Hard Fought (A Stepbrother Warriors Novel)(8)

As we turn to walk around, I spot a young woman silhouetted against the front door. She looks frozen for a moment, and then runs toward Carter. He laughs and drops his crutches as she nearly tackles him.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us!" she shrieks as she dangles from his neck. "You would do something like that!"

"Bree, I've only got one good leg here!" Carter protests, and she lets herself drop back down to the ground. She spots me and turns. Her gregariousness with her brother disappears, and she smiles shyly at me.

"I'm Lex," I say leaving my suitcase to shake her hand.

"Bree," she says. As I get closer, I can see that she's strikingly beautiful, with high cheekbones and long, thick blonde hair pulled up on top of her head. She wears boyish, baggy clothes, making her petite frame look even smaller. Even though I'm only five foot seven, I tower over her.

"Does Jack have a game this week?" I turn to ask Anne, with siblings on my mind.

"Yeah," Bree answers for her mother. She clears her throat. "I mean, I think so."

Anne nods. "I'll never get used to the NFL having football games on Thanksgiving, and I've had plenty of time to adjust." I'm not sure what she means, but I smile anyway. "So! Why don't you two get settled, and then we can reconvene in the living room! I know it's getting late, but I want a full report of the trip. And your father should be home soon," she adds, turning to me.

"Great," I reply with a smile. "See you in a bit." I take the handle of my suitcase again and Roger follows me, using the small stone path that hugs close to the side of the house and stretches all the way to the boat house. He helps me lug my suitcases up to the second floor, and I push the door open to my bedroom. "Thanks, Roger. Will I be seeing you around again?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm working here full-time now."

"Oh. Well, good then," I say, a bit surprised. He turns and walks back down the steps. I watch him go, wondering if there are any more changes around here I don't know about. Maybe my father hired him to drive Anne and her daughter around? Who knows...his motivations have always been difficult for me to understand.

I turn back toward my bedroom, pulling in my suitcases off the landing. It smells a bit musty in here, though I can tell someone's cleaned the dust off everything and left a window open. I sigh, trying to remember the last time I was here. It must have been the summer after my sophomore year, because I headed to France just after the start of my junior year.

I leave my bags by the sitting area, deciding I'd rather have a shower than unpack right now. I flick the lights on in the bathroom and strip off my clothes as the water warms up. I forgot how immediately sticky the Florida air can make me feel, even in November. Though I also didn't get a chance to clean up after having sex in the airplane bathroom, so that might not be helping matters.

I shiver even as I step under the hot water, remembering the way he touched me. He was so commanding, but still gentle. I run my fingers over the back of my neck where he kissed me, and can almost smell him in the air. My eyes fly open. I cannot let myself get all hot and bothered by him. I'm about to go hang out with his mom and his sister, for fuck's sake.





Chapter Six



My old bottles of shampoo and body wash are still in the corner of the shower, like I never left. I rinse myself off and hop out, digging through a suitcase to find a pair of shorts and a tank top. I slip on a pair of flip-flops that I never wore while I was in Europe, and head back down the steps, cutting across the lawn and around the pool to the doors at the back of the kitchen.

I reach for the handle and almost step forward into the glass when it doesn't open. Since when are these doors kept locked? I spot a new keypad on the side of the door and peer into the bright kitchen. No one's there. I sigh, and start knocking, wondering if I should just walk around to the front and ring the bell. I spot a flicker of movement by the hallway and cup my hands over my eyes. I knock louder.

Carter appears at the other end of the kitchen, looking around in confusion. It's strange to see him here, in my house. I almost pull away, but I do want to get inside. I knock again and his head snaps in my direction. He walks closer on his crutches and I wave as he peers toward me, knowing I'm against a dark background and he might not be able to see me. He finally recognizes me when he's a few feet away and opens up the door. I smile as I see he also took a shower, and have to stop myself from admiring the way his shoulders look in his plain white t-shirt.

"Is this all one house?" he asks abruptly.

"What do you mean?"

"It's enormous."

"Oh, yeah. I guess I'm sort of used to it."