HIM—A Stepbrother Romance: With BONUS NOVELLA: PERSONAL (7 page)

Chapter Twelve

Kate

My heart pounded as my free hands roamed his hard body. There was so much of him I want to touch. So much I wanted to explore. But my first goal was to make him feel as good as he made me feel outside. I wrapped my hands around his shaft, ready to take him in. I kissed him long and hard before his hands were on my shoulders as if he had to tell me something.

“Kate, this means more to me than a heated shower scene. I love you, Kate. Always have.”

His hands gently caressed the back of my neck while his thumb trailed along my lower lip. The warm steam rose all around us, a cocoon of confession, a blanket of love.

His free hand slid down my naked body, resting on my hip before protectively and passionately cupping my ass. I loved feeling like I was his. It was a gesture that felt like a territorial claim, and a delicious one at that. I let my breasts press into his bare skin.

His eyes searched mine and all I could do was run my fingers through his hair, sweeping it back to have a full view into those eyes of his. He opened his mouth to speak and I followed down to his lips while my nipples hardened against the heat. The shower poured over me and I felt like I was in a scene straight out of a movie. Hell, this whole night had felt like that!

“Tell me I’m not crazy. That I’m not the only one who has these feelings?” He rested his forehead against mine. I let myself lean into him, to rest against him, signifying I trusted him.

I nodded as all these scenes flashed through my memory indicating that no, he wasn’t the only one with these feelings. Scenes of all those moments where I wanted him and longed for him rang loudly in my memory. All the quiet breakfasts where I wouldn’t speak but only stare at him, all the walks down this very hallway where I’d pass his bedroom before mine at night, wondering what he was doing.

And then the night we went to that play together, where I felt like he felt something more between us, too. But I got snapped out of that pleasant daydream, romantic, lovey-dovey, cozy moment real fast.

Real fucking fast.

“Because I want to be inside you. In you. Down there, but also…” He trailed his finger up from my waist and to the center of my chest between my breasts and he lightly made circles right above my solar plexus.

“In here. Your heart.”

“Do you really mean that, Bradley? Or is that what you say to all the girls.” It was all I could stammer in my honest, genuine search to know the Bradley Rainshaw I guess I never knew. Was he really this direct and chivalrous, making his intention known like a true gentleman of old times past? I thought he just wanted a fling, a “make me feel better after my father passed” type thing. But I looked down at his swollen ankle at another reminder of his commitment. Why would a guy who wanted just a fling break into a library to retrieve books in the middle of the night, heck, during a snowstorm?

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me. And yes, I really mean that. You’re not just another girl to me.” His fingers locked into mine and he kissed me deeply. “If you’ll allow me to show you that, that I’m more than what you think I am.”

“I think you are.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I couldn’t believe my soul, my mind, and my lucky heart! This confession was what girls dream of!

“I—”

“Mr. Rainshaw?” A voice echoed off the marbled walls, disrupting our hazy confessions, sobering me up very quickly.

Shit. It was Mr. Fox in the overhead speaker. It was just his voice, but his very vocals left me feeling suddenly caught and watched as if he were standing there in that very room. I covered my breasts protectively.

He sighed and bit his lip feeling, just as frustrated as me.

“Fuck.”

“Uh, Mr. Rainshaw?” the voice called out again. My heartbeat doubled and my hand naturally covered his chest and I leaned into him as if he could shelter me from being seen.

“I’m sorry to bother you. But Mrs. Rainshaw is worried for her daughter. She thinks she’s missing. She’s looking for her since her door is open and she’s not anywhere to be found. I just…thought you should know she may be up to ask you any minute.”

“Oh fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”

“Wow, my dear. I didn’t know you had such a potty mouth.”

I nodded as if nodding was a game in the Olympics and I wanted to win a medal, all in absolute terror that A. not only may my mom figure things out, things that I haven’t even figured out yet but B. does Mr. Fox know about what happened in the hot tub or maybe what’s happening now in the shower?

“I do. Shit. What if my mom catches us?”

His entire face lit up as if this adrenaline thrilled him. But of course it did. Of course! In high school, he was always in trouble doing crazy things.

“You like this, don’t you?”

His pouty mouth took a dive for my breast, sucking hard, so hard I cried out. “Shit!” I hissed. Worried that someone out there would hear us echoing through the pristine high ceilings of the mansion. His finger swirled at my swollen, ready clit.

My hands clawed at his strong shoulders, urging him to let me go even though I didn’t want that. At all. “I have to go!”

“I know you do,” he acknowledged between another suck so hard, oh dear God, I swear I almost just came. I was so horny and hot for him.

“Then go. Hurry.” He swirled faster at my clit and I was putty in his arms as I leaned into him, unable to move as his lips crashed into mine once more. He kissed me deeply and passionately with so much emotion, so much desire, so much lust.

He finally pulled away. “Something to remember while you sleep: I want to be in you. And I will be. Now go.” He pulled away with the largest smirk on his face. His eyes twinkled like Santa’s as he winked and his smile was as bright and selling as a televangelist pastor.

