Page 91 of Decidedly Off Limits

I snorted a laugh. “So whatdoesit look like?”

“It looks like you and my brother posed for boudoir photos, like Darren and I did last year.”

I’d seen those photos. She had shown them to me when she had gotten the prints. Until now, I’d forgotten about them. “Why would we be posing for boudoir photos like you guys did? We’re not married.”

Erin’s eyes widened, fear and shock taking up residence there. “You’re dating?”

“Definitely not,” I said a little too fast.

“Good, because the last thing I need is another incident.” “Incident” was Erin’s code word for Michaela.

I quickly shook my head, but there must have been something on my face that gave me away, because her mouth dropped open, forming a perfect O. “Shit. It is likeherall over again.”

“It’s nothing like Michaela.”

There are moments in your life when you wish you could yank back the words you just said. They are the ones spoken in haste…sometimes misinterpreted, other times not.

They’re the ones that shift your world on its axis.

And never in a good way.

Did you spot my mistake? I can guarantee Erin did. Her expression said it all—“traitor” taking up the number one position.

“You promised me,” she said, her voice a pained whisper, her gaze locked on the photo in her hand. “How long has this been going on between you two?” Her gaze snapped up to me and her eyes narrowed. “And what about Jillian and Matt? Are you and Trent cheating on them behind their backs? Or did this happen before you met them?”

Busted. The word might as well have slapped me in the face. The truth of it hurt just as much.

“There is no Jillian and Matt,” I said, my chest feeling like I was caught in a giant bear hug by my great Aunt Wilma, had she still been alive. The kind of hug that slowly squeezed all the air out of your lungs, leaving you unable to do much more than squeak. “Well, that’s not entirely true. They exist. But they’re married.”

I didn’t think Erin could have looked more confused than she did at that moment.

“They’re both actors,” I explained. “Trent knows Matt from college.”

“But why? Why did you tell us that you were dating them? And why did you bring them to Napa with you?”

“Because it seemed like a good idea at the time.” I sat next to Erin on the bed. “Trent and I weren’t officially dating, but we couldn’t have you and Holly constantly trying to set me up with other guys. He and I had agreed to be exclusive—”

“Why would you want to be exclusive if you weren’t dating? What the hell were you doing?”

I shifted on the bed. When had it become so uncomfortable?

“Oh, God, you were sleeping with my brother?”

I flinched at her hash tone. “It wasn’t quite like that, but yeah, I guess so.” I swallowed back the Ben-&-Jerry’s-sized lump in my throat. The one that had taken up residence since Trent ended things between us—because his job was more important to him than I was.

“Wasn’t?” Erin asked. “As in past tense?”

I nodded, unable to look at her, and the tightening in my chest tightened some more.

“Please tell me you didn’t fall in love with him.” When I didn’t reply, she powered on, “This is exactly why I didn’t want any of my friends becoming involved with him. He doesn’t do love, Kelsey. The only thing he’s capable of loving beyond his family is his job.”

I nodded again, tears leaking from my eyes. Stupid, traitorous tears. “I know.” I wiped them away.

Erin threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. “I’m so sorry. But don’t worry. I’m personally going to kill him. And once I’m finished with him, Liam will go Navy SEAL on him for ignoring the best-friend code.”

“Best-friend code?”

“Yes, the one that prevents guys from screwing their best friend’s little sister.” So, pretty much the same one that Erin had for me when it came to screwing her big brother.