Stepbrother With Benefits Series by Mia Clark

"Friends with benefits, stepbrother with benefits, what's the difference?" "Um, we're not even friends, Ethan?" Rule #1 – It's only supposed to last for a week... Ethan is a cocky, arrogant jerk. He's always been that way. I'll never understand why girls trip over themselves just to be with him. Don't they realize he's going to ditch them in a week? Yes, he can be nice when he feels like it. It's true that he's ridiculously attractive, too... more"Friends with benefits, stepbrother with benefits, what's the difference?" "Um, we're not even friends, Ethan?" Rule #1 – It's only supposed to last for a week... Ethan is a cocky, arrogant jerk. He's always been that way. I'll never understand why girls trip over themselves just to be with him. Don't they realize he's going to ditch them in a week? Yes, he can be nice when he feels like it. It's true that he's ridiculously attractive, too. It's not like I want to stare at him when he walks around shirtless, but it's hard not to notice someone with a body made of rock-hard sculpted muscle and sin. He's got that panty-melting bad boy smile that makes you want to... Did I mention he's my stepbrother? Ick. What? You think I'm falling for him? Nope! It's impossible. There's only one problem... I might have accidentally, um... it was just one night, alright? One really good night. Panties? Yup, they're melted. It was a mistake, it doesn't mean anything. Sorry, there's two problems. Did I mention our parents are away and we're stuck home alone together for a week? I'm the responsible one. The good girl with perfect grades. And I'm trapped for a week with a bad boy who showed me what it's like to give in to my wild side. What's the worst that can happen? less

Whoever completes these tasks will gain a wish of whatsoever they desire, given to them by a spirit of the past... "So you get a wish from a ghost?" I say, skeptical. "Yeah," Ethan, my stepbrother, tells me. "How cool is that?" "You do realize this is probably just some fraternity Halloween scavenger hunt, right?" "Princess, I don't know how to tell you this, but you're wrong. This is completely legit, I swear." And... yup, that's about how this all started... moreWhoever completes these tasks will gain a wish of whatsoever they desire, given to them by a spirit of the past... "So you get a wish from a ghost?" I say, skeptical. "Yeah," Ethan, my stepbrother, tells me. "How cool is that?" "You do realize this is probably just some fraternity Halloween scavenger hunt, right?" "Princess, I don't know how to tell you this, but you're wrong. This is completely legit, I swear." And... yup, that's about how this all started. I blame Ethan for everything that happened afterwards. Except the sexy Halloween costumes. That was probably my fault. Whoops? Sorry, not sorry. Trick or treat? I want to be Ethan's treat. He can be my treat, too. We can be delicious together... A list of tasks to complete with a prize of questionable origin at the end? Yup. The number of times my stepbrother attempts to seduce me on Halloween? At least four, but I'm pretty sure it's more than that. Murderous ghosts? Yes, if you ask Scarlet, but I really hope not. Sexy Halloween costumes? Mhm... And an unexpectedly romantic and candy-sweet end to the perfect day from my favorite bad boy with benefits? I can't tell you that one, it's a secret... less

I thought I was a good girl, but then why do I love hearing all of the naughty things he says he wants to do to me? ----- Rule #3 – You can change your mind, Ashley. Not just now. Whenever. I could tell Ethan that the only thing I'll regret about this is that we only have a week together. Except I can never tell him that. I need to stop... moreI thought I was a good girl, but then why do I love hearing all of the naughty things he says he wants to do to me? ----- Rule #3 – You can change your mind, Ashley. Not just now. Whenever. I could tell Ethan that the only thing I'll regret about this is that we only have a week together. Except I can never tell him that. I need to stop. I need to understand that this is a temporary situation and that I'll never have it ever again, because no matter what, it won't work out, whether I want it to or not. ----- Ethan is a cocky, arrogant jerk. He's always been that way. Why do girls trip over their own feet just to be with him? I don't know! I'll never understand it. Don't they realize he's just going to ditch them after a couple of weeks? Yes, he can be nice when he wants to be. It's true that he's ridiculously attractive, too. It's not like I want to stare at him when he walks around shirtless, but it's hard not to notice someone like him. He's got that bad boy smile that makes you want to... Did I mention he's my stepbrother? Ick. What? You think I'm falling for him? Nope! It's impossible. less