My palms rested against the glass as if bracing for dear life or readying for a free fall out of a sky dive. I was panting. I was hot with need to finish this between us. I looked down at his erection, knowing he wanted that, too.

He grabbed my wrist just as I was about to exit the shower. “Oh, I’m not letting you go so easily this time, Kate. There will be plenty of your naughty heart and dirty mind to dream about. There’s plenty more that awaits.”

He was so dirty. And I loved it. I bit my lip and smiled as he lightly slapped my ass. “Ow!” His kind-hearted laughter filled my heart, expanding the walls of its season of winter. He was budding me into spring. He was welcoming me into summer.

Whatever this morning was, hell, it was just what the doctor ordered.

With a luxury towel that felt soft as a rabbit wrapped around my body, I held my breath and stole a glance at the Greek god leaning by the open posts of the shower. Naked. Hard. Muscles. Smile. Eyes. Hair. Check, you’re a dream. The torture of being pulled away from his cock when he was so close to being in me was about to drive me mad.

I had a lot to dream about as I smiled back at him and rushed out of his room with the skill of a cat. I was back in my room and rushed under the covers with my towel still wrapped around me. It wasn’t two minutes later when I heard, “Kate…Kate. I was just in here thirty minutes ago and I couldn’t find you. What…I mean, where were you?”

“Huh?” I laid on the acting skills like a pro, keeping my eyes closed as if I were knocked out. “Sorry mom. The paper has me all riled up and, you know, the Adderall. I had to swim it off. Didn’t you see me swimming laps?”

“Are you insane? In this weather?”

“Heated.”

“I know, but still…the conditions are not favorable. I.…” I opened my eyes just a bit to get a good look at her, my slits barely open. Heck, I didn’t realize how exhausted I really was.

Her hair was perfectly styled from the day before. I really hoped she managed to get some sleep in.

“Would you look at you, poor thing? You’re exhausted. I don’t know why you put yourself through so much stress for a piece of paper.”

I really did not have the energy to discuss my drive for intellectual studies to her at this wee hour of the morning and with little sleep. Maybe later.

“Well, as you know most of the roads are closed. But I managed to have the driver have me back in the city at a very slow drive for my mourning. It’s too much to be here and too cold right now.”

“I’m sorry, mom…” I said weakly. “I really am.”

“Well, I just wanted you to know. In case, well….” I then saw the red behind my closed eyelids. The heaviness finally won over. I could have sworn she was about to ask me to join her but fatigue had set in so hard I was already in dreamland. With Bradley. There was no going back from this place.

Chapter Thirteen

Bradley

After releasing myself from the greatest tease of a lifetime, I craved fresh orange juice for my nutrition. Then, I’d hit my bed for a long-needed rest. After all, I hadn’t slept all night and I was feeling weakness set in from the run and my sprained ankle, the drinks and the aftermath of the funeral, viewing and wake, all in one day.

It was then Mr. Fox notified me I had visitors. The police.

Not bothering to change or grab a robe, I hobbled my way over to them in crutches, not caring if they got a glimpse of my johnson. It was more out of spite. I met them at the mouth of the door and leaned into the crutches.

“Can I help you, officers?”

It was the jerk Sheriff Watson, one who always had it out for me, and his partner I’d never seen before. Great.

“Hello Bradley. Wild night last night?”

I looked down at my ankle and back up at them. “If you’re referring to my father’s funeral and wake, well, wild wouldn’t describe that type of loss.”

“Look, we know it was you, Bradley.”

“You know what was me?”

“Why don’t you get yourself dressed and meet us back here in five minutes to take you down to the station for some questioning.”

I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t help it as I sighed. “Look, you don’t have anything on me.”

“Five minutes.”

“You don’t have anything. I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I think you do. And I think if you don’t get some clothes on right now, we’ll cuff you and bring you in just like that.”

“Just like that, huh? You wouldn’t. You can’t.” I leaned in, calling his bluff.

“But we can.”

Not thinking he would be the legendary jerk that he was known to be, especially after everything that just had happened with my father, there I was, behind a police car, a place I hadn’t seen since my teens. And the doorway of our home still hung open.

The snow was really coming down now and I was freezing cold sitting on the cold seats.

“You can’t prove anything.” I leaned in towards the screen.

Ignoring me, they continued driving to the station. I shivered at the freezing temperatures, immediately regretting not grabbing something. Anything. Shit, it was cold.

Denying me my crutches, I hopped my way into the station. My towel dropped and this time it wasn’t in flirtatious banter. This was fucking insane.

His partner I quickly realized was named Jackson, picked up my towel and attempted to cover me. He looked uncomfortable with this entire scene.

There I sat, naked against the freezing cold chair with the towel draped over me inside the station. My bare feet against the damp floor caused a shiver down my spine and I hoped to just get on with this sooner than later. Okay, I would confess if I could just get back home to the warmth of my bed.

“Look, I just borrowed a few books. It’s not like a Mona Lisa is in there.”

