TASTE: A Stepbrother Romance (2 page)

Chapter Two

Christmas was right around the corner. The months had flown by and now another year was coming to an end and my life remained the same—uneventful and pathetic.

I suppose that I shouldn’t complain. I mean, my life is this way by choice. I am the one who has always chosen to throw myself into school and seclusion.

But every so often I feel a pang of longing for my life to be different. Secretly, I wish that I was the type of girl who liked to go out and have a good time. Maybe date a guy or two. Ok, so maybe the only guy I would like to date is Damon Ryder.

His gorgeous face appears in my mind’s eye. He is smiling down at me, the way I am pretty sure he would smile at his lover.

My eyes flutter close and I tilt my head up waiting in anticipation for his lips to meet mine. My tongue darts out to moisten my lips. It’s finally going to happen.

“Alice, honey are you in here?”

I jump at the sound of my mom’s voice.

Damnit, she has managed to ruin my daydream. A scowl spreads across my face. I huff with annoyance.

“Yes, mom, I’m here.” She appears in the archway of the living room.

I take in her body hugging black dress and strappy red heels. “Wow don’t you look ready for a hot date!” Then it dawns on me and my eyes narrow with suspicion.

The last time my mother pulled the ‘little black dress’ from its position in the back of the closet, was two years ago when she attempted to throw herself back into the dating scene. Needless to say, her attempt failed miserably and she gave up on dating, until now.

The angle of my eyebrows asks the question I can’t quite find the words for.

She takes a deep breath and the grin of a young school girl going to prom with her crush appears. “I am going on a date,” she declares.

My eyes rove her from head to toe, “Mhmm, I can see that, mother. Care to share a little more detail?” I glare at her.

“Hey! Who is the parent here, you or me? Don’t give me that disapproving look, young lady.”

I roll my eyes, “Sorry ma’am,” I mutter. “I’m just taken by surprise that’s all. You haven’t been on a date in two years. I thought you had given up on the idea and decide to become a nun.”

Like me
.

I frown. I really hate it when my subconscious says rude things. I am not headed for a nunnery; I am merely saving myself for the right guy.

My subconscious laughs at me.

I quickly get out of my own head and return my attention back to my mother.

“Very funny, Alice. You should become a standup comedian.” A dreamy look plays across her pretty features. “I have been dating Jared for quite a while now.”

Jared?
Who the heck is Jared and why haven’t I met him?
“Quite a while huh? Exactly how long is quite a while?”

She suddenly looks guilty—
as she should
.

“I thought we had agreed long ago that we wouldn’t keep anything from one another. I have held up my end of the bargain pretty well.”

“Well, it has been about four months now.”

I gasp, my mouth hanging wide open. “
Four months?
And at no point did you think that I should know?” Now I am a bit worried because things between my mom and this Jared sound serious.

I know I should be happy for her, and I really want to be, but I have a sinking feeling that things are about to change drastically around here. It has been just the two of us for so long, I can’t picture anyone else in the mix. Anyone else but my father that is.

She shifts from foot to foot uncomfortably. “Honey, I really wanted to tell you, but I wanted to make sure things would work between us before I introduced him to you.“

I sigh, “I guess I can understand that, mom.” I force out a smile. “I’m glad you have found someone you like. Have a good time tonight.”

I will just be here by my lonesome, like every other Friday night. God, my entire life needs a makeover. You know you need help when your widowed mother is having more fun than you.

She smiles sweetly, “Thank you, my love, I’m sure I will. Jared is so amazing.”

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. I already dislike this Jared for taking my mother away from me. It hasn’t happened yet, but I can sense that it will happen eventually. Now she’s telling me that he is amazing with a wistful look on her face, so she is definitely a goner.

“Don’t wait up, dear,” she says as she teeters away on her killer high heels.

I almost laugh. I hope she doesn’t break anything in those shoes. I lift the remote to flip through the channels, when she swings her head around the wall. “Oh and one more thing, Jared and his son will be joining us for Christmas diner next week. Bye, love you!”

What? Is she serious? I throw myself back on the couch with a low growl. I don’t want a bunch of guys invading my home. This is supposed to be a girl’s only zone. I groan, as I picture the unknown Jared come through here, followed by a teenage brat that will most likely irritate the hell out of me for the entire evening. “Great, I just can’t wait.” The frown remains on my face as I search for something good to watch.

