American Stepbrother, page 6
Once she had recomposed herself, we continued forward, weaving through the forest, getting deeper and deeper.
The sun was quickly disappearing behind the trees. We had to hurry. Abruptly, I picked up Chloe, cradling her against my chest in a fireman’s carry.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her eyes wide and her arms slung around my neck.
“You’re being a slow poke,” I said, jogging through the forest with her in my arms.
Soon enough, we entered a clearing. Up ahead, was a small abandoned draw bridge. “Here we are.”
“The surprise is an old bridge?” she sounded disappointed.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” I said, taking her hand and pulling her toward the bridge. There, we carefully traversed the support beams until we arrived at a rusty looking ladder. “You go first.”
“You want me to climb this thing? Are you nuts?” She shook her head. “No way.”
“Come on. I promise it’ll be worth it.” I nudged her forward. “Besides, if you fall, I’ll be there to catch you.”
She looked at me for a moment before she grabbed one of the rungs and started climbing.
I followed close behind her, trying to control the perverted side of myself that just wanted to peek under her skirt.
No. She was my stepsister, not someone I was supposed to ogle at.
Finally, we reached the top, which was a small platform lined with protective railing. The wind blew a little harder here, causing Chloe’s fiery hair to flutter behind her. In the dying sunlight, her pale skin seemed to glow. She looked like a modern-day goddess…
“It’s beautiful up here…” she whispered. “You can see the sun set right into the water.”
“I told you,” I teased, leaning against the railing.
Chloe joined me, standing so close that her arm brushed against mine. A surge of electricity ran through my body at the contact.
In silence, we watched the sun disappear into the water, dying everything in a vibrant ray of colors from bright reds, warm oranges, and breathtaking purples.
Slowly, Chloe’s hand found mine. Our fingers locked together as if they were always meant to be that way.
I looked over at her to see that she was staring at me, her green eyes bright and beautiful. All the sunsets in the world could never compare to her…
She stepped forward, destroying the distance between us. Her petite body fit against mine like the missing puzzle piece in my life.
Unable to control myself any further, my arms wrapped around her slender torso, bringing her even closer. Her lips parted slightly as I leaned down and kissed her.
At first, neither one of us moved. It was like the kiss had turned us both into statues. But, as soon as her sweet taste transferred to my lips, I couldn’t help myself from pressing my hand against the small of her back, tilting her back slightly, and kissing her with all the passion that had built up over the past days.
As soon as I did, our lips started to dance together, like familiar partners. She melted into me, her body limp and supple in my arms. I cupped one of her cheeks, caressing her skin with my thumb as we continued our passionate kiss.
Even when we were both running out of air, we didn’t pull away. It was like we were addicted.
Addicted to something we couldn’t have…
Chapter 11
CHLOE
Now that Adam and I were “getting along” the summer seemed to fly by. One second, I was enjoying the sunset with him in July, and the next it was already the end of August.
Soon, I’d be heading back to the UK. My heart ached at the thought. Going back would mean leaving Adam behind…
“Chloe! Are you ready, sweetheart?” My mother called from the bottom of the stairs. “We have to get going or we’ll be late!”
“Coming!” I emerged from my room only to bump headfirst into Adam.
His strong arms wrapped around me, keeping me from falling. He looked down, his dark eyes warm and full of concern. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks,” I smiled. “Somehow, you always manage to catch me before I can fall.”
He chuckled, “I guess I just have a soft spot for a cute klutz.” His fingers lifted my chin, about to kiss me when we heard someone coming up the stairs.
Immediately, we stepped away from each other, pretending that we hated each other. Our relationship was of course taboo and the last thing we needed was for our parents to find out what we did behind closed doors.
I mean, it was just kissing… and sometimes touching… but still, even that felt incredibly naughty when you did it with your soon-to-be stepbrother.
“Oh, there you guys are. Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah,” Adam answered in his usual uninterested tone, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Let’s get this over with.”
I had yet to figure out why Adam was so adamant about pretending to be a bad boy in front of everyone. Or, why he acted so differently when he was around me.
***
“Alright. Let’s practice coming down the aisle one more time. We want to get it just right for the wedding tomorrow.” It still hadn’t quite dawned on me that my mother would be marrying Adam’s father tomorrow. In less than twenty-four hours we would be legally related…
In less than forty-eight, I’d be back on a plane. I glanced over at Adam, feeling like there was still so much I wanted to do with him. So much I wanted to learn about him. So little time…
“Places, everyone, places!” the ceremony director clapped his hands, trying to get the wedding party to line up properly.
