StepBrother: New Rules (Stepbrother Romance) (3 page)

“I just don’t want to be standing here naked if you still have all your clothes on.” She hooked her fingers through his belt loops and pulled his hips toward hers. “Take me to bed,” she whispered.

He picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around him, kissing him as he managed to turn off the living room light and take her down the hall to her bedroom.

When Evelyn opened her eyes, she was surprised to see the bright sunshine filtering through the curtains in her bedroom. A slow smile crept across her face as she remembered the amazing sex she and William had shared the night before. Thinking a little wake-up sex was just the thing to start the weekend off right, she rolled over, disappointed to discover William was gone. He’d picked up his jeans from her bedroom floor, but his T-shirt was still draped over her desk.

Realizing she smelled coffee, Evelyn crawled out of bed, pulling on a clean pair of underwear and William’s shirt. By the time she was walking down the hallway toward the kitchen, she could smell bacon cooking.

“Oh, my God, that smells amazing.” Hand out for a cup of coffee as she walked into the kitchen, Evelyn stopped in her tracks as she found herself face-to-face with her mother and Malcolm. She couldn’t even meet William’s eyes when he handed her a cup of coffee.

“I was just telling Ella and Dad that I’d fallen asleep on the couch after we watched a movie.” William’s expression was impossible for Evelyn to interpret.

Ella intercepted the coffee. “Don’t you think you should put some clothes on since we have guests?”

Evelyn turned, face on fire, and left the room. She returned in time to retrieve her still-hot coffee, attired in much more modest clothing.

“So, I wasn’t expecting to see you this early, Mom. I figured you’d have big plans for your day off.” Evelyn decided to simply act as if nothing had happened.

“In fact, I do have big plans,” Ella said, with a sidelong glance at Malcolm. “We both wanted to talk to the two of you, so it’s actually convenient that William just happened to be here.”

Evelyn decided that Ella was definitely suspicious about William’s presence there, but Evelyn suspected she wouldn’t ask, at least not in front of the two men.

“What’s up?” William asked. “Anyone hungry?”

“‘What’s up’ is that Ella and I would like to talk to the both of you, and it’s an important conversation. Why don’t we have a seat.” Malcolm, though he was casually attired for the weekend, still looked like he was all business.

“The frittata’s nearly ready. I made enough for four.”

Ella smiled. “I’m starving, and that looks delicious. I’d love a slice.”

Malcolm’s smile looked tight, forced. “I suppose our conversation will have to wait, then. Tell us about your latest creation in the kitchen.”

William brightened at his father’s inquiry. “It’s just a simple frittata with eggs, bacon, red peppers, spinach, and a little goat cheese.”

Ella looked from William to Evelyn and back again. “I know you didn’t find those things in our refrigerator.”

“Nah, Evelyn wasn’t up yet, so I ran out to the store. I was hungry, and she’d mentioned going to the gym later. You need fuel before a workout.”

“Is it finished yet?” Malcolm’s impatience was palpable.

William slid four perfect slices onto the waiting plates. “At your service, master,” he joked.

His father didn’t respond, but simply picked up his plate, fork, and coffee and headed for the dining room

Evelyn drank half of her coffee and topped the cup off, trying to catch William’s eye before they all walked into the dining room. William had mentioned several times that he thought they should tell their parents about their clandestine romance, but her effort to change the subject yet again last night had been a little less successful. She hoped he wasn’t really pissed at her, but she knew his father was getting under his skin. Scenes like this one were precisely why she didn’t want to spill her guts to Ella. She knew—from seeing the effects on William—how much a parent’s disapproval could hurt.

The last to enter the dining room, Evelyn looked at her mother and Malcolm, sitting side-by-side in precisely the same position. They really were two peas in a pod—both with erect posture and hands neatly folded on the table. It looked like both were prepared for an important meeting. Evelyn took her seat, finally making eye contact with William. He shrugged, indicating he was as puzzled as she.

“You both know that Ella and I have been seeing one another casually for quite some time.” Malcolm’s speech had clearly been rehearsed.