*

It’s Christmas Eve and I can’t say that I am all that excited. My mom and I spent the day together preparing a grand meal for two men that I’ve never met. I am very annoyed because I know she is going all out to impress this Jared character. When a woman tries to make such a great impression on a man with food, things are definitely heating up between them. I at least try to appear happy for my mother’s benefit. As it approaches seven o’clock, her anxiety heightens to a new—and can I say
ridiculous—
level.

“Mom, relax, will you? Don’t you think you have been seeing this guy long enough to not be a nervous wreck?”

I watch as she straightens the cloth napkins on the dining table for the billionth time. “I just want everything to be perfect. This is our first dinner together as a family.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it right there, mother. A family? That’s a bit of a stretch considering that you are just
dating
the man.” Goodness she seems really invested in this relationship; she is already referring to Jared and his kid as family and now I am even more irritated.

She throws me a strange look but says nothing.

I should inquire about what her expression and silence means but, I don’t. “I’m going to shower and get dressed.” I stomp off and head up the stairs.

It pains me to see my middle-aged mother acting like a lovesick teenager.

I step into the shower and let the hot water wash over me.

Could it be that I am just a little bit jealous that she has found someone? At least she has the courage to take a chance and go after what she wants.

Unlike me. I'm in love with man and I’m too afraid to even say hello to him.

Perhaps I need to follow in my mother’s footsteps and put myself out there.

What if one day I just walk up to Damon and say hello? Who knows what could happen?

I turned the shower off, at the same time turning off my outlandish thoughts. I let out a loud snort. I really need to stop kidding myself.

There is no way I will be able muster the courage to speak to Damon and there is absolutely no way he will ever be interested in me.

I make it to my bedroom and rummage through my closet for something to wear. I really don’t feel the need to put much into my appearance, not that I ever do. There is no need for me to dress to impress my mother’s boyfriend and his teenage brat. I decide on a green sweater dress and pull it on. I catch my long hair into a ponytail and pull it tight.

“Alice come down here our guests have arrived!” My mother’s voice carries from the bottom of the stairs. I wince. Does she have to be so loud?

I don’t bother to answer. I roll my eyes and take one last look in the mirror. “Here we go.” I drag my feet as I make my way down toward the staircase.

As if holidays weren’t obnoxious enough, I can only hope that dinner and this night goes by quickly. I take comfort in knowing that all I really have to do is smile and be polite. There is no need for me to engage Jared or his child in conversation. I trudge down the stairs, mentally preparing myself to meet my mother’s boyfriend. I am also pulling a smile from deep down. By the time I reach the last step, it should be plastered on my lips.

I lift my eyes as I approach the second to last stair. I draw in a startled breath and miss my step. I feel space under my right foot before I topple over. “Aah!” I prepare to hit the floor face first.

Strong hands grasp my shoulders as I am momentarily hoisted into the air, and then I feel the floor under my feet. My heart is pounding from my near fall. My gaze slowly travels upward, landing on a broad chest and up some more to land on the face that has been featured many times in my dreams and fantasies. Damon Ryder. What is he doing here? His hands are still on my shoulders. I am gawking up at him, with my mouth hanging open. I quickly snap it shut when I notice amusement written all over his face.

“Are you alright?” He asks, a ghost of a smile tugging on his very beautiful lips.

I flush a bright shade of red.

Oh no, he is laughing at me. Why does the ground never open up and take you in when you really need it to?

I stifle a groan. “I-I’m fine.” I straighten my dress that is askew on my slender frame. My eyes fly to the other two people in the room, which had disappeared when I spotted Damon. My mom is standing next to the handsome Mr. Ryder—well, that is what I have always called him. I have no idea what his name is. My mouth falls open again. Oh my God,
he
is Jared? I suddenly find it difficult to breathe. My mother is dating the father of the unrequited love of my life. And on top of all of that, I just managed to completely humiliate myself in front of everyone. My mind is racing and I don’t know if I should laugh hysterically or burst into tears.

My mom steps forward. “Honey, I want you to meet Jared and Damon Ryder. Well, I’m sure you have seen Jared around and you must be familiar with Damon from school.”

I swallow hard, trying to moisten my suddenly very parched throat. All I can do is nod and force out a pained smile.

Jared extends his hands and flashes a smile that rivals our well lit Christmas tree. “Hello Alice, it’s nice to officially meet you.”

