Romance: Seducing The Quarterback (68 page)

“We’re going to be late,” I said, putting my lipstick on and
blotting it lightly with a tissue. I stood back and looked at myself in our
full length mirror. I had bought a new dress for dinner tonight, not because it
was a special occasion, but just because I’d been feeling so down the last few
weeks. The dress was a soft orange rust color and offset my green eyes and
copper hair in a really nice way. I loved the color the moment I saw it in the
store window and it didn’t take me long to determine that I deserved it because
of everything that was happening.

“I’m basically ready,” Brady said. “What time is the
reservation?”

“Eight.” I looked at my watch. “We’ve got to go.” I grabbed
my sweater and the keys. Brady met me in the entry way and held out his hand
for the keys.

“I’ll drive tonight,” he said.

We got into the car and drove to the restaurant, which was
near the center of downtown. We hit some traffic on the way, but we parked the
car at 7:55 and I breathed a sigh of relief. Brady came around to my side of
the car to open my door for me. I stood and took a huge breath of fresh air as
we walked across the parking lot. This restaurant was one of our favorites and
we’d been coming to it for ages, ever since all of the couples became couples.
We’d had marriage celebrations here, baby announcements here, you name it. It
was called Delio’s and it was the best Italian in town.

As I walked toward the door, I spotted a huge Harley
Davidson bike parked in one of the motorcycle spots near the front of the
restaurant. I stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Brady asked me.

“That looks like Austin’s motorcycle.”

“Your stepbrother?”

“Yeah,” I said distractedly. I walked over to it, trying to
remember his plate number. “Oh well, I guess if he’s in there, we’ll say hi.”

“When’s the last time you talked to him?” Brady asked. He
knew that my stepbrother and I hadn’t grown up together. He was five years
younger than I was and had just turned twenty-four. He was a good guy and I
wouldn’t have minded growing up with him, but we barely talked even though we
got along well.

“I’m not sure,” I said. “No matter when it was, it’s been
too long considering we live in the same town and share a set of parents.”

Brady held the door to the restaurant open for me and I
walked in; he followed behind me. As the hostess took us to our table, I kept
my eyes peeled for Austin.

“Here you are,” the hostess said. We were the first from our
party to arrive, so we sat next to each other on the wall side of the table so
we could face the majority of the restaurant. “Can I start you with something
to drink?”

We ordered a couple of bottles of wine for the table, and,
just as we did, Angela and her husband, Mark, arrived. I stood to hug Angela
and, as I did, I finally spotted Austin sitting at a small corner table with a
woman.

“Hey, guys,” I said. “Excuse me for a second; my stepbrother
is over there and I want to go say hello.”

I would recognize Austin anywhere. He looked like he could
belong to any biker gang of his choice. Tattoos, strong muscles that came not
from lifting weights but from working with his hands and his body day in and
day out. His hair was longer than I remembered, though still jet black. Lots of
people thought both Austin and his father were Native American when they first
noticed them, but they both just happened to be blessed with dark features, smooth,
tan skin, and thick, black hair.

I worked my way through the tables and over to where Austin
sat with his date.

“Hey Austin,” I said, smiling as I approached the table.

“Sis!” he said, standing up to give me a hug. When I put my
arms around him, I noticed that his shoulders had broadened; his core was rock
hard. His biceps pressed against the threads of his shirt. I felt my body grow
warm as he embraced me, and we pulled away to look at each other. “It’s been
forever,” he said. “Pull up a chair! Denise, this is my sister, well,
stepsister, Gabrielle.”

“Gabi,” I interjected.

“Fine, Gabi, and this is Denise, my girlfriend.”

I arched my eyebrows in surprise. Though I’d only known
Austin for three years, one thing I’d figured out very early on was that Austin
didn’t have girlfriends. He had encounters, connections, energetic exchanges,
good times, sweet lays, and “friends,” but he was never with a woman long
enough for either of them to start getting the idea that there would be labels
involved.

“It’s really nice to meet you, Denise,” I said, holding out
my hand. “And I’d love to sit with you, I would, but I’m here with some
friends.” I nodded over in the direction of where Brady was sitting.

