The Harper Brothers: All Bets Are Off (Wattpad Version)

Well, someone's getting lucky

Rafe

After Val's birthday, Leokadia discovered why you don't lie to our big brother. While she got off light and enjoyed her punishment, we had to suffer excruciating pain. Do you see the double standard here?

A month later, Pat's birthday arrived. I didn't pull the same stunt with Pat as I did with Val because Pat likes to pout. Remember when Ma and Dad surprised him with a party, and he frowned? So, do I.

This year, Reese was baking a cake decorated in white and green frosting with four-leaf clovers splayed on the cake for Pat. Ma and Dad were arriving later to celebrate his birthday.

While getting ready for his birthday, everyone in the house was getting lucky except for Marty and me. Well, Marty keeps denying his love for Bailey while Reese and I haven't taken the next step. We were inching toward it, but we weren't quite there yet.

We were in the bakery's kitchen as I gathered the ingredients for the cake while Reese studied the design for Pat's cake. After setting everything on the counter and measuring the ingredients into a mixing bowl, I turned on the heavy-duty mixer. The beaters whirled in the steel bowl, creating a smooth texture until it finished. Then I poured the batter into a rectangular cake pan and loaded it into the oven.

"I think the design should be easy enough since it doesn't require several different icing tips," Reese mentioned.

I glanced at the design. "It seems easier than roses."

"Most designs are easier than roses." Reese grinned at me.

I chuckled as I gathered the ingredients to make the frosting. While I whipped up a batch of icing, Reese approached me.

"Can I ask you a question?"

I pressed a few droplets of food coloring into the bowl. "Yeah."

"Why haven't we had sex yet?"

I stopped pressing the plastic bottle and squinted at Reese with my mouth agape.

"That didn't come out right. Let me rephrase my question." Reese shook her head. "Why haven't we gone further than what we've done?"

I replaced the cap on the food coloring bottle, set it down, and folded the dye into the mixture. "I wasn't sure if you were ready and didn't want to pressure you into something you didn't want to do."

Reese studied my face.

"What?" I quirked my brow.

"Were you like this with the others?"

"Are you asking if I waited with baby psycho and Kate?"

"Well, yeah."

I mixed the frosting until it had a nice, even color. "Well, baby psycho hopped on my dick without a passing thought while Kate took the bulls by the horns."

Disbelief riddled Reese's face.

"It's easy to have sex with someone when no emotions are involved. It's harder when you love someone because you don't want to fuck shit up with them."

"But I doubt sex would screw things up between us."

"It does when one person is more invested than the other." I shrugged.

It's not that I didn't want to go further with Reese, but past experiences taught me a valuable lesson. You learn your true feelings for someone when you cross that threshold.