Effortless by S.C. Stephens Read Free Book Online

back against the counter,
facing me, his arms crossed over his chest as he carried on a quiet
conversation with my sister. She had her back to me, her long,
luxuriously shiny hair ridiculously perfect for the early hour.
     
    Watching them, I tilted my head. If my sister had had her way
last year, the two of them would have ended up together and I’d be
walking up on a couple, instead of a couple of friends. As his lips
curved into a small smile while he spoke softly—his hair a
distractingly charming mess—I could easily picture them as the
gorgeous pairing they would have been.
     
    Raising my chin, I inhaled a big breath. That wasn’t what
happened, though. He’d never touched her. My sister had no idea
what his lips felt like, what he tasted like, what his fingers felt
like, what he sounded like when he was making love. She’d never
heard him say I love you. But I had…repeatedly.
     
    That confidence pushing aside my lingering insecurities, I
meandered into the kitchen. They both twisted to look at me when I
stepped into the small room. Kellan’s small smile for her turned
into a wide one for me, his deep eyes brightening.
     
    He smiled down at me as I slung my arms around his waist.
“Mornin’, sleepy,” he breathed, kissing my head.
     
    Exhaling contently, I buried my head in his neck. “Good
morning.”
     
    My sister sighed. “God, you two are adorable.” Smacking my arm,
she rolled her eyes. “It’s annoying.”
     
    I smiled, laughing a little. “Good morning, Anna. Late
night?”
     
    Grinning devilishly, she bit her perfect, red lip and cocked an
eyebrow just as expertly as Kellan could. “Oh, yes.” Her finger
shifted between the two of us. “And I can guarantee you it wasn’t
as cutesy as your night.”
     
    I flushed and looked away from her and she laughed, her voice
throaty and seductive in a way that mine never would be. Kellan
laughed with her, squeezing me tighter. “I wouldn’t say our night
was cute, Anna.”
     
    I flashed my eyes up to Kellan and smacked his chest, my face
reddening even more. While Kellan’s and my love life might be a bit
tamer than he was used to, and my sister for that matter, I didn’t
need him chatting about it. Grinning down at me, he said nothing
further and I relaxed. Kellan wasn’t exactly an open book, and he
generally didn’t talk about his life much. Thankfully, that
included our sex life.
     
    Anna snorted and I looked back at her. Her face in a playful
grin, she said, “I know.” She poked my shoulder. “I know how hot
you guys can get.” My jaw dropped and my face paled. She laughed
and jerked her thumb towards the hallway. “My bedroom is only one
room away from yours, Kiera.” Raising her eyebrows, she leaned in
and muttered, “Maybe the two of you could remember that in the
future?”
     
    I covered my face with my hand and twisted into Kellan’s body.
God, sometimes I did forget. Being with Kellan could just be
so…consuming. Chuckling as he held me close, rubbing my back,
Kellan causally answered her. “We’ll try and keep that in mind,
Anna. Thanks.”
     
    Laughing, Anna rubbed my shoulder. “I’m just teasing you, Kiera.
Go ahead and scream away, I don’t mind.” As I peeked at her from
between my fingers, I watched her eyes rake over Kellan’s body.
“Lord knows I would,” she murmured.
     
    Kellan chuckled again, shaking his head before kissing mine
again. Winking at him, she patted my arm again. “Well, I’m off to
bed. I’m beat.”
     
    Twisting away from us, she started sashaying back to her room.
The tight pants she had on emphasized the curve of her hips. Anna
was definitely beautiful and provocative. Sometimes it was hard to
live with her never-ending perfection, but she was family, and
she’d swooped into my life when I’d needed her the most. She’d
helped me get back on my feet when both men in my life had dumped
me. She’d helped me find a place to live when I’d had nowhere to
go. She’d