Step Brother: Off Limits (4 page)

“Well, then why’d you call?” She didn’t sound convinced.

“Um, I have every reason to call. You’re in charge of the business I built out of nothing, and I want to make sure you’re not running it into the ground, or that it’s too much for you to handle in your delicate state.” I knew my reference to her pregnancy possibly preventing her from accomplishing anything would piss her off.

“Yeah, Reed, I haven’t been able to do much other than grow this fetus, you know. I canceled all the appointments, and I’ve been using the corporate credit card you left me to order baby clothes and shit.”

I laughed. “God, I can’t believe it, but I’ve actually missed you, Marla. Seriously, how are you feeling?”

“Well, I puke a couple times a day, most days. My boobs hurt, and I’m always hungry. Other than that, I feel pretty good.”

“That sounds awful.”

“Nah, it’s not that bad. We scheduled another sonogram in a few weeks, and we should be able to tell the baby’s sex. Butch is all excited, and to be honest, so am I.”

“You guys are gonna be great parents.”

“Thanks, Reed. And the shop’s in great shape. The new guy’s booking up just like you hoped he would, and it’s been pretty smooth sailing.”

“Any complaints about my being gone?”

“A couple of people were disappointed they had to book so far out, but they’re fine. It’s not like anyone’s going to die if they don’t get another tattoo.”

“It ain’t like I’m a surgeon.”

“Exactly. So when are you coming back? I saw the pictures of you the other day. Looks like you were having some fun with that French chick.”

“What?”

“Haven’t you seen the pictures?”

“No. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh. Well, there are pictures of you and some girl. Looks like you’re about to have sex on the street.”

“Jesus, I guess I should have known those weren’t just tourists.”

“Yeah, anyway, your recent features in the tabloids have been great for business. I get calls every day asking about the guy who had sex in the car. All the callers are women. When you get back, you’re going to be stuck doing tramp stamps and butterflies on bikini lines for the rest of your life.”

I sighed, knowing exactly the kind of girl Marla was describing. “Great.”

“If I were you, I’d up your hourly rate for these chicks. They’ll pay whatever you ask.”

“You are a brilliant woman, Marla, and if you ever want to leave that loser husband of yours, you just let me know.”

“He would kick your ass, and you know it.”

“Whatever. So everything’s okay, then?”

“Yup. No problems. You sure you’re okay? You sound like you have something on your mind.”

I figured I might as well talk to Marla since I didn’t really have anyone else at the moment. “I kinda had it out with my dad last night. I blew up and told him how pissed I was that he never tried to see me when I was younger.”

“How’d he take it?”

“I think he felt pretty shitty.”

“Well, he should.”

“He apologized. Said he wants to try to make it up to me now.”

“That’s better than nothing. You know, you have a right to be mad at him for what he did.”

“I know. I feel better that I told him I was pissed, I just don’t know exactly how to move on.”

“It’s okay to be pissed, but you can’t let it consume you. Try to shake it off and enjoy the time you have with him now.”

“You’re right. I don’t guess there’s any chance you’ve heard from Tatum?”

“Not a peep.”

“She won’t answer my calls or my texts.”

“Her loss, honey.”

“I wish I could believe that. I miss her, though, to be honest.”

“She’ll either come around or she won’t. You can’t make her decisions for her.”

“Don’t I know it. I really should have told her about who my dad was before those reporters took the pictures of us. I knew how important privacy is to her, and I should have been up front.”

“Can I be honest with you, Reed?”

“Of course.”

“I think this obsession with privacy is a little overblown, to tell you the truth. I think Tatum’s kinda acting like a spoiled brat, and I think you should move on.”

“Goddammit, I wish I could. But it’s like she’s worked her way into my head, and I can’t quit thinking about her.”

“Jesus, Reed, are you in love with her?”

That was a question I did not want to answer, not to myself, and certainly not to anyone else. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I don’t think I am. If you’re really that hung up on her, then go get her back, Reed. It’s not like you to be a big pussy about a woman. Either move on or go get her.”

“I hear you. I’ll decide something one way or another.”

