Kiss Me Again: a Stepbrother Romance (Second Chances) Read online

  So, how did it go? And what do you think? ;-)

  He’d attached a picture as I had asked. I couldn’t help but laugh at the shot he had sent, but as my initial reaction died down I took a closer look at the finely cut abs, the muscular but gentle looking hands and the firm pecs that had just the right amount of definition. Apollo was certainly built like the Greek god he’d named himself for, that was for sure. I was surprised to find my body reacting to just a picture, but my breath came a little faster, my nipples grew taut and I felt an aching pull deep within that I hadn’t felt in years, since Cole in fact. This guy was sexy, no doubt about it. He was kind, he was funny, and I couldn’t deny any longer that I really liked him.

  My fingers trembled as I typed the words, but Alison was right. I had to come out my shell sometime. I had to move on.

  Okay Apollo. It’s time for the full reveal. Do you like Japanese? If you do then meet me at Nom Nom Sushi, Sunday night 8 p.m!

  You’re on! But you didn’t answer my other question?

  I was confused, then looked back at the message, trying not to get distracted by his super hot body this time. I laughed as I realized that he had managed to make me forget two weeks, scratch that, two years of crazy hard work just by showing me his deliciously tanned man flesh.

  Great, I’ll tell you all about it on Sunday!

  The cab pulled up outside my block and I peeled off a fifty to pay him. It made me laugh out loud to hear a driver ask me for the first time in my life “Haven’t you got anything smaller?” and having to answer him in the negative. He grumblingly gave me my change and I grabbed my stuff and raced into the apartment hoping I would catch Alison before she headed off to the theater.

  She was sat on the couch biting her nails anxiously. She turned, her face pale, as she heard me tumble in the door.

  “I passed with full honors, I have a date with Apollo, the Trents paid me two thousand bucks, and have you ever seen anything as fucking drop dead sexy as that!” I burst out as I thrust my phone and the picture of Apollo and the elk in front of her.

  “Whoa, slow down Luce, I know I don’t have much time but seriously, can all that happen in the space of one day?” I nodded, suddenly unable to speak as the reality of it all hit me too. She looked at the picture. “Mmmm, well you wouldn’t kick him out of bed for eating crackers that’s for sure! Who cares what his face looks like when the rest of him looks that good!”

  “Uh-huh,” was all I could manage. I thrust the envelope full of bills at her. “Take whatever I owe you Ali, you’ve paid my share of so much this last month or two.”

  “No honey, you hang on to that. That is your seed money while you get up and running. You’ll need it. You won’t get paid on jobs until they are done, so having a month or two worth of backup money will really help you out. You pay me back once you are doing okay.”

  “Okay,” I mumbled, suddenly exhausted. It had been a very big day all around.

  “I knew you’d do great. And I can’t believe you have a date! Did he ask you?”

  I shook my head as a torrent of giggles escaped. “Nope, I asked him.”

  Her eyes bulged. “Okay, who are you and what have you done with my friend?”

  She pulled me into a hug and whispered, “I am so happy for you.”

  “You’ll help me figure out what I can wear for the date, won’t you?”

  “Try and stop me. But we’re going to have to talk about it all tomorrow because I am running late as always. I am going to be so glad when this run is over and we are in rehearsal for the new play. Go take a nap, and we’ll celebrate when I get done tonight. I’ll bring pizza and champagne unless you’d rather have a night on the town?”

  “Pizza and beer would be great. I had champagne already today. It was nice, but not that great I need to do it again. Go break a leg.”

  She kissed me on the cheek and we headed towards the door together. She squeezed my arm proudly and headed out and I closed the door behind her and headed down the hallway to my room.

  Crashing down onto my bed I looked at the picture of Apollo again. He really was such a smart-ass, sending me his body and not his face. I liked his style. I couldn’t deny I also liked his perfectly sculpted body too.

