Page 29 of Stepbrothers

“Oh, I see.” Jenny giggled. “How wonderful. I love surprises.” She half drained her flute. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to dance with my husband again.” She held up her hand and caught Benjamin’s attention.

He beckoned her onto the dance floor.

Clarice leaned closer to Parker. “I told you we’d be missed.”

“You’d have been missed if you’d gone with Wayne, too.” He half shrugged, the gesture maddeningly nonchalant.

She frowned. “Wayne wouldn’t have made my ass sting. It still hurts now.”

“So it should.” He moved closer, dipped his head so his mouth was beside her ear. “Wayne wouldn’t have fucked you like I did either, good and proper. Made you come that hard, that fast.”

She clenched her jaw. They’d been reckless to give in to raging lust while family and friends were just downstairs.

“You know what I’m saying is true,” he said, touching her forearm with the tip of his index finger. “I hit every spot and satisfied a very real need in you. I could tell. It’s not the sort of thing a woman can hide.”

“You can’t say stuff like that.” She glanced around. “Someone might hear.”

“The only person standing close enough is…” His line of sight drifted to her right shoulder. “Hugh, and I’m sure he’s dying to hear all about how you squealed and wriggled when I tipped you over my lap for a well-deserved spanking. How your pale bottom turned a delightful shade of puce after my palm had finished with it.”

Clarice gasped and turned around. Sure enough, Hugh was standing right there, drink in hand, one eyebrow lifted as though he was indeed curious.

“Bloody hell,” she muttered. She was beginning to feel stalked.

“And I’m sure he’ll be interested to know,” Parker went on, “that you’re thoroughly satisfied, sexually, that is, so he won’t need to worry about you dashing off with Wayne tonight.”

A flush grew on her chest. “I am not dashing off with anyone.” She set down her flute. It was empty. “I have a call to make.”

“Who to?” Hugh asked.

“My friend, Wendy, if you must know. I told my mother I’d spoken to her, to cover up for where I’d been, so I’d better go and do that.” Plus, she did want to speak to Wendy. Perhaps she’d be able to reassure her the world still existed in some state of normality. Because right now, Clarice could have sworn she were living in another dimension. Sexy stepbrothers who wanted to discipline her and satisfy her. Follow her around. Drive away other men. Her life was crazy, or she was. It was the only explanation.

Chapter Seven

Three days later, Clarice mooched into her flat with a bag of groceries. As usual, her feet ached, and she had a dull thudding headache. But she also had a feeling of satisfaction. She’d had a quiet hour in the afternoon, Derek had gone off to a meeting at head office, and she’d managed to not only download her PGCE form but it was completed…nearly.

Seeing it there on the screen, little boxes filled, gave her a sense of not just achievement but anticipation, hope even. What if it really happened? What if her dreams of becoming a primary school teacher came true? For so long it had felt out of her grasp, but now…perhaps she could reach it after all.

She jumped through the shower and pulled on her candy cane pajamas. The fleecy material was warm, the evening was hot, but she didn’t mind, she simply opened a window then set about making a mushroom and tomato risotto.

Her phone rang. “Hey, Wendy, how are you?”

“I’m good. Sorry to miss your call the other night.”

“No worries, I was at one of my mother’s weddings.” She laughed. “Just wanted to touch base.”

“How did it go?”

“Great. Well, it should, she’s had enough practice.”

“True. Send her my congratulations, though.”

“I already have. I disappeared for a bit, told her I’d been on the phone to you. If she ever asks.”

“I rarely see her, but sure.” Wendy paused. It sounded like she was sipping from a glass of wine. “So where did you go? When you disappeared from the wedding for a bit.”

“Oh, you know…”

Wendy laughed. “Yeah, I do know you. Was he hot?”

---