Free Stepbrother Untouchable by Colleen Masters

firmly,
guiding me into a kiss. I've been kissed by a handful of guys over the years,
but this kiss is something else. Nate is something else.
    His hands wrap around my waist and slide to the small of my back
as his lips crush against mine. All my thoughts evaporate, all my worries and
insecurities—maybe it's that I can tell he knows exactly what he's doing, and
so I can let myself go, trust myself in his hands. He nudges me slightly with
his nose and his lower lip brushes against mine. I almost gasp as I feel his
tongue move smoothly into my mouth. Electricity flies straight from my mouth to
the base of my hips.
    I press my tongue against his as my hands move of their own
accord up to his chest. I lay my palms against his pecs and feel his racing
heartbeat under his rapidly rising and falling chest. It's my first hint that
there's something else hiding under his completely confident exterior.
    His tongue moves deeper into my mouth, and his hands pull me
close against his body. I wrap my arms around his neck and run my fingers
through the hair falling onto the collar of his polo. I can feel his erection
pushing against my stomach as he slides one hand over my ass. I want nothing
more than to rip my clothes off, jump on his bed, and be ravaged by him…to feel
his mouth all over my body…inside me…
    Suddenly he pulls away. I almost fall forward in surprise as
my eyes blink open.
    “I shouldn't have done that,” he mutters.
    “Why?” I whisper, falling quickly from my cloud.
    “It's wrong…you're my stepsister. Maybe it's best if we just
keep our distance from each other.”
    “Yeah, you’re right…” I reply, feeling like he's just
slapped me in the face. I walk quickly to the door. I pause before I open it,
wishing I could put into words what I'm feeling, but I can't. I open the door
and close it softly behind me before rushing to my room.
    As I curl up under the covers, I try to wrap my mind around
all the twists this night has taken. I can't believe Nate and I just kissed. I
mean, I've been dreaming about that moment since I first laid eyes on him
freshman year. I've found that most things in life don't live up to how I've
built them up in my head, but that kiss far surpassed any fantasy. I can feel
my body reacting at just the thought of his lips touching mine again.
    But is he right? Was it wrong of us to do that? Light is
creeping around the sides of my shades by the time I manage to fall asleep, and
I still haven't managed to find an answer.

 
     
    CHAPTER TWELVE

     
     
    Nate and I pass the next few weeks as though we're each
surrounded by an invisible force field. Whenever one of us enters a room, the
other is propelled out of it. We're only pushed into close proximity with each
other when we have a family dinner, though my mom has been pushing those on us
quite frequently in an effort to bond.
    If she only knew.
    Today, though, Nate's and my presence is required at the
same event: the Thornhill's annual Fourth of July party. It's in our very own
backyard, starting in the afternoon with a crab boil and extending through the
evening fireworks. Apparently we'll get a good view of the country club's
annual fireworks display just down the river.
    My mom has absolutely insisted on buying me a new dress for
the occasion, and even came into the fitting room with me to make sure it fit
correctly. The shift dress is not exactly my style, but I've seen it on plenty
of girls at school. I'm just worried about spilling tartar sauce on the bright
white fabric. I pull on my new pair of gold wedges, and walk downstairs to see
if my mom needs any help.
    I'm taken aback by the flurry of activity downstairs. As I
walk outside, I realize I've underestimated the scale of this party. When I
heard “crab boil,” I was picturing a few picnic tables with red and white
tablecloths, but this is clearly a classy affair. There are elegant round
tables set, with flowing linens and extravagant centerpieces on top of them.
The