Wanting by Lynn Burke

Addilyn

Having to share a bathroom, having Gideon’s body wash bottle sitting in my shower, and having his damn clothes falling short of the dirty laundry basket pissed me off.

But, oh the scent of that body wash…grass or something woodsy with a hint of sweetness that reminded me of my favorite candy, Swedish Fish. I sniffed it the next morning, filling my lungs—and frowning over the tingles between my thighs. He’d been nothing but a pain in my ass at school the day before, his scowls scaring off people who would have befriended and welcomed him to Anchorage.

If nothing else, he seemed hell-bent on keeping everyone except me at arm’s length.

He even sneered and showed his teeth each time Devon caught up to me in the hallways. While he obviously felt the need to protect me, I needed protection from him. He stood close enough to brush against me every chance he got. He stalked after me through the halls. He stared at me in ways that brought on the goosebumps—even when I couldn’t even see him, I could feel him.

Watching.

Waiting for a guy to touch me so he could finally hit someone with those fists constantly hanging at the ready by his sides.

Day one alone in his new, shiny Cherokee, and we drove to school in silence for all of thirty seconds before he started in on me.

“Nice car your mom bought me.”

“Yeah,” I forced a reply, hurt all over again by the fact Mother would spend that kind of money on a boy she hardly knew—all so she wouldn’t have to be bothered by taking me to school anymore. Mom hadn’t ever loved me that I could tell, but since Mr. Destil had made an appearance in her life, that fact had only become more evident. More hurtful.

“I think she might like me or something,” Gideon went on to goad me.

That remark didn’t require a response.

“Must be the dimples,” he continued, and I rolled my eyes. “They always get me what I want.”

He wouldn’t get anything from me, pretty face with dimples or not.

“Then flash them while begging my mother to break things off with your father so we can go back to the way they were before you two showed up.”

His chuckle caused my eyebrows to furrow.

“I don’t think so, princess. While the weather up here sucks, the new bedroom, shared bathroom, new car—kinda cool, really. I’m feeling like a spoiled rich boy.”

And two weeks earlier, he hadn’t been pleased about moving north.

Whatever.

Hands folded on my lap, I stared straight ahead, deciding to ignore him for the remainder of the ride.

“Hey, princess.” His voice didn’t hold a trace of teasing or sarcasm, but I refused to acknowledge him. “A word of advice?” he continued anyway. “My dad is full of shit. Don’t be drawn in by his lies. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself.”

I huffed a snort. That sounded like my mother—except for the nice wheels she’d bought for him. But I kept my lips clamped shut about her gift giving too. We didn’t need to go all bonding and shit over our selfish parents and what we really thought about them.

A few minutes later, Gideon mentioned Jenny making eyes at him at lunch the day before.

I didn’t respond, even though something ugly had twisted in my stomach when he’d checked her out. Even worse, she ignored how I’d told her he was a jackass and melted beneath his stare.

He bragged about a girl in his class asking if she could suck his cock.

That bit of news twitched my lips downward, but I didn’t reply. Rumor had it, the young Spanish teacher got caught staring at his ass. She’d probably suck his cock too, given the chance. Hell, half the school, guys included, would love to get on their knees for my gorgeous, breath-stealing stepbrother.

Jackass.

“I’ll bet,” he said while pulling into the parking lot, “if you let me slide that stick out of your ass, you wouldn’t be such a bitch.”

Eyebrow raised, I turned my head, giving him my best bitch face.

“Goddamn, you’re hot.” He grinned, flashing his dimples, sending a rush of heat to my cheeks. “All sweet pussy cat around your mom, but spitfire for me.” Shaking his head, he parked and adjusted his groin with a groan. “Makes my dick hard.”

Holy shit did he unsettle me in the worst way possible.

“Stay away from me today,” I snipped, my insides fluttering while I yanked open the passenger door.

“Not a chance in hell, princess.”

Jenny waited at the top of the stairs with Devon, her glance wandering over my shoulder to the jackass my mother had basically leashed me to. I could feel his damn stare on my backside.

“Hey, Addy,” she said at the same time Devon did.

