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

by Terry Towers

“Then you’ll have to invite me over in the mornings,” I teased back, taking a seat on the bench at the kitchen table. “Do you need any help?”

  “Nah, I got this covered. Nate is still sleeping. His days off he usually sleeps in ‘til near noon. I don’t think being in your bed will make much difference.”

  I shrugged. “No worries. I could use the company.”

  We chatted for a while until breakfast was served and Darrin took a seat on the bench across from me. Despite the noise we were making and the smell of the delicious food, Darrin was right, Nate hadn’t even stirred. He did continue to snore softly.

  “So why are you single, Darrin?” I’d asked similar questions before, but was hoping after last night, and then again this morning, he’d be a little more candid.

  “It’s complicated.”

  “I’ve got all weekend,” I joked.

  “Yes, and so do I, so I guess that’s not the best answer.”

  “I’ll take any answer I can get.”

  He took a bite of his pancake and chewed. Once done, he sighed. “Nate and I are two very different people. If we didn’t look identical and weren’t cops you’d be hard pressed to peg us for related, let alone twins.”

  I cocked my head to the side, forgetting all about the scrumptious meal he’d made us, and gave him my full attention. “Okay.”

  “Nate is and has always been the extrovert. He’s the one that got invited to parties, I’d tag along. He was the one that got all the women and was never satisfied with just one, he wanted them all.”

  From what I knew so far about his brother that sounded about right. He didn’t make promises and didn’t form relationships. He’d been upfront about that from the get-go. Having his brother reconfirm that made me feel worse than it should have, though.

  “To him dating is easy. Getting women is easy. He doesn’t form strong bonds and he’s happy that way. He lives for the rush of a new relationship.”

  “But you’re not.”

  Darrin shook his head. “No, I’m not. I like the familiarity of the same woman. I love learning about a woman I’m interested in and discovering every part of who she is, even after the initial excitement has worn off. If you really love a person then you never get bored and stop wanting to learn about who they are.”

  “Sounds like you know what you’re talking about.”

  He smiled and glanced up long enough to catch my gaze. “Yeah, I had that once.”

  I wanted to learn more, but refrained from asking. I had a feeling this was where things got touchy with him. On the other hand, I was envious. I’d never really had that with Craig. I was sure I loved him, I’d dedicated myself to him, but deep down I also knew that he wasn’t the one. He wasn’t the soul mate I’d been waiting for all my life.

  Which was how I came to be where I was now. Though some would argue that having two hot NYPD officers in my bed last night wasn’t too shabby a situation. It was still a volatile situation at best, with more uncertainties than I cared to admit.

  “When I first moved here I wasn’t interested in meeting anyone. I figured I needed to spend some time discovering who I was without being in a relationship. My ex and I dated exclusively through college and then moved in together upon graduating. He’s originally from Bangor, Maine and wanted to go home. He didn’t feel he was a good fit for the big city so I moved.”

  “So, what happened between you?”

  “He wasn’t the one.” Damn, this was an intense conversation for first thing in the morning. I wished I could change the subject, but perhaps if I opened up he’d feel more inclined to as well. “In reality, he’s the one that decided for the both of us. I’m stubborn and determined. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t working, but I had too much pride to admit it, so instead of having an exit plan, I held on tighter. When he finally said it was over, instead of feeling sad, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief.”

  “Is my brother boring you yet?” I heard Nate say from behind me. Turning, I smiled when I saw Nate enter the room in his boxer briefs, unashamed that he was sporting a raging hard-on beneath his underwear.

  “We’re just getting to know each other better over pancakes, which are delicious, by the way.”

  “I know, Darrin makes an incredible breakfast, no one can debate that.” He went over to my cupboard and after a little searching for what he was looking for, he made himself a plate and sat down with us at the table.

  “This is what I was thinking…”

  Darrin and I didn’t speak, but quickly shared an amused look before focusing on him.

