Stepbrother Romance: After Mine (Contemporary Stepping Book Series) (2 page)

“I got something for you”, he said as he
handed it to me. My smile would have literally lit up the room as I
accepted the box from him. I curiously shook it first to listen to
its contents but could not really make out what was in it.

“What is it?” I asked excitedly.

“Open it”, he encouraged.

I ripped the wrapping paper so fast and
stared at the contents of it. A lovely diamond bracelet stared back
at me and I felt an excitement sear through me.

“Thank you Gavin”, I said out loud before
letting out a girlish giggle.

The door distracted us and I knew it must be
room service, Gavin rushed over to open the door and I was left
sprawled on the bed staring at my new gift.

He stepped aside and let the waiter with his
trolley to walk through the door.

“Thank you”, Gavin said before tipping him
and closing the door after he left.

“So, how are the wife and kids?” I asked
from out of the blue. Gavin went about fixing a plate for me and
pouring me some wine before he answered me.

“I think Margo is cheating on me”, he
answered “The kids are good”.

“Why would you think that?” I asked
curiously.

“You know, the usual signs”, he went on
before walking over to me and handing me my plate.

“Which are?”

“She is all of a sudden paying more
attention to fashion and how she looks”, Gavin explained “Gets home
late, has impromptu night trips and is always on her phone texting
someone all through the night”.

“Is she interested in sex?” I asked.

“We have not had sex for about three months
now”, he replied. I looked down at my plate and picked my fork.

The food was delicious and it helped me
drown the image of Gavin and Margo having sex. I would sometimes
feel jealous when he mentioned her to me but there was of course
nothing I could do. My life was perfect the way it was without any
marital commitments.

“What’s her excuse?”

“Work, she is always tired”, Gavin answered.
He looked miserable and it made me feel useless. He was not
supposed to be talking to me about his wife, especially not hurting
about her in front of me.

“Do you think she suspected you first?” I
inquired as I went on to chew on my food.

“Yeah, I think so”, Gavin answered honestly
“But we have always been careful”.

“A woman always knows Gavin, a woman always
knows”.

The rest of the night was spent talking
about Margo and what Gavin would do if he found out that she was
indeed cheating on him. The night drew closer quickly and I fell
asleep in his arms. I looked around the room before shutting my
eyes. He had already been made a slave by a deep slumber and I
could hear his soft snores echo in the room. I thought of my little
angel back at home probably and wondered what she would think of me
if she saw what I was doing with her uncle. I thought of Margo and
her kids as well and wondered what she would think if she saw me
canoodling with her husband at that particular point. My mind then
raced back to my heart and I searched it again, there was no guilt,
no remorse just an awkward stillness that I couldn’t make sense of
at that time.

Chapter Two

I watched as
Shantell ran up and down the house with her swimming gear in hand.
She looked excited and happy and that warmed my heart. A part of me
was envious of the power little joys had in her life.

“Mummy we are getting late”, she shouted and
I knew if she could drive herself over to her uncle Gavin’s place
she would.

“Coming dear”, I shouted back as I threw a
glance at my reflection for the last thousandth time that morning.
I had to look good, for my lover. I knew he was not going to pay
any attention to me but I wanted to make him wish he could. I was
clad in a lovely floral sundress and had my hat to match it. Margo
had invited us over for a Sunday barbecue and I was looking forward
to it. I slung my purse underneath my arm and walked out of my room
only to be met by an excited Shantell.

“How do I look mum?” she asked.

“Dashing as always”

“I would look even better if I had some of
your eye liner on”, she said.

“Nice attempt darling but you know the rule”,
I answered but was cut off by Shantell who finished my sentence for
me.

“I know no makeup until am fifteen”.

“Good”, I answered, “We have to get going
now”.

I grabbed the fried chicken that I had
delivered from the fast food place around the corner and packed in
one of my big bowls. I had thrown a homemade salad to make it look
like my own creation and was ready to go. Shantell was already
seated in the co driver’s seat as I got out of the house and locked
the door. The day was perfect for an outdoor barbecue and the
thought of taking a swim in Gavin’s swimming pool played on my
mind.

