Stepbrother Forever: A Stepbrother Romance (33 page)

“You’re right,” I admit. “And I
agree, this is perfect.”

“These feelings are so strange
to me, Ashley, but I know they’re for real. Plus you’re mine now—you promised,”
he adds playfully.

I snap my fingers. “Shit,
you’re right. Hope that wasn’t a mistake.”

“You have no idea, beautiful,”
Jayson says, leaning over and kissing me on the forehead. “How about we get
some sleep?”

“Sure,” I reply, finishing my
glass and walking it to the sink. He takes my hand and leads me to the bedroom.

_____________

We must sleep very soundly,
because when I wake up, Jayson is still spooning me. I don’t want to move
because I don’t want to wake him, but also because I love the way this feels. I
have experienced so many emotions over the last few days but the one thing I’m
sure of is that this is where I want to be.

I feel Jayson begin to stir.
His body adjusts against mine and his arm tightens around me. I still don’t
move, but I can tell he is awake now. I smile to myself because he doesn’t seem
to want to let go of me, either.

I keep my eyes closed like I’m
sleeping and Jayson kisses me softly on the back of the head. We lay still for
several moments and I continue to feign sleep as he carefully shifts his
position to get up. As Jayson lifts his body, I can feel his eyes on me. He
sits on the edge of the bed, but then leans over and kisses me one more time,
possibly to make sure I’m asleep.

“I love you, Ashley,” Jayson
whispers. He gets out of the bed and quietly walks into the bathroom. He thinks
I’m sleeping and has no idea that I just heard what he said. I am frozen by the
thought.

What am I going to do now? I
think I love him, too. It’s the most ridiculous notion to think you can love
someone you have only known for a short time, but we both feel it, so it must
be real.

I can’t tell Jayson. I have to
wait until he actually tells me when he knows I’m listening. I hear him coming
out of the bathroom.

I close my eyes again, lying
completely still. He moves quietly around the room and then leaves and shuts
the door.

JAYSON

Chapter 18

I love Ashley. I have never
felt this way about a woman in my life. I had to tell her, but only when I knew
she couldn’t hear me. She would think I’m crazy if she knew I felt that way so
soon.

Here I am making breakfast for
her when normally I would be wondering why there’s still someone in my bed.
Last night was beyond incredible. I always love to please the ladies, but make
sure I get mine, too. With Ashley, I didn’t care. All I cared about when we made
love was satisfying her. And seeing her pleasure, feeling it, is what got me
off.

The toaster pops and the eggs
I’m cooking are just about done. I don’t cook often, especially breakfast, and
never for a woman. Crazy thing is, I don’t even want to make love again this
morning. I mean, of course I do, but I won’t. I want this to be about more than
sex, and I want her to know that. I also have to go to work.

I hope she’s really sure about
me, because I know I am sure about her. As crazy as it seems, I could marry her
tomorrow and know it’s the right thing to do. I realize it may take her longer
to get to that point, but I can wait. I’m not going anywhere.

I really hope she believes in
us enough to stick around regardless of what happens with my father and
Cynthia. If Cynthia says yes when my father proposes, I really don’t know what
will happen.

I guess I’m thinking way too
much into it right now. I told Ashley to take it slow and not worry about the
future or think too much, so maybe I should do the same. If we are truly happy,
and they are also happy, everything should work out in the end—at least, I hope
so.

I hear Ashley stirring in the
bedroom and I smile. I got up so early and didn’t want to wake her so I snuck
out to the kitchen. I’ve been as quiet as I could but I’m glad she’s awake. I
need to get to work soon and I’ve been looking forward to spending some time
together this morning before I go.

AHSLEY

Chapter 19

“Good morning,” Jayson says,
smiling at me as I finally emerge from the bedroom.

“Good morning,” I reply,
walking toward the kitchen. Jayson has coffee ready and breakfast made.

“I’m glad you finally woke up.
I have to go to work soon, but I thought we could have some breakfast together
first.” He looks so handsome in the morning, even before he showers. He’s still
wearing the shorts he had on last night, but he has a fitted tee on now, too.
Good thing—I don’t think I could keep my hands off him if he didn’t.

“Thanks,” I answer, smiling
back at him and pouring myself a cup of coffee. “I bet the ladies love when you
make them breakfast.”

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never
done it before,” he answers. To my surprise, I believe him. “I’ve also never
had a woman sleep in my bed without having sex.”

“Well, I’m glad I got to be
your first,” I
facetiously
reply. “I feel special now.”

