Forbidden Touch: A Second Chance Stepbrother Romance

by Rye Hart

  I didn’t feel like myself as I stepped inside the PT building. My heart was still pounding, and my stomach was full of butterflies. Dr. Anderson assured me I shouldn’t worry yet, but I didn’t believe him. My father was right. These headaches couldn’t be normal. There was something wrong with me, and I was terrified to find out what it was.

  Caleb walked through the door not five minutes after I did. I was still preoccupied, but when I saw him, my worries took a backseat to the heat wave that washed over my body. His eyes locked on mine as he walked toward me. I fought the urge to reach out to me, to pull him to me and kiss him until we couldn’t breathe.

  “Hey,” he said, stopping in front of me. He glanced around the room. “Just us tonight?”

  I nodded. “How are you doing on your crutches?”

  “Better,” he said. “I’m just a little sore after recent activities.”

  I blushed and looked away. We had a lot of work to do, and I couldn’t let myself get caught up in my own selfish desires. Besides, I was still worried what my tests might show.

  “Let’s get started with some basic stretches,” I said.

  “Sure,” Caleb said, frowning.

  I helped him get to the low mat table, supporting his weight and sitting down beside him. He extended his leg like I taught him and slowly moved his foot up and down. I held onto his leg to help him get a better stretch, my fingers running over his sore muscles while I did so.

  Leaning into him, I pushed his leg further to the side. He grunted in pain but kept going. Caleb was the best PT patient I’d ever had because no matter what, he pushed through. The pain was nothing to him, and I knew he would recover faster than anyone else in his position.

  While I marveled at his strength, I felt heat rise inside my chest. I leaned into him even more, my chest brushing against his leg while I rotated it side to side. I looked up to make sure he was doing okay and saw that his eyes were focused on my breasts. They were spilling out of my top, and I felt my cheeks flush at the attention.

  I sprung back and adjusted myself. Caleb moved closer to me and took my hand in his.

  “Don’t,” he said in a low voice. “I like the view.”

  “Caleb,” I said, but before I could continue, his lips were on mine.

  He kissed me gently, letting his tongue slide across mine in an expertly sensual way. I moaned and tangled my fingers in his hair, holding him to me and breathing him in. Our kiss deepened, and soon, I felt heat pooling between my legs.

  He grabbed my tit in one hand and squeezed, growling against my lips and letting his desire show.

  I moaned and fought the urge to tears his clothes off. It took every ounce of strength I possessed to pull away from him. When I did, he sighed in protest and tried to pull me back to him.

  “I can’t,” I said weakly. “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”

  “Why the hell not?” he demanded. “You can’t tell me you don’t want this.”

  “What about my dad?” I asked. “Remember what happened last time we crossed this line? He sent you to another state, Caleb.”

  “We were kids,” he said. “What is he going to do now? We’re adults, Tara. He can’t control us. Not anymore.”

  “He’s already suspicious,” I said softly.

  “Of course he is.” Caleb groaned. “He’s always going to be suspicious, but who the fuck cares? I sure as hell don’t. I want this, Tara. I want you.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Do you want me?” Caleb asked. He reached out and took my hands.

  I blinked. Our eyes met, and I froze. Of course I wanted him. I’d always wanted him, but what did that matter? How could we risk going down this road again? After everything that happened before, we would be idiots to fall for each other again.

  “It’s a simple question,” Caleb said. “Do you want me?”

  “Yes.” My voice was low and hungry. Caleb moved closer to me, his lips searching for mine but I pulled away. I jumped to my feet and shook my head.

  “Why are you fighting this?” Caleb asked.

  “Because I don’t know if I can do this all over again,” I said.

  Caleb slowly got to his feet, using his crutches for support. He moved closer to me, and my heart raced inside my chest. He was inches away and just when I was sure he would kiss me, the door opened with a bang.

  I jumped and spun around. Cathy was walking toward us with a smile on her face.

