Free Dominion (Alpha Domain #1) by Arabella Abbing Page B

chuckled. “Something like that. But Allen will be with you tonight so you have nothing to worry about.”
    I looked from John back to Allen and gulped. Even with the ugly clothes he was wearing, Allen was still attractive. Too attractive.
    In fact, I was almost afraid to look at him for very long because in the past eight years, he had done a whole lot of bulking up. I didn’t want to look at him and notice all the ways he had grown into a man since I had last saw him.
    Allen wasn’t even attractive. No, it was too mild a word. He was flat-out hot . Sexy. Jaw-and-panty dropping gorgeous.
    The idea of being alone with him felt incredibly dangerous.
    “See you in the morning, darling,” John said with a wink before nodding to Allen. “You too, man.”
    “You know what I need?” Allen asked solemnly.
    John nodded and Allen nodded back, the silence thick as they communicated with their eyes once again. After a brief moment, John turned and left, heading right out the front door. Not even a minute later, I could hear the engine of his car roaring as he pulled onto the street and drove off.
    Leaving my stepbrother and I truly alone for the first time in eight years.
    The last time we were alone together, he had told me he loved me then kissed me. I couldn’t even imagine what would happen if he offered a repeat.
    It certainly would involve me stripping off those awful khakis.
    With a start, my back went straight and I forcefully shoved away the thought of taking off Allen’s pants. I may have been a coward for running, but it seemed better than the alternative of wading through the awkward tension crackling in the air around us.
    “I’m getting pretty tired,” I said as I stood up. “Do you want me to...?”
    I gestured down at the cartons of food, unsure of whether or not Allen wanted me to clean up. I wouldn’t mind helping, but if he wasn’t going to ask me, then I’d gladly just run upstairs and hide for the rest of the night.
    “No, I got this. Just help me carry the bags upstairs?”
    I had almost forgotten about the bags of clothing Allen had purchased for me. I nodded and grabbed a handful, pointedly not reacting when he bent down close to me and grabbed a few bags before he began following me up the stairs to my room.
    It felt a little weird referring to it as ‘my room’ already, but Allen had been pretty insistent that I make myself at home. So even though it was pretty strange, especially considering just this morning I had been staying in a completely different place, I was finding myself easily adjusting to the change of scenery. Much to John and Allen’s delight, I was sure.
    “You can go through these the morning. Go ahead and get some sleep,” Allen whispered after he deposited the bags near the walk-in closet.
    “Thanks again. For everything,” I added sincerely. Even though my dry comments might have said otherwise, I truly was grateful that I had him and John looking out for me.
    “You’re welcome,” he said with a slightly bashful smile.
    The sight of it immediately took me back to prom night and the events that followed it, back to when he kissed me and I was too shell-shocked to respond with anything other than kicking him out of my bedroom. It was damn near impossible for me to describe my reaction, even to this day.
    Part of it had been out of anger— I felt like Allen had already fucked with my life enough.
    Part of it was because the moment his lips touched mine—I knew he was telling the truth.
    He really did love me. And in the split second when I allowed myself to just barely kiss him back, I could feel the fluttering of emotion in my heart.
    But how could I possibly explain that to him now without sounding like a total nutcase? Sure, refusing to speak to him had been a massive overreaction on my part, but back then the biggest concern of mine had been my reputation. After the embarrassment with Don, I couldn’t stomach the idea of sullying my reputation any further.
    And