“Here we go”, I said as I started the car and
took off. There was no traffic and Gavin’s place was only a fifteen
minute drive from our place.

“Mum can I sleep over at uncle Gavin’s later
today?” Shantell asked.

“But you didn’t carry anything to
change”.

“That is what you think, and remember the
other time I slept over I left some clothes in Chelsea’s room”.
Shantell was always sharp and swift to make her case and I always
liked that about her.

“I am sure your uncle won’t mind”, I answered
as I negotiated the next corner to Gavin’s place. The mention of
him made me picture what he had on and I settled in a mental
picture of his favorite khaki shorts and a white tea shirt to
match. I pictured how tight the shirt hugged him and I loved how
his behind looked in the shorts. I saw Shantell’s excitement as I
drove into the drive way and parked my car.

“There are so many people here already! I
told you we would run late!” Shantell shouted as she unfastened her
seat belt and stepped out of the car. She quickly took her backpack
from the backseat and ran along to say hello to the rest of the
family. Gavin had not informed me that Aunt Mary would be around
and I think I knew why. Aunt Mary was always nose up in my business
and Gavin knew this. Her car was parked neatly in the driveway and
I smiled when I thought of the many fabricated lies that I had
already started forming in my ever calculating head.

I was sure that Shantell was already in the
pool right now and I followed the noise of merry making and the
lovely aroma of roast meat that filled the air. Margo was the first
one to spot me and she waved me over to a table at the opposite end
of the back yard. I walked over slowly and was sure that a few men
were staring at me and others were pretending not to.

“Hey Yvonne!” Margo said as she planted a
light kiss on my cheek and offered me a dazzling smile.

“Hello Margo”, I answered as I offered one of
my lovely plastic smiles as well.

“You are looking good, please tell me you
found a man”, she teased and let out a girlish giggle.

“My dear Margo, there is no one man enough
who can handle this!” I answered confidently but secretly smiling
and enjoying the thrill that came with it. Margo let out her usual
hearty laughter as she gave me a warm hug and fixed me a plate.

“Shantell is in the swimming pool already”,
Margo announced as she walked over to me and took a seat opposite
me. She walked back and got a few sodas from the cooler before
resuming her seat.

“I am sure she is”, I answered “Please tell
me that you have something more stiff than this”.

Margo let out another laugh and placed the
soda next to my plate.

“I had Gavin go pick some wine, there was
only beer left in the cooler and I know you are not a beer fan”,
she answered.

“You know me all too well my dear sister in
law”, I answered and began to nibble on my food. The sun was
scorching hot and I felt like dipping my hot body in the pool.

“I wish I could take a dive”, I said to Margo
who sat opposite me and smiled.

“Why are you holding back?”

“Have you seen all these men that are around
the pool?” I asked “I do not want to get into any cat fights with
the wives just because the husbands are feasting their eyes on my
gorgeous body!”

“I hear you”, Margo answered and took a sip
from her soda bottle before looking back at me.

“So I have to tell you something, Yvonne”,
Margo started and looked me straight in the eye. I immediately got
nervous and felt my heart constrict as I feared for the worst.

“Sure, you know you can tell me anything”, I
answered as I sat up and returned her gaze.

“I do not know why I am telling you this, but
please do not judge me”, Margo went on to say.

I listened keenly to her before letting out a
curious smile “I can never judge you, Margo”

“It is something that just happened and I
know that your loyalty may be to Gavin more than me but we have
also been close friends over the years”, she went on to say.

“Just say it already”, I lashed out.

“Okay, okay”, Margo said as he raised the
palm of her left hand in midair as a sign of surrender.

“So I have been cheating on Gavin”, she
confessed before dropping her gaze to the floor and taking another
sip from her soda bottle.

