Step-Lover (2 page)

CHAPTER TWO

THEN – ONE YEAR EARLIER

I twirl in front of the mirror with a massive smile on my face. Since finishing high school and turning eighteen, I haven’t had the chance to go out. Melanie and I decided tonight was the night. We’re free of study and strings, plus we have a small break before we start college. We might as well make the most of it. We’re going out with a bunch of friends to a popular spot on the water.

“I love this dress,” I breathe, running my hands down the tight material.

“I love it more,” Mel says, bundling her hair in a messy yet totally sexy mass on top of her head. She leaves small curls that trail down and frame her face.

“How do you do that?” I ask.

“What?”

I point to her hair. “Make your hair look so freaking awesome without effort?”

She grins. “I have no idea. Come here, let me fix yours.”

I step forward and she pulls me closer, fixing my dark locks. She runs her fingers through them, makes a few shaking motions and then gets out the hairspray. “There,” she says, happy with the final picture. “Check it out.”

I turn and stare in the mirror. She has teased my hair out to
there
and it looks fabulous. “Super!”

“Let’s go.”

We rush down the hall and call out to Mom, who is busy baking in the kitchen.

“Have fun, girls, stay safe.”

“We will!” we both cry in unison.

Just as we step out the front door a car comes to a halt at the curb. Three of our friends are inside. Two of those are guys; one is Jamison, Melanie’s dreamboat. We rush towards the car and I purposely let Melanie go first so she’s squashed between Jamison and I in the back seat.

“Hey guys!” I smile.

“What’s up?” Pete, who is driving, grins.

I beam. “Not much, Petey, how are you?”

“Good, girl.”

“Oh my god, I love your dress!”

This comes from Sally, who is sitting in the front with Pete. She is supermodel gorgeous. Long blonde hair, blue eyes, tanned skin and legs that go on for-freaking-ever. I adore her. She’s the sweetest girl who has no idea how gorgeous she really is. Her personality is addictive, and you can talk to her about anything.

“You look stunning, Sal.” I smile.

She flushes. “Oh, this old thing.”

This old thing
is a dress that looks amazing on her. It’s baby blue, dips low at the front and accentuates all her curves.

Pete puts his foot on it and we launch forward with a laugh. We chat like crazy people the entire way to the club. When we’re there, Pete turns. He hands out fake IDs. I don’t know how he got those; I don’t want to know. My mom would kill me if she knew I was out clubbing. She thinks we’re going to a late dinner.

“If anyone busts you,” Pete says, “you don’t know who gave them to you.”

We all swear it and then climb out of the car and line up. As we get closer, my heart kicks up a notch. What if they figure us out? How the hell am I going to explain that one away? I bite my bottom lip and shift uncomfortably. “Will you stop it?” Melanie whispers in my ear. “You look like you’re packing.”

“Packing?” I squeak.

“Drugs.”

“Jesus.”

She giggles softly. “Smile, act cool; they won’t know.”

I take a deep breath and plaster a smile on my face. When we reach the bouncer he thrusts a beefy hand at us, eyes hard. I pull my ID out and hand it to him. He stares down at it and my stomach twists angrily. He looks up at me, then down at it again. Oh god, he knows. I’m so busted.

“Go through,” he mutters, thrusting it at me.

Say what?

Melanie doesn’t let me think about it. She smiles a dazzling smile and shoves me through.

“Oh my god, we got in!” I cry when we’re inside.

She winks at me. “Told you.”

We weave through the crowd until we reach the bar. Melanie orders tequila shots for herself, Sally and I. We shoot them down and then squeeze into a booth with the guys. We’re in the middle of laughing and drinking when Melanie shoves my shoulder. “Hot guy, three o’clock.”

I blink and turn.

“That’s ten o’clock!”

With a chuckle, I turn the other way and see the guy she’s talking about.

“He’s looking at you,” she yells into my ear.

He certainly is looking at me. He’s standing at the bar, leaning against it, arms crossed over his chest. He’s got his eyes trained on me, and half a smirk on his face. From this distance, I can see he’s got sandy, maybe light brown hair that’s a few inches long and messy. He’s got piercing eyes, I can tell that even from here. What color they are, I don’t know. He’s tall and he’s ripped, even behind his tight black tee.

“Go and talk to him.”

