“But you know what, Blade?” I lean in close. “I got over you. I found better. Now let me go.”
He does, surprisingly.
I rush off into the darkness, but not before I hear him mutter, “I fuckin’ didn’t.”
I’m not sure I was meant to hear that, but it has a smile stretching across my face.
Maybe Blade didn’t forget me as easily as he’s making out.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THEN – ONE YEAR EARLIER
His lips run down my neck, causing my body to break out into a thousand shivers. I close my eyes, running my hand over his shoulder and down his arm. His muscles flex and move beneath my fingers and he feels amazing. It’s pitiful, love at first touch, I know it, but I can’t change it. Last night was amazing and now here I am, still in his bed, still enjoying him. He took my virginity, he made it amazing, and we spent an entire night kissing and caressing.
“So you’re not going to tell me your name?” he asks, nipping my shoulder.
I smile towards the ceiling. “No. We said no names, remember?”
“Why?” he murmurs against my flesh. “You got a big secret?”
I giggle. “Yeah, you.”
I’m eighteen, and I’ve learned he’s twenty-three. It’s not a massive age difference, but it’s enough that I know he’s far more experienced than I am. He’s been gentle with me, though. He hasn’t pushed to have sex again and he’s been great towards me, offering to clean me up after we first did the deed. He’s a good guy; I know that much.
“Tell me something about you that no one else knows?” he asks, rolling us so I’m in his arms.
“I love tulips.”
A low chuckle as his fingers glide down my side. “That’s it? Tulips?”
I turn so my nose is pressed to his skin. I breathe him in. “No one knows how much I love them. They’re my secret obsession.”
“Seriously?”
I laugh. “Seriously.”
“Okay,” he says. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you love tulips?”
My heart aches. I love tulips because my dad gave them to my mom the night he died. He came home from work and surprised her. They weren’t her favorite flowers, there was no special occasion—he just picked them up from any old store, but they made her smile, and in turn, they made him smile.
“My mom loves them,” I say, giving him no more.
“Fair enough.”
I pinch his skin softly. “Your turn. Tell me something no one else knows about you?”
He rolls back, taking me with him until I’m half positioned over his body. “I have a problem.”
“A problem?” I question. “With what?”
“I hate underwear.”
I burst out laughing. “Say again?”
“Underwear. I hate it.”
“You hate underwear?”
“Yep. It’s all tight and restricting.”
“So you don’t wear . . .” I swallow and look down. “. . . underwear.”
“Nope.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
I look up into his gorgeous eyes. “You’re a strange man.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Okay,” I say. “Now that’s out of the way, I think we need names.”
“Names?”
“Yeah, fake names. I’ll pick yours; you pick mine.”
His body shakes with suppressed laughter, before he says, “We can’t just give our normal ones?”
I grin. “That wouldn’t make this as fun as it is. We can give our real ones at the end.”
He smirks. “Make sure you pick a name you’re happy screaming when I’m deep inside you again.”
I flush. “Okay then.”
His eyes grow lusty and he curls toward me. “You go first.”
“I think I’m going to call you . . .” I stare at him. “Dante.”
“Dante?”
“Yeah, you look like a Dante. Someone seductive and mysterious.”
He laughs. “Okay. I’m going to call you Tulip.”
I smile, warmly. “Tulip?”
“Yeah. It’s a beautiful flower, simple but it stands out over all the rest. You’re all of those things.”
Swoon.
“Okay then, Tulip it is.”
“Okay, Tulip. I’m done talking.”
He reaches up, curling his fingers around the back of my neck, and then he pulls me down and kisses me.
~*~*~*~
NOW
I stumble out of my room towards the bathroom. It’s midnight, I’m still half drunk, and I’m still not sure enough of the house that I can find it easily. I slam into a few walls, muttering a few choice words before I finally reach it. Just as I stretch my hand out, the door flings open. I topple forward and land against a warm, hard chest. Two arms go up and curl around my shoulders, and then I’m being slammed back against the wall.