“Aw, that’s too bad,” Austin said. “Next time. Hey, did you
see my sweet ride outside? Just got her.”

I nodded and smiled. I noticed as Austin spoke that his eyes
flashed with energy; their green tint balanced his red lips, white teeth, and
tan skin, making him look like he ought to be more on the cover of GQ rather than
sitting in a restaurant with anyone named Denise.

“I sure did,” I said appreciatively. “You gonna give me a
ride on her sometime?”

“Anytime you want!”

We talked for a few more minutes and then I excused myself
back to my table, promising that I’d call and we could get together for a ride.

I walked back to the table. The other two couples had
arrived, so we ordered appetizers and drank wine. We did this dinner about once
a month; it was a way to stay caught up. Of course, it was largely because of
the couples with children that we had to set a certain time each
month—babysitters—whereas Brady and I were free far more often, but I didn’t
care about that tonight. Seeing Austin had put a smile on my face that hadn’t
been there all day, and I found it easy to listen to all of the conversations
about diapers and late night bedtimes without feeling sad.

Until, our friends Rachel and Damien paused and asked for
everyone’s attention at the table. We had just ordered our entrees and were
snacking on the appetizers.

“You may have noticed that Rachel isn’t drinking the wine
tonight,” Damien began. Brady squeezed my hand underneath the table. I felt my
stomach drop. That only meant one thing.

“We’re pregnant!” Rachel squealed, not able to control her
excitement long enough for her husband to do the announcing.

Everyone at the table began to congratulate Rachel, and of
course I did too. Angela shot me a look and I looked away; I was close enough
to crying as it was. Brady did not let go of my hand as Rachel and Damien answered
all of the questions. Due August 12
^th
, no they didn’t know the sex,
yes, all the grandparents were so excited.

I excused myself to go to the restroom and I spent a few
moments collecting myself. As I stood at the vanity, the door opened and Rachel
came in.

“I wanted to check on you,” she said. She put her hand on my
arm.

“I’m so sorry, Rachel,” I said. “I’m super happy for you, I
really am, I just…” I stopped. I didn’t want to add a ‘but’ onto my
congratulations. I was her friend and I was happy for her. That was it.

“I know,” she said. “And, for what it’s worth, I told Damien
we shouldn’t make the announcement tonight. I know how hard you’ve been trying
and the toll it’s taking on you. Are you and Brady doing okay, like, as a
couple?”

I nodded. “We are. I argue with him more than I should,” I
said. “But listen, I don’t want to focus on myself tonight; I want to focus on
celebrating you and that beautiful family addition you’re having!”

We talked for a few more minutes and then another group of
women came into the restroom so we went back to our table.

When we returned, dinner had arrived and I was able to focus
on my food. Brady shot me a look when I sat down; he looked a little irritated
with me, but I didn’t care. The night wore on and the conversations centered
around Rachel and Damien’s plans for their new nursery and where they were
going to take their next, and last, childless vacation. I tried to look
interested.

In the car on the way home, Brady was quiet.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him. I was, frankly, a little put
out that he wasn’t asking that question of me. Or at least acknowledging that
yet another pregnancy announcement was weighing on me.

“You were pretty rude tonight to Rachel and Damien,” he
said.

“What are you talking about?” I asked. “I didn’t say two
words to them.”

“That’s exactly what I mean,” he said. He kept his eyes on
the road and his hands on the wheel. “You didn’t say congratulations, you
didn’t ask any questions, you just sat there.”

“So?” I asked. “Everyone else was fawning all over them
quite enough. I like Rachel and Damien, but, seriously, they had to make that
announcement tonight? In front of me? Besides, Rachel came into the bathroom
and we had a great conversation. I told her there that I was really happy for
her, and she said she was thinking about me, us, and how hard we’re trying.”

Brady was quiet for a moment. We turned onto our street.
“It’s not always about you, Gabi.”

“What did you just say?” I couldn’t believe he was saying
these things to me. “What are you talking about?”

“I mean, I know we’re having trouble, but that doesn’t mean
that we need to ruin other people’s happiness by always reminding everyone that
we can’t have kids.”

