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  “They called me Woody.” Levi put the syrup on the table, along with butter, plates, forks, napkins. His stomach growled. “But I’m not that guy anymore.”

  “I know.” She touched his cheek as she put a plate full of pancakes in the middle of the table. She sat between them, using the spatula to serve Levi’s father. “He lost his best friend. He’s made mistakes. He’s human—we all are. But he’s doing his best to make it right.”

  The old man grunted, pouring syrup on his stack of pancakes. Levi served himself, seeing Linney put her hand over the old man’s.

  “Be proud of the man he is, not the man he was,” she urged him softly. “He’s clean. He’s healing. He’s turning his life around. Did you know he plans on going to law school?”

  Levi blinked at her in surprise and his father’s eyebrows went up again as he chewed.

  “These are delicious,” the old man said to Linney. “Thank you.”

  “I told you he wouldn’t hear you.” Levi grabbed the syrup, pouring out sweetness. “But he’s right these are delicious and so are you.”

  He leaned over to give her a sticky kiss on her cheek. She laughed, using her napkin to wipe away the syrup.

  “I don’t know if I would have made it even this far without you, Linn,” he said honestly, not caring how his father was staring at him across the table. “You sent me to Dr. Fields—and those treatments are working like some miracle. I don’t need the pain meds anymore. I feel… good. Whole. For the first time in… fuck. Ever.”

  Linney took his hand, raising it to her cheek, kissing his knuckles. He felt the wetness of her tears and tried his damnedest to blink his own back.

  “It’s hard, you know.” His father got up from his chair, going to the fridge. “I lost his mother and never found another woman who…”

  The old man sighed, carrying the gallon of milk back to the table, stopping on the way to grab a glass from the cupboard.

  “I think some men are just meant to have one woman, their whole lives. And she was my one.” Levi’s father poured a large glass of milk while they both watched. “But I promised her I’d raise him up right, straight and true. And then he came home so broken…”

  The old man lifted his milk, drinking deeply, eyes bright behind his wire-rimmed spectacles.

  “You don’t know what it’s like, to sit by and watch someone simply waste away.” The old man wiped the back of his hand over his milk mustache, looking at Linney. “I did it with his mother, and then I had to sit and watch him. Do you know how hard it is to watch your own son drowning, to stand by, just watching, helpless?”

  “No, but I can imagine.”

  “I tried to help!” He threw up his hands, shaking his head at Levi. “But he’s so stubborn. Like me. I made him too much like me.”

  “I was just in pain.” Levi’s confession felt huge, a weight suddenly lifted from his chest.

  “And I wanted to take it away,” his father confessed. The old man lifted his worn, gnarled hands. “Fix it. I fix things, that’s what I do with these hands. But this… I couldn’t fix this.”

  The words sank in and Levi thought his chest would burst.

  “But you did.” Levi’s father turned to Linney, laying one of his hands over hers. “You’ve given me my boy back—whole again—and I can’t thank you enough.”

  “Don’t thank me.” She turned her tear-stained face to Levi. “Tell him—tell him how you feel.”

  “I’m so proud of you.” The old man stood, coming around to Levi’s side of the table. His big hand rested on his son’s shoulder, squeezing as they faced each other. There were tears in the old man’s eyes and Levi’s cheeks were wet with them too. “I love you, son. I’ve always loved you, even when you made the wrong choices. All I ever wanted to do was help. I would have gone to the ends of the earth to find you, to bring you back to me.”

  “Thanks, Pop.” Levi stood, doing something he hadn’t done since he could remember—he put his arms around the man who had raised him, who loved him, who was, indeed, proud of him, even if he was, like everyone else on the planet, a perfectly flawed human being.

  The old man gave him a long, hard squeeze and then let him go. Linney wiped her wet eyes with a napkin, sniffing and smiling between the two of them.

  “All right, who wants pancakes?” she asked, using the spatula to flip two more onto Levi’s plate.

  He smiled, pouring more syrup, but—looking across the table at his father, still dabbing at his wet eyes, and at Linney, smiling as she poured her own glass of milk—he knew there was plenty of sweetness right here at this table—more than enough to last a man for a whole lifetime.

  The End

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  About the Author

  Selena Kitt is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling and award-winning author of erotic and romance fiction. She is one of the highest selling erotic writers in the business with over a million books sold!

  Her writing embodies everything from the spicy to the scandalous, but watch out-this kitty also has sharp claws and her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

  When she’s not pawing away at her keyboard, Selena runs an innovative publishing company (excessica.com) and bookstore (excitica.com), as well as two erotica and erotic romance promotion companies (excitesteam.com and excitespice.com).

