Free Forbidden Love by Vivian Leigh Page B

to it. It’s never been a secret.”
    He leaned back, the couch squeaking, and lifted his mug. Rolled it around between his hands. “That’s good. Glad to hear it works out sometimes.”
    “It was hard for you as a kid, I take it?”
    “You can’t even imagine. I just wanted a home, you know. A place to call my own. Someone who loved me.” He sipped. “Instead I got beat and yelled at and threatened and beat some more. Joining the Corps was the best thing I ever did. They still yell at me, but only when I actually fuck up.”
    Robbie wobbled back into the living room, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I think I’m going on to bed, kids. You two be good.” He shot Dylan a pointed look.
    “We’ll be fine,” she told him. “Go sober up, lush.”
    “Love you, too, sis.” He dragged himself upstairs, half his weight supported by the rail.
    Once he was gone, she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to slide over to the empty end of the couch, or scoot closer to Dylan. He looked awful good in his little gray shorts and tight t-shirt. She stayed where she was, playing it by ear. Making a move on her brother’s friend the first night she met him seemed just a little too slutty.
    He flipped through channels, stopped on The History Channel.
    God, he was hot, though. If she was lucky, she’d be dreaming about that strong jaw line and those muscled arms for weeks to come. Maybe they’d displace the dreams she’d been having about Robbie.
    Dylan twisted to face her, his legs crossed beneath him like a giant kid. “Did Robbie date much in high school?”
    She shook her head. “Huh?”
    “Did he date much? Bring girls home, go to prom, whatever.”
    PT shorts they were called. Little, gray, tight and little. They didn’t leave much to the imagination, and she couldn’t help but notice how amply he filled them.
    “Uh…”
    He adjusted himself, tucking everything back into the thin material. “Sorry.”
    She looked away, tried to focus on his question, not his crotch. “He dated, but not much. Took Alison Park to prom his senior year. Why?”
    “Just curious whether all that shit he talked was real or not.” He grinned. “We spend entirely too much time talking about girls. Soldiers gossip worse than housewives. What about you? Do you have a boyfriend?”
    She cocked an eyebrow. “Not at the moment.”
    “You a lesbian?”
    A laugh. “No. I dated a guy for half my senior year. We broke up when he moved to California last August.”
    “Was it hard? Breaking up like that?”
    “Not really. We knew it was coming.”
    Dylan crossed his hands in his lap, hiding the erection she’d already spotted. “What about you and Robbie? You seem to have a weird relationship.”
    “Kind of. It’s definitely love hate.”
    “He’s talked about you. Said it was hard on you when he joined the Corps.”
    “It was. He didn’t talk much about it before hand. Then one day he announced that he had signed the papers and he was going to officer school.”
    “That must have been tough on the family.”
    “It was. Dad took it harder than the rest of us. They really had it out.”
    “Well, I’m glad you all seem to be handling it better now.” He stretched his legs out, his cock forming a tent pole in his shorts. “I think I’m going to hit the sack, if that’s alright.”
    She stood, edged around him, grabbed his empty mug. “Sleep tight.”
    When she glanced back, he was watching her walk away. It could have been creepy, but she took it as a compliment. Poor guy. He probably hadn’t been near a civilian girl in six months.

Alison

    A LISON showed up a little past 1:00. Amanda was downstairs with Dylan and an extremely hung over Robbie. They were friends in a frenemy sort of way. Had been since sophomore year of high school. Alison had always been more interested in Robbie than their friendship, and when Robbie had joined the Corps, she’d been happy enough to let the friendship peter out.
    And here she was.