Getting Mine: A Stepbrother Romance Read Free Page A

This was going to be a hell of a lot harder than I originally thought. 
    “I'm going home.” Val announced to anyone that was listening. I can tell by how she said the word that she didn't mean her NYC apartment, she actually meant home. 
    I blow out my air. Going back there was something I wasn't looking forward to. Too many memories.
    “ We're going home,” I correct her. Val's my responsibility now. I'm here to do a job. Once she's safe, then I can get back to what I'm really good at; busting heads. “I just need to pick something up on the way.”
    Boston... I could've lived the rest of my life without ever going back there. That's where Val and I first met. That's also where everything fell apart.

Chapter 3
    Valentine
    Past
     
     
    Don't be a weirdo stalker, Valentine. I repeated that to myself every morning when I passed his house. I kept my head down, carelessly thumbing through Twitter on my phone. My eyes darted gingerly toward his house, hoping to get a look at him as I passed.
    I wanted to talk to him so bad, but I didn't have the nerve. It had only been a month since school started, I was running out of time. I needed to make a good impression on him before he found out how weird and awkward I was.
    Who was I kidding?
    The sooner I got that ridiculous fantasy out of my head the better. My classmates automatically assumed I was this stuck up bitch just because of who my father was. The hope for having any real friends here dried up a long time ago.
    Suddenly I heard squeaky barking followed by Arsen cursing, and then I was attacked. A little ball of fluff hurled itself through the open chain fence and crashed into my legs, getting knocked on its back for the effort. I immediately bent down to pet my tiny attacker, but the puppy seemed to want to roll around my hands and legs rather than stay put.
    Arsen stormed out a second later, looking winded, like he'd been chasing this little guy around all morning. “Grab that runt, would'ya?” He didn't sound pleased.
    My throat dried out when I saw that he was shirtless. A light sweat glistened on his olive skin from the morning sunlight. I think I found a new late night image to keep me warm before bed.
    Arsen typically kept himself looking immaculate, probably for all the girls in his fan club. Not this morning, though, his hair and clothing was a disheveled mess. He looked less GQ handsome and more ruggedly hot. It felt like I was glimpsing behind the well-maintained facade to the real Arsen. I was seeing him more intimately than any of the girls he took home.
    Arsen looked me over. His eyes flitted down to my Doc Martin's, and leggings, then up past my purple skirt and black superhero tee. It was the kind of look that made my bones turn to Jello, and one that I'd carry in my mind every time I took a shower.
    I reached for the little golden retriever as an excuse to not meet his eyes and turn into a puddle. The puppy was too quick. He darted away, then dove back at me again, wanting more of whatever game we were playing. “He's adorable. What's his name?”
    “Not sure yet.” Arsen towered over both me and the dog. “I'm somewhere between 'stop chewing on that, you little asshole,' and 'get the fuck out of there'.”
    “Tough choice.” I idly brushed my bangs further to the side of my face. “Both names just roll off the tongue.”
    “My dad dropped him off for me as an early birthday present before he was redeployed with his unit. I asked him for the new Xbox and he gets me a fucking dog.”
    The puppy flops unceremoniously to my feet and rolls over, begging for tummy rubs. I couldn't resist, but while I rub his sides, desperately trying to refrain from making any stupid baby noises. “Aww he just wants some love.”
    “He said the dog will help teach me responsibility or some shit. Be glad you don't have a Marine for a father. Nothing can ever be easy, they always want to teach you shit. You're Valentine, right?”
    Oh crap, he already knew my name!