Stepbrother Forever: A Stepbrother Romance (28 page)

He sends me back a smiley face
and I turn my phone off and head back into the restaurant as the first of the
early dinner crowd enters.

The dinner rush comes and goes,
slowing down as it gets later in the evening. I only have a few tables left
finishing up when I see Rachel walk in. She waves and smiles at me and heads
over to the bar where Sam pours her a glass of wine before she has a chance to
sit down. They exchange greetings and make small talk while she waits for me to
close out the checks left in my section. I finish up my closing duties and walk
over to the bar, taking a seat next to Rachel.

“Hey, Rach. Glad you decided to
stop in,” I say as Sam passes me my own glass of wine.

“Me too. I could tell you had
something on your mind. What’s up?”

“It’s a very long story,” I say
and lay out most of the details about my dinner with Jayson and what happened
afterwards. I convey my feelings, what I thought he was feeling, then how I
felt this morning and the rest of the day. I also tell Rachel about my mother’s
phone call and what she has to say about Jayson’s reputation. She listens
quietly until I’m finished, and even then she takes a minute to let my words
soak in as she sips her wine.

“Well,” Rachel begins, “I see
how you can feel confused. There are a lot of points here to consider. If you
take your mother’s relationship out of the picture, how do you feel?”

“I feel like I could really
love Jayson. Then I feel like an idiot for thinking that.”

“I only had the ‘pleasure’ of
meeting him at the bar,” Rachel snarks, “and he definitely seemed like a dick
that night. But from the way you talked about him, it’s possible he has actual
feelings for you. I mean, why would he have stayed the night and texted you
throughout the day if he didn’t like you? He could have boned you and left.”

“True,” I reply. Sam makes his
way over to us to offer Rachel a refill.

“Couldn’t help but overhear
some of your story, Ashley,” he says. “If you’re talking about that guy from
the other night, I think he digs you.”

“Thanks, Sam. I’m trying to
figure him out. Men are complicated.”

“As a man who’s had the chance
to be with many women, I can tell you, he definitely wouldn’t have wasted his
time coming in here to see you if he didn’t like you. The way the women were
looking at him, he could have had his pick of the litter, but he only had eyes
for you.” And with that, Sam tops off Rachel’s glass and heads back to the bar.

“I think he could be right,”
Rachel agrees. “I would have to see him again to say for sure, since our first
meeting was… not so great.”

“Okay, so let’s say we do have
a real love connection. What about possibly being his stepsister one day? What
do I do about that?”

“That’s a tough call, Ash. This
isn’t something you come across every day. I mean, it’s not like incest because
you’re not really related, but it’s still kind of weird. I think it would have
to be whatever you’re comfortable with.” She frowns. “Does your mother know
anything about this? Tom?”

“My mother definitely doesn’t
know. I’m not sure how to tell her, either. I don’t think I will, unless Jayson
and I get serious. Either way, she’s won’t be happy. She’s apparently heard a
lot about him from Tom, so she doesn’t think very highly of the way he treats
women. She even compared him to my dad, and you know how she feels about him!
And if she and Tom got married, I can’t imagine her having to tell everyone
that her husband’s son is dating her daughter. It just sounds scandalous.

“Besides,” I continue, “I
haven’t even told her I broke up with Michael yet. As far as she knows, I
really like him and want to introduce him to my family.” I heave a sigh. “What
a mess.”

“I think you really like this
guy,” Rachel says, looking at me over the rim of her glass. “And I think there
is a strong possibility he really likes you too. I know it might not be the
ideal situation, and I know your mother may worry what people think, and it
will definitely take her some time to accept that he cares for you, but at the end
of the day, don’t you deserve to be happy?”

She’s right. I know she is. I
smile at her. “See? This is why you’re my best friend. Maybe I should just stop
questioning everything so much and see where it takes me. Otherwise, I’m going
to drive myself and everyone around me crazy.”

Rachel raises her glass to me
in a mock toast and I change the subject. “Tell me about your day, Rach. I love
a little yoga drama.”

Rachel tells me about her day
and her vacation plans with Chris. They have been dating for a couple of years
and want to celebrate their anniversary by going on a romantic getaway. We talk
for a little while longer about it and then see it’s just us and a couple of
other employees left, so we decide to go home. We finish what’s left in our
glasses, say goodnight and thank you to Sam, and leave.

