Nicole Hartmann

“Gianna, you have to! When a hot guy orders you a shot, you have to take it,” the petite blonde Hitler named Krista ordered her. Gianna sucked in a breath, and quickly threw back the questionable amber liquid. It burned fire down her throat, but at least tasted like regular rum. Although, after the dozen shots prior, she wasn’t sure she even had taste buds left. Krista squealed and grabbed her arm. “He’s watching you!” Desperately hoping she wasn’t referring to the fifty-something tattooed gentleman that kept reappearing behind her, she slowly turned her head back towards the pool tables that Krista had nodded at. She quickly saw the beefy rugby player that she had been flirting with earlier. She squinted at him, trying to pull everything back into focus. All she could really see for certain was a crew cut, a nondescript face, and big shoulders. Mentally shrugging, she admitted that he wasn’t bad looking. “He’s kind of cute,” she acquiesced. “He’s more than cute – he’s hot! And Brandon says that he’s been on the lookout since he got dumped by Brandy after she decided to transfer to Minnesota.” Krista seemed strangely excited that Rugby just had his heart torn out by some cheerleader with ambitious goals. She made a motion to grab her mixed drink off the bar and head over. At the same time, the guy she had been sitting next to went to grab his drink, and somehow they collided, tipping over both drinks on the lacquered bar top. “Oh my gosh, I’m so s-sorry!” Her mouth stumbling over the last word, Gianna looked into the most beautiful blue eyes she’d ever seen on a man. They weren’t truly blue, she realized in the dim bar light. They were actually like a turquoise. Maybe a teal? Whatever it was, she was instantly jealous. Guys didn’t deserve eyes like those. The undeserving hunk flashed her a white smile that just deepened the jealousy. “Nah, it was my fault. Richie over here –“ pulling the guys collar that was sitting on his left at the bar in mock outrage – “just can’t hold his liquor.” ‘Richie’ seemed to be completely oblivious, still arguing with the bartender about whether or not that last play shouldn’t have been a foul. Her attacker seemed to realize this, tossing her a sheepish smile. “Here, let me buy you another.” He stood, reached into his dark jeans, and pulled out a brown leather wallet. He tossed down a twenty. “What are you drinking?” “Amaretto Sour.” “Sounds good. I’ll just get you that lemonade with a dash of amaretto then.” He threw her a wink and she bit back a laugh. “Hey, why fight it when you know it tastes so good?” She threw him his wink right back and this time he threw his head back and laughed out loud. “So, what you’re telling me is that I should be switching my drink of choice to that? I’m pretty sure I haven’t had a drink that weak since I was fourteen and watered down my dad’s scotch,” he teased, quirking an attractively dark eyebrow. This time she did laugh out loud. “I’d like to see you try to keep down all the shots I’ve had to take tonight, while drinking an ‘actual’ drink, sir!” He caught the bartender’s gaze and motioned at their two spilled drinks, and then the twenty on the counter. He turned back towards her, this time leaning closer to talk into her ear. It wasn’t really that loud, but when she got a whiff of his cologne and nearly started panting, she decided not to call him out on it. “What’s the occasion?” “Got the internship I’ve been wanting for like two years. You?” “Promoted. And my friend here just got broken up with. You single?” He threw a glance over to Richie. She pretended to study Richie dutifully. He really wasn’t bad looking, more of a rocker type look. But then again, her mystery man also had a sense of ‘bad boy’ about him. They both had tattoos on their arms, but Richie had them all the way down to his knuckles. Both of them had gauges in their ears, but Richie’s were at least double the size. He was laughing at something the girl next to him and she saw the flash of a tongue ring. “Hmmm, well he does have good hair,” she critiqued. He laughed. “He does indeed. Carson, by the way.” He took her offered hand in his warm grip. His hand seemed to dwarf hers, and her fingertips tingled with the contact. “Gianna.” Looking at her warmly, he repeated it to her. “Gianna. I like that. It suits you.” She blushed, hoping in the ambient light he didn’t see it. “Carson, we gotta go man!” Richie suddenly turned towards them, eyeing up Gianna. “Take her with! Dave said that Green Sugar is playing at the Rowdy down the street.” Carson looked at her, still holding her hand. “Well?” She glanced at Krista, who’d been suitably entertained by the bouncer sitting at the end of the bar. “I can’t. I’m here with the rest of my friends.” “Alright, well then let me make an appearance over there for a few minutes, and then I’ll come back here. Don’t. Move.” He placed his hand on the loops of her black skinny jeans and pushed her gently down onto the bar stool. She could feel the heat through the material and she suppressed the urge to lean into him. He started to walk away, grabbed at the elbow by Richie, but his shoulders faced her until he had to turn at the last second. Ten minutes later, Krista saw one of her mortal enemies from their Dance Appreciation class, and forced Gianna to leave the bar. Once they got into the taxi, she ended up passing out and Gianna had to take her home and make sure she was okay. And only a small part of her wondered what would’ve happened if she’d been able to stay. Liar, her smug subconscious whispered. 6 months later “Anna, be careful of Highway 23. Steve heard it was all tore up because of that new overpass going in.” Gianna fought to roll her eyes. Normally her childhood nickname ‘Anna’ didn’t bother her, but something about the way her mother was warning her made her feel like she was back in high school. She had moved back temporarily while she finished out her internship and could get a permanent position at a clinic a little farther away from home. Steve, her new step father, looked up from his newspaper. “Take the interstate. Few minutes out of the way, but better road conditions. “And don’t forget that CJ is flying in at 7:20. We should be home around 9. Make sure you’re around to greet him. It’s not every day you meet your only step brother!” Ugh. Step brother. What an awful thing. He hadn’t even gotten here and he was already ruining her life. Their parents had decided that for the limited time they were both staying here, they could share a bathroom. “Anna…” “Yeah, Mom. Got it. 9 pm. I’ll be at home for my curfew.” Gianna gave her mom a hug to soften the sarcasm. The day flew by and before she knew it, she was pulling up to the house at 10 pm. She saw the silver car in the driveway and let out a curse word she didn’t even knew that she had known. Her mom was going to flip out. She punched the code in the garage door and jogged inside. “Mom, I’m home. Sorry