Redeemed Complete: A Military Stepbrother Romance Page 2

A man looked back at me.

  Not just any man. The man. Harrison.

  Harrison looked back at me.

  Naked. My naked stepbrother.

  With a growing smile on his face.

  SHIT.

  I stared. Nah, staring was putting it lightly. I full on gawked. I looked like I’d never seen something so fascinating before in all my life, and in the moment, though I’d never admit it to anyone out loud, I really hadn’t.

  Let’s be clear. I didn’t like my stepbrother Harrison. He didn’t like me. We’d never gotten along, and as teenagers hadn’t bothered to figure out why.

  Harrison wasn’t good at being cool. He was great, however, at being hot. Even in high school that’d been clear, much to my chagrin.

  Now, though, things were different. Well, it wasn’t so much that things were different…they were the same. Only more so.

  I hadn’t seen Harrison in three years now, but in the meantime he’d managed to transcend hot and enter into the realm of pure gorgeous.

  Holy shit. Nova-level hot.

  He’d always had muscles. I’d seen him flex them for girls at the pool enough times to know they were there. But this was different, this was on another level. His time in the military had been very kind to him. His muscles bulged and flexed as he moved. They covered his entire body, which didn’t look it like it had any fat on him. Harrison had muscles I didn’t even know existed before that very moment. Muscles I couldn’t help but gush over.

  This wasn’t fair. How dare he?

  His face had thinned out too, gotten even more masculine and cut. That square jaw under those green eyes drove me wild. The short military cut on his black hair really worked for him. He’d had it much much longer in high school and while I’d liked the shaggy look then, now the clean cut really did him favors.

  Harrison was a stone fox of a man. I couldn’t put it any other way. He’d managed to get even hotter since I last saw him. I wondered if women flocked to him like zombies on fresh brains. I could feel my own brain shutting down and my jaw going slack, moment by moment. Any longer and I’d have started to drool.

  And if it were any other man, I wouldn’t have minded.

  Why did it have to be him? Of all the men on this planet, why did the sexiest man alive happen to be the one I hated more than anything?

  I must have been standing there staring at him, because Harrison looked at me began to smile. All I could think about was his body and how much I wanted to feel him touching me. Not speaking, nothing of the kind. From experience I knew that Harrison and I didn’t work at all when we spoke. Silence was what we did best around each other.

  Just touching me all over. Doing disastrously naughty things to me. For hours and hours on end. Over and over again. Till I couldn’t take it anymore. I had a feeling it wouldn’t be that long before I was screaming for mercy, but I had to know.

  “See anything you like?” Harrison’s voice sounded long and low, like in it he’d harnessed the power of earthquakes. It rumbled and shook the room in a way that I’d never heard anyone else speak before.

  I hated him for it, because it was so unimaginably sexy. I didn’t want him to have this power over me, and just speaking was enough. Shut up, Harrison, don’t say another word.

  Please.

  But I couldn’t put any words together, couldn’t get the right sounds to come out of my mouth to apologize, to yell at him for being naked and gorgeous and right in front of me, or just to say anything at all.

  Nothing worked in my head, nothing worked in my throat. I was mute, and I hated him for it. I kept standing there, trying to figure out what to say. The sounds that came out of my mouth must have sounded like gibberish.

  “Well, if you’re not going to say anything, and just stand there, I’m going to keep going about my business.” Harrison turned and looked at himself in the mirror once more, flexing his muscles in a way that was definitely for my benefit. What an ass. He knew exactly the effect he had on me, on all women, and he used it to his benefit with no shame. How could anyone like this guy?

  I could feel my cheeks burning. I still said nothing, still stared. The moments ticked by, and I realized I was staring so I could memorize Harrison’s features, his shape. So I could think about them later when I was alone. That wasn’t weird. Nope, not at all.

