STEPBROTHERS (3 Book Stepbrother Romance Collection) (39 page)

I had to know why she lied to me. She’d known I was her stepbrother, and yet that kiss felt anything but a sisterly kiss. How long had she known? The more I thought about her treachery, her lies, her two-faced act with me, the more I wanted to know the reason why. Had she played me? Used me somehow to get rid of Donte?

Shaking my head, I voiced out loud, “She wouldn’t have. She couldn’t have.” And inside, at the pit of my stomach was the feeling of betrayal.

I was a fucking gullible fuck.

A car horn blared from behind, wanting the space I was taking up in the busy petrol station. There was nothing for it; my mind was made up. I started the car and pulled out onto the road.

“
S
orry
, Roísín. I can’t do it tonight.”

“But we’re really short, and there’s a boatload of money in it for you.”

I contemplated accepting, but the thought of getting dressed, making myself up to become someone other than Vincent’s plaything, made me feel sick.

“Thea, please just this once. It’s only an hour or two.”

I grumbled down the phone. What did I have to lose? Vincent, for all I knew, had gone. He’d made it perfectly clear he wanted nothing to do with me the moment he left me stranded at his house. And Travis hadn’t been any help in locating him, though I was sure he knew exactly where he was, or at least where he had been.

“Fine,” I said, reluctantly.

“Yay! Thanks, hun.”

“Just text me where and when. And, Roísín, you really owe me!”

“I know,” she said with an exaggerated sigh, but I knew she was pleased as punch that she managed to convince me to go out on a job.

I shrugged off the blanket, turned off the soppy romcom movie I’d been watching before she’d phoned, and started to get ready for the night to come.

After my shower and makeup were done I slipped on a pair of sheer black stockings, the kind that needed a garter belt to hold them up, and carefully clipped the clasps to the tops. The garter belt matched the colour of my dusky pink bra and panties.

I might’ve been down in the dumps, but at least I still looked good. Any more of the Ben & Jerry’s I’d been shovelling down my neck, though, and soon I wouldn’t even be able to get the high-class jobs that had become the norm for me.

With a wiggle and a shimmy I managed to squeeze myself into a short, strapless burgundy dress with a sweetheart neckline. The line of the dress pulled me in at the appropriate places and let me free in others.

Paired with a kitten heel I was ready and grabbed my Alexandre McQueen knuckle clutch. I was almost out the door when I remembered that my real ID was still inside my purse. I wasn’t about to make that mistake again, and I quickly switched out the real for the fake card.

Careful not to trip and fall down the apartment stairs I made my way, one heel clack at a time, to the bottom and opened the front door.

An impenetrable wall of muscle stood before me, his arm raised, his fist clenched as if he were just about to pound it onto the wood of the door.

I gasped and clasped a hand to my chest; my heart raced and flipped in a combination of elation and fright.

“Vincent,” I breathed. “What are you doing here?” He was actually here? I had to close my eyes a couple of times to see that he wasn’t a hallucination.

He lowered his arm and looked me up and down, his eyes skirting every free bit of skin I had on display. Momentarily he blinked, and he closed his mouth that had fallen open.

I offered him a smile and raised my eyebrows, desperately hoping he’d say something. But he frowned, a conflicted expression clouding his face, and his temples worked hard. He clenched his jaw over and over again.

My hand went to his cheek, brushed his face for but a second, then he stepped back.

“Why did you lie?” he finally said. Not the first words I thought he’d say, but still I was taken a back, unsure of what he referring to. We hadn’t spoken about it, but he knew what I did to earn money, and I’d even gone so far as trust him with my real name… but then there was one other thing I had kept back, and I lowered my head.

“I didn’t know how to tell you.”

“How long have you known?”

I wrapped my arms around myself, hugging my body as I shivered on the doorstep of my flat. The night had turned cold, and Vincent with it. I knew, even though I didn’t want to tell him the truth, that I had to be honest with him. Even if there was not going to be any chance left… the dream and fantasy of us being together was over. He was obviously disgusted, and he had every right to feel betrayed.

“You knew since the start, since we met in the bar that first night, didn’t you?”

I nodded, unable to meet his eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

He turned from me, his hands going to his head in desperation.

“Vincent? I didn’t mean—”

“What?” He whirled on me. “You didn’t mean to what? You didn’t mean to make me fall in love with you? When you knew I could never actually have you?”

