Page 25 of Stepbrother Obsessed

Kristie stares at me.

“But how did he know I was being auctioned?”

I shake my head, my gaze serious.

“Again, I don’t know, but Steve was a successful surgeon before he retired, and rich men always have a way. Maybe it was through word of mouth, or maybe he was recruited to the club. I don’t know, and I don’t think we’ll ever know. But in his will, Steve said it was his dying wish for us to be reunited as a family. In wealth, health, and romance.”

Kristie shoots me a skeptical look.

“Really? Your father put that in his will?” she asks.

“Okay, maybe not in those words exactly, but you understand what I’m saying,” I say in a rough voice. Now, the pedal’s met the metal, and I feel like I need Kristie to understand how much she means to me. How much I adore this woman, and how we’ve gone astray over the years due to unfortunate circumstances, as well as random chance and my own blindness. If only I could have been the better man, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. It I hadn’t been so fucking impatient and determined to bend her to my will, then maybe we could have been a family that much sooner.

“So what are you saying?” my stepsister asks, her pretty features pulled into a confused expression. “I don’t understand, Nick.”

I look her full in the eyes.

“What I mean is that we’re meant to be together as a family,” I say in a rough voice. “You, me, and Riley. There’s been enough misunderstanding over the years to overflow a fucking landfill, and I’ve had enough. Iwantus to be a family.”

But Kristie’s not sold.

“Because of your dad?” she asks in a skeptical tone. “Steve’s passing made you realize this?”

“Yes, and because I’ve been thinking of you, and us, non-stop for years now,” I rasp in a harsh tone. “You’re in my blood, Kristie. I’ve been fucking blind, and I wish I could change the past. Hell, I’ve been a fucking idiot for years, and I wish I could turn back the clock, but I can’t. So I’m asking you now, Kris: will you let me be a father to Riley? A lover to you? A husband even?”

The beautiful blonde stares at me, her mouth dropping open.

“What?”

I let out a harsh laugh.

“Okay, that’s not the reply that most men hope to get in response to a proposal. But I mean it, Kris. I’m in love with you, and I have been for years now. Since you were a teen, and I saw you at that party when you were still underage. Something shifted in the air, and it’s been years since that party, but I’ve never stopped loving you. In fact, I think love would be an understatement.Obsessedwould be a better descriptor.”

“You’re obsessed with me,” Kristie says in a trembling voice, her cheeks flushed and eyes suspiciously shiny. “And you have been since I was seventeen.”

“Yes,” I acknowledge. “I regret the past, and unfortunately, I can’t go back and change things. But what Icando is to makeamends, and the best way for me to do that is to take you as my wife. I want you by my side, Kris. I want us to spend our days and nights together, with our son loved by both parents. I want more children too,” I add in a rough tone. “If you’re on board, of course.”

Her lips tremble, that pout rosy and lush.

“I’m not sure about all this,” she says in a teary voice. “This is coming so fast and I haven’t had time to think. I thought we were just going to discuss a co-parenting arrangement for Riley—”

I take her hand in my own.

“I know,” I say in a low voice. “And we can stick to that for now if you want, because I know I’ve turned the tables abruptly. But I also want you to know that I love you, Kristie Linwood, and I’ve loved you almost since the moment you stepped foot in our house. Maybe not as a lover then, but certainly as a brother, and your happiness is of the utmost importance to me. You make me want to be a better man,” I say in a rough voice. “I love you and appreciate that about you, sweetheart, and please, just say you’ll consider my words.”

The blonde goddess stares at me, lips trembling, and to my consternation, a tear slips free and slides down her cheek.

“Sweetheart, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” I say in a low voice, squeezing her hand again. “That wasn’t my intention.”

I don’t know what to do next. I want nothing more than to pull Kristie into my arms before pressing tender kisses to that delectable mouth, but I’m paralyzed because so much has gone wrong between us in the past. There are so many times that we could have fixed things, but instead, we’ve spent years in no-contact, low-contact, or just plain hating each other. What do Ido next? It’s a strange position for an alpha male to be in, but that’s what the beautiful blonde does to me. Kristie makes my heart pound as my stomach churns, and I literally feel like I might vomit waiting to hear her reply.

But my worst fears fail to materialize because instead of jerking away and spitting in my face, my stepsister does the opposite. She throws herself into my arms, burying her face against my chest before bursting into tears.

“I love you too, Nick,” she sobs. “I have for years and years, and I’ve never loved anyone but you. You’ve always been my obsession too, and I’ve never been able to forget you despite what I told myself. Now, we have a child, and yes, we should figure out how to be a family for Riley.”

My heart soars with joy, and to my surprise, tears spring to my eyes as I press a kiss to her blonde head.

“Thank you, baby,” I rasp. “That’s all I need to hear right now. You’ve made me so happy, and I’m glad we’re on the same page. You are more than I deserve, sweetheart, and I love you and appreciate you.”

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