The Boyfriend Diaries: A Romance Box Set Collection

by S. E. Law

  I don’t sleep well that night. For a while I can’t even get to sleep because my mind’s still racing with the implications of everything that’s happened over the last twenty-four hours. It feels too hot in my room, and eventually I end up stripping off my shirt and flinging the covers off. Eventually I do drift off into an uneasy doze, and when I do, I dream.

  Frankie’s here with me in bed, her gorgeous curves perfectly illuminated in the moonlight that’s coming in through the window. She’s naked, and her pert breasts feel perfect in my hands as she straddles me, watching me with those gorgeous, tentative, dark eyes. She leans down to kiss me, and I can feel myself getting hard at the feeling of her on top of me, pulling a hand away from her chest to run my thumb over her cheekbone and brush it across her lips. The tension is too much, and I grab her by the waist, spinning us both on the bed, and before she can say anything I’ve flipped her over, pinning her underneath me. She lets out a surprised gasp that’s enough to drive me crazy, and I kiss a trail down her neck and between her breasts. My mouth moves further down, over her stomach, to the junction between her thighs, which I part slowly with my hands, dipping my head…

  Then I wake up, jerking in bed like I’ve been shocked. The sheets are damp with sweat, and in an instant I realize I’m hard. Groaning in frustration, I pull the blanket back over me, burrowing deeper into the bed and hoping a more restful bout of sleep will come to me. I feel almost insane from desire, and I would be lying if I said it didn’t scare me a little.

  Usually, I’m good at keeping my cool when there are others around, but here, in my own head, the confusion is hitting me full-force. I’ve never been this hung up on anyone before, especially not someone I’ve only spoken to a handful of times. But I guess that’s the thing about attraction - there’s no logic to it. It’s like magic, and Frankie has me under her spell, whether she knows it or not.

  Tomorrow’s going to be an interesting one, that much is obvious.

  I’m surprised to discover that I’m actually able to get some work done today, which is a relief, considering how many unanswered voicemails were piling up on my phone. I spend most of the morning at the dining room table, typing away at my laptop and trying to get as much done as I can before we go to Gertie’s house. Fueled by coffee, I end up satisfied with what I’ve accomplished. By the time Dad comes downstairs and tells me to start getting ready to go, I’m ready to pull the plug for the day and see what new adventure one Frankie Fordham has in store for me.

  I usually don’t put too much effort into my appearance when I’m not going to a party or a business event. I’m aware that I’m good-looking - it’s not a matter of cockiness, just self-assuredness - and generally I don’t feel the need to get dressed up for anything other than the most fancy of occasions.

  Today, though, I find myself struggling to decide what to wear, what cologne to put on, and how to style my hair. I know I’m being ridiculous, reminding myself of my mom back when she was getting ready for a date with some douchebag after her divorce. Eventually I settle on a t-shirt and dark jeans, going for a cool, casual look. After finger-combing my hair and spritzing myself with a little Drakkar Noir, I go outside to the driveway, where Dad is leaning against the Range Rover.

  He raises his eyebrows at me.

  “I wasn’t expecting you to look this good. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” I say, smiling. “Have to make a good second impression, isn’t that what they say?”

  “Something like that,” he replies. “Come on, let’s head out.”

  It’s astonishing how turned on I can feel myself getting just from the anticipation of going over to Frankie’s place. Keeping my hands off her is going to be a challenge, but I think at this point even just getting to see her and talk to her again would be enough for me. Not that I would mind if something else happened, though.

  I should probably be more freaked out about the fact that my dad is marrying her mom, I think as we turn off the highway and into Gertie’s neighborhood. But for some reason, I’m not. I know that the idea of falling in love with my step-sister is weird, and probably a bit of a turn-off for most people, but for some reason, the risk of it makes it even more sexy to me. I’ve never had something like this happen, and between how taboo it all is and the fact that my attraction to her seems to be getting stronger with every hour that passes, the fact that we’ll soon be legally related couldn’t be further from my mind.

