“Welcome home.” His words were delivered in a low, husky baritone. I didn’t recognize it, not the sound, but I recognized the man behind it.
A thrill went through me, fear sliding down my spine and landing between my legs, making my pussy clench. A litany of oh shit ran on a loop in my head. What if he realized it was me, Sasha from the club? Would he tell my mother?
I shook myself out of my stupor. He may not even recognize me. Likely not. I always wore a wig and overdone makeup when I danced. I breathed a shallow sigh of relief, though the tension remained, twisting my insides tight.
“Hi. I’m Sadie.” I turned and closed the door behind me and took a calming breath.
“I guess I’m technically your stepbrother.”
I heard his feet on the stairs, slow and deliberate as he approached me.
I kept my eyes down, not wanting to look him full in the face.
“Yeah.” I put my hand out to shake once he’d stopped directly in front of me.
He took it, his grip warm and strong. He didn’t shake, simply held my hand and let his fingertips play along my inner wrist. My mind blanked at his light touch and a fire warmed between my thighs.
“Nice to meet you, Sadie.” The inflection in his voice made my blood run hotter, faster.
I chanced a glance to his face. Mistake. Those intense green eyes caught me until I’d lifted my head all the way. Nothing flared in his face, no burst of recognition. Maybe I was safe?
“Nice to meet you, too.” I dropped his gaze and glanced around. “I guess our parents already left for their honeymoon?”
“About half an hour ago or so. Yes.” His fingers still caressed my wrist. I wanted to close my eyes and just stand there, letting him touch me in his light, warm way. Instead, I pulled my hand away and grabbed my bags.
“I’m going to go and get settled. Maybe we can have dinner and get acquainted?”
“I’d like that.” He looked down at me, a slight quirk on the side of his lips.
Oh, god, does he know?
“Phoebe told me that you attend the university. I’m a graduate assistant there in the College of Arts. I’ve never seen you on campus before. What school are you in?”
Relief washed over me. He didn’t recognize me. He would have said by now.
“Yeah, I’m in the engineering program. I don’t think we’d cross paths.”
“You’d be surprised,” he said and backed to the side so I could roll my bags past him. He took the larger one from me, his fingers brushing the back of my hand and sending a jolt of warmth through me. “Allow me.”
“Um, thanks.” I took the familiar stairs to my room. I could almost feel his eyes on my ass as I climbed the gently curving staircase. I cursed myself for donning shorty-shorts for the long drive home.
I hit the last step and walked quickly down the long hallway. I passed the largest guest suite and saw an array of papers and books on the usually-empty desk. Mom had put Gray in the room the farthest from me. Good. Distance was best. Especially given the fact he was my stepbrother and I was already wet just from his touch on my wrist.
He followed me to my room. I placed my carry-on at the foot of my bed and he set the larger bag down next to it. He backed to the door frame, lounging there. I realized how big he was. I knew his chest was broad, muscular, but he was usually sitting when I was with him. Now, he loomed over me, though I wasn’t particularly short. He was solid, a stronger barrier than even the door would have been.
He never took his eyes off me. It was unnerving and somehow gave my pussy a rush to the point I squeezed my knees together to stop the ache. His gaze shot down to the movement and then back up. There was the quirk of his full lips again.
“Well, um, I think I’m all set.” I wanted him to leave so I could breathe again. The fear of him recognizing me was making me light headed.
“Are you?” His eyes travelled around the room, pausing on the medals and awards my mother forced me to display on two trophy shelves in my room. “Did you bring everything with you?”
I shifted from one foot to the other. Klaxons began to blare when he looked back at me, a total up and down assessment of my shorts, t-shirt, and then my face. I dropped my eyes, but my gaze didn’t make it to the floor. I stopped on the massive erection in his pants. The one that I’d rubbed against so many times, fantasized about even more.