My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 280

Chapter 280

He let out a short breath that was almost a scoff. When I looked back, he gave me a smile that looked painful, like he was forcing his face to move against its will.

“I don’t remember insisting on anything,” he corrected, “I simply suggested it was an option.”

I nodded slowly, letting a cold smile touch my lips, “And I thought it was a wonderful suggestion, Raphael. It’s good for us. It keeps us both very aware of our reality.” I paused, then added, “Stepbrother.”

Raphael

She said the word “stepbrother,” it felt like she was twisting a knife in my gut. I wanted to grab her, to remind her exactly who I was to her, but the sound of clicking heels on the polished floor stopped me.

Kylie appeared from the crowd, her face bright with a curious smile. She looked from me to Gianna, her eyes lingering on the way Gianna’s dress seemed to defy the laws of gravity.

“There you are, Raphael,” Kylie said, stepping into our small, dark corner. She looked at Gianna with a friendly expression, “I turned around and you were gone. Who is this?”

I didn’t move away from Gianna. In fact, I stepped half an inch closer, making sure our shoulders were almost touching. Because our backs were tucked deep into the corner of the gallery, the rest of the crowd was blocked out. No one could see what was happening in the small space behind us.

“Kylie, this is Gianna,” I said, “Gianna, this is Kylie Smith. We went to college together.”

As I spoke the words “this is my stepsister,” I moved my hand. I reached out as if to give her a supportive, brotherly pat on the back. To Kylie, it looked like a simple, family gesture. But the moment my palm touched the bare skin of Gianna’s spine, a tiny spark of electricity that shot straight up my arm.

I didn’t just pat her. I let my hand slide down.

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