  It’s not long before we pull up outside a quaint, colonial-style house. It’s not as big as ours, but it has its own charm, and besides, it’s not the house that matters. It’s the person inside.

  Dad shuts off the engine, gives me one last appraising look, and then nods and climbs out. I follow him, shielding my eyes from the midday sun as we walk up the driveway to the front door. George rings the doorbell, and we wait with our hands in our pockets as the sound of footsteps draws closer. My heart’s racing, and I can hardly believe this is happening. Alpha male Hunter Martin is nervous about seeing a girl again.

  Eventually the door opens and Gertie pops her head out, her silver head gleaming in the light.

  “Right on time,” she says, flashing us a broad smile and taking Dad by the hand. “Come on in. Frankie’s in the living room. I’m sorry if she seems a little nervous to you,” she says in a hushed voice. “I don’t know what’s gotten into her, but things are going to be fine.”

  My dad pats her arm reassuringly.

  “Of course things are going to be fine, Gert. You’re a wonderful mother, and your daughter is just like you. Don’t worry about a thing.”

  But as I trail George and Gertrude into the living room, my heart’s racing as my senses flare. I’m going to see Frankie again, and this time, the curvy girl and I are going to talk.

  117

  Frankie

  I guess I should be thankful that I slept well the night after the party, because I spend the following night tossing and turning. I keep going in circles, thinking first of the party, then of seeing Hunter again, and then of what happened in the parking lot after the meal. This is all overshadowed by the knowledge that Hunter is soon going to be related to me - legally, anyway - and that just makes it so much more complicated. All the while, I’m trying to parse through my feelings for the guy, which is difficult, considering how little I know about him, aside from the fact that he’s great in bed and drop-dead gorgeous.

  I’ve never been the object of someone's desires before - at least, as far as I know. I was always the quiet, shy girl back in school. I was never the one boys had crushes on. I was never the popular girl, and even though the same could be said for Jenny, she’s different, somehow. I think maybe her promiscuity and carefree attitude made up for the fact that she wasn’t the queen bee back when we were growing up. Either way, it’s way easier to picture her getting it on with a mysterious stranger at a crazy party, especially considering that she likes to push the envelope in her social life. That was never me.

  At least, I thought it wasn’t. But it’s clear that Hunter’s into me, even if I’m not totally sure why. Come to think of it, maybe he’s not totally sure, either. But no one, not even someone as daring as he is, would risk getting caught with his hand in his soon-to-be-stepsister’s panties, especially with his dad mere feet away, unless he thought it was worth it. What was he thinking?

  It’s strange, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t dangerously attracted to him as well. My mind keeps returning to the sensations he made me feel, and the way he looked at me. Like I was the only girl in the world. Like he wanted to know all my secrets, as if looking at me long enough would allow him to find out. And for all I know, maybe it does.

  I sleep in fitful bouts, my head spinning, unable to get comfortable as I think about the implications of all of this. Hunter and his dad are coming over, and after the dinner last night I can tell that Mom is wondering what’s wrong with me. She’s been married before, and even though I’ve never had a step-sibling prior to this,
I’ve always forced myself to be sociable with her boyfriends.

  My recalcitrance is out of character, and I know Gertrude senses it, but she can’t possibly know why. Maybe I can just chalk it up to the fact that I’ve never had a step-brother before. But will she buy it? Will she wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that he’s undeniably handsome and successful? The last thing I need is her asking questions, especially when I feel like I might let something slip at any minute.

  Normally I sleep in late during the summer, but the next morning I find myself waking up at ten a.m. with a blooming panic in the pit of my stomach. How am I supposed to face another get-together with George and Hunter? The worst part is that this is only the beginning. On the off-chance that Mom actually stays with this guy, I’ll be stuck keeping this secret, possibly forever. How are we supposed to pretend to be normal step-siblings after everything that’s happened?

