Filed to story: Crushing on My Enemy Stepbrother
I was a little self-conscious when Caleb stalked into my room and informed me that not only was he running me a bath, he was also going to sit in my room whilst I took it.
I did argue with him, heck, it’s hard enough thinking when I’m around him, but to know he’s right on the other side of the door whilst I lay here, naked with an unlocked door between us, (another insistence from the surly Hawthorne brother.)
There is something extremely intimate about washing yourself whilst a strong, brooding annoyingly handsome man sits just feet away from you.
‘Tessa, you OK?’ he voice calls out quietly, something he’s done regularly since I shut the door and climbed into the hot water.
‘Yes I’m fine’ I call back, ‘still awake and everything.’
I think my cheek might get me a snarky comment but instead a low rumbling chuckle comes through the door which warms me more than the bath ever can.
Lifting up my wrinkly fingers, I grimace before sitting up and pulling the plug out of the plughole, standing carefully with my hands gripping the edge of the tub to keep me steady.
The room pitches and I close my eyes, waiting for the nausea to pass before climbing over the edge and grabbing a towel, wrapping it around my small frame.
‘I’m coming out’ I say loudly, not wanting to just open the door and find out that Caleb is leaning against the other side.
Waiting a few seconds, I grab the handle and push it down, pulling the door toward me and stepping outside to find Caleb sprawled across the bottom of my bed, playing on his phone.
My breathing speeds up at the sight of this hugely masculine man on my bed, will my sheets smell like his cologne now?
‘Everything OK?’ he asks, pushing himself up to a sitting position and placing his phone in the back pocket of the jeans that he’s now wearing, having gotten changed just before I went into the bathroom.
If I thought his ass looked nice in a suit and sweatpants, I was not ready at all for his ass in jeans. The man could be a lumberjack with those tight buns, I bet I could bounce a quarter off them, they look that solid.
‘Tessa?’ he calls out again, and I quickly push away all thoughts of the man’s ass as I focus on him.
‘Yes, I’m fine’ I reply, smiling over at him, ‘I had a little wobble when I stood up from the water, but . .’
I’m cut off by Caleb jumping up from the bed, moving toward me and engulfing me in his strong arms as he leads me toward the bed.
‘I knew I shouldn’t have let you be in there alone’ he mutters to himself, ‘you could have fallen, hurt your head even worse.’
He pushes me gently until I sit down on the bed, eyeing him in surprise as he starts to walk around my room, opening my drawers without asking and pulling out clothes for me.
‘You like the bunny ones right?’ he asks distractedly as he pulls out my favourite pair of comfort sleep pants.
‘umm, yeah, I like those ones’ I agree, trying to figure out how to ask him why he’s going through my drawers at all.
‘OK, do you need underwear?’ he continues, his hand moving to my top drawers, it seems with no intention of stopping.
‘NO!’ I practically yell at him, pushing up from the bed and stumbling toward him, ignoring the blinding pain that flares in my mind as I slam my hands against the drawer next to the one he’s about to open.
Raising an eyebrow at me, his gaze moves to my hand as I turn my body so I can lean against the handle, blocking it from his view.
‘I’ve seen panties before Tessa’ he mutters, ‘I’m not going to freak out over a few scraps of lace.’
I shake my head vehemently, gripping my towel tightly with one hand and using the other to support me against the chest of drawers.
‘I can get my own underwear’ I squeak, ‘honestly, you’ve done more than enough! Please, feel free to go back to your room, I’ll be fine.’
I can see the wheels turning in his mind as I silently will him to leave, to not ask further questions, yeah, I forgot who I’m talking about.
‘What’s in there Tessa?’ he rumbles, stepping closer to me as I stand my ground. Even his heady scent wrapping around me isn’t enough to make me drop my guard.
‘Nothing’ I reply, overly innocently, ‘there is nothing in there, I just don’t want you rummaging through my unmentionables, is that too much to ask?’
I’m not fooling him, I know I’m not, and from the fire that burns in those deep blue eyes, I have a feeling he knows exactly what I’m hiding. I fight the blush that threatens to crawl up my neck, it’s perfectly natural! Yes, I could use my hand like men do, but why bother when there are so many boyfriends with batteries that will do the job for me, and do it well?
Caleb’s nostrils flare, his eyes becoming hooded as he inches further into my personal space.
‘Have you got something I wouldn’t approve of in that drawer Tessa?’ he growls.
‘N n n n no’ I stammer, oh God, please don’t make me show you!