Changing Course (28 page)

Eric is three years older and he’s always been hard on me. While I may be short, Eric is definitely not. I look like my mom, and Eric is the spitting image of my dad. Sandy blonde, perfectly styled hair and toffee colored eyes. He isn't huge like Brett, but he isn't anything to sneeze at either. When we were in high school, he ran off every guy who even looked in my direction. When he went away to college, he left half of the football team behind to look after me. I blame him for the fact that I didn't have a real boyfriend until college. So listening to him question me about my clothes and why I'm here, annoys the crap out of me.

"Get out of my face, dog breath," I say, reverting back to our teenage years. I try to walk past him but he grabs my arm spinning me in a full circle before pushing me up against the wall.

"Let's go, I'm taking you home. I have no idea what you think you are doing here, especially dressed like that, but I can promise you aren't staying."

"Are you kidding me here? Get your hands off me! Guess what, loser! I'm a grown woman, you can't make me do anything. Now, let me go before I knee you in the jewels."

"Alright, up you go." He bends down, planting a shoulder into my stomach and lifting me up onto his shoulder.

"Put me down! I'm wearing a thong and you are flashing everyone my butt," I yell, trying to grab my skirt.

I am going to kill him for this. I swing my legs hoping at least one of them lands a kick to the stomach. I must have accomplished my goal because I hear him grunt, then feel hands around my waist lifting me to my feet. Instead of being released though, I'm crushed into a man’s chest. I struggle to free my head enough to look up and see who's holding me so tightly, when Caleb's irate eyes meet mine.

"It's alright baby girl, I've got you," he tries to comfort me, then whispers again to himself, "I've got you."

"Jones, cuffs." I hear Brett yell from behind me.

I turn confused to see my brother lying face down on the ground. Brett has one knee in his back, and both of Eric's arms pulled behind him. For the first time in my life, I hear my brother cussing. And not just your average run of the mill bad words, he is saying things that would give Brett's mouth a run for its money. Caleb releases me only long enough to flash his badge to the police officer and bouncer rushing over to us. The officer pulls out his cuffs and tosses them to Caleb, who pulls me back into his body tucking my head into his chest. I hear the click of metal and Brett reading Eric his rights.

"Caleb, let me go."

"Shhh...you're okay. Brett's coming," he responds so lovingly it almost makes me melt. See, now this is how a big brother should act.

I feel Brett's hand touch the back of my shoulders just before I hear him ask, “Is she okay?" I don't even have a chance to answer before I feel him reach under my legs and pick me up.

I have no idea what it is about men thinking that just because I'm small, they always need pick me up. My legs work just fine. I don't need to be carried around like a toddler everywhere I go.

"Put me down!" I finally find my voice.

"I've got you, gorgeous."

"I'm well aware you have me, honey. The only problem is you also have my big brother cuffed and laying on the floor." He stops moving and looks back at my brother, now sitting up and talking to the uniformed officer.

I prepare to explain this whole mishap to him when he turns back to look at me, "You're not bailing him out, so get that look off your face."

"What do you mean, I'm not bailing him out? Of course I'm not..." I can't even finish my thought before he interrupts me.

"Good. That asshole is sleeping in a cell tonight."

"No, he isn't. I'm not bailing him out because you aren't taking him to jail."

"Well not personally I'm not, but he is definitely going."

"No, he isn't!" I scream at how ludicrous the entire situation has become.

My mind is spinning. Everything has happened so fast. Thirty seconds ago I was having a little worse than normal argument with my brother, now I'm arguing with Brett about whether or not Eric is going to jail. My mind can't keep up.

"Gorgeous, I saw him put his hands on you. He's lucky he still has both arms connected to his body. If there weren't a hundred witnesses, I would have laid him out and I'm not just talking about restraining him on the ground. So I'll repeat, that asshole is sleeping in a cell." He leans in close and it ticks me off.

"Have you lost your mind? That's my brother!" I poke his chest. Nothing proves you are seriously mad like poking someone in the chest.

"And?"

"Oh my God, you really have lost it!" I scream, walking over to Eric sitting on the floor.

I turn in a circle trying to locate Caleb. Hopefully he is a little more rational about this crazy mess. I give up and shout his name to find him in the crowd that has now surrounded us.

"Over here, baby girl." I hear him yell from behind me while talking to the bouncer.

"You know these jerk-offs?" I hear Eric ask, but ignore his stupid question and return my attention to Caleb. The sooner I can get him to un-cuff Eric the sooner we can put this all behind us.

"Un-cuff him. That's my brother."

His eyes go wide as he looks over at Brett, who is standing where I left him with his hands on his hips. He is clearly not pleased with this turn of events.

"Your brother?" Caleb asks.

"Yes, my brother. Am I speaking a foreign language? Get over here and freaking let him go!"

"Watch your mouth!" My brother tries to correct me from the floor, but he looks ridiculous telling me to watch my mouth while sitting in handcuffs.

"Freaking is not a bad word, and you should know after the filth that just came out of your mouth," I yell at Eric.

"Well if your friends here hadn't brutally assaulted me while hiding behind a badge, I imagine I'd be able to keep my language locked up a little tighter," he answers sarcastically. "Just go home Jesse, you look like a hooker."

I started to get mad, really I did. My brother is a real butt sometimes, but this isn't new information. He loves me, and tries to protect me. It just doesn't always seem that way. I feel a cool breeze beside me, and I swear I'm in the middle of a Twilight movie because Brett just appears in front of me.

