My Charming Stepbrother

by Grace Valentine

  Jack swayed in his seat. "Remember this song, Trace?"

  Tracey put her fork down and tuned in to the music that was playing. "Yes. This was playing when we danced for the first time on our first date."

  Jack extended his hand to her. "May I have this dance?"

  Tracey pushed her chair back, enough to get up from behind the table.

  "Yes, you may."

  Jack and Tracey walked off to the dance floor, leaving Brian and Daisy alone at the table.

  "I know that frustrates you when they are asking you about your career like that." Daisy was trying to offer an olive branch.

  "Thanks for recognizing that," Brian replied, chewing on the inside of his cheek, a habit that he had obviously not gotten rid of.

  They sat quietly, listening to the music, watching some of the other couples dancing. Brian poured himself another glass of wine.

  "They look so good together," Daisy said out loud, more to herself than as a means of starting a conversation.

  "They really do."

  She turned to Brian, confused. "You think that they look good together."

  He was leaned back in his chair, a look of frustration still on his face.

  "They always have. They were meant for one another." He waved his hand in the air, as if what he was saying was public knowledge.

  A young boy and a man approached the table, holding a piece of paper and a pen. "Mr. Faber. We hate to disturb you. But my son is a huge fan of yours. Can we trouble you for an autograph?"

  "Sure, what's your name?" Brian asked the boy.

  "Jake." The child was smiling from ear to ear.

  Daisy watched as Brian stopped what he was doing to not only sign an autograph, but take pictures with the boy and his father. It was obvious that it made their day to see their favorite ball player. They talked sports for a moment, and Brian hugged the boy, giving him advice on staying in school and going after his dreams. The child was on cloud nine and the father thanked them as they walked away.

  "That was amazing."

  "What?" Brian asked, unfazed.

  "That entire interaction. Signing autographs. Taking pictures. You really made that little boy's day."

  Brian shrugged. "It is part of the job. I would not be who I am if I did not address my fans. Those are the people who buy my jerseys and come to the games. Plus, I'm home so who would I be if I did not treat my fans from home extra special?"

  Daisy sipped her wine, looking at the man sitting across from her. That was the side of Brian she liked to see. The compassionate side that considered other people's feelings and would give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it.

  "You are minimizing what happened there, but I see how huge it was."

  He shook his head, finishing his meal.

  "So are we going to talk about this morning or not?"

  Daisy gulped the rest of her wine, hoping that it would give her the courage to have the discussion that was necessary.

  "You keep bringing up the fact that you think that we need to talk. What do you want to talk about Brian?"

  There. She threw the ball in his court, let him lead the conversation.

  Eyebrow raised, Brian put his fork down and leaned in as if he was going to tell a secret.

  "There is so much history between us Daisy, I can't believe that you want to sit here and act as if this," he pointed at her and then at himself, "is casual."

  He leaned back in his seat. "But if that is the way that you want it to be, the so be it. I can't make you change your mind."

  She was not sure what she was supposed to say.

  Jack and Tracey returned to the table, laughing, full of energy. Daisy looked at them, wanting to feel like that in her life. She could not recall a time when she ever felt like what she was seeing between her father and Tracey.

  "I've taken care of the check already. Tracey and I are about to enjoy the night air. You two kids are on your own." Jack kissed his daughter on the cheek and gave Brian a hearty pat on the shoulder.

  The parents walked out, leaving Brian and Daisy at the table. Daisy busied herself gathering her purse.

  "Well, I guess we should get out of here." Brian offered his hand to Daisy as she pushed her chair back to get up.

  She accepted the gesture. His hand around hers felt protective, comfortable. They walked out of the restaurant, hand in hand.

  "If you want to be real, upfront about what is happening between us, come see me."

  Brian slid something in her pocket and turned to walk away.

  She watched him get in his car and drive off. Sliding her hand in her pocket, she pulled out a key card.

  Brian had just made his intentions clear. It was up to Daisy to respond.

  Chapter 4

  Daisy sat in the parking lot, turning the key card over and over in her hands. What would happen if she went to Brian's hotel room? Surely, he did not want to just sit and talk, reminiscing about old times.

  She could not ask anyone else for advice. This was something that she had to figure out on her own. Daisy shifted the car in drive and started out of the parking lot. It was a blood rush when she realized where she was going. She always hated 'What If" and knew that she had to make her way to the hotel to see Brian. If she did not do it, she would wonder forever what would have happened if she would have gone. At least this way, whether things went well or not, she would at least have an answer.

  The hotel was not far from the restaurant. It was one of the five star hotels that sat in the heart of downtown. She had been to one convention there some time ago, and it was the kind of place that people with money frequented.

  He had written the room number on the back of the card. She found the elevators and took them to the appropriate floor. His room was at the end of the hallway. She held the card in front of the flat pad on the wall and the door clicked.

