"C'mon, you'll have to help me get the cold groceries into the snow for now," Brady barked, throwing her phone back to her.
"Wait, why?" Adrian asked, getting out of the car and feeling an instant chill on her cheeks. "Isn't whoever you called coming to help us out?" she shouted over the wind which was howling yet again. Apparently, that was the only sound she was ever going to hear again.
"Yes, but it's going to be over an hour until he gets here. Now let's get these groceries out of here!" he ordered once again as her shoulders drooped. What were they going to do on the side of a rural highway stuck in the snow for over an hour? Adrian shook her head and began pulling the items that needed to stay cold and packing them in the snow next to the car like a natural freezer. The sky was getting even darker which made her feel nervous as she climbed back into the passenger seat.
"Now what do we do?" she asked her stepbrother, covering her cold hands with the sleeves of her jacket.
"We wait," he said nonchalantly without even looking at her. His eyes were closed, and he was leaning back in the seat. It infuriated her how comfortable he could be with the situation, but then again it was at least slightly her own fault for not listening to him.
"So, since we're stuck together for a while," Adrian said, clearing her throat loudly. She wasn't sure if she meant in the car or in general, but either way it applied. "I think we should start talking; catch up maybe."
"Great, how about you go first?" Brady said with seemingly no intention of listening. Adrian decided to speak anyways. It was better than the silence.
"Well, I went to community college and threw myself into school and school activities." At first Adrian was excited to talk about her life. But then she remembered that community college was not only where she met the woman that got her into recruiting and got her a job where she still worked, but it was also where she met Wolf, a.k.a. jerk. She cleared her throat, unsure if she wanted to talk about it.
"I had an apartment in Portland, at least until now, and I'm a top recruiter for a big company. The end." She put her hands in the air and gave an awkward chuckle. It didn’t sound so great anymore.
"I would assume that gap you left out there has to do with the reason you had to come stay with me." It didn’t really come out of Brady's mouth as a question. She had told her parents to only let him in on what he needed to know to let her stay there and nothing more. But the rest was probably easy to guess. She let her silence do that talking.
"I'll take that as a yes. I know that you didn’t want me knowing about any of that stuff, but Mom thought it would keep you safer if I knew exactly what was going on. I can't believe someone would treat anyone like that." Adrian looked at Brady, who was shaking his head. It wasn't something she thought he would find so upsetting. To be honest, she didn’t ever remember him caring much. "Don't worry, though. I won’t let him get to you even if he does find you; which I don't foresee." He shot her a bright smile that made her feel calm.
Once again, Adrian dared to let her eyes rake over him and notice the few curled hair peeking out of the top of his shirt and the muscles that were hard to hide in what he was wearing. It was so strange to be attracted to her stepbrother, even if it was something she would never act on.
"Thanks for that," she replied. He reached over and squeezed her hand, and it sent chills down her spine that had nothing to do with the temperature. As they looked at each other, it was clear there was a new relationship forming. Adrian just didn’t know what kind. “But now, it’s your turn,” she teased with a chuckle, wanting him to spill the beans as well. What had he been doing since they saw each other last other than becoming some lumberjack hermit?
“Well, I actually developed a building technique in my sophomore year of college that changed everything for me. I sold the idea to a construction company and used the money to buy this place once I graduated. My work now is pretty lucrative. I do a lot of consulting on individual building projects and have to travel for that. The trips can be long, but they don’t happen very often. I like it that way. I can enjoy my time in the mountains where I like it. I know you don’t care for it, but to me, it’s so peaceful and close to where humans should be. I’m connected to the trees and mountains and everything that lives in it instead of blocked in by a house on either side of me.”
When he described it that way, it actually made a little sense. “Very new age hippie,” she said approvingly. “You’re right that I’m not a fan, but I get the point. Besides, the isolation does come in handy for me right now.” Adrian shrugged as a pair of headlight came up behind them.
“Looks like we’ve been saved,” Brady announced with a sheepish smile, but Adrian didn’t know that she was ready to be saved.
Chapter 4
It was rounding out the end of Adrian' second week living with her stepbrother as she went about her nightly routine. She had become used to going to bed at an earlier hour and things being a little quiet and dark around ten at night. She had her routine down where she put on her pajamas and had tea while reading. Sometimes, she would do a crossword or some other puzzle instead of she hadn’t done it in the morning while Brady was cooking breakfast.
Things between the two of them had also become quite different, and Adrian felt a little strange. She had yet to broach the subject, though, and she doubted Brady would ever bring it up.
Adrian walked into the kitchen just as Brady scuffled in looking a little bit too tempting to be her lousy stepbrother. His hair was tied back into a messy ponytail that defined the angles of his jaw as they moved. His shirt was white and tight so that his muscles were visible. She had half a mind to say something so he wouldn’t dress so distractingly, but that would mean admitting that she liked the way he looked. She wasn't about to cross that line, especially now that his place as finally feeling a bit like a home for her.
