Read His Dark Secret – A Stepbrother Romance for Free Online Page A

couldn't have admitted it to himself, but he really had imagined that she'd be dressed more or less as she had the previous night – or at least, that she'd somehow act more as if she'd just invited him to her house for an illicit liaison… which is, he reassured himself, the only thing this could be... right?
     
    But instead, Brenda was dressed in a plain white t-shirt and well-worn, light-blue jeans. She wasn't wearing any make-up, and her thick, luscious hair was swirled casually up, with a pencil stuck through to hold it in place. And she was wearing what appeared to be reading glasses. James hadn't even known she needed them.
     
    Brenda flicked her eyes up at him from over the laptop.
     
    “I've nothing against you standing there at the entrance, but I'm also not going to stop you if you feel you want to sit down at any point.”
     
    James awkwardly ambled over to the sofa, and gingerly took a seat, at the very edge.
     
    Brenda was already typing on her laptop, and when she next looked up, she laughed to herself lightly, but didn't say anything before starting typing again.
     
    Minutes passed. James' legs started to hurt from the uncomfortable position. He coughed awkwardly, but Brenda didn't seem to notice.
     
    His heart had finally stopped revving at a hundred miles per hour – enough to leave room inside him for a growing flicker of self-doubt.
     
    Had he completely misunderstood what she meant, yesterday? Surely not... he had spent the entire morning thinking about it, until he finally stopped frantically trying to choose between different white shirts, made sure his mother had a fresh bottle of water and a clean bucket by her bedside, and started the long walk over from 16 Meridian Lane. Whatever else could she have meant, by “discussion”...?
     
    “Um, Brenda...”
     
    “Mmm?”
     
    “Oh, uh, nothing.”
     
    The typing stopped. A cocked eyebrow.
     
    “If it's nothing, why'd you say ' Um, Brenda ?'”
     
    “Oh, uh, nothing... sorry, no, it's just... Sorry, I just thought... I mean, I was wondering...”
     
    “You were wondering...?”
     
    “Oh, uh, no, I was just wondering... that is, I um... I guess I was just wondering if you wanted to continue the discussion we were having yesterday... about um... about... um... yeah.”
     
    The typing, which had started again, stopped again.
     
    “The discussion?” Brenda looked up at him. “Alright, then. Why don't you start?”
     
    “S... start?”
     
    “Well, why don't you?”
     
    “I, umm... it's just... I guess I don't know what to say...”
     
    “Heh... no, I suppose you wouldn't. Well then. Why don't you try taking off your shirt?”
     
    James blanched.
     
    “Huh?”
     
    “Your shirt. As in, the thing you're wearing that isn't your shoes, your socks, your slacks, your glasses, or your lucky underwear. Oh, for that matter – take your glasses off too.”
     
    James hesitated for a long moment (long enough for Brenda to start typing again)... but ultimately, there was nothing he could think to do other than to comply. He certainly couldn't be expected to think of anything remotely intelligent to say, at this juncture...
     
    Apprehensively, he started to unbutton his shirt.
     
    “Hold on a second.”
     
    Without looking up, Brenda extended a palm towards him.
     
    “On second thought, don't take off your glasses. Do, however, take off your shoes.”
     
    The typing resumed. It didn't even stop while Brenda said:
     
    “And for god's sake, that means take your socks off too...”
     
    A minute later, and James was sitting, uncomfortably as ever, on Brenda's sofa, watching her ignore him – seemingly oblivious to his existence. Only now, he was shirtless, and his socks were neatly folded and stuffed inside his shoes, on the carpet beside him.
     
    “Belt.”
     
    The shoes and socks were joined by a carefully rolled belt. A few minutes passed. James took the opportunity to put both socks into one shoe, and slip the belt