I just had to try and be a bad girl, didn't I? I blame Ethan. This is all his fault. Rule #9 – We were never supposed to get this far. It was only supposed to be for a week. I don't even know what we're supposed to do now. I've never done this before. "You ready for the ride of your life, Princess?" I ask her. "You think you're that good, do you, Ethan?" Ashley counters. Thankfully my dad's in the car with the window up, so he can't hear any of this... moreI just had to try and be a bad girl, didn't I? I blame Ethan. This is all his fault. Rule #9 – We were never supposed to get this far. It was only supposed to be for a week. I don't even know what we're supposed to do now. I've never done this before. "You ready for the ride of your life, Princess?" I ask her. "You think you're that good, do you, Ethan?" Ashley counters. Thankfully my dad's in the car with the window up, so he can't hear any of this. "Better," I tell her, smirking. "You don't even know what you're getting into here." "I think I have a pretty good idea..." she says, grinning uncontrollably and winking at me. My dad rolls down the window. "What's the hold up?" he asks. "Nothing," I say. Yeah, well, that's it. Time for a road trip. We're going camping. I still don't know how to tell my dad that I'm dating my stepsister. I don't know if I can ever tell him. He's already voiced his disapproval, whether he realizes it or not. With more and more people trying to interfere, it's getting harder to keep this a secret, though... less

This is a dangerous combination, the demanding bad boy and curious good girl, but I think I can handle myself now. If not, I'm sure I'll enjoy what Ethan has in mind, so... I seriously can't believe he's doing this. Rule #10 – I know you're a bad boy, but I want you to be my bad boy. I need you to promise that you'll only be with me and that you won't hurt me... How do I explain this to Ashley? I don't know... moreThis is a dangerous combination, the demanding bad boy and curious good girl, but I think I can handle myself now. If not, I'm sure I'll enjoy what Ethan has in mind, so... I seriously can't believe he's doing this. Rule #10 – I know you're a bad boy, but I want you to be my bad boy. I need you to promise that you'll only be with me and that you won't hurt me... How do I explain this to Ashley? I don't know. I'm not even sure I should try, because I'm pretty sure I'll say something dumb. Dating is hard, alright? Maybe you think it's hard to actually get someone to start dating you, but I think that's the easy part. It doesn't matter if you screw it up, because you can just move on to the next girl. When you're actually dating, though, it's like... man, I can't screw this up. I can't say something stupid, because it's not as easy as just moving on to the next girl. I don't want to move on to the next girl. I want to stay right here with Ashley. less

Ethan fills a part of me that I never knew needed to be filled before. I give him something that he never knew he was missing. Rule #11 – I want to make you feel ecstasy at least once a day. At least. Maybe twice. Three times. All day. I want to be with you all the time, near you, next to you, inside you. I need you... We all have our strengths and weakness. We're all good at something and bad at something else. This is why we need each other... moreEthan fills a part of me that I never knew needed to be filled before. I give him something that he never knew he was missing. Rule #11 – I want to make you feel ecstasy at least once a day. At least. Maybe twice. Three times. All day. I want to be with you all the time, near you, next to you, inside you. I need you... We all have our strengths and weakness. We're all good at something and bad at something else. This is why we need each other. This is why it makes sense for Ethan and I to be together. I'm the good girl, the careful, cautious one, who thinks before she acts. Ethan is the bad boy, the risk taker, the person who jumps into action regardless of the consequences. Sometimes you can't wait to think before you act, though. Sometimes you can't be careful or cautious. And sometimes you need to know when a risk is too great, and when you should reign in your recklessness and consider the repercussions. This is why we're perfect together. I'm sure there's a lot more reasons, but I think that's one of them. No matter what happens, we're going to find a way to be together... less

"It's not just for a week anymore, Princess. A week isn't long enough. I need more. I need forever." Rule #12 – You can tease me, Ethan, and we can play, but you can't be mean to me. I need to know that there's more, that this isn't wrong, that you feel the same way I feel... I never wanted to hide this from you, Dad. It wasn't about that. It wasn't that I was ashamed or thought I was doing anything wrong, but I didn't think you'd understand and I wanted to be with Ashley... more"It's not just for a week anymore, Princess. A week isn't long enough. I need more. I need forever." Rule #12 – You can tease me, Ethan, and we can play, but you can't be mean to me. I need to know that there's more, that this isn't wrong, that you feel the same way I feel... I never wanted to hide this from you, Dad. It wasn't about that. It wasn't that I was ashamed or thought I was doing anything wrong, but I didn't think you'd understand and I wanted to be with Ashley. I want to keep being with her, and whenever I thought about telling you, and then thought about you getting mad about it... well, yeah, that's it. How am I supposed to date her if you're angry about us dating? That's why I didn't tell you. This isn't a fling to me, it's serious. She's too much, but she's never enough, too. When I'm with Ashley she's the only thing I can think about. When I kiss her, I mean it. There's a difference there, a difference between just kissing, or kissing because of lust, or a sweet and nice kiss, or kissing because you really mean it. There's all sorts of different kinds of feelings, but that last one is the most important. That's the one I feel when I'm with her. It's crazy. This entire thing is crazy. I love it. I love her, and I want you to understand that... less

