Page 15 of Endlessly Yours (The Wilder Brothers #10)

I cursed under my breath. “Why does it matter that Callum and Rory are going to be at a Singles’ Night together?” I asked, the bitterness on my tongue practically stinging.

“I don’t know, Brooks, why does it matter?” East asked before the traitor went back to work, whistling under his breath as if he hadn’t just shoved a stick in the hornet’s nest that was my brain.

* * *

“So, you either got roped into this, or you’re finally going to make a move,” my arch nemesis, who shouldn’t have been my arch nemesis, said, and I glared at Callum.

“I’m just here because the women made me,” I lied. Although it might not quite be a lie now that I thought about it.

“Okay, buddy. And you keep telling yourself that.”

“Is there a reason you are here?” I finally asked, annoyed at the other man.

Because in any other instance, I thought maybe the guy and I could be friends.

He was just as much of an asshole as I could be.

But there was just something about him, like how he looked at Rory as she walked over to us.

She had on knee-high soft tan boots, and a red dress that went to right above her knees and had three-quarter length sleeves.

The long V between her breasts showed slight cleavage every time she moved, and I couldn’t help but let out a shaky breath every time I looked at her.

“Hey Rory, you want to be my pizza buddy?” the man drawled, his voice deep and scratchy.

Rory looked between us, eyes wide. “You guys were forced into this too?” she asked, her voice soft.

“Yes,” we both said at the same time, and I growled at Callum before looking over at Rory.

“The girls have a good day at school?” I asked, the words coming quickly.

Her shoulders dropped slightly, and I frowned.

“They did. I think. Alice tells me every single thing about it, and we go over her homework, and it’s fun. At least, I think it’s fun, but then I have no idea what Cameron is doing. I force her to let me look at her homework, just so I know she’s doing it, but she doesn’t say a word.”

“I know she’s talking with Ava a bit,” I whispered. Because I was studying her face so intently, I saw the flinch. I hated that I was once again the cause.

“I know, and I’m grateful for that. Because at least she’s saying something to someone. But we are three weeks into the school year, and I still have no idea what I’m doing.”

“You’ll figure it out, Rory,” Callum put in before I could. “Those are good kids, and you’re a good aunt. You’ve got this.”

Rory smiled at him then, and I wanted to push the asshole out of the way.

Why the hell was I getting so territorial over a woman who wasn’t mine. I had been very clear that she wasn’t and couldn’t be mine.

And yet, I couldn’t help but remember a promise that I hadn’t made, or maybe I had in the end.

Damn it.

I had made that promise. Because she wouldn’t have let me leave otherwise.

I didn’t want to think about that whisper in my ears.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Rory wasn’t paying attention to me. Instead, she and Callum had moved off to the nearest table, pizza dough in front of them. Kendall stood at the front of the room, looking excited about the evening.

Stewing, I went to Rory’s other side and forced my way onto the table. “Okay, if we have to do this, at least I’m getting pizza out of the deal.”

Rory stiffened for a moment before she smiled up at me. “Let me guess, spicy sausage and hot peppers?”

“That sounds damn good to me,” Callum said as he bumped his hip against her.

I glared at the other man over Rory’s head as she looked down at the toppings, and Callum just beamed.

The smile didn’t reach his eyes, and I knew he was fucking with me. Why the hell was he doing that? But the real question was, why the hell was it working?

“I actually like non-red sauces more than anything.”

Rory looked up at me, eyes wide. “Seriously? I love white pizza. And Alfredo pizza. I’m not a huge tomato fan.”

I nodded. “Same. Which disgusts the rest of my family.”

“It really does,” Kendall said as she moved to our side. “Okay, each of you are going to make your own personal pizza, and we’re going to have fun.”

“If you say so, Kendall,” I said, sarcasm dripping over my tone.

My cousin-in-law just beamed. “You’re going to love it. And you’re going to get an amazing pizza in the end.” Kendall patted my cheek before she went to another table.

Holding my gaze from Rory as she began to roll out the dough, I finally looked at the rest of the room.

There had to be thirty people in this kitchen, everybody laughing, speaking to one another as if they knew each other or wanted to get to know each other. I didn’t know how many years they had been working on Singles’ Nights or if this was the first one, but it turned out to be a hit so far.

At least for the business side. I still didn’t know what the hell I was doing here.

“Hey, I think you stole my flour,” Callum teased, and Rory rolled her eyes.

“You’re starting to sound like the girls if you’re going to continue to fight over that,” Rory sing-songed.

