Stepbrotherly Love

Chapter 2

"Are you almost here, honey?"

I rolled my tired blue eyes at my mom. Why was she calling me now?

"I told you the last time you called that I was on my way. I know exactly where I'm going, Mom, it's not like I'm going to get lost."

"But you aren't here yet," she said, with a hint of a whine in her voice.

I held back a sigh. "Mom, I'm not teleporting there. Just give me time, okay? I'm not even that far away."

"Fine, then, but hurry up, okay? There's still a lot left to do, and the wedding is really close."

"You should know better than to do stuff last minute, Mom."

"It's not last minute, though! I've been working a lot on this, okay? All my friends are busy, too, so I've been doing it on my own. It's a small event, anyway, so it's not too big, but I could use the help."

"Give me ten more minutes, and I'll be there," I said.

"Thank you, honey!"

Mom hung up, and I put my phone away. I called it a trip, but I was really just going from the area I lived in, to Mom's house.

When I made the decision to move to Louisiana after college, I'd talked to Mom. In the end, she decided to move with me, since there wasn't anything holding her to North Carolina after her second divorce. Her new house had a spare room, not because she expected more children at her age, but because she wanted me to have somewhere to stay when I visited. Up until after the wedding, I'd be staying with her, and it was only a couple hours from where I lived, faster depending on speed and traffic.

As promised, about ten minutes later, I arrived at Mom's doorstep. I knocked, then tried the doorknob. Mom didn't mind if I walked right in. Even though I was only ever over for short stays, she'd told me plenty of times that her home was my home, and she wouldn't mind me stopping by for longer stays.

I wonder how that will work out now.

"... She's just about to arrive..."

The moment I got inside, I heard Mom talking. I didn't hear anyone else in the room, so I assumed it was a phone call. So, I wouldn't bother her, I picked up my bags and walked upstairs with them. When I walked back down, I heard a different voice that was definitely not Mom's. I wondered if she had her phone on speaker, or if they were video chatting on the computer because the sound wasn't very clear.

I found myself listening in and was surprised at the conversation going on between them. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but it felt like I would be intruding if I walked in on their conversation.

Has Mom ever sounded like this before?

For one, she was laughing a lot. When she spoke, I could hear the love and happiness in her voice. I could recognize it because I heard it from her when we met up after we hadn't seen each other for a while. I could hear Paul's responses as well, and his voice was warm. It was different from husband number one and number two.

I was surprised because my soon-to-be stepfather was a far-cry from Mom's usual taste. While this was her third marriage, she had occasionally dated in between, so I was sure I knew her type well.

Paul seemed different.

From just the short conversation I heard, he sounded kind, caring, and seemed like a generous man. Mom was letting him know what she still had to do, and he kept offering to help. He took her seriously when she spoke her worries, and he calmed her down, sounding reasonable and being nice about it.

It could just be that they were still new, but even earlier in her relationship with husband number two, I hadn't heard her like this. I hadn't particularly liked the man, because a lot of the time he seemed to talk down to my mother and dismissed her worries with claims that he could handle all of her problems. While Mom did tend to worry about the smallest things sometimes, to the point that even I lost my patience with her, I wouldn't look twice at a man that talked to me that way unless he was really amazing in bed.

Paul Smith, however, really did seem to care about my mom.

It took me a minute to realize everything had suddenly gone quiet. Their talk must have been over. I continued down the stairs and tiptoed carefully toward the kitchen. Mom was seated at the dining hall with her computer in front of her, humming to herself.

"Hello, Mom," I called softly.

She looked up then grinned. "Julia! I thought I heard you come in before. You should have come; you could have said hi to Paul."

"It would have been intruding."

"Of course, not. We're going to be family soon, after all."

Mom had gotten up to come over to me and give me a hug, so she didn't see the grimace that crossed my face at her words. No matter how nice he was, it didn't mean I was suddenly okay with all of this.

"Then, I can just meet him later. Now, you had something you needed my help on?"

"Oh, definitely! There's still so much to do. I need to do confirmation for the flowers; we need those soonest, then there are the guests, there really aren't that many, to begin with. The food, the catering..."

Once she started, everything just spilled. There really was quite a lot for her to handle on her own. I would have asked why she didn't just hire someone, or ask Paul to do it, but Mom was pretty controlling, and she wouldn't be happy unless she was doing it all herself, or getting me to help her. I sighed as she tugged at me to have a seat.

I'd already expected it, but I definitely wouldn't be relaxing for this short vacation.

Mom had the stuff to do in town, so not long after I'd sat down, she left me with the easier tasks and left. It was the easy stuff, but it was still a lot to do.

While in the middle of making arrangements, my phone vibrated. I'd set it on the table beside me in case Mom needed anything, but when I picked it up, it wasn't Mom that had texted me. It was the man that I'd been sleeping with lately.