Ella picked up where he’d left off. “And though we had to conceal our relationship from the hotel’s management while we both worked in the Hillford, now that Malcolm has gotten his well-deserved promotion at the Lakeland, we are able to be together publicly.”

Malcolm reached for Ella’s hand, and though the conversation certainly seemed scripted, the smile the couple shared certainly looked genuine.

He took over. “As we’ve spent more time together, we’ve decided the time has come to make things official. I’ve asked Ella to marry me, and she has graciously consented.”

Evelyn felt her eyes go wide. Her face flushed, and she didn’t hear the rest of what Malcolm was saying. She stared at her coffee cup, afraid to make eye contact with anyone at the table, afraid they’d all be able to read her thoughts. If Malcolm married her mother, then William would be her… She couldn’t even think the word.

She snapped out of her thoughts when William touched her on the arm.

“What?” she asked. “I didn’t hear what you said.”

“I said that’s wonderful news. Isn’t it?”

Evelyn forced her turmoil to the back of her mind. “Yes. Congratulations to you both.”

Ella smiled at her daughter. “Since this isn’t exactly our first wedding, Malcolm and I have decided to keep things small. We want you both to stand up for us, and we’ve decided we’ll get married by Malcolm’s brother and invite just a few close friends and family. Can you both arrange to be there a week from this Friday?”

“What?” Evelyn felt panicked. “You mean like in less than two weeks?”

“We see no reason to wait.” Malcolm covered Ella’s hand with his. “I’ve spent long enough waiting to be with your mother. Will, you can certainly get off work, right?”

“I think we have several big parties that weekend, and I’ll have to make sure they can spare me in the kitchen.”

“Oh, come on,” Malcolm said, dismissing William’s concern with a wave of his hand. “When you get a real job, this restaurant phase won’t really matter, will it? This is your father’s wedding, after all.”

William stood up and answered, his rigid posture revealing the depth of his frustration. “I’ll see what I can do, Dad.”

“If only you’d devote yourself to a real career, you’d have a bright future, Will. You know I only want what’s best for you.”

William left the room, and Evelyn stared at the table, finding it hard to wrap her head around her mother’s news.

“Isn’t it exciting?” Ella asked her.

“I’m just surprised,” Evelyn answered. “Where are you going to live?”

“We’ve decided that it makes more sense for us to live here. After all, we have an extra bedroom, so William can move in if he wants to, and Malcolm’s place is much further away from the Hillford.”

Evelyn couldn’t stand it any longer. She stood up. “I’ll be right back,” she said, picking up her tennis shoes and walking out the front door without another word.

Evelyn walked out onto the street, looked around, and took a deep breath. She’d felt like she was going to suffocate … or explode … or say something awful inside, and she’d just had to get out and get some air. She was a little anxious that William was alone with her mother and Malcolm, and she worried he might spill the news about his relationship with Evelyn, but even though she wanted to manage that piece of information, she simply couldn’t stay in that house for a second longer.

Turning to the right, Evelyn headed for the coffee shop on the corner, planning to have another cup of coffee and get her head together. Splurging on a calorie-laden caramel latte, she looked out the window and wondered just exactly how her life had gotten so completely screwed up.

“Hey.”

The voice at her shoulder startled her, and she turned to see William. “What are you doing here?”

“I figured you’d be here, and I wanted to talk to you.”

“Are they still there?”

“Yes. Your mom looks all kinds of suspicious about my being there, and she didn’t understand why you just walked out. I think I talked her down for the moment, but you’re going to need to have something to say when you get back.”

“What do I even say?”

William sat down next to Evelyn. “You could say that you’re happy for them. You could also say that you’re dating me.”

“I can’t tell them that! Not only will Mom tell me you’re a distraction from my studies, but she’ll also be horrified that you’re going to be my…” Evelyn hesitated. “I can’t even say it.”

“Say what? That I’m going to be your stepbrother?”

Evelyn put her head in her hands. “It sounds so awful.”

“Well, that’s just silly. It’s not like we’re related. It’s not even like we grew up together.”

“I know, but people will think it’s weird.”

“You know who you sound like?” William waited until Evelyn looked up before he continued. “You sound like your mother, worried about what’s proper and what people will say.”

