Page 28 of Her Stepbrother Master
“Stomp your foot again and you’ll go back over my knee,” he growled in her ear.
She shivered against him.
A knock at the door make them spring apart, and he had to adjust his pants to hide his erection. Pulling the door open, he groaned inwardly. Dottie again. The girl could not take a hint.
She pressed a plate of cookies into his hands and attempted to push her way past him. This time, he stepped aside, so she could see he had company.
“Oh,” she stopped short when she saw LuAnn.
LuAnn gave her a tight smile. “Hello.”
“Dottie, this is my...stepsister LuAnn. She’s staying with me for a few weeks while she finishes up her studies at Sarah Wharton. So you can see, this really isn’t a good time.”
Dottie’s eyes swept around the room, taking in the dinner preparations and the beautifully set table, complete with a candle in the middle. Her brow furrowed. “Stepsister?”
“Yes, my stepsister. Like I said, she’s staying here with me and she’s just fixing supper. Thank you for the cookies, though.”
Dottie’s face clouded with confusion. “Oh...okay. Well, I’ll see you in a few weeks, then?”
“I’m not sure.” He didn’t want to commit, but also didn’t want any drama if he broke things off permanently right there. Her lips pursed, but he was already escorting her to the door. “Thanks again for the cookies. I’ll see you around.” He hustled her out.
When he turned back, LuAnn had made herself busy in the kitchen, scrubbing down counters that already appeared clean. She fiddled with the knob on the oven, then returned to scrubbing some more.
“How long until supper’s ready? Judging by the smell, it must be close.”
“Oh, actually, it’s going to be a while longer.” She sniffed and turned back to the counter, still wiping things down.
He retreated, changing into more comfortable clothes, then settled on the sofa to read the newspaper. After a half an hour, he smelled something burning. “Are you sure that chicken isn’t done? It smells ready to me.” He headed for the oven.
She blocked him, stepping in front of it and folding her arms across her chest and lifting her chin. “Nope. Not ready.”
He narrowed his eyes. Leaning to the right, he looked at the dial on the oven. She’d cranked it all the way to the hottest setting. Grabbing her by the waist, he picked her up and moved her away from the oven, throwing open the door on the smoking chicken.
“What in the hell has come over you, young lady?” he demanded, grabbing a pair of hot mitts and yanking the food out to set it on top of the stove.
Her jaw thrust forward at a stubborn angle and she shrugged.
“You burned our dinner on purpose, didn’t you?”
Her lips tightened.
He folded his own arms across his chest, mimicking her body language. “What is this about? Dottie? Because she is nothing to me.”
“Right, and I’m just your stepsister.”
Ah. Now, he understood. He reached for her, but she darted out of the way, her lower lip trembling. “Am I still just mouse, your gangly kid sister to you?” Tears began to spill down her cheeks. “Because I’ll have you know, I’m a full-grown woman now. I’m old enough to marry, and do...the things married people do. And you just keep treating me like a baby.”
He advanced slowly, and this time, she let him touch her. Picking her up, he sat her on the kitchen counter and cupped her face.
“Baby girl, I only said that to Dottie to save your reputation. How would it look to have an unmarried woman living with me? It would be a scandal. You know that. Believe me, I wanted to get rid of Dottie as quickly as possible, and if I could’ve told her you’re my girl, I would have.” He stroked her hair back from her face. “Mouse, the feelings I have for you are not even remotely brotherly. I know I’ve been treating you like a little girl, but it’s not because I don’t know you’re a full grown woman. It’s because it turns me on to play daddy to you. I like thinking of your entire body belonging to me. Mine to take care of, mine to pleasure. Mine to punish.” He nudged her chin until she looked at him. “I thought maybe you liked it too?”
She flushed and lowered her eyes. “Yes,” she whispered. “I like it. Very much.”
“But?”
“But what about Dottie?” she asked.
“It’s over with Dottie. I promise you.”