I turn and gape at Melanie. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because he might not be looking at me.”

He so was.

“He’s looking at you.” She looks past me. “Oh, look, he’s coming over.”

“Shit,” I stammer.

“You’ve gotten yourself some attention.” Jamison laughs.

“Eat me, Jamison.”

I turn slowly back just in time to see uber-hot dude stop at the booth. He stares down at me, and I can now see his eyes are somewhere between crystal blue and gray. They’re an odd color, but they’re stunning. His hair is sandy. He’s got a strong face, square jaw and full lips. God,
yum
.

“Ah, hi,” I call.

“You want to dance?” he asks, and oh, his voice is as husky as I guessed it would be.

“She sure does,” Melanie says, shoving me towards him.

I slide out of the booth, shooting her a glare, and then I turn on my best smile and face hot stuff. He reaches out, hooking his arm around my waist. Oh boy. He brings me close and then backs, yes backs, us onto the dance floor. Holy hotness. Then he starts moving with me and everything in my entire world stops because the man can
move
. All hips, all big strong hands,
all sexy
.

“What’s your name?” he murmurs into my ear as we move.

I shudder and I’m about to blurt it out, but instead I decide to get sexy. So, I smile and say, “We don’t need names. I am whoever you want me to be.”

He grins.

I’m smitten.

CHAPTER THREE

NOW

“Holy wow!” Melanie cries, lifting a black dress out of my suitcase. “Where did you get this little number?”

I grin at her. “Last semester at that cute shop on Main Street.”

“Serious?” She pouts. “I never find anything good there.”

“You can borrow it.”

She curls her upper lip at me. “Honey, you got more booty than me. It’d never fit.”

“Hey,” I cry, turning and staring at my ass in the mirror. “My booty isn’t that bad.”

She rolls her eyes. “No, it’s awesome, and I’m a stick insect. I want that booty.”

She totally has booty.

“You girls packed?”

We both turn to see Jack leaning against the doorframe. I straighten quickly, not wanting him to see me checking out my own ass. “Hey Jack,” I chirp.

He grins and Melanie actually sighs. Shame on her. He’s an old man. Okay, he’s not
that
old, but still . . .

“You want me to take some bags?”

He nods to the pile of four bags already on the floor. Melanie doesn’t pack light.

“Please.”

He walks in and lifts all four bags before turning and striding out as if they weighed no more than a couple of stuffed toys.

“Dude.” Melanie sighs. “Your step-dad is
hot
.”

“Grosse, Mel.” I cringe.

“Come on, you’re not related. Admit it. He’s hot.”

I frown. Ugh. “No.”

“I hope his sons are as hot as him.”

Good lord.

“Leave them alone,” I say, snatching the black dress out of her hands and stuffing it into my suitcase before sitting on it to close it.

Jack returns a few minutes later and takes it, then Melanie and I follow him down the hall. It’s been the longest week; the school days seemed to drag and as time went by, Melanie ramped up the excitement levels. She’s so excited about the prospect of being away, and I must admit I’m warming to the idea. After all, there’s a city close enough by that we’re not going to be completely isolated.

“Are you girls all ready?” Mom asks, coming into the room wearing a light yellow summer dress that makes her look like sunshine.

“You look gorgeous, Nancy,” Melanie says, gushing over mom’s dress.

“Thank you, honey, so do you.”

I smile and clap my hands, yelling, “Let’s do this!”

We all go out and pile into Jack’s truck. He turns and gives us all a once-over and then grumbles something to himself about ‘eight hours with women’ before starting the truck and hitting the road.

We torture him the entire ride over, singing songs, chatting about periods and boys, and making him listen to our girly music. By the time we arrive at the lake house, he practically throws himself from the truck. I know he’ll be eager to have some male company. Melanie, Mom and I climb out of the truck with loose jaws as we take in the view in front of us.

The house is massive, but it’s also the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It’s made out of dark pine and has balconies surrounding the entire thing. Big floor-to-ceiling windows run along the front, so you have a view of the lake no matter where you are. And the lake is right there, only twenty meters or so from the front of the house. There is a camp over the other side, and the sounds of laughter and games can be heard. There are about seven other houses scattered along the banks of the lake, and families run about, enjoying themselves. Speedboats and tubes fill the water.

Oh my god.

Yay.

“This is amazing,” I breathe, walking up to Jack.