“No, Vincent…” I tried to interrupt.

“Was it all just a game to you? Lead me on, get what you wanted. Make me kill for you.”

I shook my head, tears were on the edge, my lashes the only thing holding them back. How could I make him understand that I didn’t want to hurt him? Far from it?

I held out my hand. “Please come in, we can talk. It’s freezing out here.”

“No, I just wanted to find out why you did it. But it’s obvious you don’t have a clue yourself.”

Vincent started to walk away, and my teeth chattered; adrenaline and the cold wrought havoc with my body.

“Vincent, don’t you understand? I fell for you, too!” I shouted at his back, but my words seem to have no effect and bounced right off him.

I wiped away the tears that coated my cheeks. My make-up was ruined, and I turned to go back into the flat, the door closing behind me.

A sudden gush of cold air caught the door and pushed it open, or at least that’s what I thought it was.

He was over the threshold, the door slamming into the wall, and he was reaching for me even before I registered that he was there.

Hands grabbed either side of my face, and with gentle lips he planted hurried kisses over my wet cheeks, as if trying to make the tears disappear.

“Fuck’s sake, Thea. Why did you have to go and say something as stupid as that?”

I didn’t have the chance to respond. With ease he lifted me up and pressed me against the wall. My legs wrapped eagerly around his waist as our tongues found each other and we moaned as one.

With my body securely pinned, his hands roamed up my thighs, forcing the tight material of my skirt to gather at my waist. He hissed as his fingers twisted around the garters, tugging on them.

“Where were you going in these?” he breathed in my ear.

“I—” He nibbled the fleshy part of my ear.

“You were going to go fuck some one else, weren’t you?”

I couldn’t breathe; his mouth was on my neck, sending thunderous pulses to my heart, my lungs paralysed with shock.

“Not anymore,” he continued. “You’re mine. You belong to me, understand?”

I nodded quickly and closed my eyes; his hot lips were on my sensitive skin again.

His hips ground into me, the rough material of his jeans rubbing hard against the soft satin knickers I had on. I could feel him through the layers, his need, his desire for me. It drove me wild, my own hips bucking trying to get closer; I wanted the layers to be gone. Needed him inside me.

“I need you to not hold back. I need you to say it, Thea,” he said, serious, his fingers digging into my fleshy thighs.

“Say what?” But I knew what he wanted. Was I ready? Ready to give myself completely to this man, like I’d never done before?

All the other times I’d had sex, it was never with my heart. I was scared… what if it all went wrong? What if it was no different? I didn’t think I could bear it to be just like the other times.

Still holding me in his arms, Vincent leaned back and studied me, his beautiful eyes boring into mine. It was like he knew me better than I knew myself.

I swallowed the thick lump that had somehow manifested and looked down at his chest, feeling over his t-shirt for the reassuring thump of his heart. Vincent's fingers brushed back the curtain of hair that had drifted to cover my face.

“Trust me…”

With those few words he managed to say everything. They contained the world; a promise that if I let go, stopped holding back, gave my heart freely, he’d never hurt me.

I lifted my head willingly and looked into his eyes—my protector, my stepbrother, my love.

At the same time we smiled at each other, and it was all the courage I needed.

“I need you…” He tilted his head, waiting for more. “I want you and only you.” The smile was huge upon my face now, as it was on his.

“That’ll have to be enough,” he replied with a hurried breath. “‘Cause I don’t think I can wait any longer.”

T
enderly he smoothed
a finger over the tops of my breasts, staring at them as if they were the most magnificent things he’d ever seen. Then lowered his head. A few strands of his wayward hair tickled my nose as his lips made blissful contact with the silky pillows. With both hands he took great handfuls of them through the dress and squeezed them upwards to his waiting mouth.

I let my head fall back, enjoying the attention he lavished upon me. With his thumbs he pressed hard, bringing my nipples to attention, little hard buds that were desperate to obey his every command, ready to be taken into his mouth and sucked. But I waited, there was no need to rush, I told myself.

He reached for my legs that were wrapped around his waist and pulled me loose, slowly setting me back down. He then lowered himself down upon his knees, his hands running the length of my exposed legs, tugging slightly on my ankles, legs positioned wide.