  Harrison turned to me again. “Just had an idea. If you get to see what I look like,” he chuckled, thrusting his hips in my general direction and striking another vamping pose, “then I get to see what you look like.” The smile on his face looked like a Cheshire cat’s grin. His eyes stared back at me, without a hint of his characteristic guile. Unlike most of the time, now Harrison meant what he said. Ugh.

  Finally, the words in my head started to make sense. “N-No,” I managed to get out. I looked him up and down one last time and then backed out of the bathroom, banging into things on my way out and wincing at the pain. I just needed to get out of there and back to the safety of my room. No Harrisons in there, just me and my own dirty and unwanted thoughts.

  “Aww, you’re no fun, Laurel.” As I closed the door I could see Harrison turned back toward the mirror. “Come back if you want another look, but don’t forget the price! First hit’s free, but I can’t just give this shit away,” I heard him call out from within the bathroom. I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts of his hard and sexy body from the cobwebs inside. It didn’t help, they only got more stuck in there. Even if I consciously wanted to forget that body, there was no way that would happen any time soon.

  Shit.

  Shit.

  Shit.

  I beat a hasty retreat back to my room, Only taking a breath when I finally closed the door behind me. I leaned against the door, breathing heavily, and trying to make sense of what I had just seen.

  Harrison was perfect physical specimen. Not in my wildest dreams had I imagine that he could become even more sexy then he had been when I last saw him.

  The trouble was I couldn’t actually have him. Harrison was someone that I was not allowed to touch, no matter how much I wanted to. I’ve known that for a long time now, and it made me feel terrible, but at the same time also turned me on more than I possibly could’ve imagined.

  I finally calmed down. I looked around the room and realized as my eyes came across my clock that I was running out of time. I stood up slowly, opened the door and looked out into the hallway, trying not to get caught again. Looked like the coast was clear. No random Harrison sightings.

  I gathered up my things again, and quickly stole my way to the bathroom. I peered inside but this time the lights were off and Harrison must have gone to his room. I was safe for a couple minutes at least.

  I quickly took a shower, washing the dust of my nap off. The hot water felt amazing against my skin after the long ride and the sleep. I took a little longer than I should have given the time constraint, but the one thing that Summitville had going for it was the shower in my parents’ house, so so much better than the one in my tiny New York apartment. A few extra minutes might not be a good idea, but I could barely drag myself out of the shower even after it.

  I got out, put a towel around me stood in front of the mirror doing my makeup. After I was done I unwrapped the towel before letting it fall to the floor, picking up and putting on my bra and panties. I felt the soft silk wrap around my torso and my waist, luxuriating in their touch.

  Sexy underclothes were my one true vice. Not exactly a hobby you could go around telling anyone about, and I didn’t exactly publicize it, but it wasn’t easy to pass by a nice lingerie store without stepping and buying a little something for myself. Even if no one else got to see me wearing it, just knowing it was there put a little bounce in my step each day.

  Then I heard a sound in the doorway and froze.

  I must have forgotten to lock the door because when I finally turned to the right, Harrison was standing there with his sexy big grin on his face. I had to stifle a shriek. “What are you doing here?”
I gasped.

  He’d put on a little more clothing. Not too much, just a pair of gym shorts to cover himself up. I couldn’t help but stare at his crotch, looking for the shape of his giant cock against the folds of fabric.

  He looked me up and down slowly, like an appraiser with a gemstone. I watched him, unable to move beyond trying to cover myself up a little bit more. “Just enjoying the view, ‘Sis’,” he said that last part with a sneer.

  I stared him down. “Don’t call me that. Get out of here.” I tried to be as cold as I could, but inside I was mortified.

  He stepped toward me and I turned to face him. Harrison kept coming, and I backed away. “What’re you doing?” I was getting hot, and I could feel my nipples hardening against the cups of my bra. I was no stranger to the effect Harrison had on me. Any closer and I’d get wet. He might not even have to move.

  Harrison kept coming, and I found my back against the wall, looking almost directly up at him towering over me. The only thing I could hear was both of us breathing. I longed for him to bridge the tiny gap between us and touch me almost as much as I wanted to yell at him for invading my privacy, but I couldn’t find the words to express either idea. I could feel his breath on my skin. I was so excited I couldn’t move, couldn’t think.

