My Alpha Stepbrother is My Bully (Nevaeh) novel Chapter 94

Chapter 94

Blair

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When Duncan and I hit the road, I can’t stop thinking of him. My eyes are on the landscape outside the car window, but my brain is stuck on what we could be-happy mates. Is it possible to forget and forgive and throw away my pride? Can we patch things up?

Well, I want to. My mind is open for change, and when we park by the dock, I leave my bitterness behind in the car. It’s a painful thing to do. Duncan stole my pack and position as their Alpha, but I’m tired of being mad at him. I just want to get drunk and watch American classics while drinking champagne late at night.

“Do you have everything you need?” Duncan asks as we walk up to the long line of passengers waiting to board the massive cruise ship.

“Yeah, I think so,” I reply, patting my small travel bag.

“Good,” Duncan offers me an awkward smile with his own duffel bag slung over his broad shoulder.

He looks good now that he has shaved his beard, and his blue hair is longer at the top and shorter at the sides, but, of course, I don’t dare to compliment him since I don’t want to boost his ego even more. I bet it’s already massive since half the pack girls are crushing on him.

A tiny bit of jealousy surges through me at that thought. I can feel it overtaking my willingness to patch things up, but I force the negative emotion away and try to think of something casual to say to break the tension.

“So…have you ever been on a cruise before?” I ask lamely.

Duncan chuckles, his shoulders relaxing slightly. It’s great to see him have fun and not be the serious Alpha he has been at home lately. “No, I can’t say that I have. You?”

It takes a while for me to respond-that’s how stunned I am by his smile. “No… This is a first for me, too. Guess we will be experiencing something new together.”

Duncan just smiles, and my heart skips a beat. Why am I suddenly so hot under the clothes? I look away to find some inner peace, but when Duncan’s hand carefully seeks out mine, I don’t deny him my touch. I take his hand in mine and meet his shocked gaze.

Geez, didn’t he expect me to hold his hand? I guess not, judging by his reaction, and honestly, I wouldn’t have taken his hand if I hadn’t had that chat with Noah and Amy. After talking to them, I realize that fighting Duncan isn’t the solution to our problems.

I want to be with Duncan-he is my fated mate, after all-and this cruise could be the answer since it offers a chance for a fresh start, to rediscover each other away from the baggage and complications of our normal lives.

As we inch forward in the boarding line, I find myself studying Duncan out of the corner of my eye. We are still holding hands, and it gets harder to breathe when his blue hair catches the sun’s light. It gives me the itching urge to run my fingers through his silky strands like I used to.

Suddenly he turns his head. and when his gaze meets mine, electric blue clashing with a hint of violet, a

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Chapter 94

familiar heat coils low in my belly.

Fucking mate bond making me horny…

:..

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I quickly look away, my cheeks warming. Get a grip, Blair. We are here to work on our emotional connection, not jump straight into bed. Although the idea of makeup sex is admittedly tempting…

“Next!” The attendant’s voice snaps me out of my inappropriate thoughts.

Duncan releases my hand to give them our tickets and soon, we are on our way to our room.

“Wow,” I breathe, taking it all in. It’s just now hitting me how luxurious the cruise ship is and how fresh it feels to inhale the fresh air. “This is amazing.”

Duncan grins, looking boyishly handsome. “It is, isn’t it? I’m glad we decided to do this.”

“Me too,” I admit, surprising myself with how much I mean it.

It takes an eternity to reach our room, and the first thing I notice is that it’s a shared bed waiting for us inside. I expected as much, but I didn’t think my heart rate would pick up speed actually seeing it.

Duncan sets our luggage down and turns to face me, his expression unreadable. “I can sleep on the couch if you prefer,” he offers, gesturing to the small sofa near the balcony.

Part of me is tempted to take him up on the offer to maintain some distance between us as we navigate this new chapter. But another part, the part that still yearns for his touch despite everything, rebels at the thought.

“No, it’s okay,” I say, my voice coming out softer than intended. “We can share the bed. It’s big enough for both of us.”

