Page 29 of Not Quite Perfect

Alex smirked. “Not if he doesn’t report it.”

“Are you always this fast and loose with the law, Officer Witherspoon?”

His tone sobered. “Only when my little sister’s heart is on the line. Not to be a dick or anything, but you should be married with kids by now.”

I pretended to be offended. In truth, I felt exactly the same. When David and I had met, I’d secretly wondered if fate had been saving me for him. Now, I realized how silly the thought had been.

The longer I stood there with my brother, the more I began to question my feelings. Had I really fallen in love with David? Or had I been feeling like a loser because my mom had managed to find lovesix timeswhile I’d maybe been in love once. Except now, I knew I hadn’t been in love with Andy Morrison. Instead, I’d loved the mind-blowing orgasms he’d given me during our junior year of college.

And as eye opening asthatexperience had been, sex with David had beenrevelatory. I’d never known I could come as long, as hard, or as frequent as I had with him.

Back then, I thought I’d loved Andy. What if I had fallen into the same trap with David. What if I simply loved my orgasms after such a long draught? What if I’d fallen in love with his body, and how he used it to bring me pleasure?

I cared for him. That much I could say with one hundred percent certainty. But love? If sex was off the table, would I still feel the same?

I shook my head to banish the questions swirling in my brain. I wasn’t that woman. Not anymore. Today, I was fully capable of distinguishing between sex and love, and I knew deep in my heart that I had real, honest-to-goodness feelings for David.

Feelings I thought he’d reciprocated.

If that was the case, why had he lied to me?

“Nuh-uh,” Alex said, interrupting my internal struggle. “I know that look.” He twirled his index finger in front of my face. “You’re wondering what you did wrong.”

“I am not.” I lifted my chin and held his gaze. If I looked strong in the face of his scrutiny, maybe I’d feel strong when forced to face the rest of my family—and David.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, pulling on the roots. “It was a dick move, Vick. That’s on him.”

I felt my chin wobble as I answered. “I know.”

I did. Really. And yet I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d willfully ignored the clues. If I hadn’t actuallywantedto know the truth.

David had told me that he didn’t date. I should have stopped the conversation right then and there to ask why. I should have probed further. But I hadn’t. Andthatwas on me.

The truth was, I’d been so caught up in the rush of being with him, so enamored with the idea that I was somehow special because he was willing to dateme, that it hadn’t even occurred to me to say something.

“But—”

Alex’s jaw clenched. “No buts, Vick. He should have told you before he slept with you.”

“Do you tell every woman you sleep with your entire life’s history.”

“No, but I do make sure they know the score up front.”

“And what’s that?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest to mirror his stance.

“They get one night with this.” He smirked and ran his hand up and down his body like Vanna White.

While Theo might have been named one of New England’s most promising CEOs, Alex was not without accolades of his own. He’d twice posed for a charity calendar featuring police officers in various states of undress. Since then, he’d established quite the little fan club.

“You’re a pig.”

He laughed. “And you’re a prude.”

“Asshole.” I smiled when I said it.

I didn’t really think my brother was an asshole. Honestly, they were all pretty terrific. I’d won the sibling lottery and I knew it.

He smiled. “Feel better?”

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