HUGE STEPS Read online

  “Abi, now you’re talking stupid,” Jared says in an unusually stern voice for him. “Cody has shit for brains and you need to stop talking badly about yourself.”

  Abi shakes her head, seemingly having none of it, and tries to stand up, swaying on her feet.

  “Yeah, I know you feel like you have to say that…but the reality of the situation is that Cody was out of my league. Simple as that. I’m carrying too much weight, right around here,” she says, gesturing to her waist, which I don’t understand at all. “And all this mess?” she says, pulling at a thick lock of hair, “it’s all coppery and just way too red. I’m nowhere near his usual level of hotness, or whatever you want to call it. He’s dated sorority girls in the past. I don’t really know how I got him to date me, let alone propose.”

  I’m just about to say something, my fist balling against my leg when Jared steps in again. “None of that is true, Abi. Like we’ve told you, and Shay’s told you, hell, like everyone’s told you… Cody is an idiot. He’s a total idiot for leaving you the way he did. And a coward. If he felt like things weren’t working out, he should have told you in person instead of letting his friend be the messenger boy. He acted like some kid in middle school, not a grown ass man.”

  I quickly nod.

  “And you know—you know damn well all the rest of it is just in your head. You’re beautiful, Abi, and you can have your pick of any guy you want. I guarantee it.”

  Jared looks at me, something stirring in his eyes that mirror mine, before adding, “…and any of those guys would be totally lucky to have you.”

  Maybe it’s just the fact that I’m on my third beer and it’s just starting to kick in, but I sense an interesting shift in the atmosphere of the room. Abi’s face flushes hard.

  Clearing my throat, I lean forward. “Yeah, I mean you didn’t even hear about half the crap we’ve heard about Cody. Right, Jared?”

  My brother nods in agreement, finishing off his third bottle. “Oh yeah. I remember one time we were hanging out at the college bar a couple years ago, I think you guys had been dating for like six months or something maybe, but we saw him at the bar. He was hitting on some of the younger freshmen girls, acting like he wasn’t with anyone. When we went over to confront him, he said he was just talking and we were jumping to conclusions but I know what I saw. What an asshole.” It takes a lot for Jared to call anyone an asshole, so his feelings on Cody are pretty obvious.

  “You think he was cheating?” she asks

  Jared glances at me, his eyes wary. “I don’t have any evidence of that, hon. If I did, we’d have come and told you what he was doing. There’s no way we would have let you marry him. But there were rumors. We thought you would have heard about this from your friends.”

  Abi shakes her head. “Maybe we could have told you,” I say. “But we didn’t know anything for sure. I’m not sure what you would have thought or done on the basis of he said, she said.”

  “And I guess none of it matters now. You see Cody for who he is now, and we know it feels shitty, but time will heal,” Jared says. Bloody hell, the guy sounds like Dr. Phil. I want to laugh but it’s definitely not an appropriate time. All of this just makes me wonder if I’m ever going to want to get married. It’s too much bloody drama. “We just didn’t want to ruin anything between you guys. And I mean, look at it this way… You never really know if you’re going to piss someone off by telling them something like that, you know what I mean?”

  Abi takes a moment, looking as though she’s really considering it. “Yeah… I guess you’re right. I probably wouldn’t have believed you guys if you told me back then. It’s still hard to believe, and that’s after knowing how crappy he treated me now. I mean I even have my own friends telling me how they didn’t trust Cody, like Bailey and Shay, and I still didn’t listen to them. So I probably wouldn’t have listened to either of you, either. When my friends tried to tell me that they didn’t trust him I went without speaking to either of them for a whole week. That was on me…that was really stupid.”

  “We’re all human. We all make dumbass mistakes, it’s just kind of part of life, I think. Take it from someone who makes a shit-ton of mistakes on the daily,” I say with a grin, popping open the next beer, and clinking it against the wine bottle in Abi’s hands.

  Abi smiles at me, taking another swig of her drink. “But you know what? Fuck Cody,” she says with added emphasis on the fuck. I let out a low whistle, almost wanting to joke on the fact that she never swears.

