, we were placed in the first car and the bar was secured into place on our laps.

  Once the remainder of the cars were filled, the ride coaster began moving. Up, up, and up, making click, click, click noises as it climbed until it hit the starting peak. Layla glanced over at me and smiled, excitement gleaming in her eyes as she clutched the bar.

  We hit the tipping point and the car lunged forward and down, its speed increasing as it hit the bottom of the first dip. She squealed, her smile wide. As we hit the second summit, the ride came to an abrupt stop, making a loud screeching sound, and we were jolted forward in the seat. I groaned, winded, as the bar dug deep into my stomach from the sudden stop.

  Looking over at Layla, I could see that she was also winded. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” Her brow creased as she looked over the side of the car. Workers were running around frantically beneath the tracks. “That doesn’t look good at all.”

  “It’ll be fine. Stuff like this happens all of the time.”

  “Uh-huh.” She redirected her gaze from the ground, upwards, and her smile returned. “We couldn’t have asked for a better night to be stuck here, though. The night is clear, stars are out. It’s actually kind of romantic.” She looked over at me and her smile turned coy.

  “It is.” Her eyes gleamed in the light and her lips were plump and lush. They were extremely inviting, with a faint shine from the lip gloss. I wanted to kiss her again. Would that be wrong?

  “Don’t be alarmed, everyone,” came an announcement. “We’re going to have the coaster going in no time. We just had a little mechanical issue. Rest assured, it’s nothing serious.”

  Nervous chattering erupted behind us.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Of course.” She shrugged. “Who wouldn’t want to be up here for a few minutes looking down at this view.”

  “The woman a few cars down who’s hyperventilating, for one,” I offered. Despite the anxiety attack the woman seemed okay, and it wasn’t like I could do anything about it considering I was firmly strapped in.

  “It must feel weird sharing a date with your brother,” Layla said, crinkling her nose up at me.
/>   I laughed. “I was about to ask you the same question.”

  “It’s different. Considering I haven’t dated in years it’s a little overwhelming, especially since it was such a surprise.”

  “I should have caught on yesterday that you must have mistaken me for Nate. That type of experience doesn’t happen to me. To Nate I’m sure it’s common place.”

  “You don’t date much?” She cocked her head to the side and eyed me.

  “Nah, dating is pretty rare for me as well.”

  “Why not just go out when Nate does? A set of hot twin cops would be a hit.”

  “Clubs and bars aren’t really my style. We’re the stereotypical opposite twins. He’s an extrovert, I’m an introvert. He likes things exciting—”

  “—Except when it come to roller coasters,” she cut in, making me laugh.

  “Exactly, which is his loss because he’s down there and I’m the lucky guy to be up here with you.”

  Her smile faded and she ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t want to come between you two. I know it’s premature to think about. I’m not even sure if this is truly a date, but…”

  “You don’t have to worry about that. We’re just hanging out, nothing wrong with that.” I wasn’t going to tell her that I had the very same concerns that she did. I’d have to have a chat with Nate and find out just how serious he was about her—I hoped not so much.

  The ride jolted forward a foot and stopped just as suddenly. She squealed as her body fell against mine. “Sorry,” she muttered, though she didn’t move her body. When she looked up at me, I held my breath, waiting, undecided on what to do. The urge to kiss her was becoming too overwhelming to ignore. Had she been any other woman…

  The smell of her perfume lured me in. The lights of the park around us highlighted her face in the most perfect way.

  Fuck, she looked stunning.

  Her breath became ragged, her pupils dilating as she ran her tongue along her lower lip. Her lips gleamed in the most appealing way as the moonlight shone off those succulent lips.

  Dammit, why did she have to do that? Why did she have to look up at me with lust in her eyes?

  I wanted to kiss her. Scratch that, I needed to kiss her. What could I say, I was a weak bastard of a man. Catching her chin in my hand, tilting her face up to the perfect angle, I lowered my lips to hers. Before you judge me, know that the atmosphere couldn’t have been more perfect than it was at this moment. Anyone else would have done the same. She moaned against my mouth, her lips parting and allowing me in. I took the invitation, slipping my tongue between her lips, desperately searching out hers. The feeling of our tongues dancing was electric, causing my dick to thicken and throb.

  Dammit, I wanted this woman. The soft moan she released as we kissed only fuelled the need. I wanted her more than I’d wanted a woman in a very long time, yet I barely knew her. A couple of days ago she was the crazy cat lady, but now…

  My thought was interrupted as the ride jolted forward, tearing us apart. She gasped and fell back into the seat, her eyes looking straight ahead as the ride continued around the track and to my brother.

  Neither of us spoke for the remainder of the ride.

  Chapter 10

  Layla

  Wow! My heart was rapidly beating in my chest and it hadn’t anything to do with the roller-coaster coming to a stop at the exit.

  “Sorry for the trouble, please rest assured we pride ourselves on providing safe and well-maintained equipment,” the attendant told us as we departed.

  “It happens.” I smiled at him as I walked past. It certainly didn’t deter me from wanting to ride the rest of the rides I’d be able to while wearing a dress. Had I known this was where we were going to end up then I would have worn jeans.

  Placing his hand at the small of my back, Darrin steered me towards the games section, where we spotted Nate. Sure enough, he was hard at work at the ring toss game. Just as we reached his side, he scored the golden jug, the ring slipping over the neck perfectly.

