Forbidden Steps: A Stepbrother Romance by Bianca Sommerland Page B

different. This was a first. I wasn’t about to chance what could possibly be my only opportunity.”
    Stephanie sighed and slit her eyes open, too worn out to put any effort in doing more. “Won’t be the only opportunity. That was…interesting.” She shrugged and snuggled against his side. “We’re usually more honest than you’re being, that’s all.”
    “No.” Colin sat up now, agitation making him wide awake. “You’re just used to getting your own way with me. You’ve got this whole thing with me and Ashley stuck in your head, and you won’t stop until I do what you want.”
    Stephanie forced her eyes open and frowned. “It’s not like that.”
    Colin shook his head, rubbed his hand over his face and turned towards the bathroom. “It’s exactly like that. And just so you know, Steph, if me and Ashley ever decide to do anything it will be between the two of us. It has nothing to do with you.” He opened the bathroom door, head down, his words now spoken mostly to himself. “See how you feel about that.”
    With that Colin disappeared into the bathroom. Stephanie heard the shower start and buried her face in the pillow, smiling, content. Colin might not realize it, but he’d just sort of guaranteed everything would work out exactly as she wanted it to. He wasn’t telling her no anymore. He was taking things in his own hands.
     
    * * * *
     
    The shower made Colin feel a little better, but still, deep inside him, was bitterness. A bitterness that had him standing at the foot of the bed, tempted to wake Steph up and ask her to leave.
    Damn it, she was right about everything. He did love her and want her. He also loved Ashley, and if he was honest, at least to himself, he’d admit he wanted her too. But the situation with Ashley was too complicated for Stephanie’s manipulations to work. For either of them.
    If she’d just stay out of it, the relationship between Colin and Ashley would develop into what it was meant to be on its own. Most likely platonic, but what was wrong with that? Colin and Steph had a mutual attraction for as long as he’d remembered. Not acted on for the longest of times, but it had always been there. He’d been sixteen when Steph’s father, Joseph, had married his mother. Steph was just over a year younger than him, and even though they’d both been pissed off about the wedding, they’d gotten along from the start. Colin’s father died when he was just a baby, and he didn’t have much family, so when his mother got sick she’d made Colin’s stepfather promise to take care of him.
    The man had kept a roof over Colin’s head, kept him clothed and fed, so he’d kept his promise, but until Joseph had married Grace, Colin hadn’t really felt like he had a family. Living in the same house as Steph hadn’t suddenly made them siblings, no matter what the paperwork said.
    Grace had changed everything. She’d wanted a nice, stable home for Ashley, so she’d insisted on ‘proper’ behavior. No more walking around in boxers for him and Steph got an earful about ‘strutting around in a towel in front of her brother.’
    By making their underlying feelings for one another forbidden, she’d intensified them. Steph in a towel had been nice to see, but not a huge deal. After the new rules, seeing her in a skimpy shirt and skirt made his mouth water. The first time she’d been allowed to wear a bikini, Colin practically broke his neck rushing into an icy cold shower.
    Ashley had been an awkward, annoying little kid. Always trailing after him, with dirt on all the nice clothes her mom forced her to wear. She’d even gone through a phase of wearing the clothes Colin had grown out of. When he wasn’t irritated by her, he’d kinda thought of her as the next best thing to having a little brother.
    There was no mistaking her for a boy anymore though. Hell, she’d look fucking hot in his shirt. With nothing else. Following him right into his bed…
    Enough! Fuck!
    Restless