Step Brother: Off Limits Read Online Free

home that evening, I felt like a new woman. I had a shiny new ’do, perfectly polished fingers and toes, and I’d even gotten a facial. Since I knew Tina was likely to be dressed to the nines, and I didn’t want to give her another reason—other than sleeping with her son—to criticize me, I’d even shopped for a new dress and shoes.
    “Well, look at you,” Garrett said as I came through the front door. “New hair, nails done. You have a hot date?”
    “I wish. I’m going to a thing at Dad’s tomorrow night. I figured I’d get myself into presentable shape.”
    “You’d be better off getting yourself a date, honey.”
    “Garrett, I’ve decided I may never date again. I feel like everyone I meet is imagining me half naked in a car. Reed Randolph has ruined my life.”
    Garrett put his hands on his hips. “Tatum, you should hear yourself. You sound like a spoiled little girl. It wasn’t like Reed forced you to have sex in public. In fact, it looked like you were rather enjoying yourself. You need to quit blaming everything that’s wrong with your life on someone else.”
    “But he knew how I felt. He knew how terrible it had been for me to have reporters following me around in high school, and he didn’t tell me his father was all famous and shit. He should have been honest.”
    “And what would you have said if he’d told you?”
    “Well, I don’t know. I never got the chance to say anything, because by the time I found out, my pictures were already splashed all over the tabloids.”
    “Tatum, I know you really liked Reed, and I understand your feeling like he wasn’t as open with you as he should have been. But the pictures—those weren’t his fault. It’s not like he called the reporters and put on a show to get publicity, did he?”
    “Well, no.”
    “You’re holding him responsible for something that was completely out of his control, and can I be honest with you?”
    “Good grief, Garrett, I’m not sure I can take much more of your honesty.”
    “You’re a little ridiculous about the privacy thing. I get that it was hard to have cameras in your face when your dad was going to prison, but those days are over. Your dad paid his debt to society, and he’s turned over a new leaf.”
    “I’m not so sure about that. And his campaign means more reporters. It’s like every nightmare I’ve ever had is coming true all at once.”
    “Nightmare? Really?”
    “Garrett, my picture was all over the place.”
    “So you slept with your stepbrother, really liked him, and there were a few pictures of you having the time of your life. That’s your tragedy?”
    “You really think I’m being ridiculous, don’t you?”
    “I do. Instead of enjoying your getaway with Reed, you threw a temper tantrum, and now you’ve completely shut out the only man who really interested you—at least for as long as I’ve known you.”
    “But he should have…”
    Garrett held his hand up in front of my face. “But he didn’t. You can’t change what happened, honey. Be honest. Did you like Reed?”
    “Yes.”
    “Was the sex good?”
    I blushed. “Yes.”
    “Is he smart?”
    “Yeah.” I could hear the tone of my voice starting to get sulky.
    “Is he successful?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Was he interested in you before you acted like a child and refused to talk to him?”
    “Yeah, but he should have…”
    “Quit. It. Just stop. You’re throwing a fit and shutting out a smart, sexy, successful man who genuinely cares about you because things didn’t go exactly the way you wanted them to. You need to think about that, and you need to make sure the life you’re setting yourself up for is really the one you want. I see you ending up as a lonely, bitter woman if you can’t learn to be a little more flexible.”
    I stood there, aghast, completely unable to summon a single word in my defense.
    “And speaking of flexible, you’re gonna get your ass to the morning yoga class with me.”
    I didn’t know what