Good Stepbrother (Love #2)

by Scarlett Jade

  Digging through my bag, I found a pretty sweater and leggings to wear, with some ankle boots. I looked nice, or so I thought as I looked in the mirror. Carefully walking downstairs, I called, “Charlie, can I take the car?”

  “Sure thing. Be safe. See you later,” he hollered back from the living room. The keys were hung where they’d always been and I found my purse by the door.

  “See you later.” It was time for me to face my biggest demon. Opening the door, I stepped out onto the porch and closed it behind myself. Hurrying out to the old car, I climbed inside and started the engine before backing out of the drive. I knew the way to the garage by heart.

  Pulling into the parking lot, I shut off the engine and took a few breaths before exiting the car and tottering on my heels to the door. A small bell rang overhead as I stepped inside and the garage went silent as the men took me in. Smiling nervously, I asked softly, “Where’s Carter?”

  A lanky Hispanic guy thumbed at the office. “In there.”

  Hurrying through the greasy garage, I stood in the doorway of the office. Carter faced the window, his back to me. “Carter?”

  “Hello, Brielle. Or should I call you Bri now? Everyone’s doing it.”

  He didn’t turn to look at me and it hurt. “You’ve always called me Brielle. Let’s keep it that way. Aren’t you going to turn around and look at me?”

  “Nope.”

  I sighed, “I don’t want to fight. I just wanted to come home...”

  “I thought home was far from here.”

  “Home’s always been right here. I told you so in my letter.”

  He spat, “Sorry, the rooms you occupied in my heart have been rented out to someone else. No vacancy.”

  “That’s not what Charlie says,” I snapped back.

  Whirling around in his chair, he faced me. “Is that so?” he growled.

  “He says you haven’t dated anyone since I left. Was it because of that night?” Mother of God, time had been amazing to Carter. He was muscular, with slightly shaggy hair and a beard. My thighs clenched involuntarily. He looked delicious.

  “It wasn’t because of that night. It was because I had to clean up the mess we made, alone.”

  Glancing down at my boots, I flushed. “I know.”

  Storming around the desk, he raged, “You left me here to bury your mother. You left me here to hold everything together while you traipsed off to the West Coast to start a new life. It looks good on you, though. Must’ve been nice not to have to struggle or wonder how you’re going to pay bills. So excuse me if I’ve been a little too busy to get fucked, Brielle. I’ve had a little bit on my plate.” Suddenly, he grabbed my arm, jerking me inside the office and slamming the door. “Why are you here?” he demanded, shaking my arm slightly. “To fuck with my head again? Because I’m not into that, not anymore.”

  Glancing up into his beautiful eyes, I murmured, “I’m tired, Carter, and you don’t know a damn thing about what I’ve gone through in the last five years.”

  “You’re tired? Yeah, me too, sweetheart.” Releasing me, he wiped his hand on his pants and backed away.

  “My doctor says I have to slow down. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I’m exhausted.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I guess partying, doing drugs, drinking, and working twenty four seven tends to wear on a body. I have to stop touring for a while. My manager’s pretty pissed, but it is what it is. I told Dad I was here just for a little while at first, but it’s a lie. I’m here, for good. I’m walking away from my career.”

  “You’re…walking away from your career. Are you fucking insane?” he exploded and I jumped.

  “Don’t yell at me, Carter,” I whispered.

  “So what, do you think you can walk in here, looking absolutely fucking beautiful and win me back, just like that? That all this time, all this fucking agony I’ve been going through would just simply disappear because you walked in? I guess it’s like, ‘Oh shit, the sun’s here, us dark clouds better haul ass!’” He leaned against the desk and snorted in derision. “Come on, Brielle, I know you better than that.”

  “You used to know me. I just got out of rehab two months ago. I’m clean and sober, and I need to make amends for what I did to you.”

  “Wait, what? Rehab?”

  “Can I sit down?” I asked softly.

  “By all means.”

