by Ryli Jordan
I stared at him for a long moment. “All right, fine,” I said finally, picking up my drink and taking a sip of it. “But what do you want to talk about?”
Chapter Three
KATE
Over the rest of the night, I found that David was actually an entertaining conversationalist. Once we determined that England was off the table and settled on the topics of books and films, he really started to open up.
It helped that we'd finished the bottle of vodka between the two of us, too.
At the end of the night, I called David a uber, making sure he had my address so he could come back to pick up his car the next morning. If it had been anyone else, I would have let him just crash on the couch, but…
There had been a moment, near the end of the night, when he'd leaned in to pick up his glass at the same time I'd reached for the bottle of juice. Our hands had tangled somewhere in the middle for a moment, and David had looked at me as though with new eyes. He'd brought his other hand up to lightly stroke my cheek, making me sigh and close my eyes for a brief moment. When I'd opened my eyes again, I'd been sure that he was going to kiss me, his head tilted slightly to the side and his eyes questioning. He'd even leaned in a little bit, enough that if I'd leaned forward as well…
Instead, I had stood up and moved to the armchair on the other side of the room. This was my stepbrother, after all. Anyway, he was probably only interested in me because he was drunk and apparently lonely.
The next time I saw him was at the next family holiday party. This one wasn't just for family, though—instead, it seemed like half the city was gathered there in our parents' house. It felt a lot like their wedding, actually, and I knew I should probably know most of the people—most of them were people from the upper echelons of society, people that Alex had known forever.
I stared nervously at the long line of cars spread up the block and brushed my hands down along the red dress that Mom had bought for me. Apparently, Alex had been hosting this party for years now, but every year it seemed to get more and more lavish.
I made my way into the busy house, already feeling a bit claustrophobic. If I hadn’t just been there earlier that week, I might have thought I’d got the address wrong and come to someone else’s house. Everything had been transformed.
In the front hall, there was not one but three Christmas trees, each decorated with fake snow, lights, and an array of (probably fake) presents underneath. There were glittery snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. What wasn’t pristine white was decorated with green fir garlands—but not the fake kind that most people had; no, these were real, and their piney scent lingered in the air, mingling with the homey scent of baking cookies.
But there wasn’t a homemade cookie in sight: instead, waiters in sharp tuxedos were gliding around with trays of champagne, spiced wine, and cider, and when I ventured into the dining room, there was a festive spread of savory cheeses, bread, meat pies, and other assortments—but all the desserts looked absolutely perfect, and I doubted Mom had had a hand in baking any of them.
David was the person I saw that I even knew, and I made a beeline to his side. “Hey Kate!” he cried, throwing his arm around me. The heady and intoxicating scent of his aftershave mixed with spiced wine hit me strongly, and for a moment, I could do nothing except lean into him, breathing deeply. Then, I realized the crowd around him was made up of five very attractive females, some of whom I vaguely recognized from the wedding.
I smiled thinly at them and casually shrugged off David's arm. “Hi, David,” I said. Then lied: “Your father was looking for you.”
David frowned and glanced around at his coterie. “Do you know what he wants?” he asked in an undertone.
I shrugged. “No idea.” I felt kind of bad sending him on a goose chase, but I didn't really want to watch him flirting with all my colleagues at this party, and I didn't think that was too much to ask for. Anyway, I was sure Alex must have some more productive use for his son. He'd at least maybe get the man to slow down a little on the drink.
Finally, I located my friend Tanya on the other side of the room. I almost hadn't expected her to show up when I'd explained how fancy the party was going to be, but then again, she was probably there in the hopes of scoring herself some hot trust-fund boyfriend or something. “If you'll excuse me...” Without waiting for a reply, I ducked into the crowd and made my way over to Tanya. “I can't believe how busy it is here,” I said to her, pulling her into a hug.
“Hey darling,” she greeted me. “Who was that?”
“Who?” I asked.
“That man you were just talking to, the ridiculous flirt. And please tell me he's single...”
I blushed and shook my head. “That's my new stepbrother,” I told her. “I mean, not so new now, but he's been at his company's office in London for six months, so that's why you haven't seen him around yet. His name's David.” I made a face. “He's kind of...conceited.”
Tanya raised an eyebrow at me. “I didn't say I wanted to date the guy, but you'd have to have no eyes if you didn't want to sleep with him.” She gave me a look. “Although I suppose you might feel differently about him since he's your family.”
“He isn't really,” I said. “I mean, he is now, but it's not like we're related by blood or anything.” I sounded a bit too defensive, I knew. But I couldn't seem to get the words to stop. “I think he's ridiculously attractive, okay?”
There was a grin tugging at the corners of Tanya's mouth. “Oh do you? And have you made a move on him yet? Since he isn't a blood relation and all...”
“Of course not,” I hissed. “Can you imagine how awkward that would make things in the family? Anyway, he is a bit of a playboy, asshole so I’m not interested in someone like that.”
“Well, he is some eye candy right?” Tanya asked. “Whew! What I would do to him…” Her voice trailed off and she winks at me. “But if you're intent on not sleeping with him, maybe I'll try my hand in the ring.”
