He's So Fine (A BBW Stepbrother Romance) (17 page)

“Cage!” I screamed and launched myself into his arms. He caught me and hugged me tight.

“Are you alright, Abby?”

I was surprised to note his hands were trembling where they touched me. No doubt an effect of the adrenaline rushing through his body. I know I was shaking like a leaf.

“I’m fine,” I nodded, burying my face in the side of his throat and holding on to his neck with all my might. “I’m fine.”

We stood there for several more seconds before he eased me away. “Did he hurt you? Tell me the truth.” His voice was hard and demanding. Unforgiving.

“I’m sure. Just take me home please.”

His eyes narrowed and his gaze raked over me from head to toe. He growled when he realized my blouse was torn and I knew he could see the red marks Danny had left on my stomach and breast. He hadn’t really hurt me, just scared me to hell and back.

He turned me toward the house and I glanced over at Danny’s still prone body. “Should we do something about him?” I remembered what he’d said before and my suspicions that he had done this to other girls.

“No, if the tide doesn’t take care of the problem. I will.”

Again, a deep, full body shiver ran through me at the menacing tone of Cage’s voice. I really didn’t want to involve the police, but I didn’t want Danny to do this again. The next girl might not have a knight in shining armor riding to her rescue.

When I stumbled on a hill of sand, Cage picked me up in his arms. “No, Cage. I’m too heavy for you to carry me so far.”

Another grunt that made me smile. I relaxed against him, glad he hadn’t put me back down. I felt so wonderfully safe and secure in his arms.

No one was home when we got there. Another note from Cage’s father saying he’d taken my mother shopping. If I didn’t know better I’d say that Horace’s wealth was going to her head. But then I remembered my mother’s idea of shopping was strolling along a sidewalk, looking into the store windows. She loved to look at beautiful things, but didn’t need them surrounding her to be happy.

For a brief moment, I wondered if she was getting Horace out of the house so much so I could spend time with Cage.

Cage didn’t stop carrying me until we were in the bathroom connecting our two rooms. He sat me on the toilet and I remembered the last time. I didn’t—couldn’t—get use to him taking care of me. My heart started to ache because summer was almost over and I knew, as surely as the leaves would start turning colors, we would go our separate ways.

He kicked off his shoes and took off the hoodie and t-shirt he’d been wearing. Some days, Cage wore a hoodie when he ran even when it was hot as Hades outside. He said he needed to sweat.

Kneeling beside the giant garden tub, he turned on the water, checking the temperature for a good ten minutes before he turned his attention to me. He rose and walked the few steps back in my direction. He crouched down in front of me, his knees bracketing my legs, his huge hands on my thighs right above my knees. “Please tell me that son-of-a-bitch didn’t hurt you, baby. Please.”

His eyes were dark, somber, and hurting. I knew in that moment that Cage did feel something for me. Something he couldn’t yet express. I ran my fingers through the long strands of his hair. The other hand still held my torn shirt together. “I promise he didn’t hurt me.”

He didn’t say anything else, just slowly undressed me. First my sneakers and socks. I let my ruined shirt fall open. He reached for the button on my shorts and slid down the zipper. I placed my hands on his shoulders to balance myself as I lifted my hips up for him to slide them, and my panties, off. Next, he pushed the shirt down my arms. I could tell by both his expression and his touch that he was angry. Very angry. The front fastener of my bra popped open and I closed my eyes. Was it wrong that I had just been attacked by one man and now was hot and ready for another one?

I opened my eyes when he gave a small growl. Looking down, I realized Danny had managed to bruise both of my breasts. I hadn’t realized he’d been squeezing me so hard. My skin was so fair it showed any flaw instantly. Two purple fingerprints seemed to glow from my right breast. Before I could say anything, Cage leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against each of the marks.

I thought he would do more, but he pulled away, turning off the water. I sat at on the toilet watching, shivering slightly now that I was naked. As I watched, he slipped out of his shorts and underwear. I wondered how, not for the first time, my life had changed so drastically over the last weeks. I’d gone from a reluctant virgin—hey, I wanted to have sex, just not with any of the jerks that had offered—to a girl who had hooked up with one of the hottest guy’s around.

“Come on.” Again, he lifted me in his arms and put me in the water. I’d been afraid the temperature might have been too cold. It was just right. Everything about Cage was just right. Before I could sit down, he’d stepped in behind me and lowered us both down. The water rippled as we sat, a blanket of warm, wet comfort flowing over me. Us.

He pulled me back against him, his arms wrapping around my middle. I know I went on and on about it—it’s not easy for a big girl to get over her inhibitions—but a month ago, I would have been embarrassed to find myself in this position with a man. Not now. I knew that he wanted me, enjoyed every dip and valley of my body.