I quickly find my composure, and try to return to my normally cool self. I have always prided myself on putting forth an unflappable facade. That is, after all, what I have been infamous for almost my entire life. I just lost it for a minute at the sight of Damon. I place my hand in his. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Ryder.”

“Please, call me Jared,” he indicates Damon, “I believe you know my son.”

I turn to Damon. Swallowing hard I say, “I have seen him around.”

Damon approaches me. For such a big, muscular man he moves so gracefully. “How are you, Alice?” I look down at his outstretched hand.

I extend my hand to make contact. His larger hand engulfs mine. He towers over me, and that is saying something because at five feet, nine inches, I am a tall girl. My gaze meets his and once again I lose my cool and break out into another blush.

I hold my breath while his eyes roam the length of my body. He drops my hand as if burned and looks away.

My heart drops. Of course he doesn’t like what he sees. I am reminded of the blond, curvaceous women I have seen him with on several occasions. Why would he find a tall willowy girl like me attractive? My eyes drop to the carpet and I turn away from him. “Well, everyone, let’s eat,” I say with false cheer.

I see my mother smile. I suppose she is thrilled that I am making the effort to be in the Christmas spirit. We all head for the kitchen.

I can feel Damon close behind me. I can feel heat radiating from his body and I am tempted to stop abruptly and press my body against his.

I realize that I am most likely going to spend the entire evening fantasizing about touching and kissing Damon, despite the fact that he just nonverbally rejected me. I am still finding it difficult to believe that he is actually in my house. He is so close yet so very far out of my reach.

I want to grab my car keys and hot foot it to the door, but I suppose it is too late for that.

It is going to be a very long night.

Chapter Three

“How is school going, Alice?” Jared asks, breaking the awkward silence that has fallen over the dinner table.

I look up from my plate for probably the first time since we all sat down to eat. “Uh, great,” I mumble. My eyes immediately revert back to my still full plate. It is just my luck that Damon was placed right in front of me. I can’t bear to look at him.

I can feel his eyes boring into me.

I am tempted to meet his gaze, but if I do, I am going to lose my cool again.

He must be tired of watching me blush by now. He must also think I am a complete dork because of it. I can’t let him see that he has any effect on me. Although, considering that my fair skin has already turned all shades of red since I laid eyes on him, he must have figured it out.

Jared continues to pry into my school career. “I hear you are aspiring for a degree in chemical engineering. That’s very interesting.”

I throw my mom a fleeting annoyed glance. It seems I have been a major topic of discussion during their pillow talk sessions.

She looks away guiltily.

“Yeah, I’m looking to branch off into pharmaceuticals.” I pray that he ceases with the questions. I don’t want to have to explain to him the reason why I am choosing that path. I can’t bear to bring up my father right now. I will break down if I start taking about him. I think I have suffered enough embarrassment tonight to last me a lifetime.

I am relieved when all he says is, “that’s great. You’re a smart girl.”

I smile tightly and continue to eat. Well, not really. All I am really doing is shuffling my food around on my plate.

I ignore my mother’s look of concern. I am thoroughly pissed at her right now because she is the cause of the uncomfortable position that I’ve found myself in.

“Damon has chosen the business path,” Jared shares.

I look up to see him give his father an annoyed look. A smile tugs at my lips. It would seem that he is just as pissed about being here as I am. Who could blame him? He probably had to give up a fun night with his hot girlfriend to be here. The thought of him with another woman makes me green with envy.

“Uh, that’s nice,” I say briefly making eye contact with him.

He nods. “Thanks.”

“So what are your plans, Damon?” My mom pipes in.

He smiles politely at her, “I found a job actually, in Michigan. I’m heading out right after the holidays.”

My eyes fly to him, in horror.
Michigan
? It’s just as I feared. He is leaving to a far off place and I will never see him again. My despair knows no bounds. The love of my life is slipping away and I haven’t even exchanged more than one sentence with him yet. I know I’m being overly dramatic, but I now feel like my life is over. “M-Michigan? T-that’s great. Sounds exciting,” I stammer out.

He shrugs, drawing my attention to his broad shoulders.

Shoulders that I would like to run my hands over, just to feel the muscles bunch beneath my fingers.

“Yeah, I guess. It’s just a job.”

I lower my head again and listen to the idle chatter that swirls through the remainder of dinner. When it finally comes to an end, I offer to clean up so that I will not have to face going to the living room to hear more of their happy conversation.

