My Sister's Boyfriend (The Trouble With Twins 1) (12 page)

"I don't know, but this is the funniest thing I've heard in a long time," her sister said, her expression one of disbelief.

It wasn't that funny!

"Yeah, well, try explaining why you're half naked and breathing hard to a state trooper. They have a low tolerance for people doing the nasty alongside one of the state highways. Somehow it doesn't go with the bluebonnets."

"But it does give a whole new meaning to wildflowers," Julia teased.

 Jennifer sighed. "If the trooper hadn't been an old football buddy of Brent's, I'd be calling you to bail me out of jail."

"Go ahead, you deserve the whole box." Julia handed her another Fudgesicle, a grin on her face. "So, did you have sex with him?"

Jennifer bit a chunk of the ice cream bar, letting the cold cream melt slowly in her mouth before she responded.

"You know, that's the worst part. Just when we were getting to the really good stuff, the trooper shined a light in my face. Someone commanding you to step out of the car really spoils the mood."

Julia howled with laughter again. "Oh, you poor dear. Do you want me to go to the store and buy another box of Fudgesicles? You're sexually frustrated and had a lousy experience. Worse than any of my dates."

Jennifer looked at her sister and couldn't repress her grin. Hopefully tomorrow she would be able to laugh about tonight, but right now it felt awkward and embarrassing.

"Thanks, but I think a long soak in the tub is called for, especially now that I've gorged myself on ice cream."

Julia snickered. "Honestly, sis, that's the funniest story I've heard in a long time. So when are you seeing Brent again?"

Jennifer frowned and picked up another ice cream bar. "That's the weirdest part of the whole night. After he spoke with the trooper and convinced him not to arrest us, he came back to the car, and I swear if I didn't know better I would have thought aliens took over his body. The passionate lover completely disappeared and some icy dude was in his place." She shook her head. "I expected ‘I'll call you later’ or ‘let's get together.’ Instead he acted as if nothing had taken place. He told me he'd see me tomorrow."

Julia reached out and patted her arm, understanding instinctively how much his coldness hurt. And God she'd cried most of the way home, troubled by his distance. Had she just made another huge mistake?

"I don't know what to think. I know he's attracted to me and I know he wanted me in the worst kind of way, but when we parted, it was almost like we went back to being mere acquaintances. Like the passion we'd experienced never happened."

"He's afraid. He wants you, but he thinks he had sex with me. The man is in the worst imaginable turmoil."

"No way! Most men would have sex and ask questions later," Jennifer said, licking the wooden stick.

"Maybe. But he works with you. He's being cautious, so you need to take the next step. If you're going to seduce him, now is the time."

"But he seemed so cold."

"He needed some time to deal with his feelings toward you. If tomorrow he suddenly comes on strong, then the time to pounce on this man is at hand. Because that will mean that he's decided to hell with the fact that he slept with your sister. Now, he wants you."

Jennifer swallowed. "I don't know. Let's wait and see what tomorrow brings. In the meantime, I've had three of these bars, and I think I'm going to go seduce Mr. Bubbles in the bathtub."

#

Tired, Brent walked down the hall of the pediatrics department. He'd slept little last night, tossing and turning, dreaming of Jennifer while Julia stood in the background, arms folded and a frown of disapproval on her face. Then when his father appeared in the dream, he'd awoken tired and anxious to see Jennifer.

Yes, he was playing with fire, but he could handle the situation.

Even with his father intruding in his dreams,
he still wanted her
. He glanced up to see her walking toward him, and a sense of warmth and welcome filled him. After last night he wanted to be with her.

She walked past him, focused on hurrying down the hall. "Hey beautiful, I hear the Texas State Troopers voted you their number-one traffic stop of the week."

She glanced back at him, the look of shock in her beautiful blue eyes lighting a fuse inside him that had him primed and ready.

He fell into step beside her. "Well, if I'm the best traffic stop of the week, you've got to be the smooth talker of the month. After all, we're not looking through steel bars this morning."