We walk the familiar route to
our homes, passing the weekend hot spots and laughing at the drunk guys trying
to hit on us. I feel much better having talked to my best friend, and as we
part ways, she gives me a hug.

“Don’t ever doubt yourself,
Ash. You’ve been with a lot of assholes and put up with a lot of their shit,
and if you think you might have a chance with this guy, see where it goes.
Trust your gut. Worst case, at least you can have some mind-blowing sex.” She
laughs as she kisses me on the cheek and heads into her building. I continue my
short walk home and gain some more confidence in myself from her final words.

I enter my building and head up
to my apartment. It’s already pretty late and I have to work early tomorrow.
Saturdays are usually busy from open to close, so I want to get some sleep.

I go up the elevator and walk
the hallway to my apartment. As I open the door, I reminisce about the night
before when Jayson came here with me and had me pinned up against the wall.
Maybe Rachel has a few good points—at least if nothing else, there will be
great sex in my future.

I wash up, change and climb
into bed. I thought I would be kept awake by my thoughts, but I easily fall
asleep within minutes.

JAYSON

Chapter 14

I can
’
t get this girl out of my head! Ashley is
amazing. I have been with so many women, some of which have done some
unbelievable things in bed, but nothing compares to what happened with Ashley.

It was so much more than sex—more
than great sex. There was a profound emotion behind it all. Feelings I didn’t
know were possible to experience. She is beautiful on the outside, but there is
more to it than that. She makes me want her with an urgency I’ve never felt,
like I need her. Like I cannot live without her. I can’t let her go.

I thought she felt it, too—she
had to. But when I texted her today, she seemed so aloof about it all. It’s
making me wonder if the connection I swear exists between us is one that’s only
felt on my side of the equation. Shit. I finally find a girl I might be able to
love, and now
she
might be playing
me?

Bullshit. I don’t believe that.
I’m not the only one who feels this way. I can see it in her eyes and feel it
when our bodies are together. Why is she playing games? Why can’t she admit
it—even to herself?

Fuck texting and
calling—I have to see Ashley face to face. I have to let her know my feelings
are real. I have to know why she’s brushing me off and convince her not to. I
don’t care if I have to wait to make love again. I have no problem taking it
slow and letting her feel comfortable with me—with us. I know she wants to be
with me, and I can’t let her fears get in the way.

ASHLEY

Chapter 15

I wake early and feel refreshed
after a good night’s sleep. I brew some coffee and take a quick shower while it
percolates. I put on my uniform and some light makeup and go sit in my kitchen
for a short while to relax before my day starts. I pick up my phone, knowing
there are no unseen texts or voicemails, but wanting to look anyway, hoping a
new message from Jayson will appear. I kind of left him hanging last night.

I finish my coffee and rinse my
mug and plate in the sink before I go. I take my bag and keys and lock the door
behind me as I leave. I’m looking forward to having the evening to myself,
since that rarely happens on a weekend. I go down the elevator and out through
the lobby.

The streets are more serene on
weekend mornings. As I walk to the restaurant, I start thinking that I really
need to figure out what to do with my life. I’ve been coasting through my days
and slacking when it comes to school and picking classes for the new semester.
I make a mental note to be more attentive and do some research—we’ll see what
happens.

I arrive at the restaurant and
get my station ready for service. Shortly after, the brunch and lunch crowd
begins to come in. Luckily, we are once again busy and the time files by. My
section is full and lunch is in full swing so I don’t notice Jayson coming in
and walking to the bar. It isn’t until he is seated there with a drink in front
of him that he catches my eye.

I’m in no way ready to see him
yet and I start fumbling with the coffees I’m preparing for a table. At least
I’m busy for now and I have some time to think before I can sit down and talk
with him. I continue serving my tables and finishing up with the lunch crowd
while I silently contemplate what I’m going to say to Jayson.

When my customers have finished
and my section is clear, I close out my checks and clean the tables off, doing
whatever I can to prolong the time before our conversation. When I have nothing
left to do, I go into the ladies’ room to wash my face and fix my hair and try
to look somewhat presentable.

Once I’m satisfied, I step back
into the dining room and walk over to the bar. I see Jayson smiling at me as I
head his way. He looks even more handsome than the last time I saw him.