  Once inside, she saw why the room was at the end of the hallway. Brian had a suite that was more like an apartment than a hotel room. The living room area was sunken in, complete with a white sectional and a cocktail table the same color adorned with a clear vase with red roses. There was eclectic artwork everywhere, as well a fountain that was the expanse of the wall. A winding staircase led upstairs to a loft where there was a pool table, some chairs, and a bar area.

  "So you came."

  Brian came out from the back hallway, with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, his rippling abs on display. He ran his hands through his wet hair.

  "I did." She casually threw her purse on the couch, unable to take her eyes off of him. A smirk spread across his lips, as if he knew that he was eye candy.

  "Make yourself at home. There is some wine or water, or whatever you would like to drink in the kitchen."

  "Thanks."

  He turned and went back down the hallway, leaving her to browse the drink selection. She settled on a soda, feeling like she had enough wine at dinner. Besides, she wanted to be in her right mind when she was with Brian.

  She added ice to her glass and poured the clear liquid over it.

  "Playing it safe I see."

  She could smell his cologne as Brian entered the room. "I figured I had had enough wine at dinner."

  He was standing right over her, his body almost pressing her against the counter. She had to still herself by putting her hands on the counter. A sigh escaped as she could not resist leaning back into his body.

  When his hands slid around her waist, she froze. His lips nuzzled in her neck, lightly planting kisses at the nape.

  "So, we were going to discuss this thing that is going on between us." His whispered words floated softly in her ear, his warm breath on her skin.

  "What is there to talk about?"

  He whirled her around so that she was facing him. "Who said anything about talking?"

  In an instant, his lips were on hers, his arms enveloping her. She did not have time to think about what was happening. All she could do was go with the flow and doing that fel
t right.

  The kisses were feverish. Daisy could barely keep her balance, but Brian was right there holding her where he wanted her while his love rained down on her. He lifted her on the counter, standing in front of her while her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist.

  She pulled him closer, their tongues in a tribal dance. His hands ran through her hair, letting her ponytail down. Her hair fell to her shoulders, and she suddenly felt liberated. Brian would not let her up for air, his lips stayed on hers. She did her best to pull his black tee shirt over his head, but she could not.

  "Come here."

  Brain stepped back, slid the shirt over his head, and went back for her. In one motion, he pulled her blazer off, and snatched her off of the counter. They could not keep their hands off of one another as they led a trail of discarded clothes to the bedroom. Daisy felt like they were on borrowed time. It was all like a dream.

  They were completely undressed when Brian laid her on the soft, down blanket of the bed. She sank deeper into the bed when he leveled his body on top of hers. It all was so exhilarating and felt so familiar.

  He made sure to kiss every tender point on her body, from the nape of her neck, to the spot on her shoulder where she was most excited. When his lips made their way down to her thighs, Daisy began to tremble. She wanted him so badly, it was all at a boiling point. There was no turning back now.

  Daisy responded to Brian's touch automatically. It all felt so blissful. She did not want it to end. They were enveloped in each other's being, neither of them letting go of their grip on the other. As aggressive as he normally was, Brian's love was sweet, but had an urgency to it that let her know that he wanted her. And when he entered her, Daisy bit her tongue to hold back from screaming.

  "Don't hold back." His urging made her scream out loud. She then got lost in his constant thrusts, the feeling of him inside of her making her lose control. The feeling of his body on hers, the sensations of her orgasm reaching all the way from her fingertips to her toes.

  It was all too much for Daisy to handle. The careless whispers, the mood of love and the beautiful moment that was being created between the two of them. Brian was not letting her go, he held her as they rode the wave of ecstasy. Each and every time her body shuddered, Brian was right there to make sure that he held her through the motions.

  Even when Daisy begged Brian to let her go, he would not. He pulled her closer, as if their bodies would mesh in to one. They almost did. It was such a passionate climb to the climax. Daisy could feel him stiffening, the throbbing signaling the eminent introduction of pleasure, yet Brian held on.

  He pulled her on top of him, where he had a perfect view of his lover. Daisy rolled her hips, winding on him, grinding on him. She watched as he bit his lip, obviously trying to hold on for her sake. But she did not want him to hold back. She wanted him to experience the same pleasure that he was giving her. She knew that it would be better to bring him along for the ride. She clenched the muscles of her inner walls, surrounding him, grabbing him on her way to bliss. Brian had no choice but to meet her there. Her fingers scratched fine lines down his chest, the stimulation too much for both of them to handle.

  They sang out in harmony, their bodies colliding on the road to satisfaction. Brian held her, bringing her to his chest, letting her know that even though they were at the finale, he was not finished with her.

  She lay in the bed next to him, almost drifting off to sleep.

  "You aren't going to sleep on me are you?"

  Daisy cozied up to him, his muscles against the soft curves of her body. "I'm not sure. I have the sudden urge to relax."

  Brian caressed her, kissing her on the forehead. "Fine. But I will still be here when you wake up."

  Those words were all that she had to hear. She drifted off to sleep, there in the safety of his arms.

