Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
There’s one giant fuck off problem with that.
Trey is my stepbrother.
That’s why I recognized his name. And now that the realization is hitting me, I can see the ways he resembles his dad. His hair is the same color—dark brown with a couple strands of silver at the hairline that only add to his appeal—and he has the same strong nose his dad does, though Trey’s has a more defined bump in the bridge that looks like it’s maybe from being broken.
But where my stepdad’s eyes are a deep brown, Trey’s are a cool blue-gray that reminds me of stormy seas. I wrack my brain to remember all the times David’s talked about his son, but he and my mom have only been married a month and their relationship was a whirlwind.
Hell, they were only dating for three months before they eloped, but I guess when you know, you know. And they are really in love. Like, disgustingly in love. I’ve never seen my mom so happy, so I can’t bring myself to see their constant cuddling and pet names as anything but cute.
Cute is not how I’d ever define Trey or my reaction to him. No, I want to climb him like a tree and test out just what all those muscles can do.
Oh my God, what the hell am I thinking about?
With a shake of my head, I realize I’m standing there gaping at him, and David’s saying my name down the phone, clearly waiting for an answer.
“It seems in all the excitement, your mom and I forgot to explain to either of you that the other would be home over the summer,” David says, a hint of apology in his voice.
“Um…yeah, you definitely didn’t mention this,” I say back with a small laugh. “He nearly scared the life out of me—”
“Is that Talia? Put her on speaker!” I hear my mother call out. Seconds later, her voice comes through more clearly. “Talia, darling, how are you? I’m so sorry we forgot to tell either of you. The diaries got crossed and I’ve been so caught up with the wedding and then leaving for the honeymoon, it slipped my mind entirely.”
I sigh, smiling at the phone even though she can’t see me. My mom has always been a little scatterbrained, but she always means well. She’s the best person I know, and I can’t be mad at her for this. No harm is done after all.
“It’s okay, Mom,” I assure her. “Just got a fright when some random, giant dude walked into the house.”
Mom laughs with me before David says, “Don’t worry, Talia. My Trey would never do anything to hurt anyone. Well, unless they were trying to hurt someone. Oh, and there was that fight he got in high school but—”
“That’s quite enough, Dad,” Trey calls out, stopping David. He turns his eyes to me, and I shiver under his attention. “I apologize for scaring you. I didn’t know you were here, obviously, or I would never have…” He trails off, and we both glance down at the phone before back at each other, neither of us willing to say out loud that he walked in on me showering.
Trey shakes his head. “My dad’s right. I would never hurt you. Protect you, yes. But never hurt you or scare you again.”
I have absolutely no reason to trust him, but … I do. I truly believe he means it when he says he’ll only ever protect me. It sends a rush of fluttering butterflies through my stomach, and I grip the towel around me tighter like it can shield me from my reactions to him.
“We’ll be back on the 28th,” Mom reminds me through the phone. “Think of this as a good opportunity for you guys to get to know each other now that we’re family and all.”
Family. Yeah, right. There is nothing about the way I look at Trey that’s at all familial. I can feel my face burning as I cringe at myself. He’s your step-brother! I chastise myself, but the knowledge does nothing but make me burn hotter. God, I’m sure I’m bright red right now. I duck my head to try to hide it, but I swear I can feel Trey’s gaze on me like a brand.
No! Don’t think about him marking you.
What the hell has gotten into me? I’ve never reacted to someone like this before. Never even been interested enough in anyone to have sex with them, and all of a sudden I feel like I’m on fire because of my literal stepbrother. Great. Perfect. Totally ideal.
This is a shitshow.
Trey begins speaking, and I realize I’ve ignored my mom, too lost in my own spiraling thoughts.
“Talk to you soon!” Mom and David call before the phone beeps, signaling they’ve hung up.
Silence falls between Trey and me, making the air feel thick. I’m struggling to remember how people breathe normally. A mess. I’m a mess. And I hate silence.