Free Seal It With A Kiss (McClellan Trilogy) by Judy Hagemann

finished with the appetizers. Sam was the first to speak, “Have you gotten laid yet?”
    Brock had been leaning down to get a cookie sheet and bumped his head on the counter at Sam’s question. “Ow! Damn it Sam. Why do you have to ask me something like that?”
    Luke and Sam were both laughing. “Because that is what brothers do! So—have you?” Sam asked again.
    “If it is any of your business, which by the way it’s not—no.”
    “I think there is a prospect though from what Brooke was telling me.” Luke said.
    “No shit? Who is she?” Sam asked.
    “No one.” Brock offered.
    “I don’t know about that. Brooke said that you have a really pretty detective working on the latest case with you.”
    “So, that doesn’t mean anything.” Brock answered.
    “She said you could cut the sexual tension with a knife. If nothing has happened yet, it won’t be long before it does.” Luke said laughing.
    “Brooke needs to mind her own damn business.” Brock responded.
    “She happened to like Detective…‌what was her name?” Luke began.
    “Cavanaugh, Holly Cavanaugh.”
    “There you go! She liked Holly. She thought she would be the one woman to put you in your place.”
    “What the hell does that mean?” Brock growled back.
    “Do you need to take something out of the oven? I think I smell something burning.” Sam said.
    “Damn it! See what you have done?” Brock said as he was pulling the tray out of the oven.
    Midway through the afternoon, Brock was getting antsy and he couldn’t concentrate on the game as his chips were dwindling to almost nothing and he still hadn’t brought up the topic of friends with benefits. He was torn—he just knew that his brothers would zero in on exactly who he was referring to if he asked.
    “Brock!” Sam said as he slugged him in the arm.
    “What?”
    “It’s your turn, are you in or out? The bet is one dollar.”
    “I’m out.” He said throwing his cards in the middle of the table. ‘ It’s now or never.’ he thought to himself. “So have any of you guys come across anyone who had a friends with benefits relationship?”
    His question was met with silence as he watched Luke and Sam look at each other and back to him. Pete was the first to speak. “I’ve heard of it, but never had the pleasure of experiencing one. All the women I ever meet want the full blown relationship. You know, going out to dinner, dancing, movies, sleepovers, meeting the family—the whole ball of wax.”
    Joe chimed in next. “It sounds like a dream gig to me, but I have never heard of anyone who was able to pull it off.”
    “What do you mean ‘pull it off’?” Brock asked.
    “Well, for one, it’s a pretty blurry line. What if one of you wants more out of the relationship? Someone is going to end up getting burned. I’m no expert here by any means, but I would never want to do that.”
    “Are you considering that crap with Holly?” Luke asked.
    “I was just asking—out of curiosity is all.” Brock answered.
    “You are so full of crap bro. You are considering it or you wouldn’t have brought it up.” Sam accused.
    “Are you going to deal the next hand or are we finished for today?” Brock asked.
    Luke wasn’t going to let it drop. “You had better think long and hard on this bro, Holly sounds like a great gal and there is no way in hell that she would go for it anyway. Put that damn thought on the shelf. Why the hell wouldn’t you want to pursue a relationship with her anyway?”
    “Yeah.” Sam chimed in. “I’ve never met this Holly, but jeez you’re thirty-two years old—not twenty and I thought you wanted to find someone to spend the rest of your life with—not this college kid crap with only wanting a tumble between the sheets.”
    “She already agreed to it.” Brock blurted out.
    “What?” Screamed Sam and Luke at the same time.
    “Have you…‌?” Luke began before Brock interrupted him.
    “No.”
    “Don’t do it.” Sam suggested. “You