I felt how much he wanted me as his cock came alive under my ass but he didn’t say anything. Didn’t indicate he wanted me in any other way. He leaned back against the edge of the tub and pulled me closer. We let our legs float out before us, curling around each other. He lowered us further into the water until only our heads were above it. I closed my eyes and soaked in the moment. I didn’t know how long we sat there in silence. Simply touching.

The adrenaline from the attack must have worn off because the next thing I knew Cage was whispering my name.

“Abby. We need to get out.” His body moved beneath mine. At some point I had turned around and my face was cradled in the curve of his neck. Under the water, his hand stroked down my body from my shoulder to the curve of my hip.

“What?” I blinked up at him, wondering for a moment where I was. Everything came rushing back in on me, crashing against me like the ocean waves outside the house. He helped me sit up and I was immediately chilled outside the warmth of the water. In seconds, he had both of us out of the tub and dried with a fluffy towel.

A few more minutes and I was dressed in a pair of the new baby doll pajamas and tucked into my bed. Cage leaned over me, placing a soft kiss on my lips. “Sleep for a little while.”

My eyes were already heavy. The scare of this morning combined with the relaxing warmth of the bath was enough to have me already half-way there. I snuggled against the pillow and allow myself to fall into the healing darkness of sleep.

CAGE

I couldn’t believe what had happened in the short time I’d been at the gym. I knew life could change on a dime. People became instant millionaires thanks to a set of lucky lotto numbers. A bullet could take the life of a soldier in a split second.

And you fell in love with just one look.

I dressed by rote, knowing what I was going to do could change my life irrevocably. Seeing that asshole on top of Abby on the beach had set something loose inside. Something that only tried to rise inside me while I was in the ring. An instinct so primal, so damn primordial I’d never given into it before.

I was going to now.

Bounding down the steps, I stopped short at the sight of Horace and Julie coming in the front door.

“Hi there, son.” Horace’s face was wreathed in a happy smile. He’d started calling me son the second day I was here. I didn’t take offense to it because we both knew it was just a word, like hey, you. Neither of us had yet really embraced the familial connection we had.

I wasn’t in any mood for chit chat. I climbed down the rest of the steps.

As if sensing my mood, Julie spoke, casting me a worried glance. “We bought Chinese.” She held up four white boxes and I realized Horace had several more. There were no shopping bags.

I returned her smile since she looked so much like Abby.

Abby. The woman asleep upstairs. The woman who had almost been raped. On my watch. Anger rolled over me. “I need to go out. You might want to check on Abby after a while. She’s asleep now.”

They both stopped on their way to the kitchen. “What happened?” There was no getting around the mother radar I realized.

“She had a scare on the beach this morning. She’s in bed. I put her there.” I’d staked my claim, now it was up to Abby what she wanted to tell them about us and the attack. I knew the problem would be handled. Personally. I didn’t want to answer any more questions. I couldn’t.

CAGE

I found Danny at the marina, about to get on a boat. Behind him were some members of the group that had appeared on Abby’s front porch that first day. And some new faces I hadn’t seen before. He’d managed to gather several more hanger-oners. Mostly giggly girls. I was pretty sure half of them weren’t even out of high school. Did any of these people realize they were using each other? Being used?

Probably. And they didn’t care.

I wasn’t surprised that he was still walking around. I hadn’t hit him nearly as hard as I’d wanted to. Abby had stopped me before I could do much damage. I was disappointed that the tide hadn’t carried the garbage out to sea.

But she wasn’t here now.

“Danny.” I stood on the deck, my legs braced, my fists clenched. He froze at the sound of his name.

When he turned around, I was pleased to note his face did look bruised and battered from only a couple of punches. His lip was cut and he had two black eyes coming along nicely. If I wasn’t mistaken, I’d broken his nose.

“Look, I didn’t mean—”

I was on him in an instant, his shirt bunched in my hand before he could get the next word out of his fucking mouth. “You didn’t mean to do what? Try to rape Abby?”

A blind rage overtook me when I remembered what could have happened if I hadn’t gotten to her in time. One punch followed another until I found myself bending over him, my fist hitting his face again and again until my knuckles split open. I knew I’d just fucked up any chance of competing in a fight if anyone got wind of this. The organization frowned on its boys fighting outside the ring.

Seeing his bloody face, I knew I didn’t care. He was a piece of shit. I wiped my hand on the leg of my jeans and glanced up. Some of his posse had gathered at the back of the boat and looked down, a drink in their hands, and bored expression of their faces. No one had even yelled for me to stop, much less come to Danny’s defense. I saw no one’s cell phone out recording the beating or calling the police. Probably because no one gave a damn.

