The Sweetest Scent Part 2

"I won't! I'm a good driver!"

"If you do, you're on your own. I may be a cop, but neither I nor Sebastian will make any charges disappear. We will bail you out of lockup, but that's it. Your mess, you clean it up."

Though the calm words sent a frisson of fear running up and down Bro's spine, he was secretly pleased to hear it. Jordan was going to trust him with his car and and his integrity. Jordan was treating Bro like a man, telling him that actions had consequences, and though Bro would always have his family, he would have to take care of his own s.h.i.+t from now on. He was seventeen, after all, and not a kid. his integrity. Jordan was treating Bro like a man, telling him that actions had consequences, and though Bro would always have his family, he would have to take care of his own s.h.i.+t from now on. He was seventeen, after all, and not a kid.

"I'll just drive me and Lacey to the restaurant. Then I'll drive her home. No joyriding, I promise." Lifting his chin defiantly, he half expected Jordan to change his mind. But Jordan kept eye contact for a few seconds more before shrugging, nodding, and returning his attention to the paper.

Bro had won. And he felt ten feet tall, his chest puffing up with a surge of pride. His widening grin threatened to split his face in half.

"YOU look beautiful, baby," Bro said admiringly, and it wasn't an exaggeration. look beautiful, baby," Bro said admiringly, and it wasn't an exaggeration.

Lacey had never looked more lovely, graceful, and sensual. She wore a light-gold, body-hugging knee-high dress with long sleeves and a turtleneck. A dark-brown ornament made of lace circled around the dress, snakelike, from bodice to hem. The tones of the dress accentuated her hazel eyes and blond hair. And it did not escape Bro's notice that she also had on golden silk stockings and black high heels.

The black velvet band around her neck gave her an almost collared look, like a love slave, and Bro felt his heart start thudding in his chest, his throat drying, and his c.o.c.k beginning to swell in his jeans-the cleanest pair he had. His imagination provided a whole host of flashes of what she might have underneath her elegant dress. He had seen her naked before, and that sight never failed to get him so hot he thought he might explode. Lacey's nimble, slender limbs, thin waist, prominent hip bones, and silken skin were all apparently designed to drive Bro mad with want.

Lacey snickered, covering her mouth with her hand again. "You look great too."

Baffled, Bro stared down at himself with a frown. He had on his usual light-blue jeans, white sneakers, and a white T-s.h.i.+rt with the text "Jocks love b.a.l.l.s" emblazoned on it in gray letters, a heart symbol in place of the word "love." Over it he had his sports jacket. This kind of outfit was nothing new to him, but he felt comfortable in it. Yeah, he was aware maybe he should have worn something more refined and stylish for a date, but he had tried that once-slacks and a b.u.t.ton-down-and Lacey's lips had pursed in a disapproving way that conveyed her irritation without words. She was not a fan of Bro being someone he wasn't or behaving differently from his normal style.

The things he did have going for him, however, were his height-he was taller than his big brother Sebastian by two inches and hoping to add a bit more to the five-eleven he was now sporting-and his musculature. The variety of sports he engaged in, especially football, had given him hard, firm, bulging muscles. As a result, his clothes fit him to a tee, showcasing his arms, pecs, thighs, and a.s.s to perfection.

The appreciative gleam in Lacey's eyes confirmed as much, and Bro beamed.

"So, shall we?" he asked, gesturing to the door.

Lacey nodded. "Where are we going?"

"Downtown, to Fiola. Is that okay?"

Lacey smiled, her eyes lighting up, and nodded. "Absolutely. Love the food there."

Just when Bro thought he could not have been more pleased, he was proven wrong.

