by Ryli Jordan
I shook my head. “Kate, just listen to me for a minute,” I told her, trying to be rational. “Imagine what it would look like to our parents. Don't you think they would realize that there was something more between us? And…”
“Why would they realize that there's something more between us?” Kate asked bitterly. “You hardly said two words to me at dinner, and your reluctance to even drive me home did not go unnoticed. As far as they're probably concerned, we don't even act like stepsiblings, let alone like...something more.”
“Right, but that's what I'm trying to say. There are some things we need to talk about, some very real logistics we need to figure out if we're going to make this work. I think it's great that you're coming to London—I was going to ask you to come with me, actually. Ask again, for real. But there are some things we need to talk about."
“I thought we were just fucking," Kate said bitterly. “That's what it was, right? Getting it out of our systems, I guess.” She shook her head. "And that's what London is going to be, too, isn't it?"
I glanced over, surprised to hear those words coming out of her. “Well, do you really think we're ready for the relationship conversation yet?” I asked incredulously. “Kate, I don't know what to tell you, but I'm not normally a relationship kind of guy. I want you in London with me, but I’ve never been in an exclusive relationship. We both need to consider what we are doing to our careers, our lives.”
Kate's face twisted and she turned to look out the side window. “Okay,” she said quietly. We pulled up in front of her house, and I not-so-patiently waited for her to get out. “Well, I'm moving to London,” she said again. “Like I said, I just wanted to let you know, but it's not something that's up for discussion. I'm not looking for your permission or anything.”
“The fact that you're still sitting here makes me feel like you are,” I pointed out.
Kate gave me a startled look. Then, she grimaced a little, her hand reaching for the handle of the door. “I've already told my mom,” she told me, not looking at me. “She knows how excited I am about this. So, uh, like I said, just thought you should know before it...comes up at the dinner table.” Without another word—without even saying thanks for having given her a ride—she slipped out of the car and slammed the door shut behind herself.
I sat there in her driveway for a long moment, fingers tightly gripping the steering wheel as I tried to figure out what I was feeling. And wondering how things had gone from my wanting to ask her to come to London for a few weeks to explore this relationship with me to me feeling anger at her for doing something so stupid, irrational, and...long-term. I was thinking a couple of weeks, geesh! I think the anger was mainly at the fact that she hadn't consulted me. I wanted to be part of the decision-making process, especially if we were going to start a relationship together. But at the same time, somewhere down in there, I could feel a faint sense of hope. What if she did move to London and we managed to…
But no; I quashed that thought before it was even fully formed. Resolving to quit thinking about Kate's luscious curves and her cute little giggle, I quickly threw the car into reverse and headed for my hotel, resolving to head for the bar as soon as I got there. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Thirteen
DAVID
Holiday time had always been busy for us. Dad always threw his Christmas party, and then I was always dragged along to a couple other parties over the course of the season. Of course, every year, we went to the Nelsons' New Year's party, because everyone in Dad's circle went to that party and it would have been practically scandalous to miss it unless you were in the hospital or something extreme.
But this year, Dad had also insisted I attend the general winter holiday party hosted by the Whittakers in the days between Christmas and New Years. Dad was trying to finalize a business deal, and Greg Whittaker was one of the people he was trying to finalize it with. They would probably spend half the evening talking shop, and it would look good for Dad to have me there charming his guests, showing that he was responsible and a real family man. Or something like that.
It was just another thing I had to do during my precious time off from work, but there was a big difference between ruining my day because Dad was asking me to do something rather than ruining my day because someone else was asking me to do something. Anyway, going to a fancy holiday party, eating a lot of expensive food, and getting tipsy was a lot more fun than holiday shopping leading up to Christmas.
That evening after the driver parked us in front of the house, I carefully did my tie with practiced hands and smoothed my hands down my suit jacket. I glanced over at Anna, who was looking absolutely delicious in a floor-length, slinky, red silk gown that left very little to the imagination. “Ready for this?” I asked her.
Anna snorted and reached into her purse, pulling out a small flask. “What do you mean, am I ready for this?” she asked. “We have a tradition, remember?”
I laughed a little and took a swig from the offered flask, swirling the whiskey around my tongue.
“You seem preoccupied lately,” Anna said. “Anything you want to talk about? Or is it just boring work stuff that you can't seem to leave behind even during the holidays?”
I shook my head. “I wish, honestly,” I said. I frowned, wondering if I should just admit to her what it was that really had me a bit distracted lately. Anna had been my friend for a long time—we'd grown up together—and she understood me in the way no one else could. She might be able to provide some sort of insight into what I was actually feeling. But admitting to her that I had slept with Kate…
Anna shrugged. “Look, you don't have to tell me, it was just an offer. Pass the flask.”
I blinked and then took another swig from the flask before passing it back to her. “I slept with Kate,” I finally said.
“You're going to have to be more specific than that,” Anna said, arching an eyebrow at me. “There are a lot of Kates in the world out there. Are we talking Kate Giulliani, Kate Benton, Kate Lewicky, Kate...” She started listing off Kates that we'd gone to school with.