I walked back home, letting the evening air roll over me, calm me. I didn’t want to go back to Abby like this, filled with angry energy. I wanted to hold her, savor the feel of her in my arms.

As soon as I entered the house, I knew I wasn’t going to enjoy my anticipated night of sweet, slow loving. My father sat in the living room, the television muted. I hadn’t been raised by loving parents, but I knew enough about how a family worked to understand he’d been waiting up for me.

He turned the television off as I closed the door. “Cage. I’d like to talk to you please.”

I walked forward, but didn’t come into the room. Instead I stood in the doorway. Waiting. My father was smarter than I gave him credit for. He didn’t insist that I sit down, nor did he rise to confront me. I didn’t know what would have happened if he had. That blast of raw power was still coursing through my blood.

“What happened at the beach today?”

“Abby was attacked.” No sense beating around the bush. He knew something bad had happened.

“And?”

“And, the rest you’ll have to ask Abby. It’s not my story to tell.” I didn’t know what I wanted her mother or Horace to know. All I knew was that I had taken care of the problem.

His eyes flickered to the dark stain on my jeans. “Will I be getting a call from anyone later tonight?”

“No.” I was confident as I spoke. Daniel really would be a dumb shit if he reported me. And, I knew his friends wouldn’t. They’d probably already forgotten about it. Plus, if the police did come around, it was my problem. Not Horace’s.

He nodded his head once. I could tell he wanted to say more. Maybe it was time he did. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of beer. I handed him one and took a seat on the chair beside the fireplace. I remembered the day I shared with Abby right here, watching one corny chick-flick after another and loving every minute. My body ached for her again.

“I didn’t know your mother had gotten pregnant.”

I took a drink of my beer. He didn’t have to say the rest. Didn’t have to explain the fact that he’d fucked her once and left. I’d done it what seemed like a thousand times before.

But there was one thing I had to know. “When did you find out?” If he had left me alone all those years—with her, and later in the system—I didn’t know if I could control the rage inside me.

“A friend of your mother’s,” he started.

I snorted. As far as I knew my mother didn’t have any friends. She only knew dealers and women who turned tricks on the side. Those just like her.

“A friend of your mother’s was a patient of mine. She told me how she had died and that she’d had a son. I didn’t think anything about it until she showed me a picture of her, your mother and you.” He looked up at me, sorrow filling eyes that could have been my own. “You looked just like me when I was a kid. You looked about ten, but I’m betting you were only five or six. Big for your age, I’m sure. Just like me.”

Just like me. “When did you find out?” I asked the question again.

“Last year. I found out last year.”

I slowly finished my beer. Thinking.

“I would have come for you, Cage. If I had known, I would have come for you.”

The words were raw, the feeling behind them honest. But I still couldn’t respond. I continued to drink my beer, my face a stoic mask I’d learned to don when life was beating the shit out of me, teaching me a lesson.

Horace cleared his throat and I heard him rise from the couch, the leather squeaking in the silence. “Alright. I think I’ll go to bed.” As he passed, he laid a hand on my shoulder. “If you need me, son, I’m here for you. I want you to know that.”

Our eyes met and I knew he really did regret the fact that he hadn’t known about me sooner. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” And I did. I hadn’t felt like I had anyone in my corner besides Frank for a very long time. Now, I had my father. And Abby.

“I think I’m ready to turn in, too.” We walked up the stairs and parted with another good night. I hesitated as I walked passed Abby’s door. No light was on and I assumed she was still asleep. I had no doubt that her mother had checked on her. I entered my bedroom and walked into the shared bathroom. Turning on the shower, I let the water heat as I stripped. I smiled as I put the clothes in the hamper. Abby and I were both freaky about being neat. I loved hearing her fuss and grumble when anyone left anything out of place. Of course, l had to leave something out of place every now and then just to rile her up.

I stepped into the shower, the hot water feeling good, relaxing my tense muscles. I leaned my hands against the tile wall, letting the water flow over me.

My mind went back to the day I’d taken Abby against the wall, her legs spread wide as I fucked her from behind. God, her cunt was so sweet. My cock swelled. I straightened and grabbed the lavender scented body wash. I didn’t care that it had a sissy smell—it smelled like her. I hissed as the soap got into the scraped skin of my knuckles. It stung like a bitch, but I wouldn’t trade one ounce of the pain. I washed the sweat and grime from my body and hair. Pouring more of the wash into my hand, I encircled my dick with my fingers, stroking the flesh until I was hard and aching.

