My Brother’s Best Friend

Jealousy

ARELLA

SATURDAY CAME. After an hour of jogging around the neighborhood, I literally dragged myself to work at the lab even though I should be spending on my couch watching the first episode of You.

I should really adopt a dog or buy a goldfish and name my pet ‘Skipper’.

I needed to make a new sample so that this thing will be over, and I wouldn’t have to deal with Skip again. Okay, that was crap. After what happened back at the club, I needed to keep myself busy. The anger in those eyes was so piercing. He still hates me.

Grabbing my phone, I started to play my playlist, then I wore the lab coat and my goggles. I placed a handful of apple blossoms into the flask with a good amount of water, then lit up the Bunsen. I tapped my fingers on the table to the beat of Halsey’s song while waiting for my blossoms to heat. My humming was cut off by the soft tap on my shoulder.

I was startled, jerking to stand up, causing the chair to fall on the tiled floor. What shocked me the most was when I turned around. Skip was standing in front of me with all his ever glory handsome face with a day or two worth of scruff. His eyes showed longingness, but there was still a glint of anger in there.

I swallowed while rubbing my chest, then his gaze dropped to the white crop top I was wearing. With his height, he could see my cleavage from the square-neck cut of my shirt.

“What are you doing here, Skipper?” It surprised me that my voice was strong and full of confidence.

He met my gaze, releasing a breath through his nose. “You need to come up with new scents. There’s a slight change with the date of the launching.”

Sighing deeply, I sat back to my chair. “Help yourself.” I picked out some strips and offered them to him.

He took it hesitantly, then grabbed a chair and sat beside me.

I arched my brow and shot him an irritated look. “Dip it to the test tube and try it.” I rolled my eyes when he stared back annoyed.

“You should work on that attitude of yours, Arella. You-”

“I get it. We work for you blah blah blah, and you’re mad at me.” I offered him a cotton sock.

“What’s this?” he asked in disbelief.

“It’s a sock, duh!”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“I know it’s a sock but I have a pair, duh!” Skipper mimicking my voice made me giggle.

“We smell it when it’s hard for us to determine the smell. To cleanse our olfactory palate. Some use coffee beans or lemon slices. Don’t worry it’s clean. It will just reset your nose.” I looked at him and smiled.

His hair was tied down today, and he looked sexier than ever. But sadly, we were over, and I couldn’t be hopeful when he easily gave up on us.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like how?”

“Just do what you are doing.” He pointed to the second tube. “I like this one, but you can do better than this.”

“I don’t know, Skip. I went to the factory to get inspiration, and I have this idea in my head, but I can’t just put it to work.” I frustratedly propped up my glasses on top of my head.

His eyes warmed, giving me a sad smile. “I know you work as a team, but I was the one who suggested this lab to the company. I wasn’t aware you work here though I heard about an intern who impressed a baseball player. Don’t give up on me now, Arella.”

“But you gave up,” I mumbled and stood up.

“Wait!” He grabbed my arm simultaneously. His dry hand grazed my skin. In just a single touch, it ignited my sleeping senses. He leaned closer to me. My breathing held, and I thought I might pass out. My heart palpitated. I was afraid to move to lean closer, and he might change his mind. Everything seemed to slow down when our face was an inch apart. My fingers itched to rake through his thick hair. My lids slowly fluttered closed, waiting, but I couldn’t feel his lips on mine. Only his scent that reached my nostrils-like pine in the winter with a little bit of spice. He then sniffed me.

He sniffs me!

With rapid blinking to put myself back together, I asked, “What are you doing?” His hands were still on me, and I could still feel his fingers digging into my skin.

He dove his nose to the skin of my neck. A raspy gasp slipped from my lips. My head flexed to give him more access before my brain could process what I was doing. I was already biting my lip. My sensitive skin fired up, and it went straight right between my thighs. I could even feel the rough slide of his nose on my neck and the hot breathing from his mouth. Then he was gone in a second. Just like that.

“What’s the perfume you’re wearing?” His deep voice brought my senses back to me.

My face instantly flushed with embarrassment. I rubbed my sweaty palm against my shorts. I wanted to give him the answer, but my mouth was so dry to speak up.

