Page 37 of Accidental Baby For My Brother’s Best Friend

I sure miss Susie now that I finally have something going on with my sex life. I always felt left out during girl talk since I spent so much time at dive bars and mosh pits. I met a lot of guys, had a lot of drinks bought for me, but I never had much to say when Susie and the couple other girls I spend time with talked about men. Now, I’m bursting at the seams to talk to someone, but Samuel and Axel are absolutely not interested in hearing about my sex life, and besides, they’re hisfriends. It’s not like I can be honest and gush about how great sex with Locke is to them.

God, maybe it’s for the best that I don’t have anyone to talk to about this. Even my own thoughts sound like a teenage girl and it makes me cringe.

My mind is racing in the elevator and I don’t even notice that Locke has moved to the back and is standing behind me until he leans forward and murmurs in my ear.

“I think you’re starting to like me, little bit.”

I jump as his hand slowly moves to my lower back.

I scoff. “Don’t get your hopes up.

Locke chuckles and I can feel his breath on my bare shoulder. I shiver and he moves his hand lower, squeezing the curve of my right ass cheek just hard enough that I let out a squeak.

Jackson, at the front of the elevator, turns to look at me, raising a dark blond eyebrow.

I cover it with a cough. “Think I’m coming down with something.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t come tonight, Gem,” my brother offers, looking concerned, and instead of arguing like I usually would, I nod. I can guarantee that I won’t end up hooking up with Locke if I stay at the hotel.

“I can handle the merchandise,” Locke offers, and I look up at him, surprised. Locke is the least sociable of all the Spades, and he never offers that kind of help.

Jackson laughs. “Yeah, all the ladies seem to love you after I announced that you wrote our title song.”

I stiffen and something tightens in my throat. I remember that night in Los Angeles, when all those blondes converged around Locke and it felt like I was the last picked in high school volleyball all over again.

I tune out whatever the guys are saying until my brother says my name once and then twice.

“Gem? You really are sick.”

“I-” I shake my head. “Yeah, I guess I should go lie down.”

Jackson’s brow furrows as the elevator doors ding open. The only hotel I could find close enough to the venue downtown had twenty-two floors, and Jackson was on eleven.

“Locke, walk her to her room, will you?”

Locke nods, but I shake my head frantically.

“N-no, Axel can do it.” Axel is my best friend and I trust myself not to kiss him. I can’t say the same about Locke.

Jackson gives me a strange look. “Axel is on the same floor as me, Locke is on the one above yours.”

I feel nauseous, and I wonder if what my mother said was true. She’d always said that if you told a lie big enough, it would become true, and sure enough, I’m beginning to feel sick.

“Don’t worry,” Locke assures Jackson, and I feel dizzy. I have no idea how Locke manages to act so nonchalant when the simple act of him walking me to my room makes me feel like I’m going to vomit.

Jackson nods to him. “Besides, you know all the technical stuff is like Greek to me. Fill Locke in.”

I don’t even try to nod again, worrying that it will make the sudden wave of vertigo worse, and Jackson frowns at me when he gets off the elevator, wheeling his overnight bag behind him.

“Get some rest,” he commands, and I give him a thumbs up instead of risking the nod. Instead of asking questions, he just shakes his head quizzically and heads toward his room.

Axel, on the other hand, stays on the elevator for a long moment, looking between me and Locke.

“You want me to walk you, sweetheart?” he asks, and I smile at him gratefully. Axel’s just looking out for me, he knows that Locke and I hooked up in Vegas but I haven’t mentioned anything else. I’m glad that we’ve become closer friends on the tour, and I make a mental note to check in with him about how things are going with his ex.

“Nope,” Locke says firmly before I can speak. “We’re good.”

I look up at him and he’s just staring at Axel, his face blank, jaw locked.

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