Page 12 of Hot Stepbrother Daddy

Before I can backpedal or reconsider, Laurie steps into the middle of the room. With an exaggerated stretch, she raises her arms above her head. Then, to my absolute shock, she launches into a cheer with flawless precision.

“Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar! All for the team, stand up and holler!”

She claps, spins, and finishes with a toe touch that leaves me speechless. The movement is fluid, confident, and completely unexpected, and the matching crop top and bike shorts she's wearing show me all sorts of delicious skin.

When she lands, her hair falls around her shoulders like a golden halo, her cheeks flushed from the exertion. I blink, trying not to let my jaw drop. Hot as hell doesn’t even cover it. I'm so hard I could fuck through steel, and I lean forward in an attempt to hide it.

Laurie grins, clearly reveling in my stunned silence. “What’s the matter, Adam? Cat got your tongue?”

I recover quickly. “Not bad. A little rusty, but not bad.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “Fair is fair, though. Your turn, Mister choir boy.”

Damn. I walked right into that one.

“Fine,” I say, straightening up. “But don’t blame me if this blows your mind.”

Laurie perches on the edge of her bed, crossing her arms and watching. I rake a hand through my hair and rack my brain for something, anything, I can still remember. Finally, it comes to me. Clearing my throat, I launch into a shaky rendition of “Seasons of Love” from Rent.

Laurie’s face immediately splits into a grin, and by the second line, she’s laughing so hard she’s clutching her sides. I ham it up even more, throwing in dramatic gestures and a heartfelt vibrato until she’s gasping for air.

“You’re terrible!” she manages between giggles.

I stop mid-verse, pretending to be offended. “Terrible? That was Broadway-worthy!"

Laurie shakes her head. "Oh, Mister. No, it wasn't."

I laugh, sitting on the bed next to her, before I can second-guess myself. "I should have known you were an elitist.”

She's still laughing, and before I know it, so am I. But then the laughter fades, and the air shifts. I turn my head to find Laurie already looking at me, her blue eyes soft and searching. The space between us feels electric, charged with something neither of us is willing to name. Her lips are parted just slightly, and I swear I can feel the pull of them, like gravity.

Then she's moving, leaning in, scooting closer until our legs touch. This is it. I’m sure of it. She’s going to kiss me?—

But just as I start to close the distance, she pulls away abruptly, breaking the spell.

“Whew!” Laurie says, scooting away from me and running a hand through her hair. “That was…fun.”

For a second, I consider just letting her go. It's what I should do. It's the only decision I can make that will keep the distance between us. But again, Laurie and the lack of self-control I have when I'm around her make me a fool.

As she goes to stand, I grab her wrist. "Wait."

Her eyes go wide, and I almost laugh out loud. She's been pushing herself into my space for days, and now that I'm finally giving in, she's about to chicken out. My Laurie talks a big game, but freezes when she wins.

But that's okay. I can be bold enough for both of us.

"What?"

In one smooth motion, I pull her down and into my lap.

She gasps, her hands coming to rest on my shoulders for balance. She's frozen, wide-eyed, and surprised. I wonder what she's thinking, if she's considering pulling away, or if she's going to finally give in to what we both want.

"Adam—"

"Tell me you haven't been trying to get a reaction out of me for days. Come on, Laurie, tell me you haven't been waiting for me to break."

I watch as she swallows. "I, well ... yeah, I was, but..."

She's still not pulling away, she's still sitting in my lap, her hands warm and solid against my shoulders. "But what, Laurie?"

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