Ways in the Guardian: A Menage Romance Book Collection

by Barbara Downey

  Keegan was another thing that made Evie confused. Sometimes he was his usual sweet but lazy self, but lately, it seemed that he was agitated, especially when he was over the house. He was competitive and very possessive, acting like the complete opposite of his dream self. If Will asked to share Evie, the real version of Keegan probably would have punched him in the mouth. Evie thought that she would like this new attentive Keegan, but he was only like that in front of Will or if he came up in conversation. When they were in the bedroom he still went back to his old habits and Evie was left wanting more.

  One morning, she was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice that Will had come down into the kitchen until he had slid into the chair across from her. She shook her head, hoping that the look for turmoil wasn’t too obvious on her face.

  “You okay?” he asked, “You look like you are a million miles away.”

  Evie smiled at Will over her bowl of granola. “I’m fine. What do you have planned for today?”

  “I have a conditioning practice this afternoon. I was going to see if you wanted to come.”

  “Me? Evie asked. “With your team?”

  Will nodded. “I already talked to coach. He’s interested to see if you can hang with us.”

  Evie nodded vigorously. “I’m there!”

  A few hours later they were walking into the gym and Evie felt exhilarated. Not only did working out make her feel like she had her life under control but she felt honored that there were people out there who thought highly enough of her to want to invite her to see what she was capable of.

  The team was there in the team color tee-shirts and workout shorts and Evie couldn’t help but blush as multiple sets of eyes watched her walk in with Will. The coach explained that Evie was going to try the workout and when a few of them laughed quietly or exchanged looks, she couldn’t wait to get to work and prove them wrong.

  The workout was similar to cross fit. It was multiple stations that you did for several minutes before you moved on to the next one. Most of them she had done in her own workouts. Her first station was push up and when the coach started the timer she focused on her goal and set to work. It wasn’t long before the timer was going off and she was moving to the next one. This time, she had to hang onto a chin up bar and bring her toes up to touch it. She couldn’t help but smile. This was her favorite part of the workout.

  By the end of the workout, Evie was sweaty and her muscles felt wobbly but she felt proud that she hadn’t had to stop. Maybe she didn’t do as many reps as everyone else did, but as they headed to the locker room, she could hear Will’s teammates asking him more about Evie. How he knew her, if she’d come to their conditioning again. Will looked proud as he answered them. Evie stood there in shock because as she watched him disappear behind the door she wanted to see that look on his face all the time. She wanted to be the one to make him feel that way. Deep down she knew that wasn’t a love that was necessarily shared by a brother or a sister.

  *****

  “You did what with Will?”

  It was late in the evening after Evie had gone to the gym with Will’s hockey team and Keegan had come over for dinner. Everyone in the house was doing their own thing; the parents were watching a movie and Craig’s kids were playing a card game out in the kitchen. Evie was itching to be with them but Keegan had wanted some privacy. He sat on her bed looking at her judgmentally as she began to tell him about her latest workout session.

  “He told his coach how much I love to work out, so they invited me to work out with the team,” she explained.

  Keegan glared at her. “You expect me to believe that there were no ulterior motives for you going there. Maybe so that he could get acceptance from his team by letting them ogle you?”

  “Keegan, are you serious?” Evie asked growing defensive. She almost felt like the guy in that Edgar Allen Poe story that could hear the heartbeat of the man he murdered through the floor. Could he tell that she had some strange feelings for Will? Even if he had the slightest inkling, the way he was talking to her was condescending and she didn’t like it.

  “I don’t know Evie…” Keegan fired back and tried to reign in his anger. “It just seems like your world is changing and I’m afraid that you aren’t going to have room for me. I know it’s stupid, but it’s not like any old guy is your stepbrother. This dude is fucking gorgeous. Plus, he looks at you like you aren’t his sister.”

  Evie dropped her eyes to the bedspread. She couldn’t let Keegan know that she never noticed but at the same time the through exhilarated her. Maybe it wouldn’t seem so wrong if he felt that way too. They could laugh it off and move on with their lives.

  Evie looked at her boyfriend and tried to picture him in her future. She tried to picture him sitting at family holidays and lying over her in her new bedroom. She felt herself flood with guilt when she realized that it was difficult for her to see him there.

  “What is the matter with you?” Keegan demanded. “Why won’t you say anything? WHAT IS IT?”

  Evie felt herself panicking at her realization. She knew that if she told Keegan how she felt that it would only make it worse. “I think you need to leave,” she whispered, voice hollow.

  “You’re kicking me out?” He stared at her dumbfounded.

  “Yah, I am,” Evie answered, rising off of her bed and opening the door.

  “What the hell?” Keegan’s voice rose and Evie knew that everyone in the house could probably hear.

  “Please, Keegan,” she urged, “You are upsetting me. I need you to calm down and get a hold of yourself.”

  “Get a hold of myself? You were the one that worked out with an entire hockey team! I think I’m entitled to my feelings!”

  Before he could utter another word, Will appeared in the doorway. Keegan fell silent and narrowed his eyes at Evie’s new stepbrother. Will had a bothered look on his face as well.

