Love All Out - Part 2 (A Stepbrother Romance) by Alice Ward Read Free Book Online Page A

find me half naked, so I carried my things to the bathroom. I changed quickly and dusted on a bit of eye shadow and bronzer. I added mascara and clear lip gloss, and then twisted my ponytail into a bun and pinned it to my head. I stepped out of the bathroom and checked my reflection in the full length mirror mounted to the closet door.
    Not bad… sleeping got rid of the bags under my eyes… definitely an improvement from this morning.
    I heard a click at the door and glanced up as it swung open. James took one step into the suite. “I told our parent’s we made it. Are you ready to go?”
    I nodded, pulled my purse out of my duffle bag, and followed him out the door.
    Our walk to the restaurant was quiet. James was in a much better mood than he’d been in that morning, but he still seemed lost in his head. I didn’t push him to talk.
    We stepped into Emmy’s German Cuisine and were greeted by a pixy of a girl with spiky black hair.
    “Table for two?” she asked with a smile.
    James nodded and we followed her through the near empty dining room.
    “You guys got here just in time,” she said as she placed menus on a small table. “Saturday night is our busiest time of the week. My name is Sarah, can I get you something from the bar?”
    I ordered a Jack and Coke and James asked for the same. The waitress disappeared and we stared down at our menus in silence.
    “I don’t know what any of this stuff is,” James confessed after a few minutes. “I’m going to trust your judgment and let you order for me.”
    The waitress reappeared with our drinks and I ordered the appetizer sampler and two pork schnitzel dinners. She nodded her approval and left to greet a couple who’d just walked through the door.
    James drank half of his cocktail in one gulp and fidgeted with a cuff of his shirt. The waitress led the new couple past our table and he signaled her for another drink. I knew something was bothering him, but I wasn’t sure how to get him to talk about it. He finished his first drink and I cleared my throat.
    “James, you’ve obviously got something on your mind. I won’t force you to talk about it but if you want to, I’d be happy to listen,” I offered softly.
    James looked down at the table and slid his empty glass from hand to hand. “I know I’ve been weird today. I’ll talk to you about it… when I’m ready. Until then, do you think that we could just pretend none of the stuff back home is going on?”
    I nodded as the waitress arrived with two fresh drinks.
    “I wasn’t sure if you wanted another or not,” she said, putting the glasses in front of us.
    “I did, thank you,” I told her. I brought my first glass to my lips and drank it in one gulp.
    If he’s going to get shitfaced, I may as well join him.
    “Keep them coming, please,” James directed. “We’re walking back to our hotel room,” he added, noticing the look of concern on the waitress’s face. Her eyes relaxed and she gave him a nod before leaving the table. James looked up at me with pleading eyes.
    “So you agree? Just for tonight, can we pretend that we’re two people out to enjoy each other’s company?”
    I nodded. “That sounds nice, actually.”
    James relaxed into his seat and gave me a grateful smile. We spent the next two hours talking and laughing over dinner and far too many drinks. At first, it was hard not to mention what was going on back at home. But soon, we were lost in stories about our childhood and dreams for our future. I was shocked to learn that James wanted to coach football like his dad, and he was amused when I demonstrated my inability to whistle. When the check arrived at the table, I felt like the best first date of my life was coming to an end.
    James gave the waitress Daddy’s credit card and we finished our last drinks while we waited for the receipt. When we finally rose from the table, I realized I’d had way too much to drink. I held onto James for support and we made our way out of