“You following me, Tulip?”
Blade.
His body is pressed against mine and I’m flat against the wall with nowhere to go. “Ah, I needed to pee. It’s midnight . . .”
He leans down close and damn, damn, damn he smells amazing. His skin is so warm against mine. So freaking warm.
“I haven’t been able to sleep. Do you want to know why?”
“Not really,” I squeak.
“This is why.”
He jerks his hips and his cock presses right between my legs. I gasp and try to squirm backwards, but I can’t move. He’s got me pinned against the wall and now his cock is right there, and god dammit, I like it.
“Blade, stop,” I whisper.
“This is wrong,” he mutters, rotating his hips.
“Blade.”
“Forbidden.”
He thrusts and his cock slides right over my clit. I gasp and my fingers curl into his biceps. I don’t know if I want to push him away or pull him closer.
“But fuck, I want to put my cock inside you so fucking bad, Tulip.”
Oh no.
Oh yes.
“I’m fucking aching to feel your pussy squeezing my dick.”
Oh. My. God.
Heat floods my sex and I want it, I want it so bad. I close my eyes. No . . . this can’t happen. My mom . . . it’d destroy her.
“Please let me go,” I breathe. “We can’t be doing this.”
“No,” he says grinding against me to the point my body is winding up and pleasure is shooting through my limbs. “We can’t.”
“Blade,” I gasp.
“Can I make you come like this?”
“Please.”
“Please what?” he hisses.
“Please, oh God . . .”
His cock is creating the perfect friction. It’s so fucking good. I don’t want him to stop. Shit, yes I do. I do want him to stop. He’s your step-brother; don’t be so . . . oh God . . . he feels so good. His body is so hard. Shit, I’m going to come . . . I can’t . . .
“Blade,” I gasp as I explode against him.
He makes a pleased, rumbling sound and then suddenly he’s gone. It takes me a moment to realize that he’s jumped back because a door has opened and Jack is just stepping into the hall. I press my hands against the wall, trying to look calm. It takes a lot to control my breathing. There’s still an amazing burn between my legs that is really hard to ignore.
“What’re you two doin’?”
I turn my head towards him, because my body isn’t going to move anytime soon. “I was just, ah, waiting for Blade to finish using the toilet.”
Jack looks to Blade, then back to me.
“You drunk, honey?” he asks me.
“A-a-a-ah,” I stammer. “Maybe.”
He shakes his head. “Blade, stop taunting your sister. I have no doubt you’re making it hard for her to get into the bathroom.”
I blanch.
Sister.
He just made me come against the wall.
I’m going to chuck.
r />
“Night, Sissy. Sweet dreams,” Blade says in the darkness, and I see a flash of teeth as he grins, then he’s gone.
“You goin’ to go?” Jack says, nodding to the bathroom.
“Ah, yes.”
I push off the wall and rush in, closing the door quickly behind me. Then I press my back to it and close my eyes, rubbing my hands over my face. Well, that wasn’t exactly meant to happen. Jesus, what is wrong with me? I just let my step-brother dry-hump me against the wall. It’s official. I’m going to hell.
Fucking Blade.
CHAPTER NINE
THEN – ONE YEAR EARLIER
“Close your eyes.”
I wrinkle my nose and stare at the covered dishes on the table. “What’s in there?”
Dante—or Mystery Guy—smiles and nods at me. “Close your eyes.”
“Is it oysters? Because I can tell you now that won’t increase my libido.”
He chuckles. “Darlin’, it ain’t oysters.”
“Fine, but if it is, you’re in trouble.”
I close my eyes and listen to the clanking sounds as he removes the silver tops off the dishes. Something amazing washes over my senses and I inhale deeply. Oh. Yum. Whatever it is, it smells delicious.
“Open your mouth.”
I part my lips and a second later he spoons something inside. I groan as I close my mouth and start chewing. It’s steak, that much I’m sure of, but it’s got creamy, garlic sauce all over it. God. Yum.