  “Yeah, fuck him,” Jared adds, the alcohol obviously getting to him, too.

  An immediate grin spreads across Abi’s face as she holds up the bottle of wine in the air. “I’m officially starting a new chapter in my life. You’re looking at the new and improved Abigail! No more pathetic people-pleaser Abi, No. I’ll do what I want when I want. I need to appreciate the things I have in this life, you know? I mean I’ve got this awesome apartment…” she says, gesturing around the room. “I’ve got this delicious bottle of wine.” She takes another sip, relishing it slowly. “I’ve got great friends and family…”

  At this, Abi leans against Jared’s shoulder, squeezing him, looking dazed but still bubbly at the same time. Jared shoots me a curious look as if to say what’s going on? I shrug my shoulder at him. She’s just drunk. That’s all it is.

  I no sooner think this to myself than Abi leans closer into Jared, nuzzling against his chest before tilting her face upward, and positioning her mouth over his, kissing him full on the mouth as if it’s no big deal.

  I shake my head, snapping to reality. What the hell just happened? Jared’s surprise expression tells me he’s just as shocked as I am, but his eyes flutter shut the next time her lips hover over his, and I can tell that he’s no longer shocked and maybe enjoying himself just a bit too much. Fucking hell. I want to shove him out of the way and take his place as her hands grasp at Jared’s biceps. I’m not sure what to do but what I do know is that Abi must be wasted and I don’t want her to do anything she’ll regret in the morning.

  “Whoa, whoa. I think maybe the wine got to you, Abi,” I say with a chuckle, trying to smooth it over as I break them apart gently.

  “Not the wine,” she murmurs gently, her eyes moving lazily from Jared’s to mine.

  I don’t believe her, though. My stepsister Abi has never given me any indication that she has feelings for Jared. Well, I mean, I have noticed the way she stared when we were all at the beach. Her complexion doesn’t exactly hide when she’s flushing either, but I just figured she’s a little nervous around us still. Now she’s kissing my brother and looking at me as though she wants to lick me like a lollipop on a hot summers day.

  Damn.

  Ever since that first day I saw her in the restaurant our parents had arranged for us to meet at for the first time, I’ve always had a thing for pretty little Abi. She doesn’t know how gorgeous she is. All those sweet freckles over her nose and her creamy skin that looks so soft. And those curves. I like my women to be women; wide hips and round asses. Thinking about her thighs and what it would be like to be held between them has kept me awake at night.

  “Jamie,” she sighs, leaning towards me, her gaze trained on my lips.

  Fuck. I know I know this is fucked up. This is rebound sex for sure, spurred on by a little too much of what’s in that bottle still clutched in her hand. I know I shouldn’t be letting her brush her soft lips against mine. I shouldn’t be savoring her warmth and the taste of sweet wine that’s still fresh on her lips.

  But I am.

  I’m an asshole for this. I know it but my brain’s already fuzzy from the booze, and my conscience is silenced by the pounding of my heart and the raging of my hormones. My hands don’t feel like my own as they trail up her shoulders, holding Abi in place as I kiss her back, coaxing open her mouth to taste more of her. The smell of her soft, coppery hair around the both of us is enough to do me in, and as I close my eyes I can hear the couch squeak as Jared moves behind her />
  I think he’s going to pull her away from me as I did before but she keeps on kissing me and when Abi eventually draws back it’s not because of my brother. Abi tips the bottle in my direction, waving it around with a grin. I look over her shoulder at Jared and his eyebrows have practically hit the ceiling.

  You’re probably thinking that we should be offended by Abi’s behavior. First, she kisses one of us, then the other. That’s not normal behavior. Except it’s not a first for me and Jared. It’s not a second or a third either.

  What can I tell you? There is just something so fucking raw and real about sharing a girl with my brother. I guess we just got used to playing together when we were kids and it carried on into adulthood.

  But this isn’t just any girl. This is Abi. This is our stepsister. And as much as I want to just let her carry on with what she started, I can’t be that guy. Even if I could, I know for sure that Jared couldn’t.