  Everything in my life seemed to be falling into place for a change and I had things to look forward to. I almost wished that Sunday would get here sooner. I could hardly wait to meet him and see if we really were a good match. I hugged the phone to my chest and fell fast asleep.

  9

  Cole

  “I believe there is a booking in the name of Lucy Rivers, for two?”

  The concierge looked me up and down critically. Clearly I passed some kind of test, as he then deigned to check in the book for our reservation.

  “Follow me sir,” he finally said in a high-pitched voice. I was a little surprised by it; he was quite a large man, built well. But I did as I was told. He showed me to a table, tucked away in an alcove. The restaurant was buzzing, filled with a few intimate couples, a rowdy group or two as well. It was clearly very popular and I loved the brick walls and simple décor throughout. It felt honest and looking at the colorful and aromatic food that was emerging from the kitchen I could see exactly why Lucy had suggested it.

  I sat down with my back to the door. I didn’t want to scare her away too soon. My stomach was roiling with nerves. I felt like I had swallowed a whole cave full of bats and they wanted out. It was now or never, I thought.

  Everything I had hoped for with all those crazy trips up and down the country, to every college and university except, ironically, those in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and it had all come down to this single night. Would I be able to convince her to stay, to hear me out? Would she see this as yet another manipulation or betrayal? Would she give me the time to explain?

  I hadn’t told Mom or Tom. I didn’t want to get their hopes up and to have it all go wrong again. I hadn’t even told Jake or Callie that she’d finally agreed to a date. I wanted her all to myself for just this one night. I wanted to see how it went, without the potential pity or over-excitement that my friends or family might add to it all. I just wanted to see her face, in the flesh, once more.

  I tapped at the table with the chopsticks, anxiously drumming as I watched the clock above the kitchen door tick closer to eight p.m. Why had I come so early? Being here fifteen minutes beforehand so I could ensure I wasn’t easily spotted before she even got into the restaurant had seemed like such a good idea. Maybe I should have gone with the making her wait, but then she would have been mad at me for being late, as well as everything else.

  Fuck, this had been such a stupidly crazy idea.

  Finally, after what had felt like an absolute eternity, I heard footsteps behind me.

  Instinctively I knew this was it. These footsteps didn’t belong to a passing waiter or another customer; no, behind me, in the very same room was my Lucy and my whole body vibrated with anticipation.

  “Apollo?” a tentative voice enquired.

  I took a deep breath, stood up and turned round.

  Lucy looked amazing. She was wearing a cute kimono styled dress, cut so short that it made her fabulous legs look like they went on forever. But all that didn’t matter as our eyes met and I took her in.

  Her face was as perfect as I remembered it, a tiny smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose, and that thick, curly auburn hair that made her resemble a wild woman. And then, there were the flashing eyes that had started off so soft and yielding, that were now blazing daggers at me.

  “Cole!” she spat, frown lines creasing her now-furious face. Lucy stepped forward and for a second I thought she was about to hug me. But then her arm arced through the air and she slapped me, hard across the cheek.

  Whoa, I had not been expecting that, I thought, as I palmed my stinging cheek. I shook my head to try to regain my composure, but I was already too late to put out a hand to try and stop her. She stormed back out through the restaurant as if a
tiger were on her tail. I threw a couple of tens on the table and raced after her.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  I had screwed it up, all over again. I had hurt her, lied to her and why on earth had I ever expected her to sit down calmly and just talk it all out? Stupid, Cole, really stupid idea!

  I craned my neck to see her, looking left and right, and finally glimpsed her hightailing it down the street, her cloud of hair bobbing behind her.

  “Lucy!” I yelled. She turned to look at me over her shoulder but instantly turned away, running even faster.

  I chased after her, realizing pretty suddenly just how unfit a summer in the DA’s office had left me, but there was no way I was going to let her go. Not now. I was soon panting trying to keep up with her. She was in great shape, her pert derriere seemed to dance along the street, always just out of reach.