I’m l---“ She choked on her words. Her mom and stepdad were relaxing in the living room, in their usual spots. But in the overstuffed chair she normally occupied, there was…him. The guy from the bar. The guy that had never really left her mind and continued to haunt her dreams. Okay, that was maybe a little overdramatic, but she had thought about him. Carson, her mind helped. He was just as gorgeous as the first time they’d met. This time he was dressed simply in a white tshirt and jeans. The only adornment he wore were the small gauges in his ears. “Anna, good. You’re finally home! Never mind that you’re an hour late, but still. Late is better than later.” Her mother stood and pushed her to sit down on the footrest in front of his chair. Her chair. “Meet your stepbrother, CJ.” “CJ,” she muttered absently. Not Carson then? Her mind stumbled and tried to reconfigure itself. “Anna,” he responded, with just a hint of annoyance. Oh, that was great. He was annoyed? She was the one that now had to share her home, with his annoying cologne and his annoying turquoise eyes and his super annoying pretty face. She couldn’t remember what all happened in the next fifteen minutes, but somehow she got through the seemingly endless rigamole of small talk and pleasantries, both of them pretending to have not known each other. They listened to their parents list out the things they had in common (which were few, or nonexistent), the things that would now change, and the new rules of the house. Obviously everyone was to remain clothed. Her stepfather paid special attention to this one for Carson/CJ, so she supposed he had a habit about walking around naked. Her brain mentally shrugged. If she looked that good, yeah, she’d probably never wear clothes again. She agreed to the rest of the rules, glad that they didn’t really alter her existence except for sharing a bathroom and a floor. Their parents didn’t seem to catch the lingering tension, the sexual frustration, that was fairly tingling in the room. At some point, she was able to draw herself away and head upstairs to the sanctity of her room. Breathing in a huge sigh, her mind whirled with all that this meant. They were related, step brother and step sister. She could no longer think about him in that way. In what way, her mind questioned, running through her foggy brain all the positions, situations, and various degrees of undress that she’d already through about him since the moment she met him. This was not good, she thought. Carson’s mind still reeled. Gianna was here. In this house. Upstairs, as a matter of fact. Anna, he reminded himself. Though he had no idea why her mother would prefer such a common name when she had such a beautiful one. With his friends, he simply referred to her as “G”. He had never wanted to give them evidence such a beautiful person existed by giving them such an exotic first name. Although, he supposed some part of him had never really been sure if she’d really existed. That night had been a blur. And she had left. He had waited around until bar time that night. And several nights after that, just to see if she’d come back. He’d never felt such an instant attraction, both to her body and to what he had felt in her soul. She was something special, he was sure of that. And now she was his stepsister. Fate had been very cruel indeed. The next morning they managed to miss each other completely. He heard her get up much earlier than he would’ve expected, leave out the front door, and return only an hour later. He assumed she must’ve went on a run. He made a mental note of that fact, adding to the list of things he already liked about her. He stayed in his room until he was sure she had left for her internship. His job afforded him a lot of perks, one of which being that he got to choose his own hours and sometimes could work from home. Hours turned into days which turned into weeks. It was over a month letter when their parents announced they would be taking a family vacation. Must to their chagrin, both Carson and Gianna resisted – Gianna for her internship and Carson because a cruise seemed like hell on a person who got disturbingly seasick. Their parents looked at each other and seemed to give up the fight so fast he wondered if that’s what they had planned the whole time. They packed and flew out a week after that, with strict house rules against drugs and strippers being in their house while they were away. Carson had to admire them for that. At least they’d finally realized the two of them were no longer teenagers. They were of legal drinking age, beyond that even. Carson knew that his time was limited to a couple weeks left and he’d heard Gianna making plans of her own to move into a house with some friends. He did feel bad that he seemed to be pushing her faster than she wanted to leave. Her mother had mentioned that her plan was to stay at home the duration of the internship, which was another eight months. That night, he noticed that she stayed out until bar time. He had gone out for a few drinks himself but made it back a good hour before she had. Around three, he heard a key scratching at the lock and laughter coming from outside his window. He looked down and saw that she was struggling to get in the front door, and that a guy was pressed up close behind her. Very close. His fists started to clench and he forced himself to relax. She had every right to bring a guy home. She was a grown woman, living in her parent’s house. And when the parents are away, well, it made sense. So he had resigned himself to a sleepless night, tortured by her moans with another man, but instead a few minutes later he heard raised voices again coming from outside. “Brandon, I said stop it.” He recognized her voice was strained, but still seemed pretty normal. Maybe she was just teasing him? The man murmured something in her ear, and nuzzled her. Carson felt sick just watching it. He couldn’t see her face, but she didn’t respond. When the guy started to run hands along her body, she resisted. “Brandon, I mean it. I’m tired, and you’re drunk.” This dude was not taking the hint. He continued to feel her up, even pressing her against the doorway. When Gianna started to struggled, he was already throwing on a pair of shorts. When he saw the guy raise her arm in captivity and grind himself against her, he tore across the hallway and down the steps. He threw open the deadbolt and pulled the door option in one motion. He ripped the guy off her and shoved him until he fell down the three concrete front steps. He landed hard and gracelessly. Instead of letting him gain his footing, Carson fell on him with three hard punches to the face and one to the solar plexus when he fought to stand. He gave him a solid kick that had Brandon groaning. He heard Gianna calling from somewhere behind him, but didn’t register her existence until she started to pull on his arm. “Carson, it’s fine. He’s not even worth it. I’m