Unexpected Lovers Box Set by J.B. Heller

MJ’s eyesdart from me to my brother as we stare each other down in the living room.

After three minutes, I give in. It’s not really a big deal if he comes along. “Fine, but you have to be on your best behavior,” I tell him, jabbing a finger against his chest.

A massive grin splits his face. “I’m not making any promises.”

I shake my head and stalk toward the door. “Let’s roll.”

The car I ordered is waiting for us at the curb when we get downstairs. I slide in first, followed by MJ, then Bates. By the time we make it across town to the bar where this mixer is being held, Bates has his arm around MJ’s shoulders, and she’s blushing furiously as he whispers something in her ear.

“Okay, horndog, time to knock it off,” I snap at him as I open the door. “You can continue trying to seduce my girl after I’ve secured her a sponsorship.”

Interest lights his eyes. “A sponsorship? You’re an athlete?”

She nods then slides across the seat to get out and stand by my side. “I play tennis,” she says shyly.

Bates gives her a salacious grin as he comes to stand by her side on the curb. “Us athletes have amazing stamina.”

“Okay, okay,” I say, coming to stand between them. “You guys can bone in the broom closet later. Business first.”

MJ’s eyes bug out, and she gapes.

I give her a knowing look. “Babe, I know where this is going”—I flick my finger between her and Bates—“just as well as you do. And I honestly don’t care. But, like I said, business first. Then, you guys can do whatever you want.”

Her jaw slams closed, and Bates sidesteps me to throw his arm over her shoulder again.

He’s going to eat her alive; I just know it.

“Bates, a word before we head in, please,” I say, crooking a finger at my brother. We walk just far away enough that we won’t be overheard. “If your dick screws this deal up for me or affects my working relationship with MJ, I’ll cut it off while you’re sleeping,” I inform sweetly.

He pales and reaches between his legs, rearranging his junk. “Noted. I’ll make sure she knows the score before anything happens.”

“You do that,” I say, patting his chest. Then, I return to MJ, hook our arms together, and usher her inside.

I make all the appropriate introductions, and the night goes off without a hitch. MJ is a hit, and by the end of it, I have two potential sponsors vying for her.

When it’s time to leave, I’m not surprised that Bates and MJ opt not to share a ride with me. I’m actually grateful. I don’t need to think about Bates banging someone in the next room.

The night was a success, and I’m certain, come Monday morning, MJ will be ready to sign with me.

* * *

Over the nextcouple of weeks, I’m pleasantly surprised by Bates’ housekeeping skills. I expected him to be as useless at cleaning up after himself as he was at laundry, but I’m yet to come home to a disaster zone.

Archer’s presence has become a regular thing, though, and I’m struggling with it. Like right now, he’s sitting in my spot. Everyone knows it’s my spot—even him. Yet, there he is, lounging around in my favorite chair in the living room like he owns it.

My eyes narrow on him, and I kick his shin with my booted foot.

He grins up at me. “Can I help you?”

“Move,” I grit out.

“But I’m comfortable,” he says, relaxing farther back into the cushions, a shit-eating grin on his stupid face.

“Not my problem,” I say. “That’s my spot, and you know it.”

He shrugs. “I’m not stopping you from sitting here with me.” He spreads his arms wide then curls his finger in a come-hither gesture.

I scoff. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”

“Then you’re welcome to sit somewhere else,” he says, turning his attention back to the TV.

“Asshole,” I grumble under my breath as I storm over to the couch and drop on the end farthest away from him.

He chuckles, and I want to throat punch him, but I take a sip of my wine instead.

“Oh, come on, Lenny. Lighten up,” he coos.

I shoot daggers at him with my eyes. “Fuck off, Arch.”

His smile only gets bigger.

“What’s going on with you two?” Bates asks, coming to sit beside me.

“Nothing,” I mutter.

Emory and Sebastian are cuddled up together on the loveseat with a blanket wrapped around them, and I catch her knowing smirk. I glare at her, and she pokes her tongue at me.

Bates throws his arm around my shoulder, tugging me into his side. “You’ve been super on edge lately, Len. You doing alright?”

I rest my cheek on his shoulder, enjoying the comfort he offers. Cuddles aren’t my thing, but I’ve always loved them from Bates. “I’m fine,” I tell him. And I am, mostly. It’s just Arch, but I can’t exactly talk to Bates about that.