  I get up and brush my teeth grimly. Oh shit, I look so frazzled today with my hair out to there and a pallor to my skin. I don’t feel like eating breakfast, which is also a rare thing for me, and that’s enough to prove that I need to talk to someone about this. But there’s only one person I can talk to, and all I can do is pray that Jenny will pick up her phone when I go into the backyard and dial her number. I take a seat on the glider as it rings, staring out at the cloudless blue sky and wondering, not for the first time, how the hell I ended up in this situation.

  I could almost cry with relief when I hear the sound of her voice.

  “Hey, girl. What’s up?” she asks, her mouth full of food. I begin to reply, but she cuts me off. “Wait, wait, wait. Don’t tell me. It’s about the hottie from the other night, right? Let me guess: you want his number. Well, I hate to break it to you, Frankie, but you’re out of luck in that department. Although maybe I could call Cassie and ask her…”

  “Jenny,” I say, “Jenny, hang on a second. That’s not why I’m calling you.”

  “Really?” She sounds surprised. “You just seemed super confused about the whole thing yesterday.”

  “I was,” I reply. “I am, I mean. I’m still confused. More confused, actually. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Really?” I can practically hear the intrigue in her voice. “Do tell, girlfriend. You know I’m always here for you.”

  I sigh, closing my eyes momentarily.

  “You’re not going to believe this,” I tell her, trying to psych myself up to deliver the news. Somehow, revealing this to someone else makes the whole thing feel more real. “Like, seriously. This is just plain crazy. There’s no other way to say it.”

  “Well, quit drawing it out, already!” Jenny mumbles as something crunches in the background, sounding impatient. “You know I live for gossip. What is it? Is he married or something? Are you pregnant?”

  I blow out a stream of air.

  “No, and no,” I answer. “Remember how I told you my mom has a new fiancé? Well, I met him yesterday.”

  “Oh my god,” Jenny drawls. “That guy is your mom’s new fiancé.”

  “No!” I shriek. “Eeew! He’s way too young for Gertrude!”

  “Just saying,” Jenny giggles on the other side. “You know, there is such a thing as a cougar. Your mom could be a good cougar.”

  “No no no!” I almost scream again. “Hunter isn’t my mom’s fiancé. He’s my mom’s fiancé’s son.”

  There’s a long moment of silence on the end.

  “No. Way. Are you shitting me? That’s almost as bad.”

  I sigh.

  “I know,” I say glumly. “He’s going to be my new stepbrother.”

  “Holy shit,” she says, disbelieving. “That’s just… wow. I could not have called that in a million years.”

  “Me neither,” I say, chewing my fingernail as I watch a squirrel bound across the backyard. It scurries up a tree and disappears into the branches. “And they’re both coming over again this afternoon. My mom wanted me and Hunter to get to know each other better before the wedding.”

  “Well,” Jenny says coyly, “I doubt you two can get to know each other better than you already have,” she titters.

  “Jenny, please,” I moan. “This is serious.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she says. “So what are you going to do about it?”

  “I don’t know,” I admit. “That’s why I called you. I couldn’t just sit here without doing anything. Not without telling anyone.”

  “Okay,” Jenny says, her tone businesslike. “All right. I get that this is a wild situation, and I’m sorry - it’s kind of my fault that you’re in this mess. But my advice would be to just keep going like everything is normal.”

  I raise my eyebrows.

  “How am I supposed to do that?”

  “Look, you guys are meeting up to get to know each other, right?” she asks. “So I say you do exactly that. Talk to him. Learn more about him. It will probably be awkward, but at least maybe you can get past the elephant in the room, you know?”

  I scratch my forehead, mulling it over.

  “I guess you’re right. But still, I don’t know how I’m even supposed to pretend to be normal around him. He-” I lower my voice. “He took my virginity, for god’s sake.”

  “I know,” Jenny says cheerfully, “and it will be weird at first. But who knows? You might have more in common with him than you think. Just give it a shot, okay? See what happens. Worst case, summer’s over in a couple months, and you can get far away from him when you go back to school.”

  I sigh. I have to admit she has a point.

  “Okay,” I tell her. “I’ll try. Thank you, Jenny.”

