Wrong: A Stepbrother Romance

“Pretty sure you dodged a bullet with that one.”

“I most certainly did,” I said, lifting my gaze as I suddenly realized. “You saw him that night. My ex. I was running from him, which was why I ran into you. So I guess I dodged a bullet by running into a tornado.”

Abram laughed. “Yeah, well. A bullet kills you. A tornado just wreaks havoc before letting you back on your feet again.”

“Marrying Evan would’ve had me dead inside before our first anniversary, so you might have a point.”

“Seems like a great guy, this Evan. How’d he ever manage to get you?”

I studied Abram, trying to figure out if he’d just complimented me. “I was in college and he was a bartender on campus. Semi-pro snowboarder. Wore a backwards cap and gave me free drinks. Those were the things that impressed me at the time,” I rolled my eyes at myself. “I was nineteen. Obsessed with partying. You know how it goes.”

He laughed, tantalizing me as he adjusted the waistband on his sweats. “I was in the Air Force when I was nineteen. Not a whole lot of partying but I’d gone to keep myself in check, so I guess that was the point.”

My smile was wry. “You were a bad kid like me?”

He smirked. “Worse, I’m sure.”

“Care to enlighten me?”

He pushed off the nightstand. “No. I’d rather keep your impression of me at least slightly favorable,” he chuckled before nodding toward the bathroom door. “By the way, you’ve spent the past five minutes trying to untangle your hair. Would you like to shower?”

I dropped my hands to my lap, only just realizing I’d been attempting to unknot my matted locks since sitting back down on the bed. “Um… yes. Please.” I needed a shower. Badly. My bloody limbs had been cleaned but my hair was still stiff and caked in some sort of anesthetic. The nurse said they’d injected it before giving me stitches.

“Alright.” Abram led me to the bathroom. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

In front of the shower, he stood behind me, reaching in it to start the water. My pulse raced double time when I felt his bare abs press against my back, the warmth of his hard body driving me silently wild.

“Towel’s here.” He set one on top of the sink, watching me just stand there for a second. “You alright?”

I couldn’t lift my arms over my head. I didn’t have to try to know that it wasn’t going to happen. Every muscle in my body was sore and undressing myself was bound to be an hour-long affair. But I didn’t want him to know, so I said, “I’m fine. Thanks.”

He read straight through me. “Can’t move?”

“I... not really, no.”

Abram stared for a second before breathing out a sexy laugh. “I can help if you need it. It wouldn’t be my first time undressing you.”

Ha. I chewed the inside of my mouth as I blinked at him, wondering how disgusting it would be if

I delayed a shower. My guess was extremely, so I peered at Abram. “Can you keep your eyes on me?”

“I’ll look right here the whole time,” he assured me, his blue eyes gleaming with amusement at mine. With a single step forward he had my heart racing.

And before I knew it, he was stripping me.

I reminded myself to breathe as I stood there letting this strange, gorgeous man take off my clothes. I regretted telling him to keep his eyes on my face because it flushed pink the second he hooked two fingers into my waistband. They pressed against my hipbones and stroked me all the way down as he pulled off my leggings. Fuck, I cursed as my hot thighs twitched under his touch. I knew he’d felt it because I could see a different glint in his eye now. A smirk. As I stepped out of my bottoms, Abram checked in on me.

“Good so far?” That knowing voice. He knew exactly what he was doing to me but for some reason, I let it go on.

“Yes,” I replied. And with that, he gripped the hem of my shirt, giving the stretchy fabric a little tug before peeling it up slowly, exposing me inch by inch by inch. Something about his air intensified as he tossed my shirt to the ground. I could feel his… was it, or was I crazy? I could feel his arousal. I could feel it in the way he breathed. My eyes still on him, I felt suddenly hyper aware. Of everything. Every sound, every smell, every sensation. I felt the heaviness of my breasts in my bra, the way the cups pulled tight around each swell as I inhaled. And I couldn’t help being feverishly conscious of Abram’s scent as he closed what little gap there was between us. It was something natural mixed with the slightest hint of cologne and it made me want to touch him so. Damned. Badly. I was dying inside and there he was, his concentration unbreakable.

But it all changed when he reached around to unhook my bra.

One hand, one pinch and Abram had me undone. But the second he pulled back, taking my bra with him, I caught his lip between his teeth. He bit it for all of a second but I saw it. The look. That hot, male, I’ll-fuck-you-against-the-wall kind of lust that had me so instantly wet I could hardly stand still. Chills erupted over my naked breasts as my bra fell to the floor and landed on our feet, taunting us in the way it sprawled over our toes. Still, I simply stood there, determined to keep this business only.

But then he cracked a dirty little smile.

You. Little. Fucker.