fine. I’m okay. I’m fine,” she kept repeating, soothing him with her low toned voice and her warm touch at his elbow. Brandon just moaned on the ground. Carson gave him a half hearted kick, then grabbed his collar and pulled him up until his face was inches away. “Do not ever touch her again. In fact, don’t even look at her, you piece of shit.” Gianna heard his words and was stunned to hear the emotion and warning dripping from his tone. The Carson she had seen over the past few weeks was definitely not a man of emotion. He didn’t let anything get to him. He was a laissez-faire type personality. This new side of him was dangerous, and sexy as hell. Step brother, her subconscious reminded her. He was off limits. Definitely off limits. She tugged again, this time successfully disengaged the two alpha males. She let Brandon lie there in pain without offer to help. He was a jerk, and Gianna would’ve been forced to drastic measures had Carson not come down here. She pulled Carson inside the front door, and threw the latch. She tugged him up the stairs while he was in some sort of a daze. She kept pulling until she got him into their bathroom. She did a quick recount on his injuries, but short of his bruised and blood stained knuckles, she didn’t think Brandon had even landed a punch. He still seemed phased out though, so she decided serious measures needed to be taken. She pushed him, clothes and all, into the shower and then turned it on. He didn’t say anything, just shivered and looked back at her. A few minutes later, she took pity on him, and turned the dial to warm. The steam started to rise and both their faces grew flush. “Are you okay,” he asked softly, eyes searching hers. “Carson, I’m fine. Really,” she urged him. This new version of Carson was throwing her off her game. She had never expected such fire out of him. And she didn’t know why she had brought it out in him. Was it possible he felt this connection too? “G, if I hadn’t been there…” His eyes lost focus and she knew he was recognizing all the things that could’ve happened to a female of her size with a guy like Brandon. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed gently, the water streaming down her arms and pooling on the tiled floor. “Hey, don’t even think about that. You were here. Everything is fine. I would’ve fought back, but I’m glad I had you there to do it for me.” She smiled, “My knuckles wouldn’t have held up as well as yours did.” Carson let out a choked laugh and looked down at the knuckles in question. She knew he saw what she saw – the soft skin with squared pink nails. Definitely not the hands of the bruiser that he had just proved to be. They both stood there for what seemed like forever, letting the water slide onto the floor unheeded, the warmth pouring over top of him, drenching his clothes and his body. He pulled out of it first, seeming to realize their positions. “I’m sorry, I’m getting you all wet.” They both froze with the unintended sexual reference. They stuttered over top of each other, while Gianna pulled away and got him a towel. He exited the shower in a graceful leap over the pooled water, throwing the extra towel on top of it to soak up the excess. Gianna walked away, shaken and disturbed, and not in anyway because of Brandon. She walked back to her room. She kicked the door closed, hoping that Carson wouldn’t follow her through because at this point, she didn’t think she had the willpower to say no. When she heard his footsteps travel down the hallway into his room, she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. And yet, an odd, deeply disturbed, part of her had wished that he would come in. Anything to realize this tension that felt like her whole body was tied in knots every time he came near. She pulled off the wine colored silk camisole top she had been wearing, and peeled off the skintight black denim. Throwing her jewelry on the table, she headed over to her walk-in closet. There were a group of shirts hanging on the wire racks, waiting to be put back. She had put away all but the last one. When she reached for it, she realized in an instant it wasn’t hers. She didn’t wear tee shirts, not this big, and not this worn. She pulled it out and looked at it in the light. It definitely wasn’t her step fathers, so it had to be his. She brought it close to her face and breathed in. Even through the detergent smell, she could still detect his cologne. She groaned. It wasn’t fair that he had to be so good looking and smell so damn good. Making a rash decision that was undoubtedly stupid, she threw his tee shirt on over her black lace bra and panties. It came down to her upper thighs, and she wrapped her arms around herself, trapping in his scent. She climbed into her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. Partly because of the alcohol, but more because of thoughts of him, she knew she was in for a sleepless night. Sure enough, every time she tossed and turned, she got puffs of cologne from his tee shirt. It tormented and aroused her until all she could think about was his body in the shirt. After what seemed like hours, she glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It’s red numbers blinked 4:01AM at her. How was that even possible? She threw the covers off, padded to the door and peeked outside. The hallway was dark, and so was his room. She carefully walked on the soft carpet and treaded down the stairs lightly. She tiptoed across the wood floor until she reached the media room. She tugged the pocket doors nearly closed and collapsed onto the worn leather couch. She snuggled into it and flipped on a Lifetime movie. She must’ve fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, she was floating. She struggled to lift her heavy eyelids. She was surrounded by a warmth that she couldn’t place. And that warmth smelled really good. Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she jolted awake. She was being carried up the stairs. She tilted her head back, but didn’t need to see the familiar face to place the scent. “Carson, put me down,” she shrieked. “You’re going to drop me!” He tilted her forward threateningly until she squealed and then tipped her back into the safety of his arms. “Relax, I’m not going to drop you. You were going to wake up with one hell of a stiff neck if I left you down there.” She caught the hands of the clock in the hallway as they glided past. It had only been an hour since the last time she’d looked. “Why are you still awake?” He didn’t answer for a few seconds. “Couldn’t sleep. Why’d you go downstairs?” “Couldn’t sleep,” she retorted. He laughed softly. She tried to ignore the seductive grumbling in his chest at the sound. “Poor baby.” They kept silent until they got to the intersection of his room and hers. He hesitated slightly. She tilted her head back again to look up at him. He was looking down at her. “How drunk are you?” “Not drunk enough apparently,” she