  “Hey, you guys about done?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I said quickly. “He’s ready to go home.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN - CALEB

  No matter what I did, I couldn’t get Tara off my mind. I pictured her face and her body every second of every day. It was torturous and awful. My cock got hard after just two seconds of imagining her face. I felt pathetic, but part of me didn’t care. I waited ten long years to be with Tara again, and now that I knew how it felt to be buried inside of her, I couldn’t let it go.

  Still, as the days dragged on, I wondered if we could be together at all. She was so distant after we finally had sex. All I wanted to do was pull her close and fuck her senseless, but she pushed me away. She reminded me how much her father hated the idea of us being together, and nothing I said could change her mind. She wanted to respect her dad, and I didn’t give a shit what he thought.

  As much as I wanted her, I tried to think about other things. Tara wasn’t the only girl in the world. I was a fucking firefighter who could get any woman I wanted. If Tara didn’t want me, what the hell did I care? As soon as I got back on my feet, I could use my tragic hero story to win over some sympathy pussy. Then, Tara would be all but forgotten in my mind.

  Even as I thought it, I knew it would never work. No amount of free pussy could replace Tara. I wished it would be that simple to forget about her, but I wasn’t stupid enough to try it. Nothing I had done for ten years could dull the memory of Tara. I didn’t have a chance of that happening now, not when I saw her for PT multiple times a week. My head spun, and my body longed to be touched by her.

  More than anything, I wanted to go back to work. If I could just spend a few hours on the job, then maybe I could get my head back on straight. There was nothing like delving into a few fires to clear my mind. I knew that wasn’t an option. I still had a lot of physical therapy left before I would be well enough to even walk without crutches. I felt weak and pathetic. I couldn’t work. I couldn’t convince Tara to be with me. My entire world was just crumbling around me, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it.

  By the time my next physical therapy session rolled around, I was eager to see Tara. I needed to know where we stood and that couldn’t happen unless I saw her. As I walked through the door of the PT building, my eyes roamed around the room. Tara’s desk was empty, but there were a few therapy sessions underway all around me. I groaned quietly and cursed my early appointment time.

  I’d grown to love my evening sessions with Tara. The building was deserted, no one around but us. It felt private and personal. Plus, it gave me a chance to get close to her. In the afternoon, with people surrounding us, I knew Tara would be on her best behavior.

  “You’re early,” Tara said, walking up behind me.

  “Yeah,” I nodded. “Just wanted to get this over with. I’m ready to get back to work.”

  “You have to take it slow,” she said. “If you rush your recovery, then it will take longer.”

  “I know,” I said. I didn’t think I could stand to hear that speech again. “I’m just bored sitting at home all day.”

  She met my eyes, and my heart stopped. My stomach clenched painfully as I looked down at her lips. They were so inviting. It took everything in me not to claim them right there in front of everyone. As I trailed my eyes down her body, she cleared her throat and took a step back. Her expression was professional as she led me toward our workout area.

  I sighed and followed her, resting my crutches against the wall. Instead of helping me to the low
table like she had every other time, she led toward two bars and positioned me between them. I looked at her with surprise but didn’t argue. If she thought I was ready to try walking, then I would do it without a single word of complaint.

  “Hold onto the bars,” she said. “Put all your weight on them the first few steps, okay? Don’t put pressure on your leg. Not yet.”

  I nodded and did as she said. Even with my weight on the bars, it was hard to keep my leg from giving out. I felt sharp pains shooting through my leg and into my hip. I winced and grit my teeth, forcing myself through the pain.

  Tara watched me closely, but there was something behind her eyes I didn’t recognize. It was as if she wasn’t all there like something was distracting her. I wanted to ask her about it, but I knew it wasn’t the right time. The other therapists were surrounding us on both sides, and a few patients were still lingering in the building.

