StepBrother: New Rules (Stepbrother Romance) (6 page)

Ella looked at her daughter, pausing in her final adjustments of her makeup. “You’re sure you’re fine with this?”

Evelyn signed. “I think so. I still just worry that you’re moving too quickly, Mom. I mean to throw a wedding together in two weeks. It just doesn’t seem like you to be so impulsive.”

Ella set down her mascara and reached for Evelyn’s hand. “There’s nothing impulsive about it at all. Malcolm and I have spent two years getting to know one another, and I think you know me well enough to know that I wouldn’t blindly jump into something as important as marriage.”

“I just can’t help remembering when you said you’d never do it again.”

“And then I met someone—years later—who I knew I didn’t want to live without. Malcolm makes me happy, Evelyn. We support one another, and we’re a great team.”

Evelyn nodded. “You do seem happy. Forget I said anything. Let’s go get you hitched.”

Ella evidently decided to let the matter drop. “Have you looked out to see if everyone’s here?”

“Be right back.”

Evelyn left the room the bed and breakfast had provided for the bride to get ready for the ceremony, and she walked down the hall and down the curved staircase in the grand foyer. She waved to her aunt and uncle—her father’s sister—and poked her head into the large lakefront living room where the intimate ceremony would be performed.

“Wow. You look gorgeous.”

Evelyn turned to see William standing just inside the door. She looked him up and down, thinking that the charcoal gray suit he wore made him look unbelievably sexy. “You don’t look too shabby yourself. How’s Malcolm?”

“Cool as a cucumber.” William wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, even though the room was fairly cool. “I’m the one who’s a wreck.”

“You? Why are you nervous?”

William leaned closer to Evelyn, and his proximity made her think about removing his suit, piece by piece.

“You know how much time I spent on the hors d’oeuvres. If the kitchen here messes them up, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“They’ll be fine, Will. Every single one of them was exquisite.”

“But if they don’t have the oven hot enough before they put the brie bites in, they’ll get gummy. And if they don’t plate the blini and creme fraîche just before they come out, they’ll be a soggy mess.”

“Stop it, Will. You gave them careful instructions, right? They’ll handle it.”

“I know you’re right. It’s just that it was hard enough to convince Dad to let me do even a part of the food, I just don’t want to be embarrassed.”

“It’ll be perfect.” Evelyn looked around the room, counting the forty folks milling around, waiting to be seated for the ceremony. “Looks like everyone’s here. I better go let Mom know.”

William reached out and touched her on the arm. “So the newlyweds will be gone for a couple of days. Mind if I move a few things in before they get back?”

Evelyn smiled at him, looking around to make sure no one could overhear their conversation. “Can’t wait. Knowing you’re going to be under the same roof every night makes me wet and horny.”

William reached out to take Evelyn’s hand, but she pulled away.

“Stop. Someone will see you.” She smiled at him, as if she was trying to soften the blow of her rejection. “I gotta go. Mom is waiting for a report from me.”

As she walked back upstairs, Evelyn felt frustrated. She’d told William over and over that she wanted to keep their relationship under wraps, but lately, it had seemed like he’d been looking for opportunities to out them. She had to find a way to put a stop to it.

“All present and accounted for. The room looks perfect, by the way.”

“Oh, good.” Ella looked herself over in the mirror for a final time. “You ready?”

“Absolutely.” She picked up her phone. “I’ll text Will and have him tell the pianist it’s time to start.”

Evelyn and her mother waited out of sight at the top of the stairs while guests were seated and the pianist ran through the two songs Ella and Malcolm had selected. As the second song ended, Evelyn preceded her mother down the steps, smiling brightly when the guests turned in their seats. She turned her smile on Malcolm, handsome in the front of the room, his gray suit several shades lighter than his son’s. William’s admiring gaze made Evelyn feel flushed once again, and before she knew it, she was at the front of the room, turning as the guests stood for her mother’s entrance.