quipped. He didn’t seem to find that funny. “G, tell me,” he ordered, deceptively quiet. “I had a few glasses of wine, couple shots but they were earlier in the night. I’m not sober, but I’m okay,” she admitted. He breathed in so deeply his chest pushed her against his forearms. “Right. No sleeping alone for you then.” “What?” She couldn’t have heard that right. “Come again?” “Our parents aren’t here, so there’s no one to wake up if you start puking. And I’m a deep sleeper. I’ll never hear you.” “Carson, I’m not going to puke. And even if I did, I’ll survive. I’ve done worse, I assure you,” she said, affronted. “I had a friend say that once to me.” “Yeah, and did she give in and climb into bed with you, and found the light?” She retorted. “No, he threw up in the middle of the night laying on his back and choked on his own vomit. He died while I was sound asleep in the next room.” Gianna stopped breathing. She struggled in his arms until she could look up in his eyes fully. “Carson, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” He offered her a lopsided smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You had no way of knowing, but neither am I adhering to your wishes about this. Not ever.” She tossed around her options. Him in her bed. Hers in his. Not sleeping until they were both sober. Taking a breathlizer. Crossing out the two impossible choices, she realized that she was going to have to sleep in the same bed as him no matter where they were. Mentally admitting defeat, she nodded in the direction of his room. Better that she stay in his than wake up every morning smelling him in her bed. He dumped her gently on the bed and stepped back. His gaze heated when he realized what she was wearing. “Is that my-“ “No,” she interrupted quickly. He smiled a devilish smile and she knew that he didn’t believe her for a second. She made a half hearted attempt to cover her near nakedness. But tugging down just made it tug up at the top and she knew that he saw more cleavage than she had bargained for. She realized the worn hem and sighed in agitation. He turned around to put his watch on the end table and she swore she heard him chuckle. When he turned back around, the moonlight from the uncovered window made his eyes look like they glowed. Annoyed, she stood, turned, and flounced underneath the covers. She decided to lay some rules for the night. “This is my side. Don’t even think about coming over here. And if you snore, you’re sleeping at the foot of the bed.” He nodded in acceptance. But just as she was sidling in for the night, he responded, “And if you put your cold ass feet on mine, I’m going to make sure you’re never cold again.” Her brain sleepily tried to figure out that cryptic message but the activities of the night rested heavily on her and she started to drift off. The last thing she remembered was him tugging the covers up over her and the dip in the mattress when he joined her. When Carson woke up, the first thing he felt was warmth. And softness. It was the smell that really got to him. Like fruit and seduction, wrapped up into one tantalizing aroma. He had never smelled that perfume before, but he knew that even if he smelled it on someone else, it would never be the same. It was just her. Gianna. She was woman, and lioness, and temptress in one tiny little package. Then he realized that while she was certainly still sleeping, she was going to flip her shit when she realized how entangled they had become during the night. His right arm was underneath both her head and her pillow. Her left hand was sprawled across the sheets and threaded together with his. His right hand was protectively covering her breast. It took everything in him not to squeeze softly, to palm her hard nipple. Instead he started to plan for his retraction. They had just reached a decent amount of friendship. He didn’t want to ruin it by her waking up to his erection pressed against her butt. His first move was to slide his hand from her breast to her hip. He bit back a groan at the sensation of sweeping his hand along her soft skin. His tee shirt had ridden up on her so that all that covered her hip was a lacy strip of black underwear and an expanse of smooth tanned skin. His second move was to slide back slowly, away from his warm body pressed so tightly up against his. His cock fairly ached with the urge to bury himself in her. Instead he unlaced his fingers from hers and withdrew. He hopped up, shaking himself in the effort to rid himself of the unexplainable pull she had over him. He got in the shower and when he returned, she was still sleeping. She looked like an angel, with her long hair spread over the pillow, her fist pressed against her flushed cheek. Her legs were sprawled across his side, tangled in the covers. He mentally slapped himself and threw on some shorts. He needed to go for a run. Clear his head. Gianna woke up alone, and she was grateful for that. He had spared her what she knew would’ve been an insane amount of embarrassment. She had woken up a few times through the night, and she had felt his arms around her. She had been semi-awake when she had reached up and grasped his hand. He had just felt so protective, so safe. She had snuggled deeper in his arms, knowing that, come morning, everything would have to go back to the way it was. She groaned and stood up. She was loathe to leave his room, and leave the night behind, but she knew that if she came up here while she was still in his clothes, in his room, that everything would come to a head. And she wasn’t ready for that yet. Was she? She ducked into her room and got ready for the day. Luckily, she didn’t have to work today since it was inventory. Instead she had a fun day planned with her girlfriends. She didn’t expect to be back at all tonight and her mind gave a sigh of relief that she wouldn’t be presented with the temptation again. All she had to do was stay sober. Carson had been sound asleep when he heard her car pull in. He checked his clock. It was only midnight. And she was driving, so at least he wouldn’t be put in that position again. It was a good thing. Right? He heard her open the front door, and trek up the stairs. Curiously, he heard her pause at the opening of his doorway. He let out his breath when her footsteps continued to her own. He waited until he heard her door shut, and then opened the pocket door to the their shared jack-and-jill bathroom. He was just washing her hands when he heard the pocket door on the far end slide open. “Oh, I’m sorry! Let me know when you’re done,” she said, a flush highlighting her high cheekbones. “I’m done. Don’t worry about it.” He went to leave, and then some devilish instinct in him forced him back around. “Have you been drinking?” She paused for a second, not meeting his eyes. “Only a few beers.” He breathed in. “Gianna, we talked about this. You know I can’t let you sleep alone. I’m sorry, but I won’t do it. It’s not worth