A night with my best friend's arrogant brother

"You think you can handle more than one man?"

"I can handle as many men as I want,” I shot back. “None of them is ever going to be you.”

His gaze didn’t waver. If anything, it darkened.

“Are you sure?” he asked quietly.

“That I’ll never have to handle you?” I scoffed. “I’m very sure.”

He took a step closer.

“Even if I do this?”

His hand came up, gripping my jaw just enough to hold me still—and then his mouth was on mine.

I should have pushed him away.

I didn’t.

As my back hit the counter and I leaned into him instead, one thought rang louder than anything else—

How the hell did I end up kissing my best friend’s arrogant brother?

******

Two days earlier

The highway stretched endlessly ahead of us, a ribbon of asphalt disappearing into the late afternoon sun. I'd been looking forward to this trip for months—a week away from the city, away from work stress, and away from my boyfriend's constant paranoia. Just me, my best friend Sarah, and the peaceful cabin we'd rented. At least, that had been the plan.

"I still can't believe he's coming," I muttered, shooting a glance in the rearview mirror at the sleeping form in the back seat.

Sarah laughed from the passenger seat, adjusting the air conditioning vent. "Marcus is not that bad."

"Not that bad?" I let out a short, incredulous laugh. "Sarah, he's insufferable. Every time I've met him, he's been nothing but arrogant and dismissive. And now he's spending an entire week with us. A week, Sarah."

"He needed a break too," she said, though I could hear the slight defensiveness in her voice. She always did that—tried to see the good in everyone, even when they didn't deserve it. "Besides, you know he was going through some stuff with his ex."

"And that's our problem because...?" I kept my eyes on the road, but I could feel her looking at me.

"Because he's family, and you're my best friend, and I thought it would be nice for us all to—"

"To what? Pretend he's not the most arrogant, insufferable man on the planet?" I shook my head. "Sarah, I love you, but this was supposed to be our trip. Girls only. We were supposed to relax, enjoy ourselves, not babysit your grown brother."

From the back seat, Marcus shifted in his sleep, his arm draped across the window. Even in sleep, he managed to look smug. He was handsome, I'd give him that—the kind of handsome that knew it was handsome. Dark hair, sharp jawline, the sort of effortless good looks that came with an equally effortless superiority complex. Every interaction we'd had was laced with subtle jabs and condescension. He talked down to me like I was a child who needed to be educated on the proper way to think about everything.

"He's not going to ruin it," Sarah said, but she didn't sound entirely convinced.

"Oh, he absolutely will," I said. "Mark my words. He'll complain about the cabin, criticize everything we do, and probably spend most of his time on his phone being insufferable to someone else. And worse, his presence will only make Derek keep calling every minute."

As if summoned by the mere mention of my boyfriend's name, my phone buzzed in its holder. I didn't need to look at the screen to know it was him.

"Let me guess," Sarah said, peering at the phone.

"Derek," I confirmed, sighing. I reached over and accepted the call via the car's Bluetooth system.

"Hey, babe, where are you?" Derek's voice came through the speakers, tight with something I'd learned to recognize as suspicious.

"We're about two hours away from the cabin," I said, keeping my voice level. "Just like I told you this morning. And yesterday. And the day before."

"Just making sure you're safe," he said, and I could practically hear him settling into whatever narrative he'd constructed. "You're with Sarah and... who else again?"

Here it was. The inevitable question that would lead to the inevitable argument.

"Her brother, Marcus. She mentioned it last week, Derek."

"Right, right," he said, and I could hear the shift in his tone. "The brother. You never mentioned what he looked like."

"Because it doesn't matter what he looks like," I said, my grip tightening on the steering wheel.

Sarah winced sympathetically from the passenger seat.

"I'm just saying, you're going to be isolated in a cabin for a week with a strange man—"

"He's not a strange man. He's Sarah's brother. I've met him multiple times."

"Exactly," Derek said, and there was that accusatory edge that made my stomach tighten. "He's around, and he probably—"

"Probably what, Derek? What's your concern here?" I was trying to keep my voice calm, but irritation was creeping in at the edges. "Are you seriously trying to tell me I can't go on a trip because there's a man involved?"

"That's not what I'm saying—"

"Then what are you saying?"

There was a pause. Sarah pretended to look out the window, giving me the illusion of privacy, even though we both knew she could hear every word.

"I'm just concerned," Derek said finally. "A week is a long time. Things happen. People get drunk, they get lonely—"

"And you think I'm going to sleep with my best friend's brother?" I asked, my voice sharp now. "Is that what you think of me?"

"That's not—"

"Because that's what you're implying, Derek. You're implying that I'm the kind of woman who would cheat on you. Is that really what you think?"

"No, I just—" He let out a frustrated breath. "I don't like not knowing what's happening. I don't like you being out there with him."

"Well, I'm going," I said firmly. "I need this trip. I need to get away and relax and spend time with my best friend. And you're going to have to trust me."

"It's not you I don't trust—"

"Yes, it is," I said quietly. "It always is."

I ended the call before he could respond, feeling Sarah's eyes on me.

"You okay?" she asked softly.

"Fine," I lied. "Just Derek being Derek."

"He's getting worse with the paranoia thing, isn't he?" Sarah had never been shy about her opinions on my relationship.

"Yeah," I admitted. "He thinks everyone wants to... you know. Like I'm this prize everyone's constantly trying to steal."

"That's exhausting."

"It is," I said. "That's why I need this week. I need to not think about whether he's upset that I wore a dress or talked to a guy at work. I need to just exist for a while."

In the back seat, Marcus made a small snoring sound, and I couldn't help but scowl at his sleeping face. Even if Derek wasn't here ruining my peace of mind with his possessiveness, Marcus's presence was still an unwelcome intrusion.

"He's really not that bad," Sarah ventured again.

"He's really exactly that bad," I countered. "And worse. But don't worry about it. I'm sure I can manage to avoid him for most of the week."

Sarah smiled knowingly but didn't push it further. As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, I tried to focus on the road ahead and think about enjoying this trip

It was going to be a blast.