The stepbrother I shouldn't want

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: The Morning After

Chapter 32: The Morning After

"You’re staring again."

I blinked. Lucian was propped on one elbow, watching me with gray eyes still soft from sleep.

"I’m observing," I said. "There’s a difference."

"That’s my line." He smiled. "You stole it."

"I steal a lot of things." I kissed his shoulder. "Your bed. Your shirt. Your terrible coffee."

He laughed, low and rough. "Keep the shirt. It looks better on you anyway."

I was wearing his white t-shirt, the hem hitting mid-thigh. His eyes dropped to my collarbone, then lower, then back to my face.

"You’re distracting," he said.

"You’re easily distracted."

"Only by you." He caught my hand and kissed my knuckles one by one. "Ever since you pulled back that sheet, you’ve been the only thing I see."

I felt my cheeks warm. "That was a medical examination."

"It was not." He tugged me closer, his hand sliding under the shirt to my hip. "You were checking me out. Every inch."

"Maybe."

He rolled me onto my back, pinning me beneath him. His mouth found my neck.

"Lucian..."

"Mm?"

"Breakfast. I’m supposed to make you breakfast."

"Later." His thumb traced the edge of my panties. "You’re too cute to leave this bed."

"I’m not cute."

"You’re adorable." He kissed the corner of my mouth, then the center, his tongue sliding against mine. "Your palms are so small." He laced his fingers through mine and held our hands beside my head. "Look at this. My hand swallows yours."

I looked. His fingers dwarfed mine, rough and warm.

"Small hands," he said, kissing my wrist. "Big heart. That’s the trade."

"Lucian..."

"Don’t go." He pressed his forehead to mine. "Stay here. Five more minutes."

"Your five minutes turn into an hour."

"Then an hour." He rolled his hips, slow and deliberate. "I don’t care. I want you here."

My phone rang from the floor. We both ignored it.

It rang again. And again.

Lucian groaned against my neck. "Someone really wants you."

"It’s probably Priya." I tried to sit up, but his hand held me in place. "Lucian. I have to answer."

"One more kiss."

He kissed me hard, his tongue pushing deep. I bit his lower lip. He cursed and kissed me harder.

When we broke apart, both breathing hard, the phone had stopped ringing.

"She’ll call back," I said.

"Let her." He nipped my jaw. "You’re mine right now."

I swatted his shoulder and rolled out of bed. I found my phone on the floor. Three missed calls. All Priya.

I hit redial and walked to the kitchen.

"Eliora?" Priya’s voice was sharp, relieved, then suspicious. "Where are you?"

"I’m out."

"Out where? You’ve missed two lectures. The practical on arterial blood gas? You weren’t there."

I leaned against the kitchen counter. Lucian emerged from the bedroom in sweatpants, wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, and rested his chin on my shoulder.

"I’m sorry," I said. "I just needed a night."

"A night with who?" Her voice dropped. "Eliora. Are you with him?"

I stepped away from Lucian. His arms fell to his sides. I walked to the window.

"Yes," I said. "I’m with Lucian."

A pause. Then: "Your stepbrother. The one with the mysterious bruises."

"He’s not..." I stopped. "It’s complicated."

"It’s always complicated with you." She sighed. "I covered for you. But you need to come back. Today."

"I know. I’m coming."

"And Eliora?" Her voice softened. "You sound happy. And scared. Both at the same time."

I looked at Lucian. He was leaning against the counter, watching me.

"I am," I said quietly. "Both."

"Be careful. You don’t walk away from broken people. But sometimes they break you too."

"I know."

"Call me when you’re back."

"I will."

I hung up and turned around. Lucian hadn’t moved.

"You need to go," he said.

"I need to go."

He uncrossed his arms and walked to me. He stood close enough that I could feel the warmth of him.

"I don’t want you to leave," he whispered.

"I don’t want to either."

"Then stay. One more hour. One more minute. Just stay."

I kissed him, soft and slow. "I have classes. You have whatever you’re doing today."

"Hiding from my father. Selling things. Preparing for Friday." He said it flatly. "The usual."

