Crude: A Stepbrother Romance Read Online Free
Author: Aubrey Irons
fields.” He smiles at me; “You know, sometimes a little knuckling down is what you need, and maybe some sweat and hard work this summer will turn you into the foreman your father was.”
This isn’t a question, and by the way he and my mom look at each other and fucking smile like that, I can tell this has already been decided.
I can feel my blood boiling, but I shove it down and plaster a big shit-eating grin on my face instead. Joe wants to play hardball? Well step right up, Joe, I eat “tough love” for fuckin’ breakfast; “Nah, I think I’m just work on my bike and my tan this-”
“It’s not actually up for discussion, Knox.” Joe smiles thinly at me across the table; “You’re working for me this summer.”
I catch just a glimpse of Paige smirking at me out of the corner of my eye, and I know I’m done pushing that rage back down. Work in fields for the fucking tyrant King all summer before he marries my mom? That’s bad enough, but if I get his little princess of a daughter smirking at me from up in her tower the whole time, that’s the last straw. I shove my chair back and let my fork clatter to the floor, ignoring my mother calling my name as I storm out of the room.
Amanda starts to get up to go after him, but my dad stops her with a gentle hand on her arm; “Let him stew, he’ll learn..”
He’ll learn what, to obey? To come and sit and shake? He’s not a puppy, dad.
No, but he’s a big prick, that’s for sure. I’m still trying to process Amanda as a general concept, without even trying to delve into the whole stepmother thing. But she seems nice enough, at least so far. And no matter how much of a shock this is to him, I don’t think she deserves to be treated like that.
Knox is still gone by the time we finish dinner and after Martin clears the table.
“Paige, why don’t you find Knox and show him his room.”
I frown; his room . I didn’t know “he” - as in “him as my stepbrother” - even existed four hours ago. I raise an eyebrow at my dad; “His room?”
He chuckles, shaking his head; “Jesus, I’ve been so preoccupied with moving Amanda in, I didn’t even think about it. He furrows his brow, drumming his fingers on the table; “The west wing upstairs is still being redone for a the next few weeks, so I guess that’s out for now.” He nods slowly before he suddenly looks up at me; “Ah! Perfect!”
Uh-oh.
“Knox can stay in the guest room until that side of the house is finished and he can get a proper bedroom.”
I feel cold shiver run up my back; “The upstairs guest room?”
The guest room that’s the room next to mine? The one that freaking connects to mine through a damn shared bathroom ? My bathroom?”
I quickly shake my head; “Dad, no, that’s the one that shared my bath-”
“Paige, honey!” My dad frowns at me, reaching across the table to take Amanda’s hand; “We’re going to be a family, Paige. Try to be a little welcoming and bit more understanding, OK?”
You have got to be freaking kidding me.
*****
He’s slumped in one of the patio chairs in the backyard by the pool smoking when I step outside.
“You should be nicer to her you know.”
He looks up at the sound of my voice and frowns; “Who?”
“Your mother.”
Knox rolls his eyes; “Oh yeah? For what; marrying Mr. Rich and not working the rest of her life while I get sold into slavery? Yeah, nope .”
I shrug as I walk over and sit in one of the chairs across the table from him; “OK, I get it, but you should lay off her. She lost a husband you know.”
Knox shrugs, still wrapped up in being Mr. Tough-guy; “Whatever, he was gone long before that anyways.”
“Well, I know it hurts.”
“Whatever you say.”
Knox blows smoke out in a thin stream into the warm evening air. My eyes once again land on the twisting, curling lines of ink that trace over the strong looking biceps of his arm.
“Want a closer look?”
I
This isn’t a question, and by the way he and my mom look at each other and fucking smile like that, I can tell this has already been decided.
I can feel my blood boiling, but I shove it down and plaster a big shit-eating grin on my face instead. Joe wants to play hardball? Well step right up, Joe, I eat “tough love” for fuckin’ breakfast; “Nah, I think I’m just work on my bike and my tan this-”
“It’s not actually up for discussion, Knox.” Joe smiles thinly at me across the table; “You’re working for me this summer.”
I catch just a glimpse of Paige smirking at me out of the corner of my eye, and I know I’m done pushing that rage back down. Work in fields for the fucking tyrant King all summer before he marries my mom? That’s bad enough, but if I get his little princess of a daughter smirking at me from up in her tower the whole time, that’s the last straw. I shove my chair back and let my fork clatter to the floor, ignoring my mother calling my name as I storm out of the room.
Amanda starts to get up to go after him, but my dad stops her with a gentle hand on her arm; “Let him stew, he’ll learn..”
He’ll learn what, to obey? To come and sit and shake? He’s not a puppy, dad.
No, but he’s a big prick, that’s for sure. I’m still trying to process Amanda as a general concept, without even trying to delve into the whole stepmother thing. But she seems nice enough, at least so far. And no matter how much of a shock this is to him, I don’t think she deserves to be treated like that.
Knox is still gone by the time we finish dinner and after Martin clears the table.
“Paige, why don’t you find Knox and show him his room.”
I frown; his room . I didn’t know “he” - as in “him as my stepbrother” - even existed four hours ago. I raise an eyebrow at my dad; “His room?”
He chuckles, shaking his head; “Jesus, I’ve been so preoccupied with moving Amanda in, I didn’t even think about it. He furrows his brow, drumming his fingers on the table; “The west wing upstairs is still being redone for a the next few weeks, so I guess that’s out for now.” He nods slowly before he suddenly looks up at me; “Ah! Perfect!”
Uh-oh.
“Knox can stay in the guest room until that side of the house is finished and he can get a proper bedroom.”
I feel cold shiver run up my back; “The upstairs guest room?”
The guest room that’s the room next to mine? The one that freaking connects to mine through a damn shared bathroom ? My bathroom?”
I quickly shake my head; “Dad, no, that’s the one that shared my bath-”
“Paige, honey!” My dad frowns at me, reaching across the table to take Amanda’s hand; “We’re going to be a family, Paige. Try to be a little welcoming and bit more understanding, OK?”
You have got to be freaking kidding me.
*****
He’s slumped in one of the patio chairs in the backyard by the pool smoking when I step outside.
“You should be nicer to her you know.”
He looks up at the sound of my voice and frowns; “Who?”
“Your mother.”
Knox rolls his eyes; “Oh yeah? For what; marrying Mr. Rich and not working the rest of her life while I get sold into slavery? Yeah, nope .”
I shrug as I walk over and sit in one of the chairs across the table from him; “OK, I get it, but you should lay off her. She lost a husband you know.”
Knox shrugs, still wrapped up in being Mr. Tough-guy; “Whatever, he was gone long before that anyways.”
“Well, I know it hurts.”
“Whatever you say.”
Knox blows smoke out in a thin stream into the warm evening air. My eyes once again land on the twisting, curling lines of ink that trace over the strong looking biceps of his arm.
“Want a closer look?”
I
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