  *

  Daisy's eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she could not tell where she was. Then it all came rushing back to her. She had run in to Brian at the bookstore. That had turned in to breakfast at her house, then dinner with their parents. Then he had invited her back to his hotel room where things had progressed so quickly, Daisy did not feel like she had a moment to even think about what had transpired.

  She rolled over, pulling the covers up over her chest. A cool blast of air hit her skin as the covers were ripped off.

  "You were always covering up that beautiful body of yours. What are you doing? I like my view."

  Brian lay there, propped up on an elbow, staring at her.

  "It is way too cool in here. I was trying to get comfortable under here."

  "I can always turn the heat up," he said as he inched closer to her.

  "Really?"

  His lips brushed hers.

  "What just happened here?" Daisy asked.

  "We had a discussion."

  "I don't remember talking."

  He shook his head. "Sometimes there is no need for words. Those can get things all confused. But what we just did, it speaks volumes. Makes things pretty clear."

  She ran her hands through her hair and tugged at the blanket. There was some truth to what he was saying, but she still had questions. Daisy did not want to ruin the moment, so she decided to hold back on the interrogation. Maybe being around him would hash out the answers that she needed.

  "It's pretty late. I don't think that you have to drive home right now. You can go home in the morning."

  "Is that an offer for me to stay over at your posh hotel?"

  Brian smiled. "It is an offer. You can stay if you would like. And I would like you to stay."

  "I accept. And I'm assuming this place has spectacular room service."

  "How does someone as tiny as you eat so much?"

  Daisy shrugged. "It goes to all of the right places."

  "That it does." Brian got up and went over to the phone to call for room service. He was not wearing any clothing, completely naked, muscles bulging everywhere from his arms to his calves.

  He was a spectacular specimen. One thing that Brian did was take his health and workouts seriously. It was no wonder that he was a top player in the league. Making sense of the man that she saw on television and the person that she knew all this time was confusing. She hoped that he had not changed much.

  She was lying there, waiting for him to return to bed while she thought about how things had changed so quickly in such a small amount of time.

  "What's on your mind?"

  "Not much," she responded, shaking her head.

  "It looks like a lot is on your mind. I can tell by the way that you stare off with that funny smile. You used to do the same thing when we were younger."

  "So much for keeping a little something to myself. I was just thinking that this," she paused, never able to find the words to describe what was going on between the two of them. "This, whatever it is. It was always so confusing to me."

  Brian slid back in bed next to her, holding her gaze. "Why is it so confusing?"

  "I don't know. Either we are not speaking or we are here. That does not confuse you?"

  He took her hand in his. "Why should it? I swear, Daisy. You never had the ability to let things be what they are. If you could simply just be, things would feel so much better for you."

  She frowned. His comment felt like he was trying to say that something was wrong with her. He must have read her expression, because he tried to recover his statement.

  "What I mean is this. Since we were kids, you always tried to control everything. You had to know how things were moving, every step of the way. There was no surprising you. You had to lead every event in your life. And if it did not go the way that you saw it going, it was no good. That's not realistic. That's not life, Daisy. Everything does not go your way. Everyone does not feel the way that you feel about things. Everyone does not see things the way that you see them. So you have to be willing to see when someone else has feelings about something and when someone else has feelings about you. I have had fe
elings for you since we were kids, and you never acknowledged that. I tried to show you, tried to tell you. I tried to show you. For some reason you missed the signs.

  "I used to wonder why that was. Was I not clear enough? Then I started to think that you weren't feeling the same way about me. But that wasn't it. It was just that I did not do things on your terms. And that wasn't fair."

  She clenched her jaw, not sure if she was frustrated with herself or angry with Brian's confession.

  "What's not fair is that you let me think that you did not feel anything for me when we were both falling for each other. What's not fair, Brian, is that you left, without a word about where that would leave the two of us."

  He rolled his eyes. "You can't be serious, Daisy. I kissed you that day when you came home from school. I mean, I kissed you. And you didn't say anything after that. Just shut down and didn't say anything to me. What was I supposed to do? Beg you to talk to me? We lived in the same house and I tried. But I did have to go off and live my own life. And you were not leaving home and I had to go."

  Daisy's mind brought her back to the kiss that he spoke of. She had come home from school, soaked and wet from the rain as she ran from the bus stop. As soon as she came in the house, she slid her wet shoes off of her feet, throwing them on the floor next to the door. As soon as she dropped her books, there was Brian, standing there before her.

  He grabbed her with such urgency. Holding her in his arms, he whispered, "I can't take this anymore" and pressed her up against the wall. His kiss was inexperienced, but felt just right to her. She had not had any other experience except a peck on the lips by one of the most popular boys in school when she was in middle school. She did not fight Brian that day when he kissed her. She couldn't. Her mind was spinning, and she had this floating sensation. The kiss felt so right as his tongue found hers. She remembered that he tasted like bubble gum and that his lips felt so soft. He nervously rubbed his hands against the small of her back as if he was asking permission to continue to kiss her.

  She gave him the okay, leaning in to him, not taking her lips off of his. Even though she felt like she was going to pass out, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and did not let go.