“You are special,” Jayson says.
He is at the stove, spatula in hand, preparing a plate. “And I hope you like
your eggs over easy, because that’s how I made them.”

He hands me the breakfast he
just made. I take the plate to the counter and sit down.

“I do. I also like my coffee
dark, no sugar. Just in case you need to know for the future,” I advise him
with a wink, taking a sip from my mug.

“Noted. I look forward to using
that information many times.”

“Thanks. This actually looks
good.”

We finish eating our breakfast
in a comfortable silence. Jayson gets up and brings his dish and mug to the
sink.

“I hate to break this up, but I
have to get ready for work,” he says. “You can stay here and make yourself
comfortable, if you like.”

“Thanks, but I have to work
lunch today, so I should probably go too.” I take my last sip of coffee and
bring my own things to the sink.

“Why don’t you wait for me and
we can leave together?” Jayson asks.

“Sure. I’d like to wash my face
and brush my teeth, anyway.”

We walk back to the bedroom and
Jayson heads toward the bathroom. I amble around the room, pretending to be
doing something. I don’t know how Jayson feels about it, but I’m not ready to
be in the bathroom together at this point in our relationship.

I waste time making the bed and
straightening up. I pull the curtain back and look out the huge window. I
recall looking out the window last night while we were making love and smile.
Everything about it was amazing.

I hear the water go off and
Jayson get out of the shower. A few minutes later, he comes out in a towel and
looks heavenly. I don’t know if I will ever get used to looking at his body in
a casual way.

“If you keep looking at me like
that, we’re going to have a repeat of last night,” Jayson teases me. “Not that
it would be the worst scenario, but I have to get to work and quickies aren’t
really my thing.”

“Shut up,” I say with a giggle.
It’s the best I can come up with. He looks so divine I wouldn’t mind a quickie
but I’m not going to be that forward.

He walks to his dresser to get
some clothing and I decide it’s a good time to get into the bathroom. I don’t
think I can take a strip tease right now.

“Be out in a few,” I say,
closing the door behind me.

Oh my God, he is
truly irresistible,
I
think. I brush my teeth and wash my face. I get my hair wet so I can
finger-brush it and look half-decent for the trip home. I can shower when I get
to my own place.

I emerge from the bathroom and
Jayson isn’t there. I walk out to the living area and see him in the kitchen.
He looks so handsome, maybe even more so now that he’s dressed. He is wearing
dress pants and a nicely-fitted, blue button-down. The color of his shirt makes
his eyes stand out, and I am once again staring at him.

“Seriously, Ashley?” Jayson
jokes when he catches me looking again. “You’re going to have to get used to
the way I look. I mean, I know I look good, but the novelty should have worn
off by now.”

“I don’t know what it is. I
can’t help it,” I answer, laughing. Jayson walks over and stands in front of
me, wrapping me in his arms.

“You are so beautiful, Ashley.
I’m the one who should be staring.” He puts a hand on my cheek and kisses me
tenderly on the lips. “Then again, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off you
if I was.” Unfortunately, we have to get going or I don’t think we will ever
leave.” He takes my hand and leads me to the front door.

“I guess you’re right,” I reply
and take my keys from the entry table. We walk out to the elevator hand in
hand.

Jayson pushes the call button
and looks at me as the doors open.

“Remember last time we were in
this elevator?” he asks with a smirk.

“I do,” I reply with a broad
smile.

The doors close and we look at
each other. Without hesitation, I turn and begin kissing him, passionately.
This time Jayson has his back against the wall and I’m being the aggressive
one. I have my hands on the back of his neck and I’m kissing him hard, my
tongue inside his mouth. Jayson puts his hands on my ass and squeezes gently,
pulling me up closer to him. I suck on his lip as I break our short but
ravenous embrace.

Seconds later, the doors open
and we step out into the lobby.

“I’ve been wanting to do that
all morning.” Jayson says, grinning.

“Me too,” I reply as we walk
outside onto the sidewalk and see the awaiting town car. “I guess call me
later?”

“Oh, no. I’m driving you home.
Don’t think you’re getting away that easily.”

“You don’t have to. You’re
going to be late.”

“Don’t be silly, Ashley,” he
says, holding the door open for me. “Now get in the car so I can watch you bend
over again.”

I roll my eyes at him and
purposely exaggerate my movements while getting into the backseat. I hear
Jayson snigger behind me and he playfully smacks my backside before following
me in.

We sit in the backseat, smiling
during the short ride to my apartment. It does take a little longer with the
morning traffic, but it’s still very close. Jayson is holding my hand again and
doesn’t seem to want to let it go. I have to admit, I like it. We only have a
couple of blocks left to travel and I find myself wishing the ride didn’t have
to end.