“You think it’s alright to just break into a library like that?”

Officer Watson was heated and angry. Talk about displaced anger. He acted like I’d just set a bomb off or something. I hated his disgusting mustache that just made him look like even more of a creep than he already was. With his bald head and the little bit of hair on the side, he was the epitome of the little man syndrome: the type of man who becomes a cop to boss everyone around and make up for how he was treated by the bullies in high school. There had been many reports of his crazy antics around these parts and I was shocked that he hadn’t been fired yet for his extreme behavior and abuse.

“I’m not saying it’s alright.” I shifted my arms behind my back. The cuffs were so tight it was uncomfortable.

“So you admit to it.”

“I was just borrowing them. I am going to pay the damages. You know we’re the donors for this library, right?”

“Is that what you people call breaking the law, just a convenient borrowing or a convenient choice to make things easier on you? When clearly the law is the law. You broke and entered public property. Clearly a rule is broken.”

“Look, we need to have this discussion with my attorney present.”

“Like hell we don’t. You just confessed to breaking and entering.”

“A place that my family practically owns! Come on, gentlemen! It’s the middle of a freaking blizzard. No one is going to go to the library. I’m going to pay for the damages. I’ll pay for any violations I’ve caused, but you can’t just jail me. That’s against the law.”

“You know what’s against the law? Jaywalking. Being naked. Public intoxication. Which you’ve done.”

“Look, drama queen. I get it.” I rolled my eyes, feeling all heated. I know I shouldn’t have said it. I was just freezing my ass off, and I didn’t like the way he dragged me out of my home. I had a hard time playing it cool in situations like this.

“Alright. That’s it. Jail him.”

“What? Jail me? Come on, gentlemen. Gentlemen. Certainly there is a more civil way to go about this? A more compensational one, if you catch my drift. I’m sorry. I’m just freezing my ass off. I shouldn’t have said what I said.”

I lasered in on his partner, Jackson, who folded his arms and looked my way with tempted eyes. He was a heavier-set man and seemed to have a softer way about him. I could tell the money interested him as he scanned the other officers. It was either interest or pure shock that I was naked and about to be thrown in a county jail just like that.

“Well…”Jackson began.

“And nothing like a post-Christmas bonus. I’m sure your kids would love it. If you have kids.” I shrugged my shoulders.

But
Hitler
was relentless. His hand was on the back of my head pushing me even though I could barely hop that fast. I was led back down a hallway I hadn’t visited in years, when I used to get in trouble with the law as a young adult.

“Come on, man. It’s just a few books. I’m going to bring them back. I was going to pay for the damage.”

“Poor kid, his father just died. Think you ought to let up on him a bit?” Jackson asked.

I clenched my jaw and stopped as Watson stopped to reply to his partner.

“Let up on him? Do you know what this family does? Hell, all of them should have been locked away decades ago. Scum of the earth dressed high and mightily with tailored suits, eating their fancy caviar. They’re nothing but baby killers, dream snatchers, drug traffickers, sex slave workers…”

“What about my phone call. It’s my right!” I interrupted him. I hated hearing people say this shit about my family.

“Phones are down.”

“I have a right for some sort of communication! You just took me from my home, without any clothes.”

“Fault is yours. I gave you a chance. You broke the law, you pathetic scum, now live with the consequences.”

Anger surged through my veins as my fists balled up. I had nothing to do with any of these black file projects or secret funds. But no one knew of it. I couldn’t turn around and smack one on him because well, then I’d really go to
prison
prison.

“Are you really going to jail me like this? Naked?” I lamented and hobbled from his hard push until cold rail sliced open my lip and I rolled to damp cement. The taste of blood filled my mouth and onto the floor; Hitler tripped me.

“Oops. Better watch where you step.”

“Aw, come on man. That’s not a way to treat a man,” Jackson quietly chimed in.

“This man’s a criminal. He always has been trouble. This is where he belongs and I’m going to make it my mission in life to make sure he stays in this cell. Forever.”

The slammer rang shut. The blood stung from my busted lip and my ankle hurt like hell.

I shivered from the cold. It pierced my bone and I seriously was worried about my health with it being so cold like it was.

I gritted through my teeth as I called out to him with a fierce, hoarse growl as my face still lay flat on the ground and my hands behind me still cuffed. “You’re going to hear from my lawyer, Watson. You better believe it.”

His back was faced toward me and he stopped in his tracks. I saw Jackson and now another partner that arrived to the scene. His face was in shock, as well.

“Don’t you touch him. Don’t you feed him. Don’t give him water. Don’t give him a damn blanket. This hallway is off limits for the reminder of your shift, which reminds me...”

His feet were heavy and I swore they had spurs from a barbaric man in the Wild West. A bucket. A bucket was coming my way and the look on his face was dark and menacing.

Ice cold water slapped my shivering body, the salt burning in the cut of my lip. It stung like hell and all I could think about was the warmth of her as I forbade myself to look weak.

Oh yes, he’d hear from my lawyer about this inhumane treatment. If I didn’t freeze to death.