My Charming Stepbrother (8 page)

Chapter 2

Garrett paced the small living space of his former step mother. He was closer to her now than he was when his father was alive. But she was really more like a close friend who bossed him around than a mother figure. She was the one person on his side, and always told him the Andra would come around. Six years later and she still hadn’t, but he wouldn’t lose hope. Something most people didn’t know about him was he believed in soul mates. Everyone had one true love and that was it. There was no second or third unbreakable loves. Just one and Andra was his. He didn’t tell many people his philosophy on love because they’d most likely laugh in his face.

“
Do you think she’ll blow me off?”

“
She can’t afford to. You don’t realize how many people love you, and how long her magazine has been trying to get an interview with you. She has to do this,” Eloise, Andra’s mother, said with a smirk. The woman was a devil. “One day my daughter will stop being an idiot.”

“
I freakin’ hope so.”

“
Love isn’t easy, and she’s just showing you how hard it will be for you when she does give in. She’s got some tough beliefs to concur.”

Garrett waved his hand. “I know what she thinks, and she’s wrong.”

Eloise nodded and her smile died. “Good luck convincing her of that honey. She is my child after all. She loves you, but she is stubborn and would never do anything to ruin your reputation for something you worked so hard for.”

He was about to respond when he heard the door open and shut followed by footsteps. He took a deep breath anxious to see Andra after all this time.

“
Mom,” she called and rounded the corner.

Garrett’s breath caught in his chest. He heart pounded and he jaw dropped. She was even more beautiful in person. He always thought she was but damn, she’d grown up even more. She stopped mid-step in front of him. Her mouth parted and then she snapped her lips together.

“
Hello, Andra.”

Her eyes widened. “Hello Garrett.”

Garrett looked behind him and noticed her mom had disappeared. He whispered his thanks and promised her the fanciest dinner she wanted. “You look beautiful.”

She blushed and fidgeted. “Thanks.”

Then she seemed to shake off her nerves and her shoulders straightened and she held her head up high. In a split second she was a completely different woman, strong and in charge.

“
Where do you want to do this? My boss was really specific that I get as much as possible as fast as possible or my job is toast.”

He noticed the underlining tone but chose to ignore it. He couldn’t get over being so close to her. She led the way into the kitchen and he went to follow but before she could sit at the table he grabbed her hand and spun her into his chest wrapping his arms around her. He wasn’t playing around. He was done with their game of cat and mouse. He was ready to have her, and he knew she loved him no matter how much she denied him. She gasped and went to yell at him presumably, but he covered her lips with his. Her lips tensed beneath his but that didn’t stop him. He kissed her, brushing his moth across hers repeatedly. Her body loosened and her arms wrapped around his neck bringing her body flush against his. Her breasts rubbed against his chest and he rumbled his approval. In heels she wasn’t much shorter than him. He gripped her hips holding her to him and licked her bottom lip, asking for her to grant him access.

Andra gasped and he dove in. He kissed her the way he did so long ago, and the way he wished she would allow for the rest of their lives. She moaned into his mouth and he groaned when she brought her hands to his cheeks cupping his jaw. She pulled away and licked her lips and with sad eyes she shook her head. “This can’t happen,” she whispered before pulling away.

He let her because he feared if he pushed too hard she would leave and this time he’d never see her again, and that wasn’t an option or a chance he would take. That kiss though, he could feel how much she cared for him. The way she touched him and the way she opened for him. She couldn’t deny what her body was telling them both for much longer. Or he hoped not. Six years—hell nearly eight years was too long to wait. And he had, but he was done waiting. Andra was going to be his.

* * * *

I didn’t know how I was going to do this. Less than five minutes and I was in his arms and lost in his body kissing him the way I dreamed of doing on a daily basis. I promised myself I would be strong, but there was something so strong, so overpowering, and alluring about Garrett that I couldn’t resist him. He was like the other half of my soul that I’d been missing for the past six years. For the first time since I’d left home to go off to college I felt whole again. Like I’d found something I was meant to have.

He followed me to sit down at the table without a complaint, but I could feel his eyes on me. They burned with passion making it hard to ignore. I wanted him so badly, and there was a huge part of me that wanted to throw caution with the wind and just say ‘to hell with it’ and finally be with him. Just once, to see what it would be like. I shook my head. There was no way I’d be able to sleep with Garrett and walk away. That would be impossible.

“
What are you thinking about Andra?” he asked in a deep voice.

When did his voice get so deep?
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath praying for control. “Nothing, let’s get started.” If I could keep my mind on the task at hand I could get through the month. I wouldn’t allow myself to succumb to the building desire. But it seemed like a loss. Because I’d only been in the same room with him for a fraction of how long I’d be spending with him. The flames were going to burst one way or another. And I had a feeling he’d be the one putting them out, and I wouldn’t do a damn thing to stop it.