THERE were definite advantages to having the corner table at Fiola, Lacey remarked to herself. The tiny rectangular rosewood tables, clean and polished, were situated almost indecently close to one another, barely leaving room to maneuver. Here in the corner, though, Bro and Lacey had some much-needed privacy, even though the general chatter in the place reminded her of lively c.o.c.ktail parties-not very intimate for a date. But the lights were dimmed, and there was a soft golden glow all around, giving the place a l.u.s.ter somewhere between cla.s.sy and cozy, enhancing the mood. were definite advantages to having the corner table at Fiola, Lacey remarked to herself. The tiny rectangular rosewood tables, clean and polished, were situated almost indecently close to one another, barely leaving room to maneuver. Here in the corner, though, Bro and Lacey had some much-needed privacy, even though the general chatter in the place reminded her of lively c.o.c.ktail parties-not very intimate for a date. But the lights were dimmed, and there was a soft golden glow all around, giving the place a l.u.s.ter somewhere between cla.s.sy and cozy, enhancing the mood.

Not that the place itself mattered to Lacey, who couldn't keep her eyes off Bro sitting opposite her, smiling in that smitten, lopsided way she adored. "How's the football practice gone lately?" Lacey knew there had been trouble with some new guy, but nothing since then.

Bro shrugged. "Okay. Kinda boring. Brad still won't let me do everything I want to, and that d.i.c.khead-um, Deacon's been an a.s.shole ever since he busted my shoulder. No rough stuff, or Brad would kick him off the team, but off the field.... He's just being Deac the d.i.c.k."

Hearing frustration color Bro's words-and seeing embarra.s.sment over cursing coloring his cheeks-Lacey decided to cheer him up. "Maybe he's jealous of your mad skills, or for having the cutest girlfriend in town." She batted her eyelashes at him and winked.

Bro relaxed and grinned. "Could be." He placed his palm over Lacey's hand on the table, caressing the skin with his thumb. "But in case you're thinking of moving on from me to him, just know I will fight for you."

It was Lacey's turn to blush. Bro could be such a typical boy with his caveman routine sometimes, and clueless at other times-yet he had a big heart and was capable of such tenderness and warmth Lacey could not help but be impressed.

"From what I hear of Rake, you're definitely going to have to suffer my company a bit longer."

"No pain in that, only pleasure." Bro's voice had dropped an octave or so, and Lacey felt heat flash inside her belly. The sensation only increased when Bro's gaze raked all over her with single-minded intent. "You wanna maybe-"

They were interrupted by a waiter, who asked what they wanted to drink and if they had decided on what to eat. Lacey and Bro both jumped at the young man's eagerness, letting go of each other's hand. But the waiter only took a curious gander at both of them and then grinned, winking like a conspirator. Lacey ordered a water, while Bro went for a beer. When that didn't fly with the waiter, he settled for a nonalcoholic apple cider. The guy departed to fill their drink orders.

Once he was gone, Bro recaptured Lacey's hand tenderly, squeezing a little. "Those guys should wear bells around their necks."

Lacey giggled. "In here, in this noise, who'd notice?"

"What you gonna order?"

Lacey scanned over the possibilities. She did this even though she knew very well what Bro wanted, and she happened to like the same thing. Normally, she would have gone for a lighter meal, perhaps only a salad, but with Bro she not only wanted but needed the energy provided by a full stomach just to keep up with him.

"You know what?" She peered up at him through her lashes, smiling. "I'm famished. I'm gonna go for the grand platter of Tuscan-style grilled meats. Is that all right with you?"

The relief on Bro's face was quickly replaced with hunger-of both sorts. Her cheeks heating, Lacey bit her lower lip, and Bro's gaze dropped to her mouth, his eyes darkening.

"Cool."

When the waiter returned with their drinks, they ordered the grilled meats. Before the guy left, however, Bro called him back, got a chocolate mousse for himself, and then surprised Lacey by asking for coconut custard with Limoncello Granita-Italian ice cream-and yuzu, a j.a.panese citrus, as a dessert for Lacey. With a wink, the waiter departed, and Lacey had to s.h.i.+ft on her seat to adjust her erection. She was wearing her silkiest, softest, loveliest underwear, and she knew her arousal would soon show if she didn't get herself under control.

