Page 17 of Accidental Baby For My Brother’s Best Friend

Gemma

It’s lucky that I’m driving the tour bus because if I wasn’t, I’d probably be stuck sitting between Locke and Axel while they had the world’s most obnoxious stare down. I don’t look back to see if that’s what’s happening on the short ride to the club that Axel suggested, but I can justfeelit. I plan to talk to Samuel and slide him the keys to the bus so that he can drive us back, because God knows I need more to drink, and Samuel never overindulges.

I’d been hoping that my brother wouldn’t show up to the hotel bar but I never thought that Locke would show. He isn’t the type to show up to social events that aren’t pre-planned weeks in advance, and even then, it’s fifty-fifty. Locke Kincaid is maybe the least social rocker I’ve ever met, and so, even though he’d said he would come, I didn’t expect it to actually happen.

Why did he show, anyway? Locke isn’t a club rat. In fact, most of the reason I was so surprised about him putting on that show in Tucson with the bartender is because it was so out of character. I guess I’m right about him changing his tune, so to speak, because he’s chatting away to Samuel and acting like the life of the party, even though he isn’t drinking much, even when we get into the club.

I order two shots at the bar and take them both, making Axel raise an eyebrow.

“Gemma gone wild,” he stage-whispers in my ear, and I giggle.

Axel makes me giggle a lot, and I’m grateful for his friendship. Hell, I’m even a little grateful for his flirting, because it seems to rile up Locke Kincaid, which is something that delights me for reasons I don‘t understand.

I decide to make the most of tonight. It is a rare occasion that I can hang out like this, with my friends—male friends—and not have my brother breathe down my neck, or their necks, whichever he feels might work best to ruin my love life. That’s why I’m still a virgin. And it’s weird enough being a twenty-one-year-old virgin, but even weirder that I didn’tintendto be a twenty-one-year-old virgin.

I’ve had boyfriends, of course, ever since high school, but after our parents died, Jackson cracked down on my social life, and I understand why he did it, but now?

I’m a grown woman. I can make my own decisions. And I decided to try to pursue a night with Axel. I don’t love him, but I want my first time to be with someone who cherishes me, cares about me, and treats me right. But I’m not looking for forever. I just want to know what it feels like to be worshipped. To be touched by a man. And I know he’ll treat me right and our friendship won’t change if he helps me with this.

But, even though tonight, my brother isn't here to stop me,

Locke is, and for some reason, he’s making it his personal mission to cockblock me.

Even as I take my first two shots back-to-back, with Axel right next to me, hip to hip, Locke manages to wedge himself between us. That’s no small feat, given Locke’s height and wide shoulders, and I glare up at him.

“Hello,” I say icily, but Locke doesn’t seem to take the hint, smiling down at me.

“Hello,” he repeats, and orders himself a coke.

He ordersa coke, at the hottest bar in Albuquerque. Granted, it’s not like we’re at Caesar’s Palace in Vegas (yet), but still – this is odd behavior, even from him.

All the Spades are drinkers, even Samuel loves a good draft beer and has been known to get tipsy and giggly when we all go out together. Jackson and Axel disappear—usually with a girl—after a few drinks, and Locke usually disappears to go home. Many times, it’s ended up just me and Sam, chatting away until we sober up.

That’s how we became such close friends—not that the rest of the Spades have even noticed. They don’t notice me in general, even Jackson acts like I’m an invisible force propelling the band forward, but that’s started to change—first with Samuel, and now with Axel.

And Locke, I suppose,I think as I make a sour face at Locke, yet again, moving in between Axel and me as we trail out onto the dance floor. Locke doesn’t evendance.

No matter what I do, or where I move, Locke is right next to me, and it’s beginning to drive me nuts, especially since he doesn’t seem to have anything to say and all he wants to do is glare at Axel. Jackson might as well be here!

Infuriated, I stalk back to the bar to order another shot, even though I’ve probably had enough. I don’t normally get drunk, just tipsy, and when someone slides up next to me, I feel like I’m going to explode.

“Will youstop following me?” I snap, and then look over to see Samuel’s shocked face. I sigh. “Not you, Sammy, I thought you were-”

“Locke,” he says, and I want to hug him. Samuel seems to know intuitively how I feel, and I think that maybe Jackson was right when he said that Samuel would be the best Spade for me to date. Too bad Samuel and I have zero physical chemistry. That much is clear to everyone. Including Locke, I guess, because he’s nowhere to be found when Samuel and I are alone.

“He’s being soweird, Sam!” I groan, and I can hear the whine in my voice but I don’t care.

Samuel takes one of the two shots I’ve ordered to keep me from drinking too much and I begrudgingly let him. My head is already spinning. I’m probably dehydrated from all this dry heat, so after I take my shot, I order a bottle of water.

“He’s just looking out for you,” Samuel says, and I give him a look that makes him wince. “Okay, okay, it’s more than that. Itisweird.”

“Thank you,” I mumble, and look out toward the dance floor. Axel dances idly with some redhead, but he doesn’t look like his heart is in it. I wave to him and he grins, but then his smile fades as Locke comes up to talk to him, leading him off the dance floor.

I huff out a breath, blowing my bangs out of my face.

“Gem,” Samuel warns, and there must be a certain expression on my face because he looks concerned. “What are you gonna do?”

“Whatever I want,” I breathe, and make a split-second decision.

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