“I should get something stronger, hold that
thought. I am sure Gavin should be back from the liquor store”, I
said and got to my feet.

Margo simply nodded as I got to my feet and
headed indoors in search of Gavin. My legs felt weak and my blood
was pumping hard in my chest.

“Hey Yvonne!” Gavin said from behind me with
a box perched underneath his left arm. He always somehow managed to
conjure up a greeting in the most nonchalant manner.

“Hello”, I said quickly “Did you get the
wine?”

“Here you go” he said and handed me a bottle
of clear white wine. “Are you ok? You sound like you have been
running a marathon”.

I hadn’t realized how I was panting and my
shortness of breath but I couldn’t tell him why I was like
that.

“I’m good”, I answered “Shantell is in the
pool”

I rushed out of the room and immediately
walked over to where Margo was still seated waiting on me
patiently. She had two glasses in her hands and looked nervous as
she watched me take a seat opposite her.

The wine caressed the corners of my mouth and
glided smoothly down my throat. I drew my strength and courage from
it as I gulped it down in a hurry. Margo did the same and we both
took in a long breathe when we were on our third drink.

“Ok, so keep spilling”, I said and I sipped
again from my glass.

“Well, it has happened twice with two
different men”, Margo confessed.

“Wait a minute”, I said shocked “Are you
cheating on him with two different men?”

“Shhhhh…not so loud”, she said as she placed
a finger on her lips. I looked around us worriedly and could spot
Aunt Mary at a distant looking over at us.

“I can bet you a thousand and one dollars
that Aunt Mary sure wishes she could read lips right now”, I said
and to Margo who looked over at Aunt Mary and waved politely.

“I never really liked that old hag either”,
she said through clenched teeth that sent hilarious tickles all
through my body.

“So let’s get back to the matter at hand
here”, I said and diverted my attention back to Margo.

“How the hell did you pull it off?” I asked
as I leaned back in my seat and sipped again from my glass.

“Did?” Margo answered “Child please, why are
you talking about it like it’s in the past?”

I looked at Margo closely and could not
detect any ounce of remorse in her words. In fact she sounded proud
of what she was doing to her husband. I didn’t want to sound
judgmental because I needed her to tell me more. I decided to push
the thought to the back of my mind and blamed her carefree attitude
on the liquor.

I was dumbfounded for sure and did not know
what to say next. My throat felt dry and I jumped on to the
question that any woman would ask her.

“Why are you doing it? I mean, he seems like
such a nice husband and caring father”, I asked.

“He is”, Margo answered “He is the perfect
husband and father”.

These were not the words that I had expected
to hear from her, “So why do it?”

“Gavin is too nice”, Margo explained “He
never does anything wrong, he is too perfect for me”.

“Those are not words you hear any woman
complain about”, I said as I took another long gulp from my wine
glass.

“I know I am being selfish but we lack
passion in the relationship. Everything is normal and follows a
certain routine, everything is, I don’t know, everything is just
Gavin”, she answered.

“So how did it all start? And how on earth do
you keep it a secret?” I asked again and sipped from my glass. The
contents were almost empty now and I seriously needed a refill.

“It started like any other affair would
start, one is my trainer and the other is Chelsea’s piano teacher”,
she started but all of a sudden switched the topic to something
else.

“You have to let the butter soak underneath
the chicken and set your oven at about 250 degrees”, Margo said all
too loudly. I looked over my shoulder and noticed that nosy Aunt
Mary had walked over to where we were seated.

“Hello ladies”, she greeted “You weren’t
planning to hog all that wine by yourself now were you?”

I handed her the almost empty bottle and she
disappointingly took it and shook the contents of it. It was almost
empty.

“So what are the two of you talking about?”
she asked as she sat in between us. I could feel Margo’s mood
change and I too felt disappointed. I loved how she was confessing
her sins to me and it felt like I was watching a drama series.

“Nothing much, just chicken”, Margo said
before getting to her feet and turning her attention to me “I had
better go check on my other guests”.