Pulse: A Stepbrother Romance (8 page)

Tyra's laugh interrupted the conversation once more.

“You guys with your music talk. It’s so boring! Why don’t we talk about something a little more interesting?”

She shifted in my lap so that her large breasts pressed against me, the soft flesh yielding to my hard chest and coming even closer to popping out of her low-cut top.

I appreciated the view, but annoyance filled me at how totally she monopolized the situation. Not to mention what Leah must think of it all. She was in deep conversation with a friend across the room. Snatches of their words drifted across the room, and it was clear she was talking about her audition, something I hadn’t even had the chance to ask her about yet.

The way her face lit up and she retold events made it clear just how passionate she was about her acting. I’d never seen someone so completely in love with what they were doing as that woman. It was a tremendous turn-on.

I could feel my manhood respond to my thoughts and realized that there would be no way to hide the reaction from the woman in my lap.

Oh, shit. Think terrible thoughts.

Sports scores flashed through my mind. The warehouse, and even JJ in his crappy old coveralls.

Too late.

Tyra looked me in the eyes and bit her lip as she wiggled her ass against me.

“I know, how about we talk about our favorite sex positions?” she said. “I’ll go first.” She turned even more on top of me, placing a knee on either side so she straddled my lap and ground herself into my crotch. “This one is pretty good.”

Kevin and Sean, who were now behind her, rolled their eyes. It didn’t look like her forwardness surprised them in the least.

“What about you, Chris? How would you like me?” She placed her hand on my chest and ran it down.

I spared a pained thought for the incredible conversation she’d interrupted. Finally, I’d had a chance to talk to people who understood music. It was like going my whole life speaking two languages, and only just finding out that there were others who understood the second tongue.

Where is Leah?

I didn’t want her to see me like this, with her friend wantonly riding my lap in her living room. When I looked across the room, Leah quickly turned away, back to her friend.

She knows.
In fact, the sudden attention of one of her best friends was all too suspicious.
She threw her at me.

Anger coursed through me. At being rejected, thrown a diversion. She wanted to play this game?

Fine. We’ll play.

I ran my hands down Tyra's back until they rested on the firm, tight globes of her ass. I squeezed, and the yoga pants she was wearing did nothing to hide the incredible feeling of her ass in my hands.

“This one is good, but I think I’d prefer you bent over in front of me even better. It’s a lot easier to smack your ass from there. Something tells me you’re a girl who would like that kind of thing.”

Tyra rotated her hips, grinding herself against me at the sound of my words.

“Ooh, yeah. That would be pretty damn good.”

She grabbed my hair with both hands and pulled my face toward hers, launching straight into a deep kiss. Her tongue penetrated my mouth and danced around my own, as aggressive as I would have expected from her boldness.

“Wow,” she breathed. “You are a good kisser. I can’t wait to see what you do in the sack.”

The surrounding space had vacated—we had our own personal bubble in the corner of the room. It was late enough, people were drunk enough, and the music was loud enough that no one seemed to mind that Tyra full out accosted me in the living room.

Even though I kept looking over to the kitchen where Leah stood talking, I never caught her looking in our direction again. Putting on a performance and nobody cared, least of all the one I’d orchestrated it for.

“So, you’re Leah’s stepbrother, huh?” Tyra asked. Her hips continued a slow rotation in my lap, and despite my intentions, I could feel myself getting hard.

And although I only wanted Leah, I had to admit that her friend was a stunner.

“That’s right. As of Saturday.”

“Isn’t it awkward? Since you hooked up and all?”

“She told you?” I looked sharply at my stepsister. Her back faced us, but if people could feel stares then her hair would soon light on fire.

“We’re best friends, silly. We share everything.” As she said
share
, she settled even more fully into my lap.

“Is that right?” What had I got myself into?

“She told me how good you were, you know. Mind-blowing. Rocked her world. I can’t wait to see what all the fuss is about.” She pulled me back in for another kiss.

Rocked her world?
It was good to know that I hadn’t been imagining how good the sex between us was. She wasn’t pushing me away because she’d had a bad time.

The performance had gone on long enough. It was time to talk to Leah. I grabbed hold of Tyra's shoulders and pushed her away. “I’ve got to hit the bathroom and grab a drink. Raincheck?”

She pouted, but swung her leg off me so I could get up. “Better not be too long.”

When I got to the kitchen, Leah wasn’t there.

“Hey, Kevin, is Leah in the bathroom, or something?”

The violinist shook his head. “I think she said she was going to bed.”

“Bed? But it’s only… midnight. Wow. Didn’t realize it had gotten so late.” Still, would she go to sleep with everyone still in her apartment? Without saying goodnight?

Doubt fogged my mind. Maybe she didn’t want me around and inviting me here was just a pleasant gesture that I wasn’t supposed to accept.