  Pushing my hair back, I smiled softly. “I am not proud of running, Carter. I just couldn’t process what had happened. The psychiatrist at rehab said my issues stemmed from being abandoned by my father and my mom dying so young. You had me up on this pedestal, Carter, and I couldn’t be who you needed me to be. So I ran.”

  “It killed me when I realized you were just gone.”

  “I’m sorry. I can’t change any of what happened in the past. All I can do is try to make the future better. Was my mother’s funeral…nice?”

  “I guess if you consider funerals to be nice. Dad tried to get in the grave with her. He was trashed out of his mind. I’ve finally gotten him off most of the whiskey and onto beers, but it’s just trading one demon for another. He won’t get help. He says AA is for quitters.”

  Grinning, I shook my head. “Sounds like Charlie. I’ve been calling and talking to him on and off since about a year after the…” I paused and cleared my throat. “Accident.”

  “Good for you,” he snapped.

  “Carter, I—”

  Jumping out of his chair, he stalked across the room and threw the door open. “Get the fuck out. Shop’s closed for the afternoon.”

  “Awwww come on, Carter! Buzz kill. It’s just getting good,” one guy complained.

  “Get. Out.” He growled again and with a laugh, they left the shop, closing the door behind them and switching off the open sign in the front window. “Sorry about that,” he sighed, settling back into his chair.

  “It’s okay. You know, Carter?” I paused and blushed slightly. “You look fantastic. Charlie told me all that you’ve done for him and I’m really proud of you. I always knew you were a good guy. Way too good for me.”

  He laughed. “Too good for you? What a crock.”

  “I’m serious! Why do you think I kept you at bay? I didn’t want you to end up being a fuck up like me. I did things no kid should’ve been doing. I can’t do that anymore. All of my celeb friends are like ‘wow, amazing all night party!’ and I’m like, ‘made it through the day with only two naps!’ I rode in the fast lane for a little too long and I really need a mechanic to fix me up. Do you know a good mechanic, Carter? I need him to fix my heart. That’s the thing that’s the most broken.” Staring at him expectantly, I waited.

  Blinking, he cleared his throat. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Tell me not to go. Please.” Standing, I rushed around his desk and plopped into his lap. “Give me another chance to make it right.” I knew what I was about to do would either go one of two ways. He’d either allow it to happen or he’d push me away in disgust. Pressing my mouth to his, I died. Logan’s kiss had been nice, but this was far from nice. He kissed me back and tangled his hands in my hair. His tongue tangled with mine and set me on fire.

  Suddenly, he stood from his chair, wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed me harder. He opened his office door and took me across the garage to stairs on the far wall. He carried me up them and I kissed down his neck. I needed to feel his skin against mine so I ripped at his shirt and dug my nails into his chest. I was a woman possessed and I only wanted him.

  “Carter, I need you,” I begged.

  “We’re almost there. You don’t know how long I’ve wanted this.”

  “Probably just as long as me…” He slid me down his body and I stood on tiptoe to kiss him. I steadied my hold on my rock and prayed he was ready for the storm to come.

  Ripping his shirt the rest of the way open, I pushed the material off his shoulders and moaned between kisses, “Jesus Christ, what do you do, work out non-stop?”

>   “No, I do manual labor for a living. You’re wearing too many clothes.”

  Stepping back slightly, I peeled off my sweater and tossed it to the floor. That left me wearing a matching black lacy panty and bra, and sheer leggings with my boots.

  “Boots and leggings off. Leave the rest on,” he ordered, and I raised an eyebrow.

  Ordering me around? Okay that’s hot, Carter.

  “Are you going to leave this time?” he asked against my ear.

  His mouth tickling my ear drove me insane and I shook my head. “No. I’m not.”

  “Good, because you’re mine. You’ve always been mine, whether you wanted to admit it or not.” He grabbed my ass cheeks with both hands and picked me up like I weighed nothing, settling me around his waist again.

  Wrapping my legs around his waist, I kissed him and murmured, “I just wanted to save you.”

  “You didn’t save me from anything. You tormented me,” he growled between kisses.

