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    Equal Measures...
    Equal Measures...
    Equal Measures...
    Ebook144 pages1 hour

    Equal Measures...

    By Heather Mar-Gerrison

    ()

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    About this ebook

    I stared at Dad with my mouth open, horror-struck. Gabriel Stewart was the captain of Springfield Academy’s football team and had been the object of my desire forever... Gabriel Stewart was my new step-brother...? “His name’s Gabriel,” Dad said unnecessarily, since I was already having a meltdown over the whole thing. My heart started to thump so hard I could feel it in my ears, “Gabriel Stewart.” I managed to murmur faintly.
    This is the third book in the Boys Next Door series, with a decent helping of adorable guys, a little drama and just enough naughty bits to keep you turning the pages...

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHeather Mar-Gerrison
    Release dateMay 31, 2016
    ISBN9781311220721
    Equal Measures...
    Author

    Heather Mar-Gerrison

    I love to write M/M romance and as a sucker for a HEA, you're guaranteed one in my books. #happyheatherafters

    Read more from Heather Mar Gerrison

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      Book preview

      Equal Measures... - Heather Mar-Gerrison

      Equal Measures…

      (Boy Next Door #3)

      Heather Mar-Gerrison

      Smashwords Edition

      Heather Mar-Gerrison Copyright 2016

      Revised Edition 2022

      No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work.

      Prologue

      One year ago…

      I blinked in the morning sun. Turning over I realised I was alone. I frowned slightly, where the fuck was Gabe?

      I scrambled out of bed, keeping an ear out for sounds from the kitchen. We’d have to be careful again today. Dad and Georgina were coming back from their cruise and we’d have to go back to being ‘brothers’ again… something we’d gotten quite practiced at over the last year or so.

      I grabbed my jeans off the floor where I’d discarded them in double-quick time the night before and padded down the hall towards the stairs, eager to find him and enjoy a few last minutes of freedom before they arrived home.

      I made my way down the hall, which took me straight past his bedroom. His door was open. His bed was made. I frowned. That really wasn’t like him; Gabe was, aside from myself, the untidiest person I’d ever known…

      He’s gone. Dad’s low timbre made me jump.

      I whirled around. Dad was stood inside his and Georgina’s bedroom. His face was pale and he looked stressed, Gone? I asked in confusion, Gone where?

      He shrugged, Just gone. We got back late last night. Well, early hours, you know…

      My eyes widened as I realised what that sentence meant, Oh, God… I whispered.

      Dad shook his head, What the hell were you guys thinking?

      I swallowed. It was time he knew the real me. We love each other… It sounded so pathetic, but it was true. We’d been secretly in love from almost the first time we’d been introduced…

      Dad sighed, Yeah, okay, he said, rubbing his face and looking stressed out, I understand that you’re confused…

      I frowned at him, Confused? I scoffed, "I’m not confused about anything and neither is Gabriel – we just want to be together."

      He nodded, Well, that’s not about to happen any time soon, Dakota, he said, Georgina flipped her lid when we found her son in your bed fast asleep, naked and wrapped around you. She had no idea that Gabe had those sorts of feelings.

      I rolled my eyes. Was it really that abhorrent to them? Did being straight count for more than being happy? And ‘those sorts of feelings’? What the hell was that all about? Couldn’t he say the word ‘gay’ anymore? Well, you’d better call her and get them to come back so we can all discuss this properly.

      Dad gave me a pained look, You don’t seem to understand, son, he said, "She’s gone. She’s left me because of this – and she’s taken Gabe with her."

      Chapter 1 – Dakota…

      Gabriel

      Mortifying, that’s what it was. Mortifying.

      I couldn’t actually believe my bad luck. I swear – my mother’s timing was worse than bad. We were just trying to bide our time until we went to uni in the autumn. We’d both be eighteen by then and had decided that we’d come out to them both – as adults – so they couldn’t really argue… And we’d be doing it together…

      I’d had a bit of a thing for Dakota ever since I first laid eyes on him back when we were around fourteen and his school’s football team came to play against mine.

