Page 134 of Stepbrothers

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her friends gulping at their drinks and watching the exchange.

“You see.” He leaned forward and looped a strand of hair behind her ear. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, you’ve ruined me for all other women.”

“Fucking hell,” Wendy said. “What kind of line is that?”

“It’s the truth.” Trig didn’t take his attention from Clarice. “The absolute truth.”

He was so close she could see every fleck of brown in his irises, feel his warm, beer-laced breath, and see every dot of stubble on his top lip.

“I’ve been in here night after night,” he went on, “hoping to see you, to find you and tell you how I feel.” He paused, and his lips twitched; he was holding in a grin.

“Is that so?” Clarice said. “And how do you feel? Other than being ruined.”

He took hold of her hand and pressed it to his chest. “I feel like my heart will burst right out of my chest if I don’t kiss you. That I won’t be able to breathe if you walk out now, leave like you did that morning.” He came closer. “Can I kiss you?”

Her heart was pounding. “Yes.”

His lips were on hers. A thrill went through her as their tongues stroked together.

When he pulled back, he cupped her face. “I want you again tonight, and tomorrow night, and the night after that. I want us to be more than a one-night stand.”

She didn’t answer.

“Say you’ll be mine,” he whispered against her lips.

“I’m yours.”

He kissed her again, and when it broke, both Sharon and Wendy had stood and were shucking on jackets.

“Where are you going?” Clarice asked.

“We’ll leave you to it,” Wendy said, then cupped her hand around her mouth, shielding her lips from Trig. “He’s a catch. Don’t want to cramp your style.”

“Yeah, have fun.” Sharon waggled a finger between Clarice and Trig. “And play safe, right.” Her attention settled on Trig. “We could ID you in a lineup.”

“Good to know,” he said, “But I can assure you, Clarice is very safe with me.”

Her friends giggled and waved and disappeared.

“What the hell are you doing, Trig?”

“Getting you out of a tricky spot.”

“I was handling it just fine.”

“I’m sure you were, but now you’ll never have to worry about defending your relationship with Hugh and Parker to them, because to their knowledge you have a boyfriend now.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

“And I appreciate you.” He slipped his hand around her waist. “Every damn guy in here is jealous that you’re mine. That you’re ours. And it’s gonna stay that way…for as long as you’ll have us.”

“I’ll always want you.” Her heart squeezed. “You’ve ruined me for all other men, too.”

“You mean all three of us have ruined you for all other men.”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

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