Playbook (The Holland Brothers 2)

We pile out of my apartment. Eight women, happy and tipsy, and ready to hit the town. I follow behind, making sure we have everyone and everything for the night. Tylenol and water for the ride to the bar, plus snacks and wet wipes. I threw it all into my purse, determined to be the mother hen for the night so my sister can cut loose.

“Oh, Lo Lo.” Sierra walks back through the group of her friends to me. “I forgot to grab my tiara in your apartment.”

“Got it right here.” I pat the side of my giant leather bag.

“Thank you.” Her eyes shine with a mixture of glee and alcohol. “You’re the best sister ever.”

“Not possible. You’ve already claimed that title.”

She throws her arms around me, nearly knocking me off-balance. “Love you, Lo Lo.”

“I love you too.” I squeeze her back.

We break apart at the sound of squeals and laughter. A giant Hummer limo pulls up to the curb. It’s black and sleek.

“You got a limo!” My sister’s happy screech amps up another level when the door opens and her fiancé appears.

My confusion is quickly replaced with humor as I realize the guys rented the ostentatious vehicle.

The girls climb in, giddy and excited. I spot Chris when Gretchen climbs in next to him. No matter how much I don’t want his presence to bug me, it still does.

Brogan gets out when I’m the only one left. His brows lift as his gaze travels slowly down over my legs and then back up. “Whoa. Sweetheart. You look…” He rubs a hand over his jaw.

“You like?” I ask, spinning in my very short black dress and the red high heels he likes so much. I grab my sash out of my purse and pull it on, then hold up my penis-shaped necklace. “I wanted to make sure I checked all your bachelorette party attire boxes.”

“You check all my boxes all right.” He steps to me and buries his head in the crook of my neck. He groans.

“Did you have fun with the guys?” While we had drinks at my place, they gathered at Ben and Sierra’s apartment for cigars and whiskey. I can smell both on my date.

“Yeah, Ben’s a cool guy.”

My future brother-in-law would probably have a stroke if he heard Brogan say those words.

“You are making his night by being here. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. I’ve got all the thanks I need with you in that sexy fucking dress. I can’t decide if I want to rip you out of it later or fuck you in it. Complete with the sash.”

My skin pricks with goosebumps and my pulse races. “You should be so lucky.”

I trail a hand over his chest and pass by him. I’m pretty sure he mutters, “Don’t I fucking know it.”

We take the limo for a short five-minute drive to the first bar on our stop for the night. I hang back with my supplies while everyone else goes straight to the bar to get drinks. It’s still early so it’s not too crowded.

I pull out the checklist for the night. Sierra had only a few requirements to make this the best night ever, and I’m going to ensure we do all of them. Starting with a cheesy group photo.

Once everyone has a drink in hand, I get out my phone.

“Crowd together,” I yell, holding up my phone to indicate I am going to take a picture.

Guys and girls alike shuffle closer to each other. All except Brogan.

“Let me take it,” he says.

“I got it.”

“Yeah, but you should be in the photo.”

“Yes, get in!” Sierra yells at me.

Reluctantly, I hand over my phone to him and go stand next to my sister. We do a regular photo, then silly faces.

Someone ordered a round of shots and those come, breaking up our photo session. Sierra hands me a small glass of pink liquid with a grin.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Pink Starburst.”

It smells good. Too good. The kind of shot that you take two or three of before you remember it is alcohol.

“Somebody has to keep us all in line tonight.” I shake my head and try to hand it back.

“No! I want you to have fun.”

“I don’t need to drink to have fun. My baby sister is getting married and wearing penises around her neck.” I laugh. “Tonight is about you. I’ve got everything covered. Let me be the responsible one for once in our lives.”

“You have been looking out for me my whole life. Maybe I got the responsible genes, but you have always had my back.”

“And I always will,” I tell her.

“I know.” She laughs, then glances over at her fiancé. “I really love him, Lo.”

“I know you do.” I take her hand and squeeze. I still can’t believe my little sister is getting married. Her whole life is changing and I’m fake-dating a guy to avoid my ex. Or I was…now I’m sleeping with him and trying to avoid my feelings.

“And you and Brogan…you really love him too, don’t you?”

“Love?” I try to play it off with a laugh, but it’s strained even to my own ears.

“The way you two look at each other, I can tell you love him.”

“Sierra,” I start. How do you tell the most important person in the world that you’ve been lying to them? “We aren’t really together. Not like you think.”

She rolls her eyes. “Situationship, dating, whatever you want to call it…you’re not fooling anyone.”

“No. I mean…” I trail off. Telling her the truth tonight feels selfish.

My chest tightens and not only because I feel bad from keeping that from her, but because admitting we aren’t a couple out loud feels like finally admitting to myself that I’ve gotten in over my head.

“And anyway,’ Sierra adds, “it doesn’t matter if it wasn’t serious when it started. You love him now?”

