My Sexy Stepbrother is a Werebear

HELEN

The doorway was occupied by what I could only describe as any red-blooded female’s walking fantasy.

Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome stared at me like I was a birthday cake and he hadn’t eaten in days. His hungry gray eyes danced all over my body, taking in my scantily clad figure.

I crossed my arms over my chest, but his searing gaze was like X-ray vision. I felt naked in front of him.

And maybe the tiniest part of me wanted to be…

Helen! Control yourself!

I was speechless as he moved in my direction. He towered above me, his tan, ripped torso bursting from the flimsy PJ pants hanging from his hips.

“Are you Sam?” I asked dumbly, tripping over my own tongue.

He nodded. “You must be Helen,” he said, the mouth between his perfect cheekbones splitting into a gleaming grin.

I nodded. “Uh-huh…”

Words were failing me. I’d regressed into a damn cave woman.

He slowed in front of me. Under my thin T-shirt, I felt my nipples point in his direction.

Why didn’t I put on a bra?!

I backed up against the granite counter as he reached toward me, our eye contact never breaking. I was pinned down by his rock-hard abs.

My insides instinctively clenched…

FUCK. How is he making me so wet without even touching me?

At least not touching me…YET.

HELEN!!!

I braced myself as his hand moved closer…closer…

What the hell was he doing?

His skin grazed mine…

Holy Mother of God!

I needed a fire hose full of holy water to put out the blaze in my lady garden.

“’Scuse me,” he said, opening the fridge. He took out a carton of milk. “Want some cereal?”

I was hungry all right.

For forbidden fruit.

“I…er…”

“Good mooooooorning!” Mom’s voice sang across the kitchen. Sam and I turned as our parents walked through the door.

And suddenly the spell was broken.

I can’t believe I’m getting turned on by my STEPBROTHER!

I glanced up at Sam. Sure, he was hot—but obviously I couldn’t get mixed up with him.

There were too many levels of wrong.

Maybe I was still a little drunk from the night before.

Clearly I wasn’t thinking straight.

I ducked away from him as Mom and Jack placed some honey jars on the kitchen island.

“Looks like you two finally met,” Mom said, smiling as she looked between Sam and I. I nodded quietly, hoping she wouldn’t notice the flush that was definitely coloring my cheeks.

How she didn’t share my hangover was as beyond me as quantum physics.

“We sure did,” Sam said. I avoided his eyes, but I could hear the smirk in his voice.

“You kids want breakfast?” Jack asked, eyeing the eggs and bacon I’d taken from the fridge. “I could eat a moose.”

“Not hungry!” I shouted as I hurried out the doorway, my cheeks burning. “I’m gonna go get dressed!”

I ran upstairs to my room as fast as I could.

A shower would set me right.

It had to.

***

The wedding was held in the backyard around noon.

Well, backyard might’ve been an understatement.

Jack apparently owned acres up here, so his backyard was more like his own personal forest. It was an unseasonably warm day in the mountains, and even I had to admit that the wilderness had a certain charm.

But it would’ve been a lot more charming without the bugs.

I was swatting the fuckers left and right.

We all stood in a fancy wooden gazebo—me at Mom’s side, Sam at Jack’s. I’d squeezed into a nice yellow dress I’d borrowed from Emma. The fabric clung to my curves like Saran Wrap, but my bestie had insisted that I wore it better than her.

Whatever you say, bish.

Mom wore a simple sundress, while the two boys had clean plaid shirts tucked into their nicest jeans.

There were only a few other guests. Joe Erling, Jack’s best friend, officiated the ceremony. He was accompanied by his wife Nina and son Luke, a strapping twenty-something who was nearly as hot as Sam…

I mean, NOT hot!

Mom had never had tons of friends, but still, the fact that I was the only person here for her was a little strange. It wasn’t like we were all alone in the world. We did have relatives—even if most of them were annoying as hell.

I could respect that Mom wanted an intimate wedding, though. She was a private person.

My dream was for Emma and me to have a co-wedding with twin Calvin Klein models, but I realized that wasn’t for everybody.

“…I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Jack Larsen. You may kiss the bride.”

I turned to watch Jack plant a big fat kiss on Mom’s lips. One of her legs shot backward into the air, like she was in an old-fashioned movie.

We all clapped, and my eyes blurred with tears.

It was great seeing my mom so happy.

Even if it did mean that I’d be spending more time in Bear Creek.

I wiped my eyes and slapped my forearm, squashing another black fly.

Fucking Bear Creek.

“One more thing before we move on to drinks,” Sam said, jumping in front of our parents. He gave Luke a mischievous wink, and Luke went running from the gazebo. The old people looked confused.

What does Sam have up his sleeve?