"You son of a bitch." He grabs my brother by the collar pulling him close. "I don't give two shits who you are to her, you are going to watch your fucking mouth," Brett says calmly, even though the look on his face is murderous. "Apologize. Now."

"Who the hell do you think you are telling me how to talk to my sister?" Eric, still hand-cuffed, steps up to Brett bumping him with his chest.

This is not exactly the way I had hoped Brett and Eric would meet. It's actually the worst-case scenario, but seeing Brett stand up for me like this is hot, and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

"I'm her fucking man, so you better start apologizing before you become her dead brother." Yep, definitely hot. His words make my heart swell and my panties wet. Does that make me his woman?
Oh my God, I’m Brett Sharp’s woman
!

Forgetting about the crap show that is going down in front of me, I feel a huge smile spread across my face. I mentally begin a victory dance and vow to myself to give it to Brett any way he wants it tonight.
Her man
. Eek!

Breaking me out of my inner celebration, I see Caleb move between the two angry guys. "You sit down," he says to Eric, "and you back the fuck up before you do something stupid. For Christ sake, he's her brother. You just cuffed him, somehow I don't think brawling with him is going to win you any promotions. So back it up. Both of you." Who knew Caleb would be the rational one in this testosterone trio?

"You're dating this asshole? What the fuck, Jesse?" Eric leans around Brett looking at me with crazed eyes. "Is this the dumb-ass who has you dressing like that and coming into bars alone?” Brett doesn't even let his words hit me before shoving Caleb out of the way and gripping Eric around the throat, pushing him hard against the wall.

"Are you dumb or just a prick? What the fuck did I just tell you? Watch you're fucking mouth when speaking to her." I surge forward to where he has Eric pinned. Brett must know the security here somehow because they are all just standing back watching this play out in front of them.

"Stop, you’re choking him!" I yell, smacking Brett's hand trying to get him to release my brother who is slowly turning blue.

He drags his eyes away from Eric long enough to glance at me for a beat, then one finger at a time removes his hand. I squeeze between them and feel Brett wrap a protective arm around my waist from behind. I'll deal with him in a minute but right now my jerk-face of a brother deserves my attention. Repeating Brett's words from earlier, I lay into him.

"You are going to watch you're freaking mouth when you talk about him. I'm not going to listen to you say one bad thing about him." Okay, so maybe I cleaned it up a little bit. I didn't want to break every rule I have just seconds before doing the one thing I have wanted to do for years.

Pulling my knee back, I slam it directly into Eric's crotch. I didn't want Brett to hurt him, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to do it myself. It wasn’t as hard as I would have liked for it to be, but I would like to have nieces and nephews one day so I guess it will have to do.

I love Eric, and tomorrow I’ll feel horrible for doing it, but I've had enough of his crap. There was never going to be a better opportunity either. He was standing helplessly handcuffed against a wall. I'm sure he will run home and tell mom, but I don't give a rat’s tail about the repercussions tonight.

Brett sucks in a breath behind me, lifting me off my feet and spinning me around so I can't reach Eric again. I'm not going to do anything else though. I figure one knee to the groin is enough retaliation towards my over-protective brother for one night. Suddenly, I remember that even though I'm ridiculously turned on by Brett's little macho showdown, I'm still annoyed at him for trying to arrest my brother.

"You!" I lean forward poking him again. It worked so well the first time, I figured I'd give it another shot. "You are not arresting him. He didn't do anything wrong. Well, maybe he did, but it was nothing more than a sibling argument. His heart was in the right place even if he was being a butt head about it. So un-cuff him and let him go. Be quick about it too, because we are going home."

"Gorgeous..." he starts, but I wave my hand to silence him. I'm done listening tonight. I just want to get him home and rip his clothes off piece by piece. Crap, Kara was right. He has turned me into a sex fiend.

"That's my brother and he's a lawyer, Brett. You are not arresting him. I'm annoyed and ready to leave. I spent two hours getting dressed up tonight. Now I'm wasting it all by going home, so you better make it worth my while when we get there." His eyebrows pop up as an amazing white smile slowly spreads across his face.

I turn and head towards the door catching Caleb out of the corner of my eye standing shocked with his mouth hanging open. I hear him whisper "Fuck. Me." as I pass. Clearly my behavior shocked him and it makes me bust out giggling as I walk outside.

I find Brett's BMW parked out back, and lean against the door waiting for him. I'm not left waiting for more than a minute when I feel a coat drape around my shoulders.

"You're going to freeze out here without a jacket." I smile to myself as he wraps his arms around my neck, leaning his cheek on my head. "I'm sorry about all that. Jesse, I saw him grab you, and I saw red. I wanted to murder him. The idea of someone trying to hurt you..." he fades off, shaking his head like it hurts just to think about it.

"Hey, I'm okay. He was being stupid, and now he'll have to sleep with an ice pack between his legs.” I shrug.

"That was sexy, by the way. Watching you take charge like that. Stand up for yourself. God, Jesse, I was so pissed off, then you kneed him and I swear I've never gotten hard so fast," he rubs his growing hard-on against my butt to prove his point.

"Take me home. That whole bad-ass thing you had going on in there really turned me on too. I need to appropriately thank you for defending my honor."

"That’s my favorite way to be thanked." He leans forward, kissing me breathless.

We make the short drive back to his apartment. Once we got there, I thanked Brett twice. He thanked me four times.