“Hey, stranger,” he greets me
as I sit down next to him.

“Hey.” I smile back, gesturing
to Sam to pour me a glass of iced tea.

“I really felt like you were
blowing me off, so I thought I would come and find out in person. It’s hard to
tell through a text.”

“I wasn’t. I just…” I hesitate,
not knowing how honest I should be or how much I should say. “I just needed to
think about us. About what happened the other night.”

“I’ve been thinking about us
too—and what happened.” He smiles slyly. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking
about it, Ashley.” His smile widens when he sees my cheeks flush.

Sam walks over and places a
glass of ice in front of me, filling it, nodding and smiling before going back
to his patrons. I take a sip and sit in silence for a moment, trying to decide
what to say next.

“Ashley, I know you think I’m a
player. I can tell you’re scared,” Jayson says as if he’s reading my mind.
“Just to be clear, I would not be here right now if I wasn’t serious about you.
Our date was by far the best one I’ve ever been on. And the rest of the night
was, well… incredible.” He grins. “I know you felt it too, Ashley. You can’t
tell me you didn’t.”

I look at Jayson and I see the
sincerity in his eyes. “I thought I did, but I don’t know,” I begin. “And yes,
I’m afraid. I thought I felt a connection, but then I thought I must be crazy.
You’re not the kind of guy to fall for someone so fast. You’re used to being
with women and making them feel like that. I barely just got out of a
relationship. I don’t know what to think, Jayson. I just know I don’t want to
get hurt.”

Sam walks over to ask Jayson if
he would like another drink, but he declines. “Why don’t we get out of here and
take a walk? Continue this conversation in private?”

“Okay,” I answer taking a big
gulp from my glass. I leave it on the bar and say goodnight to everyone. Then
we get up and walk outside into another beautiful summer night.

“This is better,” Jayson says
after we are several steps away from the restaurant. “Where would you like to
go?”

“You can just walk with me to
my apartment,” I tell him. It’s a nice night for a walk and there aren’t too
many places I would go for privacy on a Saturday night around here. “If you
don’t mind.”

“Of course not. I would go
anywhere with you.” He takes my hand in his as we continue toward my apartment.
“So, you were saying?”

“I was just telling you how
you’re a player and I feel like an idiot.” Jayson stops, pulling my hand so I
have to stop, too.

“Ashley, look at me,” he says
in a serious tone. “I like you. I really like you. Something about you
captivates me. You’re beautiful, and funny, and real. I know you think I’m an
asshole when it comes to women, and maybe up until now I was. But now, I just
want you. You’re all I need.

“I may have been with a lot of
women, but I never led any of them on. I tell it like it is, and I’m not going
to play games with you. I want to be the only man in your life and I know we
can try to make it work.”

I look up at him, speechless.
This raw honesty is not something I expected. Not from the guy who cracks jokes
and speaks in pick-up lines. I believe him, though. I can tell his feelings are
authentic. But the voice inside my head is telling me not to jump in headfirst
like this.

“Jayson, I believe you feel
that way—I do. But how can you change, just like that?” I ask, releasing my
hand and snapping my fingers. “Maybe you think you have these feelings, but
it’s too soon to know for sure. What if I believe you and then next week, you
meet someone else that catches your eye? Then where will I be?”

“You’re only focusing on the
bad things that you think might happen. What if we have something amazing
together? What if we fall madly in love and live happily ever after? Take a
chance on me, Ashley,” Jayson responds, holding my hands in his again, waiting
for my answer.

“I’m just trying to be
realistic and protect myself.” I do want him, but I’m scared to let it happen.

“We can start over—forget we
ever made love. We can take it slow. The way we met, the way our lives are
connected now, you have to see it’s worth it. Just give ‘us’ a chance. I
promise you will never regret it.”

I remain silent as I consider
everything Jayson’s said. Maybe he’s right about starting over and taking it
slow. I can’t forget about making love to Jayson, especially because it’s one
of the reasons I know I could love him. He’s right—we could be great together
and it just may be worth the chance.

“Okay,” I finally answer.
Jayson smiles at me and I see his eyes light up. “I’m willing to give ‘us’ a
try—but I think taking baby steps is a good idea.”

