Stepbrother UnSEALed by Nicole Snow

thinks I'll lose my mind.
    He's so damned full of himself. Maybe they all are, but especially this badass warrior I'm cursed to share a wall with now.
    I can't believe he thinks I'll be obsessed with him forever if I temporarily lose my mind and let him between my legs.
    Hell, Marnie barely remembers who she slept with her first time in our freshmen year, and it hasn't slowed her down a bit from poaching more hotties.
    I can't sleep. I'm tossing and turning all night, and by about four o'clock, I'm sitting on my bed, listening through the quiet house for any sound of him stirring.
    He's gotten me restless, desperate to prove him wrong, to prove to myself how much I don't need him.
    It's about thirty minutes later when I hear him getting up to dress.
    I wait until his door clicks open before I race to mine. Jumping out into the hall right ahead of him, he stops in his tracks, staring at me like I'm a ghost.
    “What?” he growls, holding the heavy bag with all the military gear he always carried around over his shoulder.
    “I'm not done with you yet,” I snap, pushing my hands against his chest. “I don't care if you never want me. You made your point loud and clear. I won't tease you anymore.”
    “Good. Then kindly get out of my way, sis. ” Something about the way he says it sends shivers up my spine.
    “No, wait!” I grab his arm as he tries to walk past, and he doesn't stop until my feet are practically dragging on the floor. “Don't go. I still want to know you, Chris. As a friend, I mean, as a brother. No more sexy stuff. No more awkwardness. Please. It doesn't have to be like this.”
    He shakes me off, more vigorously this time. I don't follow him. He stops at the stairs and looks back at me, shaking his head.
    “Look, girl, I don't know what your issues are, but get 'em sorted the fuck out. It's not my job to help with that. I'm your stepbrother in name only. You're sweet, and you've got a body boys will kill for, but you've got some serious abandonment shit going on. Fix it, get yourself a boyfriend, and maybe I'll be in touch.”
    My heart pumps brimstone. I want to race after him and throw myself at him, even though I know how fucking insane that is, tackling a Navy SEAL.
    Instead, I force my feet to stay rooted to the floor, listening as he tromps down the stairs and slams the door.
    Great.
    I'm alone, I'm sexless, and the man who was supposed to give me my knockout thesis just walked out the door.
    It's early afternoon when there's a slap at my door. I wake up, rub my eyes, wondering why these screwed up sleep schedules always cause so much grog.
    “Yeah?” I pop my bedroom door open and Evie pushes her way inside, smiling like a Cheshire cat.
    “Jesus, you're home early, aren't you? What happened to the weekend getaway?”
    “Your father and I decided we had more important business here,” she says, flashing me a wink. “He was here last night, wasn't he?”
    I try to play dumb until she looks at me sharply, his name written in her eyes. Chris.
    I shrug. “I don't know what you're –“
    “Oh, shut it, little girl. Don't play stupid with me. I know my son's been sniffing around you since the moment he showed up here for dinner. Winston told me everything.”
    Damn it. Big mouth should be our gate guy's middle name, but I'm floored that he's telling Evie crap behind dad's back.
    So what if he was here? Why's it any of her business?
    I shoot her a dirty look. It takes a lot of courage because Evie is kinda scary when she gets ramped up, smiling like an over-painted mannequin.
    It's my room. I don't have to take this shit.
    “We can talk about this later. You've got the wrong idea about Chris and me. He came by because I asked him to help with my project, this thing I'm doing for school about Navy SEALs.”
    “Ha! You really expect me to believe that?” She throws her head back and drums her bright green nails on my dresser. “I saw exactly how he looked at you during dinner last week. Don't