“Again.”
I part my lips again and he slides in a forkful of roasted potato. We continue this until I’ve eaten the entire meal of steak, potato and green beans. Then he leans over and presses a kiss to my jaw. “Now for dessert.”
“What’s for dessert?” I whisper.
“I’ll give you a taste.”
I part my lips and he slides a strawberry covered in chocolate into my mouth. I groan. Some chocolate slides down my chin and a second later he’s leaning over, sucking it off. My entire body shudders.
“Do you trust me?”
I nod.
“Good. Keep your eyes closed.”
I swallow with anticipation as he helps me stand and leads me over to the bed. He lays me on my back and then he’s pulling my hands up to the bedpost. Whoa.
“What’re you doing?” I breathe.
“Tying you. It won’t be tight and I won’t hurt you.”
I nod. “O-o-kay.”
He ties me gently with the string from our robes and then the bed dips beside me as he settles himself down. It’s quiet for a moment, and I’m not sure what he’s about to do, but then he peels back my robe so I’m naked. My cheeks heat, but I soon forget about that when I feel something warm against my nipple.
Then his mouth is there, sucking it back off.
Oh. God.
I arch up to his lips, but he keeps sucking me slowly. It’s like torture. He continues to pour what I’m guessing is melted chocolate over my skin, sucking it off and tormenting me until I’m thrashing and begging for more. When he reaches my sex, he drizzles the warm liquid between my legs and I gasp in surprise. Then his mouth closes over my clit and he sucks.
Holy shit.
I rasp out a desperate plea as he licks every inch of me, sucking and devouring until I’ve not only come twice but am building up for a third time. Then his body moves off me and he tells me I can open my eyes. I let them flutter open and see he’s standing at the foot of the bed, placing down a bowl filled with melted chocolate. I was right. He lifts a strawberry and dips it in, then he crawls back over the top of me. I see he’s already put a condom on.
He positions himself between my legs and stares down at me, placing the strawberry between my lips. I bite down and the juicy fruit fills my mouth. I moan and bite more. He tosses the little green top away and then leans down, devouring my lips with his. I kiss him hard, wishing I could be released from my restraints so I could tangle my fingers into his hair.
He pushes inside me, never once disconnecting his lips from mine. He fucks me slow, his body moving in and out of mine so fucking sweetly. He stops kissing me, but his lips glide over my face. He kisses my cheeks, nips my earlobe, and then runs his mouth down my neck. With a panted cry, I come around him. He groans loudly and reaches down, taking my hips. He holds onto them as his thrusts become deeper and faster, the sounds of our skin slapping together filling the room. I love that sound.
Then, with a ragged cry, he’s coming, too.
Good god, I think I love this man.
~*~*~*~
NOW
“Oh my god!” Melanie squeals when I tell her what happened last night. “Are you serious?”
I flush, crossing my legs as I look over at her. I’m sitting on her bed. As soon as the sun came up, I charged in here and woke her, needing to tell someone what had happened. She stared at me with wide eyes as I told her what went down, then she squealed with delight.
“Yes, I’m serious,” I groan. “Then the asshole had the nerve to call me Sissy.”
She bites her lower lip, contemplating something. “He’s playing with you.”
“No shit,” I mutter.
“He’s good, I’ll give him that much. He knows you want him, and he’s tormenting you because he knows you can’t have him.”
“He’s a dirt bag,” I huff.
“A dirt bag who clearly knows how to use his junk.”
I glare at her and she giggles again.
“Okay, so what are you going to do?” she asks.
I flop onto my back and stare out the window. “I don’t know.”
“I have an idea . . .”
I turn my head to stare back at her. “And that would be . . .?”
“You might not like it.”
“Melanie!”
“Okay.” She throws her hands up. “I think you should play it cool, for a start.”
“Well, I wasn’t going to just go on out there and throw myself at him.”
She frowns. “No, but he’s getting to you. You can’t let him.”
“We’re staying in the same house.”
