Page 63 of Stepbrothers with Benefits
“Fuck you,” I hissed at him, trying to kick him under the table. Which, of course, prompted him to evade my attempts but lash out to kick me back. Our legs flailed all over the place until Moira barked at us to stop, while the rest of the family ignored us, including Micah, who was clearly more patient than his mother.
“Fine, fine,” I sighed, letting my leg relax only to stiffen when Eli’s leg came to rest across mine. Not that it was unusual for part of him to unconsciously rest against me, but it hadn’t happened for a few days. It had in fact not happened since he’d decided...what? He was curious? Maybe a little bi? Maybe just into me? I had no idea because I was still giving him time tothink things over. At the same time, I slowly lost my mind, torn between desperately wanting more because that had been just a sample as far as my brain was concerned, and slowly losing my shit as I panicked over whether it was going to change our relationship in the worst ways possible.
I glanced at him as he leaned over to say something I didn’t catch to Micah, the kid snorting into his plate of pie. If he knew what he was doing, he showed no sign. He’d had a drink before dinner on top of the one he was nursing; it might make him relax and not think about what he was doing. I had been drinking too, but that meant I was even more aware of what I was thinking and feeling, and at that moment, I was distracted by the presence of his leg.
His leg.
Jesus. Was that all it took for me to lose my mind? A leg touching mine?
Apparently, getting the chance to blow him had unlocked the Victorian in me because the mere touch of his calf against my shin was driving me insane. All I could picture was what it would feel like to have our clothes gone so skin could meet skin. To run my hands up his legs to his thighs like he had done with me, and see if I couldn’t find places with my mouth that would draw out the noises he’d made that were still circling in my head.
I heard my name and sat up straight, looking for the source. The problem was, everyone was looking at me, and I couldn’t recall the voice. I cleared my throat, feeling my face warm. “Uh, yeah?”
Mom looked at me, a piece of pie hanging on a fork as she frowned. “I was going to ask something else, but...areyou okay?”
“I was zoning out,” I said with a grin, hating and loving the mild thrill that shot through me when Eli’s leg moved against mine lightly. “What’s up?”
She watched me for a moment longer. “Well, how about I ask both of you since you’re practically the same person most days...I haven’t heard much from you both, so I want to know what’s new?”
“Uh,” I began, glancing at Eli, who was taking a piece of pie, providing no help in deciding what to say.
What, tell her that just the other day I’d been sucking Eli off and was currently wondering what it would take to lure him back to one of our old rooms, preferably mine, where I knew there was still lube from the last time I’d stayed at the hotel with Raf, and see what other things he might be curious about?
Oh, wait...there was something else I should probably bring up.
“Marshall found me,” I said, and watched Eli’s movement for more pie pause, his eyes flicking toward me and then sliding toward our mom. Everyone but Mom looked confused, although there was a thought on Mason’s face, as if the name rang a bell.
“He found you?” she asked slowly.
“I guess he had more information to work off than I did,” I said with a frown. “I guess that makes sense. He knew my name and where I was from, which was more than I ever had about him.”
“And here I had hoped his name wouldn’t pop up again,” she muttered, glancing at Mason. “Would you be so sweet as to?—”
“Dirty?” Mason asked, pushing back from the table.
“Absolutely filthy,” she replied, flashing a brief and troubled smile.
“See, that’s what I don’t get,” I said between clenched teeth. “Youkept hoping his name wouldn’t pop up again, like it was something that could just be buried.”
“I wanted it to stay buried; it was much better that way for years.”
“And when was it gonna stop, Mom? When was what I wanted going to get through whatever drama you have going with him? Pretty one-sided drama from the sounds of it.”
“What has he told you?”
“Not much, he hasn’t offered anything because I haven’t asked...yet. But I figured I’d give you the chance to tell me more now that your only other option is for me to ask him,” I said, not caring if it was underhanded. So was keeping information from your kid about their other biological parent, and without even explaining why that information was being held back. “I’m a grown ass man.”
“You sure sound like it,” Mason said snidely as he mixed at the small bar in the corner of the dining room we used solely for family dinners.
“Fuck you, Mason,” I snapped. “You might have answers about your dad, but I don’t have that luxury.”
“Milo!” Mom gasped as heads around the table snapped to me with a mixture of shock, anger, and worry.
“Watch it,” Jace growled at me.
“You can fuck off too,” I told him, jutting my chin toward him.
Jace gave another low sound but stopped when Mason turned, martini glass in hand, that he set down in front of our mother, his other hand coming to rest on Jace’s shoulder, squeezing. At the same time, Eli’s hand came to rest on my leg and gave a squeeze. It was a warning and a distraction, and my attention splintered momentarily. Eli was trying to tell me to ease off, but I was also caught up by the sensation of his fingers curled firmly around my thighs.