“Yeah.” He smiles, causing his eyes to crinkle. “I love it out here.”

“I can’t believe you own something like this.” Melanie sighs. “Can you please marry my mom?”

Jack snorts. “Nice one, honey, but no. Nothin’ can take my eyes off Nancy.”

Aw.

“Aw damn,” Mel whispers. “You’re sweet.”

Mom and me both giggle from behind them.

“Believe it.” He chuckles. “Now get inside and choose your rooms before the boys get here. Nancy and my room is the first on the right, any other is yours.”

Melanie and I squeal and charge towards the house, but both of us skid to a stop when we get inside. “Oh wow,” I say, staring around the room. It’s gorgeous. The floors, walls and ceilings are wood like the outside, and the kitchen is so massive it takes up a good portion of the house. It too is wooden, only it’s a creamy white. The lounge and dining are massive and open, and the fixtures and furniture make it, without a doubt, the most amazing house I’ve ever been in.

“I’m picking a room,” Melanie cries, charging off again.

I run after her, rushing down the hall and flinging doors open. All the rooms are large, but the one I pick is right at the end and opens up onto the massive patio. I squeal and lunge onto the bed, rolling and staring out the gigantic double doors and out over the lake.

“Oh my god, I thought my view was good,” Melanie groans, rushing in and throwing herself onto my bed. “This room is amazing.”

“And it’s all mine,” I tease.

I know there are five bedrooms in this massive home, so I guess one of the boys will have to share. I’d feel sorry for them, but I like my space and I don’t want to share with Melanie because she snores. So they’ll have to suck it up. I wish I could feel guilty, but, ah,
hell no.

The sounds of gravel crunching alert us that someone has pulled up. We both sit up and stare out the window as a massive, black SUV comes to a stop near Jack’s car. I watch in fascination as three boys get out. Well, shit, they’re not boys . . . they’re more like men. The first one I see is super tall, and I know it’s Ripley because I’ve seen his pictures on Facebook. He’s around six foot and lean. He’s got his dark hair long and hanging around his shoulders. He’s wiry in build; he hasn’t filled out yet.

The second one is standing, leaning against the car, and his hair is darker than his brothers and cropped short in a buzz cut. He’s wearing what looks to be cargo pants and a tight black tee. Is he in the army? I don’t remember Jack mentioning that. He’s got his arms crossed over his chest and he looks as if he wants to beat someone. His jaw is to tight I can see the muscle jumping even from here. Damn.

My eyes turn to the third and I swallow. Even from this distance, you can tell he’s different from the other two. Firstly, his body is broader and thicker. He’s shorter, maybe just under six foot, but I can tell he’s well built, making him look that much more powerful. Then there’s his hair. It’s messy, not short and not long—just a mass of scruff on his head. It looks as if he’s done nothing more then wake up and run his fingers through it. It’s not dark like Jack’s—instead it’s a gorgeous sandy color.

He’s wearing a pair of sunglasses, and his arms are crossed over his chest, as if he’s really not in the mood to be here. Talk about broody brothers—they really don’t look happy about spending time with their new family. I keep watching in fascination as he lifts his sunglasses and turns his face towards the house.

“Oh my god,” I gasp, leaping backwards and dropping down onto the bed.

My heart is suddenly racing and sweat begins to bead on my forehead. I must have seen it wrong, yes, I was wrong. I lift my face again and he’s still looking towards the house, and I know,
I just know
I’m not wrong. I drop back down and begin panting. Melanie is still staring in fascination, not having noticed my freak out. “Oh man,” she breathes. “Christmas just came. Army man is mine.”

When I don’t answer, she turns and stares down at me. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Maybe I have. He might not be close, but I don’t need to be to know what color his eyes are. They’re a toss up between blue and gray. His jaw is constantly covered in a light shade of stubble and he’s got the biggest, softest lips. His body is large and muscled and his voice is rugged and rough, and so damned sexy I’ve never forgotten it.

“I think I have,” I whisper.

Melanie finally realizes something is really wrong and reaches over, grabbing my shoulders. “Jesus, Ari, what’s wrong?”

“It’s him, Mel,” I cry, throwing my face into my hands.

“Who?”

“What’s-his-face.”

“Wait,” she says, shaking her head in confusion. “What? What’s-his-face is your step-brother?”