  Her books EcoErotica (2009), The Real Mother Goose (2010) and Heidi and the Kaiser (2011) were all Epic Award Finalists. Her only gay male romance, Second Chance, won the Epic Award in Erotica in 2011. Her story, Connections, was one of the runners-up for the 2006 Rauxa Prize, given annually to an erotic short story of “exceptional literary quality.”

  Her book, Babysitting the Baumgartners, is being made into an adult film by Adam & Eve, starring Ryan Driller, Anikka Albrite, Sara Luvv and A.J. Applegate.

  She can be reached on her website at www.selenakitt.com

  Selena loves hearing from readers!

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  Her Stepbrother, Her Hero - WARRIORS (Military) by Terry Towers

  Prologue

  “I had fun.” Mark Gibbons gave Gabriella a smile, but it was strained.

  Sitting on the passenger side of the tiny car, Gabriella’s eyes narrowed at her prom date, Mark. Prom was supposed to be fun and exciting. It was supposed to be an all-night party, it was supposed to be the night she lost her V-card. But instead her date, a guy who wasn’t even close to the top of her list for dates, was dropping her home before 11pm. He hadn’t even hinted at wanting to have sex with her, hadn’t even attempted to touch her inappropriately.

  “That’s your opinion,” she retorted.

  He flinched and his smile faded. “I have to work tomorrow. I’m sorry.”

  “You’re sorry? Seriously? Work, huh?”

  He shrugged.

  “For years now you’ve had a crush on me, you finally get a chance to fuck me and you’re dropping me home? You’re a bag boy at the supermarket! It’s not like you split atoms for a living!” Something wasn’t adding up in this scenario. For the girl prom was about the dress, for the guy it was about sex. Wasn’t it? Sure it was. Every single friend of hers was going to parties and renting hotel rooms.

  “I’m sorry. I just –”

  Anger boiled up within her. She knew exactly what was going on. Or suspected at least. “What did he say to you, Mark?”

  “I ummm. I –” He raked a hand through his hair and averted his gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Gabriella.”

  “My damned stepbrother. What did he do? Did he threaten you?” She’d been su
specting he’d been meddling in her personal life, but no one would come clean with her and rat him out. He didn’t even attend their school anymore, he’d graduated the previous year, but still had a hold on everyone in the school. The almighty Anthony King, and the name King had been so well suited to him. He’d ruled their high school – stereotypical jock, prom king, the whole bit. She had no doubt he’d gotten fucked on prom night.

  She held her hand up to her date, palm facing him. “You know what? Screw you, Mark.” Angry, she didn’t wait for a reply. Opening the car door, she got out and stormed into the house without looking back. Well, screw him. He was doing her a favour, she would have regretted giving up her virginity to him anyhow – but it was the principle of the matter that was really pissing her off.

  “Honey, you’re home early.” Her mother rushed to meet her at the door as she entered and began pulling off her heels, with a wide smile on her face, no doubt eager to hear everything about prom. It would have to wait; Gabriella had bigger fish to fry at the moment.

  “Is Anthony home?”

  Her mother’s smile faded. “Yes, he’s in his room. What’s going on?”

  She forced herself to smile. She didn’t want her mother getting involved; if her mother got involved, so would her stepfather and then her horrible prom would become a family affair. She could handle her meddling stepbrother all on her own thank you very much.

  “Nothing, Mother. I just want to speak with him a second.” She shrugged, attempting to hide her anger and appear nonchalant. “No biggie.” Seeing the dubious expression on her mother’s face she gave her a hug. “Honest.”

  Stepping back from her mother, she flashed her another smile, turned and raced up the stairs headed for her stepbrother’s room. That little bastard was going to get a mega piece of her mind. She had no doubt he was behind it all, the question was – why? And by god she was going to find out. He’d meddled in her personal affairs for the very last time!

  She allowed the anger to resurface, and didn’t bother knocking on his door, but opened the door and stormed in, slamming the door closed behind her. “What did you do!”

  “Huh?” Anthony looked up from the book he’d been reading to stare blankly at her.

  Planting her hands on her hips she glared at him. “I said, what did you do?”

  He huffed and focused his attention back to the book in his hand. “I think you drank a little too much at prom because you’re talking crazy. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  His dismissive attitude only amplified her anger. Rushing across the room to the bed he was sprawled out on, she snatched the book from his hand and tossed it across the room. “Don’t you lie to me. You’ve been meddling in my personal life ever since Mom married your dad. Admit it!”

  His jaw clenched and annoyance flashed in his eyes as he leapt from the bed to stand before her, towering over her, close to a foot taller than her. “I don’t know what you’re fucking talking about!”

  “Prom. That’s what I’m talking about. What did you do?”

  He stared blankly at her again. “You’re nuts, Gabby. Totally off the rails.”

  She’d had enough of his lies and lashed out, slapping him across the face, her hand leaving a faint palm print across his jaw. “I hate you!” She spun to turn away from him when he grabbed her upper arm and spun her back around to face him.

