Dirty (Unexpected Lovers #3) - J.B. Heller Page 0,17

yell, shoving the slightly shorter guy against his locker.

He frowns at me as if I’ve lost my mind. “You’ve seen her. Don’t act like you wouldn’t hit that if Bates wasn’t around.”

You have got to be fucking kidding me. My eyes narrow to slits. “Do you have a death wish? Keep talking like that and I’ll be happy to grant it,” I sneer in his face.

Bates appears, still dripping wet from the shower, a towel wrapped around his hips. He pushes me back with a forearm to my chest. “The fuck’s goin’ on in here?”

I glare at Jonesy, just waiting for him to open his fat mouth and say something else about Lennon. But wisely, the jackass keeps his thoughts to himself in front of Bates.

“Nothin’. Your boy got his nose out of joint ’cause I told him he was off his game tonight. His pitches were shit,” Jonesy says, puffing his chest out.

Bates glances at me over his shoulder, and I shrug then turn back to my own locker and grab my phone and keys.

“Wait up,” Bates calls after me. “Let me get dressed, asshole. You’re my ride.”

“I’ll be in the car,” I mutter then carry on my way. If I stay in the same room as Jonesy the little bitch, I’ll do more than shove him.

Half hour later, we’re back at my place, and I hand Bates a beer before popping the cap off my own.

“What’s with all the boxes?” Bates asks, kicking his feet up on one in front of the couch.

It’s go time.

“Didn’t I tell you? I pulled out of that house on Valentina Drive. A problem came up with the plumbing or something, and I didn’t want to deal with that shit, so I withdrew from the contract.”

Bates’ brows bunch as he looks around my almost fully packed apartment. “So, why are you still packing?”

“I forgot to resign the new lease on this place. I gotta be out in, like, ten days. Still looking for somewhere to go, though.” I take a deep drag from my beer.

“Ten days?” he repeats. “How the hell are you going to find somewhere to live in ten days, man?”

I run a hand through my hair and sigh. “I have no fucking clue.”

My best friend scratches his neck as his gaze sweeps the room again. “You know Emmy’s moving out this weekend . . .”

“No shit?” I say, playing dumb.

He nods, his eyes lighting in the way they do when he has what he calls an epic idea. “Move in with us,” he says. “There’s plenty of room. You don’t have that much shit.”

“Really? That’d be fucking perfect. Thanks, man, you’ve always got my back.”

And he does. Ever since we were kids, Bates has been there for me, no matter what.

I feel like a shit for lying to him. But what was I going to say? Hey, man, I’m into your sister. Can I move in with you guys so she’ll finally give in and be my girlfriend?

Not only would I lose my man card, but Bates would probably beat the shit out of me. I figure once we’re together, we can tell him, and he’ll be cool with it because we’ll both be happy. And at the end of the day, I know that’s all Bates wants for both of us.

Bates slaps me on the back. “No problem. You know you’re like a brother to me and Lenny. We’ll be, like, one big happy family.”

I cringe. I might see Bates as a brother, too, but I certainly don’t see Lennon as a sister. The things I want to do to her are very unbrotherly . . .

I can’t believe Em’s moving day is here.

I’m not ready.

“Chin up, Len. I’ll only be two floors down. You can come by whenever you want,” she says. Wrapping an arm around my waist, she leans her head against my shoulder, and we watch Sebastian, his brother-in-law, Jake, and Bates load up with boxes.

Gritting my teeth, I swallow the knot of emotion sitting in my throat. Everything is changing. It was a big enough adjustment when Kins moved in with Atticus and his kid. Now this . . .

I’m happy for my girls. I really and truly am. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little, teeny, tiny bit jealous of their happiness. They’ve locked down a couple of amazing—even by my standards—dudes. And I’ve never seen them happier.

“Come on, Len. You know you’re not getting rid of me that easily.”