Free My Charming Stepbrother by Grace Valentine Page A

and he laced our fingers together. Today I could let go. Today I could comfort him. “I’m so sorry Garrett.” It was all I could say before sobs wracked my body. I was supposed to be comforting him yet he pulled my slight frame into his arms and I buried my face in his chest. Tears soaked his suit, but he didn’t seem to mind as he rubbed his hand down my hair.
    “ It’s okay Andra, I know.”
    And he did. His dad was the only parent he had from birth until his dad met my mom. His mother abandoned him at the hospital the day he was born and left a message on Michael’s phone saying: ‘If you want your son, he’s a Saint Mary’s Hospital’. And that was that. The rest was history. She never sought him out, and he never cared. His dad was the best of both parents.
    He tugged on my hand and pulled me down the narrow hallway of the church that led to a small private praying room. He shut the door and spun me around.
    “ Are you done avoiding me now, Andra?”
    His hands tightened around my upper arms. It was forceful and angry, but it didn’t hurt. I gasped with the emotion I saw in his eyes. Beyond the grief there was a yearning. One I understood, but choose to ignore.
    “ You know why I’m staying away.”
    He nodded and licked his lips. “It’s stupid and you know it. We aren’t even related by blood. Who cares that our parents got married?” He loosened his hold and brought one finger and traced my jaw. “I just want to forget right now. And you’re who I want to forget with. Just this one time then I’ll leave it alone.”
    I knew it was a lie. I knew if given a chance it would be more than once, and it would be more than a kiss, but I couldn’t ignore the rush of excitement that spread through my body as he leaned into me. His arms wrapped around my waist pulling me against him. My hands landed on his chest, but rather than pushing him away like I should have, I gripped his suit jacket and pulled him closer. Instead of doing the smart thing my lips parted, and my eyes fluttered shut. His lips were soft on mine compared to the rough handling. I couldn’t remember when I’d first started to imagine us kissing, but it was so much better than I thought it would be. It was an innocent kiss at first, and his arms tightened even more as if he thought I’d run away like I always did anytime he cornered me.
    He groaned and licked my lips parting them, and that shattered it for me. I knew it was wrong, and letting him kiss me in a church at his father’s funeral no less, was the most horrible thing I’d ever done. I gasped and used my strength to push him—hard. He stumbled back giving me the space I needed and looked at me in a state of shock. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the kiss or because of the fact I pushed him away. Either way it didn’t matter. I spun and pulled the door open. I ran out of the room and out of his life.

Chapter 1
    Garrett Beck spun in the office chair. His go-to man for everything was typing a contract on the computer appearing to ignore him, but he knew better, Everett was aware of everything. That’s why he made the best bodyguard and manager. He was also his best friend.
    “ Would you stop that shit?” he said glaring.
    Garrett stopped the chair. “I can’t help it. I haven’t seen her since my dad’s funeral.”
    “ That long?”
    “ Yeah, she’s made it fuckin’ difficult. If anyone knows how to avoid someone it’s Andra. She has it down to the science, and it’s driving me crazy.” He ran a hand through his thick, chocolate brown hair. It wasn’t his style or color, but it’s what the job called for this time around, and it took some getting used to.
    “ Well, I can’t blame her. Think about it. Your parents were married, making you related by marriage. Even though she obviously had feelings for you, she had some hang ups about being with you.”
    He glared. “I understood when she was 17 and I saw her skinny dipping in the pond and cornered her.