“Don't,” I said immediately. I blushed brilliantly and tried to think of a way to back myself out of that hole. “He's family,” I reminded her. “And you're one of my best friends. Same thing, I don't need these family gatherings to be even more awkward.”
“Sure,” Tanya said, hiding her amused grin behind the rim of her glass.
Chapter Four
KATE
Watching David flit around the party chatting with seemingly every attractive and available female was not the way I wanted to spend my night, though. “So how has work been?” Tanya asked. “Did you ever get that promotion that you mentioned might be in the cards?”
I rolled my eyes. “No,” I muttered. “They decided they’d be better off hiring from outside the company.”
Tanya shook her head and laid a hand on my shoulder. “Oh honey,” she said sympathetically. “Your boss is just a bit of an idiot. One of these days, he’ll actually find the time to try something that you’ve cooked and will see that you can do much more than a simple line cook position. After all, you did go to culinary school…”
“A lot of good that’s doing me.”
“At least you’re still enjoying it, right?” Tanya asked.
I sighed. “Yeah,” I agreed reluctantly. “I guess that’s better than a lot of people have.” I looked around the room, trying to come up with another topic of conversation.
“You're staring at him again,” Tanya pointed out gleefully, and I took another large swig of champagne.
“Glad someone is enjoying my misery,” I muttered.
“Aww, darling,” she said. “Maybe the reason he isn't talking to you is because he's attracted to you too but he also knows that your relationship would be doomed.”
“Tanya, I don't like him,” I protested, but I knew she didn't believe me. And I couldn't seem to keep my eyes off David, watching jealously as he brushed back Linda Mathewson's hair and laughed at something she said in response. “It's just sickening,” I said. “What type of guy really sleeps with
everything with legs, outside of a movie or a college dorm?”
“I'm sure that's all this is,” Tanya said, still smirking. “Look, he's headed into the kitchen; why don't you go after him and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble in there.”
I stared at him for a long moment and then stood abruptly, realizing as I did so, I could tell how tipsy I was. The world swayed for a moment, but I eventually managed to right myself. “I'm going after him,” I declared. “But not to make sure he doesn't get into any trouble. That's his business. I just...am looking for something to eat. That isn't sugar cookies or party appetizers.”
“Whatever you want to tell yourself,” Tanya said, taking another sip of her drink, still smiling knowingly.
I walked slowly into the kitchen, wanting to make sure I gave David enough time that it didn't look like I was, in fact, just following him. In the kitchen, it was just the two of us. He was leaning against the counter, his fingertips pressed to his eyeballs. “Starting to get hungover already?” I asked teasingly.
David jerked and then stared at me, his mouth hanging slightly open. He shook his head slowly and then looked away, biting his lower lip. For a moment, he looked unsure of himself—which wasn't anything I had ever associated with David before. Not that I knew him all that well, though.
He sighed shakily. “Kate,” he said in a low voice, reaching out and pulling me closer to him.
I stumbled a couple steps, surprised by his movement, and ended up standing between his legs looking up at him with wide eyes. David's hand came up to softly caress my cheek, his thumb sliding across my cheekbone and down my jawline. He sighed again, more heavily this time.
“Kate, you don't know what you do to me,” he said in a serious undertone. “Ever since I laid eyes on you the week leading up to our parents' wedding...” He swallowed hard.
I laughed sharply and pushed away from him. “Don't, you’re drunk” I said sharply.
“Don't what?” he asked, actually looking confused.
I paused for a moment, although instinct was screaming at me to get out of there. I put my hands on my hips. “Look, I know your type,” I said finally. “I know I'm...” I waved a hand at my form, feeling a blush start forming on my cheeks.
David reached for me again, his hands coming to rest on my cheeks. “You're what?” he asked, breath ghosting over my lips. “You're absolutely gorgeous, is what I think.”
My breath caught in my throat. Surely he knew want I was getting at… we are related…by marriage of course. I shook my head; of course, he didn't mean that. He just saw me as an easy target who would fall head over heels for him—or worse, he saw me as someone he could tease. I found myself suddenly blinking back tears.
“Oh, Kate,” David said, releasing me and taking a step away. He sighed heavily. “I know,” he said. “I know we can't do this, not when our parents are...” He turned earnest eyes back on me. “But you are gorgeous, and if you don't know that…well, I wish I could be the one to show you.”
I stared at him and then took a step closer, realizing that he was actually being serious—or he was drunkenly a better actor than I ever could have expected. “You really mean that?” I asked.
“100%,” David responded. He bit his lip again and then tilted his head questioningly to the side. This time, I surged forwards into the kiss, surprised at how pliant his lips were. I'd expected him to kiss like we were battling like he was trying to show me how dominant and how possessive he could be. But there was none of that. Instead, he was curiously tender, as his hand came up to card gently through my hair.