  “At least now we’re close to even, even though you’re still wearing too much clothing for my taste.” He winked at me. “You’ve grown up quite a bit, Laurel. Good for you.” We waited there like that, looking at each other. I tried to speak, but even if I’d been able to I don’t know what I would have said.

  He turned and walked out of the bathroom without another look or word. I could feel my cheeks flushing and though I didn’t want to admit it, I was more turned on possibly could have imagined. I didn’t understand the effect Harrison had on me.

  In stunned silence, I finished getting ready for the party and went downstairs, not knowing what the rest of the night would bring.

  Chapter 03 - The Party

  I finally got dressed and made my way downstairs, just as the party was getting started. Just my luck, the dress I’d picked out and worn only once before still fit me, in a sense. I was definitely a little curvier than when I left for school.

  As a result, the dress was too short both on top and on bottom. I felt like I was spilling out of the dress, and it might have been a little more appropriate for the club then a family dinner party, but I soldiered on. I did bring a nice pair of heels with me from school that happened to go well with my the rest of my outfit, and I knew that at least my parents would be surprised I’d started wearing high heels. Maybe Harrison too.

  Though of course I didn’t care what Harrison thought about my appearance. Not at all, not even one little bit.

  Almost all the guests had arrived by the time I got downstairs. My parents had hung a giant “Welcome Home, Soldier” banner in the family room where we all gathered. The buzz of conversation died down as I came down the steps, but quickly picked back up again, people milling about in their own little pockets of conversation and catching up.

  Ten people? Hardly, this party had picked itself up without me. There must have been at least double that many already.

  My father came up to me first, smiling. “Y-You look great tonight, Laurel.” He looked me up and down, definitely surprised at my outfit. If he wanted to say anything more, he kept it to himself. Maybe we’d have a talk about it later. “I’m so glad you decided to join us.” He extended out his arm and I took it.

  “Well, it’s not the first place I wanted to be tonight,” I said, letting the sarcasm drip through my voice. Come on Laurel, be a little bit more polite. Once in a while I could try and be a little more accommodating. Despite how I acted toward them, family, especially my father, was really important to me.

  “I know, but it means a lot to your mother and I that you should be here. Harrison is important to us, and we want to celebrate his accomplishments.” He stopped, trying to recover quickly, knowing he’d said something that didn’t quite cover all the bases. “Of course, you’re important to us also.” He looked at me as we made our way around the room, as if trying to see how mad I was at the little slip.

  I felt my cheeks burn. So much for that. “Gee, thanks, Dad. I’m going to go get a drink.”

  “Don’t drink too much,” he said, his smile a little smaller now. He caught the eye of another guest and drifted away, picking up whatever conversation they’d begun before without missing a beat.

  It was funny how my father could be the perfect conversationalist in public, hobnobbing with anyone who came in his general direction, getting them to make deals with him and give concessions in his interest at every turn, but with his own daughter he continually found new ways to stuff his foot into his mouth.

  It would have been funnier if I wasn’t the one on the receiving end of the results. As it was, it was just a little saddening.

  I made my way to the makeshift bar at one end of the long room and hallway and was pouring myself a weak gin and tonic before turning around to survey the party. I wanted to drink, especially around these people, but it would do no good for me to get drunk quickly, or at all. I took my first sip, savoring the burning sensation of alcohol going down. That hit the spot; just what I needed.

  A good drink, and plenty of them at the right intervals, was probably the only way I’d make it through this party without saying something embarrassing at the wrong time in front of the wrong people. As much as that might stir things up and be fun for a moment, this was a family and friends gathering, and I hadn’t seen these people for months if not years. No sense in making a fool of myself.

  Especially when I’d just arrived in town this afternoon. Plenty of time for that later, I had a whole other week.