She nods, rubbing her chin. Then her eyes widen and she cries, “Ignorance!”
I blink.
“Ignorance is bliss, right?”
“Right . . .” I say wearily.
“You need to play on that. Ignore him; when he teases you pretend you can’t even hear him, go and hang with Bryce, give him something to be pissed about.”
Not a bad plan.
“You saw how he pulled me away last night, though,” I say.
“Yes, but next time he tries that you won’t let him. Don’t give him the satisfaction of getting to you.”
“I think you’re right,” I mumble. “I’m going to have to ignore him. Give him no reaction.”
“That’s my girl. Now, let’s go and get some breakfast because I’m starved.”
“Me too.”
We head out to the kitchen. Everyone is already up and standing around the counter as Mom fries eggs and bacon. When we enter the room, Blade turns and stares at me. There’s something in his eyes as he drags them down my body. He’s openly checking me out. My cheeks grow pink at memory of the night before, and I turn my eyes away. Don’t give him what he wants.
“Morning, Sissy,” he taunts.
“What’s up, Bro?” I flash him a smile and slide around the counter to kiss Mom on the cheek. “Morning, Momma.”
“Morning honey.”
“That boyfriend of yours has an awesome speedboat,” Ripley says, slinking over to me and throwing his arm around my shoulder. “Tell him I want to go for a ride.”
Blade is staring at me, his eyes burning holes into the side of my head. “I’ll do just that. I’m going to see if he’s keen to go out today.”
“Sweet!”
“Be careful out there,” Jack says, sipping his coffee. “Those things can be dangerous.”
I smile at him. “Yes, Dad.”
I say it before I
realize what it is that I’m actually saying. Jack flinches and Mom looks up from the bacon, staring at me in shock. Instant guilt burns in my chest and I give Jack a devastated stare. He stands and walks over, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, then he leans down and says gently, “I know what you meant, honey, don’t stress.”
I force a smile. “I think I’m going to go and call Bryce, see about that speedboat.”
I rush outside before anyone can answer. I breathe in the air, filling my lungs and then exhaling loudly. When I’m feeling a little calmer, I pull out my cell and text the number Bryce gave me two nights before.
Aria – Hey Bryce. How did you pull up this morning? My step-brother wants to know if you’re cool to do the speedboat today?
I shove the phone in my pocket once I’ve hit send and stare out at the glistening lake. It’s gorgeous out here this morning. The sound of the screen door opening alerts me that someone has come out, but I don’t turn. An arm wraps around my shoulder and I see Mom in my peripheral vision. I spin and smile at her. “Hey.”
“You okay?”
I nod. “Yeah . . . what I said just shocked me is all.”
“It’s okay, you know?”
I stare guiltily straight ahead.
“It’s okay to let them go and let a new person in. Jack . . .” She sighs. “Jack would be a good step-father.”
“I know that, I do,” I say gently. “It’s just . . . I don’t know if I’m ready to let them go.”
She squeezes me. “I think about them everyday; that’s never going to change. I miss your sister’s sweet voice and your daddy’s hugs. I miss them so much it still hurts, but I know they would want this for us. I know they wouldn’t want us to spend the rest of our days unhappy. Jack makes me happy, Ari. Happier than I’ve been in eleven years.”
I wrap my arm around her, squeezing tight. “I know he does. I like Jack.”
“And he likes you. Let him in, honey. You won’t be disappointed. He wouldn’t mind if you called him dad.”
He wouldn’t mind, but I would . . . because calling him dad made things too real.
“What do you think of the boys?” I question.
“They’re great kids.”
I nod. “Yeah, they are.”
She steps and turns, so she’s facing me. She holds my shoulders and stares into my eyes. “I’m so proud of you, for everything you’ve achieved. I’m proud that we can finally smile again. I want this, Aria. I want this family; I want just a percentage of the happiness back that I lost when my angels died. Jack and the boys, they’re giving me that. Hearing all your laughter . . . it’s bringing sunshine back into my life.”