I frowned at the interruption but opened the text to read it anyway. It was a short message, to my relief. I'd made the mistake of letting him know I'd have time off this week. I hadn't meant to tell him and regretted that I had now. He wanted to come over.

Come over, I thought. Like hell. No way would I invite a man to my mom's house, and even if I was at my apartment, I still wouldn't. This was another aspect of my job that absolutely worked for me; I didn't have time for a relationship. I met guys for flings when I wanted after work. I never expected the relationships to last, so if it was only a few hours at night to scratch an itch; it totally worked for me.

My free days were for me. Not me and whoever I was currently f*****g.

I'm busy, I typed.

The message was short and curt, but I didn't feel like giving him an explanation. He didn't need one. He'd already exceeded his allotment of three rolls in the hay, so I wouldn't be meeting him again. Three times, I'd come to realize, was the sweet spot. Even when a guy understood that all I wanted was occasional s*x and not a relationship, they misunderstood and treated me like a convenient booty, and I was definitely not that.

We exchanged a few more messages back and forth, and I kept my responses short and blunt until he got the picture. Once he was quiet, I wondered if I should give Mom a call.

It was too late, though. I was in the middle of helping prepare for her wedding; I couldn't still try to change her mind. The wedding would take place whether I liked it or not.

This is what she wants, I told myself and got back to work.

It was just that people didn't always know what was good for them.

My phone rang a few minutes later, and this time, it was Mom.

"Did you forget something?" I asked before she even said hello.

I wouldn't be surprised.

She giggled nervously. "Uh, yeah I did, actually. Paul is coming over with his son today, and I completely forgot I was supposed to pick them up. I'm really tied up right now, and they'll be arriving in about an hour..."

I braced my elbow on the table and rubbed my temple with my fingers, pushing back an oncoming headache. I didn't want to have anything to do with these people without Mom there.

"Can't you just make time? And they're both grown men, right? So, do they really need to be picked up?"

"Julia, can't you please just do this one thing for your mother?" She pleaded. "I really am busy, okay? I wouldn't just say it if I was lying! It's a bit of a drive to the airport, and I left my car at home, anyway, because I didn't think I would need it. The keys are in the usual place."

"Ugh," I groaned. "Fine, but I'm nowhere near done with what you left me to do."

"That's fine! This is just something I really need to get out of the way; I'll be there to help you tomorrow."

"Let me know their flight."

Mom rattled off the information, along with a few tidbits I hadn't asked for that left me thinking once we cut the call.

The men were coming down to Louisiana from their home state of New York. I didn't even know what city Paul lived in until Mom said it just now. I knew his son was planning to stay in Louisiana because he was going to be working with my employer; the doctor that Paul occasionally visited at the clinic.

I wasn't thrilled about it, especially since the news came after Mom told me about the wedding, but the arrangements had been made, and I didn't have a say in it, anyway. I was just hoping he'd be the overweight, self-assured type of doctor that I was used to. I could deal with that kind.

When it was time, I got up to leave. I didn't have a car of my own, it was an expense I didn't need, and my apartment wasn't that far from my job. When it was daytime, if I didn't mind the walk, considering I'd be standing through most of the day, I could get to work on foot. It was a bit long, but not too annoying. At night, I could take the bus, so it was never an issue. I picked the car keys from the back of a kitchen drawer, where Mom said she left them for emergencies, and so she wouldn't forget.

As I drove to the airport, I couldn't help but think I didn't want a new family. I hadn't seen any pictures of the soon to be stepbrother, but I knew the type well enough by now. It was a little annoying he had to be so close by, but hopefully, he wouldn't give me too much trouble or attention as long as I stayed away.

I knew my stepfather to be, kind of. I recognized him when he walked out of the airport, and he saw me before I could wave to catch his attention. He came at me with a smile that made me uneasy, because it was too friendly. We aren't a family, I wanted to tell him, but I knew Mom would be angry if she ever heard it, not to mention hurt. So, I put on a polite smile and walked forward to receive him.

My mind registered the fact that there was someone right behind him, but I didn't take a look right then, I simply assumed he was the son.

Paul was six feet tall. Even though he was sixty years old, I couldn't see any traces of gray in his hair. He had bright green eyes that looked happy to see me, even though he didn't know me. All I knew about him, because I didn't care much to find out before, was that he was a retired plastic surgeon.

"Julia," Paul said, reaching out his hand for a shake. "So nice to officially meet you. I've seen you a few times at work, but Amelia speaks so much about you, I feel like I know you already."

I shook his hand, hopefully hiding how uncomfortable I felt. I wasn't a very social person, and aside from Mom, I didn't go out of my way to talk to people unless I had to. My occasional hookups were a totally different thing because there was rarely much talk involved.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Paul," I said politely.