“And I need to know when you’re coming back. I’ve put off a bunch of people who’ve called for appointments, and I need to know when I can start booking you again.”

“I guess I need to decide when I’m going to come back to real life, huh?”

“You think?” Marla’s sarcasm was clear, even across the ocean. “Thing are running fine, but you’re the reason people come here, rather than all the other tattoo shops in town. We need you back.”

“I got it. I’ll talk to my dad, and I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait forever. In a few months I’ll be waddling around this joint, and I won’t be able to do open to close every day.”

“I hear ya. And I can’t let a fat chick ruin my image,” I joked, hoping Marla wouldn’t really take offense to what I’d said.

“Whatever, asshole. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Right now, I have to go pee for the twentieth time today.”

I ended the call and scrolled back through my recent calls to see the last time I’d tried to call Tatum. It had been a week. I wanted to call again, but if Marla had seen the pictures of Marie and me, chances were good that Tatum had as well.

“Fuck it,” I said as I tossed the phone onto my bed. If Tatum didn’t want to be with me because of the publicity, then that was her choice. My choice was going to be to move on. I couldn’t waste any more time acting like a lovesick teenager.

I thought about the box that held the Christmas present I’d intended to give Tatum before she’d freaked out and left. Fishing the box out of the bottom of my suitcase, I turned it over in my hand. I knew I could probably still return it, and I knew getting my money back would probably be the smart thing to do, but it just didn’t feel right. I slid the box from its pale pink sleeve and opened it. The necklace was just at stunning as I’d remembered. The glittering eighteen-carat gold chain looked like it had been carved out of diamonds, and the flawless, pear-shaped Swiss blue topaz that dangled from the chain was the exact color of Tatum’s eyes. When I saw the necklace, I’d known just how perfect it would look on her. I closed the box. One more text, and then I’d write her off.

I miss you.

I tossed the phone back onto the bed and was about to walk out of the room in search of my father, when I heard the phone ring. Figuring it was Marla calling me back about something she’d forgotten, I answered without looking.

“Yeah?” Silence. I looked at the screen to see if maybe the person had hung up, and I nearly dropped the phone when I saw who had called me. “Tatum? You there?”

“Hey.” Her voice sounded small, uncertain.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine. I just called you when I got your text. I guess I didn’t really expect you to pick up.”

“Why wouldn’t I pick up? Do you know how many times I’ve called you?”

“Well, when you answered, you sounded so abrupt, like you were angry. I guess it just took me off guard.”

“I thought you were Marla calling me back.” I sat down on the edge of my bed. “That doesn’t even matter, though. I’m so glad you called. How are you?”

Tatum sighed, and I looked at the bedroom clock to see what time it was in Las Vegas. It was nine in the morning where I was, so it was midnight for her.

“I’m okay, I guess.”

I couldn’t tell if she was being honest or not. “How’s the job?”

“It’s going well.” She paused, and I wondered what she had been doing when I texted her. “I shouldn’t have called, Reed. I’m sorry.”

“Wait a minute. Don’t you dare hang up. Do you know how much I’ve wanted to talk to you?”

“It’s just … I didn’t expect to feel this way when I heard your voice.” She sounded sad.

“What way?”

She sighed again, and I could hear her shifting her position. I wondered where she was.

When she finally spoke again, her voice was so soft I could barely hear her. “I’ve missed you, Reed.”

My smile could have lit up the room. “I’ve missed you, too, Tatum. More than you know. Why didn’t you answer any of my calls or texts?”

“Well, according to Garrett, it’s because I’ve been a spoiled rotten brat.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, he just read me the riot act. Told me I was being ridiculous about shutting you out. He thought I was overreacting to the media attention, and he thinks I need to get over myself.”

“Wow. He said all that? Remind me to thank him when I see him next.”

“Jesus, Reed, do you have any idea how I felt when I saw those reporters in the restaurant in Tahoe? It was like high school all over again.”

“You have no idea how sorry I am about that. I should have told you about Gordon sooner, but I knew you’d be upset. I guess I was afraid the prospect of publicity would scare you off.”

“You’re right. You should have told me.”

The silence stretched out between us.