  “Considering it’s Saturday and its one of those very rare occurrences where both of us get the entire weekend off I’m figuring that we should all spend the weekend together.”

  I had a fair amount of work that I brought home from the office to complete over the weekend, but that was before I realized I’d have plans. It was the extra credit, suck up to the boss stuff, not mandatory.

  Nate looked directly at me. “As long as you’re free.”

  I crinkled up my nose at him, pretending to consider it. Finally, I replied, “I think I can squeeze you two in.”

  “I’d be forever grateful, ma’am,” he replied with a wink.

  “What do you have planned?”

  He leaned forward and tapped me on the nose with his index finger. “You’ll find out when I take you there.”

  ~*~ TT ~*~

  Darrin

  I don’t dance. But if that were the case then how did I end up at a salsa club?

  Looking to my left and seeing the smile on Layla’s face as the three of us entered the Latin club was my answer. When my brother suggested it, she lit up like a Christmas tree. How could I say no and be a buzzkill, even if it meant I stood on the sidelines and watched her and my brother bump and grind on the dance floor?

  “This way.” Nate led us to a small table at the corner of the club. Once we were settled he took off to get us all some drinks.

  “You don’t look excited to be here.” Layla looked over at me, concerned.

  “No. It’s cool.” I tried to add some excitement to my tone, but failed miserably. “This is a nice place.” Looking around, I had to admit it was better than nice. The décor was a combination of reds, yellows, and oranges. The music was loud enough for the dancers on the floor to lose themselves in, but not so loud that you couldn’t carry a conversation.

  “Are you going to dance with me?” She ran her index finger along the length of my inner arm, sending a pleasurable chill through me, making my cock come alive.

  “Nah.” I looked out onto the dance floor. Everyone dancing seemed to be having an amazing time. But more importantly, they knew what they were doing. I didn’t have a fucking clue how to do the moves they were performing.

  “Why not?” Her lips took on a pouty look.

  Laughing, I shook my head. “Because I have no idea where to begin with those moves. I’m not exactly coordinated.”

  Her fingertip slipped its way back up my arm to the elbow. “It’s just a matter of moving your body to the rhythm. I’ve experienced first hand how good you are working into a rhythm.” Her dark eyes stared into mine with such intensity that I had to force myself to remain seated and not pull her onto my lap.

  My mouth turned dry and I swallowed down the lump forming in my throat. “I don’t have that type of rhythm.” It didn’t help that she looked as sexy as hell, wearing a strapless red mini dress and heels. She looked amazing in form fitting clothing which accented her feminine curves. Like my brother, I preferred my women to have a soft, shapely body.

  “Drinks are here,” Nate announced, settling on a stool on the other side of Layla after giving us our beverages. Nate and I had a beer while Layla opted for some fruity contraption. We watched the dancers as we sipped our drinks.

  The music switched up to a sultry song.

  Layla clapped in excitement as she stood up, nearly knocking the table over with her exuberance. “I love this song! Let’s go!”
Grabbing my hand and that of my brother she urged us to our feet. Nate obliged without hesitation. I however, had many reservations, not budging from the chair.

  “Come on Darrin, please.” She stepped closer to me and gave me a tender kiss on the lips. “Please,” she repeated, giving me a pleading look as she straightened.

  Fuck.

  “Just one dance,” she insisted, giving my hand another tug.

  How could I say no to her? When it came to Layla no didn’t seem to be in my vocabulary and I seemed to be doing things I wouldn’t otherwise. Dropping my head in defeat, I stood and allowed myself to be led to the dance floor.

  “How are we even supposed to do this as a trio?” I asked as we found a vacant spot on the dance floor.

  Layla spun to face me and slipped her arms around my neck, rubbing her body against mine. Leaning into me, her lips less than an inch from my ear, she whispered, “Move with the music. Fuck me on the dance floor, without fucking me.” As she finished the sentence, she rubbed her pelvis against my semi-erect cock and I groaned. But despite my reservations, I found my body beginning to move on its own in time with the music.

