Redeemed Complete: A Military Stepbrother Romance (36 page)

It was quite the workout - if we kept up doing this regularly, I’d lose all the excess weight I’d been trying desperately to lose these last couple months in no time flat. I could go on the road and sell a new book, the all-sex diet. All you had to do was seduce/let your stepbrother seduce you and keep finding more and more scary situations in which to have sex in, and just watch the pounds melt right off!

I was gonna be rich.

Harrison kept pounding me like that, and I loved the way he gently but firmly played with my boobs through my dress. I wished we had the time to get undressed so he could touch them for real, but we should probably wait till we got home for that.

Harrison had the same idea. He pulled all the way out of me, and I immediately felt a sense of loss that he wasn’t sticking his cock right back into me. I turned over my shoulder to see if there was any problem, but Harrison just looked at me and didn’t say anything. He shook his head and bent down, lifting up my panties from around my ankles and putting them back into place, still quiet.

He must have heard Steve and his friends come back. Best not to test out my theory that men would applaud seeing another man fuck a pretty girl, no matter that they’d recently been ready to fight each other.

I figured we’d go home and resume there. Maybe in Harrison’s bed this time? The taboo of having sex in Harrison’s bed turned me on even more than the notion of doing it in abandoned buildings, and I couldn’t believe how much I’d enjoyed sex in an abandoned building.

Evidently Harrison had a different idea, and when he was sure the coast was clear, he pushed me away, a little more rougher than I would have liked. I shot him a questioning look, rubbing my arm.

Harrison kept focused on the doorway, like he was sure Steve and his friends would be back any minute now, but soon even he relaxed and let out a long breath before turning back to me.

“What’s the big idea?”

Harrison closed his eyes and sighed before opening them again. “I’m sorry, Laurel.”

The way he spoke those words right then and there made my heart sink to the bottom of my chest immediately. “What do you mean?” Please, please, please let me get what I want this time. Harrison, don’t do what I think you’re going to do.

Harrison did exactly what I thought he was going to do. “This is all a mistake.”

I didn’t know how to respond - all of a sudden, just when we got done at the restaurant, and he said he would try to be better. All of the great ideas about us spending time together, getting to know each other, falling in love with one another - all those ideas started to crumble to dust all over again right then and there.

And in a way, I realized at that moment that they were built from dust in the first place. I had gotten ahead of myself again, and Harrison was just seeing in advance the problems that would undoubtedly arise between us.

“What’re you saying?”

“I’m saying we’ll never be able to be ourselves around each other. This just can’t work.”

“You seemed to be OK with it just a few minutes ago, both in the restaurant and when we just had sex. What changed?”

“Nothing changed, I just realized the truth. I am always on guard around you. And I always seem to get in trouble when you’re around, and get angry, and start fights.”

I looked at him coldly. “You didn’t start that fight just now, Harrison. Steve and his friends did. You didn’t engage them. We ran away. That was different. The old you would have fought.”

Harrison shook his head vigorously. “That’s just the thing you don’t understand, Laurel.” His eyes gleamed in the dark light of the room. “I wanted to fight back. I wanted to hurt them for the things they said about you, and about me. I wanted to make them pay.”

“But you didn’t! You didn’t do any of those things!” I wanted to make him see that he was different now, that he didn’t have to run away from his anger issues, and most importantly, that he didn’t have to run away from me.

“I wanted to. And that’s enough for me. This thing between us, it was never going to work.” He turned away from me, as if unable to watch me crumble into the very dust my dreams were starting to become, before turning back. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

I put my hand on Harrison’s shoulder, tentatively, not wanting to get him riled up, still crushed by how quickly he’d built us up and then torn his down all over again, dashed us upon the rocks of never-gonna-happen.

“Where are you gonna go?”

“I need some time to think.”

Without any other words we went home. Steve and his friends didn’t find us, but at this point, the damage was beyond done. In the space of one night I’d both gotten Harrison back and lost him again.

Shit.

Chapter 24 - The Beginning

Another few days passed, and I tried to busy myself without Harrison in my life yet again. This time it was a little easier, because our parents big anniversary party loomed on the near horizon. For some reason, they had decided that an eight year anniversary was a great reason to celebrate, And they had invited almost everyone in town that they knew. Which, given how small Summit Ville was, was almost everyone.

Of course, I didn’t want to go, not with the way things between Harrison and I were, but not going wasn’t really an option for me. Luckily, I didn’t have to do much of the planning, as our parent had gone all out and hired a party coordinator and planner. I didn’t know there was a difference between coordinator and planner, but they were two different people, so clearly there was.

I spent most of my time in the hospital with Maggie. The baby was doing fine, but given the complications of the birth, the doctors had recommended that she spend a couple more days in the hospital. Maggie was thrilled for the company, because after a while, family got a little tiring. She spent as much time as she could video chatting with Chris overseas, and I could feel his love for his new son through the screen from thousands of miles away.

It really was wonderful to see, and it made me long for a child of my own. Of course, before that I need to have a man of my own. In my highest moments of the last week or so I had allowed myself the opportunity to think of Harrison as that man, but I couldn’t do that any longer.

It just wasn’t going to work out between us. Maybe if our parents had never gotten together, then we might of had a chance, but that was all in the past now.

Our parents’ wedding anniversary party came up faster than I thought it would, and in the days leading up to it I thought about their marriage more than once. It was the second time around for both of them, but they made it work. I started to wonder, watching them, that maybe that was what to look for rather than the passion and heart racing that popular culture had sought me to seek out. Maybe finding someone you could laugh with, someone you could be comfortable around, was the right way to go.