“I’ll help,” Damon offers. I nearly drop the glass gravy dish out of sheer shock.

“Oh, Damon you are too sweet,” my mom gushes. “I’m sure Alice won’t mind the help.”

“Not at all,” I squeak.

I quickly walk off to the kitchen to give myself time to regain my composure. I take a few deep breaths before he joins me at the sink.

I force myself to meet his gaze. “Um, thank you for offering to help but it really isn’t necessary. I mean you are a guest.”

His green gaze holds mine and I am hypnotized. “It’s okay,” he finally says. “I just figured the parents could use some time alone.”

“Oh, right. That’s very considerate of you.” I turn to fill the sink with water. It is the hardest thing to focus with him standing right beside me. “So, did you know from the beginning that your dad was dating my mom?”

“Of course, it has been four months now.”

I make a note to lecture my dear mother later. Everyone was in the loop except me, I find this totally unfair. “Yeah, four months,” I murmur. “I hope they are not thinking about getting married or anything,” I say under my breath.

He looks at me, “what was that?”

“Oh nothing, I’m just thinking out loud.” I quickly sink my hands into the soapy water and busy myself scrubbing the dishes. It feels oddly intimate having Damon in my kitchen. I pass the dishes to him so that he can rinse, and every time my fingers brush against his, I lose my breath. I am afraid that by the time we are through washing dishes, I will faint from lack of oxygen. I am wiping the counter when I catch him leaning against the island, studying me. As if on cue, my cheeks flush. “W-what?”

His lips curl into a grin, “I never pictured you as the domestic type.”

My brows furrow. Where did that come from? “Uh, okay…why?”

He shrugged, “I always saw you as a spoiled rich girl.”

I whip around to face him, “Excuse me? First of all I am far from rich. My father simply made sure we were provided for before he passed. Alright?” I don’t know why my temper flared up so much and I don’t know why I am sharing any information about my life with him. I guess I just hate that he has such a negative perception of me.
Spoiled?
I know that I am anything but.

He holds both hands up in the air in surrender, “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. There’s no need for you to bite my head off. And I am sorry about your dad. I lost my mother at a young age as well. Right before we moved to Wisconsin.”

“Oh, I’m sorry too,” I whisper.” I feel even more connected to him now. I had always assumed his parents were divorced. I clear my throat, “So, um, what gave you the impression that I am spoiled?” I make it a point to not care what others say about me. But I find myself caring very much about Damon’s opinion.

“Maybe spoiled isn’t the right word to describe you, I should have said stuck-up.”

My mouth drops open. Now he is just being plain mean. I don’t care how sexy he is, he is pissing me off immensely. I throw down the dishcloth and fold my arms. “I am
not
stuck-up. But
you
are most definitely a big jerk.” I am shocked when the words pass my lips, but I can’t take them back now.

His eyes narrow, “I’m not the only one who holds that opinion of you, Alice, and you don’t know anything about me.”

“Just like you or anyone else know nothing about
me
.” I grab up the dish cloth to continue wiping. I wipe so vigorously, I am surprised I haven’t wiped a hole into the counter. I am fuming.

I know what others have been saying about me since before high school, but to have the man that I have secretly been in love with since forever share those sentiments is bordering on heartbreaking.

I wonder if that is why he has always avoided me. One would think that since we are neighbors we would interact more, but he never seemed interested. Now I know why... he thinks I am awful person.

I turn to him with sad eyes. “You know just because a person prefers to stay quiet, does not mean they are stuck-up or selfish, so you and everyone else should withhold judgment without really knowing someone." I stomp out of the kitchen, leaving him standing, staring after me with a confused expression on his face. Entering the living room, I throw myself onto a couch, sporting a deep scowl.

“Are you alright, honey?” My mom inquires.

I glance at her and Jared; they are sitting so close to each other they might as well be Siamese twins. I resist rolling my eyes at the sappy picture they make.

“I’m fine,” I grunt.

I suddenly want to get away from everyone. I stand up. “It seems that I interrupted something, I’ll be in my room. You two…have fun.” I make my way to the staircase, eager to get away.

“No, honey, wait—you don’t have to go,” I hear my mom call.