Glaring at her boyfriend, she said, "What if I had wanted something else?" Bro blinked at the snarky comment and heat suffused his cheeks. Lacey cursed herself. "I'm sorry, Bro, I... I'm sorry. It's perfect." When Bro's frown wouldn't dissipate, she decided honesty was the best policy, so she leaned over the table to whisper, "It's just... I'm getting... a hard-on, you know, so... if you could please not do anything sweet?"

The mood lightened in an instant. Bro's furrowed brow smoothed and a wicked grin replaced the sad pout.

His tone was positively mischievous as he whispered back, "Does that mean no sweet-talking, sweet-kissing, or sweet-thinking? 'Cause I can't do all three. You're just too d.a.m.n... sweet. All over."

Lacey couldn't take it anymore, not when she knew what she wanted. Closing the gap between them, she kissed Bro tentatively. And then Bro inched forward enough to deepen the kiss into something more sensual than a mere brush of skin. The slightly tangy taste of the apple cider on Bro's lips was sugary, and Lacey wanted more, swiping the tip of her tongue over Bro's full lower lip, savoring the taste.

By the time they parted, they were both breathless and flushed. Lacey's heart thundered as she felt a longing for closeness she knew could not take place at the moment, not here. She desperately wanted to be somewhere else, anywhere they could be alone, to hold each other to their hearts' content and sink into one another, into each other's bodies, to let go and experience what the physical side of love was like.

Once again, Lacey felt shaken inside that the word-and a.s.sociated feeling-"love" kept popping up: in her head, in her body, and and in her heart. in her heart.

Bro was grinning like the proverbial cat that ate the cream, licking his glistening lips. "Just like I said. Sweet all over."

Covering her mouth, Lacey smiled and snickered. "So are you, honey."

A sharp clink of gla.s.s stole her attention, and she suddenly remembered they were in public. Nervously, she took a quick look around to see if anyone was watching, and right away felt silly having done so. What did it matter if someone ogled at them?

Bro had apparently come to the same conclusion. "It's just us, babe. No one else. Just you and me." His hold on her hand was smooth and rea.s.suring, and Lacey forgot why she had been so jittery. With Bro, she always felt safe. Even when his smoldering gaze undressed her slowly, one piece of clothing at a time.

The same feeling of security had been present since the beginning. "You remember when we met?"

Bro chuckled, looking smug, grinning. "How could I forget? Best day of my life."

That Lacey agreed with wholeheartedly.

ON HER HER first day in a new high school, in the middle of the school year, near Christmas, Lacey had felt out of place and lonely, and she sought the safe familiarity of the school's music room. Without a word, she took her violin from the case, lifted it beneath her chin, and allowed the sad tones of Takemitsu's "Requiem" to carry her away to another place in time. first day in a new high school, in the middle of the school year, near Christmas, Lacey had felt out of place and lonely, and she sought the safe familiarity of the school's music room. Without a word, she took her violin from the case, lifted it beneath her chin, and allowed the sad tones of Takemitsu's "Requiem" to carry her away to another place in time.

After the death of her mother in a car accident, Lacey had withdrawn into herself. And her dad didn't know how to handle her being gay and feminine, let alone her grief-stricken state and search for solitude. His solution was to move to another town, as if that could erase everything that had happened and wash her emotional slate clean. And then he had begun to drown himself in drink in seedy bars into the wee hours of the morning.

On that day Lacey had been crying silently, and not even music could distract her from her melancholy and sorrow.

"That's beautiful."

Startled, Lacey jumped at the sound of a boy's voice. She turned around to find a cute guy leaning against the doorframe of the music room, looking relaxed and comfortable, with a lopsided smile dangling on his lips. Wearing blue jeans, a gray T-s.h.i.+rt, and a school football jacket, he had a casual charm Lacey found more than a little attractive. The s.h.i.+ny black hair-almost emo in style-and the bright-blue eyes only added to the effect.