“I don’t believe you,” he says. “But I’ll let it go for now if you promise to start taking it easier. You’ve been getting home late every night this week.”

“Deal,” I agree, aware that if I don’t, he’ll be all up in my business in no time.

My attention is snatched away from my brother by Em, who squeaks, “Oh my God, did you feel that?”

Sebastian’s eyes are pinned to where his hand is resting on her baby belly. He beams at her. “Yeah, babe, I felt it,” he says, awe in his tone.

“Felt what?” Bates asks.

We’re all watching them now as tears fill Em’s eyes. “The baby is, like, rolling around or something,” she says, a huge smile on her face.

Bates is off the couch and crouched in front of her in a heartbeat. “Can I feel it?”

My brows shoot up. What the hell has gotten into him?

“Umm, okay . . .” Em says.

Sebastian moves his hand over to the side, allowing Bates to get in on the action. He places his hand on Em’s belly almost reverently, and for some reason, I hold my breath.

Bates remains silent, but a soft smile curves his lips.

“So . . .” I say.

He turns his head to look at me over his shoulder. “This is the coolest thing ever. You should feel this, Lenny. Seriously, it’s fucking awesome.”

Umm, okay . . .

“Since when are you into feeling up pregnant bellies?” I ask, curiosity urging me to my feet to see for myself what is so cool about it.

Bates removes his hand and stands, sliding his hands into his pockets. He averts his gaze so I can’t see his eyes. He swallows hard then says, “So, about a year ago, this super-pregnant diamond dolly sought me out and told me her baby was mine. And I—”

“Whoa, stop right there,” I say, holding my hand up to silence him. “Why am I only hearing about this now? What the hell, Bates?!”

He shrugs, keeping his eyes downcast. “It wasn’t mine. But for a while there, I thought it might be, and she used to let me feel the baby moving around inside her. It was...” He pauses, rubbing the back of his neck. “It was really cool.”

I stare at my brother. I have no idea what to say to him. He looks . . . sad. “Bates,” I say softly, touching his arm, “why didn’t you tell me?”

Finally, he brings his eyes to mine, and he shrugs. “It doesn’t matter anymore, Len.” Then he walks away, down the hall to his bedroom.

What in the ever-loving . . . I spin around, facing Archer. “You knew about this?”

He shakes his head, his expression as shocked as mine. “I had no idea.”

“I should go talk to him,” I say, taking a step to follow my brother.

“No,” Archer says, his hand wrapping around my wrist, stopping me. “I’ll go.” He side-steps me then disappears down the hall.

I drop onto the edge of the couch, stunned and kind of hurt that Bates never mentioned anything about it to me.

“You okay?” Em asks.

“Yeah,” I tell her. “I’m just . . . I had no idea. How did I not know about any of this? Even if it wasn’t my job to know, I’m his sister. Bates and I talk about everything.”

Em crosses her arms across her chest. “Not everything,” she says pointedly.

I swallow, well aware of exactly what and who she’s talking about. “Not everything,” I reluctantly agree.

“So, what’s going on there?”

“Nothing,” I say adamantly.

She snorts. “Yeah right. That banter between you two is not nothing.”

“Well, it can’t be something. So, it has to be nothing.” I mimic her pose by crossing my arms, too.

“And why can’t it be something? He’s clearly into you, and you’re into him. I’m not seeing the problem here.”

“Ugh,” I groan, flopping back on the couch and staring at the ceiling. “He’s my client, Em. And my brother’s best friend. Even if I could figure a way around one of those things, I can’t do both.”

She’s quiet for a moment before saying, “I’m still not seeing the problem. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Just look at Bash and me.”

“She’s right,” Sebastian throws in. “Those are actually pretty common tropes in romance novels. Maybe you should read some, get some ideas on how to get around the things you perceive as issues.”

I lift my head to stare at them. Clearly, they’re both nuts. This is what I get for hoping my romance-blogger roomie and her romance-writer boyfriend will have some solid advice for me. “Thanks, but this is my life, not some lovey-dovey book.”

They shrug in sync, and it’s creepy as fuck.

“And on that note, I’m going to go finish this bottle of wine in my room,” I tell them, picking up said bottle and my glass from the coffee table before leaving the lovebirds behind me.

I round the loveseat then stop dead in my tracks the second I reach the hallway. Archer is leaning against the wall, his eyes boring into me with so much heat and desire I nearly trip over my own feet.