My Jealous Stepbrother
YOU ARE MY MUSE

Ryan and I continued to talk on the couch the rest of the morning to distract ourselves. "I'm... glad you're here," I said. "You're a big support for me right now." "And I'm willing to support you in whatever you need. Do you need a shoulder to cry on?"

"No, thank you. I think I've cried enough for the rest of the year these past few days. But maybe you could distract me a little."

"Distract you? And how could I do that?"

"Well, I don't know....maybe by telling me a little bit about your college life."

"My life? There's not much to tell, Sam. You've been around for most of it."

"Not your love life," I said, only a little interested. It just comes out.

"I'm not the kind of guy who attaches himself to just one girl."

"Oh, I see, and doesn't that make you lonely sometimes?"

"No, not at all. I have enough self-love to keep me happy and satisfied."

"Wow, you're quite the poet." I joked as I started playing with my hair to avoid looking so interested in his words. Boy, did I replace them interesting.

"Would you like me to recite some verses for you?" Ryan moved closer to me, our shoulders brushing against each other and I started to feel nervous.

I stared at him. "Only if they're for me, I don't like to hear what you'd say to any girl."

I was just playing, but I felt my heart speeding up.

Ryan took my hand in his. I felt like I couldn't escape even if I wanted to... which I don't. "Of course they are for you, my sweet Samantha. You are the muse of my inspiration, the light of my life, the m—"

I interrupted him and removed my hand quickly. "Okay, okay, I get it. You're an expert at compliments, Ryan."

I was flattered, but I also felt like everything was escalating too quickly.

"They're not compliments, they're truth," he said, winking one honey colored eye.

"Well...t-thank you for that."

Ryan brought his hand up to my cheek, stroking it gently, "You have nothing to be thankful for, beautiful. I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

I shivered at his touch, feeling my skin bristle under his fingers. I couldn't help but smile, "You're my favorite stepbrother."

Ryan chuckles nervously. "Well, that's because I'm your only stepbrother." His voice dropped noticeably.

I knew I shouldn't cross the line between us.

However, the tension was still there and we both knew something had changed. Something that had been bottled up for a long time was now threatening to come to light. "You must have all the girls crazy about you."

Ryan laughed. "You think I have girls at my feet? No, Sam, I don't."

With that face and body, there was no way he didn't.

"I bet you have every girl in town begging for a date with you," I continued jokingly even though I knew he was lying to me.

"Well, maybe some of them do. But none of them compare to you, Sam."

"Oh, right. It's because I'm perfect, isn't it?" I commented with a laugh.

Ryan leaned in even closer. "Exactly. You're the only girl I know who is perfect in every way. You're so honest and transparent. You have no secrets."

"Sure, sure. But there's a little problem: I have my secrets too, you know? Secrets that no one can replace out."

"Oh, wow. Then I'll have to put my detective skills to the test to uncover them."

"Good luck with that, Ryan. No one has been able to uncover my secrets so far."

Ryan smiled at my comment with his perfect teeth. "We'll see, Sam. We'll see."

I smiled shyly as I bit my bottom lip, feeling my heart really pounding now. "Well, I guess you've never paid enough attention to me to know who I really am," I replied, trying to sound confident.

We exchanged intense, meaningful glances, as if there was a secret between the two of us that no one else could understand. Our faces were inches apart.

"You've always had a secret side, Samantha," Ryan said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Oh, you're telling me you don't like my secret side?"

"I'm not saying that, I'm just saying it's dangerous to play with fire."

I raised an eyebrow. "And who said I'm afraid of danger?"

Ryan scooted even closer, his lips almost brushing mine. "That's what I love about you, Samantha. You're bold and you're not afraid of anything."

I was momentarily speechless, feeling the heat rise in my body. "Are you implying something, Ryan?" I asked with an impish grin.

"Me? I'm just saying that if you ever need someone to make you feel special, I'm here for you." He looked me straight in the eye, and for a moment I knew he was going to kiss me. But then he slowly pulled away, leaving a trace of excitement in the air.

I sat there, my heart pounding and my mind full of questions. What had just happened between us? Were we really flirting? The tension was palpable, and I knew we had to put an end to this before it got out of hand.

"I think we should leave it at that," I said in a soft voice. "I have homework to catch up on."

"Yeah, you're right." He leaned back in kissed me softly. His warm, soft lips against mine made me feel like I was floating on air. He pulled back. Didn't I say something about homework? And there was also the matter of our family being - Our lips met again with passionate urgency, and my tongue found his in an intense and tender dance. I felt a tingling throughout my body as his arms wrapped around me, drawing me to him.