Текст книги "Revenge"

Автор книги: E. M. Denning

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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 5 страниц)

Chapter Five

Hunter had been right. I was sore the next morning. It was hard to push it out of my mind when every time I took a step I felt him. My mom arrived, and between the two of us, we had her truck loaded in an hour. I avoided asking about my surprise. She’d tell me in her own way at her own speed. Whatever her secret was, it seemed to make her happy. There was a glow around her that wasn’t there when I’d come home for spring break.

By the time we stopped for lunch I was tired of waiting. I wiped my mouth on my napkin and pushed my empty plate to the side. “So, Mom, what’s your big surprise.”

She smiled. “Do you remember the cruise I went on a month ago?”

“The singles thing, right?”

She nodded. “I met someone.”

I took a drink of my soda. “Good for you, Mom. I mean it.” I didn’t want her to end up alone and miserable. My dad had been gone for ten years, it was time for Mom to move on and be happy again.

“We got married.” My mother was the master of dropping the bomb. Speak as fast as possible and unload the information as quick as you can. The other person’s brain will short circuit and the backlash will be less. “I moved in with him, so you’ll be living in the new house this summer.”

And there it was. The bombshell. The life-altering surprise. I was an adult now. I was in college, her decision would have less of an effect on my life now that most of it was separate from hers.

“Good for you, Mom.” I reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “I’m happy for you. So, who’s the lucky guy?”

The door of the diner chimed and a middle-aged man walked in. Mom waved at him. “There he is now. His name is David.” David approached and the door chimed again. “There’s his son. You’re going to love him.”

My gaze went to the door.

The planet stopped.

My heart stopped.

My breathing stopped.

My gaze met Hunter’s.

Surprise.

Chapter Six

It figured that mom’s surprise for me was a gigantic kick to the face from good old karma. The one and only time I’d done something reckless it turned into a giant mess. My first, and last, one-night stand was a romp with a guy who was already my stepbrother.

As I rose to greet them, David extended his hand. “Nice to finally meet you, Summer. Your mother has told me a lot about you.”

I forced a smile. “I wish I could say the same.”

David pulled away and motioned toward Hunter. “This is my son, Hunter. You might know him. He attends the same college as you.”

Before I could say anything, Hunter extended his hand. “Yeah. I think I’ve seen you around.”

I didn’t know what to say. I shook it and tried to push an image out of my head. Hours ago those same hands had roamed my body. Hell, I rode his fingers. He might still have my nail marks on his back.

I felt my face redden and turned my attention to my mom. “Why didn’t you tell me you got remarried?”

David draped his arm around my mom and kissed her temple. “That was my idea. She wanted to tell you right away¸ but I thought it’d be more fun for her if she got to do it in person.”

Yeah, real fun.

Mom looked at David, then at her watch. “If we want to get these kids settled in today, we should get back on the road.” She fished in her purse and dropped a handful of bills onto the table.

“How about you ride with Dad, Megan.” Hunter stared at me, his expression unreadable. “Summer and I can get to know each other better on the drive.”

My mom beamed at Hunter. She went on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “What a great idea.” She took David’s arm and handed Hunter the keys to her truck. “We’ll see you kids at home. Drive safe.”

I could have killed Hunter. Or kissed him. Or done a million other things I shouldn’t have been thinking about doing to my stepbrother. Without a word, I grabbed my purse and then headed to the truck. I leaned against the passenger side and waited. He approached, stood right in front of me, and slid the key into the door. He was so close I smelled his cologne.

“You could have just used the power lock feature on the keypad,” I said, pointing to the set of keys in his hand.

I hoped he couldn’t tell what kind of effect he had on me. Before yesterday, I couldn’t stand Hunter. He was smug, conceited and had the unrelenting desire to beat me at everything. Today I felt him every time I moved. The memories of last night made me want to do it all over again.

He grinned and opened my door for me, then walked around the other side and climbed into the driver’s seat. He started the truck. “Ready to go home, sister.”

I recoiled. “Oh god, Hunter. Don’t call me that ever again.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “This is an interesting twist of fate, isn’t it?”