He caught my eye, giving me a wink too.

Why is this dude acting so into me? Does he realize how gross getting together would be?

There probably wasn’t much of a pool to choose from up here in the sticks, but that didn’t mean he had to resort to borderline incest.

Luke returned, lugging a big piece of wooden furniture. He placed it down in front of the gazebo stairs. Sam beamed at our parents.

“I made you guys a love seat to commemorate your special day,” he said proudly. “Elena, thank you for coming into our lives and making my dad the happiest bear in Man Creek…I mean—”

But his flub already had everyone giggling. Hell, I even cracked a smile—despite the fact that he was making me look like a garbage person for not getting Mom and Jack anything.

The love seat he’d made was absolutely stunning: carved with intricate designs that reminded me of Scandinavian folk art I’d seen in one of my art history textbooks.

Weird. Maybe it’s a Larsen thing?

Flushed with embarrassment, Sam continued: “Anyway, I appreciate y’all putting up with a roommate these past few months, and I promise it won’t be too long before I get my own place. You lovebirds deserve your own nest.”

“Oh, shut it,” Jack laughed, giving his son a tight hug. “You’re welcome as long as you like, you little scamp.”

“We love you, Sam,” Mom said tearfully, joining in. “What a thoughtful gift.”

I watched the three of them together. Maybe Sam wasn’t such a creep…

“Don’t think you’re getting out of this one, sis,” he said, smirking at me over our parents’ heads. “Family hug.”

With a mock sigh, I walked over to join. Sam pulled me into the tight circle, and for a moment, I was glad to be a part of this strange new family.

Then I felt a hand slide onto my ass.

I didn’t have to guess who it belonged to.

***

Everyone hung around after the ceremony for a barbecue. Getting to know my mom’s new friends wasn’t so bad.

It turned out the Bear Creekers pretty much drank like college kids, so at least we had that in common.

I spent most of the afternoon on the porch with a vodka and coke in hand, blabbing to Mom and Nina, who was super sweet. They’d become fast friends since Mom’s move and had spent a lot of time together. Not only were Jack and Joe besties, but Sam and Luke were too.

The guys spent most of the afternoon tossing around a football and guzzling beer.

Every now and then, I caught Sam staring in my direction with that same hunger he’d shown in the kitchen this morning. I tried my best to ignore him.

His country ass was probably just getting loaded.

As the sun began to set, the handle of Smirnoff ran out. I was burning through this shit a lot faster than expected.

“Want a beer, sweetie?” Mom asked as she splayed out in a deck chair. She waved to the open cooler nearby.

“I don’t drink beer, Mom,” I sighed. “It makes me bloated.”

“Oh, honey, stop it. You’re stunning,” Nina insisted. She was lying in the chair next to Mom’s. “You can eat and drink whatever you want.”

“I want another coke and vodka,” I replied. “And I have a feeling you do too.”

“Guilty,” Nina laughed, removing her oversized sunglasses to soak up the last rays of sun.

“Be right back,” I told them, and made my way around the house to get the last handle of Smirnoff from my trunk. Maybe I was blowing my load too quickly, but Mom only got married once.

Er…twice.

Shit. Did I drink too much?

I heard the guys’ voices ahead in the driveway. They’d left to smoke cigars a while ago, and I didn’t want to interrupt them. I hated the smell anyway.

I drunkenly decided to listen in on what they were saying. Maybe Sam was telling them all about his not-so-secret crush on me.

Perv!

A sexy perv…

HELEN!!!

“…I’ve heard Tove’s stirring up shit at the council,” came Joe’s voice. From my vantage at the corner of the house, I saw smoke plume in the air. “He’s not very happy about more outsiders coming up here.”

“Well, I’m on the council too,” Jack responded gruffly. “And I reckon I talk just as loud as him.”

Council? What the fuck are they talking about? By “outsiders,” did they mean my mom?

Me?

“Don’t do anything crazy,” Joe urged. “He’s been getting other members on his side.”

“I’m in love, Joe. You can’t expect me not to act a little crazy.”

“Jack—”

Suddenly, a throat cleared behind me.

“Hey, sis.”

Jack and Joe went quiet, and I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, Sam.”

“Penny for them?” My stepbrother turned me around to face him.

My temperature rose at his touch. He looked down at me, puffing his cigar with tight lips. I couldn’t read his face.

Is he pissed that I’ve been eavesdropping?

What have I heard that I wasn’t supposed to?

Why is he looking at me like that?

Luke appeared behind Sam, tossing the football up and down in one hand. Jack and Joe came over from the driveway.

I looked around at their silent expressions. All eyes were on me.

Fuck!

What did I do?

All I’d wanted was some vodka!