  “Abi,” I say softly. “We can’t do this, honey.”

  But when all the light and happiness leaves her face, I know I’ve made a terrible mistake.

  5

  Jared

  “You don’t want to?” Abi says to Jamie.

  She’s still clutching the bottle and there’s a quiver in her voice that doesn’t sound like it’s from the drink. I feel for my brother because this is not an easy situation. Abi is drunk. She must be, and even if she’s not, she’s definitely still reeling from the Cody situation. We can’t take advantage of her.

  She turns from my brother to me as though she wants to hear it from me too.

  “Abi, honey. You’ve been drinking.”

  “Yes,” she says slowly. Her face is blank and I don’t like it one bit.

  “And you’re still upset from what happened.”

  “Yes,” she says again. “So you think because I’ve had a few gulps of wine and I’m a bit emotional, that I can’t make a decision?”

  “It’s not that…”

  Abi cuts me off with her hand. “You know, Jared. I think, for the first time in a long time, I’m actually thinking crystal clear. This is my life. I get to make the decisions about what I do and don’t do. If I want to drink until I’m giddy and have some fun, why should that be something forbidden?” She takes another swig from the bottle, looking thoughtful. “You don’t want to, do you? You don’t find me attractive.”

  “What?” Jamie spits. “How the fuck can you say something like that?”

  She turns to him but doesn’t respond. My mind it blurry from the alcohol but I’m still lucid enough to get what this is. Abi needs to feel desired. She needs to feel like the gorgeous, sexy woman that she is, and the fact that she’s chosen me and Jamie makes my heart swell. She trusts us not to hurt her.

  I put my hand on her shoulder and turn her. “We want to, Abi,” I say softly. “You don’t know how much we want to. But are you sure.”

  She nods, her eyes a little wet as though my words have touched her in some way. She takes two more long swigs from the wine bottle as though she needs the liquid courage, then leans forward to kiss me gently. Abi’s lips are so soft, her breath sweet from the wine. I feel intoxicated when she draws away to do the same to Jamie. When she stands and takes both our hands, a shy smile on her face I can’t actually get my head around the fact that this is actually happening. I mean, it’s not as though I haven’t thought about it before. I’ve practically worn out my brain I’ve thought about it so much. In all the times I imagined this very thing, none of them had this blur around the edges, or this unreal feeling rushing through my veins.

  I don’t need to look at Jamie to know what he’s thinking because I’m thinking it too. It’s really happening. It’s really happening.

  “Whoa,” Jamie mutters as Abi pulls away from us, stroking at the stubble across his jaw. He must be thinking the same thing; we had no idea she’d ever be interested in either of us, much less both of us.

  Sweeping the coppery strands away from her face, I cup Abi’s cheek and smile. Before I know what’s happening, my body reacts on its own, and I’m pulling Abi into my arms, bringing my mouth down to hers and drinking her in.

  She tastes like warm sweet wine, but the scent of her strawberry shampoo is doing things to my brain. I wrap my hands up in red tangles and curls, dying to get as close to her as I can.

  Jamie comes up to us, and Abi pulls away, gasping as I drop my hands to her waist to spin her to face Jamie. There’s a soft moan as his hands slide over the round curve of her ass and he kisses her hard.

  I still can’t get enough of her either, and I move behind her, wrapping my hands up in her thick hair and pulling it away from her neck, giving me full access to the length of soft skin there. I trail my lips across the nape of Abi’s neck and down along her shoulder, slowly back up until I’m tracing the point of my tongue around the shell of her ear. Goosebumps stand across her skin, and I can feel her heart racing through her back. She feeling this just as much as we are.

  Abi’s hand slips back and I let out a sigh as she strokes me through my pants, my cock already straining against the unforgiving denim. I nip at her neck just as Jamie groans in front of us.

  “Fuck, Abi,” he hisses, her other hand probably busy working on him.

