Vacation with my Stepbrother: A Forbidden Stepbrother Romance Read Free Page B

right then, forcing my thoughts into another direction.
    “Hope you guys are hungry!” my mom sang out, as she set a perfectly cooked steak onto the plate in front of me.
    She finished passing the food out to everyone and then she and Don took their seats at opposite ends of the table. Don reached forward and grabbed his glass of wine, holding it in the air.
    “I’d like to make a toast,” he said. “To my son, who is now officially a Marine and to my daughter, who finished her first year of college.”
    Everyone held their glasses in the air and clinked them together. Then we all took a sip. I was about to dig into the steak, when my mom spoke up.
    “Before we eat, Don and I would like to share something with you kids,” she said, excitedly. “We decided that you both deserve a reward for everything you’ve accomplished this year.”
    Danny shook his head, chuckling under his breath.
    “Nikki finished her first year of college,” he said, sarcastically. “Do you really consider beer drinking to be a major accomplishment?”
    My mom playfully slapped Danny on the shoulder. “Danny, stop it.”
    I couldn’t believe it. It was like my mom didn’t take anything that he said seriously. Was I the only one who saw him for who he truly was?
    “Anyway, Don and I both agreed that it was time that we do something for you kids,” she continued. “And so, after much debate on exactly what that thing should be, we finally decided on...”
    Then she paused. I could practically hear the drum roll in my head.
    “A vacation,” she finally said.
    My head slowly cocked to the side as I looked toward her.
    “A vacation?” I asked.
    She nodded excitedly in response.
    “Yes, Don and I thought that we’d surprise you two with a little vacation. We didn’t know where we should send you and it took us a while to figure it out. It was a toss up between Hawaii, San Diego and Costa Rica. You’ll be happy to know that we decided on Costa Rica. The plane tickets are purchased and your house on the beach is rented. There’s nothing you need to do, except pack your bags.”
    All of it sounded absolutely amazing, except for one little thing.
    “Hold on,” I said. “Did you say you’re sending us somewhere? Like just Danny and I? You and Don aren’t going?”
    My mom laughed as she reached over and placed her hand on my forearm.
    “No, Don and I aren’t going,” she said. “This is a vacation for you and your brother. Besides, even if Don and I had wanted to go, there was no way that we’d be able to get the time off of work. Since Danny has at least a month off and you have the entire summer, we thought it would be the perfect time to treat you guys to this.”
    Mixed emotions filled me. On the one hand, I hadn’t left the country before. So one big item was about to be checked off of my bucket list. That part I was excited about. But on the other hand, I was getting sent to another country with the most arrogant, self-centered and sarcastic person to ever grace the Earth. And I knew that once we got there, he’d be finding every pretty girl in a swimsuit to hook up with and I’d have to sit in the beach house and listen to her squeals of pleasure as he pounded her. I knew this, because it had happened several times while living under our parent’s roof. He’d bring home a cute girl, pound her till the cows came home and then a few minutes later she’d leave, never to return. My stomach wretched at the thought of a trip filled with that.
    “Well?” my mom asked. “What do you guys think?”
    I brought my gaze toward Danny, whose smile had grown significantly.
    “It’s going to be the best trip ever, Victoria,” he said to my mom. “A beach, a house, the nice weather...what’s not to love? Oh, and getting to enjoy some special bonding time with my baby sister? That’ll be priceless!”
    Danny’s green eyes gleamed as he spoke and my stomach wretched hard once again. He knew that I hated it when he called me