Harrison kept mostly out of sight, and when I could see him, we didn’t interact. He stayed doing his own thing and I stayed doing mine. At first it stuck knives in my heart to see him, his gorgeous face atop his sexy body, but not for me anymore. He looked tired and sad, but didn’t say anything even when our parents pressed him. They figured it was something to do with the season and left him mostly alone. Thankfully neither of us were involved in planning this party. Our parents had not left something so important to either of us.

On the night of the party itself, I went to my room and got dressed after taking a shower. I did my makeup in the mirror and looked down at the deep blue dress I’d picked out. It hugged my curves just right for a classy yet sultry look. Our parents knew all the important people of Summitville, and they were all coming, and, my stepmother had noted, some were bringing their eligible bachelor sons.

I wasn’t particularly interested in any eligible bachelor sons not named Harrison Troy, but I couldn’t really say that part out loud, so I just smiled and nodded. Nevertheless, when it came time to pick out my outfit for the anniversary party, I ended up deciding on a dress just a little more sexy, showing just a little more cleavage and riding just a couple inches higher, than my initial plan.

Of course Harrison would see me in it. And he’d probably also wonder about my lingerie underneath. He might be pleased to know that it matched my dress perfectly, and looked stunning on me. Too bad for him he wouldn’t get to see it.

Our parents went to the party early and Harrison was nowhere to be found, so I ended up driving to the party myself. I wished Maggie was coming, but obligations with the baby had forced her to stay home. In all honesty I had half a mind to duck out of the party early and go hang out with her. I’d have way more fun that way and no one would miss me.

The party was in a giant hall, one of the biggest meeting spaces in Summitville, and by the time I arrived, it was in full swing. I gave my car to the valet and went inside, checking in my coat at the coat check. I didn’t know how long I’d stay, but I had to make sure my father and stepmother saw me and I said hi. They’d be a little too busy to spend too much time with me tonight, what with all their friends and close business associates around them and celebrating them. I’d put in a few minutes, say hi, give them my congratulations and then find the right time to make an exit.

Harrison arrived a few minutes after me, looking utterly gorgeous in a three piece suit that was cut and tailored to perfection. I watched the heads of all the women, clearly married and possibly single alike, turn as he entered the giant hall, some even doing a comical double take or even, in one case, the mythical triple take. He must have noticed me though I tried to avoid him, though I really wanted him to look at me and see me dressed like this. It was petty, and I knew that, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted Harrison to see what he was missing out on.

A lightbulb went off in my head and I joined the line of people gathering to greet our parents. They stood in the center of the hall, like a newly-married couple would line up. They looked so happy to be there, and when it came my turn I stepped forward and gave each of them deep and long hugs.

I hadn’t always been on board with my father getting married again, but now that I took a step back and saw how happy Ruth had made him all these years, I couldn’t help but get over my childish notions of one true romance. They may not have found each other the first time around, but they made it work each and every day and I couldn’t stand in their way.

I tried to make that clear when I talked to them, and both my father and especially my stepmother seemed to get the point. They both beamed with pride. I didn’t take up too much of their time, but told them I’d see them at the house later. They informed me that they’d gotten a suite at a hotel nearby and wouldn’t be home till tomorrow.

After I was done with speaking to our parents I went to the open bar and got myself a drink. Nothing too strong this time, not after what had happened at the Crown, but I definitely need a little alcohol to keep things lively at a stereotypically boring party as this.

“Mind if I join you?” I heard a deep and interesting voice next to me. “I’m drinking alone too, and a drink as well-made as this should not be enjoyed without company.”

I giggled at how strange that sounded, and turned to look…and came face to face with a beautiful man, older than me, with just the slightest hint of grey starting to show at his temples. He was all and strong looking and dressed immaculately.

And his smile, lord, his smile, well that could stop traffic. “Of course, please do,” I smiled back and looked down, resting my arms on the bar. He did the same, and we faced forward looking at each other in the reflection of the mirror in front of us.

We looked good together.

“My name is James,” he started, still looking at me in the mirror. We locked eyes.

“I’m Laurel.”

“Laurel,” he said, turning the name over and over, and I liked how it sounded rolling off his tongue. “I like that. You have a beautiful name, and it fits you perfectly.”

I blushed, loving the attention, and definitely catching Harrison’s look as he saw us together from the other side of the hall. I didn’t want to think about him anymore, though. I had a sexy man in front of me who clearly thought I was sexy too.

That was much better than a wicked stepbrother who couldn’t make up his mind what he wanted.

“Would you dance with me, Laurel?” I melted right there, nodding and not saying anything as we set our drinks down and James took my hand in his and led me to the dance floor off to one side. There, a DJ was playing slower music, the kind that you could get close to someone with.

James pulled me in close to him, and we danced. James knew what he was doing, and he guided me through the various moves like a virtuoso playing his favorite instrument. It was intoxicating being so close to a man who clearly knew how to handle a woman’s body so well.

We danced like that till I lost track of time, faster, then slower, and repeating. It was during one of the lulls that it happened.

We were dancing, James and I, and then Harrison appeared just off to the side of him. He coughed, and James slowed us down.

“Mind if I cut in?” Harrison said, strong but as polite as could be, following the protocol.

James looked surprised for a moment then collected himself. “But of course!” he smiled. “If that’s what the lady wants, then of course!” He looked at me, the question on his face.

“Ye-Yes, of course.” I turned to James. “That was lovely, thank you very much. I’d like to dance with my stepbrother for a bit, if that’s alright.”

“Ahh, right, the siblings. Of course, please, by all means.” He winked at me. “I’ll come and find you later, yes?”

I nodded. “That would be nice.”

James let me go and Harrison stepped into his place. I put my arms around his neck and we started dancing.

“What was that about?” I hissed at him, trying to keep the smile on my face in case anyone was listening or watching us.

“I saw you dancing with him.”

“And? I like to dance with nice, attractive men, Harrison. Call me crazy but it feels good!”