I moaned quietly as he caught my lower lip between his teeth and tugged at it. I slid my arms around him, and David arched against me so that I could feel his hard length trapped between us. Suddenly, he flipped our positions, pressing me back against the counter and leaning up against me, his arms bracketing me and keeping me there so that I couldn't get away even if I tried. His fingertips dropped teasingly down from my jawline to my shoulders and then to my breasts. His thumbs played with my nipples through the fabric of my dress, and I couldn't help but move into his touch.
“I want to fuck you right here,” David growled into my ear. And even though I knew it wasn't right, I whimpered in response. He slipped a hand down between my legs and hummed softly as he stroked along my panties. “Feel how damp you are,” he murmured against my neck. “It's like you're just waiting for it.”
“I am,” I said, voice raw with honesty. “You don't know how much I want this.” Then, I winced. “I mean–“
“Me too,” David said, the tips of his digits pressing into me through the silken fabric. “God, I bet you would ride my cock so beautifully. I bet you could take it so deep and–“
Before he could finish that thought, I tugged roughly at his hair and brought him into another searing kiss. His lips slotted perfectly against mine, in a way I had never experienced before. I could feel little zings of pleasure shooting down my spine, winding me up more and more.
When his fingers slipped my panties aside and plunged into me for real, I had to pull away from the kiss, pressing my forehead against his and biting the inside of my cheek so I could keep from making an embarrassing noise. Suddenly, I became aware of our surroundings and of just how exposed we were there.
And of the sound of high heels coming down the hallway just outside.
I frantically shoved David away from me and turned to face the cabinets—yanking my skirt down to where it should be—just before someone entered the room.
“Oh, hi,” David greeted the woman brightly.
I took a couple deep breaths, giving myself a moment to compose myself, before I turned around as well, giving a fake but cheery smile. “Hi Tanya,” I said, voice faltering slightly. Of all the people to interrupt us…
She gave me an apologetic smile. “Your mom is looking for you,” she told me. “For real.” Her eyes slid over towards David. “You might want to...um...” She reached over and helped flatten out his hair a little, tugging his shirt back to its proper place. “And Kate, you may want to...actually go find her, before she finds you.” She gave me a meaningful look. I glanced over at David and then fled the kitchen.
Chapter Five
KATE
A few days later…
I looked distastefully around the crowded mall, noting the incredibly long line that stretched from the coffee cart. “Mom, did you really have to bring us here five days before Christmas?” I complained. We had always come Christmas shopping together, but we'd never done so this late in the season before. Things were nuts, and I had a feeling that by the end of the day, we were all going to be on edge.
Mom gave me a look. “Honey, this was the only time all of our schedules were free at the same time,” she reminded me, gesturing around.
Because of course, it wasn't only the two of us this year. Instead, there was also Alex and David and Luke and Luke's friend Jen.
Mom clapped her hands together. “All right. So keeping track of all six of us together is probably a hopeless cause, and anyway, we probably all need to buy gifts for one another, right? Why don't we pair off? I'll go with Alex. Luke and Jen, you can go together. And that leaves the new siblings, David and Kate.”
I winced. “Why don't we switch it up a little?” I asked—no, begged. “Mom, why don't you and me–“
She cut me off with a look. “You and David have had hardly any sibling bonding time since you met,” she reminded me. “I really think it would be a good idea if the two of you got to know one another a little better and–“
I tuned her out, thinking of the way I already knew the feeling of his fingers slipping deep inside of me, crooking just enough against the walls of my vagina that I could imagine myself writhing and driving my weight down against his hand… I was sure my blush was visible to all of them—hell, it was probably visible from space. I swallowed hard and shook my head. “Okay, okay,” I said, interrupting her diatribe about the great things about having siblings
. “David and I will shop together. Sheesh.”
“Could you have made that any more awkward?” David hissed as we peeled away from the rest of the group.
I scowled over at him. “Well, maybe I wanted to make sure that you don't go getting any ideas,” I snapped, folding my arms over my chest. “This is just shopping, okay? Nothing else.”
“Do I need to remind you that you're the one who came after me the other day? When you saw that I was alone in the kitchen, you could have turned and left. And don't think I've forgotten how wet you were before I'd barely touched you. You want this just as much as I do.”
We were both silent for a long moment, staring at one another. Finally, I rolled my eyes. “Let's just get this done with. Come on, I already know what I want for my mom; let's start there.”
We shopped in terse near-silence for a little while. “I'm really stuck on what to get for Alex—your dad,” I admittedly after about twenty minutes of looking at ties. All the patterns and colors seemed to blur together after a while, and how was I supposed to know what the man would like anyway? I hardly knew him.
David looked at me in disbelief. “You've been looking for ties for my dad?” he asked. “Jesus, if I'd known that's what you were looking for, I would have stopped you ages ago. I thought you were looking for a friend or something.”
I frowned. “But he wears ties. Ties are a nice gift, right?”
David snorted and reached out to catch my shoulder, turning me away from the ties and leading me out of the store. “Come on, let me help you find something he'd actually like to get.” As we walked through the mall, with him still steering me with a hand on my shoulder, he said, “Dad wears ties because he's expected to at work. And every year, my Aunt Lucille gives him a new tie—those are all the ties that he owns. But he secretly hates the things.”