  “Let me know how it goes,” she says merrily, and hangs up.

  I spend the rest of the morning fretting - about what to wear, what I’m going to say to Hunter, and how I’m going to pretend everything is normal. By the time there’s the sound of a car pulling up outside, my heart does a flip-flop. I’m sitting in the kitchen, my hands in my lap, when my mom goes to answer the door, making nice with the others before inviting them inside.

  “Frankie, honey,” she says, poking her head into the kitchen room, “George and Hunter are here. Come say hi.”

  I force a smile onto my face and stand up, greeting the two of them politely in the foyer. Hunter is just as tall and handsome as ever. His black head practically grazes the ceiling, and his shoulders are so broad they seem to take up all the space inside.

  “It’s good to see you both again,” I manage, my eyes lingering on his huge frame for perhaps a moment too long.

  “It’s good to see you, too, Frankie,” Hunter says, a gleam in his blue eyes.

  “Well,” Mom says, clapping her hands together, “there’s wine and cheese. George, honey, would you care to join me?”

  “I sure would,” George replies, taking her hand. He gives Hunter a questioning look.

  “I think I’ll stay out here for a little bit and talk to Frankie,” Hunter says, giving his dad a winning smile. We watch in silence as our parents disappear around the corner into the living room, already laughing and talking like there’s nothing amiss. Then the two of us make our way to the kitchen and sit in silence for what feels like forever. I’m staring at the table, fidgeting, doing anything to not have to look at Hunter, but the whole time, I can feel his eyes on me.

  “So,” he says at last, his voice low enough that the others won’t hear him, “did you miss me as much as I missed you?”

  I snap my head up to look at him, eyes wide.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Come on, Frankie,” he says, smirking. “Are we just going to pretend nothing happened between us? How long are we going to keep acting like strangers?”

  “We are strangers,” I hiss back, shooting a worried glance towards the living room. The low hum of voices trickle in; Mom is laughing at something George said. “What are we going to do? I had sex with you, Hunter!”

  “I know,” he says, raising an ey
ebrow. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

  “Me neither,” I confess, blushing a little. Jenny’s advice comes back to me then, and I sit up straighter in my chair. “Look,” I say, “I don’t know how we’re going to deal with all this, but if we’re going to be step-siblings, then maybe we should get to know each other better. What do you say?”

  Hunter nods, looking thoughtful.

  “That sounds good to me. So tell me something else about yourself, then. You said you were a history major back at the party, right?”

  “Yes,” I say, taken aback. “I’m surprised you remembered.”

  “Of course I did,” Hunter replies with that smug grin again. “You’re special, Frankie. I’d be an idiot to forget what we talked about that night… or what we did.” He winks, and it’s enough to nearly make me come undone at the seams. Shit. I’m in deep.

  “I feel the same way,” I reply, my voice barely above a whisper. “But Hunter, we can’t.”

  “Why not?” he asks, shifting so he’s closer to me. Within touching distance, or kissing distance to be more precise. “I want you, Frankie, and I’m not afraid to admit it. And if I’m not mistaken, you want me too.” He raises his hand to touch my cheek, his icy blue eyes holding mine. The feeling of his hand on my skin sends sparks all throughout my body, and between his touch and my adrenaline, I feel like I’m about to explode. “What’s stopping you, sweetheart?”

  I inhale deeply, looking into those cobalt eyes.

  “Well first, our parents are one room away,” I breathe, but I can’t seem to pull my eyes away from his. “If they come in here, then it’s over.”

  “Mm.” There’s a lusty rumble in his chest. “I’ll risk it,” he murmurs, and suddenly, Hunter’s kissing me at the kitchen table.

  I know I should pull away. I know I should run. Mom could walk in at any minute and see me kissing my future ste brother, his tongue snaking into my mouth as he pulls me flush against him. But I can’t. My fingers are coming up to wind in his hair, a low moan emerging from me as I feel his hands exploring my curves again. It feels wrong, but it also feels right, and in spite of my confusion, I find myself getting lost in the feeling of him.