      I wasn’t captain back then. I’d only really joined the team because my best mate, George, played and he talked me into it. I can’t deny that, at first, I was completely intimidated with all those guys. Being naturally shy – and discovering that I was actually more attracted to guys than girls, I was a little afraid that everyone would instinctively know I was gay and I’d be kicked off the team. As luck would have it, the PE teacher happened to also be gay and he had a zero-tolerance policy for homophobic behaviour or for any other sort of bullying for that matter.

      The first time I saw Dakota, I don’t really know how to describe how I felt – kind of like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. My heart started to beat really fast and I felt really hot. He was so damned beautiful, it was quite ridiculous. I was actually quite angry with him for making me feel so out of control. I’d never felt that way before.

      And he was so damned good at the sport, too. He was, by far, the best player on their team – and yet he was modest, too. He never celebrated stupidly over scoring a goal, he just ran off with a smile on his face as all the rest of his teammates jumped on each other and patted him on the back. His aloofness was what really intrigued me. I romantically thought of him as a lone wolf. A guy that couldn’t be tamed – one that would never be mine…

      I remember when Mum first started dating Rupert. I wasn’t exactly happy about it – but neither did I take a whole lot of notice, either. Dad and Mum had long since split up and I spent my life between two homes – Mum’s all week and Dad’s at the weekend.

      Dad, I think, was quite aware that I was gay but he had more sense than to speak to Mum about it, since she was hardly going to take it well. You see, my Dad had run off with my first nanny, Charlie, when I was barely four years old and I’m not sure she’d ever forgiven him for it. My life with my mother, to be completely honest, was kind of dysfunctional. She hated my father and his new husband and she would no doubt blame the fact that I turned out to be gay on him and his influence. It wasn’t. I was simply the way I was because it was so…

      I’d gotten used to being brought up by the live-in nanny, Rachel, while Mum continued to climb the ladder of success at work and I can honestly say I loved Rachel. I was proud of my mother’s achievements – even if it did mean that we were virtual strangers to each other – but we didn’t have a good relationship. I guess if she’d have taken more notice of me throughout my young life, she might not have been so horrified to discover my sexuality.

      I definitely had a much better relationship with Rachel. She’d known I was gay since I was about nine. It wasn’t like I could hide the fact that I liked boys more than girls. And it wasn’t something I could switch off either – not that anyone could explain that to my mother…

      I glanced sideways at her. Was it a good time to try to explain the way I felt? Probably not but I had to try. I realise it may have come as a bit of a shock…

      We are not discussing this, Gabriel. She snapped back immediately, her mouth set in a tight line, We’ll get you help.

      I raised an eyebrow. She couldn’t be serious, could she? Did she actually live in the same century that I lived in? Help? I asked indignantly, I don’t need help.

      She pulled over – actually pulled over – and switched off the engine.

      Taking my hands in hers, she turned towards me and looked me in the eye, pity written all over her face. I wanted to be sick but she hadn’t even gotten started yet... If that boy forced you to do those things, she closed her eyes and visibly shuddered, Then we’ll press charges and get him put away. Perverts like Dakota Manning shouldn’t be allowed near normal boys like you…

      I snatched my hands away from hers and glared at her, Pervert? I asked, aghast that she would refer to Dakota, the total love of my life, in such a way. He was the sweetest soul that ever lived, Dakota isn’t a pervert – and neither am I, I said indignantly, "were both perfectly normal, Mum. He’s my boyfriend…"

      She covered her mouth as if I’d said something absolutely disgusting, NO. she shouted, "He is not your boyfriend. He’s your stepbrother Gabriel. It’s absolutely unacceptable."

      I rolled my eyes, Don’t be so melodramatic, I scoffed, "it’s not like we live together. I’m at Dad’s all week, now. You’ve never agreed to marry Rupert and we haven’t been

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