Obediently, I stood behind the maid of honor. Beside me, Adam took the spot behind the best man. Our arms hooked together before anyone else’s. I smiled, and for a moment, I wondered what it would feel like to walk down the aisle with a white dress, Adam waiting for me at the altar. Only, that fantasy was quickly crushed by reality. No matter how much I wanted to be with Adam, it could never be.
By the somber look on Adam’s face, I think he realized the same thing.
We were the perfect definition of star-crossed lovers, and everyone knows those stories always end in tragedy.
Slowly, we walked down the aisle together, separating at the altar. I stood beside my mother along with all the other bridesmaids.
“Perfect!” The director smiled so brightly I thought he would pull a muscle or something. “Now we are just going to rehearse the vows one more time. Everyone else is free to go.”
Adam walked up to his father. “I’m taking Chloe home.”
“Good. Rachel and I were planning to stay in a hotel tonight. Be sure to have Chloe at the hair salon by nine A.M.”
He nodded, tilting his head in my direction, prompting me to follow him.
I stepped down from the altar, gave my Mum a hug, before catching up with him. “Did you bring the station wagon?” I asked, wondering how we would get home since I had ridden in Henry’s car.
“No.” The corners of lips twitched with amusement. “I thought we would go on a little ride.”
“You don’t mean…”
He didn’t say anything as he jogged down the stairs of the church onto the main road. There, his bike was parked, two helmets balanced on the handlebars.
“You mean, this thing actually works?”
“It’s not a thing,” he shot, glaring at me. “I’ve put a lot of effort into perfecting this baby into the ultimate riding machine.”
I looked skeptical. I had never ridden on a motorcycle before and I had to admit the thought of doing so made me a tad nervous. “Are you sure it’s safe…”
“Do you doubt me?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
“I bought you a helmet,” he said, carefully placing a green-colored helmet on my head. His fingers lightly ran across my cheeks before he grabbed the chinstrap and clicked it into place. “There, now nothing can hurt you.”
“I don’t think that’s how that works.”
“Shh.” He leaned forward and kissed the tip of my nose. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.” His thumb lingered on my cheek before he finally pulled away to put on his own helmet.
I stood there as he hopped onto the bike. A second later, the engine roared to life, rumbling loudly before it eased into a soft purr.
“Do you hear that? That’s quality craftsmanship.”
“Don’t start drooling,” I teased.
“If I do, it’ll be because you’re behind me, your body locked with mine,” his voice took on a seductive edge as his eyes shone mischievously. He had never been quite this forward with me.
I shivered with excitement, feeling like tonight was different. Like there was something in the air that neither one of us quite understood. It made me want to get closer to him, to press my lips harder against his, to let all my inhibitions melt away so I could finally follow this desire burning in my heart.
Chapter 12
ADAM
I held out my hand, waiting for her to take it. I knew we were walking on the edge. Each day it became harder and harder for me to keep my instincts at bay. The way she moved. The way she smelled. The harmonious sound of her laughter. All of it made me want to pounce, to make her mine.
After a moment of hesitation, she placed her hand in mine.
My body instantly swelled with a surge of energy. I smirked, tightening my grip before I hoisted her onto the back of the bike. Her body settled against mine until I could feel her every inch from her large, voluptuous chest, to those wide, seductive hips.
“Hold on,” I told her, revving the engine. Doing so caused the vibrations to roll through our bodies. My smirk deepened, wondering how it felt against her pussy. Surely, she was as turned on as I was. Most days, it was written all over her face.
Her arms snaked around my body, her fingers locking in front of my chest.
I nearly moaned as her thighs tightened around me.
When she rested her head on my shoulder, I took that as a cue that she was settled. Quickly, I pulled up the kickstand and off we went.
As I picked up speed, Chloe moved even closer, her body pressed so firmly against my own that I could almost feel the rapid beating of her heart.
I drove even faster, feeling the rush of adrenaline through my veins.
“Adam!” Chloe squealed, her fingers locked together so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.
“What is it?”
“You’re going so fast!”
“Do you want me to slow down?”
“No!” Her response actually surprised her. I didn’t think she would enjoy riding my bike so much.
