Page 3 of Stepbrother For Christmas

As soon as we arrive at the house, my dad asks to speak to me privately.

“So, how do you like your new stepsister?” he questions as we watch Emma slip off her shoes and begin to follow her mom into the kitchen. She looks like some fairy-tale princess from the depths of some magical place.

Christ.

“Sister…er…” I turn around to face him, carefully schooling my face so that I look unaffected by her beauty. “Um...she’s nice. And, really, what’s not to like?”

My dad’s brows knit and his eyes search my face like he’s trying to read my mind. Then suddenly his face lights up with a hopeful expression. “I have an idea!” he announces. “Can you try to spend a lot of time with Emma this holiday? I mean like get really, really close to her.”

I rub at the back of my neck. “Close to her?”

“Yes, I think that would really put Carol’s mind at ease. She wants so bad for you two to hit it off.” He sighs, somewhat wearily. “And something like that would really brighten her outlook on this transition. Plus, right now, she’s so worried about cooking Christmas dinner for ten people.”

I jerk my head back in surprise. “Ten people! I thought that it was just going to be us this weekend.”

“I’m sorry, I meant to tell you about that yesterday,” he replies quickly. “Carol invited a couple of relatives and friends over for Christmas dinner. They want to hear all about our wedding and see pictures of our trip.” He smiles briefly. “I think it will be fun to have a house full of people. What do you think?”

“I’m an introvert. I’d much rather be at home with my laptop. Staring at the computer screen for hours, until my eyes blur over.”

“Aw, come on! But then you would be missing all of the holiday fun,” he says, laughing. “But back to talking about Emma. So…what do you say, son? Do you want to be the best big brother that she’s ever had?”

I love my dad, but sometimes he’s too optimistic. “You’re joking, right?”

“No, I’m serious,” he replies, a slow smile spreading across his face. “I want you to get really, really close to Emma. Show an interest in her and go out of your way to make her feel welcome. So what do you say?”

I nod and smile back at him. I just want to make my dad happy and proud. “Okay, sure,” I say with a chipper lilt. “You got it. We’ll get really, really close.”

“Thank you, son. Oh, and one more thing. When you get a chance, please carry Emma’s suitcase upstairs,” he adds before heading into the kitchen and leaving me alone with my thoughts.

A few seconds later, Emma walks into the living room where I’m standing.

“Oh, hey! I didn’t see you there!” she says, her eyes widening. “Your house is huge.” She laughs nervously. “With all the rooms and long hallways, you can easily get lost here.”

“You’ll get used to it. The layout of the house is—” My words stop short as I take in her outfit. Right now, she’s wearing a reindeer antlers headband. It’s paired with a sexy tunic dress and leggings.

Fuck, the sight of her goes right down to my groin.

“Oh, this silly old thing.” Emma reaches up and touches her antler headpiece. “My mom joked that I have to wear a reindeer antlers headband all through Christmas—just like I did when I was a child,” she explains with a playful pout.

Unable to resist, my eyes roam over her sexy mouth and bouncy tits before meeting her gaze. “You don’t need to wear anything at all when I’m watching. I won’t tell on you.”

She holds my gaze, searching my face for clues as to how she should react. Then a mischievous grin spreads across her lips. “Nothing at all, huh?”

“Nope,” I answer, instantly regretting it.

I know that my dad wants me to get close to Emma, but that’s what I should be trying to avoid.

CHAPTER 2

Emma

“Deck the halls with strands of GARLIC! Fa la la la la, la la la la…” Jim belts out his own version of the Christmas classic.

“Oh, come on, Dad!” Chase says, grinning from ear to ear. “Sing it right or don’t sing it at all.”

I can’t stop laughing. These two guys are so funny together.

Jim’s eyes widen playfully. “What? Is that not how it goes?”

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