He laughed, trying to cover his reaction to the memory of holding her in his arms last night. The feel of her beneath him and the taste of her skin on his tongue smacked him in the gut like a hit from a linebacker. To hell with the fact he did her sister in high school. He wanted Jennifer, not Julia.

He should be avoiding her, no doubt. She was commitment-enemy number one, but somehow his libido no longer cared about anything except the fact that he wanted her naked and under him.

She stood in the hall watching him intently. "You seem to be in a much better mood today."

"Sorry, I guess I sort of freaked last night when the Highway Patrol showed up." He took a deep breath. "Thanks for letting me sit in your car. I'm sure I was lousy company last night."

"That's okay," she said, her blue eyes still showing her uncertainty. "How's your car?"

"Wet and slippery."

"Sounds interesting," she said with a small smile. "I never knew how much I enjoyed wet until last night."

He couldn't keep the grin from escaping at her innuendo. "Yeah, well, I could buy a Slip ’N Slide if you are interested in coming over."

"A Slip ’N Slide?"

"Yeah, you know, one of those water toys for kids." He grinned. "Or there used to be something called a Water Wiggle. We could dance naked in the backyard with the Water Wiggle."

"That gives me images I don’t need." She shook her head and smiled. "Besides, your neighbors would call the police. I don't want to test your powers of persuasion a second time."

He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "Then how about we play state trooper and I pull you over only to discover I've caught you wet and willing in the backseat of your car?"

She laughed, her voice sounding deeper than normal. "You're so bad, Dr. Moulton."

"Only around you, Miss Riley."

They stood looking at one another. Brent felt so torn. He enjoyed being with her, and when he was with Jennifer, he couldn't help but be a little risqué. After last night's fiasco, he ached with the need to finish what they'd started.

He should be running in the opposite direction, but something about Jennifer drew him to her, ceasing his urge to flee. This wasn't avoiding her, but rather making him want her even more.

And regardless of the fact that it could never amount to anything, or that she would soon hate him, he felt this need to be with her until she learned the truth. Until he sacrificed their relationship for the greater good of the children of Tyler.

"You want to look for some rain showers tonight?" he asked her.

She grinned. "Your place or mine?"

"Mine has a pool," he answered, holding his breath and hoping she’d agree to come over. "With water jets."

"Then why the need for a Slip ’N Slide or Water Wiggle?"

"To see if you passed my water jokes test," he said matter-of-factly.

"See you at seven."

"Bring your suit.” He grinned devilishly. “Or even better, don’t."

She turned and walked away, giving him a view of the way her short skirt swished.

Was he crazy? He'd just invited the biggest threat to his bachelorhood to his house! He didn't care. All he needed was one quick taste, and then he could walk away. And when she found out about the bachelor auction, he wouldn't need to chase her away. She'd run, and he’d be safe.

#

Jennifer had never done anything so daring. In fact, she wondered if she were crazy as she swung her long legs out of the car. Standing, she slammed the door shut. Taking a deep breath, she cinched the belt on the long Columbo-style raincoat, making it tight against her waist. She walked between her car and a blue minivan, her heels crunching against the small rocks in the street. She dropped her keys in her pocket and took another steadying breath.

She could do this.

Trepidation beat a ceaseless rhythm in sync with her heartbeat as she walked up the sidewalk to the low ranch-style brick house. Earlier this seemed such a wonderful idea, but now she wondered. Was she crazy?

She'd known this afternoon from Brent's insinuations that by coming here tonight they would finish what they'd started alongside Highway 67. And though part of her anticipated consummating their relationship, part of her was anxious and vulnerable and more excited than she'd felt about a man in many years.

She both wanted and feared sleeping with Brent. After all it wouldn't be the first time. But he wouldn’t know that.

Reaching the front porch, she couldn't help but wonder if Brent would mistake the sound of her knees knocking for someone pounding on the door. Yes, she was nervous, but beneath her shakes arousal streamed through her veins, giving her the determination to carry this through. Once and for all she was going to get Brent out of her heart and out of her life. Whatever happened tonight would cinch their relationship.