Her rules are the only ones I've never been tempted to break. Rule #13 – All the rules apply to both of us evenly. We're in this together, no matter what. She's just so... Ugh, I can't even explain it. Perfect? I feel like that word isn't good enough. What's better than perfect? I have no idea. It's funny. I always used to think it'd be hard to tell a girl I loved her. I wasn't ever really planning on doing it, but I guess I figured it'd happen some day... moreHer rules are the only ones I've never been tempted to break. Rule #13 – All the rules apply to both of us evenly. We're in this together, no matter what. She's just so... Ugh, I can't even explain it. Perfect? I feel like that word isn't good enough. What's better than perfect? I have no idea. It's funny. I always used to think it'd be hard to tell a girl I loved her. I wasn't ever really planning on doing it, but I guess I figured it'd happen some day. It's not like I lost sleep over it, but I always wondered how it worked. When do you say it? How do you know when to say it, or how to say it, or what to say along with it, and everything else like that. It's not that hard, though. It's not that confusing. I can't explain it, but with Ashley it's like I know everything I never knew before. I don't have to worry about it. I love you, Princess. It's the easiest thing I've ever done. We've spent every day this summer together. That's the easy part. Going back to school after our summer break is over? It seems impossible. This is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done. less

It's not just for a week, it wasn't just a fling. Ethan's not just my stepbrother anymore, he's my boyfriend...Rule #14 – You're perfect just the way you are, Princess. Don't let anyone ever try to tell you differently.That's it for an entire week. We're going back to college now. We won't see each other until the weekend.It's only for a week, Ashley, I remind myself. I shouldn't be so upset at that, because a week isn't really that long of a time, but I am. I just...It's not just for a week... moreIt's not just for a week, it wasn't just a fling. Ethan's not just my stepbrother anymore, he's my boyfriend...Rule #14 – You're perfect just the way you are, Princess. Don't let anyone ever try to tell you differently.That's it for an entire week. We're going back to college now. We won't see each other until the weekend.It's only for a week, Ashley, I remind myself. I shouldn't be so upset at that, because a week isn't really that long of a time, but I am. I just...It's not just for a week. It wasn't just a fling. We didn't just spend the entire summer together only to go back to college and go our separate ways. He's not just my stepbrother anymore, he's my boyfriend, and he's special. We have more.He's kind of a bad boy, but he's my bad boy. He makes me feel so beautiful and special, even when I'm sad and upset.If only I didn't have my ex-boyfriend intent on making my life miserable, this would all be so much easier... less

"It's you, Princess," Ethan says. "You're perfect, and I need you in my life." Rule #15 – We have to cuddle as much as possible. All the time. Every night. "I love you," I say, mumbling, not sure how to tell him exactly how I feel about him right now. "I love you, too," he says. "I love you so much." "Can you tell me what you meant before?" I ask. "About the girl stuff?" "Yeah," he says, genuine. "What I meant to say is that this is hard for me. It's hard being away from you... more"It's you, Princess," Ethan says. "You're perfect, and I need you in my life." Rule #15 – We have to cuddle as much as possible. All the time. Every night. "I love you," I say, mumbling, not sure how to tell him exactly how I feel about him right now. "I love you, too," he says. "I love you so much." "Can you tell me what you meant before?" I ask. "About the girl stuff?" "Yeah," he says, genuine. "What I meant to say is that this is hard for me. It's hard being away from you. I think if you were here with me, it'd be different. Everyone could see we're together, right? They'd know, and then I could focus solely on you and you alone. Right now, though, the way things are, and the way I left things last year, everyone thinks it's a joke or something. Or that I'm making it up, or that me saying I have a girlfriend now is some kind of game. It's not a game to me, Princess. It's more real than anything I've ever experienced before, and I guess I just want everyone to know it, but I don't know how to get the point across." I know why they do it. I don't know if I can tell Ethan, but... It's because they've all only ever had a week. A week isn't enough with you, Ethan. I've had over two months with you and that's not even enough. I don't know how much is enough. I don't even know if it's possible to get enough... I wish I'd known how much I had before. less

