PIERCED - A Stepbrother Romance by Maya Hawk Read Free Book Online
Authors: Maya Hawk
squaring off like a couple of stags competing for a doe. The whole thing is ridiculous.
Are they fighting over me?
“Aren’t you supposed to be working this weekend?” I ask. I sense James’ stare, and I’m sure he’s wondering how I know Sut’s work schedule.
“Just finished at the gym. Grabbing lunch now and going to hit the showers. Catch a nap and then I’m heading in tonight for a 24 hour shift.”
“If you don’t mind, Sutton, I’m trying to enjoy lunch with my girlfriend,” James says. His voice is just a hair deeper than normal. For whatever reason, he wants Sutton gone from our space now.
“See you Monday, Lauryn,” Sutton says, shooting me a wink and a smile and heading off.
“You never told me your stepbrother was Sutton Pierce.”
“I never told you my stepbrother’s name.” My brows scrunch. “I didn’t think I needed to. I told you, we weren’t in each other’s lives.”
James’ shoulders are tight. I’ve never seen him so tense before.
“If you’re threatened by that , you’re being absolutely ridiculous. He’s my stepbrother .”
He lightens a bit, his shoulders falling as he adjusts in his seat.
Seeing James become jealous gives me an odd satisfaction. At least, I think he was jealous. “Did you two have a falling out back in college?”
“Something like that.”
My balloon is burst by three little words. It was never about me. It was about their history. James, once again, didn’t act threatened to lose me. The passion in his eyes was timeworn and not directed at me. “What happened?”
“It’s in the past, Laur.”
Our server appears out of thin air with a cheery smile on her face and a swift apology. We order. We eat. We pay. We don’t speak another word.
We walk home in silence, left alone with our own thoughts. My time with James is gray scale: black and white and every color in between. It seems as if every time Sutton comes into the picture, he injects bursts of Technicolor.
I slip my hand into James’, needing to know we’re still okay. He gives it a nice, simple, solitary squeeze that tells me his quietude is not because of me. “You okay with me working with Sutton?”
“It’s not like I have a say in the matter,” he says, shuffling along. “I’m just surprised you’re okay with it.”
Yeah, you and me both.
“Just doing my job. Trying to stay professional,” I say, matching my stride with his. “It’s just work, and it’s just temporary. Once this drug is launched, I can focus on moving back to New York.”
“Can’t wait, babe.” His words land unconvincingly, perhaps thanks to their monotone delivery. It’s as if his mind is somewhere else.
I nudge into his arm to break his train of thought. “Want me to take one of those pills tonight?”
He glances down at me as if he’s shocked. I arch an eyebrow and bite my lip. Maybe if I pretend hard enough that his jealousy was because he was afraid to lose me, it might serve as a bit of fuel for the dying fire in my core.
“It’s alright, Laur,” he says. “Not tonight.”
“Y-you never turn me down.” I’m always the one who does the turning-down of sex. It’s how it’s always been.
“Don’t read into it.” He squeezes my hand and offers a smile before facing ahead. My apartment is a block away, and now I have to walk home holding the hand of my boyfriend who doesn’t feel like fucking me tonight.
I’m on some alien planet in some alternate universe where up is down and left is right. That’s the only explanation. That or this is all some weird, freaky dream where nothing makes sense and no one is who he says he is.
I search his face for a hint of something I can read, but all I see is his RCF – resting calm face. I can’t read him at all, but I know something’s up. He saw Sutton and now he’s so preoccupied with something from his past that he doesn’t even feel like having sex with me. How can his face be so deceiving?
A chill runs through me, as
Are they fighting over me?
“Aren’t you supposed to be working this weekend?” I ask. I sense James’ stare, and I’m sure he’s wondering how I know Sut’s work schedule.
“Just finished at the gym. Grabbing lunch now and going to hit the showers. Catch a nap and then I’m heading in tonight for a 24 hour shift.”
“If you don’t mind, Sutton, I’m trying to enjoy lunch with my girlfriend,” James says. His voice is just a hair deeper than normal. For whatever reason, he wants Sutton gone from our space now.
“See you Monday, Lauryn,” Sutton says, shooting me a wink and a smile and heading off.
“You never told me your stepbrother was Sutton Pierce.”
“I never told you my stepbrother’s name.” My brows scrunch. “I didn’t think I needed to. I told you, we weren’t in each other’s lives.”
James’ shoulders are tight. I’ve never seen him so tense before.
“If you’re threatened by that , you’re being absolutely ridiculous. He’s my stepbrother .”
He lightens a bit, his shoulders falling as he adjusts in his seat.
Seeing James become jealous gives me an odd satisfaction. At least, I think he was jealous. “Did you two have a falling out back in college?”
“Something like that.”
My balloon is burst by three little words. It was never about me. It was about their history. James, once again, didn’t act threatened to lose me. The passion in his eyes was timeworn and not directed at me. “What happened?”
“It’s in the past, Laur.”
Our server appears out of thin air with a cheery smile on her face and a swift apology. We order. We eat. We pay. We don’t speak another word.
We walk home in silence, left alone with our own thoughts. My time with James is gray scale: black and white and every color in between. It seems as if every time Sutton comes into the picture, he injects bursts of Technicolor.
I slip my hand into James’, needing to know we’re still okay. He gives it a nice, simple, solitary squeeze that tells me his quietude is not because of me. “You okay with me working with Sutton?”
“It’s not like I have a say in the matter,” he says, shuffling along. “I’m just surprised you’re okay with it.”
Yeah, you and me both.
“Just doing my job. Trying to stay professional,” I say, matching my stride with his. “It’s just work, and it’s just temporary. Once this drug is launched, I can focus on moving back to New York.”
“Can’t wait, babe.” His words land unconvincingly, perhaps thanks to their monotone delivery. It’s as if his mind is somewhere else.
I nudge into his arm to break his train of thought. “Want me to take one of those pills tonight?”
He glances down at me as if he’s shocked. I arch an eyebrow and bite my lip. Maybe if I pretend hard enough that his jealousy was because he was afraid to lose me, it might serve as a bit of fuel for the dying fire in my core.
“It’s alright, Laur,” he says. “Not tonight.”
“Y-you never turn me down.” I’m always the one who does the turning-down of sex. It’s how it’s always been.
“Don’t read into it.” He squeezes my hand and offers a smile before facing ahead. My apartment is a block away, and now I have to walk home holding the hand of my boyfriend who doesn’t feel like fucking me tonight.
I’m on some alien planet in some alternate universe where up is down and left is right. That’s the only explanation. That or this is all some weird, freaky dream where nothing makes sense and no one is who he says he is.
I search his face for a hint of something I can read, but all I see is his RCF – resting calm face. I can’t read him at all, but I know something’s up. He saw Sutton and now he’s so preoccupied with something from his past that he doesn’t even feel like having sex with me. How can his face be so deceiving?
A chill runs through me, as