  “I did. I knew you wanted me. I didn’t know what to do. I was a kid. I just wanted to keep you wanting me, so you’d always be there if I needed you. I never stopped to think about what it was doing to you.”

  “I wanted you, alright. I jerked off to you every single night. Imagining how it would feel to be inside you. Believe me, though, the fantasies paled in comparison to actually being there.”

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, my eyes tearing up. “I know I messed up.”

  “Stop apologizing and let’s have angry sex, please.” He kissed me again and pushed me hard against the wall, grinding his denim covered, very hard dick into my pussy. His hands came to my bra straps and he ripped my lacy bra free from my skin. I almost wanted to cry at the delicate lace being torn to shreds, but I was painfully aroused. I did moan, “That was my favorite!”

  “You look so much sexier without it,” he murmured against my lips, groping my breasts, tweaking both nipples while he kissed me soundly.

  “I need…” I tried to talk and he plucked my nipples firmly, eliciting a gasp from my throat.

  “I’ll give you what you need, on my damn terms. You don’t have the control anymore.”

  That thrilled me. He put an arm behind me and bent me back over it so my breasts were at mouth level. He sucked first one nipple, then the other, back and forth until I was ready to explode. As though he could sense my impending orgasm, he brought me back up and murmured, “Are you still on birth control?”

  “I am.”

  “Good, because I still don’t own condoms.”

  Stepping across the room, he pulled back the covers on his bed and deposited me on his sheets. I trembled at the desire in his hooded eyes. He hooked his fingers in the sides of my panties and peeled them and my leggings down my legs. Kicking off my boots, I opened my legs wide and brazenly whispered, “Like what you see?”

  “You have no idea.” He groaned weakly.

  “You’re wearing too many clothes, Carter.”

  “I’m not gonna last long…”

  “I don’t care. I just need…I need you. I figure we have the rest of our lives…” I paused and pushed up on my elbows. “Do we?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t want to think about anything but your pussy and my dick having a serious powwow. I can’t talk to you when I want to fuck your brains out.”

  Laughing softly and I opened my legs wider. “Then do it and stop talking about it.”

  He moved like lightning stripping off his clothes and I clenched at the sight of his hard dick. “Last chance, Brielle. If I slide home, it’s for good. No walking out.”

  “Slide home, Carter.”

  He moved between my legs, adjusted his head into my heat and sank deep. “My God,” he moaned against my neck, burying himself completely.

  Carter filled me perfectly. He kissed me sweetly and rocked into me. My pussy throbbed incessantly, I was close to coming and I knew exactly how I needed to get there. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I angled slightly so he brushed my g-spot with each stroke. Digging my heels into his ass, I rocked up into him and came apart almost instantly. Breaking our kiss, I screamed his name, “Carter!”

  He took me then, hard and fast and I watched his face as he came. His head fell back and he grunted in shuddering pants. “I told you it wouldn’t last long.”

  Trailing circles on his back with my fingertips, I kissed his shoulder. “It was perfect.”

  Withdrawing, he stood and offered his hand. “Let me show you the bathroom.”

  I took his hand and we padded to the tiny bathroom. He cleaned up quickly and left me alone. I couldn’t believe how quickly things had exploded between us, but that’s how things had always been between us. It scared me. I felt like I’d just built myself up and in the space of twenty minutes, he’d engulfed me in flames.

  Pulling his towel from the rack, I tiptoed out of the bathroom. “Can I have my clothes?”

  “Yep. Let me turn around and give you some privacy.” He handed me my clothes and jammed my torn bra into his pocket.

  “Keeping that for later?” I teased.

  “A memento, just in case,” he said sadly, turning away as I dressed.

  “It’s stupid being embarrassed around you after…I mean it’s not like you’re the only guy I’ve ever had sex with,” I laughed weakly.

  “You’re the only woman I’ve ever made love to.”

  I froze as I slipped my boots on. Oh hell, Carter. “You seriously haven’t been with anyone else? Wow.”

