My Charming Stepbrother by Grace Valentine Read Free Book Online Page B

between them could be completely possible. Daisy had started to blossom into a beautiful young woman and Brian had been lifting weights and working out since he had discovered baseball.
    The two of them were growing at an alarming rate, neither of them comfortable with the bodies that they were growing into.
    It all started with Brian walking in on Daisy in the bathroom while she got dressed. He found her standing there in the mirror, singing a rock and roll song into her hair brush, while she pranced around in her bra and panties. He had not exactly stopped her while he watched the show and she had been completely embarrassed to know that he had been taken in the view.
    Her body had revolted on her and suddenly, she was five feet five inches tall with rounded hips and C cup breasts. It was every young boy's dream and nightmarish for Daisy.
    She remembered the moment she turned around and saw him watching her. Daisy practically knocked her head on the sink as she lost her balance, scrambling to find a towel or something to cover herself. Brian slipped into the bathroom, quietly closing the door behind him.
    "Shhh," he whispered, trying to calm her as he caught her in his arms. She remembered the way that it felt for him to hold her, his biceps now bulging. He had shot up and grown at least four inches in the past year and now stood almost six feet tall at fourteen years old.
    "What are you doing in here, Brian?"
    "I don't make a habit of stalking girls in the bathroom if that is what you are asking."
    "No, I didn't think that." She wrapped the towel tightly around her body, careful to cover up her breasts.
    He had not completely let her go, and as she struggled to keep the towel up over her, he tugged at it, bringing it lower. It was not exactly a move that she fought. In that moment, she had to admit that being that close to Brian, touching his arms, was exhilarating.
    Her fingertips explored the muscles in his arms, his broad shoulders. Brian undid the towel, letting it drop to the floor.
    "You are beautiful. Why do you always cover up?"
    She suddenly remembered that she should have felt embarrassed, but somehow, she did not.
    "I don't know. I just-,"
    "You just keep covering up for some reason and I don’t know why. You are gorgeous, Daisy."
    Those green eyes and that mess of dark hair were driving her crazy. And her head was spinning, trying to figure out what was going on and what was supposed to happen next.
    He did not kiss her, and instead simply walked out of the bathroom, leaving her a ball of confusion. She felt that same level of confusion right now. Brian always managed to blow in and out of her life like a tornado; powerful but beautiful and able to evoke much damage.
    Daisy threw herself back on the couch, frustrated. It was the same frustration she felt as a young girl. The two of them spent their formative years politely dancing around one another, trying to avoid the attraction that was growing between them.
    She massaged her temples. At least at dinner, her father and Tracey would be there to be a buffer between them.
    Dinner. That meant that she would have to see Brian again.
    And soon.
    Why couldn't he just come back for a day, see their parents, and leave? Why did they have to cross paths at all? It was just making things more and more complicated. Just when Daisy had gotten used to Brian being gone, he had the nerve to come back.
    So much for being out of sight, out of mind.
     
    *
    After going through six outfits, Daisy decided on a black blazer, a white tank top, and a pair of black jeans that showed off her curves. She piled her hair on top of her head in a high bun and kept her makeup minimal. She slid some bangles on her right arm, and put on her black heels and was out the door.
    Her heart was racing as she ran through scenarios in her mind regarding how dinner would go that evening. As far as Daisy was concerned, she really had nothing to say to Brian. They had done their share of reminiscing