“Oh God.”

She gapes. “How did you not know this? Surely you’ve seen pictures of Jack’s kids.”

“No,” I groan. “Ripley doesn’t have pictures of his family on Facebook, just a thousand selfies and I have only been to Jack’s house once and I didn’t pay attention. I just didn’t…show any interest.”

God, it’s so bad. All this time I never knew his name. If I did, this wouldn’t have happened. But no, we thought it would be sexy and fun to leave it a damned mystery.

Melanie gasps and lifts her head up to stare again. “Holy shit, you fucked your step-brother.”

“Stop,” I cry, suddenly feeling ill. “I didn’t know at the time, and I didn’t pick it after. He and Jack, they don’t . . . look the same. Not really. Oh shit.”

Oh my God, I fucked my step-brother. I think I might vomit from the shame.

“This
is
bad. What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” I cry, rubbing my face furiously. “If Mom found out . . . God, Mel, she’s so excited about this trip.”

“She doesn’t need to know. I’m sure he’s not going to tell her.”

“I feel sick,” I groan. “I’m going to sneak out the back. I can’t face this now.”

Melanie lifts her face. “You might want to hurry; they’re on their way.”

“Shit.”

I reach down, grabbing my shoes, and then I charge out the back door. I slip around the side of the large patio and run down the back steps that lead to a walking trail through the woods. I run down it, my heart pounding, my body shaking. I run down until I reach a seat that overlooks the lake, and I flop down, dropping my head into my hands.

This is bad. This is so bad.

I can’t believe something so horrible would happen to me. My step-brother—oh God. Mom will flip. It’ll upset her so much. It doesn’t matter that it’s not really taboo, considering we’re not related; it’ll still destroy her. Imagine what people would say? She’s spent her life listening to people jabber about her; she doesn’t need stories like that. It’d crush her and Jack. They don’t deserve this. Not to mention the excitement Jack felt about having his boy’s home. This could destroy everything.

I can only hope he will keep his mouth shut.

How am I going to go back there and face him? Will he even remember me? Oh my lord, what if he doesn’t? What if this is all for nothing and he doesn’t even recall who I am?

One way or another, I’m going to find out. I can’t hide down here for the next month. Oh shit, a month. Can I do it for a month? Maybe Mom will let me leave early. That’s starting to sound like a really good idea now.

I push to my feet, and walk the entire trail, letting my mind go over every horrible scenario. When I come back to where I started, I know I have to go and face the music because I can’t hide in here all night. I’ve been gone for at least an hour, and I don’t want to raise suspicion. With a sigh, I turn and face the way home.

I force my legs to move and slowly take me back towards the house. I don’t know how this is going to go down; I can only hope it’s smoothly. When I reach the back patio, I hesitate. I could pretend I’m really sick and need to go home, or maybe he’ll see me and leave. Who am I kidding? Nothing is ever that easy. So many emotions swirl in my chest as I force myself up to the house.

I basically haven’t moved on since my weekend with him and now that feels so . . .
wrong
. It’s wrong to want someone like him when you’re in this position. Whether or not I like it, the relationship we had would be considered forbidden. People would turn their noses up at it. People would gossip. It’s not normal and it’s certainly not widely accepted. Mom couldn’t cope with that kind of drama.

Which means I need to get over it, fast.

I think I am over it. I have to be. Ugh, he’s my step-brother. Holding onto hope about a dream boy an hour ago was one thing, but now, now that I know, I just
can’t
want it. I can’t want something so . . .
wrong
. I reach out with trembling hands and curl my fingers around the door handle. The sounds of laughter flow out as soon as I push the door open. I take a deep breath and step inside.

“Aria, there you are,” Mom cries, rushing over. “Is everything okay?”

“Sure, Mom,” I squeak. “I was just taking a walk.”

She smiles and turns us towards everyone. “Well, your brothers are here.”

Why does she have to call them that.
Why?
They’re not my brothers. They’re only married into my life because of our parents. That’s it.

I look past her and see Jack sitting at the large dining table with only two of the guys. Where is he? Where did he go? I sigh a little, maybe with relief, and follow Mom inside. When we come into full view, Jack stops talking and stands, coming over and taking hold of me, tucking me into his side. Then he leads me towards the table. “Boys, this is Aria. Aria, these are my boys.”