  “Lucy, stop. I just want to talk!” She ignored me.

  Gritting my teeth I put in a final burst of speed. My thighs burned as I ran and slowly but surely I managed to get level with her.

  I grabbed her arm and dragged her into the nearest alleyway. I couldn’t say what came over me as I muscled her against her will, kicking and screaming, further in where we wouldn’t be seen and used my body weight to pin her up against the wall. I am in no way a violent man, but I had to make her talk to me, had to get her to hear me out.

  “Let me go, Cole. Or I’ll scream!”

  I was frantic, and could see from her eyes just how frightened she was. Coming to my senses I loosened my grip a little, but not enough that she would be able to get away from me.

  “Lucy, I don’t want to hurt you, I promise. I just need to talk with you, to know you’re okay.” I pleaded with her, as her vivid green eyes threw nothing but pure hatred my way. I sagged with disappointment at how badly I had screwed everything up. Again. I resorted to the absolute truth, hoping it would help her understand why I was being so brutal, acting so completely out of character.

  “I love you, you crazy woman.”

  Lucy stopped squirming as she digested my words and her eyes softened. Seconds passed by as we caught our breath.

  God, we were so close and it felt like my every brain receptor was on overload. I could hardly process that she was here in front of me, my hands touching the bare silky skin of her arms, my torso against hers trapping her. A waft of her sweet vanilla perfume mingled between us, making the bulge between my legs thicken, hardening with desire.

  She swallowed. I knew she could feel my cock pressing up against her, but still she wanted to be set free.

  “Cole,” she sighed. “Let me go.”

  “No, not until I say what needs to be said.” Shit, where to begin, I thought. Now she was here, all the words that I wanted to say were jumbled about. Just be honest.

  “Do you know how long I’ve waited for this moment? Fuck, Luce, you know I love you. I have loved you pretty much my entire life. I have searched up and down the entire country trying to find you – as has your dad. We have been worried sick. I get you are mad at me, I tricked you and that was wrong, but would you have ever met with me if you knew who I was?” My voice was choked with passion, and hurt, and the years of pain not knowing where she was had not assuaged.

  She shook her head, and her eyes blazed again.

  “No Cole, you’re right. I wouldn’t have come,” she said. “But loving me isn’t enough to fix what you’ve done. What on earth happened to you that you could do this to a woman, any woman?”

  I had no defense, except the excuse of unyielding love. Yet, she was right, I could hardly believe what I done either.

  “God, I have missed all of you so very much, but it isn’t enough just to say ‘I love you,’ and magically everything goes away and is all right,” she said.

  There were tears pouring down her cheeks, and I could feel them pricking in the back of my own eyes too. I let go of her arm and brushed away the wetness on her face, then cradled my hand along her jawline. Hers was the face I’d fallen head over heels for oh so long ago.

  Our eyes locked and her chest rose and fell in rapid succession as my fingers smoothed down and across her bottom lip. One last chance, I thought, a last ditch effort.

  And even if I wanted to, I couldn’t stop myself. The temptation of being so close, feeling her lithe body pressed up against mine was more than my tortured soul could bear.

  I bent my head to hers and claimed her mouth before she could object. It was angry, and full of all the pent-up frustration and rage that we had missed out on so many years, that she was still so damn stubborn, and that no matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t get her out of my head.

  She didn’t respond at first, taking a moment to melt into it. A moan escaped her mouth, and slowly, so very slowly, her hand crept up to the back of my neck, her work-roughened fingers twining in the hair at the nape of my neck. Her lips parted, and finally she kissed me back – as hungry for me as I was for her.

  It was nothing like our first one, the sweet kiss of exploration all those years before, the one that had haunted me all these years. No, this was full of adult passion and fury. It was hot as hell, and I could feel my cock pulsing against her taut belly. I lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around my waist, rocking her pelvis against mine in a tortuous rhythm that my body responded to instantly.

