“Okay. More suckage. But you didn’t answer my question. Would you be with him if you could?”
“It’s hard to imagine being with a man whose only reaction to kissing you was abject horror while professing adamantly that it was a mistake.”
“Damn, Jules. What the hell is wrong with the man?” Scowling, Brody worked his jaw as he glared into the street.
She sighed. “Hey, don’t get mad on my behalf, okay? Tommy has always been honest with me. He’s never led me on. Never pretended for a second there was anything more between us than friendship. The kiss happened in a moment of confused emotion.” She banded her arms across her middle and studied her feet. “Did it end the way I’ve always dreamed about? No. Did it confirm some hard truths I didn’t want to face? Yeah. It did.”
Brody’s empathetic eyes drilled into her. “He’s a damn fool, you know that?”
She smiled weakly. “I like to tell myself that from time to time.”
He offered his elbow. “Shall we call it a night?”
Julie threaded her arm through his and, as they started to walk, her high heel landed on a loose rock. It rolled, and she lost her balance. To keep from falling, she twisted, trying to grab onto Brody. The quick movement seized the muscles in her lower back and she froze in place. After a second, she tried to straighten, but her muscles screamed in pain, keeping her hunched over.
“Oh, shit,” she whispered.
“Jules, are you okay?”
“Damn it. I just pulled a muscle in my back.”
Chapter 8
The persistent thumping on the front door had Tommy racing the dogs to open it. The sight of Julie cradled in Brody’s arms with pain etched in her pale face made his blood run cold.
“Julie? Wh— How—” Words failed Tommy as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.
Julie lifted her head off Brody’s shoulder and looked directly at him. “T-Tommy.”
He automatically reached for her, needing to have her in his arms, needing to protect her, but Brody pushed by him into the house.
“Where’s her room?” Brody asked.
“I’ll take her.” Tommy reached for her again, but the other man tightened his grip, turning away.
“Never mind. I’ll find it myself.”
Rage filling him, Tommy rounded on him, blocking his path, and stared him in the eyes. With deadly calm, he said, “Give her to me. Now.”
Brody brows inched up, but he gingerly handed over Julie, who immediately laid her head on Tommy’s shoulder. He kissed her forehead and whispered, “I’ve got you, baby.”
Without thought, he turned and strode right to his room. Warrior and Lucy barked, padding after them, their heads both tilted up, as though they knew something was wrong with their mistress.
“Now, what happened?” he asked as his shoulder bumped his bedroom door open and stepped inside.
“She twisted her back,” Brody said. “Or pulled something.”
After Tommy gently placed her on the bed, he tucked pillows under and around her head. Then he gingerly sat on the mattress and braced one arm on the other side of her body, leaning so he hovered over her, blocking Brody’s view of her. “Julie.” He brushed her hair back. “How are you feeling?”
“Fan-flipping-tastic.” She winced as she slowly eased onto her back to look up at him.
A small smile came to his lips, but when Brody inched in, Tommy sent him a scathing look. “I think you’ve done enough. You can leave now.”
Julie shook her head. “This isn’t Brody’s fault. It’s called four-inch heels meets random stone. I threw out my back. You know it’s happened before. It’s been worse, actually.”
“I tried to get her to go to the emergency room, but—”
She waved him off. “Heck, no. A few muscles relaxers, pain relievers, and I’ll be good as new.”
Brody leaned in, trying to nudge Tommy out of the way. At the intrusion, he stiffened and kept himself firmly in place. Turning nose to nose, he glared at Brody, daring him to come any closer. The other man quirked a brow and his lips twitched.
What did he find so goddamn funny?
Either way, the guy finally took the hint and straightened, running a hand through his hair. “Do you want me to stay, Jules?”
“No, she doesn’t want you to stay,” Tommy said through clenched teeth.
“Tommy, please,” she admonished. Slowly, she turned toward Brody and reached out her hand, which he took.
Jealousy flared white hot through Tommy when she squeezed the other guy’s hand and gave him an affectionate smile. He wanted to break their connection and toss Brody out of the house, but he forced himself not to react, waiting to see what Julie would say.
“No, it’s okay. Tommy’s here. I’m just going to rest anyway. Go on home. But thanks.”
Tommy couldn’t help sending a satisfied smirk at Brody, and he was rewarded with another amused twitch of the lips. What the hell was this guy’s deal?
“I’ll stop by tomorrow, then, okay?”