  I let Tara lead me through the session, all the while desperate for her touch. This was the first PT session where Tara didn’t touch me once. I didn’t realize just how much I longed for her hands on me until I had to go without it. I was frustrated. I hated this distance between us.

  The room cleared as my session came to an end. I was beyond grateful to have a minute alone with Tara. When she gripped my arm to help me to a chair, I sighed and grabbed her hand in mine.

  “What’s going on with you?” I asked, falling into the chair but keeping my hold on her hand. “You’ve been distracted this entire session.”

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  “Bullshit,” I snapped. “Just talk to me.”

  “I’m confused, okay?” she said, throwing her hands up in frustration. The motion ripped her hand from my grasp, and I sighed, already missing the contact. “I don’t know what the hell to do anymore.”

  “You’re overthinking everything,” I said. “Just relax and let yourself be happy for once. Jesus, Tara, this doesn’t have to be so complicated.”

  “Except that it is,” she shot back. “It became complicated the day my dad married your mom.”

  “Who the fuck cares about that?” I asked. “We didn’t grow up together. We aren’t siblings. God, we didn’t even meet until we were seventeen!”

  “That doesn’t matter,” Tara said. “Our parents won’t approve.”

  I pushed myself to my feet and stumbled toward her as fast as I could. Without letting her finish, I grabbed her around the waist and pressed my lips to hers. The kiss was deep and hard. I threw all my emotions behind it, every ounce of desperation I felt pouring out of me. Tara kissed me back, sighing against me and letting herself be free for just a few seconds.

  The kiss was hot. It melted Tara’s resolve and strengthened my own. I had to have this woman. No matter what, I couldn’t let what happened between us became a one-night stand.

  “When’s your next day off?” I asked when we pulled away from each other. I was still holding onto her waist, but I could feel my leg trembling beneath me. She looked down and sighed, leading me back toward the chair.

  “You shouldn’t have done that,” she said softly.

  “You loved it,” I grinned wickedly.

  “I’m not talking about the kiss,” she said. “I’m talking about your damn leg. You can’t push yourself that hard.”

  “It was worth it,” I said.

  She met my eyes and sighed deeply. When she kissed me, it was soft, and it barely lasted a second. She just brushed her lips against mine and closed her eyes. I could tell how much she wanted me, but something was still holding her back. She wouldn’t let herself go. Not completely.

  “When’s your next day off?” I asked again. “I want to see you somewhere that isn’t this damn building.”

  “I’m off tomorrow, but I already have plans to see Stephanie,” she said quickly.

  “Oh,” I said, nodding. “How is Stephanie doing?”

  “She’s great,” Tara said with a smile. “Working at a bar downtown and loving it.”

  “Bartending?” I raised my eyebrows.

  “You know Stephanie,” Tara said. “She never takes life too seriously.”

  “Yeah,” I said.

  I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice, but it was impossible. Tara was right there, just a foot away from me and yet, we felt so far apart. I wanted to spend the entire day with her so I could remind her what it really felt like between us. Then, she wouldn’t be able to resist it any longer.

  Still, I couldn’t fight her. She was spending the day with Stephanie, and I had to be okay with that, just like I had to be okay with the injury to my leg and the fact that Tara still insisted on listening to her father after all these years.

  My life no longer felt like my own. Everything had spiraled out of control, and it just fucking sucked.

  CHAPTER TWELVE - TARA

  After all the confusion with Caleb, I was in desperate need of a day off. I woke up on Wednesday morning, grateful that my head felt fine. I was still worried about whatever was causing my severe headaches, but for the first time in a while, I decided to let myself relax for the day. I climbed out of bed and took a long, hot shower. The water cascaded over my body, loosening my muscles and propelling me toward the rest of my day.

  My dad called early that morning, wanting to meet up for an early lunch. He knew I had the day off and his schedule was light. It was the perfect opportunity for us to spend some time alone, which meant he wanted to lecture me without an audience. I wasn’t looking forward to it, but I knew it was inevitable. Now that I was back in town and spending time with Caleb, my father’s protective nature had been kicked into overdrive.