the risk.” Gianna couldn’t believe she was doing this. Yes, she’d had a few beers but that had been early afternoon while they were relaxing before the game. She hadn’t had a drop in over six hours. She was as close to being sober as she could be. But some part of her didn’t want him to know the truth. Some part of her was apparently a glutton for punishment, that she wanted to sleep next to her stepbrother. That she wanted to feel his body pressed against hers. “I’m fine, Carson. Really.” “Not gonna happen, G. Get in your PJs, drink a glass of water, and come to bed.” Gianna’s heart stumbled at that last order. Come to bed. Like this was completely normal. Like this was their house, and he was her man. She had turned around to get her PJ’s when his voice stopped her. “And they better cover you, Gianna.” She turned to berate him, but he was already gone. Seriously? Like she was some skank that strutted around in her underwear with the sole purpose to tempt him? She blew out her frustrated breath. She’d show him. They weren’t blood related, for heaven’s sake. He could still find her attractive. He didn’t have to act like she was a leper. She reached inside her closet and found the perfect thing. A skimpy black teddy that left more to the imagination than it actually covered. She had bought it on a whim a few nights after she had met him. It had obviously never been used, and now seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring it out and cut off the tags. She’d show him sisterly. Carson debated throwing on a pair of athletic shorts over top of his boxer briefs. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, but he would be uncomfortable if he had to sleep with those on again. He opted not. She was going to have to get used to him in this state anyway. He’d been careful not to come out of his room without shorts, but while their parents weren’t here, he had no reason to be so careful. She could deal with it. He heard her open the doorway. “Hey, catch the light will y—“ He cut off his words mid-sentence, catching a glimpse of her in the mirror. He sucked in his breath. She was looking back at him, staring at him really. She looked about as bulldozed as he felt. Realizing she was probably not expecting his state of undress either, he felt a weird twinge of satisfaction knowing that she was as affected by his physicality as he was to hers. She had on a wisp of black fabric that barely touched her thighs. If she turned, he knew he’d get a good glimpse of her delicious ass. Silently, he willed her to turn. Anything was better than the front view she presented him with. Her breasts were pushed high in their practically see-through confinement. The whole thing looked like a couple tugs on the black ribbon and it would come unraveling apart. She looked back at him and took in the view he presented as well. He felt her eyes travel from his mussed hair to his chiseled chest, and down his flat stomach instead the line of hair that disappeared beneath the band of his black boxer briefs. He took it to mean he could peruse her body as well. His eyes kept getting stuck on the perky breasts that sat temptingly like a shelf just feet away from him. He could see the indentation of her belly button through the thin fabric, saw how fit she kept herself. Fit, but not thin. Never thin. She was full in all the right places. Her hips were rounded, her calves smooth. Even her feet tempted him. He could see the pink toenails and wanted to massage them until she started to quiver in his hands. He groaned. “G –“ “Yeah, I’ll catch the light,” she interrupted, opting for the safest choice of words. She flipped the light and they were plunged into what felt like immediate darkness. With the still almost-full moon though, he could see the outline of her body through the material and actually thought that was worse. The moonlight wreaked havoc on his senses, casting her in shadows and light until she seemed like a fantasy come to life. And he supposed she was. His fantasy come to life. She was smart and playful, but had this softer side that made him ache to protect her. To destroy her demons and carry her away with him to somewhere safe. He’d never felt that kind of attraction that leaned so far towards obsessive. He was more than jealous of the other guys in her life. He wanted to eliminate the threat, to possess her so fully that every breath of her smelled of him, every touch of her skin erases the touches that had been there before. They must’ve stood there for a few minutes, just looking at each other, and aching. He had no idea how affected she was but even if it was only a part of what he was feeling, it was intense. He decided to ignore it. They both climbed into bed. He set his alarm clock for work the next morning, knowing that she liked to get up early to get her run in before she started work as well. They both attempted and feigned sleep over the course of the next hour. Gianna seemed to be more successful at it than Carson, who tossed and turned until she finally had to say something. “Geez, Carson. If you’re going to be like that all night and keep me up, I’m going to sleep on the floor!” With a tortured groan, he flipped to face her. “Keep talking, G. See what happens.” She stayed quiet for a second. And then, as if she couldn’t hold it back any longer, she said, “You seemed comfortable enough last night.” “That’s it,” he muttered. His hand grabbed her behind her neck. His other hand grasped her hip and he pulled her body flush against his until he knew she could feel his hardness. He took in her shocked gaze and was thankful that at least she hadn’t pushed him away and screamed. He hesitated only for an instant before he pressed his lips against hers. Gianna felt the pressure of his lips and nearly groaned with the sweet sensuality of his mouth on hers. They fit together perfectly, like they were made for each other. The curves of her body melted to the molten steel of his. It was clear he had expected her to shove him away, or to reject him. Instead, she felt the urge to attack him in return. She parried his thrusts, and even went to so far as to bite his lip in an urge to get him to lose control. It worked. What had been a passionate kiss cranked up to downright incendiary. She felt his hands roam over her body and hers rubbed over his shoulders and back. When she reached his abdomen, she felt the muscles contract and hold. Clearly he was in no more control than she was. She hooked one leg over top of his and in a move her yoga instructor would applaud, she nimbly flipped him over until she lay overtop of his hard body. “Gianna, we shouldn’t—“ Carson tried to object, falling silent when her tongue stroked the inside of his lip. His fingers shoved into her loose hair, pulling hard until her neck was exposed to his seeking mouth. She gasped when she felt his tongue trace an intricate pattern against the soft sink there. He bit down gently on