"You haven't met him, but you'll be working with him really soon," he continued, looking behind him. "This is my son, Stephen."

I finally turned to see Stephen, the son, and immediately, I froze.

He stepped forward with a grin, raising his hand.

Fuck, he's hot!

Paul had moved to the side, and Stephen moved closer. It felt like he was too close, and yet too far at the same time. I could feel the electricity all but crackle between us. His grin faltered a little before hitching even higher at the corners, which made me think he felt it too.

"Hello, Julia," he said, and just the way my name rolled off his tongue made me shiver. "It's nice to meet you finally. It seems we're going to be family and colleagues from now on."

"U-uh, yes," I stuttered, my voice losing the smooth edge, sounding a little strained. "Nice to meet you as well."

He took my hand in his, and I felt a jolt go through me at the touch. His palm was larger than mine, stronger, warmer. He gave a gentle squeeze and held my hand a little too long. When he released me, I could swear my palm was tingling.

I'm in trouble, I realized then.

Stephen Smith was six years older than me at thirty-two. He had dark brown hair and gorgeous light green eyes. He had a handsome face, he was built and tall. He was also smart, considering his age and his job, and I came to find out, on the ride back as the three of us chatted lightly in the car, that he was also charming. He'd offered to drive if I gave directions, so I ended up in the shotgun seat and couldn't help throwing glances at his handsome profile.

"Can you let me know where we're going?" He asked.

For a moment, I didn't understand what he wanted; then I jumped when I realized we'd come to the intersection.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Turn to left."

He chuckled. "No need to apologize. We're the ones that should be sorry for making you come to pick us up."

I sat guiltily, thinking back to my earlier irritation.

The ride continued with Stephen doing most of the talking, and I directed him to their hotel. It was close to Mom's home, and it was where the wedding would be taking place, too.

Paul didn't have much in the way of luggage. He explained that he'd left some stuff at Mom's place, and I didn't want to look too closely at that. As he went his way, I helped Stephen take his bags up.

"Thank you, for the help," he said. "You didn't have to."

We'd come to a stop outside his hotel door. I was wondering why I'd offered myself, so I could only offer him a smile as he unlocked the room. Truthfully, I was just polite, but who would have known he would actually say yes?

He had carried quite a few things, after all. He wasn't just around for a short stay, he'd be sticking around for the near future, he just didn't have a place to live yet, and this was nowhere near the clinic. He handled two of his suitcases, and I took the third, smaller one. Someone from the hotel staff could have helped, but neither of us brought it up.

The room was a suite. He walked inside with his suitcases, so I just followed him, closing the door. He headed right for the bedroom, and I hesitated a little before following inside, feeling my heart start to race. Automatically, my eyes moved to the bed. The room wasn't too big, but the bed definitely was, it was the focus of the room, so it was hard not to notice.

"Well, that's it."

I jumped, my head whipping around to face Stephen who'd dropped his bags by the closet. I wondered if he'd noticed my preoccupation. He gave me a knowing smile that answered the silent question for me, and I felt my face warm up.

No! I am not blushing!

I hadn't blushed since I was an innocent high school girl.

Stephen took a slow step forward, and my back straightened. Another step and my hand tightened around his bag. He moved until he was stopped right in front of me, and I was barely breathing. Then, his face started leaning closer. I didn't move, but I was practically screaming on the inside.

What the hell! Too fast!

His hand grabbed mine, and I jumped, letting out a gasp. But he just loosened my fingers from the handle of his suitcase and pulled it beside him as he moved back. His gaze was amused, and I bit my lip as my face flared again. He definitely did that on purpose!

My heart was beating fast in my chest. That short moment had been like the initial spark of desire that would burn between us. If only I let it.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out. "I was in the middle of something before, and I need to get back to it, so I'll be going now."

I let it all out in one breath, then turned and rushed out of the room. I left before anything more could happen between us. A couple hot looks and that moment when he touched my hand, when that awareness flared between us, was enough to leave my body burning. I knew what it wanted, but I would not do it with Stephen Smith, my new almost stepbrother, and colleague of all people.

By the time I went to bed that night, I still hadn't put it out of my mind. I tossed and turned in my bed. I couldn't stop the burning in my body just because I wanted it gone. The moment I got into bed with the lights off it was back as my mind jumped back to the memory. I couldn't help fantasizing about what could have happened if I'd stayed. I didn't want to think about it, but I was trying to sleep, and the thoughts kept jumping out when I let my guard down.

Finally, feeling frustrated, I took matters into my own hands.

I rolled onto my back, one hand slid beneath my top to cup my breast and tease my n****e. With a relieved sigh I spread my legs a little and let my hand slide down between them as I tilted my head back. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts run rampant, a shivery moan slipped out between my lips.

Dammit. This isn't how this day was supposed to end!