  I walked inside the restaurant and hurried over to him. He rose from his chair and kissed my cheek, smiling as we both sat down.

  “Are you feeling okay?” he asked. “No headaches today?”

  “Not yet.” I shrugged. “We’ll see how the rest of the day goes.”

  “Did you go see Dr. Anderson?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Monday afternoon.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He did some tests,” I said. I didn’t want to talk about my headaches. I was already worried enough. “CT scan and bloodwork. Nothing huge.”

  “Did he tell you anything?” Dad asked. “What he thought might be wrong or anything like that?”

  “You know he wouldn’t do that,” I said with a sigh. “They won’t tell me anything until the results come back.”

  Dad nodded. The waitress came over, and we ordered our food. We lapsed into an easy silence while we sipped our coffee. Dad was still worried about me, but he was kind enough to drop the subject. I couldn’t stand to dwell on what might be wrong with me. There were too many options to consider. If I thought about them all, I would drive myself insane.

  We got our food and ate slowly. Dad told me about work and asked about my other patients. We circled the subject of Caleb, but neither of us mentioned his name. I could tell Dad was leading us in that direction. His expression slowly darkened and eventually, he couldn’t contain himself any longer.

  “We should talk about your brother,” Dad said.

  I rolled my eyes. “He’s not my brother.”

  “I’m married to his mother,” Dad said.

  “That means nothing,” I said with a soft laugh. “It means nothing, Dad. Caleb and I met when we were practically adults. You can’t expect us to act like brother and sister. That’s ridiculous.”

  “How should I expect you to act?” he asked, quickly losing patience.

  “However I want to,” I said. “I’m an adult. So is Caleb. Our lives aren’t any of your business anymore.”

  “He’s trouble, Tara.” Dad’s voice stern. “I know he seems like he’s changed but he hasn’t. He’s still the same.”

  “Dad,” I said sharply. “You can’t keep doing this. I hear you, okay? I get it. Please, drop it already.”

  “I can’t,” he said, shaking his head. “Not when I’m this worried about you.
”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “Can you?”

  His question echoed in my mind throughout the rest of the day. I forced him to change the subject while we finished our food. We said goodbye, and he went back to the hospital, leaving me more confused than ever.

  That night, I went to Stephanie’s bar. I was eager for a little distraction. My father’s words still echoed through my mind and my thoughts of Caleb were stronger than ever. Seeing Stephanie would help me relax and feel like myself again.

  “Oh, thank God!” Stephanie squealed when I arrived. She jumped on the bar and swung her legs over, dropping to her feet in front of me. “I thought for sure you would bail on me tonight.”

  “Not a chance,” I said. We hugged, and she grinned at me.

  “Drinks?” she asked.

  “Are you off already?” I asked.

  “Yup.” She grinned wider and ordered us each three shots of tequila.

  “Shit,” I said after we downed all of them. “Are you trying to kill me?”

  “I’m trying to loosen you up, baby!” Stephanie said. “You’re all tied up in knots.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” I said.

  Stephanie laughed, and we spent the rest of the night losing ourselves in alcohol and fun. I hadn’t spent an entire night with Stephanie in months. My job kept me busy, and these damn headaches prevented me from enjoying myself. With Caleb back in my life, everything felt more complicated. I needed a night out with Stephanie more than I realized.

  We danced, letting the world melt away. Stephanie and I jumped around, drunk and happy. Everything felt simple. I was myself again, and when Stephanie finally put me in a cab, there was only one place I wanted to be.

  It might have been a mistake, but I didn’t care. I was drunk and horny, and I couldn’t get Caleb off my mind. While I danced with Stephanie, I imagined how it would feel to do the same with Caleb. I pictured his strong arms around my waist and his cock pressed against my ass while I moved against him.