“There you are,” Tyra said as she latched onto my arm from behind. “What do you say we take a little two-man party back to your place? I’m in the mood for some better music and Leah said that yours was great.”

“You know what?” I said. “Let’s go do that.”

Cold water splashed against my face helped a little to wake me up and shake off the hangover.

But only a bit.

God, why did I drink so much last night?

I knew why. It’s because it was the only thing I could think of to get my mind off what was happening in the corner of my living room. Even when I’d turned away so my eyes couldn’t see, my mind painted the picture for me: Tyra gyrating in Chris’ lap as they made out on my couch.

And it was all my fault.

My phone beeped and my heart stuttered. It was a message from Chris.

Ignore it, Leah. That’s the best thing you can do. Just ignore it.

Once I’d hid away and pretended to go to sleep last night, it didn’t take long for Chris and Tyra to vacate the apartment.
I wonder if she appreciated his throbbing music as much as I did? Did they dance until they couldn’t take it anymore and had to have each other?

Dammit. I had to get my mind off it.

I unrolled my yoga mat in the middle of the living room and settled into my morning routine. The familiar movements helped calm the thoughts that rampaged through my mind like the bulls in Pamplona.

Settling into my practice, I performed three sun salutations, then pushed myself as I fought to stretch my body to its limits.

In upward dog, I found my eyes only a couple feet away from where Chris sat the night before while Tyra straddled him. Just like that, the memories and thoughts came flooding back.

I collapsed on the floor.

“I shouldn’t fucking care this much about him!” I shouted to no one. “He’s my goddamn stepbrother! It can’t happen!”

A ringing beside me broke into my moroseness and the phone was almost flung across the room before I restrained myself. I took a look at the display.

Tyra.

Calling to compare notes?
She had no compunction about sharing all the dirty details. I usually told her to can it, but secretly enjoyed hearing about all the guys she screwed and the positions they liked, kinks they had. It was funny hearing about the guys who were all macho in the club but craved her taking control in bed.

Did I want to hear all the gory details from her hooking up with Chris? Could I put myself through that?

“Hey, Tyra. How was it?” I told myself that I answered only to make sure she made it home, not because I had a morbid fascination and wanted to relive my experience through her. Even if it meant that Chris has screwed someone else.

I pushed them together,
I reminded myself. It might not have happened if I hadn’t.

“How was what?” she asked.

“You know, the sex. I know you left with Chris last night. Good, right?”

“I wouldn’t know,” she said. “We left together, but no matter how I tried or what I said, he wouldn’t take me home with him. That fucker left me with the biggest case of blue balls I’ve ever had.”

“He what? You didn’t sleep with him?” I almost dropped the phone from my hands and got off the floor to sit in a more natural position on the couch.

“I wish. No, he squirmed away from me, and after he’d gotten me so riled up, too. I had to resort to using Dudley for about an hour last night to get over it.”

I laughed. “Have I told you that you share way too much information? The fact that I already know Dudley is your vibrator is just sick.”

It felt good to laugh. It hadn’t felt like a day where I would be doing too much of that. Everything seemed a lot brighter now, like clouds had rolled back from the sun.

“Yeah, well, I won’t change now. You up for coffee after class? I’m still a little hungover.”

“You and me both, I was just trying a little yoga to get over it, but I’m down to grab a cup in a bit.”

“Perfect. Text me later.”

“Bye.”

I tossed my phone on the couch and bounced up to my feet. A sudden burst of energy rushed through me, and I threw myself back into the yoga with more enthusiasm than before.

He didn’t sleep with her.
It should have worried me that the thought was so uplifting, but I didn’t care. Happiness flooded my system, and that was enough for now.

Each pose grew more and more difficult as I pushed my body to its limits, stretching and holding beyond what was normally possible. Sweat gathered on my skin in little dots, shimmering in the diffuse sunlight that filtered in through the windows.

As I came out of sirsa padasana, someone knocked on the door. I looked down to check myself. Short yoga shorts and a sports bra weren’t that bad, and I was too warm to throw something else on.

When I opened the door, I froze.

This needs to stop happening.

“You weren’t answering my texts,” Chris said. “So I thought I would just drop in.”

He dressed simply in a white shirt and jeans, but his muscles were visible through the clothes, and he made it look good. Manly.

“Um, come in.” Why was I never able to think around him? Not that my mind slowed down, more like it leapt from thought to thought and raced around so fast it kept getting in its own way.

I was hyper-aware of how little clothing I had on and the sweat that covered my body. And how he looked at me.

His eyes burned a hole right through me, the irises dark and stormy. “You’re looking good. Was I interrupting something?”

I flushed. As per usual. It was like my body couldn’t handle a compliment from him. “Just about finished doing my morning yoga. Sorry about this.” I waved down at myself. “I’ll go put something else on.”

“No,” he said. “You’re fine in that. More than fine.”

His voice was a low growl, sending a tug straight to my loins.