Chapter 3

I pulled out my notebook and tapped my pen on the page. “Where do you want me to start? My boss said you wanted this to be a ‘tell all’ piece in a series of articles to keep fans panting over you for the whole month while waiting on your movie?” The movie was called
My Soul to Take,
and it was a paranormal romance about physic vampires who used their powers to charm women to fall into ‘love’ where they ended up allowing the vampire to feed on them taking their soul. But the twist one of the Physic vampires—Garrett—falls in love with his victim. It was supposed to be sexy and completely unlike anything he’d ever done, a truly romantic story of the ‘bad guy’ falling in love with his victim.

He shrugged. “I’m not sure really, I guess I just want my fans to know, that I’m a real person, with real feelings and I wasn’t always an actor. I used to be a punk ass teenager too. I was a young man who fell in love with a girl, who didn’t love him back. You know, real, deep, and totally who I am. I’ve never given them anything of my past, and now is the time to do so.”

There was something about the things he said, like there was more, but I focused on the part about the girl and I bit my lip wondering if
I
was the girl he spoke of. Didn’t he know that I always loved him—even back then? It was hard not to focus on the past, when he wanted to hash it all out and share it with the world. “Okay well that’s a lot to go over in four articles. I figure one juicy article a week will have your fans falling at their knees for you.”

“
That’s the goal. Because I’ll tell you a secret—off the record of course—” he leaned in so I did too. “—this is my last movie.”

I jumped back as if I’d been slapped. “Why?”

He shrugged.

“
But this has been your dream since I’ve known you. You wanted to make it big. Take the world by storm, and now you are. You’re number two on the list of best actors since 2010.”

He waved it off and his eyes went serious. “I reached my goal, just like I told you I would years ago. I love acting, but sometimes other things become more important. Reaching fame is nothing compared to what I’ve been missing out on. So in the last article we are going to announce my retirement. And it will release the day after the premier.”

I didn’t think I could have been more surprised, and I asked the question without thinking. “What the hell could be more important than following your lifelong dream? You’re not close to done accomplishing all you could in acting.”

He glared at me and I felt his anger bubble to the surface. “Don’t play stupid Andra. You remember what I told you when you were 17 don’t you?”

I looked away and fiddled with my pen. I did remember. In fact it was a memory that kept me up at night for months. “Yes,” I whispered. He promised me that one day I would be his. He’d let me grow up and once I was out of college and he knew I’d had my ‘fun’ I was his. Back then I’d swooned and agreed. I remember nodding my head so forcefully I thought it would fall off.

“
Then you know what I’m ready for. I wish you would stop fighting me. You know how I feel.”

That was the thing, in six years I’d seen him with a few women here and there in tabloids, but nothing like most of the other actors. He never got caught doing anything embarrassing either. Everything aspect of his careered glowed with sophistication. He was smart. I didn’t know how he felt. He’d been telling me off and on since I was 17 that I was his, but people changed and so did their feelings. “Do I?”

He slammed his fist on the table. “You would if you would stop fuckin’ running from me, avoiding me. Dammit how am I supposed to show you what I feel is real if you won’t come near me. It’s as if you’re embarrassed to be seen with me. Hell, do any of your friends know about me and how well you know me?”

I gasped in shock. I had seen Garrett mad in the past, but this was different he was hurt. And it was true I had run for so long, and I’d almost forgotten why—almost.

He glared at me. “I asked you a question Andra. How many people in your life know about me, about our history?”

Tears filled my eyes. “No one,” I whispered as a tear fell. I wasn’t embarrassed by him. I didn’t want people to think I was trying to get attention by knowing him.

* * * *

Ouch.
She didn’t even talk about him. That hit low and hard and was a major blow to his ego. “Oh, I see.” She didn’t love him. He always thought she did and was just being stubborn, but he learned the hard way that Andra Weaver was never going to love him. He pushed the chair back and stood. “I’ll have your boss give the story to someone else.” He needed to get out. Before she saw how deeply she had cut him. All this time he thought she would grow out of her worry. He knew the taboo that would follow them when people found out their parents had been married, if they even bothered to care. He didn’t care though. They weren’t related and his dad had been gone for a long time.

He spun and walked out of the kitchen and through the foyer shaking with disappointment. He pulled opened the door and stepped outside. It was over. He jogged down the stairs and to his truck. For so long he waiting for the day when she would cave into her desires, but now he found out she didn’t even brag about knowing him. What woman wouldn’t do that? He climbed into his truck and started the engine. Just as he was about to pull away the passenger door opened and a red eyed Andra jumped up on the seat and slammed the door. He went to speak and she shook her head.

“
Just drive.”

He nodded and pulled away from her mother’s house wondering what the hell was going on.