  “The other night I tried to. Believe me, I tried. Then one of your songs came on the jukebox at the bar and my dick died. You cock blocked me from afar.”

  “What magic I possess,” I hugged him from behind. I had to get out of there and clear my head. I was drowning in him and I didn’t like the feeling. I hadn’t expected to make love to him in the apartment above the garage. I’d planned on us going slowly, not setting each other on fire.

  “You always have.”

  “Want to um, go back to your office?” I suggested, hoping it would be a safer alternative to his bed. Frankly, I wanted to shove him back on the bed and screw him until neither of us could walk. But that wasn’t healthy.

  “Probably best. But I could still fuck you over my desk.”

  “That has promise.” I yawned slightly and walked to the stairs. “Meet you down there.” I planned on running. He knew it. I knew it.

  He smiled and nodded. “Be right there.”

  He gave me a head start, and I took off like dogs were nipping at my heels. I almost ran across the parking lot to Charlie’s car. Starting it, I peeled out of the parking lot and cried the whole way home. I was an idiot. A fool.

  I was madly in love with Carter Travis and it terrified me.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Bri, just do a few shows. Then you can take more time off. People need to know you’re okay. Come on, honey,” Patrick cooed in my ear and I chewed my thumbnail as I listened.

  “Just a few shows,” I repeated.

  “Six.”

  “Then I can come back?” It would give me and Carter a little time to cool off. Because if we burst into flames like that again I might not survive the conflagration.

  “Of course you can, baby.”

  My skin crawled when he called me his baby. Yuck. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

  “Great, we’ll have a car ready to pick you up in the morning. You’ll fly to Phoenix, Sacramento, Denver, Kansas City, Dallas, and Atlanta. Then time off. Good girl, I knew you could do it. I’ll meet you in Phoenix. It’s time we reconnected.”

  Gag me. “Yeah, sounds good. Six shows. That’s it. See you tomorrow.” Hanging up, I flopped back on my bed and covered my eyes with my forearm. I’m running once again but I can’t help it. I just need to cool off before I go back to the garage and make love to him again. We’re burning a little too hot and I don’t have much left to burn down.

  “Bri? You want some pancakes?” Charlie called and I pasted a smile on my face.

>   “Sure do! Be right there.” Straightening my shoulders, I prepared to tell Charlie I would be going back on the road again. Trotting downstairs, I entered the kitchen. “So I gotta get out of here tomorrow,” I started and Charlie eyed me.

  “Need the car?”

  “No. Someone’s coming to get me. I’m um… gonna go do six shows, then I’ll be back. My manager says it will be good for the public to see that I’m okay. I can handle it, I promise.” Sliding into my chair I flinched as he sighed loudly.

  “Bri. Are you running?” He plopped two pancakes on my plate.

  “Me? Running? What would I have to run from?” My voice was just a touch too high, so I toned it down and cleared my throat. “Everything’s fine. It’s just for the record label.”

  “Uh huh. Everything’s kosher between you and Carter. No problems, right?” Charlie asked, opening the refrigerator to pull out the bottle of syrup he always kept there. He dropped it on the table in front of me and sighed. “Kid, you gotta work things out.”

  “We will!” I promised. “Just not yet. It’ll be okay, just trust me, Charlie. I’m coming home. I swear. Scout’s honor.” Pouring syrup on my pancakes, I shoved a bite in my mouth. “Mmm, so good!”

  “I’m glad to see you eating something,” Charlie muttered and I shrugged.

  “My trainer will be pissed.”

  “You have to eat.”

  “I know…” The pancakes melted on my tongue and I barely resisted licking the plate. He settled in beside me with a stack of pancakes and bacon.

  “No beer tonight either,” he stated simply, and I grinned.

  “I’m proud of you. Lisa would be proud.”

  “I know.”

  ***

  The next morning I gave him one last hug before I climbed in the car. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “Bri, you gotta take it easy, baby,” he whispered in my ear before releasing me. “Take care of yourself.”