Brother's Keeper

By Nan Comargue

Alexa believed Nik is her half-brother until she visits California for Russian Orthodox Christmas and learns the truth. Then their relationship becomes wild, hot—and very unorthodox.

Nik's devil-may-care attitude drives Alexa crazy, but because he's her younger half-brother, she has to see him every Russian Orthodox Christmas—even after he kissed her two years ago and made her feel things that just couldn't ever be. This year, the holiday starts with Alexa finding out Nik's not related to her at all, a fact her family has kept from her for decades.

The revelation sends Alexa into a tailspin, and the person who offers her comfort is the last one she expects—Nik. After waking up to find Nik in her bed the next day, that comfort turns into unexpectedly hot sex, which only complicates the burgeoning feelings she has for him.

The last thing Alexa wants is to disrupt her life with a man she can't trust—a man she already knows she cares for far too deeply. But easygoing Nik proves to be much more determined than she'd ever imagined when their fragile, new love is on the line.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Sep 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781786510594

Nan Comargue

Nan Comargue is a romance and erotic romance writer who has been reading romance novels all her life. She prefers sexy confident heroes who win over slightly introverted heroines (read: nerdish types) but she writes about everything from angel-warriors to cowboy ménage. Nan blogs about her writing journey and other interesting topics (zombies!) here but lately she tweets more than she blogs (and sometimes more than she writes). Nan is Canadian, eh?

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Brother’s Keeper

ISBN # 978-1-78651-059-4

©Copyright Nan Comargue 2016

Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright August 2016

Edited by Jamie D. Rose

Totally Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2016 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN

Totally Bound Publishing is a subsidiary of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

Warning:

This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Burning and a Sexometer of 2.

BROTHER’S KEEPER

Nan Comargue

Alexa believed Nik is her half-brother until she visits California for Russian Orthodox Christmas and learns the truth. Then their relationship becomes wild, hot—and very unorthodox.

Nik’s devil-may-care attitude drives Alexa crazy, but because he’s her younger half-brother, she has to see him every Russian Orthodox Christmas—even after he kissed her two years ago and made her feel things that just couldn’t ever be. This year, the holiday starts with Alexa finding out Nik’s not related to her at all, a fact her family has kept from her for decades.

The revelation sends Alexa into a tailspin, and the person who offers her comfort is the last one she expects—Nik. After waking up to find Nik in her bed the next day, that comfort turns into unexpectedly hot sex, which only complicates the burgeoning feelings she has for him.

The last thing Alexa wants is to disrupt her life with a man she can’t trust—a man she already knows she cares for far too deeply. But easygoing Nik proves to be much more determined than she’d ever imagined when their fragile, new love is on the line.

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Range Rover: Jaguar Land Rover Limited

Honda: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha – Honda Motor Co Ltd

Mini Cooper: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft Corporation

Skype: Skype Technologies SA Corporation

The Graduate: Charles Webb

Chapter One

Alexa had only been home for half an hour and already everything was all wrong.

She was tired from her flight and wanted to lie down in her childhood bedroom, to sleep in the bed that still smelled sweetly of cinnamon gum, her favorite from adolescence. Instead, her stepmother was pestering her with anxious questions. How was her work going? Did she have many close friends where she lived? Wouldn’t it be possible for her to do the same work here?

The last question was at least a decade old and Alexa gave the same answer she always had. Yes, she could move back to her hometown. But no, she didn’t want to.

Childhood was a nice place to visit but Alexa had no intention of living there again.

But the question was different. More half-hearted. Her stepmother Val’s gaze kept drifting to the doorway, as if she were checking for an invisible newcomer.

Who are you expecting? Alexa finally asked, sipping tea from Val’s grandmother’s priceless china set. And why are you so damned nervous about it?

Val jumped at least an inch off the sofa, violently clattering her tea cup in its saucer. Alexa flinched. She’d grown up being repeatedly told how valuable the china set was and to see it abused just emphasized how strange everything was that day.

Oh, it’s just Nikky. Val laughed loudly. That boy will be the death of my peace of mind.

‘That boy’ was Val’s twenty-five-year-old son and Alexa’s half-brother. He was also the source of constant grief in Val’s life, which was part of the reason Alexa detested him. But that was only part of the reason.

Alexa wrinkled her nose. Ugh. Why is he coming? Doesn’t he know that I’m here?

Val shot to her feet, walking swiftly over to the sideboard so Alexa couldn’t see her face. Oh, darling, can’t you get along with each other? It breaks my heart to see you drift apart. Sometimes I think you don’t even try to like Nikky.

I don’t like Nik.

You did once, Val said, turning back to face her, a small crystal glass now between her fingers. This was the way Alexa knew her, with her favorite tipple always in hand. The tea drinking must be a new ritual, one that didn’t match well with the balmy California weather.

I’m thirteen years older than he is, Alexa pointed out. We didn’t get along because we had nothing in common. Actually, I can’t think of a brother and sister who have less in common, even if we are just half-siblings.

Val’s expressive face twisted. Maybe it’s because—

Are we really doing this?

Nik was standing at the door behind his mother, so it was only Alexa who saw the effort the older woman made to smooth out her features before she turned around.

Nikolai!

The pure joy in Val’s voice when she greeted her son always brought a lump to Alexa’s throat. Her own mother had died when she’d been a toddler, and it had been a decade before her father had met and married Valentina. As a stepmother, Val was warm and caring, but the passionate love she showed her son was very different in degree.

Val went over to hug him. I’m so glad you’re here.

He looked—as usual, Alexa noted critically—as though he’d just rolled out of bed. His fair hair was tousled and the jeans and T-shirt he wore were incredibly casual and none too clean, yet he gave off enough energy for five men. She could feel it pouring off him, even from across the room.

Nik used only one arm to return the hug. The other hand was occupied with a partially eaten apple. He was constantly eating—to the point where Alexa could barely picture him without some sort of food in hand—yet she conceded that he must need the calories because his tall, lean frame never seemed to gain any extra weight. Val was the same way, though she was built like an elegant greyhound rather than a Siberian husky, but Alexa had to vigilantly watch what she ate.

Nik grinned at Alexa over his mother’s shoulder. I take it you needed the reinforcements, Mom. What’s Lexy been doing to you now?

There it was in a nutshell, the reason she hated Nik. His casual assumption that the tension in the room he’d walked into was her fault, rather than part of Val’s inexplicable mood, his unnecessary levity—did the man take anything seriously?—and the fact that that all of his glaring personality flaws had always worked in his favor.

Of course, Alexa now had a more personal reason to detest her half-brother, as if she needed one. She struggled to stay silent. She really did. Nik stared, an interested and amused witness to her internal battle.

I’m not doing anything! Alexa burst out. I just got here. Val was just harping again on the same old things.

Nik chewed the last of his apple, eating the core and all, which she considered a revolting habit.

About you and me?

The linkage was too intimate but she nodded anyway, feeling foolish for defending herself and annoyed that she had once more found the need to do so.

What was it about her younger half-brother? They simply needed to occupy the same city for her to be all anxious and prickly. Part of the reason she’d moved to Chicago years ago was to escape him, yet she was left feeling that her decision had given him more power than he deserved.

Nik walked over and sat down on the couch right next to her—too close. She had to cling to the arm to avoid tumbling into him. His expression stayed mild as she glared at him. His densely blue eyes usually carried a twinkle, even if it was buried deep inside, as it was now. Why did it often seem as though he was laughing at her? And what, exactly, was the joke?

Shared blood is an accident of fate, Alexa said stiffly. "It