  “You don’t know how many times I’ve thought about this,” I groaned as I found her mouth again.

  I held her tightly, never wanting to let her go – but knew that we would have to break this surging, passionate embrace and talk eventually. I just prayed again and again that she would give me a chance to speak, and would hear me out this time.

  She felt so good, pressed tightly against my chest, her hands clawing at the muscles of my shoulders and back. Her buttocks were perfect in my hands and I longed to touch and taste her everywhere, to peel her dress away and reveal her body underneath.

  “Cole,” Lucy gasped as I planted kisses up her exposed neck. “Stop, Cole. We need to talk…”

  The spell was broken. This was not the right time, nor the right place, and I tentatively began to withdraw from her. I set her back down tenderly, but still held her close to my heart.

  “Okay, let’s go back to the restaurant. We can talk there.”

  She shook her head and started to push me away, her hands upon my chest. “No, Cole. I changed my mind. I can’t do this… any of this.”

  I took a step back from her, trying to understand what she was saying, but my mind was not putting it together. I was too fucking horny, and it was too difficult to think.

  “Why the hell not? Come on Luce, I don’t claim to know anything about you these days, but the girl I once knew is still in there. That kiss just proved it. Not to mention the all the emails and texts over the last few weeks. That Lucy loved her family, loved her friends, and always gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. She’s still in there,” I said, not knowing if I was trying to persuade her or convince myself.

  “That Lucy died when Steph made my dad betray my mom,” she stated blankly, the passionate desire in her eyes replaced by a flat misery that overtook her in an instant.

  “I don’t believe that, Lucy. Please, can’t we go somewhere and talk?”

  “Fine, but not the restaurant, anywhere else. And don’t expect it to change anything, and don’t think you’ll be able to get your own way again by using this…this attraction between us.”

  Her face was sulky and she was grimacing in a way that reminded me so much of the Lucy who had haunted the home we had shared for that final year, the one that had withdrawn and become moody and unrecognizable when she hadn’t gotten her own way.

  Knowing we needed somewhere neutral to go, I suggested we just go to a small diner we passed. We walked stiffly as far apart as she could manage back down the main street.

  A waitress took our order and brought our drinks. Cola for me, and a root beer float for her. It could have been any one of a hundred nights we had sat toge
ther in the diner back home. She stared at me, clearly waiting for me to speak. Now I had her here I had absolutely no idea where to start. I was tongue tied again – probably not the best thing for a prospective lawyer. But Lucy and those gorgeous eyes always had a way of making me feel speechless.

  “Congratulations on fulfilling your dreams, Lucy,” I began tentatively, knowing that was the dumbest thing I could’ve said.

  “Thank you,” she said as primly as an old spinster. It made me laugh. She glared at me. I had to admit though, seeing those perfect eyes so full of fire and passion again, rather than the blank nothingness that had replaced it, had me feeling hot and bothered all over again. I was glad that the booth would hide just by how much.

  “Oh come on, Lucy, give me a break here, please? All I did was support my mom, who also had a pretty tough time of it after my dad left if you remember. So I figured she deserved a bit of happiness, so sue me!”

  Lucy was staring down at the table, shaking her head.

  “This again? Fine, let’s get it all out in the open. I know your mom had it tough too, but why couldn’t she find someone else. Anyone but my dad?” She sighed heavily.

  “I was just so mad at everything. I was mad that my mom was gone, and I was mad that she was taken when the most important part of my life was happening. You know how my grades went to shit – for God’s sake you even offered to hack into the school computer to change them for me! I was angry that just as we seemed to be developing a relationship – a real one – that it was snatched away from us. And the worst thing of it all was that it seemed that nobody else missed Mom like I did. How could my dad even be thinking about a relationship with someone else, let alone getting married again and having a god damn baby?! And, that it was your mom. Don’t you see? It ruined everything between us, made you my brother when I wanted you to be my boyfriend. It was just all so fucking wrong!”

  10