It's my first day back at college and I've already screwed everything up... Rule #16 – A week isn't enough. It'll never be enough. Rule number one is null and void. I know everyone says that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but to be completely honest, it just makes my heart hurt. I guess people say it because if you have too much of something, you'll end up growing sick of it, but... That's not always true. Sometimes you love something so much that you want it all the time... moreIt's my first day back at college and I've already screwed everything up... Rule #16 – A week isn't enough. It'll never be enough. Rule number one is null and void. I know everyone says that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but to be completely honest, it just makes my heart hurt. I guess people say it because if you have too much of something, you'll end up growing sick of it, but... That's not always true. Sometimes you love something so much that you want it all the time. You might have other options, but they aren't the same. Maybe they aren't good enough. Maybe nothing else will compare to the one thing you want beyond all else. And that's how I feel about Ethan. Yes, he's just one person, but there's so much to him and I don't think it's even possible for me to grow tired of any of it. We won't forget about each other, we're not going to stop talking to each other every day. We won't get too distracted or bogged down by everyday life, because he's important to me and I'm important to him, too. Why does everything that can go wrong for us keep going so horribly horribly wrong, though? What the heck! I didn't know having a boyfriend was this difficult. Considering my boyfriend is Ethan Colton, I probably should have realized it before now. The weekend can't come soon enough... less

I'm supposed to be a good girl, right? Um... good girls don't do the things I did today. I'm pretty sure they do none of the things I've done today...Rule #17 – "You can't be a jerk to me, Ethan!" "Just you, Princess?" "Mhm, just me."I'm Ashley Banks and I'm supposed to be a good girl. I follow the rules. I'm always responsible. I'm definitely not the type of girl to...Alright, so I give in to temptation sometimes, but it's just with Ethan... moreI'm supposed to be a good girl, right? Um... good girls don't do the things I did today. I'm pretty sure they do none of the things I've done today...Rule #17 – "You can't be a jerk to me, Ethan!" "Just you, Princess?" "Mhm, just me."I'm Ashley Banks and I'm supposed to be a good girl. I follow the rules. I'm always responsible. I'm definitely not the type of girl to...Alright, so I give in to temptation sometimes, but it's just with Ethan. It's not like I'm trying to be irresponsible here! True, Ethan's kind of a bad boy, but I always thought he was a really good boyfriend.Most of the time. That's what I thought, at least. I'm not so sure anymore...I know bad boys don't follow the rules, but I thought our rules were different. Ethan's different. Right?~*~I'm Ethan Colton, and the universe is seriously conspiring against me here. I swear this isn't what it looks like but how am I supposed to explain that to Ashley? less

"You're going to get me in trouble now, aren't you?" I ask him. "Yeah," he says. "A lot. You'll love it, though. I promise." What can I say to that? Ethan's really good at keeping his promises... Rule #19 – Teasing and anticipation should always lead to future pleasure. We're allowed to give each other one moment of intense excitement and build up, but that's it. Just one! The next time is the real thing.. more"You're going to get me in trouble now, aren't you?" I ask him. "Yeah," he says. "A lot. You'll love it, though. I promise." What can I say to that? Ethan's really good at keeping his promises... Rule #19 – Teasing and anticipation should always lead to future pleasure. We're allowed to give each other one moment of intense excitement and build up, but that's it. Just one! The next time is the real thing... Earlier today, Ethan opened the door for me like the bad boy gentleman he is, which basically means that right after I walked past him he smacked my butt. It's not all naughtiness, though. Our relationship is interesting like that. He says I'm like a flower that wants to blossom. I think I already have, but Ethan makes me feel like I can do it even more. His kiss sends shivers through my body, a trembling transformation, like I'm becoming something else or someone else entirely. I don't know when I changed. Maybe it started a long time ago, or maybe it was last summer when Ethan and I slept together, or maybe it wasn't even then and it was later that week when he flew on a plane to save me. He was just my stepbrother with benefits at the time. Have I mentioned I really like benefits? Maybe I changed sometime during the summer we spent together. It might have been right before we came back to school, our last night, when we cuddled in bed together for what seemed like the last time. Maybe it was sometime after that. Or maybe it's right now. Once this is all done, and once I have my revenge against Jake, I won't keep anymore secrets. We can be together without anything getting in our way. I'm going to tell Ethan everything after this. I'll tell him what I did. I hope he won't be mad at me. Why does revenge have to be so complicated? less