Vincent looked at me, licked his lips and kneeled closer. My legs were already trembling in anticipation, his mouth so close to the V at the top of my legs, and yet he seemed to take forever. The prospect of him touching me there was building in my belly. My fingers found their way into his hair, combing through, urging him closer. But he was happy to lay kisses upon my inner thighs, tickling me with his tongue.

Driving me mad with the sensation when he got near to my panties, he then skirted away as I moaned his name.

“You’re going to scream my name before the night is over,” he muttered, pleased with himself, and he placed a finger ever so lightly upon the material barring entry to my pussy. He watched me as I jolted away from his touch, then smiled wickedly when I moved to find his finger again.

The tip of his finger circled hard this time, and I feared he was right; my throat would be raw, the sound of his name permanently tattooed upon my lips.

Suddenly he pulled the flimsy knickers to the side, my pussy relishing the sudden cool air that drifted upon it.

“I knew you’d be wet, but I didn’t think you’d be this wet,” he said in astonishment as he parted my lips and slipped his thick finger between them. I had to admit, I was surprised too when I felt his now slick digit rubbing my pussy as he explored. I was so turned on right then; no man had ever gotten me this wet before.

“It’s all for you,” I whispered, my eyes rolling to the back of my head as his puckered mouth made contact with my clit.

All knowledge of who I was, where I was, disappeared with his touch. All I knew was the pleasure he was giving me, and his name… oh, god, his name.

“Vincent… Vincent, fuck… Vincent, yes,” I repeated over and over again. He brought me to the brink, my thighs quaking around his head as he lapped me up, sucked on me, my little nub on the verge of a dangerous explosion. But he wouldn’t stop.

I didn’t know if I could hang on, my hands balled up into fists, my back arched, and I cried his name as I came into his mouth.

His tongue slowed its movement, careful long strokes in time with each of my violent shudders.

“I’m not done with you yet.” His voice seemed rather far away, like I was in a trance, and he was just out of reach.

Dreamily I opened my eyes, happy and surprised to see him on his feet, directly in front of me, staring at me with longing.

He took my hand, and I looked around dazedly; we hadn’t even made it up the stairs yet, and I had a feeling we weren’t going to, either.

He led me to the bottom of the stairs, his arms wrapped around me from behind, his body nestled around me. I heard the tell-tale sign of a belt buckle coming undone and the muffled sound of clothing making its way to the floor.

“Come here,” he whispered into my ear from behind and pulled me to him. His cock, hard and throbbing, pressed against my bum, and I gave a wiggle of encouragement. I wanted this more than I ever could have imagined.

With a smooth motion Vincent found then slid the zip of my dress down, letting it drop around my ankles.

He instantly grabbed my enclosed breasts, our bodies pushing against each other as if there was nothing more we wanted to do but disappear within each other.

Vincent leaned forward, kissing my neck, and I had to brace myself on the fourth step, hands laid flat.

“I need you now, Vincent,” I said as I looked over at him. But he was too preoccupied, admiring the view he had of my bare ass and pussy, my legs in garters, staring at me as if I were his gift, ready to unwrap. He licked his lips again and hissed as he brought himself closer, cock in hand, sliding it up and down my seam, wetting himself with my juices.

I braced myself, ready for him, desperate for him. I don’t think I’d ever wanted cock so much. I pushed my butt back, tempting him.

“You want it, huh?”

“Mhmm,” I moaned, praying the time would come.

“I want it, too, and I’m going to give you all of it.”

“Vincent, I need you—” He plunged in, not slowly or carefully; his cock spread me open, speared me from behind. The sensation of him breaching my pussy and surging inside drove me wild with every inch he filled up.

His arms wrapped around my middle again, his head resting for a moment on my back. “I knew you were going to feel good, but fuck, Thea, I’m having a hard time not just coming inside you right now.”

He inched back slowly, withdrawing his eager cock, then rocked himself back in. His hands moved for my breasts, reached inside my bra and pulled my tits out. He held onto them as his movements became faster and harder, his hips driving our bodies forward.

My arms ached from holding myself up, his weight partially on me, but I gritted my teeth and hissed. I relished the pain of my sore muscles, mingling pleasingly with the sweet loving he was giving me from behind.

My tits swung free as he let go and grabbed roughly at my waist, gaining better leverage for his on-going onslaught of my pussy.