“No,” I interrupted her. “I slept with Kate. My stepsister.”
Anna blinked. “Oh. Oh.” She laughed a little, and I reached over to punch her arm. “What? It's funny!” She shook her head. “That's… I mean, that's bad. Even for you.”
“I know,” I said miserably. “It was just some stupid drunken thing on Christmas, or at least it was supposed to be, but now we keep having these stupid family get-togethers since it's the holidays, and… I don't know.” I wasn't sure I was ready to tell her the part about Kate moving to London. I still didn't really know what I was feeling on that one.
“Do you have feelings for her?” Anna asked. " I just don't know why this is such a big deal for you.”
I was silent for a long moment, and Anna took that as her answer, letting out a low whistle between her teeth. “Well, that's huge, David,” she said. “I mean, I know you, right? Hearing you actually admitting to having non-platonic feelings for someone... She must be special.”
“That's not what I want to hear,” I muttered.
“So what do you want to hear?” Anna asked, passing the flask back.
I took a long sip, my throat burning a little as I swallowed it down. “I don't even know,” I admitted.
“Ah,” Anna said, a hint of a smile on her face. “So I suppose that's why you've been so preoccupied lately—because you're still trying to figure out what to do with the feelings you have.” She fixed me with a serious look. “I mean, I can't really tell you what you should do in this situation. It's a little beyond what I've ever experienced in the past. But personally, I'd make sure I wasn't doing something I'd regret. Kate isn't the type of girl you can just cut out of your life entirely if things go wrong. But then again, I've never seen you even considering having feelings for someone before, so...” Anna shrugged.
I stared pensively out the front window for a long time and then took another hear
ty sip of whiskey before putting the cap back on the flask and handing it over to its rightful owner. “All right, let's go inside,” I sighed.
When we got inside the house, we found it filled with a bunch of bright, jewel-toned colors, because the Whittakers had apparently decided to forego the traditional holiday party styles and go for something unique. Everywhere we looked, there were bright red ribbons, bright purple and yellow flowers, green banners, and a whole kaleidoscope of other colored ornaments and decorations.
It was kind of gaudy if you asked me—and especially since everyone expected holiday parties to look like holiday parties, with snow and icicles and gingerbread houses and everything else. By choosing not to play by the standard, I could only assume that Greg Whittaker didn't think he would be able to rival, let alone top, some of the other fine holiday parties of the season. That made my lip curl.
Anna elbowed me in the side, but she was grinning. “You're doing it again,” she told me. “That thing where you judge everyone based on their ability to host a party.”
“Well, it's an important skill to have,” I said defensively. “For someone of his standing, if he's expecting to close business deals with his peers and invites them all over for–“
“Shh,” Anna said. “Look, champagne.” She started moving across the ballroom, tugging me along by the wrist. I was so caught up in looking at the decorations that I didn't see Kate until it was too late.
Anna quite literally bumped into her. When Kate turned around to see what had just hit her, her mouth open to say something, she froze, looking back and forth between Anna and me. I saw something flicker across her face, but it was gone before I could identify it.
“Kate,” I ground out, nodding my head at her.
Anna's eyes went wide. “So you're the Kate I keep hearing about!” she said. She held out her hand. “I'm Anna. David and I have been friends since we were, like, five. I punched him in the nose and he pushed me in a puddle.”
Kate blinked and awkwardly shook Anna's hand. “Uh, sounds like quite the relationship the two of you must have,” she said.
“We're not in a relationship,” I said quickly, a bit too defensively.
“No one said you were,” Kate said breezily, but her eyes kept slipping back and forth between the two of us.
“So what do you think of your new stepbrother, eh?” Anna asked Kate, grinning at her.
Kate gave me a quizzical look for a second, and I wondered if she realized that Anna knew we had slept together. Because of course, the bad thing about telling anything to Anna was that the woman didn't have an ounce of tact.
“I mean, he's all right, I guess,” Kate said, and I wondered if she was talking about my looks or my personality.
Anna laughed, either way. “Yeah,” she agreed, reaching up to ruffle my hair in an unmistakably possessive gesture that I almost appreciated if it meant that Kate realized I was off-limits. “He is pretty all right, isn't he?”
“Hey Kate,” another woman said, coming up to our little group. I vaguely recognized her as one of Kate's close friends, but I couldn't remember her name. Whoever she was, she glanced between us, carefully giving Anna a once over. Then, she sneered. “Kate, there are a couple single guys over there who wanted me to bring you over if you're interested. And they are hot.”
Kate gave me a long look and then shrugged at my lack of response. She turned to her friend. “Sounds great. Maybe I'll let one of them take me home tonight.”
I knew, I just knew she wasn't that type of girl, but I couldn't help the jealousy that flared up as I watched her walk away, again exaggerating the swing of her round hips, which were emphasized by the flowing material of her green gown.
I turned quickly and walked in the opposite direction, eager to put as much distance between us as I could.
Chapter Fourteen
I breathed a sigh of relief as we finally made it to the drinks table. Quickly, I chugged down two glasses of champagne, not caring what it looked like to anyone who might be watching. Kate would, I was sure, but I didn't want to talk to her about London in front of all these people.