Taking a deep breath, she pressed the doorbell and a pleasant ding-dong resounded. She bit down on her bottom lip and rang the bell again, resisting the urge to turn and flee.

The crackle of the door opening had her swallowing her nerves. Brent smiled a welcoming hello. "Hi, come in."

“Hi,” she said shakily and stepped into the house.

Brent gazed at the raincoat, his lips turned up in a quizzical smile. "Is it supposed to rain tonight, or are you going for the mood from last night?"

She took a deep breath and gathered her courage.

“My sis…”

With trembling fingers she undid the belt and let the coat slip to the floor in a puddle around her feet. She stood before him naked and vulnerable as his eyes widened and his mouth fell open. The shocked expression on his face more than paid for her case of nerves.

"Oh my God," was all he said as his eyes caressed her from the top of her head to her toes.

"I left my suit at home," she stammered, smiling at his expression.

"Brent," a female voice called.

A woman came charging into the living room. "Oh, my…"

Brent reached down and grabbed the raincoat, pulling it up and around Jennifer.

A woman was here in the house with him?

"Momma, change the channel on the TV for me," a child's voice called.

A child here, too? Why hadn't he said something?

The woman grabbed the child by the shoulder and gently turned her back in the direction she'd come from. "Sure, honey, I'll go help you."

"Dear God!" Jennifer exclaimed. "You have guests!"

"Jennifer, it's just…"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't get a chance to, and I certainly never expected you to be naked."

"That's obvious," Jennifer said, slipping her shaking arms back into the coat.

"Jennifer, it's just my sis—"

"I don't care who she is!" She reached in the pocket of the raincoat for her keys.

Panic overwhelmed her. God, first last night with the Highway Patrol and now tonight another woman! Brent seemed to make her completely forget herself and act in strange and illogical ways.

"Jennifer, don't go. It's just my sister."

She stopped and looked at him her eyes widening. "Do you think that makes it any better? She saw me naked. That child could have seen me naked."

"Oh, come on. Stay, please. She's just leaving."

Her leaden feet finally heeded her brain's signals and began to move toward the door. "I can't. I have to go. I was crazy to do this. I should have known better. I should never have come here."

She yanked open the front door.

"It's not a big deal. Don't go."

"Having sex is anything but casual to a woman like me!" She began to run across the yard, heeding her need to escape.

She opened the door of her car and quickly climbed in before he could stop her. Whoever ran the universe had a cosmic sense of humor. She'd just made a fool of herself over Brent yet again. She started the car and hit the gas pedal just as Brent reached the curb. Gravel sprayed up as the tires squealed in protest at her sudden acceleration.

In the rearview mirror, she saw him standing in the road, his hands on his hips, shaking his head.

Why did she lose all common sense when it came to that man?

Chapter Eight

Reluctantly, Brent went back into the house, his hands in the pockets of his shorts. Of all days for his sister to drop by unexpectedly. He closed the front door and leaned against the cool wood feeling completely frustrated.

God, Jennifer had been gorgeous standing there naked and proud, her ivory skin glistening in the evening light. The urge to topple her onto the rug and explore every luscious, naked inch of her had spellbound him…until she’d realized they were not alone.

Leslie stuck her head around the wall from the kitchen, her face scrunched in a grimace. "Oops, did she leave?"

"Yes, you can come out now."

His sister looked at him sheepishly. "I guess I should have called first."

He shook his head, trying to laugh at the fact that once again they'd suffered
precoitus interruptus
. His hand trembled as he ran his fingers through his hair. He wanted Jennifer badly. Brent took a deep breath, trying to calm his overheated body.

"That's okay," he lied.

"Was that the twin sister?"

"Yes, that was Jennifer Riley," he managed to say.

"Looks like things are going pretty well between the two of you."

He laughed. "Sometimes. We just can't seem to get together. That was our second failed attempt."

"Oh my. Things have progressed since the last time we spoke."

"Yes and no. We both want to, but we're both kind of skittish, and when she finds out I'm planning a bachelor auction behind her back, she's going to hate me. And that will be the end of that."