**~
“Kristen.”
I groaned and reached out, slapping at the hand that was gently shaking my shoulder and stirring me out of sleep.
“Kristen, wake up.”
“Don’t wanna,” I mumbled. “Tired.”
There was a deep, manly chuckle and somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized that I wasn’t dreaming the sound.
“Come inside, Kristen. You can sleep in your bed.”
I cracked open my eyes and looked over at Erik’s smiling face, feeling my heart pound hard in my chest at the sight. He was crouched down outside my door and he reached his hands inside, prying my cell phone from my hands and unplugging it from the charger before turning off the car and taking my keys.
“Come on, I’ll help you.”
I allowed him to grip my elbow and help me out of the car and I winced from the pain in my shoulders and neck. “How long was I asleep?”
“Maybe an hour? I’m not sure, I don’t have a watch. I got worried and came to check on you,” he said before pushing the car door shut then returning to my side.
“I’m good,” I said, shrugging off his arm as he reached to wrap it around my back. “I’m awake. God, I would kill for a cup of coffee right now,” I groaned as I walked up the stairs and into the house.
I heard him laugh as he followed behind me. “You and me both. Did you get in touch with your mom?”
“Oh. Yeah, I did. I just was waiting for the phone to finish charging and I guess I dozed off.” After we entered the living room, I plopped down on the couch with a sigh. “The storm isn’t over. We’re in the eye, apparently.”
Erik grunted his displeasure. I tried to shake off the feeling of offense I took to the sound, knowing that he was probably more upset about the lack of power than he was at the idea of spending more time with me.
At least I hoped.
He clapped his hands together before he started to pace up and down the living room, looking eerily similar to a caged tiger in a zoo. I could tell that he had a lot of pent up energy from being cooped up in the house for so long.
I tried not to let my mind wander to thoughts of what we could do to release that energy but failed miserably, a crimson blush staining my cheeks. Gratefully, he wasn’t looking directly at me because there was no way he would have missed it. Erik was entirely too perceptive.
“So what do you want to do today? Shall we actually attempt a board game?”
“Fuck board games.”
And please fuck me, I thought to myself.
Erik stopped pacing and looked at me with a cocked eyebrow. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m just really tired,” I said with a sigh as I waved off his concern.
“We’ll go ahead and nap why you can. Before the storm gets loud again.”
I was already standing up from the couch when I looked at him and asked, “Are you sure?”
Erik nodded I nearly sighed in relief, grateful that I wouldn’t to have to spend the entire day trying to ignore my attraction to him. I knew I’d have to deal with it again later, but at least I’d have a few hours to myself first.
“Do you have a book or something I can read?”
“Of course. Come on,” I beckoned him with a jerk of my chin, leading him down the hallway to the room that Gerald used as a study.
I wasn’t sure if Erik would be entirely grateful to be brought into a room that belonged to his father, but it was where we kept all of our books. Gerald’s, mine, and even the occasional book or two that my mom picked up were all housed on the shelves in that room. As we entered, Erik looked around the room was a knowing expression, not looking entirely pleased but also not upset.
“This is where our books live,” I said was a forced chuckle. “Help yourself to anything in the room. A lot of the books are mine but as you can probably tell…”
“A lot of them are my dad’s,” he finished for me.
I nodded in response, knowing that verbally agreeing wouldn’t make a difference. Erik was already lost in the room, seemingly torn between distain and an almost childlike curiosity. Even though he denied wanting to get to know the man that his father had become, I could tell that a small part of him had wanted to, even if it was unconsciously.
And since Gerald was dead, going through his belongings was the closest Erik was going to get to knowing his father.
I exited the room in silence, my eyes going wide with surprise when I heard Erik’s whispered, “Sweet dreams, Kristen.”
I spared him one last glance before closing the door behind me, knowing that the light shining into the windows of the study would be enough for him to read by. I exhaled shakily before making my way to my bedroom and slipping under the sheets fully dressed, burying my nose not in my usual pillow, but in the one Erik had rested his head on last night.
I was asleep within seconds.
**~
It was almost dinner time when I finally saw a sign of life from the study. I had only managed to nap for another two hours before being waking up, my body having more than enough sleep by that point. I strolled out to find the door the study still shut and I knew Erik was still inside. I used the time alone to read a novel while simultaneously freaking out about the possibility of sharing a bed with Erik again that night.
Now, the sun was starting to go down and the sound of the study door opening made my body tense with anticipation. The storm had already started to pick back up, the wind having been pounding against the side of the house for a few hours. The rain was just returning though and I knew we were in for another rough night.
Any hope I had that the power would turn back on tonight was diminished. Thankfully, this time I was prepared, candles already sporadically placed around the house should we need them.
Erik came into the kitchen as I was picking at leftovers from the night before. I supposed it was lucky that I made as much food as I had before the power went out, and thankfully most of it had kept just fine in the relative coolness of the refrigerator. Still, everything would be bad by tomorrow so I was eating as much of it as I could.