  “We have ourselves a winner, ladies and gentlemen!” the teenaged carnie with a vibrant red mohawk, and an excessive amount of facial piercings called out to the crowd.

  “Sweet, we got here just in time to witness your big win.” Smiling at him, I stepped out of Darrin’s grasp and gave Nate a quick side hug.

  “Which one would you like, sir?” the carnie asked, motioning to the massive bears hanging overhead.

  “Which one?” Nate asked me, putting an arm around my shoulders and giving me a squeeze.

  Chewing on my lower lip, I smiled. No one had ever won me a bear at a carnival before. I felt giddy, like a little kid. It didn’t take me long before my eyes spotted an adorable grey koala bear. “That one.”

  “The beautiful lady made a great choice.” After a couple of minutes of struggling, the carnie was able to unhook the koala from the overhead railing and carefully lowered it to the counter top. Stepping up to it, I grabbed the koala and hugged it to me, though it was so big I couldn’t even get my arms all of the way around it.

  “I don’t even know how I’m going to be able to get this home.” I laughed.

  “Oh, I’m sure he’ll love riding the Q train.”

  “Thank you.” I got up on my tippy toes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, for a moment, in my excitement, forgetting Darrin was at my side.

  I kept it in my arms as we continued to walk throughout the park, handing the bear off to Nate whenever a ride struck my fancy. As our last activity at the park, I managed to get Nate to ride the Wonder Wheel - which was more or less like a ferris wheel - with a little sweet talking on the condition it wasn’t one of the rocking cars. Darrin stayed back with the koala.

  “Thank you for giving it a try for me. The view from the top is amazing.”

  “I’d have been happy to just take your word on it,” Nate retorted with a smile, though I could see the nervousness in his expression.

  The attendant opened the door and ushered us in. The car rocked as we sat down across from each other. I looked out and my gaze locked with Darrin’s. I gave him a wave as the wheel began to move.

  As the wheel began to slowly turn, Nate leaned forward and took my hands into his. “Have you had a good time tonight?”

  “I have, thank you.” Though I had one concern. I’d kissed Darrin and I felt guilty, like I had cheated on Nate.

  I cringed. I had to tell him, I was never a good liar, and had no desire to start now. “I have something that I need to tell you.”

  “Sure.” His smile widened, but quickly faded replaced with concern. “What’s the matter? You just said you had a great time.”

  Deciding to just say it would work best. I replied, “I kissed your brother.” Oh God, I sounded like I should be on an episode of Jerry Springer.

  “I know. Last night, you thought he was me. Not a big deal.”

  “No.” I shook my head at him. “I mean, earlier, when the roller-coaster was stuck at the top.”

  “Ohhh.” He sat back in the seat, releasing my hands.

  I cringed. That wasn’t a good sign.

  “Would you like to start dating him? Exclusively?”

  “I don’t…” I wasn’t sure what to say to that. I didn’t know myself. “It was a kiss. It happened. This situation is unorthodox and I’ll admit to being confused.” I gave him a weak smile. “In a perfect world or if I were a different person then I’d get to be with both of you.”

  “I see. In a perfect world...” I couldn’t read his expression, but I could see the wheels in his head turning.

  Oh fuck, I totally messed this all up. I groaned inwardly as I slumped back against the seat. At the beginning of the evening I had two awesome, sexy men and now I didn’t have either one. How the hell did things go sideways so quickly?

  I’d been greedy and indecisive, that was why. I should have shut down this double date before it even got out of the gate. I’d met Nate first and that should have been where my allegiances
lay.

  ~*~ TT ~*~

  Nate

  “Guys, I had a great night. Thank you so much.” She shifted from one foot to the other in the open doorway. The koala bear was settled inside on an arm chair. “I had a really good time.”

  I stepped forward and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. It was a serious step backwards from the other day, but I needed to have a serious talk with Darrin and see where his head was on this situation. Darrin had been through a lot in the love department. If I couldn’t work something out with him, I’d regretfully pull myself out of the running for her affections, something I would never do for anyone else.

  Bros before… well, you know where I’m going with this.

  Darrin followed my lead and gave her a warm hug and kiss. “I’ll be seeing you.”

  She nodded and entered her apartment, giving us one last look before closing the door behind her.

  “We need to talk,” I said, placing a hand on my brother’s shoulder, and gave it a pat.

  “Sure. I was thinking the same thing. Come on over and we’ll discuss it over a couple of beers.” We walked the short distance and entered his place, which was identical to mine just four floors directly above.

  Following him into the kitchen, I waited until I had a beer in my hand and took a long swig before getting down to business. “So what are we going to do?” I asked, taking another drink, emptying nearly half the bottle.

  “About?” He chuckled and led the way into the living room, where he flopped down onto the sofa, grabbed the remote control, and propped his feet up on the coffee table. He knew damned well what.

  Laughing, I responded, “Layla.”

  Darrin shrugged. “She’s your girl. I fucked up and kissed her when we were on the roller-coaster, I apologize for that.”

  “Yeah, I know. She told me.”

  “Oh, that’s why she was so quiet on the trip back?”

  “She was giving me time to think and to be honest I’ve been a little unsure all evening about the situation.”

  He cocked a brow at me, flipping through the channels no longer a priority. “You’re not into her? Seemed like you were.”