the sensitive crevice between her neck and her shoulder. Her fingers grasped the rigid muscles of his back in a desperate attempt to gain sanity. “Carson, we need to st—“ Her choked words died when his mouth latched onto her lace-and-mesh covered nipple. He sucked hard, until she moaned. When his teeth grazed the hardened bud, she bit down on the side of his neck. Trying to slow down what felt like the gravitational pull of their bodies to one another, she pressed against his shoulders and raised up, moving her breast away from his seeking mouth. However, Carson didn’t play ball. Instead he pushed her up even higher and placed his mouth on the skin that had been exposed from the risen nightie. He trailed his mouth down to the line of her panties. Her hands rose up to grip the headboard in an attempt to keep grounded to the earth. His tongue licked a path just under the panty lines. He groaned when he encountered nothing but smooth skin. He hooked his thumbs on the elastic band and dragged it down until her full womanhood was exposed. She shivered as the cool air touched her heated flesh. His tongue moved lower until it caressed the heart of her. She whimpered at his soft attack. He suckled her until her thighs started to quiver around him. He let one finger search inside her, felt her clenching around it in preparation. When she let out a scream and started to shake, he latched onto her and sucked every bit of moisture from her. Minutes later, she collapsed on top of him. When he made a move to caress her hair, she flipped him back over on top of her. It was his turn to groan as his cock landed against her warmth. “G, this isn’t funny. I’m dying over here,” he pleaded. If he could just distance himself, he could preserve what little sanity he had left. Instead, she caught her fingers in his hair and brought him down to her waiting mouth. She placed kisses on the corners of his mouth, and then dragged her tongue across his top lip. He gave in, giving back whatever she gave to him. Soon, he was harder than he’d ever been, and he couldn’t stop gyrating against her body. Each time to tip of him grazed her heat, she quivered. Drugged in her sweet scent and the scent of her attraction to him, he knew that he was too far gone to back down now. He hooked her panties around his thumb and pushed inside of her. They both moaned as he thrust in again and again until he sank deep against her womb. He remained still, his chest heaving. When her mouth started to trail seductive patterns against his salty skin, he lost all control. He began a demanding rhythm of thrusts that had her calling his name and begging for release. When he felt her body start to squeeze around him, milking him, he could no longer hold back. He thrust one more, deep inside her and then pulled out to spill against her heated thigh. His groan reverberated around the room, tortured and passioned. Finished, he sank against her, exhausted. His last thought was that things could never be the same. This time, Gianna woke first. They were still tangled in each other’s arms. This time though, she fought the urge to pull away in embarrassment. After last night, it was clear that it was more than just passing attraction with Carson. Sure, he was a beautiful man, but he was so much more to her. He tried to protect her, to keep her to himself. And there was some part of her that actually admired the fact that he had tried to resist for so long. When she moved against him, he slowly awakened. Every part of him awakened. “Morning,” he grumbled, his voice thick with sleep. “Hey,” she responded softly. Not wanting to break the bubble that surrounded them quite yet, she rested her cheek against his. She felt his thumb trace a pattern on her hair and couldn’t stop a satisfied sigh from leaking out. “You know we can’t do this again,” he said, ruining the moment. She stiffened. Yes, she had known. But she’d been trying not to think of that. “Yeah, I got that. Right in between all the moaning and screaming,” she retorted, offended. “G—“ “And don’t call me that. You don’t deserve to call me that,” she said angrily. She wished she could call back the spiteful words, but what else was a woman to do when the man that had just hours before rocked her world, rocked her whole universe was now trying to apologize and back away. “I know. And I’m sorry, Gianna. I shouldn’t have started that. We had a good thing going.” “We didn’t have a thing. We just ignored each other. So let’s just go back to that. Starting now.” He stayed silent, leaning back against the headboard until she took two steps closer to the door and made a move to leave. “You know we have to. What did you think would happen?” Without a response, she headed back to her room. They both sighed in agitation from opposite corners of the house. That night, they ate dinner in silence. Gianna had attempted to stay away for the rest of the day, but one of her friends had bailed because of strep throat and she hadn’t wanted to drink for fear that he’d need to ‘help’ her by sleeping with her again. And then apologizing profusely and trying to take back what they had. “Did your mom call you?” He asked, out of the blue. “A few hours ago. Why?” “Just wondering. I talked to my dad too. He sounded kind of…agitated. Was just wondering if there was something going on.” She thought about the conversation her mother and her had earlier. She could see where he would feel that way. Her mom had seemed a little more on edge than usual. Then she just shrugged. “Maybe it’s just lack of sleep, or seasickness, or something. It could be a million different things.” “Yeah, could be,” he agreed, but something about the way he said it made her think that he wasn’t really agreeing. Maybe something was going on with their parents. Marriage was hard. Maybe something about the vacation had started to separate them. “I’m going upstairs. You can have the living room alone for a while,” she offered. They had tried to keep to separate quarters during their time together. She didn’t even wait for his response, just headed upstairs. An hour later, she walked into the bathroom wearing just a towel and carrying her night clothes. She had walked halfway into the large space before she realized the shower was running. And that Carson was in the shower. And he was naked behind the frosted glass. “Jesus Chris, lock the door will you!” She tried to act affronted, but really she was instantly aroused knowing that only a thin glass wall separated his nakedness from hers. The shower knob turned until it was only a trickle of water. The glass bypass doors slid open, revealing his water sluiced chest and just the barest hint of his crotch. “You’re the one that walked in, knowing the shower was on, baby.” She snorted. “I have no urge to see you naked ever again, Carson. Get over yourself.” “Oh really? Well then. Be my guest.” He slid the shower doors open fully, revealing both his attractive naked body and