“You okay, Dean?”
“Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind.” I dragged my hand down my face and leaned my head back against the headrest.
Drew didn’t push, a fact that I appreciated. We have always been close. Mom had us barely a year apart, so there was never a time I didn’t have a brother.
We were best friends, even as opposite as we were. He was a brainiac and good with people like Dad. I was more of a loner and didn’t care if I talked to anyone outside of my small group.
When Mom died, I pulled even more into myself, realizing that my circle had just lost a big piece and gotten smaller. And here I was in love with my dad’s stepdaughter and my brother’s best friend since I left. What the fuck could go wrong?
* * *
“Hey, Jenna, wait up.” Drew cast me a grin as he took off toward the girl in the too short shorts and the thin tank top. “Catch up with y’all later.”
Nora rolled her eyes and said, “Just another notch, Drew.”
“Yeah, but what a fun notch to make.” He grinned wickedly back at Nora and playfully bounced his brows before heading after the girl.
“So much for wanting to spend time with me.” I grinned as I watched my brother lean down to whisper in the girl’s ear. She smiled up at him, and I knew he’d be gone for a while.
I leaned down to whisper in Nora’s ear, “Not that I’m complaining about having you to myself.”
She sucked in a shaky breath and her eyes met mine. Pleasure and desire burned bright in her golden-brown eyes. Her smile was sweet and eager, and my cock twitched in my jeans. The boner from the restaurant that finally ebbed was back in full force.
Drew took off with the girl he was talking to, so I took Nora’s hand and we walked through the crowd.
“Want to tell me why you went so rigid in the truck earlier?” she finally asked as we stood in line to get tickets for the Farris wheel.
“You know why,” I muttered, tensing slightly.
Nora moved in front of me and put her hands on my chest. Instinctively, I cupped her hips and drew her closer to me.
“Dean, if I were any other girl, and you married me. What do you think I would call him?”
“It’s not the same.”
“Itisthe same. You are just too stubborn and bullheaded to see it.” She reached up with one hand and cupped my jaw. “I love you. I have loved you since I was fifteen years old, and you first showed up at my house with your dad and brother.
“I loved you when you ignored me, when you protected me at school, and when you were half a world away.
“I loved you when I walked in on you that day after we played video games, and I’ve dreamed about that day so many damn times. I wished like hell I had the courage back then tonotwalk away.”
She stopped and took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. Fear flickered briefly in the bright pools of her eyes.
“I loved you so much that I rented a PO Box in Savannah a year ago and have been writing to you. Just so I could hear from you and let you get to know me as hopefully more than just your stepsister.”
CHAPTER13
NORA
Recognition dawned in his eyes at the same time we heard the whispered words, “Holy shit,” come from a few steps away.
Both Dean and I turned to see Drew standing there with a dumbfounded look on his face. None of us moved, we were caught in a three way stare, all not knowing what exactly to say.
Red seeped into Drew’s face. “You weren’t running this afternoon.” He was looking at Dean.
“No,” Dean said quickly and firmly. He didn’t hesitate a second or try to hide the fact that he was with me.
“How long?” Drew’s eyes traveled back and forth between us.