  I found a corner with fewer people in it and planted myself there. Watching all the people catch up, make new friends, learn about other people’s lives. I tried to look unapproachable and standoffish, which wasn’t that difficult for me.

  I didn’t want to admit it to myself at first, but I was looking for Harrison. This party was for him, so naturally he was the center of attention. Then again, being the center of attention came naturally to Harrison - everyone had always fawned over him, even when he was doing bad things and getting in trouble for them.

  When I finally saw him, though, he was off in a corner talking animatedly with a young woman, the daughter of a family friend. She looked entranced, only taking her eyes away from Harrison’s face every so often to run them over his body and smooth out her dress, preening to look good for him.

  Typical Harrison. Arrive at a party, find a girl, and get right down to business. Why did I even wonder if he’d changed? People didn’t change. They just became more comfortable with who they’d been the entire time.

  At least, that’s how I thought things worked with me.

  As I took another sip of my drink Harrison noticed me noticing him and raised his glass to me with a wink. I smiled back and raised my glass. When he took in what I was wearing, I could see his eyes widen for a moment.

  My cheeks blushed and I quickly looked down in embarrassment, though I was also excited by the idea that Harrison was surprised at my outfit. I was definitely showing off more skin than I was used to, most definitely for a family event, but I was OK with that.

  I liked that I felt like someone different now. I wasn’t the same girl who’d left for college a couple years ago. I had become something closer to my truer self.

  Harrison, for his part, looked gorgeous. I was wondering if he was going wear a military uniform, but he decided not to, and ended up with a fancy Italian cut suit. You could see his muscles underneath the shirt and jacket, barely contained by the trappings of modern society.

  This seemed an almost strange environment for someone so manly as Harrison. It was as if this party was the cage that kept him from being who he really wanted to be. Harrison seemed to recognize this and take it in stride, easily moving through the crowd and leaving ever
yone with a smile on their faces.

  I was surprised to see that - this is definitely not the kind of party that the Harrison I knew would spend more than a couple minutes at. As soon as he could have figured out a way to leave, he would’ve done so. I was impressed. At least, that was the Harrison I thought I knew from before.

  After taking me in, Harrison returned to his conversation with the young woman, and I felt a pang of jealously, a slice of disconnection as he severed the look between us. I knew I had no hold over him; I was the second to last girl in the room he’d ever look at, but my brief time in the sun had felt wonderful.

  Harrison had a way of making a girl feel like she was the only one in the room, and I wanted more of that feeling, even if it unfortunately came with Harrison attached.

  Almost immediately after I took another sip of my drink, a couple came up to me. They were longtime friends of the family and I hadn’t seen them since I left for college. They asked me about what I was up to, what I was majoring in, and how much I was enjoying university and life in the big city. As I spoke to them and politely answered their questions, I looked around the room trying to keep track of Harrison’s movements as he worked the room.

  After a few more minutes my father clinked his glass and got everyone’s attention. The crowd quieted down quickly, eager to hear a speech or two.

  “Thank you all for coming. Everyone knows why we’re here,” he pointed at Harrison with his glass and everyone looked at him fondly. “We just wanted to hold a little reception for our boy when he came home from deployment and express our gratitude to him for his service.” He stopped and everyone clapped. Harrison did little bow, a small smile on his face, raising his own glass in return toward my father.

  My father’s voice cracked a little bit. “It has been a long road, but we are so proud to see that he is finally walking it, and we just wanted to say to you, Harrison, that we are here to support you in anything you do.” There was more clapping and people looked at Harrison expecting a speech.

  Finally, Harrison motioned for the clapping to stop again, put his drink down, and spoke in an even and measured voice that conveyed a different kind of confidence I hadn’t seen before but couldn’t quite understand yet. “Thanks again to my mother and father for hosting us tonight. It was really unnecessary. I know you all know the recognition that soldiers get for their service, and for that of course I am grateful, but I wanted to say, that at least in my case, I think the military has given me more than I have given it.” The crowd murmured their appreciation, and I looked around the room to watch how enraptured everyone was.