Adrian tried not make eye contact and reached for the handle on the refrigerator door, getting a surprise when Brady's hand landed on top of hers. She followed the arm all the way up to his face, and he was just staring lazily at their hands together like he was unsure just how his hand got there. "Sorry," he said with a sheepish but polite smile. "I guess I get a little clumsy when I get tired. I was just about to reach for some..."
"Milk," Adrian finished his sentence and pulled out the milk; pouring it into her mug before setting it on the counter just within his reach. He had a bashful stance about him, and she could feel her cheeks getting hot. Things were getting more awkward each second, and they just kept looking at each other.
Finally, Adrian peeled her eyes away and went about heating up her tea bag so that she could enjoy a warm beverage before wrapping up in the covers in bed to avoid the chill. She leaned up against the counter and tried not to react to the fact that Brady was pouring his milk only an inch or two away from her. It was like there was some wave or energy passing between them. She didn’t know what to think of it or certainly what to do as she felt her skin seared by yet another accidental touch.
Adrian held her breath as the water began to boil and turn dark with the colors of the tea she had chosen to brew. She snatched up the tea just as soon as she could, carelessly leaving the burner on for Brady to turn off. He did it without complaint and soon joined her; sitting on the opposite couch as Brody.
She pulled out her crossword puzzle to pass the time and help make her brain ready to shut down. Brody pointed to it with inquisitive eyes. "Want some help?" he offered, and Adrian didn’t detect anything like a ritual or him mocking her in any way.
"Sure, I would love some help. Let’s do one of the harder ones," she told him, getting a little excited. Was she actually about to have some real adult interaction? If so, she wasn't going to turn the opportunity down.
"How about a ten letter word that means superfluous?" she called out as he took his now empty glass to the kitchen. She had to talk loudly over the sudden clanging of dishes which let her in on the fact that he was doing his nightly chores which included washing
whatever they had used that day.
Brady began to grumble under his breath, and Adrian wondered if he was thinking out loud. Trying to figure out the answer. But the next few words that came out of his mouth shocked her beyond what she thought she was able to be shocked by something. Adrian had seen and experienced a lot of things, but this was somehow at the top of the list.
"Before we get all involved in finding the answers to these crazy clues, there's something I feel like I should share with you." His voice sounded shaky and nervous. And Adrian wondered what he would need to talk about before they filled out crossword together. "I know that you're itching to get out of here because you don’t think you belong here, but I feel it might be worth it to let you in on the fact that I like you a lot; I care about you a lot. I think I care for you more than just a brother should." His dimples could be seen from across the room as he turned around to look at Adrian as if he could decipher her precise response from the way she was sitting.
Adrian was sure it looked like her jaw was hanging to the floor in that moment and for good reason. It sounded like her stepbrother, the one that she’d hated growing up with, had just told her that he had romantic feelings for her.
He continued without any response from Adrian. “Actually, I had feelings for you a long time ago. I just didn’t know how to tell you, and I was pretty sure you didn’t like me. I moved on with my life thinking that we’d probably never see each other again beyond a couple of holidays here and there, but now here you are living with me.” He sounded more like he was talking to himself as he shook his head incredulously and let out a slow laugh. He looked at the floor. Adrian was at a loss as to what to do or say. A few times in her head she had thought of him as attractive or nice lately, but that was as far as it went.
Now that the possibility was out there that she could be with her stepbrother, it sounded all kinds of taboo. And she didn’t know if she was that type of girl. So, she sunk down in her seat and began the crossword, hoping he would understand that she needed time to process the bomb he had just dropped.
Chapter 5
Adrian broke out in a fit of laughter along with Brady, who was sitting next to her. As she was enjoying herself, she began to have an epiphany. It had been three days since the incident where her stepbrother had admitted having feelings for her, and she had carefully skirted the issue ever since. On some level she knew he deserved some sort of response, but she was too afraid to make any kind of decision.
But as she sat there with him on the couch like she did almost every evening, watching a comedy that they both enjoyed, she couldn’t help but begin comparing him to every other guy in her life. Wolf was an obviously wrong choice. He had manipulated her and treated her wrong at every turn, but his ability to make her feel like a princess had overshadowed all the bad things he did. It was by far the most unhealthy relationship she had ever been in, and it has also been the longest; the one she assumed she was going to be in for life.
She'd had a few boyfriends before that, and even though she had been young, she had been very serious about them. One she had lost to the distance when she moved in with her new stepmother and brother. He had cheated rather than handle long distance. Another had ended up being a teenage drug addict. How ridiculous did that history sound?
Adrian's eyes raked over her stepbrother and knew instantly that he was a far better choice than any she'd ever made despite the fact that he was indirectly related to her. She had the feeling he would never treat her poorly.
"Are you alright?" Brady asked with a smile still on his face. He was looking Adrian right in the eye, and she felt breathless. She was seeing him in a whole new light. "Seriously, why are you looking at me like that?" He cocked his head to the side, and she was sure he thought she was insane. But it didn’t matter.
