Redemption: A British Stepbrother Romance by Jessica Ashe Read Free Book Online Page A

met had hanged off my every word, and couldn’t maintain eye contact with me. This Michelle stood up straight and had an air of confidence about her. She also projected a “don’t fuck with me” vibe, but then I always enjoyed a challenge.
    “I’m not jealous of those girls,” Michelle said. “I just feel bad for them. They should set their sights higher.”
    “Some people consider me quite the catch, you know. You used to, not that long ago.”
    “Eight years is a long time,” she said.
    “So you did think I was a catch back then?”
    There were a few seconds of silence before she spoke. “Is that what this whole thing is about?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “This training camp. Is it just some pathetic attempt to get back in my good books after all these years?”
    “You have quite the ego on you, don’t you? Do you really think I’d arrange all this just to spend time with you?” I would have done all that and more to spend a minute with her, but she didn’t need to know that.
    “Well, no, but what about Maisie being here? Is she just here because of me?”
    “No, she’s here because she’s one of the best young rugby players I know of. I sent a scout to watch her, and he had nothing but good things to say. Sure, I wouldn’t have known about her if it weren’t for your dad being married to my mum, but that doesn’t change anything.”
    “Good,” she said. “So you’re not going to spend the entire summer trying to get into my pants?”
    “I’m not promising anything of the sort,” I replied with a grin. Her mouth twitched slightly, but she didn’t look entirely displeased at the revelation. I hadn’t intended to chase after Michelle, but the second I laid eyes on her again, I knew it was inevitable. I only had a few months to get her, so I wasn’t about to waste time I didn’t have.
    “You might be used to having your way with any woman you set your sights on, but I’m not available.”
    “Yes, you are,” I replied. “Maisie told me you were single at the moment.”
    “That doesn’t mean I’m available to you. We are related, or had you forgotten?”
    “You never used to look at me like a brother, so I don’t see why I should look at you like a sister.”
    I’d immediately accepted Maisie as a sister, but never Michelle. From the moment we were introduced, I saw her as someone I wanted to devour. I’d never been so captivated by one woman before, but her messy brown hair and nervous glances had driven me crazy.
    That messy brown hair had been replaced by wavy hair that cried out for me to weave my fingers through it as I kissed her. The nervous glances were now angry stares. Both were equally sexy.
    “Just how much has Maisie been telling you about me?” Michelle asked.
    Too much; more than I wanted to know. “She tells me when you have a new boyfriend on the go, and likes to gossip about when you don’t come home.”
    “Oh.”
    “No need to be embarrassed,” I said. “We’re both adults. I do the same.” I’d eventually told Maisie it wasn’t polite to talk about her sister like that just so she would stop telling me all the details I didn’t want to hear.
    “Unlike you, I don’t take pride in screwing anything that walks,” Michelle said.
    “There’s nothing wrong with enjoying sex,” I said. “I happen to be rather good at it, so if that hotel room ever feels a little lonely—”
    “I’ll pop down to the bar and finish the conversation I started with the good-looking barman last night.”
    I’d known Michelle would be mad at me for the way I’d acted before, but I hadn’t expected the anger to burn quite so intensely. Obtaining her forgiveness wasn’t going to be easy.
    “About what I did back in—” I began, as Maisie ran up to us with perfect timing.
    “Coach says you need to come over and introduce yourself to the girls,” Maisie said, slightly out of breath from the warm up. “I warn you, they’re all going to perv over you a