Chapter 271

“That…” Steven’s voice breaks as a growl rumbles out of him. He clears his throat. “That’s not the nature of our relationship.”

Isn’t it though? The lines of our relationship are so fuzzy that I’m not sure what we are anymore, or what we should be.

I only know there are three marks on my neck, but four brothers I am found of. Steven is missing. He wants to be there. I want him there.

Why does it have to be complicated?

“I wouldn’t mind,” I say. “Though it’s okay if you don’t want to.”

“No, I…” I says quickly. His gaze drops once more onto my throat. “I definitely want to. Chloe, I…” His voice pitches lower. “Trust me, I want to.”

“I didn’t mean to pressure you,” I say. “We can forget it.”

“I’m not pressured. Nor do I want to forget it.”

“Steven…”

“I suppose… yes. It would be for the best if I left my mark on you too,” he says. “For your own protection.”

My protection? Archer said something like that too, right before he left his own mark. It sounded like bullshit then, and sounds even more like it now. But if that’s what Steven has to say to convince himself to give in to what we both want, then I won’t say a word to call him on it.

He must also know that it’s a blatant lie, but he doesn’t say a word either. Instead, he grips me by the upper arms and steps closer to me, until our bodies are mere inches apart. Then, he leans down.

I hold my breath, bracing myself for what I know is coming. With all the previous three brothers, the touch of their hot wet mouths to my bare skin enkindled a fire in my belly that stretch outwards. I expected it would be no different with Steven.

He hesitates a moment, his mouth hovering over my neck. I think of backing away. If he’s not comfortable, then he shouldn’t have to –

But then he lowers his mouth, clamps onto me, and those thoughts fly straight out the window.

My body ignites. My nipples harden and my pussy gets wet. I claw at his shoulders, desperate for purchase, for an anchor in the waves of desire that are crashing onto me.

Then Steven adds teeth and, forget the anchor, I’m totally lost. I throw my head back and moan. This must set a fire in Steven, because he slots his thigh between my legs and drags me up onto it. When my chest is pressed to his, his arms wrap around my waist, locking me there.

I grind against his thigh and he growls into my skin.

It’s so fucking hot, I gasp. “Steven… ohh…”

When he finishes his mark, he leaves another, and then a third, creating a line of love bites down the column of my throat. He’s careful to avoid the other marks though. It’s only clean, fresh skin that he mars with his affections.

His hard dick tents his pants, pressing out against my hip bone. I roll my hips on his thigh, purposefully pressing against his cock. He growls and I whimper.

If this keeps up, I’m going to fuck myself on his thigh, all while making certain he comes too.

Through my lust-addled mind, a brief moment of clarity invades my thoughts.

He’s waiting for his love.

Arg! Curse you moral compass!

I suddenly shift, so that I’m pushing on his shoulders, rather than pulling him in. He doesn’t let up right away.

“Steven,” I say, trying to get him to come to his senses. “That’s enough.”

That wakes him up, and he all but actually jumps away from me.

His entire face turns bright red. “I didn’t… I’m sorry… Chloe…” He stops and starts several times, as if his thoughts are still scattered and he’s flailing to collect them.

I know the feeling.

“It’s okay,” I say.

He nods. His lips are kiss-red from leaving his marks, and my neck tingles with a pleasant sting. His gaze drops again to my neck. His dick is still rock hard in his pants.

I swallow thickly, realizing that I am no less turned on either.

“I have to go!” I say, and turn away. I rush to the door.

Am I running away? Yes, absolutely. But I don’t trust myself to stay. I want him desperately right now. Gods, if I stay, I’m liable to tear off my shirt and bra so he can leave marks all over my chest.

Not helpful, imagination!

I move quickly out of the garage and into the nearby half-bathroom, where I splash cold water on my face.

“Pull it together, Chloe,” I scold myself as I look up into the mirror. Cold water drips from my chin. “You are a grown adult woman, not a horny teenager. He doesn’t want you this way.” I smack my hands against my cheeks. “Pull it together!”

By the time I leave the bathroom I am less horny but more frustrated. I sigh as I seek out Mom to help distract me from these shitty feelings.

I find her in the living room. She’s sitting on the ground with Mia, playing with some toys I’ve never seen before. When she found out I was bringing the baby, did she run out to get toys? It wouldn’t surprise me.

Neil is also there, but he’s sitting on the couch sipping coffee while looking at his phone. He acknowledges me with a nod when I enter.

Mom doesn’t seem tuned into my presence at all.

“Hi, Neil. Hi, Mia,” I say, purposefully excluding my mom to make a point.

“Oh, sorry, honey, I didn’t hear you… come in…” Mom turns around. The minute she sees me, her gaze drops to the absolute state of my neck.

Is it that bad? Gods, I didn’t even think to check when I was in the bathroom, afraid looking on the marks would have the opposite effect of cooling me down.

Mom’s eyes go wide for moment. A very long, awkward moment.

Even Neil looks at her with something like concern.

“Uh… everything okay?” I ask.

If she’s going to bring this up, let it be here and now. I’m not sure I could survive this conversation in front of my step-dad, or Wyatt, or any of the other brothers. Neil gets jealous but he remains the most sensible of the lot, most of the time.

Honestly, I wish he wasn’t here for this conversation either, but one was better than the rest. I’d take what I could get.

“Mom?” I ask when she looks like she’s still in shock.

But then, in an instant, between one blink and the next, her entire demeanor changes from surprised into speechlessness to a look of such blatant blind hope that it makes my heart lurch.

“Chloe,” she says, and the hope even seeps into her voice.

I expected a scolding, or a serious talk about boundaries under her roof. Something. Maybe even a birds and bees talk, though we’ve already embarrassingly had some of those in the past.

I certainly did not expect her to look at me like I’m the last hope for a bright future.

She smiles. “When can I expect grandchildren of my own?”

My thoughts slam to a halt.

Neil spits out his drink.