“Hey,” Erik greeted as he came into the kitchen and saw me sitting at the table. “How was your nap?”
“It was good. How was your reading?”
Erik shrugged and he didn’t have to say it aloud, but I knew he hadn’t spent his time reading. He probably went through Gerald’s desk and I couldn’t even imagine what he found. Going through Gerald’s stuff had never been something I had an urge to do.
But Erik didn’t seem upset so I assumed he didn’t find anything damning. He didn’t speak as he opened the fridge and looked for food that was still good. After he found something to eat, he sat down across from me at the table and we ate together in an awkward silence.
I couldn’t bring myself to ask what I really wanted to, which was whether he was willing to spend another night with me. The thunder was starting to pick back up as the hurricane moved through and I could already feel my body tensing at every crack.
At some point, Erik had looked up at me and I hadn’t even noticed. When our eyes locked together, I couldn’t even begin to describe the feeling that washed over me. I swallowed hard and reached forward to grab a match, striking it quickly before reaching up lighting the candle.
Between the low light and the way that Erik’s gaze was boring into me, it felt almost… romantic.
“Are you going to be able to sleep tonight?”
I shrugged and gave him a watery smile. “Probably not, but it’s alright. You don’t have to worry about me.”
His head slowly tilted to the side and a smile began to stretch across his lips. “What I meant was after napping for so long, are you going to be able to get any sleep?”
“Oh,” I said dumbly as I caught onto his meaning. “Oh, so you-”
“I’ll sleep with you again,” he said, his tone almost bashful. “If you need me to.”
“I… I would really appreciate that,” I forced
out, my throat dry.
Erik looked away, small worry lines creasing his forehead as he hesitated. “We should… We should really talk about this morning.”
I nearly laughed out loud. That was literally the last thing I wanted to do right now. “Do we have to?”
Erik nodded solemnly. “Yes.”
I sighed and stood up, pushing the chair under the table before I took my plate to the dishwasher. “Fine. But not in here.”
“Living room?” he asked as he stood up as well.
I nodded and reached out for his plate, placing it beside mine in the dishwasher as Erik lit a second taper candle and carried it out of the room. I leaned over the sink and took a few deep breaths, mentally bracing myself for however this was going to turn out.
A small part of me hoped that this would turn out well. But the bigger part of me, the part that was insecure with my body and convinced that a man like Erik could never be attracted to someone like me, braced myself for the inevitable rejection. After I felt like I had control of myself, I grabbed my candle and made my way into the living room.
Erik was already sitting in the armchair across from the couch, leaning over with his forearms resting on his thighs and his hands folded between his knees. I felt the optimistic part of my heart deflate, already seeing how this was going to end.
I sat down on the couch and stared down at the floor while I whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Erik made a sound of disbelief and I looked up, frowning at his utterly confused expression. “You’re sorry? For what?”
I opened my mouth but snapped it shut abruptly, not really sure what it was that I was sorry for. Sorry for being attracted to him? Sorry for making him sleep in my bed?
“Sorry for… pretending to be asleep this morning.”
His eyes widened comically. “You what?”
My eyes widened to match his. “You didn’t know?”
“I-” he started before cutting himself off, gulping nervously. “No. You… How long were you pretending to be asleep for?”
Way to give yourself away, Kristen.
I hesitated before answering his question. “I woke up a little while before you did. You were… making noises in my ear.”
“Oh Jesus,” he mumbled, hiding his face in his hands. “And?”
“And what?”
He pulled his hands apart to shoot me a less-than-amused look. “And what else was I doing? Why was I making noises in your ear?”
My cheeks heated up and I squirmed in my seat, twisting my hands together as I admitted, “You were… pressing yourself against me. Your uh… Your morning-”
He held up a hand before I could finish my sentence. “That’s… That’s all I needed to hear. Fuck,” he breathed out before running a hand through his hair. “I don’t share a bed with people very often. I’m sorry for what I did.”
Seeing his guilty expression made something inside of me desperate to share my own guilt. “It-It wasn’t just you,” I said softly.
Erik frowned. “What do you mean?”
I couldn’t hold his gaze, lowering my eyes to the floor as I miserably admitted, “After I realized what was happening I… I pressed back against you. You’re not the only one who acted inappropriately. I’m sorry.”
The silence was thick and I was too afraid to look up and see the disgust in his eyes. I gulped when I saw his shadow move as he stood up, then tried to look away as he came to crouch in front of me.
But Erik wasn’t having it. I felt his fingers lightly grip my chin and turn my face towards him.
“Why’d you do that?”
“Do you really have to ask? You’re… I mean, look at you,” I said, vaguely waving a hand down towards his body. “You’re gorgeous.”
“You’re attracted to me?”
I sighed and nodded, holding my breath as I waited for the devastating blow.
“Oh, thank god.”
My head shot up and I looked into his eyes to see… relief? “Pardon?”
“I thought it was just me,” Erik said with a laugh. When I continued to give him a blank stare, needing him to elaborate, he waved a hand between the two of us as he said, “I thought it was just me who felt this… thing between us. The connection.”