Going on pure instinct, she wrapped the palm of her hand behind his head and pulled his face down to hers. Adrian placed her lips on his, begging him to part his lips and succumb to the feelings he admitted to. A surprised gasp escaped Brady's lungs as his muscles relaxed into hers. As his lips began to move with hers and his hands clasped to her sides, she could tell without a doubt how much he had always wanted her.
Adrian sighed as he tugged at her bottom lip with his teeth and ran his hands up her shirt to feel her skin. Her body shook with chills that ran up her spine.
Adrian lifted her arms in the air so that Brady could slip her shirt over her head and let it fall to the floor beside them. After that, it became a race as they removed each other's clothing in just seconds. All that was left separating their warm bodies as they pressed up against each other on the couch was a pair of black boxer briefs and a pair of pink lace panties.
"Are you sure?" Brady whispered as she laid down, pulling his body on top of her. Adrian held his eyes with hers and nodded. Now that she let herself feel it, she knew that she had wanted this since shortly after she arrived, and had she known of his feelings sooner it might have happened before. But it didn’t matter because they had now.
Brady slid her panties down to her ankles, and she closed her eyes as he kissed down her collarbone. His hands were tracing her bare curves almost like he was the one carving her and bringing her to life. His thumbs dug into her thighs, causing her to moan and beg for him to quit teasing her.
She shoved her own thumbs into the hemline of his boxers and tugged downward, revealing his swollen member standing at attention as he looked at her body like it was dessert, Adrian was actually okay with the idea of being his dessert.
She pulled his head down into her stomach, and she arched her back as he began to lick and kiss all over her skin. He was leaving a cold trail of saliva to mark his journey on her body. His lips smacked against her body lower and lower until he reached her groin, searing the sensitive skin there with his warm, wet tongue.
Adrian raked her nails across his back as he licked his way back up to her neck, sucking on it like a vampire. She thought she was going to spontaneously combust waiting for him to decide to enter her.
Brady placed his mouth over her breast and swirled his tongue around her nipple just as he lifted her knees up. Adrian could feel the tip of his shaft slipping into her center. Her center was dripping with sweet anticipation, and she dug her nails in deeper and wrapped her legs around him, thrusting her own hips forward. His shaft was forced farther inside of her, and Brady gasped at the feeling of his soft flesh inside of hers.
Then, he began to buck with a rhythm, placing himself farther inside and banging against her G-spot. Adrian arched her whole body in pleasure as she felt his shaft filling her up to the brim. Her body was locked up and down and side to side like a rag doll in his strong hands, and she knew she would never find such pleasure anywhere else.
"Brady," she whispered into his ear as she felt her body tensing. She was getting close to climax. Her whole body squeezed him and suffocated him until her insides quivered with an incredible pulse that sent them both into a fit of moans.
As they both finished with sighs of pleasure, they collapsed onto the couch wrapped up in one another. "I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for that," Brady panted, causing Adrian to laugh a little.
"I'm sorry, I don’t mean to laugh. I just find it a cutely cheesy thing to say at a moment like this," Adrian explained as she began to stroke his hair affectionately. "Do you think things are going to be different around here now?" Adrian wondered out loud as she felt his hand burning against her stomach. Now that they had experienced that together, the reality was setting in. She blushed at the idea of having another conversation with her parents about how things were going living together. What a joke that was.
"I certainly hope so," Brady responded with a smug look on his face.
Chapter 6
Adrian touched her lips, and a smile came to her face instantly. All thoughts of Brady made her giddy like that lately. She was very nearly sure she was falling in love with him. They continued to warm each other through the coldest winter she
’d ever experienced. They relied on their bodies and the fireplace to keep them warm.
But now she was alone with the promise of his return in the form of a kiss. He had to go off for business and was not the happiest about it, but she wasn't about to ruin his work just so they could spend more time together. They had all the time in the world.
Even though it still had not been that long since she fled from Wolf, her body had healed, and her heart was more than on its way. It was like a nightmare, the memory was so distant.
Adrian's phone buzzed, and she answered it since she saw that it was her parents. She had been dodging them for a while now, only saying what she had to. She knew that as much as they wanted the two of them to get along they wouldn’t be thrilled with the idea of them in a relationship. She had no idea how to tell them, but she was alone and needed some form of company.
"Hi, Dad," she answered with a smile spread across her face. She would always be a daddy’s girl at heart.
"Actually, it's Mom," a sweet female's voice came on the phone, letting Adrian know it was Brady's mother instead. "Your father's been working overtime and is taking a little nap, but I wanted to check on the two of you. I know that we all had our doubts, but I hope that you are happy calling my son’s place at least your temporary home."
"Thanks for checking in on me," Adrian whispered. "It took some getting used to, but it's really been sort of nice getting away from it all. It's a very simple life, but it puts things into perspective." That was about as detailed as she was willing to get.
"Oh, that's so sweet to hear, honey. Is Brady there with you so I can talk to him? I want to thank him for not making things so torturous for you like he used to." Adrian chuckled awkwardly at the statement, remembering for just a moment the way things used to be when she was still living under her parents' roof.
ROMANCE: Mated to the Bear (Stepbrother Paranormal Shifter) (Threesome Taboo Romance) Page 2