“Arella,” he called back and didn’t sound impressed by my lack of reaction.

I cleared my throat. “Um, it’s nothing.” I sat back down after blowing a few breaths. I rubbed my hands together to produce some heat and ease my trembling fingers. I dropped a cedarwood as my based note. “A little trivia. We used 80% water and 20% of 190% proof alcohol. The based notes are the theme of the fragrance. It lasted four to five hours on your skin.”

“Arella.”

“So, why don’t you sit and try mixing for yourself. It would be fun.” I picked up the rod and stirred the apple blossoms I did earlier. “The first thing you smell on the perfume is called the top notes and it dies off. Then the middle notes or the heart of the fragrance appears. It can be oriental, woody, fresh, floral-”

“Reigh!” Skip calling me Reigh again made my heart skip a bit.

“What?” I glared at him. “We may have a different wavelength, but if you stay here and watch me as I try to figure out what the hell scent you want, at least bear with my babbling because you lose my concentration. Shouldn’t you be with your friends golfing or skydiving, or do something profitable? Adrenaline junky like you shouldn’t be spending your day off with a boring work like this,” I sighed deeply with frustration.

“So, you want to spend with my brother instead?” His irritation thickened the air around us.

“What’s that suppose to mean?” I squinted my eyes at him, hoping my anger would reflect in them.

“You seemed to like my brother.” His haunted eyes shot back at me.

I formed my hand into a fist as it itched to punch him in the face. “You should probably go, Skipper. You are just a distraction.” Screw him and his sexy mouth, his talented fingers and tongue, and his gorgeous unique eyes.

I stood up and walked to the door to open it for him. I could sense him following me so closely. In less than a heartbeat, Skip was grabbing my arm, swung me around, and had me pinned against the wall. He remained no emotion showing on his face while staring at me that could turn me into a steak.

“What do you think are you doing?” My voice shook. He pressed his hips against mine, letting me feel his unforgiving manhood shamelessly. My lips parted voluntarily.

“Do you like my brother, Arella? Did he make you wet while dancing with him? Were you happy tormenting me while I watched your body pressed with someone else’s?” His fingers trailed a line down my knees to my inner thigh while he eyed me with lust. His fingertips were ablaze on my naked flesh. My breathing hitched with anticipation.

My mind couldn’t form words while he sounded so damn sexy. His jaw clenched, and I could sense him struggling internally. I’d never seen him so antagonistic like this. His eyes burned with jealousy.

“I-I like your brother, but I see him nothing more than just a friend,” I rushed out my words as I was afraid it would anger him more.

“Fuck it!” His lips crashed against mine, making me gasped in utter shock. My hands found his head, pulling him closer than we already were. The kiss was not gentle by any means. He kissed me with hunger, desperation, and fiery. Our lips and tongues moved at a frenzied pace. His fingers fumbled the button of my shorts, then a finger dipped into my wet sex. A low moan locked in our mouths. Oh God, I want more.

I nipped his bottom lip while I bucked my hips to meet the movement of his finger inside me. I was soaking wet, and he added another finger, making me cried loudly into our mouth. The sensation was building up. He rewarded me with a seductive moan when my inner walls clamped his fingers. He coiled and rotated inside, making my knees wobbled. I almost lost my balance. I pressed farther to his hand, craving for more.

I was flying higher and higher. Despite my building orgasm, I knew it was wrong. My conscience told me to stop, but my body said it was incredibly good.

His fingers were gone. My lips went cold. My soul felt empty.

I slowly opened my eyes, but I could still feel the heavy breathing from us. The anger on his face made me want to claw his eyes out, knee him on his hard manhood. He parted his lips and dove his wet fingers into his mouth and sucked them. My eyes bulged with shock.

Then he stepped back and grabbed the door handle.

“Skip!”

He stopped. Before I could say a word, he said, “I want that scent on you for the women’s fragrance.”

“No!”

“Then the deal is over.”

“Wait!”

He turned around, wearing a furious looked on his face. “What?”

Taking a deep breath, I spoke, “I wish I could turn back the time to how we met. And I will never go with you.”