Seconds tick by, before she rolls her shoulders back and stands tall. “I did once, on accident, but no one was there.” She shrugs, her too-cool demeanor seeming more like a smoke screen.
“Right.” I can’t take my eyes off her, and something tugs in my chest: worry, fear, anxiety. “Love you.”
She smiles and closes the space between us. Her belly presses between my hips as she pushes up on her tiptoes and drops a kiss to my lips. “I love you too, Blake. So much.”
She dips her chin and walks away.
“Mouse, hold up—” My phone rings in my pocket, AC/DC’s “Back in Black” as the ringtone. “What the . . .?” I hit Accept. “Brae, man, what’s up?”
“Dude, where the fuck are you, asswipe?”
“Nice to hear from you too, dick.” A tiny grin pulls at my lips, hearing my little brother’s voice.
“I’ve been knocking on your door for-fuckin’-ever. Your car’s in the spot, but—”
“Oh shit, you’re here?” I move out of my bedroom and down the hallway to the front door.
“No, man, I’m in China, fuckhead.” He huffs out an irritated breath. “I’m standing outside your—”
I swing open the door to see my brother wearing his military-issued green tee shirt and fatigues. He’s got the phone to his ear, and he’s scowling. “’Bout time. Shit.” He hits a button on his phone and drops it into his pocket.
I do the same. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“You gonna invite me in?” He holds his arms out. “Freezin’ my dick off out here.”
“Of course.” I step back and open the door for him. “Small things freeze easily. Come on in.”
He passes by me with a shove to my chest and a mumbled “asshole.”
“Braeden?” Layla calls from the kitchen and moves toward us with a bottled water in hand. “What’re you doing here?” Her bright smile and freshly-fucked blush make her even more gorgeous than she already is.
My kid brother’s eyes brighten a little, and I can tell he notices it too. “Hey, little sister, you look amazing. Ready to pop, but amazing.” He hooks her over the shoulder, and she leans in for an awkward side hug.
“I love that you call me little sister when I’m almost old enough to have birthed you.” She grins up at my over-six-foot-tall brother and then claims her position at my side.
Brae’s eyes move between us, taking in my shirtless torso, her sated expression, and my unbuttoned jeans. “Ah, that’s why you didn’t hear me knockin’.”
“Servicing my woman, bro. Pregnancy makes her demanding.”
Layla’s eyes bug out of her head and she gasps. “Blake!”
Brae rubs his mouth, trying to hide his grin. “Fuckuva job, dude. I can see by your shit-eating grin it’s makin’ you miserable.”
“Oh my God, I’m outta here.” Layla kisses my jaw then whirls red-faced to head to the bedroom. “You guys have fun. Goodnight!” Her farewell is called over her shoulder with a tiny wave of her hand before she disappears into the room and closes the door.
I catch Brae’s eyes fixed down the hallway, a big smile on his face, before he meets my glare. “She looks hot, dude. Still tiny as hell, but with bigger boobs.”
I smack him upside the head. “Eyes to yourself.” Despite my irritation, I can’t help but grin at my brother, knowing he’s pushing my buttons and missing our verbal spars. “You want a beer?”
“Yeah, that’d be great.”
We move into the kitchen, and I pull two Coronas from the fridge, poppin’ the tops, and slide one to my brother, who has taken a seat at the island. “So what’s up? What brings you to Vegas? Someone die?” I’m half joking. The fact is it’s hard for Brae to get time off for trips, and my dad would have to approve of this visit, which means he’s here on a mission from The General.
He shrugs, takes a long pull off his bottle, and then fixes his eyes on mine. “Had a few days off. Wanted to get off the reservation.”
He’s lying. “You need a place to crash? Axelle’s got the guest room now, but you’re welcome to crash on the couch in the music room.”
“Nah . . . thanks though. I’m staying on the strip.” He leans back and locks his hands behind his head. Fuck, but the dude has doubled in size since I last saw him.
“Save money if you stay with us.”
“True but”—a slow smile spreads across his face—“can’t bring chicks home to fuck at my brother’s house with his teenage daughter and pregnant fiancée in the next room.”
I cringe at the thought of random bitches in my house with my girls. Raising my bottle to my lips, I nod. “Good point.”
We sit in silence and sip our beers, and I can’t shake the feeling that he’s here for more than a friendly visit. “How’re things on base?”
“Mm. Same.” His gaze darts around the room.
What the fuck. “Brae, man. Out with it.” My brother has never hid shit from me before; whatever he came to Vegas to say seems to be difficult.
“Don’t shoot the messenger, man.”
Beer churns in my gut. I knew it. “Deliver it already.”