I knew I was going to spend the night in Abby’s bed, her warm, curvy body tucked tightly against mine. I also knew, she didn’t need a hard cock poking her, reminding her of the day’s events. I pumped my hand up and down my stiffened rod, grunting as I imagined Abby on her knees, her plush lips wrapped around the head. I’d hold her head and thrust forward, pushing my cock down her throat. Again and again, I’d fuck her mouth until I exploded.

My cum shot from the end of my cock and splashing against the cool tile and I almost lost my ability to stand up. I had to prop myself up against the wall. I tugged until I was spent. Washing away the white pool of semen, I turned off the shower and stepped outside.

Drying myself quickly, I opened the door to Abby’s side of the bathroom. I padded across the thick carpet until I stood by her bed. She’d kicked away the covers, lying on her stomach, a pillow hugged to her chest. Her plump little ass was halfway up in the air and I couldn’t resist running my hand across it.

My touch roused her from her sleep. She moved, turning over to her back. She blinked up at me sleepily. Much as she had the other day. “Cage?”

Her voice was a soft welcome whisper in the night.

“Yeah, baby.” I stood there for a couple of more minutes, simply looking down at her sleepy face. She was so damn cute. So pretty. Her large breasts lay on her chest, hidden from my view by the top of her pajamas. I wanted to pull the fabric away and bend over to taste them. My cock started to come to life again and I stopped the thoughts as quickly as I could.

“Move over, sweetheart.” I nudged her with my hand until she moved to the other side of the bed. As soon as she made enough room, I climbed in behind her and pulled her to my chest. She was as warm and sweet as I had remembered.

She settled against my arm as though we’d done it a thousand times. “Where did you go?”

“Nowhere, baby. Nowhere important.” I kissed the crown of her hair. “Now go back to sleep.”

I felt the tension in her body as though she wanted to continue to question me. I’d like to think it was the safety she felt in my arms that had her body relaxing and her breathing slowing and deepening as she fell back asleep.

Knowing my soul wasn’t as pure or as sweet, I lay there, waiting for the night to close in around me. I waited a long time that night before sleep finally claimed me.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll be there.”

Abby pretended not to listen to the conversation, turning her attention back to her food. I knew she was listening though. How could she not? I was standing two feet away from her, getting the best news in my whole damn life and … my heart felt like a leaden balloon inside my chest.

“I said I’ll fucking be there, Frank. I’ll call you later.” I snapped the phone shut. I’d finally upgraded my phone with Abby’s help. Despite having a millionaire father, I still hadn’t upgraded my life.

Except I was lovers with Abby. She was a cut above any girl I’d ever banged before.

Why the harsh lingo? Because what I was about to do next, what I had to do next, was freaking going to cut my heart right out of my chest. And maybe hers, too.

I sat back down at the table. She’d gone to a lot of trouble tonight. There was a white lace tablecloth covering the gleaming walnut wood of the table. Two long white taper candles and a bowl of red roses sitting between them. It looked like a damn movie set for one of those chick flicks I’d watched with her when she was feeling under the weather.

Shit. I had no idea what to do. Did I end it now? Tell her I was leaving in the morning to start training for a fight. A fight that in all likelihood would make or break me? The league had a new bad boy who was a heavy motherfucker with only a few contenders in his weight class. They were scouring the gyms, aka underground fight clubs, looking for any dumb schmuck who had the lights of fame and fortune shining in his eyes to go up against their golden boy.

That wasn’t me. I knew exactly what I was getting into. I’d either kick ass or have my ass handed to me in the first round. It was something I’d been doing half my life anyway—beating the shit out of someone. Yeah, the money would be great. It was the first step in making my dream come true.

Big, fucking whoop.

“Who was that on the phone?” Her voice was low and soft as if she were afraid to talk too loudly.

“That was Frank.” I took a bite of the steak I’d grilled and it tasted like sawdust in my mouth. I kept chewing though. It gave me something concrete to concentrate on while I made up my mind. Tell her? Not tell her? I felt like a fucking little girl picking off daisy blooms to see if the kid who’d hit her on the playground liked her or not.

I didn’t have to do that. I knew I liked Abby. Hell, I fucking lo—

I pulled my thoughts up short. That was one thing I’d vowed never to do. Fucking fall in love. Watching her heart-shaped face as she watched me, I knew it might be too late to keep that vow.

We’d both known this thing between us wouldn’t last. Couldn’t. There were only a few days left of the vacation anyway. I’d heard Horace and Julie talking late the other night. Talking about when Abby had to go back to college. How they’d hate to leave here since we all seemed to be having such a good time.