  “If she’s telling you to leave, you leave,” he warned.

  “Don’t tell me what to do,” Keegan retorted.

  “Leave her alone,” Will said, “She didn’t do anything wrong. I invited her to train with us.”

  When Keegan stood toe to toe with Will, Evie could see how small and intimidated he seemed. Without a reply, he stole one last look at Evie before he stormed out of the room and down the stairs. The front door slammed shut and several seconds later she could hear his car pulling out of the driveway.

  “Everything okay?” Evie’s mother called from the living room.

  “Fine!” Will called. “Evie said he had another family emergency.” He locked eyes with her as she flopped onto her bed.

  “Okay, I thought he seemed upset,” her mother called out and then the volume of the movie she and Craig were watching intensified.

  “Does he always talk to you like that? I couldn’t believe what he was saying.”

  “He didn’t before I moved here.”

  Will stared at her, understanding what she was implying. He gestured to himself. “Me?”

  Evie nodded and found herself smiling despite the situation. “Yah. He thinks you are better than him in every way. I swear he thought you took me to a gang bang or something at the gym today.”

  “Wow…” Will answered, shaking his head. “If I had known I would have never…”

  “Will, I’m glad you invited me. I’ve known him for years and I feel like he still doesn’t get me.”

  Will could see that Evie was still upset about the whole thing. “I mean, if he’s so paranoid, maybe we need to give him something to talk about.”

  She knew that Will was saying that to make her feel better, but it only made her face burn more. It reminded Evie of her erotic dreams and she tried to tell herself that having that on her conscience was probably making things with Keegan worse. To tell either boy that confession would only just complicate things.

  When Evie still didn’t crack a smile, Will joined her on the bed. “I have a sister. I will be ready to flex my big brothe
r muscles for either of you.”

  “Thanks,” Evie replied. “That means a lot.”

  Will put his hand over Evie’s smaller one. Evie tried not to show any emotion at the gesture, but it was hard not to. It was so gentle. “I was going to invite you to do something tomorrow. I understand if you don’t want to do it now.”

  Evie shook her head, “I’m not going to let him control what I do.” Then she smiled at Will, suddenly feeling very sure of herself. “What were you thinking?”

  “I’ll show you tomorrow,” he replied, finally retreating to his room. “And dress warm!”

  *****

  Evie shouldn’t have been surprised when Will pulled into the local ice rink the next day, but she still turned and looked at her step brother with a confused face.

  “Am I going to watch your team practice?” she asked.

  “Nope,” Will replied, “I want to see you skate. If you skate like you train, I’ll be even more impressed.”

  He held the door open for Evie and she was even more surprised when she noticed that the rink was abandoned save for the employees. After she tried on a few pairs of hockey skates (because Will assured her that she was more badass if she didn’t use figure skates) he was guiding her onto the ice.

  Evie hadn’t been skating in a while so at first, she grasped onto the wall for dear life as she made her way around. By the second or third lap around the rink she was more confident and able to go without grabbing onto the edge. Will was unbelievable. He sped quickly from one end of the rink to the other, he skated backward, and Evie was convinced that he was able to dance on the blades that were as thin as knives. She couldn’t wait to see what he would be like when he was actually playing to win.

  “You want to learn how to skate backward?” he called.

  Evie nodded and cautiously made her way to the center of the ice. Will offered his hands and he skated forward slowly, while he pushed her and Evie put her feet in the proper position. Just like when she first started on the wall, she grasped onto Will’s hands so tightly that her knuckles were white, but soon she got the idea and they were skating around with ease.

  “Told you that you’d get it,” Will said with a grin.

  “Well, I wouldn’t even have known if it wasn’t for you.”

  “Keegan doesn’t take you anywhere cool?” Will asked.

  Evie almost laughed out loud. “If it’s not a restaurant or something involving video games then no, I haven’t been there.”

  Will gave her a look. “How did you end up with him anyway?”

  Evie remembered the time in her life when it had all come crashing down. When there was one else that was willing to listen, Keegan was. “We were friends first. He was in a bunch of my classes at school. When my dad left he was super comforting and I think that I just was desperate to have someone fill the void. I’m starting to worry that I’m outgrowing him. I was scared about all this change in my life and here I am thriving and he’s the one that’s freaking out.

  “I mean maybe it’s none of my business,” Will replied, “but shouldn’t you be happy? You don’t need someone like that. I heard what he was saying. If he’s that paranoid about me, he’s probably going to be that way about any guy you come into contact with.”

  Evie nodded but couldn’t help about thinking about her dreams. She didn’t have sexual dreams about anyone else. Will must have noticed that she looked concerned because he stopped where he was and grasped onto her hands tightly. “What’s wrong?”

  Evie felt her stomach drop. “I… I can’t tell you.”

  “Bull shit,” Will replied, “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

  Evie bit her lip as she tried to think of a suitable lie. What did it matter? Everything was already messed up with Keegan. Maybe Will would laugh in her face and that would be the end of it. The dreams would stop and maybe just maybe she could try to fix things with Keegan. “I think I’m losing my mind. It has to be because your someone new in my life.” She felt her pulse quickening. “I am attracted to you. I think Keegan knows it.”