I pretend not to hear as I march up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

I see Damon emerging from the kitchen. I turn to look at him before continuing my journey up the stairs. I can’t even stand to look at his gorgeous face right now. I am still smarting from his unkind words. I go into my room and make my way to the balcony. I push the door open letting the cold night breeze whip around me. I shiver and my teeth chatter. I just need some fresh air and the low temperature to numb my hurt feelings. I am beginning to think that admiring Damon from afar was the best thing that I could have done. Actually getting to talk to him is nothing like I imagined. The only thing that exchanging words with him has gotten me is angry. I wish I was still in the dark about his perception of me.

A knock sounds on my bedroom door. I roll my eyes. “What do you want mom? I’m fine, go back to your guests,” I shout.

“So we are not your guests as well? You’re not being very hospitable.”

I whip around at the sound of Damon’s voice. He is standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets.

My eyes widen.
Holy crap, Damon Ryder is in my bedroom.
I step back inside from the balcony. I have to remind myself that I am still irate. My wide eyes narrow into a glare, “What are you doing up here?”

“I came to apologize,” he says sheepishly. “So may I enter your domain, or what?”

I shrug, pretending as if it is normal for me to have a magnificent looking man in my room. “You’re already here.” I swallow hard when he steps into my room and looks around. I am self conscious, wondering what he thinks about my personal space. He walks to a picture of my dad, hanging on the wall.

“Is this your dad?” he asks softly. I just nod. He rubs the back of his neck. “Well, I did come to apologize, so, I’m sorry, Alice. I’m sorry for the words I used to describe you. You were right; I shouldn’t have judged you without getting to know you.”

“Uh, thanks.” My large room suddenly seems too small. I shuffle on my feet feeling very uncomfortable with the intent way he is staring at me.

“So let me get to know you then, Alice.”

His voice drops an octave when he says my name. I never knew that my name could sound so sexy. I have the urge to pinch myself. This must be one of my many fantasies. But I don’t remember falling asleep. “Um o-okay. What do you want to know?”

He takes several steps toward me. I reflexively take a step back. His head tilts to the side. A wolfish grin spreads across his lips. “Are you afraid of me, Alice?”

I snort, “Of course not.” I am just afraid that if he gets any closer, I might lose control and tackle him to the bed. But he doesn’t need to know that.

“You like me.”

It isn’t a question.

I cock an eyebrow. I didn’t know he was so full of himself. “What makes you think that I do?” I challenge.

His hand rises to brush gentle fingers across my cheek, causing my breath to hitch in my chest. “If you didn’t like me, you wouldn’t blush every time I look at you.”

You got me there.
I want to tell him that I more than like him, but I can’t muster the courage. “I guess I like you a little,” I admit softly. That declaration should win the understatement of the year award. I give myself a mental kick in the behind. I have never felt more childish. Here standing in my room, inches away from me, is the man that I have been obsessed with for years, and all I can say is
I guess I like you a little.
Am I a twenty-year-old woman or a girl in junior high? I look up at him. He makes me feel like that girl still in junior high.

His lips twitch. “A little huh? I like you a lot Alice,” he whispers. “I would like very much to kiss you.”

My eyes bug out of my head. My breathing has become erratic. I can’t believe my dream is coming true. Damon likes me and he wants to kiss me. Is it a merry Christmas or
what
? Panic suddenly bubbles up inside of me when I realize that I haven’t the slightest clue what to do. I have never kissed a man before. “I-I don’t..." I begin to slowly back away. I can’t let him kiss me. I will completely embarrass myself with my lack of experience.

His eyebrows elevate. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know how.”

I am surprised he hears my barely audible confession.

The shock on his features has me blushing more than I ever have before. I drop my head, humiliated. If he didn’t already think I am a total loser, he must be thinking it now. I feel fingers cup my chin and lift my head up ward. He is searching my face, with surprise and wonder in his green gaze. “Wow that’s-that’s... I find that hard to believe,” he shrugs, “There’s a first time for everything.”

I watch in the paralysis of shock as his head lowers until his lips are touching mine. I stiffen. “Relax,” he whispers. His mouth moves over mine and I tentatively part my lips. I catch on quickly, following his movements. I think I might have died from hypothermia from my time on the balcony, and I am now in heaven.

I feel the back of my knees hit my mattress and I realize that Damon has maneuvered our bodies closer to my bed. This entire event is surreal to me. In a sudden movement of courage, I wound my arms around his neck. My body presses against the rock hard plains of his.