Page 3 of Protected By my Brothers Best Friend

Stomach turning, I head toward the stairs with plans to pack up and leave. I’m a strong and capable woman. I can start a business, I can change my building design, I can tell everyone I’m skipping out on college in favor of entrepreneurship, but I refuse to watch Cooper Andrews fall in love with another woman.

I’m two feet from the end of the staircase when Cooper’s rough hand wraps around my forearm. “Where are you going?”

I roll my eyes. “Upstairs. I don’t feel well.”

He glances behind him as though he’s making sure no one has seen him, then looks toward me. “I’m coming with you.”

I spin forward and climb the stairs one by one, my heart stuck somewhere between my chest and my stomach. There’s a ten out of ten downstairs waiting for him, but for some reason, he’s following me.

There must be a lack of oxygen to my brain, because there’s no way this is really happening.

Chapter Two

Cooper

I’ve spent the better part of four years trying not to love my best friend’s little sister. For one, she’s too young. Way too fucking young. Two, she’s off limits for a reason. Bros don’t date their best friend’s sister. It’s just not done. It’s a general courtesy for everyone involved. Three, Bryan’s family has become family to me. They have been since I lost my parents.

There’s not a lot of grace in the world for a child whose only living relative was a drunkard looking to collect money from my parents’ estate. I was sixteen years old, alone in the world, and I took every chance to be a part of the McAdams family I could get. If they needed someone to do anything around the house, I was their guy. If Collette needed help with her science, I was the first to grab a microscope. If Kenzie needed a new chain for her bike, I had a replacement in my hand within the hour. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for them, and they gave me all the love and acceptance I would ever want. And now… I’m a fucking bastard who has feelings for Iris. I can’t repay their kindness by falling for their youngest daughter.

I rub Iris’ back as she sits on the edge of the bed. Her cheeks are red, and tears fall from her face. Downstairs, she looked sick. Up here, she looks upset. “What’s going on?”

She stands abruptly and tosses her suitcase onto the bed. “What? I’m not doing anything. Go downstairs. The love of your life is down there. You said you wanted a family. I’m sure you could find it with her. Women like that like to spend money. I’m sure she’d spend yours and give you babies in return.”

I huff out a laugh. “What?” If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was jealous.

“What do you mean, what? Go!”

I shake my head. “I appreciate it, but that’s not my kind of girl.”

“Right.” She laughs. “No one likes tall, curvy blondes.”

“Are you… okay?”

She flashes a glance toward me and shakes her head before continuing to stuff a weekend’s worth of clothes into her bag. “I told you… I’m sick.”

“Bullshit. Something else is wrong. You can talk to me.”

“Can I? You’ve known my brother for how long now… twenty years, but you forgot about the rest of the family. We used to hang out all the time. You’d take me to baseball games. We’d go sledding. We’d hunt together. You made time for me. We were close. Then I turn eighteen, and it’s like I don’t exist anymore. You’ve barely spoken to me in years. You don’t even…” She sighs. Clearly, she’s angry. “You don’t even look at me. Today is the first time in forever that you’ve shown the slightest interest, and I’m pretty sure it’s because you’re being forced. So why would I open up to you?”

I could explain all that very easily if the truth was an option, but it’s not. “Why does it bother you?”

She pants out a breath and zips her suitcase closed before looking toward me.

She’s so beautiful. I’m not even sure she knows it. Her hair is bright pink, she’s got the most captivating dark brown eyes, and she wears these funky gray glasses that twist at the corners. Not to mention that she’s probably not even five feet tall. I could lift her up onto my shoulder and carry her right out of here. My cock twitches just thinking about that possibility.

“If you don’t know why it would bother me that we don’t talk anymore, then I don’t even know why we're talking in the first place.” She swings open the bedroom door and Bryan is on the other side of it.

“Everything okay?” He’s wearing a t-shirt with baby drool on the shoulder and a pair of gym shorts that could also use the laundry. This is his uniform these days, and I gotta say, I’m jealous as hell.

“Yeah,” Iris says, stepping around him, “I’m not feeling great. I’m sorry. I have to go.”

“Wait,” Bryan twists toward her, “you can’t go. I need you this weekend.”

“No, you don’t. There are four adults here. You have more than enough people who can take care of the kids. Shanna won’t leave them alone, anyway.”

“I know, but you leaving is going to upset her. She’s so stressed already. Please!” Bryan is pleading and I can tell it’s because he hasn’t slept well in weeks. I remember the look on his face when Shanna told him they were going to have twins. He didn’t need to say a word. He knew he’d slept his last full night’s sleep.

Iris sighs and glances toward me before looking back at Bryan. “I really want to go home. What if I’m sick? I don’t want to get the baby’s sick.”

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