Once Brock turned eighteen, he started working there. He’s now twenty-two, and I’m twenty-four. Not a huge age gap, but I’m sure I’ll get some robbing the cradle jokes soon enough.
Anya and I have been best friends for ever, and I honestly have never really gotten along with Brock.
When we were younger, he was a bully. Anya and I would play with Monster High dolls in her room, and Brock would always be there, being that typical pesky younger brother.
Tripp is the youngest, and together Brock and Tripp would make it a habit of picking on Anya and me.
Once we got older, Brock was always just there. Being annoying.
We have fought more than we’ve ever had an actual conversation. I think it’s because Brock enjoys pushing my buttons.
This is never going to work.
Brock must see the apprehension on my face, and he steps over, putting his arm around my shoulders. “Ready to go up to the room and freshen up before we head to dinner?”
I gaze up into his soft brown eyes and smile. “Sure thing, babe.” The babe feels wrong, and I swear Brock even flinches as I say it, but nobody else appears to even notice a thing.
We say a quick goodbye to everyone, and we check in. Once we finally make it up to the room, I hesitate before stepping over the threshold.
“Are we sure?” I ask him.
He raises a brow. “We’ve already sort of committed, don’t you think?”
I let out a deep breath, and enter the room, letting him shut the door behind me. “Did Lake say anything after I got pulled away by Anya?”
Brock studies me for a quick second before shaking his head. “Said, congrats, buddy. Lake has never called me buddy before.”
“Do you think he was jealous?”
Brock smiles wide. “Definitely. And tonight we’re all going to dinner. You should wear a sexy dress to let him know what he’s missing.”
I lug my suitcase onto the bed. I unzip it, looking for my little blue dress. The one I bought especially to make Lake jealous. “How about this?” I ask, pulling it out of my suitcase.
Brock blinks. “Is that a dress? Or a shirt?”
I laugh lightly. “It’s a bodycon dress.”
“I don’t know what that means, but yes, wear it.”
“I’m going to take a shower and get ready.”
Brock nods. “I’m gonna get ready quickly, and I’ll meet you downstairs at the bar next to the check in, okay?”
I nod. “Give me about thirty minutes, and I’ll see you there.”
Brock steps closer. “One thing. You sort of stiffened a bit when I put my arm around you when Lake was there. For this to look real, we need to act like we’ve done this before.”
I blink as he steps closer. “Right. I told Anya and Hartford that we haven’t had sex yet.”
Brock nods. “Okay. Come here, let’s practice a few things.”
I step closer, holding my breath for what’s to come. “All right.”
He lifts his hand, his finger tracing down my face. “If I touch you like this, you shouldn’t flinch. You shouldn’t shake.”
However, my legs are slightly shaking, and not for the reasons he thinks. “Okay,” I whisper. My heart pounds in my chest, and as I gaze into Brock's eyes, I notice they have a faint green ring around the pupil. His eyes are brown, but there’s this green ring, making his eyes more exotic. I want to keep staring but feel awkward.
I back up a bit, and his arm snakes around my waist.