Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 22967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
“Oh, wow,” she says with a big smile. “It looks wonderful, August!”
August nods in agreement while keeping his heated eyes locked on me. “She is stunning. The most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”
I swallow hard as my cheeks burn.
Mom suddenly remembers that I’m here. “Oh, August! This is my daughter and your new stepsister, Harmony. Harmony this is your new stepbrother, August.”
I can feel my heart pounding throughout my body as he slowly approaches like a tiger about to devour me whole.
“Hello,” I say, sticking my hand out for him to shake. I realize I have white icing on my finger, so I bring it to my lips and suck it off.
He inhales long and hard as he watches my mouth. He licks his lips. My nipples harden. God, he’s so fucking hot.
I stick my trembling hand back out and he grins. “Families don’t shake hands,” he says in a deep sexy voice that has me all tingly and woozy. “Families hug.”
Suddenly, I’m being pulled into his big warm muscular body and those strong hard arms are being wrapped around me. I get all lightheaded in the best possible way as I breathe in his intoxicating scent—musky aftershave mixed with the fresh pine smell of a Christmas tree. If it was a cologne it would be called XXX-Mas.
“Oh, isn’t this nice?” Mom says, fawning over us. She tilts her head as she watches us with watery eyes. “I just love it when families come together.”
If she knew the dirty depraved thoughts running through my mind right now, she wouldn’t be all emotional like this. She’d be horrified. She’d think I was a sexual deviant for lusting over my stepbrother.
“Hold that hug,” she says as she starts looking everywhere for her phone. “I want to take a picture. Brandon, have you seen my phone?”
Brandon finally gets up from where he’s been messing around with the tree stand and helps her look.
“Take your time,” August says as he holds me.
My heart is pounding so hard, I’m sure he can feel it.
Mom returns with the phone, takes a few awkward pictures, and then I pull away with my cheeks on fire.
“It’s nice to meet you, August,” I say shyly.
Gawd, this is horrible. Why the heck am I acting like this? I’m way too obvious with my blushing cheeks and trembling voice. I’m as subtle as a teenager who just ran into her biggest crush in the school hallway.
“The pleasure is mine, Harmony,” he says as those fierce brown eyes look me up and down.
I have to get away from this guy before my mom reads it all over my face. She was distracted with the dog, the tree, and then taking a picture, but she’s a sharp one. It will only be a matter of time before she realizes her daughter and her stepson are standing in the middle of the living room, eye-fucking each other.
I force my eyes away from August and head back to the table. “Do you like decorating cookies?” I ask as I slip back into my seat.
“I love cookies,” he says in a low voice, his eyes still on me as he walks over. “I bet your cookies are delicious.”
I glance at our parents to see if they heard that, but they’re busy looking at the pictures my mom just took.
There’s obviously some attraction here, but at least I’m trying to be subtle. August is anything but.
It’s not like we can act on it anyway. There’s no way that’s going to happen.
I mean, we’re family now.
And I’ve done enough damage to my mom’s side of the family. I’m trying to repair things, not douse my relationships in gasoline and throw a match.
I don’t care how hot August is or how hard my heart keeps beating whenever he looks at me like that. This is a fire I’m not starting.
We’re going to keep this platonic. We’re going to act like a normal brother and sister.
We’re going to be good.
I keep my eyes on my gingerbread angel as he sits across from me. I can feel his heated eyes running along my body. It’s making the tiny hairs on my arms rise, it’s making it hard to breathe, and it’s making it nearly impossible to decorate this damn cookie properly.
“I’ll put some more coffee on,” Mom says. “And we can all get to know each other properly.”
Brandon grabs the coffee filters out of the cupboard to help her.
“How do you take your coffee, August?” she asks.
“Extremely hot,” he says, and then he whispers under his breath, “just like my stepsister.”
I swallow hard as I force my eyes up to glare at him.
He grins. I hate that it’s such a sexy sight.
“Stepsister,” I whisper, giving him a warning look. “We’re related now by the way.”
He lifts his eyebrow and gives me a carefree shrug before picking up a cookie and a piping bag.