Right.
Like brothers, not lovers.
I knock my fist to his, gritting my teeth. It gets harder and harder to hide what feels natural with Alis. So often, I want to pull him into my lap while watching movies in the living room with everyone or pin him to the counter in the kitchen while I kiss him dizzy. There have been several times, like just now, where I’ve gone to physically connect with him in public. Luckily, he’s a lot more aware of our surroundings than I am. He always puts a stop to it before it progresses.
Irritation claws at my throat, making it feel hoarse and raw. I want to blurt it out right now. Tell our dads we’re in love and that we’re something serious. Not just stepbrothers, but more. That we have a future. This thing between us is barely budding, and I can already tell it’ll be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever known. It would be like ripping off a Band-Aid. Just tell Dad and Quinn that Alis is my boyfriend.
They love us.
They wouldn’t freak out or disown us.
Right?
I can feel it in my bones. Sure, they’d be pissed and probably yell, but we’d get through it just like we’ve gotten through everything else.
All thoughts cease to a halt when Alis’s long, capable fingers drift through my hair at the nape of my neck. It’s subtle and probably not noticeable by our dads, but it has my eyes fluttering closed and a low rumble vibrating through me. He doesn’t move his hand away but instead stealthily plays with my hair as our dads discuss our plans for the next day. At some point, I must fall asleep because I wake to Alis straddling my lap. For a split second, my heart races with excitement and relief.
They finally know we’re together.
It doesn’t take long to realize, though, that our dads have retreated to their own suite. Disappointment takes a back seat as lust begins to drive. Alis spears his fingers into my hair and angles my head back so he can kiss me. My palms find his fantastic ass, squeezing hard enough he whimpers.
God, I’ll never get enough of him.
I slide my hands up under his sweatshirt, skimming over his muscular back, worshiping every inch I can reach. His back arches as he grinds his ass against my dick.
“I need you,” I murmur, tugging his sweatshirt from his body. “Now.”
He gasps against my lips at my fingertips, teasing his hard nipples. “Bedroom.”
“No, here,” I challenge with a nip to his bottom lip. “Where anyone could see.”
Pulling from our kiss, he frowns. “No, man.”
“No one will really see, Wonderland.” I lean forward to capture his neck with a claiming suck. “I want to fuck you right here, though.”
His fingers grip my hair, and he yanks my head back so I’m forced to look into his dark, fathomless stare. “It’s reckless.”
“We’re reckless,” I remind him.
A stormy expression passes over his features. “We can’t be. Not if we plan on remaining an ‘us.’”
Anger churns in my gut. “I’m tired of hiding. It’s not fair.”
“Life’s not fair,” he growls. “Besides, you promised.”
“Months ago,” I bark back, losing my temper. “I promised back then, but things have changed.”
“Nothing’s changed,” he hisses, his words sharp and stinging. “Nothing.”
I glower at him, trying like hell to read into his words. What the fuck does that even mean? Nothing’s changed? Is he insane? Everything’s changed. We went from enemies to lovers to boyfriends to brothers to this. An us. A forever kind of us with a future. With fucking cats to chase away the goddamn mice.
“Everything’s changed,” I whisper. “I want to love you freely. In front of everyone, especially our family.”
He scrambles away from me, gaping at me like I’ve lost my mind. Maybe I finally found it. It’s not a big deal. Dad owes me forgiveness anyway since I gave it to him after what he did to Mom and us. Quinn adores Alis and loves him unconditionally. Alis is delusional if he thinks otherwise.
“No,” Alis snaps, his voice shrill as he scampers away from me. “We can’t.”
He storms away toward his bedroom, leaving me sprawled out on the floor with an annoying erection that he’s clearly not in the mood to take care of. I spring to my feet, darting after him. The fucker actually tries to shove the door against me as I attempt to come inside. Luckily, I’m bigger and stronger than him. This pisses him off based on the furious snarl he lets loose when I elbow into his room despite his best efforts to keep me out.
“Stop,” I command, grabbing him by the shoulders and shoving him against the wall. “What the hell is your problem?”
His pink lips are puffy and red from our kissing. My mouth waters to taste him again, but I’m mad at his bitchiness. I’m not kissing his beautiful, perfect mouth until he loses his attitude problem.