I pulled back and looked at him. The shadows under his eyes. The sharp collarbones. The way his shoulders sagged just slightly, like he was carrying something too heavy for one person to bear alone.

"About Friday," I said.

He tensed. "What about it?"

"The money. The balance." I took his hand. "You said you have most of it."

"I do. It’s enough."

"And if it’s not?"

"Then I figure it out." He looked away. "I’ve been figuring it out for three years."

"You’re good at destroying yourself." I grabbed his jaw. "There’s a difference."

He didn’t answer.

"Let me help," I said. "I have some savings. Not much, but..."

"No." His voice was firm. "This isn’t your debt. I won’t let you pay for my mistakes."

"It’s not a mistake. It’s Noah’s. And you’re still protecting him."

"He’s my brother."

"And I’m the woman who loves you." I kissed his knuckles. "Let me help. Even if it’s just being there. Holding your hand while you hand over the check."

He was quiet. The refrigerator hummed.

"I don’t deserve you," he said finally.

"Probably not." I smiled. "But you have me anyway."

He laughed, surprised. He pulled me close and kissed my forehead, my cheek, the corner of my mouth.

"You’re so beautiful," he murmured.

"You tell me every day."

"Because it’s true every day." He cupped my face. "I look at you and I forget what I owe. I forget who I am. I just see you. And for a second, everything else disappears."

I kissed him. Soft. Deep. He groaned, his hands dropping to my thighs, lifting me onto the counter.

"Lucian..."

"I know." He rested his forehead against mine. "You have to go."

"I really do."

"Then go." He stepped back. "Before I do something stupid."

I slid off the counter and walked to the bedroom. He followed, leaning against the doorframe, watching me dress.

"Stop looking at me like that," I said.

"Like what?"

"Like you want to eat me."

"I do want to eat you." He smirked. "That’s not a secret."

I threw his shirt at him. He caught it one-handed.

"I’ll drive you," he said.

"You don’t have to."

"I want to." He crossed the room and pulled me against him. "Plus, I don’t like strangers looking at what’s mine."

"I’m not yours."

"Aren’t you?" He kissed me, quick and fierce, then released me. "Get your things."

---

The drive was quiet. Lucian held my hand on the center console, his thumb tracing slow circles on my palm. The city passed by in a blur of gray buildings and bare trees, the winter light casting long shadows across the road. I watched his profile as he drove, the way his jaw tightened at every red light, the way his fingers flexed against the steering wheel.

He dropped me at the north entrance. He put the Jeep in park and turned to me, his hand finding my cheek.

"Call me," he said. "When you get to your room."

"I’m always safe."

"Humor me."

I leaned across and kissed him. Soft. Slow. His tongue slid against mine. I bit his lower lip. He groaned and pulled me closer.

When we broke apart, he rested his forehead against mine.

"I’ll call," I whispered.

"And Eliora?"

"Mm?"

He pulled back, his eyes serious. "Thank you. For the night. For the morning. For not running."

"I told you," I said, opening the door. "I’m not going anywhere."

I climbed out and walked toward the dorm, feeling his gaze until I turned the corner.

My phone buzzed as I reached my room.

Lucian: Drive safe. See you soon.

I smiled.

Eliora: You too. And Lucian?

Lucian: Yes?

Eliora: Your eggs were terrible. Let me cook next time.

Three dots. Then:

Lucian: There will be a next time?

Eliora: There will be many next times.

I set my phone down and looked around my small dorm room. Textbooks on the desk. Scrubs on the door. The photo of my mother and me on the nightstand.

I picked up the photo. My mother was smiling. I wondered if she was smiling like that now, in her new house with James, unaware of what her daughter was doing with her new stepson.

The flash drive was still in my jacket pocket.

Friday was three days away.

And I had a plan forming, slow and careful, in the back of my mind.

But for now, I let myself have this. The memory of his hand in mine. The way he’d looked at me like I was the only thing worth waking up for.

I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes.

Just for a minute, I told myself.

Just for a minute, I let myself believe that everything would be okay.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!