Mated To My Obsessive Stepbrother

KASMINE.

I was equal parts disappointed and happy.

I opened it.

Jake:

"Hey, babe. Noticed something weird in my system. Same bug showed up on yours, too, two weeks ago, remember? I think it might've spread from Kester's since they are all in the same proximity. All three systems were on the same network recently, also. Mind if I check his, too? Might be safer that way."

I blinked at the message. Then blinked again, because... what?

First off, what the fuck was he doing at the office? It was past eight PM on a Saturday.

Me: "Jake, what are you doing at work? It's a Saturday night."

My thumb hovered over the screen as I added another message.

"Also... what do you mean by 'same proximity'?"noveldrama

I pressed send and leaned against the marble sink counter, exhaling slowly.

The phone buzzed again.

Jake:

"I forgot my wallet in the office yesterday. Came to pick it up and decided to run a couple of quick checks on the system. My antivirus flagged something weird. I remembered your PC lagging earlier this week, so I did a little digging. I think the bug is on Kester's, too. Could've been transferred through our shared cloud drive or internal server."

I squinted. Cloud drive? Internal server? My brain wasn't processing the tech

lingo. Not with the dull throbbing in my head and the sour taste still clinging to my tongue.

I typed slower this time.

Me:

"Jake, if you think there's an issue on Kester's PC, why not just ask him for access?"

I rinsed my mouth again, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My skin looked too pale, and my lashes were slightly wilted. I didn't look like someone read for any kind of celebration.

The phone buzzed again.

Jake:

"You know Kester won't let me anywhere near his stuff. I'm just trying to help. This isn't about privacy-it's about security. The system's been acting off, and I figured I should do the right thing before it spreads further."

hesitated.

It wasn't like Jake to push. But he was the nosy type when it came hours debugging my laptop just because I said a file took too long

Still, something about it didn't sit right.

systems and programs. He once sat through three straight open.

But I was too tired to argue. Too emotionally drained to overthink.

And really... it was just a password. Kester had given it to me a couple of weeks back to download something for him when he was. out of the office. It wasn't a secret. Not to me.

I sighed.

Me:

"Fine. It's Kasmine$21

I watched the three dots bubble for a moment before they vanished. No reply yet.

My thumb hovered again.

Me:

"Don't dig too deep, okay? Just fix whatever and log out. I don't want drama."

I meant it. The last thing I needed right now was Kester calling me to ask why

someone was snooping around in his shit. This wasn't the time.

I just wish I could get through this night with my sanity still intact.

I tucked the phone into my clutch and was ready to leave when the door flung

open with an urgency that startled me.

I spun around, hand instinctively flying to my chest.

It was him.

Kester.

He stood in the doorway of the ladies' restroom like a man unbothered by rules, boundaries, or the stares of anyone who might have seen him walk in.

His hair was slightly tousled like he'd run a frustrated hand through it a hundred times. His jaw clenched tight, a muscle ticking beneath the shadow of his stubble. His chest rose and fell like he'd run all the way here.

And his eyes made my breath hitch-wild, glassy, blazing with something unfiltered and dangerous.

Before I could gather the words to ask what the hell he was doing in here-or why he looked like the world was crumbling around him-he stormed toward me.

And then his hands were on me... One large palm at the side of my neck, the other cupping my cheek, fingers splayed against my jaw. His touch was fevered. The scent of his cologne-dark wood and citrus and sin-wrapped around me like a

noose.

His eyes searched mine for barely a second,

And then he kissed me.

Hard and frantic.

Like a drowning man latching onto the only breath he could find.

1 gasped, caught between instinct and longing. His mouth crashed against mine, stealing air, stealing thought, stealing everything.

Heat rushed through me, wiping out my equilibrium, My hands pressed against his chest just to keep myself upright. My knees felt like wax.

When he finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard.

His eyes locked on mine.

"You have five seconds to say no, baby," he said, voice totally low, rough and wrecked.

I opened my mouth, but nothing coherent came out.

My brain was trying to catch up with everything all at once-the kiss, the look in his eyes, the fact that June was in the hall waiting for him while he was here stealing moments.

Then-buzz.

My clutch vibrated against the sink counter behind me.

I knew this time, it had to be the hospital.

My hand darted for it, but Kester caught my wrist mid-reach, still peering deep

into my eyes. His gaze flicked to my mouth and back up again.

"I thought as much," he said and crushed his lips to mine once more.