Letting My Brother's Best Friend Take My V-Card (Jessie and Luke)

CHAPTER 46 LUKE

I leaned against the wall, pretending to listen to whatever nonsense Tiffany was blabbering about. My eyes, however, were glued to Jess and Tom. I watched as they walked through the door, hand in hand. Jess looked... different.

She looked stunning in that deep purple bikini, and it drove me insane. The small triangles barely covering her curves, the thin straps hugging her skin it was all too much.

I clenched my jaw, trying to focus on Tiffany's words. "And then I told her, there's no way I'm going to-"

"Yeah, sounds great," I cut her off, my gaze shifting back to Jess. She was laughing at something Tom said, and it made my blood boil. He had his arm around her shoulders, walking her around like she was some trophy. My trophy.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my cool. Jess was off-limits. She was Josh's sister, and I promised him I'd stay away. But seeing her with Tom, seeing her happy with him, made me want to break every promise I'd ever made. Tiffany leaned into me, running her fingers down my arm. "So, are we still on for tonight?" she purred, her voice dripping with seduction.noveldrama

"Yeah, sure," I replied absently, not really caring. Tiffany was just

a distraction, something to keep my mind off Jess. But it wasn't working. Every time Jess walked by in that ridiculously small bikini, my heart skipped a beat, and my frustration grew.

Tom kissed Jess on the cheek, and I saw red. I had to get out of there before I did something stupid. "Hey, I need to get some air," I muttered to Tiffany, pulling away from her grasp.

She pouted but didn't follow me. pushed through the crowd, my eyes still locked on Jess. She was talking to Sam and Laural now, her smile bright and carefree. It should have made me happy to see her like that, but all I felt was jealousy.

I stepped outside, taking deep breaths to calm myself. I couldn't keep doing this. I couldn't keep torturing myself by watching her with someone else. But the thought of letting her go, of letting Tom have her, was unbearable.

"Luke," a voice called out behind me. I turned to see Tiffany following me out. "Are you okay?" she asked, her high-pitched voice crackling against my eardrum.

"I'm fine," I snapped, harsher than I intended. "Just needed some air."

I wanted to march over there, pull her away, and tell her how I really felt. But I couldn't. I didn't trust myself, not with the anger simmering just beneath the surface.

Josh had always been there for me, especially when things got bad at home. We were just kids then, but it cemented our friendship.

I keep telling myself it's because I promised Josh, but I know why he really asked me. He was afraid, afraid I'd turn into my

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father, and to be honest, so was

Tiffany's fingers trailed down my arm, but it did nothing to distract me. Jess was walking past again, her eyes meeting mine for a split second. I saw confusion there, maybe even hurt. Fuck. Come on," Tiffany whined, trying to pull me towards the

""Luke, pool. "Let's have some fun."

"Yeah, sure," I said again, forcing my legs to move. But my gaze followed Jess, watching how she moved and lit up around Tom. I hated it. I hated how it made me feel, how powerless I was to change it.

I splashed into the water, letting the coolness try to soothe my raging thoughts. Tiffany wrapped herself around me, but all I could think about was Jess in that tiny purple bikini and what it would feel like to peel it off her wet body.

My fists clenched underwater. I had to stay away, had to keep my distance for her sake.

"Luke, are you okay?" Tiffany asked, her voice cutting through my thoughts.

I forced a smile. "Yeah, just thinking."

"Well, stop thinking and have some fun," she said, splashing

water at me.

I smirked, but it was hollow, and I tried to focus on Tiffany.

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Every time I saw her, every time she smiled at him, it felt like a knife twisting in my gut. I wanted to be the one making her

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smile, the one holding her hand. But I couldn't. I wouldn't let myself.

Jess deserved better than me and some messed-up guy who couldn't even keep his promises. I needed to make sure that if I couldn't stay away from her, she would stay away from me. I needed to push her away, make her hate me enough, never to want to come close. I swam with Tiffany to the edge of the pool, positioning ourselves where I knew Jess could see us. My heart pounded in my chest, my mind screaming at me to stop, but I ignored it. I needed to do this for her sake.

Tiffany looked at me, hooded eyes and over-full lips waiting for me. Her hands snaked around my waist.

Before I could second-guess myself, I pressed my lips to hers hard. Tiffany responded immediately and deepened the kiss. I let her.

I heard a gasp, and I knew Jess had seen us. I kissed Tiffany harder, pouring all my frustration and anger into it. I pulled back, seeing the hurt on Jess's face. CHAPTER 47