Am I dreaming? Or did he really just say that he felt something for me?
I wanted to ask, but the words wouldn’t come out. Instead, a rather embarrassing squeak came out of my mouth as he sat up on his knees and leaned forward. He paused with our faces mere inches apart and it felt like the air had been completely sucked out of my lungs.
“I’m going to kiss you, Kristen,” he said seriously, his eyes blazing with desire. “Unless you stop me first.”
He waited a beat to see if I was going to stop him and I decided enough was enough. I couldn’t take the tension anymore. I ran my fingers into his short hair and pulled him towards me, bringing our lips together while my heart began to pound wildly in my chest.
His lips were even softer than I had imagined. At the first brush of them against mine, I sighed softly, leaning further forward until I almost fell off the couch. One of his hands framed my face while his other arm wrapped around my back and I nearly lost my balance as he yanked me forward into his arms.
Our kiss didn’t break even as I fell off the couch, the two of us fluidly moving into a position where Erik was sitting on the floor and I was straddling his hips. I didn’t dare press myself against him yet, too worried that if I felt his cock I wouldn’t be able to refrain from tearing open his pants and begging for it right here.
I wanted to move this to my bedroom, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop kissing him.
After a long minute of our gentle kiss, I felt his tongue brush against my bottom lip and I parted them instantaneously. As he caressed my tongue with his own, his hand worked its way into my hair, pulling me closer against him. I moaned at the intensity of the kiss, desperately wanting to know if this was affecting him as much as it was me.
I got my answer soon enough. He broke the kiss, staring up at me with a slack jaw and eyes hooded with arousal. Then he reached back and gently slid the coffee table back far enough for him to lay back. His hands tugged me down and I kissed him again, both of us moaning when he bucked his hips up and ground his hard length right against my core.
My body shuddered with need. I broke the kiss and gasped, “Please.”
Erik smirked, taking hold of my hips and forcing me down to grind back and forth on his cock. I slammed my eyes closed and swallowed hard, wanting nothing more than to pull the jeans off of my body and feel him pressed to me for real.
“Erik,” I choked out, my voice as thick as the air around us felt. “Bed.”
“Yes,” he grunted before lifting me off of him.
We staggered to our feet and he grabbed the candle from the table before gripping my wrist and tugging me behind him. Once we were in my room, he sat the candle on the dresser and turned around, pulling me flush against his body with one quick movement.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered with a smile, trailing his fingertips down my cheek.
My eyes fluttered closed and he used the opportunity to his advantage, leaning down and kissing me until I was breathless. When he pulled away, a pitiful whimper left my mouth before I could even think to stop it.
“Before we go any further… Do you have condoms?”
I opened my eyes and looked up at him while my brain tried to process his words. “Oh. Yeah, in the nightstand. And I’m on the pill.”
He smiled at that and lifted me into the air, pulling a surprised shriek out of my throat.
“Put me down, I’m too heavy!”
“Bullshit,” he said with a roll of his eyes as he made his way across my room. “But I will put you down. Right where I want you.”
I opened my mouth to ask where that was, but the soft press of the mattress against my back gave me the answer. Erik stood back up and reached over to my nightstand, shuffling around the content
s until he emerged victorious with a golden packet.
He looked at me with a raised eyebrow as he asked, “Do you date a lot of well-endowed men?”
Even with everything that was happening, I still blushed at the question. “No, no. It’s just… wishful thinking, I guess.”
Erik leaned back as he let out a loud bark of laughter then looked back at me, his eyes lit up with mirth. I smiled at the sight of his easy smile, wanting to be the one who made him look so effortlessly happy all the time.
The realization of my feelings was overshadowed by the lustful look that he gave me as he said, “Well, I’m about to grant your wish.”
With a cocky grin, his hands went down to his jeans and he began to slowly, teasingly, unbutton his pants. I sat up and tugged at the hem of his t-shirt, bringing it up as far as I could until he finished it off, pulling it over his head and flinging it backwards.
“Holy fuck,” I whispered reverently, running my hands down his chest and abdomen. Even as he continued to work at his jeans, I couldn’t resist the urge to sit further up and lean forward to press my lips against his defined muscles.
His hands paused and he reached for me, groaning softly as I ran my tongue over the cut of his abs then down to where the V of his hips began. I used my hand to tease the light trail of hair leading into his pants, smiling against his skin as I felt him shiver.
“Kristen…” he started, his tone laced with an unusual mixture of both pleasure and warning.
Afraid that he would stop me if I didn’t move things along, I took over where he had started to shed his jeans. I finished pulling down the zipper before lopping my fingers in his belt loops and tugging the denim from his hips. I backed away to watch as I took hold of the elastic band of his boxer briefs. I glanced up at him and he nodded, silently giving me permission.
I pulled them down and when they reached his feet, he kicked everything off, sending his pants and underwear somewhere behind him as he stood in front of me completely nude.
Hurricane Stepbrother Page 4
