Touch Me, My Alpha Stepbrother

Oops!…wrong place

Ashley's pov

Why does he always threaten me every chance he gets? Geez... he makes this so hard. I can't believe I'm going to be left completely alone with this insane man.

I stood there pinned against the wall, my mind racing as I looked up at his cold face.

He's the solution to your problem, I reminded myself desperately, forcing my brain to think straight. Just take it... just endure him until you find your real mate.

Slowly, I let a sheepish, strained smile stretch across my face.

Liam's eyebrows furrowed together instantly, his dark eyes narrowing in sharp suspicion. "Why are you smiling?"

I tried my absolute best to keep the smile on, even though my lips were aching from how fake and awkward it felt. "Nothing... Liam."

Liam glared down at me, his lip curling in disgust. "Go make me coffee and make yourself useful... freak."

Fuck you, f**k you, f**k you! I screamed at him in my head.

"Of course... Liam," I said aloud, keeping the cheerful edge in my voice as I turned around and headed toward the kitchen.

Before pushing the kitchen door open, I turned back around to flip him a massive middle finger behind his back. But the second I turned, my eyes locked right into his dark gaze.

My heart hit my throat. I instantly flashed another sheepish, desperate smile, waved my hand lamely, and practically threw myself into the kitchen.

I leaned against the counter, clutching my chest as I waited for the coffee maker to brew. How am I supposed to get a chance to touch him again before my senses disappear completely?

I couldn't just walk up to him and randomly hug him or grab his arm. He would probably snap my neck. And considering the fact that we were all alone in this massive house tonight, a cold shiver ran straight down my spine.

I grabbed the mug, my lips pressed tightly together as I brainstormed every possible way to make accidental contact with him. My fingers began to tremble lightly under the pressure.

I pushed the kitchen door open and walked into the living room, holding the hot mug with both hands. Liam was sitting lazily on the dark leather couch, his phone in one hand.

My hands were shaking so bad from nerves that the coffee was sloshing against the rim.

Liam glanced up, glaring hard at me as he reached out one hand to take the mug.

Before his fingers could even graze the ceramic, my trembling hand completely gave out. The cup tipped wildly sideways.

The entire mug of scalding hot coffee landed straight across Liam's lap and chest. The front of his crisp white shirt turned dark brown and completely see-through in a split second, and the ceramic mug hit the hard floor, shattering into sharp pieces.

My hand flew over my mouth, my brain completely frozen in absolute terror.

Liam didn't move. He sat completely still, staring down at his ruined, dripping shirt.

I began backing away slowly, taking tiny, breathless steps, getting ready to make a wild run for my room before he ended my life. I couldn't afford to die tonight! I haven't even gotten the chance to date Jason yet!

"Are you trying to murder me?" Liam’s low, deadly voice cut through the quiet room.

I shook my head aggressively, my hands still clamped tight over my mouth.

"Because if you're trying to, just know you're going down with me," Liam growled, his jaw clenching tight as he looked up. "What the f**k is this? Not only are you a freak, you're also f*****g clumsy. You can't even hold a damn cup of coffee right!"

"I'm sorry," I muttered frantically behind my hands, tears of panic pricking my eyes.

Great, I wept internally. Now he hates me even more. How am I ever supposed to touch him now?

Liam slowly rose from the couch, his tall frame towering over me.

My eyes widened in pure terror. He's going to kill me!

My knees went completely weak, giving out beneath me. I dropped straight onto the floor on my knees, burying my face in my hands. "I'm really, really sorry! I didn't mean to!"

I heard the heavy rustle of wet fabric above me. I peeked up through my fingers.

Liam was pulling his ruined shirt over his head, revealing his broad, bare shoulders. He unceremoniously threw the dripping brown shirt right into my face.

"Go wash it," he commanded, his voice cold and sharp. "With your hands. Do you have any idea how much that shirt costs? I don't want to see a single speck of a stain on it when you're done. Do you hear me?"

I grabbed the wet shirt, nodding aggressively. "Yes! Yes!"

Oof, I breathed out in my head, scrambling to my feet. I survived...

I hurried back to the laundry room, turning on the faucet over the deep sink. I rubbed the bar of soap onto the fabric, scrubbing furiously to get the coffee out.

As I scrubbed, a sudden scent drifted up into my nose. Even mixed with the clean, fresh smell of laundry soap, that distinct, rain-and-steel scent radiating off the fabric was overwhelming.

In the back of my mind, Bella suddenly started hopping and galloping around like an excited puppy.

Without thinking, I lifted the damp cloth closer to my face and took a deep, greedy sniff.