The brief ceremony was elegant and beautiful, and the vows Ella and Malcolm had written were simple, honest declarations of love and intention. As Evelyn watched the couple trade their promises to one another, she looked at William over her soon-to-be-stepfather’s shoulder. She wondered if she would ever stand in her mother’s place, ready to profess her undying love and commitment to share lives forever. She couldn’t help but think about William and whether he might be the person she could promise herself to, but with an almost imperceptible shake of her head, Evelyn banished the thought. She was too young, she told herself, with too much of her life ahead of her to even think about a commitment of that magnitude. William made her feel good at the moment, and she refused to let herself think about anything further down the road.

Ella handed her bouquet to Evelyn before the couple exchanged rings and the kiss that sealed the deal. William winked at Evelyn over the kiss, and she couldn’t help but return his grin. As he took her arm to escort her back up the aisle between the chairs occupied by the small collection of friends and family joined to witness the marriage, Evelyn felt as though she was floating, as if she was only partially present.

It was all so surreal, to think that William was now—legally—her stepbrother. Her secret boyfriend (for lack of a better term) was about to move in with her … along with his father, her new stepfather. The secret Evelyn harbored felt like it was too big, and she wondered if somehow it showed on her face, or in her posture, the way she leaned into William as he took her arm, as he held out his hand for their first dance at the small reception.

As they turned around the floor, surrounded by the smiling faces of their loved ones, Evelyn felt like the pressure of her secret was growing to be more than she could stand. Though William’s hand in the small of her back was an anchor to reality, she still felt as if she was a ghost moving through the room—only partially there. As the last notes of the song played, Evelyn realized she desperately needed some fresh air. She dodged the waiting arms of relatives wanting to catch up and hear about the events of her life since they’d last seen one another, and she fled the room as quickly as she could and still appear at least partially calm and in control.

The wind from the lake was brisk, and the edges of her pale peach dress fluttered as Evelyn wrapped her arms around herself. She looked out over the expanse of the water and wondered—just for a brief moment—how she’d managed to land herself in such a complicated situation.

How was it even possible that the one person she felt completely comfortable with was now her stepbrother?

“Evelyn?”

The deep voice from behind her made Evelyn jump.

“Malcolm,” she said, grasping for something coherent to say. “Congratulations. The ceremony was lovely.”

“It’s freezing out here. Are you okay?” The concern on his face was apparent.

“I’m fine. It just felt a little stuffy in there. I needed a little fresh air.”

“Oh, good.” He relaxed visibly. “I was hoping you weren’t disappointed that we’d gone through with it.”

Evelyn smiled with genuine warmth. “Not at all. I can tell by the way you and Mom look at one another that you’re meant to be together. She’s really happy, and that makes me happy.”

Malcolm held out a hand. “Join me back inside for a dance?”

“I’d love to.”

Malcolm led her to the little dance floor in the center of the room, where William and her mother were already swaying to the sounds of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” The four of them danced, the children engaged in conversation with their new stepparents, and Evelyn couldn’t help but wonder what everyone in the room—her mother included—would think if they knew what she and William had planned for after the wedding. She smiled to herself and realized she’d not really been paying attention to what Malcolm was saying.

“I’m sorry, what?” Evelyn blushed as she realized she’d been quite rude.

“I was just saying I hope the new living arrangements will suit us all.”

Evelyn struggled to keep her expression from revealing her jumble of emotions. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“Well, if you don’t like living with Will, you just let me know. It’s probably past time he grew up and got a real job and a place of his own.”

Evelyn couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Malcolm seemed so warm and generous, until he talked about his son’s career path.

“Will does have a real job, you know. There are chefs who’d kill to be working and learning where he is. When he’s ready to move on, he’ll be able to write his own ticket. He’ll have his pick among the top spots.”

Malcolm leaned back, clearly surprised by the vehemence in Evelyn’s voice. “You sound like you’ve been talking to my son.”

“Some. I just think he’s talented. All he needs is a little support, and he’ll be able to earn a good living doing what he loves.”

“Hm,” Malcolm grunted. “Well, you just let me know if he gets in your way, and I’ll take care of it. I don’t want our living there to be an imposition. If this is going to work, we have to be able to talk to one another.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Evelyn said, wanting to change the subject.