the expansive shower. She tried to keep her eyes above the waist, but they kept dropping to his clearly aroused manhood. “Is this some kind of test? I can resist you, you know. You’re not a god.” At least, she didn’t think he was. But sometimes… He laughed. “Well, come on then.” He motioned inside the shower. Would she really be so bold? Here he had just been talking about living separate lives and not repeating what had happened earlier. This would be her chance to show him that she wasn’t as affected by him as he seemed to think she was. She dropped the towel in a sudden urge to prove him wrong. His eyes dropped instantly to her unclothed body. What had been clear arousal now turned to flagrant excitement. She didn’t think there was any blood left in his body that wasn’t pooled in his groin. He spun suddenly facing the showerhead he had been using. She admired his buttocks for a moment in peace, and then climbed into the shower on the opposite side. She cranked the handle and waited for the blessedly hot water to course over her. Carson knew this was a bad idea. And yet he made no moves to stop it. Who was he to stop a sexy woman from climbing in his shower? Never mind that it was still his stepsister. At this point, even those his words had said they couldn’t repeat this, his body begged for an encore. He would do anything to feel her body up against his. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, soaping up her long hair until it hung in sodden waves down her back. She rubbed the soap from her neck, over her shoulders and down her arms. He turned fully, giving up the pretense that he was even thinking about showering alone. He watched her, noting the special care she took in cleansing her breasts. When she tweaked her own nipples, he knew that she was putting on a show just for him. He abandoned his side of the shower to take the soap from her hands. He rubbed every part of her body, including rubbing himself against her. The crevice of her rear end proved to be of excellent height to bury himself in. She placed her hands on the tiled shower wall, and he took the invitation to fondle her wetness. She was quivering in a matter of minutes and he slid himself inside of her as she moaned her release. He waited until she had settled and then started to thrust. Surprisingly, she turned towards him, forcing him to withdraw. She reached up and planting a wet kiss against his mouth. Just as he tried to return it, she started to drop down his body. First, planting kisses against his neck, then dragging her mouth from one nipple to the next. When her tongue licked a path down the ridges of his abdominal muscles, he started to quake with the anticipation. He felt her hands grip his thighs, felt him widen his own stance as she dropped to her knees on the tiled floor. He closed his eyes when he felt the first suck of her mouth on his head. He was instantly her prisoner, to suck and pleasure until he begged for release. When she made it clear that she would not allow him to empty himself anywhere else, he gave a hoarse shout and spent himself in her mouth. His legs shaking, he swung her up into his arms and stepped out of the shower. They barely made it to the bed before he was reciprocating her sweet punishment. Hours later, Carson asked the question he had wanted to know the answer to for weeks now. “Why did you leave the bar that night?” She lifted up onto one elbow and twirled her fingertips on his chest in a nameless pattern. “I had to.” “Why? Why wouldn’t you have come back? I waited for you all night.” She tried to ignore the flutter of pleasure that his words brought to her. She had always wondered if he had, indeed, returned to the bar. If he had looked for her, wished her there. “My friend needed me.” “G, I needed you to. Some part of me thinks this all would’ve been different had you come back,” he admitted. “Our parents probably wouldn’t have married had they known our feelings toward each other.” “Pish, we didn’t have feelings that quick.” He waited for a moment, and then asked quietly,” We didn’t?” Her eyes scored his face for a trace of sarcasm or teasing. “It’s impossible. We’d known each other for barely half an hour before you had to leave.” “And what if I hadn’t have left,” he asked. “Then would we have had feelings?” She thought for a moment, trying to choose her words carefully. “Honestly, I don’t know. Everything happened so quick. Maybe we were just caught up in the moment. Not thinking things through. There was alcohol, and another guy one minute. And then the next, it was you.” “G, I know what would’ve happened. Without a shadow of a doubt,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers. “And so do you. This kind of connection is not the fleeting kind.” She didn’t answer. She couldn’t. “And although the sex is good….hell, it’s great…” squeezing her butt, “you and I both know that’s not all this is.” At this point, she had to speak up. Had to burst the bubble that had covered them through this little vacation while their parents were gone. “Carson, nothing can come of this. We’re stepbrother and stepsister. There’s nothing we can do. You know that. Don’t make me be the bad guy here.” He stayed silent. She knew this was not news to him, but it wasn’t the greatest conversation to have. “G, I—“ She broke off whatever he had been trying to say. Talking about their feelings didn’t change anything. They were still related, even if it wasn’t through blood. “How come you call me G?” He looked embarrassed and she relished in his discomfort. It was rare, this sensitive side of his. “It’s what I call you to my friends. I didn’t want them to know your name in case some night you were out and they recognized you.” She laughed. “Because you were embarrassed of me?” He responded quietly, and with no humor. “No, because I was practically in love with you, even then. I spent hours talking you up before I realized we were never going to meet again. I knew that some of my ‘friends’ if they ever met you in a bar would recognize your name and wouldn’t let you slip away.” She stayed silent. This was a part of Carson she hadn’t seen before. He seemed so vulnerable. She waited for him to continue, and he did. “Gianna’s not exactly a common name. I wanted you for my own. I didn’t want to share you with another guy, or have to fight for you.” She pushed away the shock of hair that had fallen into his eyes. “Carson, you wouldn’t have had to fight for me. I was crazy about you too, even from the first time I saw you.” They both got caught up in the what could have beens and the should have beens for a moment, neither speaking. Carson glanced at the clock. “We should head to bed. You have work in the morning.” “So do you,” she reminded him, snuggling in deeper into his bed, and his arms. They grew into a pattern that was addictive and definitely not healthy. It was almost as if they were in a normal relationship. They each went to work in