Bad Fighter Stepbrother (Book 2) Read Online Free

explore all of that, but she also couldn’t overcome the guilt of lying about their relationship. What would happen to her mom and Tony if they decided to pursue this relationship? What would happen to their family if they failed as a couple and ended up fighting? How could she create such strife for her family because she felt a connection?
    Tears stung her eyes and she swiped at them as the stallion cantered towards her. He nudged her arm when he reached the fence and she slid her hands over his soft muzzle. He was surprisingly gentle for a stallion, and he nuzzled against her as she cried into his neck. She cried for a long time until she heard a throat being cleared behind her.
    Turning, she grimaced at the man standing behind her, a bouquet of wild flowers in his hand. “What do you want, Aiden?” She snapped the question and almost apologized when she saw him flinch. No, I have every right to be angry.
    “I wanted to spend time with you. Actually, I had come to the gym to talk to you about the next few weeks, but we got sidetracked.” He took a step forward, and Emma held up her hand to stop him.
    “No, you don’t get to be rational. You lied...maybe it was through omission, but you still lied. I don’t know why, but I’m constantly being hurt by you. Every time we are physical, I get hurt.” Fresh tears filled her eyes. “What we did is wrong and we need to stop.”
    He stopped walking towards her and his flowers drooped to his side. His eyes filled with sorrow as he said, “There is nothing wrong with what we are doing. We are attracted to each other, and we need to see where this goes.”
    “No, it is. You are my stepbrother. How is us being together going to affect our family? What happens after this ends?” The tears were running down her face freely again and she didn’t wipe them away.
    “Emma,” he began, his voice hoarse, “I am not your stepbrother. Sure, my dad is married to your mom, but we are just two people who share a common connection in our family. We aren’t committing a sin, we aren’t doing anything illegal, and we have no idea what the future will hold for us.”
    He moved towards her and dropped the flowers on the ground. He cupped her cheeks in his palms and placed his mouth against hers. The kiss was bittersweet, and Emma clung to it as he swept her away. She could taste the salt of her tears in their kiss and despite the way her heart was breaking, she knew what she had to do. She had to do it for herself, for her family, and for Aiden...even if he didn’t agree.
    Pulling away, she broke the kiss and wiped it from her lips. “It doesn’t matter how you rationalize it. This won’t work between us. You ran away at the first sign of something happening and then you came back for one day. You are leaving tomorrow, so I have no idea how you expect us to sort through stuff when you are not here.”
    He winced, “How did you...”
    “Mom told me that she was going with you and Tony. The problem is you didn’t tell me when you came and saw me.” Her voice cracked like her heart.
    “I was going to, but we got...distracted. I was going to ask you to come with us tonight.”
    Her laugh split the air and was filled with sorrow and anger. “How could I do that? I have clients who need me here, and I have a life. I can’t just up and leave everything on a moment’s notice. You should know that.”
    He shook his head, “Em...”
    “Don’t, don’t say anything else,” she interrupted him and took a step away. “You go and live your life, but us...whatever the hell we were doing, ends now. There is no future for us, and I don’t want to spend my life feeling guilty about the way you touched me and the way I touched you. I just want to forget.”
    His fists clenched, and his jaw tightened as anger began to flash in his eyes. “Really, you think it will be that easy.”
    She shook her head and tried to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and wrenched her against him. Her hands