Chapter 4

I didn’t know what I was doing. I had no plan. All I knew is when he looked at me with such in betrayal something inside me broke. I realized then for the last six years all I had been doing was hurting him. It wasn’t fair. I decided to finally say ‘to hell with it’ like I always dreamed of doing. That man, the one I knew so well had put himself out there for me. He hadn’t given up on me even though I’d done nothing but string him along.

I sat in his truck shaking with nerves. I hadn’t come up with a plan but I knew I couldn’t let him walk out of my life.

He glanced at me. “Where are we going Andra?”

I didn’t think. “I don’t care where ever you want.”

Heat filled his eyes. “Don’t play with me right now. I can’t take it. Now where are we going?”

I thought about it and smiled. “Do you still have that small cabin?”

He gulped and nodded.

Sitting up and scooting closer I placed my hand on his thigh. He tensed. “Then that’s where we’re going,” I whispered. I ran my hand along his thigh. “You were right, I’m done messing around.”

He sped up and turned down the street before pulling around the block and parking in my mom’s back yard before turning towards me. “What are you doing Andra? You don’t want anything to do with me, you don’t ever talk about me, and now you’re in my truck telling me to take you to my secret cabin—for what?”

There was only one thing I could do to show him what I had in mind. I couldn’t fight it any longer, and I wanted him so bad it hurt. The emotion from him when he stormed out of my mother’s house triggered something in me. Something real and my heart nearly stopped when I thought was going to lose him for good.

I didn’t want to tell him what I planned. So I smiled and grabbed his hand and brought it to my chest. My heart was pounding with the rush of excitement. “You’ll find out, but first you have to take me away from here.” I lowered his hand to my aching breast and without being told he caressed it almost as if he couldn’t help it. I moaned and pushed it further into his hand and licked my lips. “Please.”

The next thing I knew he shoved me over and scooted to the passenger seat before pulling me on top of him. My skirt rode up my thighs to my waist. His hands gripped my ass and he pulled me against his erection. “You better not be messing with me.” Then he kissed me.

This time there was no resistance. I took control and devoured his mouth. I rubbed against his hardness and moaned. Riding him I showed him what I wanted. He groaned and kissed me harder, more demanding as if he was punishing me for making him wait so long. When he pulled back he was breathing heavily and I could feel his heart racing against my chest. “Okay, okay, I believe you now.” He pulled me off his lap and slid back to his side looking at me as if he didn’t think I had it in me.

I leaned back leaving my skirt up. I grasped his hand and pulled it to my panties. “Touch me,” I said.

He didn’t have to be asked more than once. He slipped a finger beneath my panties and rubbed my slit. “God damn woman,” he said. He rubbed my clit and then he pulled his finger to his lips licking it. “I can’t get started now, or we’ll be fuckin’ in your mother’s back yard.”

I chuckled. “Then drive Garrett,” I said and pulled my skirt down. My clit was aching and I need a release, but he was right. I didn’t want to give my mother a show.

“
Whatever you want baby,” he replied and put his truck into gear back out of my mother’s back yard.

* * * *

Garrett shook with need. He hadn’t expected her to come to him, and he certainly hadn’t expected her to act so brazen. But it was damn sexy and now he was speeding along the highway trying to get to his cabin as fast as possible. No one knew about his secret place, expect Andra and her mother. He was surprised she remembered it. She’d only been there a couple of times before she disappeared from his life. He shook his head. He didn’t want to dwell on the past. Not when the woman he had wanted for nearly ten years was leaning back in his truck with lust in her eyes. She was sexy as hell and if she would have let him, he would have ripped her panties off and fucked her in the back yard.

“
Almost there baby.”

She glanced at him and smirked. At first he smiled looking forward to finally getting her naked. He burned to make love to her. Then she surprised the hell out of him. Her pink panties landed on his lap. He glanced over to see her skirt up and her legs were spread. His smile fell and he licked his lips. She had scooted down and what he saw nearly had him biting his tongue off. Her fingers rubbed her bare pussy. He had to look away and watch the road, but then she moaned and he peeked again. Her eyes were shut and she bit her bottom lip. Her muscles were tight and her hips bucked as she fucked her pussy with her fingers. “Oh Garrett,” she moaned and then her body jerked and shook. Her eyes squeezed shut and he saw every muscle in her body tense as she came.

Garrett shut his eyes only to open them when he felt the truck swaying to the side. “Dammit baby that’s so fuckin’ hot, but please stop so I don’t fuckin’ kill us.”

She opened her eyes and they shined brightly with arousal and pulled her fingers from her dripping pussy to her mouth and licked them clean. Then she sat up pulling her skirt back down in the process. She smiled wickedly at him.

When he stopped at a light, Andra took advantage and brought her finger to his lips. He sucked it into his mouth and groaned. She was teasing the shit out of him, and he found he was more turned on than he ever had been in his life. He needed her and fast before he exploded.