The only had each other…
Until one forbidden night ruined everything.
This new sexy stand-alone STEPBROTHER is
NOW AVAILABLE.
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2e5MZkd
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2eFVsMC
Nook: http://bit.ly/2epJXub
**Additional Retailers to follow**
Blurb
STEPSISTER. He hated that f*cking word.
When their parents got married, the only thing Caleb Luxan had in common with Wren Brashill was that they both hated their parents. When he was sixteen, Caleb discovered Wren's closely guarded secret and vowed to protect her: from that day forward she became the reason for every decision he made.
Jealousy and long-suppressed desire overpowered Caleb's fierce protectiveness and they spent one forbidden and unforgettable night in each other arms, but the aftermath left Caleb panicked, Wren heartbroken, and their relationship in shambles. In the time since that fateful night, he’d only seen her once and had only managed to make the situation even worse.
The sudden death of his estranged father calls Caleb home and face-to-face with Wren for first time in years. He is presented with a choice that forces him to confront the painful memories of his youth and his many regrets with Wren.
Like it or not, his father's last, hard lesson, will demand Caleb deal with his long denied emotions for Wren, or let go of her forever.
Excerpt
Caleb’s muscled frame was rigid and as Wren looked at him, she studied his profile, and could feel his coiled tension. The fingers in his right hand curled into a fist. “I was so mad. So many times, I wished he’d been the one to die.” His voice was full of pain, as the words tore from him. “I fucking hated him with every breath I took. You saw how much.”
Wren nodded, though he didn’t see her acquiescence. She knew what he went through growing up when they had formed an affable alliance against their parents. She hated her mother at least as much as Caleb hated his father and she understood his anger and pain; then the apathy that became a welcome alternative. They’d been unlikely allies against a common enemy.
“Maybe I deserved his indifference.”
Wren got up and went to Caleb, standing behind him as he stood still as stone, and staring out the window. Her heart ached with love and grief for Caleb. She wanted to touch him; to offer reassurance, to take away the ache in his voice and heart. Without considering her actions, her arms slipped around his waist and she pressed up against his strong back and leaned her head against him, between his shoulder blades.
Caleb was massive in comparison to her, and she was like a flower curling around him. Her hands fanned out against his hard stomach, her fingers finding the definition of his abs beneath his shirt. “Stop, Cale. I won’t let you do this to yourself. Your dad wouldn’t want that. None of it was your fault.” Her arms slid fully around him and held him tight against her body. “I can’t bear it. You’ve had enough pain. Enough.”
Caleb sucked in a deep breath, the action bringing her even closer. He could feel every curve of her body pressed so closely against his back. He could feel her breathing, could feel how she shared his pain. His hand came up and he ran the flat of his hand from her elbow down to her hand, and then wrapped his fingers around hers.
“When did you turn into the strong one?”
Wren’s arms tightened around him. “When I met you. ”
“Oh, Wren.” Should he just spill his guts? Would it fix everything? “I’ve got so much to say to you. How long can you stay?”
She nodded against him, unwilling to end the contact between their bodies; needing the closeness as much as he did.
He wanted to apologize for how he acted the last time he’d seen her, he wanted to say a hundred things… he needed her forgiveness.
“How long do you need me?”
In that moment a miracle happened; a sort of beautiful irony that taunted Caleb with it’s fragileness. It was as if he’d never screwed everything up between them. But would it stay this way?
How long do I need you? Caleb thought. His heart raced to the point of exploding, and he wondered if Wren could feel it.
Forever.
Review:
One Step Closer is not your typical step-brother romance. This story has a lot of other elements, including a meddling father who thought he knew best, an evil step-mother, time and distance, and a death in the family to bring them all together again.
Wren is a sweet, little thing, she's a dancer, satisified with her life as it stands. When her step-father dies, her concern lies with how her step-brother, Caleb will handle the death. But Wren doesn't expect things to change.
Caleb is a gruff guy, angry at the his father and sometimes it feels like the world in general. When he returns home to take care of matters with his father's estate, he's unsure how to proceed as he unexpectedly discovers his father's last wishes which alter the past and his future in some ways.
I really liked the journey this book took us on, not just the romantic journey for Wren and Caleb, but his emotional one in regards to coming to terms with his father and the past. This story built up tension and emotions were high at times, but that just drew me in fuller and kept me on my toes.
It was easy to understand all the ways that life happened around Wren and Caleb and how the decisions of others affected them. But their connection stayed strong, no matter the distance between them. There were a lot of secrets and lies among them, most at the sake of others but they had a lot to work through together.
I really enjoyed how Aymes pulled all of the story together, woven deeply with the past and present displayed to give us the full details. The emotions were written with such feeling, that it was difficult to not feel them deeply as I read them, I alternated between wanting to cry for the characters, or give them a big hug.
About the Author:
I'm a single mother of one daughter, Olivia. She's amazing in every way.
I was born in the Midwestern United States and educated at a private university where I received a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and Business Administration.
I've always been creative with art, music, theater and writing. I decided to write a story as a way to build a network for a business venture. The reader support of my stories and my overwhelming desire to find out where my characters would take me, soon had the writing morphing the business. No one was more shocked than I. When readers began nominating my work for online awards, it took my breath away and only made me love it more. It soon became clear that writing was, and should be, my focus.
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