Tug of War Read online

  Tug of War

  TL Osborn

  Contents

  Prologue

  1. Stephanie

  2. Stephanie

  3. Stephanie

  4. Stephanie

  5. Jake

  6. Stephanie

  7. Jake

  8. Stephanie

  9. Jake

  10. Stephanie

  11. Stephanie

  12. Stephanie

  13. Stephanie

  14. Stephanie

  15. Stephanie

  16. Stephanie

  17. Jake

  18. Stephanie

  19. Jake

  20. Stephanie

  21. Jake

  22. Jake

  23. Jake

  24. Stephanie

  25. Stephanie

  26. Jake

  27. Jake

  28. Jake

  29. Jake

  30. Stephanie

  31. Jake

  32. Stephanie

  33. Stephanie

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Other Titles by T.L. Osborn

  Tug of War

  T.L. Osborn

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to characters, places, events are used fictitiously. Any other names, places, events are of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to living people is purely coincidental.

  All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the express permission from the author. All songs, song lyrics and titles are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.

  Cover Design: Gray Creations

  Photographer: David Wills Photography

  Cover Model: Michael Scanlon

  Editing: TLO Editing Services and Emberlust Press

  Formatting: Emberlust Press

  ISBN 13 – 978-0-473-51371-9

  For Craig.

  Thanks for your love and support on this writing journey.

  I couldn’t have stayed sane without you.

  Prologue

  Stephanie

  Four Years Earlier

  I arrive at the nightclub to meet my best friend Aria for a few drinks. Tonight, we’re celebrating, and I can’t wait to see her. Earlier today, I received an unexpected phone call; I got my first client, and she wants me to design her wedding gown, bridesmaids and flower girl dresses. I can’t believe it! My body is buzzing with excitement.

  Aria had helped me at the wedding show in Masterton last month, and that’s where I’d met my latest client. My bestie had modelled several dresses for me so I could showcase them on the day, and she took the bookings while I spoke to potential clients. It had been so much fun.

  Now, I owe her a thank you night out. She mentioned earlier she’d be a little late. I know she was applying for a job at some big corporation. I can’t remember the name of it, but I do know the interview was today. My fingers are crossed that she gets the position.

  Walking through the door to the club, I scan the room and don’t see any sign of her. Checking my watch for the time, I see 5 pm. I’d hoped she’d have been here by now.

  She probably hasn’t finished the interview yet.

  I head over to the bar, order a house Sauvignon and pay. Then, I make my way over to a tall table surrounded by stools—a perfect spot where I can see the door to keep an eye out for Aria’s arrival. My head feels hot, and when I look up, I see I’m sitting beneath the heaters. Excellent, I get to stay warm too. I suffer from a condition called Reynard’s disease. It’s not a disease as such, but I feel the cold more than normal people because of my blood circulation.

  I pick up my glass and take a sip of the crisp, fruity liquid, allowing it to linger in my mouth before I swallow it. This is the perfect end to the day. Taking my phone out of my bag, I search through Facebook while I wait. After scrolling through the app, I move onto my work email—nothing new there.

  I take a quick look around the bar. There is a group of guys sitting at a table talking amongst themselves. One guy turns his head and looks my way, a smile crossing his face. Turning my head away, I hope to see Aria walking through the door, but to my disappointment, she still hasn’t.

  I hope she isn’t going to be too much longer. I’m itching to tell her my news.

  Picking up my drink again, taking another sip, I realise my glass is draining quickly.

  Stealing a glance back at the table of men, I find the one who spotted me earlier, pointing at me and talking with his mate, then elbowing him. I roll my eyes and turn away. He’s probably making a bet with his friend that he’ll be taking me home tonight.

  He’s shit out of luck. I have no interest to meet any guys tonight.

  My phone vibrates on the table and Aria’s name flashes on my screen. Opening the message, I read:

  Aria: Hey. I got the job. I’m just signing the paperwork now. Be there soon.

  Me: Okay. What do you want to drink?

  Aria: Can you order me a Sav? I’ll text when I’m on my way.

  Me: See you soon.

  I pick up my drink, this time draining the glass of its contents. A shadow casts itself over my shoulder, and I turn to find the guy who had been staring my way earlier, towering over me. He’s grinning and a wicked glint flashes in his eyes. I was right. He’s cocky enough to believe that I’m going to be in his bed later.

  “Hi. I’m Andy, and I see your glass is empty. I was hoping you’d let me buy you another drink,” he says as he motions to my glass. He’s observant. I’ll give him that.

  I shake my head. “Thanks for the offer, but actually, I’m waiting for someone.”

  He arches an eyebrow. “Come on. It's one drink. Who is going to have a problem with that?”

  “My boyfriend,” I lie. I don’t think I do it well; however, as he scans the room, then turns to face me once more. “Any guy lucky enough to be with you shouldn’t leave you alone.”

  I pick up my bag off the table and stand, hoping to move away from him. My heart is hammering within my chest as the guy moves closer, boxing me between the table and himself.