As the song wound down, Malcolm squeezed Evelyn’s hand. “I feel fortunate, you know. I haven’t just married the woman of my dreams. I’ve also gotten a new family. I want you to know I’m committed to making all of this work.”

“And I want you to know I’m glad Mom married you.”

Malcolm’s warmth was just more than Evelyn could resist, and she was surprised to discover she meant every word she’d said.

Though the assembly was a small one, just before she and her new husband retreated upstairs to the honeymoon suite, Ella stood on the stairs, her back to the cluster of six unmarried women at the foot of the steps. Evelyn didn’t want to be in the group, but her aunt had insisted she be there when the bride’s bouquet was tossed. Feeling like she was relatively safe—as she knew her mother wouldn’t want Evelyn diverted from her studies by fantasies about a storybook wedding—Evelyn was floored when the bunch of lilies fell directly into her hands.

Ella turned around to see who had caught the bouquet. “Don’t you go planning anything yet, young lady. At least not until you’ve graduated from college.” Though she wore a wide smile and the audience laughed with Ella, Evelyn knew just how serious her mother’s words were.

“No worries, Mom. No wedding in my future, at least not anytime soon.” She refused to make eye contact with William.

Evelyn dreamed she was outside somewhere warm. She was reclining in the sun, letting the warmth sink deep into her, body relaxed and stretched out, as if she hadn’t a care in the world. In the dream, she could feel the sun on her skin, and she realized she was naked. It was as though the sun physically touched her, running its rays along her stomach, dancing over her thighs, and finally settling on her breasts, teasing her nipples in a way that brought a rush of wetness between her legs. Feeling herself begin to wake from the delicious dream, Evelyn kept her eyes closed tight, not wanting the sensations to stop.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

The soft whisper pulled Evelyn from her dream, though she was reluctant to go … until she realized the voice belonged to William.

Her eyes flew open and she looked down to find her covers pulled down and her tank top pushed up, exposing her breasts—the same breasts William was currently kissing.

“What?” Evelyn sputtered, nearly forgetting to keep her voice down. “What are you doing?”

“Getting you hot, wet, and turned on so I can make love to you. Isn’t it obvious?” William slid his hands underneath the covers, and slid one hand inside her underwear. “Mmm. You’re wet already.”

Part of Evelyn wanted to surrender to his touch, but she knew she needed to keep her senses. “Who’s home?” she asked.

“Besides you and me?”

“Of course.”

“My dad and your mom.”

Evelyn tried to pull the covers over her chest, but William refused to let her.

“You can’t be in here. What if someone walks in?”

“Come on. Dad and Ella are the most polite people ever born. They never walk in without knocking.” William pushed her underwear lower, using a finger to play with her clit, momentarily taking away Evelyn’s ability to speak.

She tried to pull away, even though she didn’t want to. “Stop, Will. Seriously.”

William pulled his fingers from her pussy, brought them to his mouth, and sucked on them. “You taste like sex, Evelyn. I want you, and I want you right now.” He bent and flicked one of her nipples with his tongue. “God, I’m dying for you. It feels like weeks since we’ve been together.”

“It hasn’t been that long. I joined you in the shower just a couple of days ago before they got home. Remember?” She arched her back a little as he continued to fondle her nipples, squeezing a bit harder.

“How could I forget? You on your knees in the shower? That was one of my fantasies.” He paused, stilling his hands and resting them on her stomach. “I mean, I feel like it’s been forever since we’ve really gotten to spend time together. The sneaking around for sex is awesome, but I miss getting to just hang out.”

Evelyn could tell he was about to take the conversation in a direction she didn’t want to go. She turned on her side and ran her hand over his still-damp chest. “Did you just get out of the shower?”

“Yeah. I heard Dad leave for his run, and I knew Ella wouldn’t be up for a while. The two of you don’t go into work until ten, right?”

“Yeah. What time is it?”

“Seven.”

Evelyn slid her hand into his boxers, wrapping her fingers around his hard cock. “Plenty of time,” she said with a smile.