“That’s not fair.”

“But it’s true. The Evelyn I know would do what she wants regardless of what other people think.”

“So you really think I can tell my mother I’ve been fucking the guy who’s about to move in with us and become my stepbrother, and you think she’s going to be thrilled for me?”

William leaned back and held up his hands, as if trying to get Evelyn to slow down. “What I’m saying is that maybe it’s time for us to stop sneaking around. Evelyn, is that all this is to you? Just a fuck?”

“That’s not the point, Will. The point is that being with you lets me be myself in a way I can’t be when I’m around my mother. You’re two separate parts of my life, and that’s just the way it is.”

“You don’t have any desire to change that? To integrate these two separate parts of yourself?”

“Not right now. Not when they’ve just dropped this bombshell.”

“But we can’t go on sneaking around.” William put his hand on Evelyn’s knee and picked it back up, as if he’d touched a hot surface. “I guess I can’t do that to my stepsister, huh?”

Evelyn grabbed his hand and put it back on her thigh. “Who says you can’t? There’s no reason at all we can’t continue to see each other, continue to have the best sex I’ve ever imagined.”

“Wait. You said you don’t want to come clean to your mom.”

“I don’t. But I still want to sleep with you. Let’s just keep it a secret.” Evelyn turned to face William, put her hands on his thighs, and slid them toward his crotch. “In fact, this makes our little secret even hotter, don’t you think? Imagine it … I could sneak into your room in the middle of the night. Mom and Malcolm never have to know a thing.”

William shook his head. “But it’ll be harder to tell them if we don’t do it now.”

“So we never tell them.”

“So your plan is just to sneak around, grabbing time when we can find it for the rest of our lives?”

“Who says we have to worry about the rest of our lives now? I’m only twenty years old. What I want right now is you inside me, whether you’re my sexy stepbrother or not.”

William shook his head. “I don’t know.” He stood up. “I guess I need to think about this.”

“What’s there to think about?” Evelyn stood up, returned her empty latte cup to the counter, and followed William out the door. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the alley next to the shop. Pushing him against the wall, she leaned in and kissed him. “If we’re lucky, they’ll be gone. I need you, Will. I want you.”

William’s erection pressed into Evelyn’s hip as he kissed her back, unable to pull himself away. “I want you, too. If they’re not gone, then tell them we’re going out, going to the movies or something.”

Evelyn reached around and put her hand on William’s ass, pulling him closer. “I have to get to the gym for the class with the guest coach they brought in, but I’m free after that. Let’s figure out where they’re going to be so we can continue this later. I want you deep inside me, Will. I want us to be even closer than a real brother and sister.” She kissed him passionately, playing with his tongue, and biting his lower lip as she pulled away.

“You’re acting like this mess actually turns you on, Evelyn.”

“Would that be so bad?”

“Goddammit!” Evelyn pounded her fist on the mat. Rolling onto her back, she relaxed, turning to face the woman who towered above her. “How do you do that? Every single time!”

Lynda laughed and wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Practice. And lots of it.”

“I feel like no matter what I do, what I try, you just wiggle away and the next thing I know I feel like a bone’s about to break or I’m about to lose consciousness.”

“Yeah. That’s a pretty accurate description.” She extended a hand to Evelyn to help her to her feet. “You are getting better, though. The first time I sparred with you, you had no game.” She rubbed her shoulder, where a bruise was already starting to appear. “Now, you’re landing a few kicks here and there. And you made it longer before you tapped out this time.”

“I guess that is progress.” Evelyn’s smile was huge and revealed just how much she enjoyed testing the limits of her body in the gym. “So what did you think of the guest coach session?”

“I think he’s great. He sure thought you had potential.”

The two women headed toward the bench along the wall between the locker rooms, stopping to refill their water bottles. They sat, leaning against the concrete block wall, watching one of the older members of the gym working the speed bag.

“I wish I’d been in a better frame of mind,” Evelyn admitted. “I think I could have gotten a lot more out of the workshop. As it was, I was a little distracted.”

“What’s on your mind? It’s not like you to lose your focus, especially not in a class that cost extra.”