"Um, thanks," she muttered, feeling emotionally exposed.

The boy's head c.o.c.ked to the side as he inspected Lacey, who was getting more than a bit uncomfortable with every pa.s.sing second. Suddenly, he looked bashful, even blushed a little.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you, or anything. I just thought... you play beautifully." Standing up from his slouching position, he squared his shoulders-and for the first time Lacey saw how big the guy actually was. Not beefy, but tall and very fit. He gave a small, shy smile, lifting his chin in a quick good-bye gesture. "I guess I'll see you around."

As he started to turn, Lacey called out, "Yes, see you... around...." She had tried to sound confident and at ease, but it came out an undignified squeak. She knew he wouldn't stay now.

But the guy glanced over his shoulder, curious, and then he sauntered closer to Lacey, who suddenly found it hard to breathe-or look anywhere else but at the young man with eyes the color of forget-me-nots and a flirtatious grin tugging the left corner of his mouth.

He stopped in front of her, sort of swinging on his heels. "Hi, I'm Bro."

Lacey looked down, shy, and smiled a little. "I'm... Lacey." She wondered what it was he saw. Did he see a pretty girl in a lavender-colored dress, or a boy trying to be something he wasn't?

Bro's thumbs were hooked in front pockets of his jeans, and as such his hands framed his bulging crotch deliciously. All of a sudden, Lacey realized she was staring.

While she was busy blus.h.i.+ng, he chuckled softly. "You're new?"

Lacey dared a quick glance up and saw only fascination in the boy's face. "Yes. We moved here two weeks ago. Me and my dad."

The boy nodded. "Welcome to DC."

"Thanks." Lacey became aware she was still holding her violin in one hand and the bow in the other, undecided as to what to do with them. Fidgeting, her hands seemed to move on their own, searching for the red fibergla.s.s violin case, and she feared she might have given the impression of a broken robot, twitching away.

But then Bro was there, handing her the case from the chair nearby. "This what you wanted?"

"Yes, thanks." As she grasped the case and started putting her instrument away, not forgetting to wipe the excess rosin from the strings, Lacey noted she had probably thanked the boy half a dozen times by now. G.o.d, what is wrong with me? G.o.d, what is wrong with me? She was usually more articulate than this. She was usually more articulate than this.

Lacey didn't have a boyfriend. Yet she wanted to get to know a boy. And this Bro was surprisingly kind and courteous. He must have had a great, supportive family.

That thought brought into the foreground her own recent loss, and she found herself shaking with sorrow, her eyes watering.

"Hey, hey," the boy said, his voice filled with concern as he placed his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sorry if I-"

"It's not you, I swear," Lacey denied quickly, in between sobs, blinking furiously to dispel the moisture in her eyes. "You're nice."

His hand left her shoulder in a hurry, and when he spoke, his tone was darker, lower, more dangerous. "Has someone been... not nice to you?"

The boy's protectiveness surprised Lacey, who looked up in amazement. No one had cared about her well-being like that before, unless they were family. Bro's expression was akin to a storm cloud, and Lacey felt a sudden, strange feeling of safety flowing over her.

Smiling uncertainly, she said, "No, I haven't been here long enough. It's...." She bit her lower lip. "I lost my mom."

Bro's face overflowed with sympathy, and he took her hand very carefully, as if it were a fine piece of porcelain. "I'm so sorry. I've lost my mom too."

Lacey's eyes widened in shock. "Your mom's dead too?"

Looking sad and dejected, Bro shook his head a bit. "No. She just didn't want me, or my brother." Then he frowned, looking ashamed. "I suppose it's not the same."