  “Now who’s lying?”

  She frowned. “Let me go!” She attempted to squirm from him, but he held tight. She pulled harder and stumbled. Attempting to pull her back to him, he pulled her with a little too much force and sent her tumbling onto her back onto the bed, him tumbling with her.

  He landed on top of her between her legs, bracing up his weight with a hand on either side of her head. Her anger reaching a breaking point, she began to fight harder, bucking up against him. “Calm down, Gabby!” Grabbing her wrists he secured them above her head.

  “No! I’m so sick of you being the pride of this family. I’m so sick of living in your shadow. And if that’s not enough you’re the favourite, you have to chase off my boyfriends too.” She began to squirm again.

  “Gabby. Stop.” He spoke in such a firm voice that it caused her to still under him, but that wasn’t the only thing that startled her. His eyes weren’t angry, but there was something else in his gaze – lust. She suddenly became fully aware that her short skirt had become bunched up around her waist and his rock hard erection was pressed against her pelvis.

  Frowning, Gabriella stared up at him. The need in his eyes was painfully evident. Not sure what to say, but things were becoming clear for her. He’d been so damned mean to her for so long, could he…? “Anthony… Tony…”

  He pressed his erection against her again, his eyes lowering to her lips. She moaned softly. What in the hell was happening?

  Just when Anthony’s lips began to lower to hers, the sound of heavy footsteps came up the staircase and both froze. Alarm replaced the look of lust in his eyes and Tony sprang from Gabriella as if he’d been burned.

  “Get out,” he hissed. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her from the bed. “Go.”

  She wobbled on her feet, not sure what was happening. The door to Anthony’s room flung open to reveal his father, former Marine and her stepfather, Vincent King.

  Vincent looked from her to her stepbrother and back again. “Go to your room, Gabriella.”

  Gabriella didn’t hesitate. Vincent was a good man, he’d never laid a hand on her or Anthony and was quick to reward them when they deserved it, but he was firm with his parenting and expected to be obeyed without protest. At the door she glanced back at Tony, but Tony’s eyes weren’t on her, they were locked with his father’s.

  The very next day Anthony King enlisted with the Marines. He was gone within a couple of weeks without speaking a word to her about what had happened between them.

  Chapter 1

  "Yes, I promise to be nice to him, Mom," Gabriella King said, rolling her eyes in frustration. She had just spent the last thirty minutes on the phone assuring her mother that she would indeed play nice with her slightly older stepbrother Anthony when he came home. It wasn't as though they were teenagers anymore, and she hadn't seen him in five years so she was confident that they could put past differences aside and be civil to each other for one night. Although she had to admit, even after all these years she was still hurt and confused about what happened, or didn’t happen on prom night, whichever way you wanted to look at it.

  "Your stepbrother is a hero. He helped rescue –"

  "Yeah, I get it, Mom!" Gabriella cut her mother off. She swore if she heard one more story about how great her older brother the Marine was, she'd fucking lose it. "I gotta go check on supper. Bye, Mom."

  Without waiting for her mother's response she hung up the phone and walked into the kitchen. Her brother joined the Marines when he was nineteen and now at the age of twenty-four he was coming home. After spending all those years overseas, helping to keep their country safe, they would finally see him again. Yeah, she got that. And she appreciated and respected him for his bravery. She admired him even, but the fact that their parents were always bringing it up and praising him constantly was really beginning to annoy her. Each time they brought him up her mind would go back to prom night, pondering the “what ifs.”

  She couldn't remember the last conversation she had with either her mother or her stepfather that didn't circle around to how wonderful, honourable and courageous her brother was. Sure, she was twenty-three and still trying to figure out what she wanted to do in life, but was that so bad? She worked as a waitress at the local bar and grill, and it was an honest living. She even had her own apartment and paid her own bills. She had decided to work there until she was able to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. Bottom line was, in their little family he was the hero and she was the disappointment, and it was an open wound for her that never seemed to heal. Probably because of all the salt being thrown into it on a regular
basis.

  "He helped rescue –" Gabriella mimicked her mother and immediately felt petty for it.

  He had been the star in high school: quarterback of the football team, and the reason most girls in school had been her friends. In retrospect, she always knew their friendliness was not genuine, they were being nice to her so they could come to her house, hoping that they would get the opportunity to talk to him. To make matters worse, after the incident prom night her crush on him had gotten stronger, which had made his leaving so abruptly even harder to handle. After all, he was one of the hottest guys in school, what girl wouldn’t have a crush on him? But she knew there was more to Anthony than just charm and good looks – a lot more. She had fallen for him hard and fast, and had endured years of watching him date bimbos with big boobs and double-digit IQs. Gabriella had managed to camouflage her desire for him with hostility – until that night.