“I will do whatever makes you
comfortable, Ashley. We have the rest of our lives together, so I don’t mind
taking our time for now.” He winks at me, sounding confident once again. He
lets one of my hands go but maintains his grip on the other. “Shall we?”

We resume in the direction we
were walking before we stopped to talk. We’re strolling hand in hand in
silence, and it feels wonderful. Each of us is wearing a contented smile,
feeling renewed, anticipating what is to come. For the first time since he left
my apartment Friday morning, I feel optimistic about our possible future
together.

We slow our pace as we reach my
building. The last time Jayson and I were here together was the night we made
love. I know we agreed to take it slow, but it’s going to be hard. We face each
other, unsure of what we’re supposed to do now.

“When can I see you again?”
Jayson asks.

“I’m off on Monday, if you’re
free,” I answer, glad he said something to break the awkward silence.

“I will make myself available.
Dinner?”

“Sure. Are you going to pick me
up again, or was that just for our first date?” I tease.

“I’ll pick you up. Have to
treat you like a lady, right?” he jokes back. “I can give you a time on Monday,
if that’s okay.”

“Sure. I can’t wait.” I smile.
“I’m glad we were able to talk things out, Jayson. Thanks for not giving up on
me.”

Jayson moves closer to me—too
close. He leans into me and puts his mouth against my ear. “I will never give
up on you, Ashley,” he replies softly before seductively kissing my neck. He
then kisses me on the cheek before backing away.

“Goodnight,” he says, looking
pleased with himself.

“Goodnight, Jayson,” I answer.
That soft kiss and his voice in my ear make me wish I could invite him up to my
apartment. I want him, but I know even if I tried, he wouldn’t let me tonight.
We agreed to take it slow, so that’s what we will do. And when the day comes
that we can take it to the next level, I know it will be well worth the wait. I
smile again and reluctantly let go of his hand to walk into my building.

__________

Sunday comes and goes. The restaurant
was busy with brunch and large family meals and parties which kept me busy
throughout the day. I was thankful for the distraction because otherwise my
mind would have been spinning with thoughts of Jayson, as it does all the time
now.

I sleep in on Monday since I
don’t have to work and enjoy my coffee on the couch and catching up on some
reading. It’s kind of pointless. I’m not really paying attention, anyway. I’m
too busy going through scenarios about my date with Jayson tonight.

As much as I appreciate his
willingness to take things slow, I don’t know how we are going to do it. Not
after we’ve already had sex—
amazing
sex. I had trouble being close to him without touching him before so I can’t
imagine how it will be now. I know how good his body feels and how incredible
he makes me feel. It’s going to be hard, but knowing we aren’t going to touch
each other makes it that much more erotic—at least for me.

As if on cue, my phone alerts
me I have a text.
Can I come by at seven
to get you?
It’s from Jayson. I smile.

Of
course,
I answer.
I
can’t wait.
I don’t want to sound desperate, but at the same time, I’m
genuinely excited.

Me
either,
he replies, adding a smiley face.
See you then.

I finish my coffee and tidy up
my apartment a bit. I decide I should run some errands so I clean myself up,
throw on some clothes, and head out.

A few minutes after I leave my
apartment and start walking toward the grocery store, my phone rings. I know
from the ringtone it’s my mother.

“Hey, Mom.” I answer cheerfully
as I continue walking.

“Hi, Ashley. Where are you off
to today?” she asks.

“Just running some errands and
taking care of a few things. What’s up?”

“I know I said I was going to
come in for lunch this week, but Tom asked me this morning if I wanted to go
out east for a few days. If you don’t mind, can we push it off until after the
weekend?”

“Of course! Have a great time.
We can get together next week, for sure,” I answer. I’m actually thankful to
have some more time before I see her. I have a hard time lying to my mother,
and there is no way I can tell her about Jayson—not unless there is something
serious to tell. There is also no way I can
not
tell her, because she has that motherly way of knowing when I’m hiding
something.

“Oh, thank you, Ash. I feel
terrible but a week on the beach sounds nice too. I will call you as soon as
I’m back home.”

“Sure. That sounds fantastic.
Enjoy your time with Tom and I’ll talk to you soon. Love you.” I love hearing
Mom sound so happy.

I make the few stops close to
my apartment, getting some groceries and picking up some of my cleaning that I
forgot about. I stop at a little deli and have a sandwich in between, since
it’s past lunchtime.