with her. As wild as she was, she’d needed someone to look out for her.
Her striking blue-green eyes lifted, and he found himself back in time with her. Bumping into each other at the Smokin’ Burger. Kissing her on her front doorstep. Beating up boys for her…
“He was always rescuing her,” David said to Jillian, not hiding his derision.
“Maybe we should talk about something else,” Eliza said.
“That’s supposed to be your job now,” Brandon said to David. “You staying out of trouble?”
Eliza averted her head, and that sparked his curiosity.
“Stop being my big brother, Brandon. I can take care of myself.”
He had his doubts about that. Taking in Eliza’s profile, he’d bet she wasn’t helping matters. David loved to party and that was her specialty.
“We should get to bed,” Eliza said, pushing back her chair to stand.
“It’s not that late,” David protested.
“Come on, David.” Eliza took his hand and coaxed him to stand.
Reluctantly, he did, meeting Brandon’s reproving look in defiance as he slipped his arm around Eliza. Refusing to let it get to him, he stood and so did Jillian. He didn’t understand why Eliza was affecting him so much now.
“Good night,” she said to him and Jillian, lingering the longest on him.
“Good night,” he answered.
Jillian said nothing.
Brandon watched them leave the kitchen, David swaying a little against Eliza. He wished he was the one taking her to bed. He’d already shown them to their room, one that was far away from his. He’d be damned if he was going to sleep anywhere near enough to hear them. And that frustrated him. Aside from the alcohol David depended way too much on, he was his brother and Eliza was his wife. The two of them together shouldn’t bother him.
Turning to Jillian, he saw how she still watched him the way she had all evening. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
Jillian didn’t move when he took a step toward the living room.
“Can I talk to you first?”
There it was. She was going to grill him now. “Sure.”
She breathed out an uncomfortable laugh that he thought might be staged. “I don’t quite know how to say this.”
“Just say it.”
Slipping one of her hands around his biceps, she moved closer. Brandon had to smother the urge to shrug her away from him. How his sentiments had changed so rapidly bothered him.
She tipped her head up to look at him shyly. “I think it might be good if Eliza and David stay in town tomorrow.”
Her shyness contradicted her statement. “They’re staying here. David is my brother.”
“I know, but…”
“What’s wrong, Jillian?” He struggled for patience. Was she so insecure that she’d ask him to kick his own brother out of his house?
Sliding her hands over his chest, she leaned against him. “I can tell she still has feelings for you.”
Had it been that obvious? Had David noticed? He must have. A tide of guilt overcame him. “She’s married to David.”
“That doesn’t mean anything. She could still try and take you from me.”
Take him from her? Alarm bells buzzed in his head. That was taking insecurity to a new level. Brandon stepped back. “I don’t belong to anyone.”
“But, Brandon…” She angled her head coyly and manipulatively.
“We talked about this, Jillian.” He cut her off before she could continue. “I don’t want to settle down with anyone. I thought you were okay with that.”
“I am.” She crowded him some more, clinging, her hands touching too much.
He stepped back farther, feeling a familiar suffocation encroach. Women who demanded too much of him never lasted. Usually he saw this coming a lot sooner and ended the relationship before anyone got hurt. But Jillian was good. She’d snaked her way close to him and now she was striking.
“You better get going,” he said.
Something akin to panic flared in her eyes, and then she quickly recovered. “Sweetie, I know you’re afraid. So am I. But it will be all right. We’re perfect for each other.”
Perfect for each other. This was beginning to feel rather warped. “I’m not afraid. I just don’t want a serious relationship. I told you that.”
“You can’t stay single your whole life. At some point you’re going to have to get married.” She reached for him yet again.
This time he caught her wrists and stopped her. “Maybe we should take a break for a while.”
Now anger flowed into her pretty blue eyes, eyes that had enchanted him when he’d first met her. She jerked her wrists free. “You’re breaking up with me?”
“No. Let’s just take a break.” A permanent one. He’d just let her down gently. It wasn’t his style to use women. He made sure they understood what he was after. He must have missed the signs in Jillian. She definitely wanted more than he could give.
“I’m not an idiot, Brandon. I know when a man is trying to get rid of me.”
He bent his head momentarily, trying to think of what to say.
“It’s okay, Brandon. I understand. We don’t have to take a break. If you’ll just give it some time…You’re only confused because your old girlfriend came back.”
“She’s married,” he repeated.
“That doesn’t matter. I saw the way you looked at her, and her at you.”
That was ridiculous. But inside, her words mocked him.
“Please, Brandon.” He let her put her palms on his chest. “Please don’t give up on us.”
“There is no us.”
She stared up at him, finally believing him. This was it. He was finished.
“What did I do to scare you away?”
“Nothing.” Suffocate him. Try to control him. And the way she’d gone from angry to pleading…
Something wasn’t right about her. She was a little too desperate.
“I’m sorry.” He moved away from her, backing into the living room. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Tears swelled in her eyes.
Damn it.
“Brandon. I love you.” She came for him again.
He turned and strode toward the front door, hearing her stumble after him, sobbing, “Brandon.”
It made him ill. How could she possibly love him? They’d only dated a few times. He never allowed a relationship to last longer than a few months. Anything longer than that led to more. It had happened once. He’d gotten too close, too far out of his comfort zone. It had ended badly. If he ever settled down, it’d be with a woman who didn’t crowd him like that.
He could not be crowded.
After handing Jillian her purse from where she’d left it on the table in the entryway, he opened the front door. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
She stood there crying. “I don’t understand why you’re breaking up with me.”
“Sometimes I don’t understand it myself.”
Sniffling,