Oh….Bella giggled happily in my head. He smells way too good!

Geez... stay still! I scolded her internally, my face burning hot.

I couldn't even argue with her, though. The scent clinging to the shirt was ridiculously good. It excited something deep in my chest in a way I couldn't even explain.

As I kept scrubbing, my hands suddenly froze over the sink.

Wait... am I some sort of p*****t? I thought, horror washing over me. This is definitely perverted behavior!

I shook my head violently. No, no, no! I haven't smelled a lot of things in my life, and this just happens to be a good one, that's all. Besides, if I'm going to be a p*****t over a guy, it's going to be Jason! But Liam... that evil wolf? Hell no.

"Making me wash his shirt by hand?" I grumbled out loud, wringing the water out. "Is he trying to make me his slave or something?"

To be fair, Bella chimed in smoothly, it's your fault. You stained his shirt.

Shut up! I snapped back. Whose side are you even on?!

The truth hurts, Ashley.

You know what? Get back in your cage! I grumbled, shoving Bella back down into my mind. I'm only doing this because I need his touch. This is necessary.

I threw the clean shirt into the dryer for a quick spin, waiting impatiently until the timer beeped.

I pulled out the warm, freshly dried shirt and walked down the quiet hallway toward his bedroom. As I walked, I couldn't help myself... I lifted the warm fabric and took another big sniff.

The second I realized what I was doing, I stopped dead in my tracks and lightly slapped my own face. What the f**k are you doing?! Get a grip!

I stepped up to his bedroom door and knocked twice.

Silence.

Maybe he's not in his room, I thought happily. Even better! Then I don't have to deal with him.

I turned the knob, pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

Right at that exact second, the bathroom door swung open. Liam stepped out into the room, drying his damp dark hair with a small towel, wearing nothing but a white towel wrapped loosely around his low hips.

The warm shirt dropped straight out of my hands, landing in a heap on the floor.

I stood there frozen, my eyes locked onto his broad, completely naked chest.

Bella sneaked back up into my mind, whispering in awe, Oh... he is ripped.

I swallowed hard, a heavy gulp moving down my dry throat. Up close like this, his raw scent was ten times stronger than what was on the fabric.

Liam stopped rubbing his hair. His dark eyes flicked down to the shirt on the floor, then raised up to meet mine. "Are you done staring... creep?"

Shit! I really am acting like a complete p*****t!

I bent down frantically, picking up the shirt and stretching it out toward him. I kept my eyes glued firmly to the floorboards, avoiding his bare chest.

Liam snatched the shirt out of my hands. He snapped it open, inspecting the front and back for any leftover stains. "At least you know how to do one thing right," he muttered coldly.

Then, a subtle sound reached my ears.

Sniff.

I raised my head in surprise. Liam was holding the fabric right near his face, taking a slow breath in through his nose.

"This shirt smells like you," Liam muttered softly, his tone completely stripped of its usual mockery.

I blinked, my breath catching in my throat. Unconsciously, I dragged a quiet breath in through my own nose.

The room was thick with it. The sweet scent of my skin had completely bled into the sharp, dark rain-and-steel scent of his shirt, merging together effortlessly.

Mates?! My brain shrieked in absolute panic. What the hell am I even thinking?!

Liam took a slow step closer to me. Then another.

Every instinct screamed at me to step back, but my feet felt glued to the floorboards.

Liam bent down slightly, tilting his head until his warm breath was fanning softly against the skin of my neck.

Just as I opened my mouth to ask what he was doing...

CRACK-BOOM!

A thunderous, deafening roar of lightning exploded directly over the roof, accompanied by a blinding flash of light. A split second later, every single light in the room snapped off, plunging us into total darkness.

I jumped at the sudden, violent sound. I lost my footing entirely, stumbling forward and reaching out desperately to grab onto anything for support.

My hands successfully grabbed onto... something. I wasn't entirely sure what it was, but it felt hard…a bit fleshy, but as hard as a damn rock.

What is this? I thought wildly, my hands wrapping even tighter against it in the pitch-black room. I don't know what you are, but thank you for breaking my fall!

I squeezed tighter, still trying to figure out what it could possibly be.

Right beside me, I heard Liam let out a sharp, strangled groan. His head thrown back in the dark.

What is wrong with him? I thought, completely bewildered. And what is this random big hard thing?

As I stared down in the dark, my brain finally connected the dots.

I was holding whatever this big, hard thing was... right through a single layer of white cotton fabric.

Wait…This thing is in Liam!

It clicked all at once.

I shrieked at the top of my lungs, ripping my hands away as if I had just touched burning acid.

I had been holding... Liam's d**k?!