Annoyed at the way Callum continued to flirt with her, I pulled the dough out of the bowl and used my hands to roll it out into somewhat of a circle.

Rory met my gaze as I looked over at her before her attention went to my hands and the way that my forearms flexed when I moved the dough.

I watched as her throat worked when she swallowed, and I tilted my hips away from her, hiding the fact that just looking at her gave me a hard-on.

What the hell was wrong with me?

I cleared my throat and reached for the white sauce for my pizza. Callum met my gaze over Rory’s head again, and he winked before gesturing at her for some reason. I didn’t know what the man was up to, and I didn’t like it.

Instead, I began to throw cheese and chicken and artichokes haphazardly on the pizza. I was usually a better cook than this, but at this point, I didn’t care.

“So you’re going for the more is more route?” Rory asked, teasing in her tone.

I looked down at the mess of the pizza that I made and shrugged. “Food is food. And whatever I can’t eat, I’ll give to you so that way the girls have leftovers.”

A smile quirked her lips. “As if you can’t eat an entire pizza yourself.”

“I can, but I’m a bit older now, and even without tomatoes, the heartburn is going to kick.”

“Tell me about it. I don’t know how Cameron and Alice can scarf down as much pizza as they want and not feel sick later. Oh, the joys of youth.”

“It’s good they have some joys then,” I whispered.

Rory smiled at me, and I felt like I did the right fucking thing.

Finally.

“Hey Rory, what do you think, extra pineapple on this pizza?” Callum asked, drawing her attention away and I glared at the other man even as Rory laughed.

“Look at you, creating drama with pineapple.”

“I try,” the other man drawled.

The other man kept flirting with her, and I wanted to punch that little smirk off his face.

I knew he was just doing it to egg me on, and part of me wanted to pull Rory back and claim her as mine.

Even though that would’ve been the worst idea.

By the time all of our pizzas were ready to be put in the oven, Kendall and her staff said they would take care of the rest.

“And when it’s ready, it’s all about the taste testing with the Wilder Wine, of course. If you’d like something a little more hoppy or less alcoholic, we’ve got that for you too. So don’t worry, we’ve got something for everyone.”

Other people begin to mingle as Callum took a phone call out in the hallway.

My dick ached, and I couldn’t help but watch as Rory worried her lip with her teeth.

“That’s it,” I growled, ripping my gaze from her mouth.

“What’s it?” she asked, and her eyes widened once again as I took her by her arm and pulled her into an empty office that we rented out to businesses here for retreats.

“What on earth is wrong with you, Brooks?” Rory asked. But she didn’t get a chance to ask again because I closed the door behind her, locked it, and then slammed my mouth to hers.

She stiffened for a moment, and I was afraid I had done the wrong thing before she wrapped her arms around my neck and groaned into me.

I pressed her back to the door, kneading that mouth of hers.

“I fucking missed this taste,” I whispered, the words tearing from me.

Rory let out a shaky breath against me, not moving her hands away. “Same.”

“Can’t stop, Rory. Every time I see you, I need to have my hands on you. And I know it’s the wrong time. I know we said we shouldn’t. But I don’t know what the hell’s wrong with me.”

The last words could have been a slap to either one of us, but instead, she let out a slow breath.

“Me, too. We don’t have time for this. And we both said we wouldn’t, and yet I can’t stop thinking about you. And I know I shouldn’t bare myself like that because I’m only asking to be hurt, but I want you. I want this. Whatever this is.”

“Just let me have you. I don’t know for tonight, or for tomorrow. But just you. I promise. No one else.”

She nodded. “No one else.”

And then my mouth was on hers again, and my hands were on her ass. I lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around my waist before I walked us both to the empty desk. I shoved the lamp off the table, ignoring the way the light bulb shattered, and covered her mouth with mine.

“I’ve missed this,” I whispered again as I tugged on her hair. She moaned against me, so I wrapped her long hair around my fist and tugged harder.

“You like that?” I asked, meeting her gaze.

She nodded, swallowing hard. “Yes. Because it’s you.”

I didn’t know how to take that or why either one of us was being so honest after all this time, but instead, I leaned into it and took her mouth again.

“I’m so thankful you are wearing a dress right now,” I murmured as I slid my hand up her bare thigh. She shuddered in my hold, and I looked at her lower lip before biting down.

“Brooks,” she breathed.

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”

And when my hand met the tiniest piece of fabric ever, I groaned.