“Well, then hold on to your panties,” I said speeding up a tad bit more before I pulled up on the handlebars. The bike reared upwards, balancing on the back tire.
Chloe laughed. “This is amazing!” she exclaimed using the foot rests to hoist herself up a bit.
“Careful,” I warned, scared that she would lose her balance and fall.
She ignored me, moving her hands onto my shoulders as she practically stood up on my bike. The wind whipped through her hair. Through the mirrors, I could see the bright smile on her face. She looked like she was on top of the world.
Gently, I eased the bike back on the ground, continuing to cruise along the back roads.
“Wow…” she sighed in satisfaction as she settled back down, her arms once again around my body. “I never thought that I would like riding a motorcycle this much. It makes you feel so alive…”
“Now you know why I’m so obsessed with it.”
“Totally,” she giggled, still high on the adrenaline.
For a while, neither one of us said a word. We simply enjoyed the ride.
***
Eventually, Chloe broke the silence. “Where are we going anyway? I’m not expert on getting around, but I could have sworn that it only took us twenty minutes to get to the church. Shouldn’t we have gotten home by now?”
“Maybe we aren’t heading home,” I said mysteriously, wanting to pique her interest.
“Is this another one of your famous surprises?”
“Maybe…” I chuckled. “Maybe not…”
“You know, you suck at lying.”
“Do not,” I protested.
“Of course you do. You’ve been lying to yourself all summer long…” I didn’t quite understand her cryptic message.
What did she mean?
“I don’t follow…”
“We have been tiptoeing around our emotions ever since we met. It’s obvious we both care for each other…”
My heart skipped a beat at her words. She was right. I just didn’t want to admit it. We had both fallen for each other.
“Well, then let’s make the most of the time we still have left.” I pulled into the entrance of an abandoned-looking parking lot, parking my bike in front of a large chain link fence.
“What are we doing?” Chloe asked.
“Just trust me,” I grinned before I wrapped my fingers around the fence and started to climb. Once I got to the top, I jumped down, rolling to my feet so I wouldn’t get hurt.
“Adam!” Chloe rushed to the fence, her face pressed against it. “Are you insane? You could have seriously hurt yourself!” she chastised.
“I’m fine. You worry too much.”
“Only because I care about you…” she whispered, sounding like she wanted to say more but she never did.
Just like me, she was still holding back.
“Do you know how to climb a fence?”
“I’ve never tried…” She glanced up at the ten-foot structure, a look of apprehension painted on her face. “And I’m not so sure I want to…”
“Come on. Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise. I’ll be here to catch you, just like all the other times.”
She nibbled her bottom lip, swaying from foot to foot. “I don’t know…”
“Chloe.” I walked up to the fence so she could look me in the eye. “Nothing is going to happen to you as long as you trust me.”
Our eyes locked as our fingers brushed together through the fence. “Do you promise?”
I smiled, “Of course. Have I ever let you down before?”
She remained hesitant for a moment before she grabbed the fence and started making the trek upwards.
I watched her with bated breath, praying that she didn’t accidentally lose her grip. As long as she was on the other side, there was nothing I could do to help her. She had to make it over to me on her own.
“What do I do now?” Chloe asked as she reached the top.
“Get your leg over to my side.”
She nodded, carefully lifting her leg and draping it over the edge.
“Great. Now the other one. Make sure to keep holding on.” I was standing underneath her, watching her flexible body bend over the top of the fence. “You’re doing great. Just take a few steps down and then you’ll be all set to jump into my arms.”
“You want me to jump? Are you crazy?”
“You’ve already asked me that and the answer is still no.”
She locked up, her every muscle tensing with fear. “I can’t do it. I can’t jump.”
“Of course you can,” I said in a soothing voice. “Nothing is going to happen, Chloe.”
“What if you miss?”
“I won’t miss,” I promised as I stood there with my arms outstretched. “All you have to do is trust me.”
She glanced at the ground before closing her eyes.
“Chloe. Don’t focus on the distance between you and the ground. The ground doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you look at me.” I patted my chest, trying to get her attention.
Slowly, she opened one eye and then another.
“That’s it. Just look at me. If you don’t want to jump, that’s fine, just carefully climb down.”
She nodded.
“One foot at a time. Don’t rush,” I coached her through it until she was halfway down. “You’re doing great. I’ll have you breaking into places with me more often.”