Like always, he pulled open the door with a lovestruck smile. I flashed him a forced one along with a thank you before walking into the crowded foyer.

“See you after second period,” I told him and started off toward Jenny’s and my homeroom.

Jenny’s stare lingered on my face as she scrambled to move in beside me as though her feet had gotten snagged while checking out Gideon and his artfully mussed hair.

“What?” I snapped.

“You didn’t give it to him your first night beneath the same roof, did you?”

“Gross.” I went with my auto-reply for whenever she talked about Gideon and how much she wanted to climb his naked body like a tree.

“Both parents tucked in their bedroom, completely immersed in one another, Gideon a mere bathroom away, and you didn’t let him have his way with you?” She laughed, elbowing me hard enough I sidestepped to keep from stumbling.

“The hell, Jenny?”

“Stepbrother or no, I’d hand over my V-card to him without hesitation if he looked at me the way he stares at you.” Jenny snapped her gum, and I didn’t bother responding. She’d said those words quite a few times since meeting him.

Kids our age didn’t have much to do over the long winter evenings, and I’ll admit Gideon was hot enough to make me fantasize about that very thing the night before while lying in bed—even if it was disgusting and I planned on someone ten times more appropriate for all my firsts.

A lush shiver licked down my spine, and I didn’t need to turn to know he watched me. He hadn’t been kidding about being protective, and while I hated to admit it, his actions almost…endeared him to me a bit regardless of the crap he’d given me on the way to school. But like Jenny had said about the way he looked at me…

“He’s a fucking creep,” I muttered, remembering his heated stares over dinner while our parents ignored us and I attempted to ignore him.

“Still. I’d give it up to him without hesitation.”

I snorted a laugh. “Horny bitch.”

“You know it.” Jenny linked her arm through mine. “Have you stolen a t-shirt from his dirty hamper yet?”

“Gross.”

She laughed, and my lips quirked up for real for the first time in almost twenty-four hours.

By Friday, Gideon finally had enough with guys getting all up in my space.

Devon sauntered my way at the end of the day with a little shoulder bump, sticking closer than usual. The second I felt the energy licking over my skin that announced Gideon’s arrival, a different sort of goosebumps broke out over my arms.

I turned in time to see Gideon step in, chest to chest with Devon, hard enough the locker door beside mine clanged from the contact with his backside.

“You need to back the fuck off, let the princess breathe air that isn’t tainted by your stench,” Gideon growled, hands hanging like clubs at his sides, ready to whack-a-mole my friend down.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Devon shot back, shoving at Gideon—and not moving him an inch. “My father’s sheriff in this town, and all it’ll take is one word from me to land you in trouble.”

“I don’t give a shit who your dad is.” Gideon towered over him, his shoulders hunched and his entire body vibrating. “Leave my sister alone.”

“She isn’t your sister yet, dickhead.” Devon didn’t cower physically, but his voice gave away his fear of the big bad wolf.

Gideon eased up a bit and glanced over at me, his attention roaming from my narrowed eyes, down to my toes, and back up, lingering on my traitorous beaded nipples. “Got that right.”

All sorts of suggestive inflections filled those last three words, and I wrapped my arms around my books in front of me to hide what he and his hooded gaze caused. “Back off, Gideon. You can’t just go threatening my friends for no damn reason—especially the sheriff’s son,” I said, my tone firm.

Surprisingly, he did as told—and Devon ambled away, muttering a few curses.

“You should keep guys like that at arm’s length, princess,” Gideon said, his voice low and rumbling straight to my core even though his words sent heat flaring through my belly. “You can’t let them step all up in your face like that. They need to show you respect.”

“Like you show me respect?” I damn near spit at him. “I ought to kick you in the balls.”

Gideon leaned down, stealing my breath. His blue eyes glinted as he angled toward my ear. “I’d rather you sucked them,” he whispered, his hot exhale shivering across my skin.

“Jackass,” I whispered fiercely, disgusted over how my pulse throbbed between my thighs.

“Princess.” He ambled off like he hadn’t a care in the world, and since I had zero wish to walk home in the flying snow, I followed after him, the heat rushing through me in a terrifying mixture of anger and arousal I didn’t know how to handle.