  Nate moved up behind Layla, placing his hands on her shoulders and leaning forward, placing a line of kisses along her bare shoulder. His body moved in time with the music, rubbing his groin against her ass as he moved.

  She moaned against my neck and when she looked back up and into my eyes, there was hunger burning in them.

  Maybe coming here wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

  ~*~ TT ~*~

  Layla

  I had to be in heaven, that was the only reasonable explanation for what was going on tonight. Having the two men rubbing against me, their hands exploring my body as we danced, was making me hornier than I’d ever been. And there wasn’t a damned thing I could do about it aside from endure the sweet torture.

  God, I hoped they stayed over again tonight. As much as I didn’t want to become their fuck toy, I couldn’t deny how much I wanted to experience what I had the previous night again and again and again.

  The first song ended, and despite Darrin’s initial hesitation, he seemed to be getting into the spirit. Of course, I had a feeling the hard bulge in his pants was a driving factor.

  Spinning around to face Nate, I stretched out against Darrin’s body, slipping my arm over my head and grasping the back of Darrin’s neck. Turning my head, I urged his lips down to mine. As we kissed, our tongues fighting, I fisted the front of Nate’s shirt, pulling him to me.

  Ending my kiss with Darrin, I pulled Nate into me. He gave me a wink as he leaned forward and his lips claimed mine. As we kissed, I felt hands moving up my inner thigh. A part of me felt alarmed—we were on the dance floor! But it was towards the back and was quite dark. With Nate’s body in front of me and Darrin behind, anyone looking at us would be hard pressed to see what was going on.

  “Oh God,” I gasped as Nate’s lips left mine and the hand between my legs found the apex, cupping my mound. I’d decided to forego the underwear tonight, due to my fear of panty lines. The men seemed to be intent on taking advantage of that fact.

  “Yes, baby,” Nate replied, grinning.

  “I want to fuck you here and now,” Darrin whispered into my ear as he slipped a finger between my moist folds and began stroking me.

  “Oh God. Here? What if…”

  “What if? What?” As he asked the question his finger slipped into me and I cried out and began to whimper as he began stroking me in just the right spot to drive me wild.

  Dammit, these men were cruel! But it was an amazing type of cruel.

  It occurred to me for a moment that even if people couldn’t see me getting finger fucked on the dance floor they’d see me making out with two men. Whether or not they could tell the men were twins in the dim lighting was hard to say. Surprisingly enough instead of being embarrassed, I felt strong, sexy, powerful.

  His finger continued its beautiful torture, bringing me closer and closer to the brink. I began panting and started to feel light-headed, no longer even certain if we were still dancing. The world around me disappeared and all that mattered was my impending orgasm.

  “I’m going to—oh God… Darrin…” I couldn’t even complete a thought. The moisture between my legs was dripping and the coil in my belly was so tight it almost hurt. I wanted to come. No, I needed to come.

  When Nate stepped closer to me again and bit the side of my neck, sending a jolt of pleasure down my spine, it was my undoing. I cried out as I plateaued. I was certain that despite the loud music some of the couples surrounding us must have heard. Though I didn’t care who heard. I was in heaven with two of the most amazing men I’d ever met.

  As I was left panting and spent, suspended between the hard bodies of two of the most amazing men I’d even met, all I could think about was how I never wanted this to end. But good things like this didn’t come without turmoil.

  Chapter 17

  Two Months Later

  Darrin

  The shift was almost over, and I just had to check out for the day. It had been a hectic day, though if truth be known most days were hectic days. We were on the verge of a breakthrough with the Black Skulls, the group that was at fault for my ex-fiancé’s death, and I could feel that closure was around the corner.