I was getting pissed. “And by ‘we,’ you mean me. And by
being quiet and not gushing all over someone else’s pregnancy announcement, you
think I’m always reminding everyone that we can’t have kids.”

“Gabi—”

“No, I just want to make sure that I have this right,” I
said angrily. We pulled into the driveway and I got out of the car, slamming
the door. Its echo bounced off the garage door and sounded loud in the dark
night.

“I just think we should try to put our struggles out of our
minds for a while. I mean, all of these friends of ours having babies has to be
a good sign for us, right?”

“Right,” I said. “So, we’re the only ones struggling to have
a baby and I should just pretend to be happy about that, or, better yet,
pretend I don’t want a baby at all.”

“That’s not what I’m saying.” Brady was standing by the car
with his keys in his hand. I stalked to the garage door and opened it. We
walked into the house, continuing to argue.

“It sure sounds like what you’re saying. And, I would like
to point out that I didn’t say one word about our situation to anyone at the
table tonight, nor did I get up and leave even though that’s exactly what I
wanted to do. I stayed and was happy for them. As happy as I could be, given
that I feel like I’m breaking inside!”

I didn’t wait for him to respond, but walked up to the
bedroom and pulled a suitcase out of the closet.

“Where are you going?” he said, appearing in the doorway.

“I’m going to my mom’s for tonight. I don’t want to be here
right now. I can’t fight with you; it’s stressful on my body and affects my
hormones.”

Brady sighed. “Can I drive you?”

I glared at him. “No, I will drive myself. Don’t worry, I
won’t take your car. I’ll take the Saturn.”

I tossed some shirts and pants, underwear and stockings all
into my suitcase. I walked past Brady into our bathroom and grabbed my makeup,
curling iron, brush and hair dryer. I packed faster than I ever had before.

“Goodbye, Brady,” I said, walking back downstairs.

“Wait, Gabi,” Brady sounded extremely concerned for the
first time that night. “This is just for a night, right? I mean…” he stopped
and looked at me. “Look, we can go somewhere to get away together. Let’s go on
a vacation or something. We can check flights and book something tomorrow.”

I turned to him, took a deep breath, and tried to control my
volume. “It’s just for a night or two. I need some breathing room. I need to
think. This is harder for me, clearly, than it is for you. I need some time to
think. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

I loved Brady. He was a good husband and he would be an
amazing father. But I couldn’t stand to fight with him and, sometimes, the only
way to avoid a fight was for us to go to our separate corners for a while and
think. I was going to go to my mom’s and do it there. Hopefully in a few days,
I’d be less in a funk and better able to talk to Brady. For tonight, though, I
didn’t want to see him.

My mom was surprised to see me, but she welcomed me in
without comment.

“Have you had dinner?” she asked. “I made a lasagna for
dinner and there are leftovers in the fridge. I could heat some of it up for
you.” She had opened the fridge before I could even respond.

“I’m okay, Mom. Brady and I went out to dinner tonight with
friends. I just need a night or two to cool off. Can I stay here?”

“Of course! You can have the guest room.” There were three
people living in my mom’s house: my mom; her husband, my stepfather David; and
my step-brother, Austin. Austin lived in the basement, which had left my
mother’s extra bedroom upstairs as a guest room.

“Thanks, Mom,” I said, picking up my suitcase. “Austin was
at the same restaurant as I was tonight; is he home yet?”

“I don’t think I heard him come in,” my mom said, looking
toward the floor as if she could see through it and identify if Austin was home
or not. “He had a date, so I’m sure he’ll be out late if he comes home at all.”

I shook my head. “Like you would have ever let me stay out
all night if I was under your roof, even at age twenty-four.” I smiled. “You’re
getting soft, Ma,” I chided her.

I scooted out of the grasp of the lasagna and brought my
suitcase upstairs. I unpacked and changed into a tank top and yoga pants. I sat
on the bed and sighed. Already I was feeling a little less stressed out. I
thought about calling Brady. I knew he was worried. I decided to go downstairs
and get a glass of wine instead.

I walked into the kitchen and almost into Austin.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, surprised. “Is
everything okay?”