  Fuck, this is not the situation I want to be in.

  “Can you move, please? I need to, um...go to the ladies.”

  “You’re not going anywhere until you agree to let me buy you a drink,” he demands as he puts his hands aggressively on my biceps. I shiver and not in a good way. He’s giving me the creeps.

  “Get your fucking hands off her,” a voice calls from behind us, making us both jump. Turning around, I find Jake, Aria’s twin brother, standing behind me. His body is tense, his fists are balled, and anger is flashing in his eyes. “She’s my girl.”

  “Sorry, bro. I didn’t know she had a man.”

  “Don’t give me that bullshit. Now, fuck off over to your mates.” Jake steps forward, sliding his arms around me. I spin around into his arms, grateful he’s here. He tightens his grip on me, and I don’t understand why it feels so good. He’s like family, and hugging him is normal between us, but this isn’t a hug; it feels romantic, possessive and forbidden.

  He smells like cologne and laundry powder. It makes me want to rip his shirt off and lick my way down his body.

  “He’s gone. You can let go of me.”

  “I don’t want to,” I whisper as I look up into his eyes. They’re sparkling back down at me, making my heart race, my pulse quiver, and my vagina beg for something that shouldn’t happen between us. My body flushes with heat as his fingertips burn through my top, into my back.

  How would they feel on my bare skin?

  What is this? Why am I thinking like this?

  My stomach flip flops.

  Jake grabs my hand and drags me into a booth, pulling me close to him
. “I’m not leaving you alone. I’ll stay until my sister arrives.”

  “How’d you know I was meeting her?”

  “You two are always together. Why isn’t she here?”

  “She’s just signing the paperwork for her new job.”

  “Ah, gotcha.”

  “Jake, I–”

  He turns his head towards me, and our noses nearly touch. He slides a hand around my waist, the other around my neck, his thumb rubbing my skin. I shiver.

  God, I really want him to kiss me right now.

  As if he can read my mind, he presses his lips to mine. My stomach fills with butterflies as I press my hands against his chest. It feels amazing. His lips are soft, smooth, as he gently kisses me before turning it into something more. Groaning into his mouth, his hand tightens on my hip. I slide my hands up his chest.

  “What the fuck? Do you two want to be left alone?” Aria asks from beside the table. We leap apart like we were just caught committing a crime, and I catch him throwing me a grin. I smile back at him.

  “Nope, I was just helping Steph here with a small problem. Some douchebag wanted to get into her pants.”

  “By kissing her?” Aria asks, sitting across the booth from us.

  “I’m not going to sit here all night and deal with you giving me shit about protecting your best friend. Tell you what, how about I go buy you girls a drink?”

  “That would be lovely, thank you, Jake.” Aria smiles. As soon as he leaves the table, Aria turns to me. “Tell me everything and don’t skip a single detail.”

  I dive into the tale, and by the time Jake returns, Aria is sure I have a crush on her brother. I don’t have the heart to tell her I’ve had a crush on Jake for years, but tonight is the first time it’s ever gone that far.

  I’m not the least unhappy with it either.

  He places a glass of wine in front of her and then me, then he leans down.

  “Listen, my buddies are here; we are going to play a few games of pool. You need me, I’ll just be over there, okay? Don’t leave without me,” he whispers so low that only I can hear.

  “Okay,” I reply. I feel his lips brush my earlobe and decide that if I wanted anyone to take me home tonight, it would be Jake.

  The remainder of the night is a blur. I stare at Jake every chance I get. Suddenly, little things about him, things I never noticed before, are there.

  The way his broad, muscular shoulders tense as he moves. His long, lean arms as he hits the pool balls with the cue, how perfectly sculpted his body is, the way his hair sweeps to one side of his face, his emerald green eyes and the dimples on his cheeks that come out to play whenever he smiles.

  He’s gone from brotherly figure to boyfriend material in one kiss.

  Fuck, I’m screwed!

  When we leave for the night, much to my disappointment, Aria shares a cab home with us and isn’t shy about showing she’s disgruntled that Jake is joining us. I check my phone in the backseat of the car when it’s snatched out of my hand. Looking up, I find Jake looking at my phone and smiling.

  What the hell is he doing?

  He hands it back and doesn’t say another word. I’m dropped home first, and when I get out of the car, I’m grateful for it. Aria and Jake are fighting like typical siblings. I shake my head as I walk to my door. They can fight like cats and dogs, but deep down, they love each other.

  Unlocking my door, I enter my house and close the door before locking it. Making my way to my bedroom, I dump everything on my bed. I’m tired but not ready to sleep, so I decide to make myself a hot chocolate, hoping it will help me drift off. Once I settle down in my bed to read my latest book and enjoy my drink, I hear my phone vibrate on the nightstand. Picking it up, I read a message.

  Unknown number: Thanks for tonight. I enjoyed playing your fake boyfriend. J.

  My heart soars as I re-read his words.