“Well, that was interesting,” Anna laughed, appearing at my elbow. “So that's Kate?”
I scowled over at her. “Keep your voice down,” I hissed, glancing around. “I don't need everyone to know–“
“Darling,” Anna drawled, placing a hand on my forearm. “For one thing, calm down. For another, don't you realize that everyone in the vicinity of the two of you can feel the sexual tension there? And I mean, it's not like you wouldn't make an attractive–“
“Don't go there,” I interrupted. “Don't—I need to get out of here.”
“We just got here,” Anna pointed out. “It would be pretty rude for you to leave already. Anyway, we haven't even tried any of the food yet. And it looks amazing. Come on. Another couple drinks in you and you'll be feeling better. Then we can go be social butterflies like we were raised to be, and then at the end of this long and painful evening, maybe I'll let you take me home and screw me senseless.”
“Nope, doubt it,” I told her honestly. I couldn't help glancing over to where Kate and her friend were chatting with some guys I didn't know. They were pretty attractive guys, I had to admit. I didn't like the situation, not when I really wanted to stride over there and grab Kate's wrist, pulling her out of this party and taking her back to the hotel, where I would pin her up against the door and–
Anna gazing at me now. “What do you say you and I find somewhere in here where I can...show you a little incentive, maybe?”
I raised an eyebrow at her, laughing a little. “Oh, it’ll be a quick ‘bj’,” she said.
I buried my head shaking it. I know I shouldn’t give into this, but it’s just a blow job I think to myself. Just some closure because I’m completely done with Anna after this.
We finally found a bathroom in a semi-deserted area towards the back of the house, and we slipped into it together. It was large, even though it was clearly not one of the main ones in use given its location.
“Already quite hard, hmm?” she asked teasingly. “Are you thinking about her?”
I gave her a guilty look, not sure what to say in response to that. The thing was, Anna and Kate were totally different lays, but I couldn't help thinking of Kate right then, imagining her hands on me. I could only imagine what it would be like to have Kate someplace like this, where we were being so very obvious about something so naughty.
“It's okay,” Anna said, misreading my hesitation. “I don't mind if you think of someone else. But if you want me to stop–“
“Why the fuck would I want you to stop?” I growled, grabbing a fistful of hair at the back of her head.
“I want to blow you until you cum,” Anna said, pushing me back a little so she could hop off the counter, and oh, didn't those words send zings of pleasure shooting straight to my throbbing dick.
I turned so I was leaning back against the counter, bracing my hands on either side of myself as Anna dropped to her knees in front of me. She slowly undid my belt buckle and then the zipper on my jeans, tugging them and my boxers down to the ground and lightly kissing the very tip of my dick.
I couldn't stop a ragged moan falling from my mouth, and Anna grinned up at me, her blue eyes bright with her own excitement.
Slowly, she slid her mouth along my shaft and then slipped the whole thing into her mouth with one go.
“You're getting better at that,” I groaned, putting a hand on the back of her blond strands to hold her there for a moment, enjoying the pressure as she hollowed her cheeks and fought to pull back and set her own pace. When I continued to hold her there, she reached up to pinch me just behind the balls, and I let go of her for a second, a burst of star-bright pleasure/pain shooting through my body.
The door swung open, and I stared dazedly at Luke, trying to process what was happening.
“Whoa, dude!” Luke said, throwing a hand up to shield his eyes. “Lock the door next time!
”
“I did!” I snapped, even though clearly I must not have. I pulled away from Anna, erection already wilting as the moment slipped away. It wasn't even really that I wanted to get off with Anna, anyways. That was the most frustrating thing of all: I was almost glad that Luke had interrupted us, that I hadn't actually come with someone other than Kate. But that was a stupid thing to think when it wasn't like Kate and I were exclusive. (And whose fault is that?, I asked myself disgustedly.)
Angrily, I inspected the door and found that the locking mechanism still turned and clicked, but it wasn't quite long enough to actually be effective. “Idiots,” I muttered under my breath, staring around distastefully at the tacky beige bathroom.
I quickly tugged my pants up, redoing my belt, and reached out wordlessly to offer Anna a hand up. She at least knew better than to say anything until we were back at the party. “Come on,” she said with the patience and gentleness of a saint. “Let's go eat our weight in food.”
Chapter Fifteen
DAVID
A little while later, Luke caught up with me. After what he had witnessed earlier in the bathroom, I hadn't really expected him to seek me out. Anna had already left for the evening with Joe, another mutual friend, and I'd been thinking about getting out of there and going back to the hotel. I just needed to say my goodbyes…
When Luke came up to me, I frowned at him. “So you're back to sleeping with Anna, huh?” Luke asked with no preamble, leaning against the wall next to me. “What about Kate?”
I stared over at him, mouth agape. Then, I quickly brought my features back to neutral. “How do you know about Kate and I?” I hissed. “Did she tell you–”
Luke held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Whoa, calm down. I mean, she didn't really have to tell me; you guys are...pretty obvious about it, to be honest. I think a blind person could tell how attracted you are to one another.”