"No." Lacey shook her head. "It's worse. Being alive and abandoning your children? Yes, it's definitely worse. At least my mom loved me." She gasped when she realized what she had said, how insensitive it must have sounded. "Wait, I didn't mean it like that-"

"It's okay." Bro smiled encouragingly, his eyes filled with levity again. "I know what you meant." Sighing in relief, Lacey squeezed his hand empathetically, and his hold of her nimble fingers tightened a bit. "I didn't intend to sound, you know, aggressive and s.h.i.+t-um, I mean all... caveman. It's just I thought you might have been... bullied, or something."

"Thankfully, no." Lacey offered her brightest smile, showing her white teeth, and the effect was instantaneous. Bro's eyes seemed to glaze over and a goofy, lopsided grin rose to his lips. Had this cute guy been into boys, Lacey would have hugged him. But someone that sweet probably already had a girlfriend anyway, so she quelled the instinct.

Then she was proven wrong.

Puffing his chest a bit, Bro nodded and said, "If you ever are, you know, bullied, you just come to me, okay? I'll straighten everything out." Lacey was about to interject that she did not need a knight in s.h.i.+ning armor, especially one who thought he was protecting a girl, but Bro spoke first. "I mean... you look real pretty in that dress. Even if you are... you know... a guy."

Bro's cheeks reddened as he spoke, but to Lacey he looked chivalrous to the point of glowing. "Y-you don't mind?"

Then the self-a.s.sured, c.o.c.ky grin was back in place as he winked. "Nah. I definitely don't mind. And I'd mind even less if you were my girl. Even if you are a boy. Fortunately for us, I'm a boy who likes boys."

He shrugged nonchalantly, and his laid-back att.i.tude worked wonders with Lacey. At that promising comment, Lacey had to laugh out loud, the emotion and the following physical response bubbling inside her like champagne. It had been so long since she had felt true, unabashed merriment she almost went down on her knees to thank G.o.d-or Bro, whichever came first. The pain of losing a mother and the sadness at having a father who didn't understand or approve of her all seemed to melt away as she let herself go, emotionally and physically.

BRO had equaled comfort and safety that day, not to mention humor and vitality, and to this day Lacey had never forgotten the gift of laughter he had given her then. had equaled comfort and safety that day, not to mention humor and vitality, and to this day Lacey had never forgotten the gift of laughter he had given her then.

"How did you know back then that I was a boy? I mean I was dressed like a girl, and I had makeup on." Lacey had always wondered about that, marveling at Bro's accurate perception. She leaned closer above the table, wanting the intimacy of truth to envelop her.

Bro grinned wickedly. "You really want to know?"

Lacey frowned, irked at her boyfriend's baiting. "Of course I do. I asked, didn't I?"

Appearing almost disinterested, Bro said, "I was watching you. As pretty as you were, beautiful as an angel, even, I was really really looking. Your hips, your waist, your chest, your stance, even your cute face-" looking. Your hips, your waist, your chest, your stance, even your cute face-"

"Cute?" Lacey narrowed her eyes, though she did not mind the words even half as much as she indicated. She was totally needling him back.

"Yeah." Bro smirked and winked. "So freaking cute and cuddly and adorable-"

"Oh, so there was a puppy in the music room with me?"

Bro laughed out loud, causing a few people at nearby tables to stare at them, frowning, but he didn't seem to care. "Like I said, sweet and adorable. That's you. That was you then, too, both girl and and boy. Just perfect. Made for me." boy. Just perfect. Made for me."

Lacey blushed so fast and hard at those words, she worried her cheeks might go up in flames. And that warmth was nothing compared to the heat pooling in the pit of her stomach, giving her an erection. Squirming on her seat, she tried to talk her d.i.c.k down, but the effort proved unsuccessful with Bro sitting opposite her, flas.h.i.+ng that irreverent, toothy grin and winking with those blue eyes.

But Bro wasn't finished, and he whispered softly, "Perfect."

Lacey covered her mouth as she smiled at the lovely compliment, and then she sighed longingly, her gaze locked with Bro's. "I wish we could leave, just go home and make love."