  Evie waited for the inevitable laughter or for him to push her away in disgust. Will stared at her in surprise. “You are attracted to me?”

  “I so sorry Will, that’ s why I’ve been acting a bit strange. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable and I didn’t want to make Keegan freak out more. I will get over it. I’m sure it’s just the fact that I’ve never had a sibling before.”

  Will grabbed onto Evie’s hips and drew her so close that Evie lost her balance and she thought she was going to fall over. Will grabbed the small of her back; their bodies were so close she could feel his breath on her face. This was definitely not a brotherly touch.

  “Don’t get over it,” he said breathlessly, “I thought you were beautiful the day you moved in. I was going to be a nice guy because you had Keegan and I’m supposed to be your step brother, but after seeing how he treats you…I can’t sit here and do nothing.

  Evie grabbed onto his shirt, in complete disbelief that Will felt the same way that she did. She couldn’t believe that she was this close to him. “I have dreams, every night about you,” she whispered.

  “You can tell me about those later,” Will urged. He suddenly let her go and began to skate towards their belongings. Evie followed him confused, wondering what had happened. They had been so close that her body was throbbing at the memory.

  The minute she stepped onto to dry land he pushed her against the boards of the skating rink. “I didn’t want you to fall when I did this.”

  Then he leaned down and kissed her and it was better than it had been in her dreams. Evie pushed out the thoughts of Keegan and what he was doing at that exact moment, or what her mother and Craig would say if she saw the two of them kissing passionately. There was only Will and nothing more.

  *****

  The car ride home after their skating trip had been quiet and awkward. Evie tried to make sense of everything that happened but her brain felt like it was full of bees. She’d told Will that she was attracted him. She’d kissed a man that wasn’t Keegan; hell she had kissed her step brother. That was supposed to be taboo! But here she sat deciding if she wanted to feel his body close to hers. Evie tried to push Keegan from her brain but she knew she’d have to confront him about this eventually.

  They pulled into the driveway and Will was walking into the house before Evie had even pulled off her seatbelt. Was he having second thoughts as well? Evie grabbed her bag and powerwalked behind him, noticing that the house seemed quiet.

  “Mom!?” Evie called out into the large house and heard nothing. She headed into the kitchen to see if Brandon and Kate were hanging about but there was no one. “Anyone home?”

  “My dad’s still at work and your mom took my brother and sister mini golfing,” Will answered. “All alone.”

  Evie felt her stomach pinch with nerves as Will cleared the space between them and pushed her against the counter with his hips. “Are you sure about this?” she asked nervously.

  “Tell me about those dreams,” he hissed.

  Evie swallowed hard, convinced that they were going to be interrupted at any moment. Then she went into an account of what she’d been experiencing since she’d walked into her new home that day. How the dreams always started off with Will touching her and having his way with her. Evie confessed that in the beginning, Keegan would be in the dreams too; that she’d do something in her darkest fantasies by having sex with both of them at once. Lately the dreams had been changing. Instead of being interested in a threesome when Keegan came into the bedroom or the place where she and Will happened to be fooling around, Evie found herself getting annoyed with his presence. She’d gotten to the point where Keegan didn’t visit her dreams at all. It was only Will that she kissed and licked and made love with. Evie felt like a terrible girlfriend and a disgusting stepsister at first. But now after how he’d kissed her and the way he looked at her now she wasn’t so sure.

  “You think there
is something wrong with us?” Will asked, still holding onto Evie. “We’re supposed to hate each other; I’m supposed to think your annoying like Kate or Brandon.”

  “We didn’t grow up together.” Evie tried to reason. “We have a lot of things in common.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  Evie stared into Will’s eyes and then bit her lip. “I think we should keep this our secret for a while. It could just a fling.” A small part of Evie hoped that it wasn’t but she continued. “If it’s not, we’ll have to talk to our parents.”

  Will nuzzled into her neck and gave her goosebumps. “There’s something else you have to do too.”

  Evie knew the answer but she played dumb. “What’s that?”

  “You have to break up with Keegan. There’s stuff I want to do to you and I won’t do it until he’s gone.”

  Evie felt her body tingle at his words. She knew that her dreams were not going to be enough. Especially now that she knew that Will felt the same way. She nodded quickly, “Okay, I’ll do it.”

  Then she stood on her tip toes and kissed Will with an open mouth. They kissed fervently, to the point that Evie thought that she would pass out from lack of oxygen when they heard the front door unlocking and they broke apart so quickly that they probably looked guiltier than if they had been standing together. Will hastily sat at the kitchen table and Evie headed towards the fridge trying to make herself look busy.

  “Hey!” Kate called as she rounded the corner. “Guess who won mini golf!?” She smiled proudly as she took in her older brother and stepsister.

  “Good for you!” Evie said brightly. She prayed that the girl didn’t notice her flushed cheeks or the fact that she was so aroused that it was hard for her to think about anything else.

  “What did you guy do today?” Evie’s mother asked.