His eyebrows rise slightly in surprise, but he nods. “Alright then.”

An awkward silence settles over us as we unpack our belongings. Everything is quiet…until Duncan tries to walk inside the bathroom and hits his head on the doorframe.

“Ow!” he yelps, rubbing his forehead and scowling. “Damn low clearance.”

I can’t help but snicker at his misfortune. “Watch your head there, big guy.”

He shoots me an unamused look, but there’s a glimmer of humor in his eyes. “Thanks for the warning, shorty.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault you’re freakishly tall,” I tease back, falling into our old banter with surprising ease.

Duncan chuckles, his smile making my stomach flip. “Well, maybe they should make these cruise ships a little more accommodating for us ‘freakishly tall’ folk.”

I roll my eyes playfully. “Or maybe you should just learn to duck.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” He winks before disappearing into the bathroom, leaving me alone with my thoughts and a fluttering sensation in my chest.

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Chapter 94

Am I seriously crushing on my mate? I’m acting like a teenage girl in love and sigh.

“Calm your tiddies, Blair,” I whisper to myself. “You can’t fuck him…at least not yet.”

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After my little speech to myself, I busy myself with unpacking, trying to ignore the way my hands tremble slightly as I hang up my dresses in the closet. It’s been so long since Duncan and I have been in such close quarters, and these dresses…do I even look good in them anymore? What if Duncan thinks my post-partum body will look ugly in them?

The sound of the bathroom door opening jolts me back to the present. Duncan emerges, his blue hair slightly damp and his shirt clinging to his broad shoulders. Dayum, I would love to lick the water drops off his neck… wait, what am I thinking?!

I quickly avert my gaze, pretending to be engrossed in the room service menu.

“Anything good?” Duncan asks, coming to stand beside me. He seems oblivious to how good he looks and what his scent of aftershave is doing to my senses.

I swallow the urge to jump him and shrug. “You know, the usual overpriced cruise fare. But the desserts look tempting in their pictures.”

“Mmm, I could go for something sweet,” he murmurs and meets my gaze, and I’m not entirely sure he’s talking about the menu anymore.

I clear my throat, desperate to change the subject before the tension between us becomes too thick to ignore. “So, what’s on the agenda for tonight?”

“Well,” Duncan replies with a playful smirk, “I was thinking we could check out the dance club on the upper deck. I hear they have a live band that plays some mean salsa tunes. What do you say, care to be my dance partner tonight?”

An image of us being glued together on the dance floor hits my mind, and my pulse immediately hammers against my neck. Blame it on the mate bond. I can’t seem to stop thinking about touching Duncan in inappropriate ways-something I would definitely do if we danced, but I try to play it cool.

“Salsa, huh? I don’t know, it’s been a while since I’ve danced. I might be a little rusty.”

“Rusty, huh? Does that mean you’ve danced before?”

I blush. “Oh no, that’s not what I’m saying,” I feel like I have to say that since I can only imagine what a good dancer Duncan must be.

My mate has those Spanish roots and I’ve seen his parents dance under the fullmoon plenty of times whenever I’ve driven past their house. I bet they taught Duncan and his siblings how to dance as well.

“Well, you don’t have to worry. If we dance, I will guide you on the dance floor. And if you step on my toes, I promise not to hold it against you…much.” He winks teasingly.

I actually laugh at what he is saying. “How generous of you. With an offer like that, how can a girl refuse?”

Duncan’s eyes light up at my response, his smirk transforming into a genuine smile. “Great! It’s a date then.”

18:53 Tue, Jan 20

Chapter 94

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He pauses, realizing the implications of his words. “I mean, not a date-date, but you know what I mean!”

“Y-yeah, I know what you mean!” I give him a smile that’s all awkward, hoping he can’t see my cheeks burning up. I don’t know why, but it takes very little to make me nervous, and right now, all I can think about is us dancing. I really hope I won’t make a fool of myself…

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