Whether it was the stress of the day or just needing
something in that moment, I threw my arms around him and put my head on his
shoulder.

“Okaaaay,” he said slowly, patting my back.

“I need a hug,” I said, my voice muffled into his t-shirt.

“Sounds like you need a cocktail, too,” he said.

I pulled back from him. “I was actually going to open a
bottle of wine,” I said.

“That’ll do. I’ve got some downstairs, come on.”

We walked to his basement apartment. My mom and stepfather
had finished it off with the intention of renting it out; it was a beautiful
space. Austin wanted to be that renter. He took a lot of pride in that he
didn’t ‘live with his parents,’ he paid rent just like everybody else. Of
course, I could never have lived that close to my mother, but, to each their
own, right?

He grabbed a bottle of red from a cabinet and two glasses.

“How was your date?” I asked.

“Eh, kind of a dud,” he said. “She has a problem with
motorcycles.”

I laughed. “Who doesn’t love a bad boy?” I asked.

“Denise, apparently.” He popped the cork and poured each
glass full nearly to the rim. He brought it over to me and handed it to me.
“Cheers,” he said, sitting beside me.

We clinked glasses and I took a long sip. The wine hit my
taste buds and I began to relax immediately as it moved down my throat. “Holy
shit, that’s good wine,” I said.

“Nothing but the best for you,” he said. “So, what’s up? Did
you and Brady have a fight?”

Little known fact about my brother: he’s a complete badass
on the outside, complete with leather, motorcycle, and a rap sheet. But, from
the moment he and I met, we hit it off. We did good things for each other. Both
of us were only children and had always wanted a sibling. I had always wanted a
brother, and he had always wanted a sister. Two years ago, my boss at the job I
was working at the time was threatening to fire me. Austin came into my job and
had a chat with my boss, and I never heard another word other than praise from
my boss.

Austin really liked Brady, but he loved me, and he knew that
we’d been having trouble conceiving.

“I’m just getting so frustrated,” I said. “It sucks, and it
sucks even more when Brady should be supportive of me but instead he gets mad
that I wasn’t happy enough, or whatever, for our friends.”

“I’m sure you were fine,” he said. “It sucks for Brady, too,
you know. A lot of guys really get their manhood called into question when
stuff like this happens. It’s like, every other dude can do it, why can’t I?”

“Do you want kids?” I asked.

He laughed. “Not anytime soon,” he said. “Or maybe ever.”

The wine was going down quickly, and I felt its effects
settling in. We continued to talk, and he confided in me that the reason he
didn’t think it would work with Denise was because she wanted to settle down
and have a family.

“That’s just not my speed,” Austin said calmly. “At least
not yet. I’ve still got a lot of tread to burn and a lot of rabble to rouse,
you know what I mean?”

“I get it,” I said. “And I’ll get another bottle of wine.”

Austin laughed. “Sounds good, Sis,” he said, leaning back on
the couch and putting his feet up on the coffee table.

“Don’t call me that,” I said. “Call me Gabi. Sis makes us
sound like we’re related.”

“Ew, well, we don’t want that, do we?” He laughed and tossed
a pillow at me; it fell far short. He shook his head and clicked the TV on,
switching it to a music station on his satellite.

From the kitchen I looked over at him on the couch. Austin
was a catch, even with the troubles he’d had in the past and apparently planned
to continue to have in the future. He was a big guy, 6’4”, but he was slender
and muscular. He loved working on cycles, and his hands were large with just
the tiniest bit of motor oil tattooed permanently around his finger nails. His
hair was gleaming black and shining in the light from the room, but he also had
blue eyes so striking I envied them. I felt warmth begin to spread through my
chest and down into places it definitely shouldn’t, not just because I was
married, but because, though Austin and I weren’t technically related, the word
‘brother’ was in his title.

He smiled at me as I brought the new bottle over. I looked
into his eyes and saw in them a heat that only made the temperature in my body
rise.

“Thanks,” he said, his voice gravelly, as I poured him a
fresh glass.

I sat next to him, our knees touching. I held up my glass.
“To us,” I said. “And to all the tread we have to burn.”

We clinked glasses and I must have clinked a little too
hard, because some of the wine from my glass splashed out onto my leg and the
couch.

