Wrong: A Stepbrother Romance

Going to Aria’s apartment was a bad move, but I wasn’t ready to see Liam when he got home. I was angry at him for making me into his entertainment at the bar, and I was pissed that he did it at Riley’s expense.

“I guess now we’ll both be hiding this secret from family members who are in love with Liam,” Aria sighed when Jenna went onto the balcony to smoke. I’d interrupted them during a boozy Thursday night in, both of them pretty sloshed by the time I showed up. “At least you don’t live with your Liam fanatic,” Aria sighed. “Jenna grills me about Liam every chance she gets. She’s even gotten her friends obsessed with him now.” I wasn’t surprised. Jenna had head cheerleader mentality – she’d been prom queen in high school, was president of her sorority at college and still chose company based on how well they dressed and followed her lead. Her obsessions always became their obsessions and I was well aware of the fact that she’d assembled a mini fan club for Liam. It was her way of assuring an audience for when she finally hooked up with him. She’d done the same with her current hook-up, hyping up her “super hot boss” so that her friends would go crazy when she finally revealed they’d had sex.

In reality, her “super hot boss” was balding with a beer gut and offered little besides his millions of dollars, which he occasionally used to

buy Jenna presents. Apparently, Jenna’s fan club of fangirls dwindled when they found out what he looked like, which was probably why she was back on the prowl for a heavily prized hook-up. It would up her hot chick credibility again, and for someone as shallow as Jenna, that kind of thing was important.

“Oh, don’t make that face, Sasha,” Aria pleaded. “And don’t you worry your cute self about Jenna. If she finds out, I’ll do everything I can to keep her under control.”

I heaved a sigh, realizing the full scope of attention that would be drawn to our relationship if it ever got out. But then I immediately chided myself because I honestly had no idea what Liam and I were or were going to be. I couldn’t call what we had a relationship. I couldn’t call us anything.

“I don’t know what I was thinking when I pulled that little stunt on him last night,” I groaned to Aria. “I didn’t think it through. It was just all this drama culminating into one big, horny lapse in judgment. Just… Ethan, Liam, all the girls he brought home. The fact that I’ve wanted him for so damned long.”

“The fact that you’ve never had an orgasm before.”

I frowned. “I have.”

“Solo. Those count but you should definitely experience a penis-given O before your twenty-sixth birthday.”

“You’re probably right about that.”

“I am. On behalf of your starved libido, I vote ‘yes’ for hooking up with Liam. As much as humanly possible. Just tell him he’s not getting any unless he keeps it all under wraps. At least from Riley.” She lowered her voice as Jenna returned. “And this one. Just to be safe.”

“Noted.”

Jenna narrowed her eyes when she plopped back down on the couch. “It’s cute how you two think I don’t know when you’re trying to be all secretive without me. Think I can’t guess what you were talking about?” She took one look at me and smirked. “Well, Sasha’s the color of a tomato, which means you were on the very sexy topic of Liam. Is he fucking some chick he met at the bar right now? Is that why you came here all pissy, Sash?”

“Not exactly.”

“Well, here’s the thing, and I’ve been meaning to say it for awhile,” Jenna started, prompting Aria to sit up straight and flash her a warning look. I frowned, sensing the immediate tension and wondering what the hell was going on. Jenna tossed her cape of blonde hair and laughed at my inquisitive look. “Oh God, Aria’s going to kill me but I have to say it ‘cause all my friends have been asking me lately.”

“Jenna,” Aria said stiffly.

I frowned at them both. “Asking you what?”

Jenna simpered. “Why I, of all people, still haven’t gotten together with Liam. I mean let’s face it, I’m every guy’s type and it should’ve happened between me and him a thousand times by now.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Really.”

“Yes, really.”

“Well… I admire your confidence.”

Jenna snorted at my tight expression. “Oh, you should, doll. But if you really doubt me let me give you the facts, number one being that just a couple months ago, Liam pushed me into the bathroom at your bar and pulled my skirt down to my ankles. Ripped the panties clean off my ass. But this little cockblocker here,” Jenna cut her eyes to Aria, “pounded on the door till the moment was sufficiently ruined. But trust me when I say that big boy was rock hard and ready to go.” Jenna grinned at the shock I failed to hide on my face, her words slurring as she sipped her Chardonnay. “Sorry, cuz,” she pouted at Aria and then at me. “Had to let it out. It was after Max’s big fight, Sash. We were all celebrating. Crazy night. I’m sure you remember.”

My stomach twisted.

I remembered. The bar was packed that night. I cut off some hammered asshole and after cursing me out, he chucked his water at me – glass, ice and everything. Liam had him on the floor in seconds, forearm on his throat and hand in his hair as he slammed his head into the ground. Max and A.J pulled him off before he could do too much damage but the cops came anyway. The guys from the gym stalled them while I went to change out of my soaked white T-shirt. I was in the closet looking for a spare top when Liam found me, cupped my jaws and asked if I was okay. I nodded but I was shaking, so with his lips pressed to my forehead, he ran his hands up and down my arms, warming me up.

“You didn’t have to do that, Liam,” I whispered, gazing down at his bloodied knuckles. He pulled away from me to look me in the eye.

“Of course I did.” It was quiet as he pushed the locks of wet hair out of my face. “I’d do anything for you, Sash. You know that.”

I nodded and the silence resumed – but it was a loud one this time, the air thick between us, swirling with a million words unsaid. Suddenly, that little closet was a sauna. I could hardly breathe as Liam swallowed, visibly fighting himself but eventually letting his eyes dip down to my body, fixing them on the wet T-shirt that clung to the curve of my breasts and the dip of my waist. The look of lust in his eyes was instant, primal, and it had my fingers curling hard against his rock-hard chest.

But the second I felt his erection, he pulled away.

“We should talk to the cops,” Liam muttered before disappearing out the door, leaving me drenched in the closet but drowning in heat. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I had gotten my stepbrother hard. I’d felt it. In shock, it took ages for me to move but by the time I got upstairs, I saw Liam just approaching the officers. At the end of the bar, Aria stood with Jenna, firmly gripping her wrist and hissing something in her ear before coming to me with consolation. Jenna watched us, smirking hard. I remembered wondering what that face was for.