“Yes.” God, I really do. I tried not to fall for him, but he’s so easy to love. And the way he makes me feel is beyond anything I’ve ever felt.

Her smile is so wide, and she squeals happily.

“I already regret telling you.”

She laughs and tears shine in her eyes. “I’m so happy for you.”

I don’t have the heart to tell her that I’m walking the plank alone.

“No tears!” I point a finger at her, then to her friends. “Go. Have fun, drink too much, and make out with your future husband in public.”

She blushes but then heads off toward the group. I watch her, feeling lighter having admitted my feelings. Now I just have to figure out how to tell him.

“Hey.” Chris appears at my side. He has one hand in his pants pocket and the other wrapped around a glass of whiskey.

“Hi,” I say with as little emotion as I can manage.

“We need to talk.”

My brows shoot up. “Excuse me?”

“About wedding stuff.”

I still don’t follow.

“You’re the maid of honor. I’m the best man.” He grins all sly-like. I’m sure I used to find him attractive, but right now all I feel is disgust. I try to remember that he’s my sister’s future brother-in-law.

“Right,” I say. “What do we need to go over?”

I thought most of it was already done, but if I’ve forgotten something, Sierra might kill me.

“Ben wants everything to be perfect.”

Yeah, no kidding. I catch Brogan’s eye across the bar. He takes in the situation with a furrowed brow.

“Can we talk about this later?” I ask Chris.

“Of course. Is your number still the same?”

“Yes.”

“Great. I’ll text you.”

I’ll have to unblock him first.

Brogan comes to stand in front of us. Chris looks up and nods. “Hey, man. Good of you to show up tonight. I know Ben is thrilled to have his favorite Mavericks player here.”

I shoot daggers out of my eyeballs at my ex. There’s something snotty and demeaning about his tone, like the fact that he’s a professional football player is the only reason anyone wants Brogan around.

“Not as thrilled as I am.” I sidle up next to him, clutching his arm.

Brogan’s eyes dance with mischief and he drops his mouth down to mine. I lift up on my toes to press my lips harder against his.

“I’m gonna…” Chris’s words trail off. I don’t know or care if he finishes that statement because when Brogan’s lips capture mine, I am a goner.

“Everything okay?” The man holding my heart in his oversized hands asks when I drop back down on my heels.

“Wedding planning stuff.” We move toward the bar where my shot still remains. The smell of it wafts over even from a foot away. “And that smells like trouble.”

He plucks the glass up between his thumb and forefinger and tosses it back with only the slightest grimace.

He leans against the bar with one hip. “So, what’s on the agenda?”

“Oh, you know, shots, strip club, the usual.”

His brows lift.

“I’m kidding. No strippers tonight, unless you’re offering.”

“Only for you.” His eyes crinkle as he laughs. “Why are you standing over here hovering like an overbearing parent and leaving perfectly good shots on the table?”

“I’m running this ship tonight. Gotta be responsible.”

“Good god, why?” he asks like he can’t think of a single thing worse than responsibility. Honestly, that’s on brand for him.

“Because…” I trail off. “What if someone needs something?”

One brow quirks up. “Everyone here is an adult. I think you can relax.”

“It has to be perfect.”

“Oh good. I’m glad we’re keeping our expectations in check.” He lets his head fall back and laughs loudly. The way his throat works with the sound makes my stomach dip.

I swat at him playfully. “Tonight is important.”

“Yeah, of course it is.” He takes my hand and smiles at me gently. “You’re a good sister. It makes sense that you want to make sure it all goes smoothly, but I think if Sierra had to choose between perfect and having fun with her sister, she’d pick the latter.”

I think of the words she said no more than five minutes ago. She did say that, but if things don’t go well, I’ll feel like the maid of dishonor.

“How about you let me be the responsible one?” He motions to the bartender, who immediately pours two more of the pink shots. Brogan holds one out to me.

“You’re kidding, right?” I almost burst out laughing at the thought.

“Give me all the details and I will run this night like the party planner extraordinaire you didn’t know you wanted.”

I realize he’s serious. “I don’t think so.”

“You don’t think I can do it,” he says more than asks.

I mean, I didn’t, but looking at him now I’m wondering if I misjudged him.

“I specialize in parties. You’re in good hands. Drink this.”

I don’t know why, but I do, then cough. “Oh god. That is good.”

He grins. “Is there a schedule of bars and things?”

My face gives him his answer.

“Of course there is. Hit me with it.”

I tell him my exact plans for the night, leaving nothing out. He doesn’t even blink when I mention the checklist of mostly-girly things that I’m certain the guys will think is dumb. He writes it all down in his phone.

“That’s it?”

“If we make it through all the bars still standing, I thought we could try to get into Gaga.” I’ve only ever been with Alec so I have zero expectations that we’ll get in, but it’ll be fun to try regardless, and by that point everyone will hopefully be too drunk and happy to care.