“Oh shit!” I said, moving back. I began to wipe at the
couch, a black leather couch, thank goodness.

“It’s okay,” Austin said, “don’t worry about it.” He got up
to get a towel and came back, setting it between us. I grabbed it and wiped
furiously at the couch. I didn’t know if it was going to stain or smell like
wine or what, but I didn’t want to ruin his couch.

Austin grabbed my wrist and held it. The firmness of his
grip surprised me and I felt a surge of arousal move through me. I stopped with
the towel; I had no choice, and looked at him. He leaned in, his eyes smoking,
and he brought his lips to mine. His lips were full, warm, and I tasted the
wine on them. Exploratory at first, as I began to kiss him back, his lips grew
more insistent, and his tongue found its way into my mouth.
This is wrong
,
one part of my brain was shouting. But another part of my brain, and the rest
of my entire body, didn’t care.

He released my wrist and brought his hands to my hair,
cupping his hands around my jaw and ears, massaging my neck as we kissed. I put
my hands on his chest. I could tell from the heat of his body that he was just
as aroused as I was.

“Gabi,” he whispered. “You taste so good.” He leaned in and
I slid underneath him, until he was lying on top of me on the couch. The wine
gave everything a smooth, warm haze, and I felt like we were moving in slow
motion. He continued to kiss me and I could feel his cock, hard and insisting,
against my leg.

He pulled away just long enough to lift my t-shirt off over
my head. I hadn’t bothered to put on a bra because I thought I’d just be going
to bed, so my breasts were the first thing he saw. He smiled in appreciation
and hunger, then turned his attention to my breasts. My nipples were hard,
ready for his lips, and he cupped both my breasts in his large hands and began
to kiss my nipples as he massaged my flesh. I shifted my hips under his; I
wanted him. I couldn’t believe how much.

I began to slide off my yoga pants; of course I hadn’t
bothered with underwear either. Austin took a moment to pull his jeans off. I
learned in that moment that he went commando on his date. His cock was
enormous; it was the biggest I’d ever seen, and I felt a shiver of excitement
imagining how it would feel inside me, stretching my muscles and pleasuring me.
I smiled. He lifted my right leg and rested it on the back of the couch. I put
my other leg on the coffee table, spreading my legs to him. He gazed into my
eyes as he put his fingers to my pussy, checking to see if I was ready for him.
Of course, I was soaking wet… definitely ready.

He was hard as a rock, and when he entered me, the sensation
of his cock in me was one of being filled up completely—but not just
physically. Being filled up with every need I’d ever had being fulfilled in an
instant. He began to thrust against me, and I wrapped my arms around his
shoulders. I kissed his neck, holding on for dear life as he ravaged me. The
pleasure was immeasurable; I could barely breathe for it. I knew I was
breathing because I could hear myself gasping and moaning each time he drove
into me. With each thrust, his pubic bone rubbed against my clit, and I felt
myself getting ready to cum.

“I’m close,” I whispered between gasps. He began to move
faster, faster than I could imagine, like lightening inside of me, and as I
felt the waterfall of my climax, he grew rigid and grunted, and then he came in
me. Hot liquid surged into me and, for a moment I had the ludicrous thought of
the spilled wine and his cum mingling on the couch. We continued to move
together, my orgasm waning in the continued motion.

He pulled out and smiled at me. “You are the best fuck I’ve
ever had.”

“Likewise,” I said, and I meant it. I couldn’t believe it…
the chemistry, the intensity of my orgasm. Hell, the fact that I’d even
had
an orgasm, something that hadn’t happened in too long a time.

I got up and went to the bathroom and cleaned myself up. I
looked in the mirror and it was only then that the regret hit me full force.
The realization of what I had just done. I hadn’t realized that my attraction
to Austin had been growing over time… I’d just always thought he was a nice guy
and a great… stepbrother. The word clanged in my head. I just had sex with my
stepbrother.

I came out of the bathroom and looked at him, shaking my
head.

“We cannot do that again,” I said.

“Huh,” he said as he walked past me to go into the bathroom.
“And here I was thinking we should do it again in another hour or so.”