ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (31 page)

Brooke Compton smiled, and for Blaine it looked like the sun blazing at noon. 

“Did it ever occur to you that he might have been the one who attacked you?” 

Brooke gave Carleigh a patient look.  “No, because I saw that guys face.”

“Oh.”

Brooke ran a finger lazily around the rim of her mug.  “I let him kiss me.”

Carleigh swiveled from the kitchen sink, making an open mouthed horrified expression.  “Brooke!  He could have herpes!” 

Brooke crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.  “Maybe I’ll remember to remind you of such things when you bring some guy home, and I can hear your antics through the wall.” 

Carleigh snapped her mouth shut.  “That’s different.”

“How?”  Brooke laughed. 

“I
always
use a condom.”

“On your mouth too?”  Both women laughed at the same time. 

Carleigh’s shoulders still shook as she looked back at her friend.  “So…can he kiss well?”

Brooke blushed slightly and nodded.  “Yes, I’d say so.”

Carleigh sat down at the table with her friend, her face serious.  “Just be careful, ok?”

Blaine was back at Brooke’s apartment before nine the next morning.  Much to his surprise she was already up and dressed for the day. 

“‘I wasn’t sure if this was too early since you normally work nights.”

“I’m a morning person by nature.  The job with my Dad is hopefully a temporary thing.” 

Blaine shoved his hands in his jeans pockets.  “Would you like to have breakfast with me?  My treat.” 

“Yeah, that would be great.  Just let me get some shoes on.” 

Blaine didn’t want to go to IHOP again, so he took Brooke on her word that the pancake house style restaurant down the street from it was good. 

The interior was a jumbled décor of all things vintage and antique, but it was cozy and the pancakes were thick and fluffy. 

“Wow, these portions are huge!”  Blaine said as he poured blueberry syrup over his second plate of hotcakes.

Brooke looked at him amused.  “Good thing it’s all you can eat day.”

“How’s yours?” 

“Great, but I’m getting full.” 

“So tell me all about yourself, Brooke.” 

“There isn’t much to tell.”  She pushed cut up pancake around a river a syrup on her plate.  “I graduated from William and Mary last year with a degree in Global studies, but unfortunately there isn’t a huge demand for that here.  I’m still on a waiting list to try to get in the Colonial part of Williamsburg.  I guess my true passion is cooking.  I should have gone to culinary school instead.”

“You like to cook?”  Blaine smiled. 

“Yep.  I’ve been cooking since my little sister was born.  After mom number two walked out, someone had to take care of Jeanette.  My father certainly didn’t know what to do with her.”

“Where’s your Mom?”

Brooke sighed lightly, laying her fork down beside her plate.  “She died when I was too small to remember her.  My father opened
Papa’s
about the time she got sick.  Jeanette’s mother was one of his first waitress’s.”

“It didn’t work out?”

“I don’t know.  I was five when they married, and seven when she walked out, leaving Jeanette motherless while she was still in diapers.”  Brooke laughed without mirth.  “I guess she didn’t realize that my Dad is married to his restaurant, and everything else falls in with the status of mistress.”

“You had a lot on you from an early age.” 

“I did, but I don’t regret it.  It’s shaped me into who I am.” 

“What about boyfriends?”  Blaine attempted to keep his voice unobtrusive, like he didn’t care, but he wanted to hear about the boy who had broken her heart. 

Brooke’s face darkened.  “I didn’t have time for boys until I went to college.  I met Brian there.  Everything was great until we graduated.  I had no idea his major was philandering instead of anthropology.”  She looked away.  “We had rented an apartment, but I left after I found out what he was doing.” 

“Is that how you ended up with Carleigh?”

“Yes.  We were friends at William and Mary.  I had only intended on staying with her for a few nights, but she made me an offer I couldn’t refuse: two hundred a month plus half of the electric.”

“That was generous.”

“Yes, considering the rent there is nearly nine hundred dollars, but she can afford it.  She majored in business, and has a great job managing a store at the big outlet center.  Coach to be exact.”

Blaine’s face was blank. 

Brooke laughed.  “I forget that some men don’t appreciate the finer name brands in women’s hand bags and such.” 

“Is Coach expensive?”

“Let’s put it this way.  My little black handbag from last night was a birthday gift last month from Carleigh.  Even after clearance
and
her discount, it was still over a hundred dollars.” 

“For
that
tiny thing?”

“Yes.” 

“She makes good money then.”

“She does, especially considering its retail.  She’s trying to get on with one of the Coach stores in New York.”

“What will happen to you?”

“Either get a second job, or move in with my Dad again.”

Or come home with me.
Blaine began choking on the forkful of pancake as the thought entered his mind.  Brooke looked at him with concern and tried to hand him her glass of water. 

“Thanks.”  He mumbled and drank the entire glass. 
Where did that come from?

“I’m taking a few days off from Dad’s.” 

“That’s probably a good idea.” 

“I think so too.  I don’t want another incident like last night.  Plus sleeping isn’t really happening right now anyway.” 

Blaine looked at her with pity.  He couldn’t imagine what it felt like for her.  “I’ll give you my cell number.  At least while I’m still here, you can call if you’re having a hard night.” 
At least while I’m here. 
The thought punched him in the gut.  It was dangerous, but he was already attached to Brooke. 

The pair drove out to Jack’s house after breakfast, so Brooke could talk to him about a few days off.  The look of surprise on the man’s face when Blaine stepped out of the truck put him on edge. 

“Uplander!”

“Hello, Jack.”  Blaine looked around the side yard they were parked in, admiring the blooming flowers and neatly kept lawn.  “Nice place you have here.” 

