Page 14 of Jet

“Hi,” she says, looking like she’s restraining herself. “Can I hug you?”

“Of course.”

“You sure? Because you don’t need to be polite. We respect boundaries in this home.”

“Thank you, but I’m sure. She squeals and then launches herself at me, wrapping me in a bear hug. This feels like what a mom hug should feel like, and I can’t help but relax into it. I see Kenny out of the corner of my eye, and he looks like he’s about to break out into happy tears.

Stella lets me go, eventually, and pulls me to the large couch. “Reed, say hello to Nicky?”

For the first time, I notice a teen sitting in an armchair opposite the couch, playing on their phone. They look up briefly, and I see my own eyes staring back at me.

That is so weird.

“Hey,” he says in a bored tone before turning to Stella. “What time is Booker getting here?”

Okay, so we definitely have one member of this family who is not in my fan club. Why did it have to be the teenager? Those fuckers can be scary.

“He’ll be here any minute,” Stella says to Reed with a frown. He just nods and goes back to his phone. “Kenny, have you warned Nicky about Booker?”

“Shit, no,” he says, running his hand through his hair, looking nervous. Which, of course, makes me nervous. Am I going to have to deal with two pissed-off brothers? Maybe staying for a visit this soon isn’t a great idea.

“Booker met a guy and needs help to track him down. When I mentioned that you worked with computers, he got it into his head that this meant you’d be able to help him find his man.” Kenny pauses when he sees me smirking. I can’t help it. This is my specialty. And if it will make one of these brothers like me, I’m all for it.

“Finding people is what I’m good at,” Kenny cocks his head but doesn’t say anymore. I have a feeling I’m going to get asked to expand when we aren’t around his-our-family. “I’d be happy to help Booker find his guy.”

I don’t add as long as Booker isn’t trying to find him for bad reasons, but I think it, and I mean it.

“Oh, he will be so pleased,” Stella says, beaming at me.

“It’s so weird seeing him lovesick over a guy,” Reed pipes up, looking at his mom and definitely ignoring me.

Before anyone else has anything else to say, there is the telling rumble of a motorcycle pulling into the driveway.

“That’s him,” Stella says, clapping her hands. She reminds me a little of Max’s friend Celeste, but a lot more happy. It’s a bit disarming. “We’re going to have all our boys together for the first time.”

Reed rolls their eyes. “You’ve only known about him for three weeks. Don’t make it sound like you’ve been waiting years for this moment.”

“Reed,” Kenny says, in what I’m guessing is his dad voice. He doesn’t have a chance to say anything else because at that moment, the infamous Booker crashes through the front door.

“I’m here, I can’t wait to meet my new-,” he says, walking into the lounge. It feels like all the air is knocked out of me the moment I lay eyes on his smiling face.

Dimples.

It’s the man from the bar. The man I left in my motel room half a week ago. The man who has constantly invaded my thoughts. The man who fucked me so good, I can still feel the ghost of his dick.

He’s here.

He’s Booker.

Shit.

He’s my stepbrother.

Maybe we can just play this cool. I mean, he is not going to want his parents to know we fucked. Why would he?

Be cool.

He’s looking at me, mouth agape. Clearly, his brain didn’t get the be cool memo. I stand up from the couch and plaster a smile onto my face.

---