  I get the sudden urge to see more of her and lift the hem of her shirt up, pausing when I realize the seriousness of what’s going on here. “Are you sure?” I whisper against her ear.

  “Don’t stop,” she whispers back without hesitation. The sound of her voice tinged with arousal gets me even harder, and I pull the shirt over top of her head, revealing a plain pink bra.

  Fuck. It’s like unwrapping a present at Christmas. She’s exactly what I would have asked Santa for if I thought I had a hope in hells chance.

  Kissing the skin along her shoulders, I slide the straps down and unhook the back of the bra until it falls away from her.

  This time I turn her to face me so that I can get the full view, and man, it does not disappoint.

  Abi’s chest is flushed pink and she tries to cover herself up nervously almost as an instinct, but I gently push her hands down.

  “You’re perfect,” I say, meaning it.

  Jamie gets closer behind her, not wasting a moment, and begins biting at her ear and neck, the soft skin of her belly breaking out in more goosebumps, and her pink nipples standing out in a way that makes my mouth water. I lean down and kiss her again, wanting to taste her and feel the sounds vibrate in her throat as I slip my hand down the front of her sweatpants, past the thin elastic of her panties, cupping her warm pussy.

  She squirms against me, her breath erratic as I push against her with the palm of my hand grounding against her pubic bone. I feel the heat radiating from between her legs, even as she opens them slightly, and I can feel how Jamie’s slipped his hand behind Abi too, his fingers pushing deep inside her. She moans and I feel it in my cock.

  I trail my mouth down to her soft breasts, pressing kisses across them. When I wrap my lips around one of her nipples and suck, she squirms. “Oh,” she gasps.

  Thinking only of how good I want her to feel, I continue kissing down between her breasts and along her belly until I’m pulling down the pants and matching pink underwear, revealing everything that I’ve fantasized about for so long.

  Jamie’s fingers continue to move inside her and she gazes down at me with heavy-lidded eyes as though she’s drunk on what we’re doing.

  I feel the same way. I run my hands up her legs, spreading them a little wider so that I have the access that I need.

  I love Abi’s red hair. I know she’s conscious of it…the way it makes her stand out where ever we go, but I think that just makes her special. The hair between her legs is just as coppery and my cock kicks with anticipation. Abi’s shaking like a leaf and I rest my hand on her thigh to steady her.

  “I’ve got you,” I whisper before licking up one side of her pussy and down the other, teasing. I can’t help but smile against her when her thighs
quiver around me, urging me on.

  Above me, Jamie’s caressing her breasts, whispering how badly he wants to be inside her.

  I feel that way too, but first I want to show her how good I can make her feel.

  With Jamie preoccupied, I use my fingers to add to her pleasure, curling them up tightly and stroking the little sweet spot that has her gasping.

  “Ohhh,” she moans quietly, her legs shaking even more.

  “Does that feel good?” I look up at her, and etch the way she looks down at me with total lust in her eyes, to my memory forever. “Good,” I say, and flick my tongue against the underside of her clit, doing it once, twice. Abi’s legs shake so much that I’m sure she’s not going to be able to hold back from coming much longer, and just like that, Jamie is backing us up to the couch. He sits her on his lap and spreads her legs wide so that I can get even deeper. Damn. Knowing he’s holding her just slightly turns me on so damn much. Her hand comes to my head and I don’t disappoint her. With tiny flicks of my tongue, I send her over the edge and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

  “Oh god, oh yes, just like that,” she moans even louder this time.

  She squeezes her legs around me, desperate, and I give her exactly what she wants. Plunging my fingers deeper inside of her, I stroke her insides faster, circling her clit with my tongue in rhythm.

  Abi writhes against my face, her breath coming in pants.

  “You like it when he licks your sweet pussy?” Jamie growls, his mouth still on her neck.

  She quickly nods and her hips rise off the edge of the couch as if she were possessed. I hold her in place, my mouth sealed against her, tasting her as she lets out one last squeal, “I’m…I’m…I…”

  Her body jerks and I work my tongue faster, my fingers pumping in and out of her, helping her reach the climax she deserves.