“Got it,” he says, then reads the schedule back to me. “Anything else to make this night perfect?”

I shake my head even though I have a few visions of us making out running through my head. He looks good tonight. Gray slacks, white button-up, sleeves rolled, white tennis shoes. He has this knack for always looking completely casual even when he’s dressed up a bit. It all seems so effortless for him. From fashion to just existing in any situation. He looks like he could walk into the nicest club in the city or attend a frat party.

“Consider it done.” He picks up the second shot and hands it to me. “Have fun, sweetheart. I got you.”

Inexplicably, I believe him. I toss back the shot and he orders another round for everyone.

For the next two hours, we drink and bar hop. I veer away from shots and stick with sipping on drinks and water in between, but the alcohol in my system makes me happy and free to let loose with my sister. Nobody even notices that Brogan is barely drinking.

When we crowd into the limo to go to a bar about fifteen minutes away, I find myself smushed between Brogan and Chris. Happily, I’ve been able to mostly avoid my ex tonight since he cornered me about wedding plans. He’s facing Gretchen on the other side of him, but our legs are touching and his fingers rest on his thigh, therefore grazing mine as well, making me squirm to get away.

“For a small thing, you sure do move around a lot.” Brogan lifts me onto his lap and holds my knees in the opposite direction so no part of me is in any danger of touching my ex. If he realizes why I was so squirmy, he doesn’t say.

“You smell nice,” I say as his familiar cologne wafts around me. His body is big and warm and I’m still just tipsy enough to snuggle up to him with no inhibition.

His head dips down and he brushes his lips over mine. “So do you.”

My gaze falls from his face to his chest. The button-down is open at his neck and I bring a hand up and trail my fingers over the area. Tonight he has on a necklace, and I lift it between my thumb and forefinger. The gold rose charm is dainty, barely discernible without looking closely.

“This is pretty.”

“It was Archer’s mom’s,” he says quietly. The rest of the party is talking loudly and laughing, so it feels like we’re in our own little bubble.

“She gave it to you?” I ask carefully. He’s said very little about his family and I’m afraid to seem too interested and spook him.

“He gave it to me when she passed away,” he says. “She was more of a mom to me than my own and he thought I might want to hold on to it.”

My heart squeezes in my chest. Deep down I think I assumed there was a reason he didn’t say much about his family, but I wasn’t expecting the deep hurt in his confession. “I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks.” He threads a hand through my hair and holds the back of my neck.

I don’t know what else to say, but I feel awful. For all the ways my parents frustrate me, they’re alive.

“What about your dad?”

His eyes drop from mine. “Never really had a dad.”

“I’m really sorry.” It feels like such a lame reply, so I do the only other thing I can think and wrap myself around him. He hesitates but a moment later, his muscular arms tighten around me.

Eventually, I tilt my head back and look up at him. We just stare at each other while my heart hammers in my chest and all the emotions I’ve been trying to hold back seem like they’ll explode if I don’t let them free.

“I like you.” I love him, too, but tonight I just want him to know that I’m in this way more than for some fake arrangement.

One side of his mouth pulls up at the corner. “I like you too.”

The limo comes to a stop and everyone piles out, including the driver. I stay where I’m at on Brogan’s lap. I shift, and the movement puts my ass sitting directly on his dick.

“Don’t look at me like that, sweetheart.” His voice is low as he drops a hand high on my thigh.

“Like what?”

“Like you want me to slide this hand under your dress.” He squeezes my leg and a shiver dances up my spine.

I grab his wrist and glide his hand up under the skirt until his fingertips graze the lacy material of my panties.

“I’m leading the ship tonight, remember?” His voice is hoarse and strained.

“They’re all adults. They’ll figure it out.”

A rough chuckle rumbles in his chest. He groans as he slips a finger underneath and then gently inside me. My lashes flutter closed and I widen my legs to give him better access. He continues pumping in and out of me, then brings his thumb to rub circles over my clit. I palm his cock through his pants.

The door of the limo is still open and the wind and noise filter in, reminding us we aren’t alone. Not that I care. The pulse between my legs thrums as he works me over with his fingers.

“I didn’t realize fucking in the limo was on your checklist.”

“Me neither.”

“You want to though, don’t you? You want me to take out my cock and fuck you right here where anyone could see.”

I don’t know how to tell him it isn’t that I want people to see, it’s that I want him too badly to care.

“Please.” I’m so close. He adds a finger and my pussy clenches around him.

“Come for me, sweetheart, and I’ll give you what you want.”

I grab on to his shoulder as my orgasm rockets through me. My body shakes and laughter bubbles up and then escapes as I gasp for air. I’m giddy and ready for more.

But Brogan is straightening my panties and pulling my skirt down.

“Ready?” he asks, sliding us over toward the open door.

“What about…”

He grins all mischievous and smug. “I’m being responsible, temptress. Come on. I’ve got the limo all night.”