“I think I’m actually going to
miss you today,” I tell him.

“I know I’m going to miss you,
beautiful,” he answers.

“When will I see you again?” I
ask. “I have to work the next couple of nights.”

“I don’t know. We’ll work
something out, though. I can’t wait another couple of days. Now that you’re
mine and I know I can have you whenever I want, we can’t have a silly little
thing like work getting in the way.”

“Normally I wouldn’t let a man
call me ‘his,’ but something about it turns me on with you. I like it.”

“I never laid claim on a woman,
but I’m not letting you go, so get used to it.”

We pull up in front of my
building and Jayson opens the door and steps out. I follow and we are standing
on the sidewalk together.

“Call me later, okay?” Jayson
says, sounding less than confident for once.

“I will,” I answer. We hug each
other and he kisses me softly on the lips. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Anytime,” he answers.

I walk to my building entrance
and turn to look at him as I open the door. Jayson is still standing there,
watching me go in. I guess he does like to stare at me, just from behind. I
wave and walk in and he finally turns and gets back into the car. I smile at my
doorman and continue on happily to the elevator.

_____

I am still smiling when I get
into my apartment. I put my things down and just plop down on the couch. I
don’t have to work for a few more hours so I have time to relax. I pick up my
phone and see I haven’t missed any texts or calls. I send Rachel a message. I
feel like we haven’t spoken for so long, but it’s only been a few days. It’s
hard to believe so much has happened in such a short time. Rachel replies
quickly.

Hey!
What’s up, stranger? I’m starting a class in a few but I’m free in an hour.

Cool.
Call you then,
I answer.

I turn on the television
planning to veg out for a while. I go to the kitchen and get a drink and an
apple and sit back on the couch. My phone rings in the familiar tone I have
programmed for my mother’s number. I pick it up on the second ring.

“Hey, Mom! How are you?”

“Great, Ash. And you?” she
replies.

“The same. Are you back from
your trip already?” I ask.

“Yes! Just got back last night,
actually. It was wonderful.”

“You sound happy today. What’s
up?”

“Oh, Ashley, I wanted to tell
you at lunch next week, but I just can’t wait. Tom proposed! We’re getting
married!” she squeals.

I am speechless for several
seconds. My head is spinning with questions and anxiety about last night. But
this isn’t about me—it’s about my mother. I pull myself together and answer
her.

“I’m so happy for you, Mom!”
And I really am. She deserves a good man. I just wish I hadn’t had sex with his
son last night. “Tom seems like such a great guy. I know you two will be very
happy together.”

“I know we will, Ash. He’s
perfect in every way. It was very unexpected. I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to
marry again, but once he asked me, I knew it was meant to be.”

My mom continues to tell me the
story of how Tom proposed and how romantic everything was. I feel bad because
I’m only half-listening. My mind is fixed on Jayson. This is real now. He is
going to be my stepbrother. No matter what I was thinking last night, or before,
knowing this is going to make me reevaluate everything.

My mother is finished with her
story and I need to respond. “That sounds like a fairytale, Mom. When do you
think you’ll have the wedding?” I need to know how long I have to make a
decision.

“I don’t think we’re going to
wait too long and we don’t want to make a big fuss. We are planning to just
have our immediate families and a couple of friends.”

My stomach is doing
somersaults. My mind is going over so many different scenarios. I need some
time to process all of this.

“That sounds perfect,” I lie.
It sounds like torture. If I continue to date Jayson, which I really want to
do, I will have to tell my mother before she marries Tom. As much as I would
now like to, I can’t lie about it forever. If she flips out about the news it
could be harmful for my new relationship,, and possibly hers too. But this is
my mother’s life, and it will be her day. I can’t be selfish about it.

“I have to get ready for work
now, Mom. Congratulations again. I am so happy for you. Please tell Tom I said
the same.”

“Thanks, Ash. I’ll see you for
lunch next week and we can talk more about all the details.”

I end the call and feel
confused all over again. I was so sure last night that no matter what, I wanted
to be with Jayson. Now that the reality is that he is going to be my
stepbrother, I’m not as confident in my decision.

I’m so torn. On one hand,
Jayson is right about what he said initially; we are adults, so our parents’
relationship should not have any effect on ours. We won’t be living together
under the same roof, and although we will be “related,” we won’t really be
acting as a family unit. As a grown woman, I also don’t see myself referring to
Tom as “Dad,” especially since my own father is still a part of my life.