Forbidden Steps: A Stepbrother Romance Read Free Page A

swallowed, and took several measured breaths. Making his way to the stairs he slid down the wall and sat on them, trying to clear what felt like a rock in his throat.
    She didn’t blame him. He hadn’t missed the meaning, or the truth behind it. Not only did he not need to beg her forgiveness, she’d decided there was no fault to forgive.
    Colin didn’t know if he believed that. Right then and there what he believed didn’t matter. Only Ashley mattered. Ashley’s trust, her acceptance and her love—even if he received it from no one else, it didn’t matter. If no one was left on earth save him and the two girls—two women , he’d loved for so long, he’d be a happy man.
    As his head dropped back hard against the wall, Colin groaned. Imagining himself with both of them was a very bad idea. His hands had been full with one before enlisting. Both?
    If Ashley was anything like Steph, he wouldn’t survive a single night. The thought made him groan again. The guests better come quick. If not, he was going to the kitchen to bang his stepsister while she put icing on the damn cake.
     
    * * * *
     
    “Ashley grew into quite a beauty, didn’t she, Roland?”
    “Such a miracle. You must thank God every day for giving you such a miracle.”
    “Have the doctors told you if there’s any brain damage?”
    Stephanie clenched her fist around the knife and stabbed it into the cake. For the first hour of the party—which she considered a flop since Ashley’s mother had yet to show and had managed to spoil the surprise—Stephanie tolerated the gushing, the questions, the exaggerated shows of concern. Now she was fed up. Letting go of the knife, before she was tempted to use it on anyone, she turned slowly.
    Eyes burning with rage, Colin stood. Stephanie stepped up to his side, prepared to lash out with words to keep him from lashing out with his fist.
    Ashley skipped in front of them, mahogany colored curls bouncing off her shoulders, and faced their uncle, a big smile on her face. “No brain damage. Actually the doctors were amazed I made such a complete recovery. No neurological impairment, no dampening of nociception—you can’t believe how relieved I was to hear that…”
    Colin snorted and coughed back a laugh. Stephanie looked over at him, wondering what was so funny.
    At ease now Colin smiled, leaned close and whispered in her ear. “Nociception is the perception of painful stimulus.”
    Stephanie had to fight not to snort herself. So much for coming to her stepsister’s rescue. She obviously didn’t need it.
    The coma hadn’t killed Ashley’s spirit. In fact, it looked like it might have just given it some edge.
    “It must be so hard for you though…” An old lady—one of Steph’s great-aunts if she could remember correctly—was saying. “Waking up to find you’ve lost two years of your life… Then to find out that young man you were seeing…”
    “Bob.” Uncle Roland injected readily.
    The old woman smiled and nodded. “That’s right. Bob.” She gave Ashley a sickeningly sympathetic look. “Well to find out he’s dead.”
    Cold and detached, Ashley settled her light green eyes on the woman’s face. “No. Actually I’m just happy to know he didn’t kill anyone else. He was drunk. He shouldn’t have been driving. I was stupid to get in the car with him.”
    “Cake anyone?” Stephanie held up a plate with a slice, her tone loud enough to make it clear the subject was closed.
    The guests began to converge around the table. Stephanie handed out slices, her eyes drifting over to Ashley who had evaded Colin and was playing with the stereo. Several guests muttered complaints about the heavy metal she put on, but a glance from Stephanie silenced them. This was Ashley’s party, not a display of the miracle girl for their entertainment. If they didn’t like it, they could leave.
    The music made the atmosphere much more pleasant. Stephanie wasn’t crazy about the screaming and squealing