the morning, came home. Talked about their day, and then watched a movie or just talked until it was time to sleep. The sex was awesome, the conversation even better. Gianna learned things about him she had never imagined. She learned about his fears and his scars, his triumphs and accomplishments. She shared things with him that she had never told anyone. He promised to protect her against the things that gave her quivers and she promised to keep him grounded and sane. Seven days later, their parents sent them identical texts saying that they would be returning the next morning. With one last night left of freedom and to end this ‘relationship’, they spent the night in each other’s arms. They made love until the bright glares of the sun indicated that it would have to be the last time. With a groan and a sigh, they pulled away from each other and went to their respective bedrooms. He straightened up his things and washed his sheets. Anything to get rid of the evidence of their short term love affair before their parents returned. He wasn’t sure he could wipe away the thought of her, the smell of her, as easily as a pair of clean sheets. Every time he laid his head down on the pillow, he would think of her. The way that she curled her toes around his in her sleep. The way she laughed whenever he touched that ticklish spot on her elbow with his tongue. The way she cried at the silliest of kid’s movies. Their parents came in on a whirlwind of tropical gifts and Hawaiian shirts, but he could tell that both Gianna and himself questioned their moods. They both seemed outrageously happy on the outside, but they refused to look at each other. Again, he wondered what had happened on that cruise. It took two weeks before they found out the truth. On board the ship, Carson’s father had taken to another passenger, while Gianna’s mother had found solace with the captain. They had both spent almost the entire trip apart, interested in their new relationships. Apparently whatever fondness they had before they went on vacation had paled in comparison to the affairs that had been offered once aboard the ship. In the end, they had both agreed that divorce was the only option. Neither wanted to live a lie, and especially because their children were involved, they decided that splitting up was best for every party. Carson listened to the decision, and the speech that accompanied it, and tried not to look at Gianna. He hoped that she understood what this meant. They would no longer be related. Although they had never been blood related, they would no longer be living in the same house, under the same roof, with the same parents. Everything had changed over the course of a few days. But that night, when he visited Gianna while their parents were out with the respective attorneys, she wouldn’t speak with him. “Gianna, will you just talk to me?” “There’s nothing to talk about. Nothing has changed, Carson.” She continued to fold up her clothes. Although the divorce meant that Carson would obviously be moving out, Gianna had decided to still move in with some friends for the duration of her internship. “What are you thinking? Of course everything has changed.” She waited a few moments before responding, folding up the sweater she had been working on. “Carson, this would never work, and you know it. It was only the chase that interested you. The forbidden.” He laughed a humorless laugh. “Then what possibly reason did I have for being interested in you when we first met? That was before it was…forbidden.” She lifted a shoulder in a mock shrug. “I don’t know. I only know that this was only a farce. A brief interlude that we both knew was a terribly idea. I refused to have my emotions toyed with only to have you realize that it was only fun because it was wrong.” “G, you’re so wrong it’s almost laughable. I care for you. I think I lo—“ “Don’t!” She interrupted, whirling around on him. “Don’t even say it. Don’t even think it. You’ll see that I’m right in a few weeks. You forgot about me the last time. You can do it again.” He stared at her, astonished. “I never forgot about you. I looked! I waited at the bar! I came back night after night!” She looked curiously at him. “You did?” “Of course I did,” he exploded. He waited for her response, but she just turned back to packing. Frustrated, he stomped out. Women, he cursed Gianna heard him walk away, understood his anger. He had to understand that this was more than just a fling for her. She never in a million years would’ve ever thought she could be interested in her stepbrother. But it was different with Carson. He made her laugh, and cry, and love. Her mind stuttered around the word. Yes. Love. The word she could not have bared him to say. Not until she knew for sure that it was her, and not the sham of the relationship they had created while their parents were on vacation. Two months, she reminded herself. If he came for her in two months, she would know that he cared for her without any pretense of being siblings. That meant she will have been moved out for eight weeks, and their parents will have been divorced for a month. That was enough time, she hoped, to find out if what they had was real. Three months later Gianna placed her headphones in her ears, tied her sneakers, and headed out the front door. She called back into her roommates that she was going for her run, and jogged out the door down the front steps. Stopping to tie her shoe on the front stoop concrete, she gave her hamstring an extra stretch. When she turned around, Carson was standing there. She dropped her IPod, which luckily landed in the bark edging instead of shattering on the concrete. Her headphones hung there awkwardly unless she pulled them hastily from her ears. “What are you doing here?” She tried to make her voice sound demanding, but instead it just came out as shocked as she felt. “You know what I’m doing here, G. It’s been three months.” “Yeah, I know how long it’s been. But Carson, what are you doing here?” For the first time, he seemed to hesitate. Then he stepped closer until their bodies were only a foot apart. He reached out and cupped her face. She had no choice but to tip her head back and stare into the eyes she had fallen for so many months ago. “I love you. I don’t know how it happened, and I sure as hell don’t know why. All I know is that my life is empty without you.” He added teasingly, “and my bed.” She started to protest, but he interrupted. “The divorce is final. We’re not related, we never were.” When she didn’t respond right away, he started to shift uncomfortably. “Look, if I read into this too much, or if you’re not interested, then—“ She interrupted him by throwing herself in his arms. He didn’t move for a moment, stunned. Then his arms crushed around her until she felt like they were one body. When the world stopped spinning, Gianna looked at him with just a hint of shine in her eyes. Family truly was a beautiful thing.