“If I could change things, Tatum, I would. I would have told you right away. I’m sorry.”

“I believe you. I just feel like everything’s out of balance, like my life should be great, but I feel like it’s all fucked up.”

“All fucked up?” I wasn’t sure what she was talking about. “Is everything okay with your dad and my mom?”

“They’re fine. I was just at their house last night for a fundraiser.” She got quiet.

“And?”

“And I hate to say it, but I spent half of the evening trying to ignore the catty shit Tina said, and I spent the other half wishing you were there with me.”

“Tatum, I know you don’t like publicity, but this doesn’t have to be that hard. If you want us to be together, then why haven’t you even answered a fucking text?”

“I don’t know.”

I was starting to get pissed. It was like she was pushing me away and pulling me back in all at the same time. “What do you want from me?”

“If I knew, I would tell you.” She sounded defeated.

“Jesus, this is simple. You’re making everything way more complicated than it needs to be.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tatum, I like you. I think you’re the smartest woman I’ve ever met. I think you’re gorgeous, and I think you’re sexy as hell. I want to be with you more than I’ve ever wanted to be with anyone. I want to hang out with you. I want to get to know you better, and more than anything right now, I want to strip you naked and fuck you. I want you to feel my cock inside you, and I want you to scream my name when you come for me.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

“What do you want, Tatum? Be honest.”

“I miss you, Reed. I want you to be with me right here and right now. I should have acted like a grown-up and dealt with shit back in Tahoe, and I’m embarrassed about the way I behaved. I miss you, and I want you, Reed. I want you and nobody else.”

Finally. She had finally said the words I needed to hear.

“You can have me. It’s that simple.”

When I’d talked about fucking Tatum, I’d gotten a bit of a hard-on, and I rubbed it slowly now, thinking about all the things I wanted to do to her.

“When are you coming home?”

“Now that I’ve talked to you, just as soon as I can get to the airport.”

She laughed and sounded relieved. “Really? Reed, I can’t wait to see you. I’ve really missed you, and … well … I can’t wait to show you how much.”

“Where are you?” I asked, wanting to get a better mental picture.

“I’m home.”

“Where are you in the house?”

“I’m in my bedroom.”

Jesus. My cock got stiffer. “What are you wearing?”

“Um, I just got out of the shower. I’m in my robe.”

I pictured the long, soft, black velour robe she wore around the house. “What are you wearing underneath?”

“Not a thing.” She caught on. “I’m completely naked beneath my robe. What would you do if you were here?”

“I’d tell you to lie down on your bed.”

I could hear her moving. “Okay. I’m on the bed.”

“I’d slide my hand inside your robe, and I’d find your perfect tits.”

“What would you do when you found them?”

“I’d open your robe and run my hands over them.”

“Mmm. That feels good.”

“I’d run my fingertips over your nipples and make them hard.”

“Yes.”

“I’d squeeze your nipples, soft at first.”

“Oh, my. I want you to do it harder.”

“Then I’d pinch them hard.” I could hear her gasp over the phone, and I imagined her with her back arched on her bed. I lay back on my bed and rubbed my cock through my shorts. “I’d take your hand and put it on my hard cock,” I said, imagining her fingers wrapped around me. “And I’d open your robe the rest of the way.”

“I don’t have anything on, Reed. You’d see all of me, naked.”

“That’s how I want you. I want you to spread your legs for me, Tatum.”

“My legs are spread.”

“I want you to touch yourself, and I want you to tell me what you’re doing.”

“Is your cock hard?”

“Yes. It’s hard because I want to fuck you. Tell me how you like to touch yourself.”

“I’m running my hand from my tits down between my legs.”

“Tell me what you’re going to do with your fingers.”

“I’m going to put one finger inside my pussy.”

“Is it wet?”

“Oh, yes, Reed. I’m so wet.”

“Put your finger in your mouth and tell me how you taste.”

“Mmm. I taste like sex. I taste like pussy that’s hot and wet for you.”

“Touch yourself again.”

“I’m going to put two fingers in this time.”

I pulled my cock out of my shorts and ran my hand along its length. “I want my cock inside your pussy.”