  Does he like me too? Wait, I like him?

  Of course I like him! He’s Jake, Aria’s brother, and I like him as more than a friend. I have for as long as my crush on him has existed.

  Holy fucking shit, I kissed my best friend’s brother!

  And I want more...

  Chapter One

  Stephanie

  Present Day

  I pull my car in front of the iron gates at the beginning of Aria’s driveway. I haven’t seen her in a few weeks since she’s been on holiday with her husband, Simon. I need tonight with her more desperately than I thought. I’ve been an emotional mess for the last few weeks, and I don’t know what to do.

  Last month, at James and Riley’s wedding, things between Jake and I got a little heated. We ended up having an argument because he doesn’t believe that the relationship I’m in with Ben is going to last. Then, he proceeded with giving me his unsolicited opinion on my relationship.

  I’ll admit him taking me to the wedding and making sure I got home later that night had been great. My drunk arse tried to kiss him in an attempt to throw myself at him like some wanton hussy. I made a complete and utter fool of myself. To make things worse, my crush on Jake has been stirred up further, and I can’t seem to think of anyone else but him. It’s wrong to think about Jake the way I do, especially with all the sexy dreams I’ve been having about him.

  I’m dating Ben after all.

  Ben. Such a nice guy. He’s sweet, kind and caring; but that’s just my issue. He’s too nice. Always a gentleman; even in the bedroom. I want dirty, hot sex and he’s too scared to even spank my ass for fear of hurting me. Sometimes a girl just wants her man to rough her up a little in bed, making sure she knows who’s in charge.

  I stupidly thought if I dated Ben, I could get over my crush on Jake, but that appears to be impossible.

  The iron gates open. I drive down the asphalt road and park my car in front of Aria’s house. I shut off the engine, grab the bottle of wine I brought with me, and make my way inside.

  “Hey,” I call, as I close the front door behind me.

  “Hey, I’m in the kitchen,” Aria replies. I hope she’s baking something delicious. It would certainly help to lift my mood. Sure enough, I find her rolling balls of dough between her hands and placing them onto a tray. I place my wine bottle and bag onto the couch, then make my way over to the kitchen bench.

  “What are you making?” I ask, peering into the bowl.

  “Double chocolate chip cookies.”

  I dip my hand into the bowl and take a large blob on my finger, then pop it into my mouth. “Yum. That’s good.”

  Aria laughs. “It’s a new recipe.” I dip my hand back in the bowl to take more of the mixture. “Just take the bowl. I’ll bake this lot, and we can eat the rest.”

  “You’re the best.” I pick up the bowl and dance away with it over to the couch. She puts the tray in the oven and brings over two wine glasses.

  “So, what’s going on? It feels like ages since I’ve seen you,” she says. She unscrews the lid of the bottle of wine and pours the liquid into the goblets.

  Best I start by telling her how I’m feeling.

  “Honestly, I’ve been trying to sort out my feelings for Ben, and well, I’ve decided to break things off with him. I don’t see the relationship going anywhere and–” I’m cut off as the front door opens and in walks the very reason for my uncertainty.

  Jake.

  He smiles, the dimples appearing on either side of his mouth. His eyes sparkle as he casts a glance my way. My stomach twists into a knot of nerves, my blood pressure skyrockets, and my body flushes with heat. Apparently, my desire for Jake is out of control and seeing him tonight just makes me more confused than ever.

  Is he as excited to see me as I am him?

  Picking up my wine glass, I take a sip, hoping neither sibling has noticed my sudden change in body language. Aria throws me a look that says, I can practically see you eye-fucking my brother, and Jake just grins as I place my glass back on the table.

  Apparently, I’m not great at hiding my feelings.

&nbs
p; Tonight, he’s wearing a green cotton t-shirt that clings to his toned muscular torso, giving me an excellent view of the muscles beneath it. He flexes his arms just a little, and my mouth dries, wishing he’d just take the damn thing off.

  Who needs clothes, anyway? They’re overrated. He steps down into the lounge and greets his sister with a hug. Jealousy wells within me as I wish it was me those strong arms were wrapped around.

  “Hey Steph,” he says, his tone low and husky as he passes by me. One whiff of his delicious cologne and my body is about to combust. My mouth dries, and my body begins to shake with desire. He smells divine. I follow him with my eyes, watching as his jeans are moulded to the contours of his spectacular ass. He makes those jeans look good.

  I lean forward to try and pick up my wine, but I’m unable to take my eyes away from him and end up knocking it over onto the coffee table. He smirks at me as I can hear the wine droplets slowly trickling onto the floor.

  Jake laughs as Aria grabs a towel. “Geez Steph, you can’t hold your wine like you used to.”

  My face flushes with embarrassment. “I can too! I was distracted.”

  “I’m quite the distraction, aren’t I?” He grins at me as he pops open a beer.

  “You think you were distracting me?”

  “I know I was. You’ve got a bit of drool down your chin.” He takes a swig of his drink.