“Well, I serve whiskey and beer by night, but during the day I have a green thumb.”  He looked at the two of them awkwardly.  “So, what are the two of you up to?”

“Blaine took me out for breakfast.”

“Oh he did, did he?”  Jack’s face relaxed into a grin.  “That’s real nice.”  He turned his attention to Brooke.  “How’re you feeling, baby girl?”

“Better.  I need a favor though.  I need a couple of days off.”

Jack took his baseball cap off and scratched the back of his head.  “Why?”

Brooke told her father the Reader’s Digest version of her attack.  She left out Blaine’s involvement.  By the time she was finished, her father was reduced to tears. 

“My God, Brooke!  Why didn’t you tell me?  We could have…we could have called the law!”

“I know, Dad, but I wasn’t thinking straight.” 

Jack looked at Blaine helplessly.  “Do you think it was that strange fellow who sat at the table by himself?  He didn’t come back last night.” 

Blaine nodded slowly.  “Could have been.” 

Jack seemed to be struggling with the news he had just received.  Jeanette wandered around from the back of the house clad in cutoff shorts and a bikini top.  The young man Carl tight on her heels. 

“Hey, I recognize you!”  She beamed and tugged at her pony tail.  She squinted at Brooke.  “Finally picking them up from the bar, huh?” 

Brooke rolled her eyes and ignored her sister.  Carl sized Blaine up and stood even closer to Jeanette.  Blaine watched him with mild amusement.  He was intimidating to some, standing at 6’1” with broad shoulders and dark hair and eyes.  Some could just instinctively detect something animalistic about him.  His mentor had told him it was the Alpha blood they were unconsciously smelling; either way, it had stopped many a loud mouth from crossing the line, and he had no doubt that Carl was a loud mouth.

Jack looked at the pair impatiently.  “Aren’t the two of you going to some pool or something?”

“Fishing on the James, old man.”  Carl said cheerfully and took Jeanette by the hand. 

“Old man, my ass!”  He called after them, earning him only laughter. 

“Is she officially dating him now?”

“Yes.”  Her father growled.  “Not that anyone talked to
me
about it!”

“She’s nineteen, Dad.”

“So?”   His eyes were skeptical and large.  “In the olden days a boy would
ask
to court a girl!” 

Brooke exchanged a look with Blaine.  “He owns a bar, but thinks things should be the way they were in the olden days.”

“Wait right here.”  Jack said and disappeared into the house.  He returned minutes later and placed something into Brooke’s hand. 

“Dad, this is two hundred dollars!  I can’t take this!”

“Of course you can.”  He replied gruffly.  “If you’re going to be off for the next couple of days, you’ll be missing the money.” 

“Thanks, Dad.”  Brooke said and kissed his cheek. 

Jack looked at Blaine.  “I don’t guess you’ll be in the bar tonight?” 

Blaine smiled and shrugged.  “Depends on if your daughter allows me to hang out with her.”

“Oh I bet she will.”  Jack said with a wink.  “Now you go on somewhere and have a good time.” 

“So, why are you in Williamsburg?”  Brooke asked, as they got back in the truck. 

Blaine considered a lie, but knew she deserved better. 

“I have a…a pack.”  He began slowly.  “I’m sort of…well, I
am
their leader.  I’m what’s called an Alpha.” 

“Like in a regular wolf pack?”  Brooke asked, her hair whipping around her head from the open window. 

“Yes, like a regular wolf pack.  They wanted me to travel to find a mate.”  Blaine laughed in spite of himself, rubbing a finger along his upper lip. 

Brooke laughed too.  “
Why?
” 

“Some of the pack are single men, and they need mates too.” 

Brooke shook her head.  “I don’t get it.” 

Blaine sighed.  “We live a long time.  My kind does, see…and they are willing to…”

Brooke made a face.  “To wait until
your
offspring are grown?”

Blaine nodded.

Brooke covered her mouth.  “Yuck!” 

Blaine snickered.  “I compared them to pedophiles.”

“I bet that went over well.” 

Blaine looked at her briefly before turning back to the road.  “You sure are comfortable with all of this.” 

“I might not have been if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.  I don’t believe in fairy tales.”  Brooke hesitated before continuing.  “So, are you still going to find a mate?”

Blaine didn’t know how to answer her.  He didn’t want to find a mate.  He really just wanted to spend time with her.  He gave her the most honest answer he could.

“I don’t know.”

Brooke looked out of the window.  “Why does it have to be one of your kind?  You’re already an Alpha.  Isn’t that enough?”

“Yes and no.  They want strong blood.  They want no chance of a human being born.” 

“I guess it’s 50/50 otherwise?”

“Pretty much.” 

Blaine was sure she looked disappointed.  He knew he should take her home and start his hunt right then for his wolf mate, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.  Her shoulder length blonde hair shone like sunlight on water.  Her blue eyes were deep and beautiful.  She
was
beautiful.  Period.  She was smart…Blaine stopped his mental listing of Brooke’s assets.  He knew what he wanted.  He wanted her to be his mate.  He had heard of many Alpha’s knowing their mate’s on sight.  It hadn’t been quite that quick for him, but it was damn close.  He glanced at her and smiled lightly.  She
seemed
to like him.

“What?”

“Nothing.  Just thinking.” 

“About?”

“About where we should go now.”

“Oh.”

There it was again, the disappointed sound. 

“Would you like to see Colonial Williamsburg?” 

Blaine liked history.  “Yeah, I would like that.” 

“I have a season’s pass, and I’ll get you one too.”  She smiled sadly.  “You know, in case you want to visit again.”