  But despite the craziness of the day, I had one thing to look forward to… seeing Layla. It had only been a couple of months since I’d first met her, but meeting her had changed me. It felt like my life finally had meaning again. I didn’t even realize how badly my life lacked until I met her. Life had lost meaning after Gabriella’s death to the point where all I lived for was my obsession to see the bastards who murdered her either dead or behind bars, though if I had my way it would be the former over the latter.

  Pulling the patrol car into a spot in the underground parking lot, I shut off the ignition and let my head fall back against the headrest. I’d already dropped my partner off at his place and told him not to worry, I’d take care of returning the car and logging us out.

  My mind hadn’t been with work this afternoon, it was on something else. Though to be exact, it was on someone else—Layla and how I was setting myself up for a fall.

  Getting out of the car, I locked it via the key fob. Believe it or not, even police cars get stolen. Criminals have just about as many qualms stealing from cops as they do normal citizens.

  There was a buzz of excitement in the station. Layla immediately faded from my thoughts as I picked up on the electricity in the air. The closer I got to my division, the stronger the buzz became. Something big had gone down or was about to. My pace quickened and I burst through the doors of the division, heading straight to my desk.

  “Sergeant, the Captain wants to see you.” I halted in my steps and turned to face the secretary for my division as she continued. “He wanted me to catch you when you came back from patrol since he wanted to be the one to tell you. It’s important.”

  It felt like people were looking at me, or maybe it was just my paranoia. As I looked around me, I realized it wasn’t my imagination. Several officers were staring at me, but as soon as they noticed they’d been caught, they quickly looked away, attempting to appear busy.

  My pulse began to race. Something big was indeed going on and it seemed to be centered around me. My pulse raced faster, so fast that I could hear the rapid thumping in my ears. Quickening my pace, I reached the captain’s office just as two detectives were leaving.

  Seeing me approach the open doorway, Captain Holloway waved me in. “Shut the door behind you, Striker.”

  I did as told, my brow furrowing as I took a seat across from my boss. “What’s going on?”

  “There’s going to be no pussy footing around, I’m just going to out and say it. We’ve found Gabriella’s murderer.” He paused, giving the information a moment to sink in.

  Gabriella’s killer. The person who meant to shoot me and killed the love of my life instead. “Are they in custody?
”

  “No.”

  “Fuck.” My heart sank. I’d have given just about anything to be the one to look that bastard in the eye and pull the trigger. “Then why call me in here?”

  “He’s not in custody because he’s dead. His accomplice is in custody and singing like an canary, hoping to get a reduced sentence in a plea bargain. He’s squealing on the entire gang. We’re preparing a task force to end the Black Skulls reign now.”

  “How did he die? What in the fuck happened?” Anger flared up in me. I wanted to be the one to get justice for Gabriella. ME!

  “Our snitch had a confrontation with a man who was bragging about killing Gabriella. They found out he was talking to us and was going to have to answer to the gang bosses. They fought and our snitch got spooked and shot him, a bullet to the head. He was dead upon arrival of the medics. Our snitch has been in interrogation for two hours now.”

  I slumped back into the chair, not sure what to say.

  “It’s over. As much as I would like to have you on the task force for the raid on their compound, I’ve decided it’s best for your mental health to take the next few days off.”

  Anger surged though me again. “I don’t need any fucking time off! I need to be a part of that raid.”

  The captain shook his head. “No. This decision is final. You’ve been grieving for a long time and now there’s resolution. That can fuck with a person’s head, and don’t be so arrogant to think you’re any different. This isn’t up for debate. You’ll take the week off. You’ll get your head on straight and decide where your career is headed from here.”

  The captain stood up and walked around his desk and grasped my shoulder in his hands and stared down at me. “She’s been given justice. You can move on…”

  ~*~ TT ~*~

  Layla

  I had wonderful news and was dying to tell someone. Neither Nate nor Darrin were answering their phones. This was frustrating as shit. But Darrin should be home by now and if I remembered correctly Nate would be home late in the evening—that just meant that I got to share the good news twice!