All Chapters of ACHING MY STEP BROTHER : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

THANEShe had no idea what she was doing to me. I wanted her. Badly. And I knew it was fucking wrong. That should’ve been enough to stop me… but it wasn’t. I needed to hear it. Needed to know she wanted me too.I’d never wanted anyone like this before. Not as much as I was aching for her.My chest was pounding so hard it felt like something was breaking loose inside me. And the second she said… Kiss me. I knew I was fucked up. But I still didn’t move. Because if I did… I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop myself from doing something else.Her eyes were blown wide, filled with something I couldn’t ignore even if I tried. Slowly, I took her hands from the counter and placed them against my chest. Right over my heartbeat.She swallowed. Her gaze dropped there, like she didn’t know whether to pull away… or touch me.“This is what you do to me, shorty,” I whispered softly.My voice barely held together when I said those words. “If I kiss you right now… we’re crossing a line.” I exhaled. “And

RACHELF*ck.Thane wasn’t supposed to find me in his room, half-naked, fresh out of his shower because the one in mine decided to stop working.The worst part? The way he looked at me. Like I was something he both wanted and hated in the same breath.“Thane…” I started, my heart hammering so loud in my chest.He didn’t answer. He just stalked toward me, his eyes dark, and for a second I almost thought he was going to kiss me. Or yell. Or something.Instead, he stopped right in front of me, grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the door.“Seriously?” I snapped, trying to yank free from his grip. “Let go!”He didn’t. His grip was like iron. He swung the door open and the next second, he shoved me out so hard I stumbled, catching myself against the wall.A bitter laugh escaped me, wondering why he even went that far... “Wow. Really? My shower broke, so I used yours. That’s it.”“You used a guy’s bathroom without his consent,” he bit out, his voice sharp and colder than normal.I stared at

THANEPops had a way of not just stating his rules—he made you follow them. Whether you liked it or not, he pressed, pushed for it, until you bent to his will.I learned that the day he decided to “clean up Mom’s mess”, three years ago. I never expected it to be in a good way, but I sure as hell didn’t imagine he’d lock her away in some mental hospital I only found out about last year.Now it looked like the same fate was coming for this whole Wendy thing. Once he decided something needed fixing, there was no escaping it.I pulled into the station driveway and rested my forehead against the steering wheel. My head pounded so hard I wished the whole damn day would just end.Then my phone chimed on the headboard. I picked it up and stared at the screen.Molly: Found the address?Me: Yeah. Just got here.Molly: Cool. Go work your magic.I exhaled sharply. If Pops ever found out I was going behind his back on this, he’d bury me.But I didn’t care what lines I had to cross. Not if it meant

RACHELThis was so messed up.I’d kissed him back. Fully. Desperately. For those few seconds, it had felt so right, like every fight, every shove, every harsh word had been leading to that moment. But how could he do that?One minute I meant nothing to him. The next, he was kissing me like I was the only thing keeping him from tearing apart. And then… he looked at me like he was about to admit it was a mistake. I wasn’t going to fall for that the second time.Deep down, I knew the slap might have been too far. But the realization that hit me afterward was impossible to ignore. I didn’t look directly at him, but from the corner of my eye I saw him rubbing the spot where my palm had cracked on.A flicker of guilt pricked at me, sharp and uncomfortable. Maybe I went too far. But he deserved it… right? I wasn’t some girl he could control or toy with whenever the fear hit him. Still, the memory of how safe and wanted I’d felt in that kiss made my chest ache in a way I hated.I kept my eye

RACHEL“Hmmm… God,” I groaned, rolling onto my side with my eyes still closed. “Why is it ringing?” I muttered, still sleepy, trying to get myseelf awake.My phone kept buzzing rapidly on the nightstand where I’d left it charging. I remembered closing my eyes for just a minute last night… and somehow it was already morning. I actually spent half of the night staring at the door, fantasizing about nonsense, like Thane blasting through my room door and confessing his feelings… then stuff should happen from there. I guess even sleep realized I was hopeless and decided to help me feel less miserable.Finally, with a tired sigh, I forced one eye open and stretched my arm toward the phone. It slipped from my fingers, but my index finger hooked it just in time, only not well enough. It crashed straight to the floor.“Shit,” I grumbled in defeat.I rolled back flat on the bed, stared at the ceiling for a second, realizing I’d actually have to get out of bed to pick it up. By the time I dragge