“You didn’t know?” I found it almost impossible to believe our parents kept it secret.

Hunter shook his head. “Not a clue.”

“Nice surprise, huh?”

Hunter laughed. “Could be worse.” He glanced at me. “My new stepsister is kind of hot.”

I clasped my hands together and kept them planted on my lap. I stared out the window.

“We didn’t do anything wrong, Summer.”

“I know that.” I glanced at Hunter. He clenched his teeth and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“Then what’s with the look?”

“What look?” I bristled.

“You look like you just killed your dog.”

There he was. The Hunter I was used to dealing with. The relentless ass who tossed barbs at me whenever he got the chance.

“Look, Hunter. I don’t give a shit if you don’t like the look on my face.” It started to bubble out. I couldn’t stop myself even if I wanted to. If my mom and I shared one trait, it was not knowing when to stop talking. “I’m not so good with change, okay? So now, instead of going home I find out that my mother has moved. Not only has she moved, but she’s also remarried. Now I have a new stepdad, who has a son, who I fucked the night before.” I pulled my hair up into a ponytail. “So excuse me if I’m not great company right now.”

“You’re angry with me.”

“No.”

“Admit it, Summer. You’re mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself, Hunter. Don’t you get it? Not everything is about you.”

Except this was. He was wrong. I wasn’t angry at him. I was mad at myself for being stupid and reckless the night before. I was even angrier with my mom. It was a sad, sick twist of fate that the only guy who ever made me feel alive was now my stepbrother.

Hunter went quiet. It was a few minutes before he spoke again. “You’re not the only one whose plans got shit on, you know.”

There it was. The walls were up again. Last night we tore them down with our hands, our lips, our sweat, only to rebuild them. Perhaps even higher this time.

Chapter Seven

I ignored Hunter all the way to my new house. Life didn’t even feel real. It was as if I went to sleep and then woke up in an alternate universe. Except my mom was still yanking the rug out from under me, so this must be mine. I stared out the window the whole drive, painfully aware of the silence that drove the wedge deeper.

Once we finally pulled into the driveway, I was ready to leap from the vehicle. I looked around. Hunter and his dad lived in a large colonial-style house. My eyes widened as I stepped out of the truck.

“Holy shit.” I pulled my sunglasses off and looked around. “Where’s Mom and David?”

Hunter grabbed one of my boxes out of the back of the truck. “Dad said they were going to stop for dinner.”

My stomach rumbled. I could have used a dinner break. I bit my lip, grabbed a box and followed Hunter into the house. From the outside, it looked large. From inside, it looked enormous. Vaulted ceilings, curved staircases, marble floors.

“Holy shit.”

“You said that already.” Hunter headed for a set of stairs. “Follow me. The bedrooms are this way.”

I followed him up a large flight of stairs and down a long hallway. He stopped near the end and opened a door. “You can have this room.”

I entered and set the box down. “This place is bigger than some of the apartments I’ve lived in.”

I smiled at the sight of the king-size, four-poster bed. It wasn’t the kind with curtains, where you could shut yourself away from the world, but it was solid oak and covered in ornate carvings. I turned to thank Hunter for showing me to my room, but he was gone. I looked at my bed longingly. I wanted to fling myself onto it and snuggle in. Instead, I groaned and went downstairs to get more of my stuff.

I was headed to the stairs with my last box when my Mom and David appeared out of nowhere. I set it down.

Mom flung her arms around me. “How was the drive?”

“Fine.” I panted as I picked my box up off the floor. David looked at me, somewhat puzzled.

“Summer, didn’t Hunter tell you to park the truck in the garage and the staff would get your stuff in the morning.”

Fucking Hunter. I smiled. “Yeah, but I didn’t want to trouble anyone.”

“It’s no trouble, Summer.”

“You’re very kind, David, but it’s not a big deal. I can carry my own stuff.” My words sounded harsher than I’d intended. I sighed and started up the stairs.

“Summer.”

I took a breath and turned. “Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you take the elevator?” He pointed to a door a bit farther down the hallway.

Fucking Hunter. I shrugged. “Stairs are great cardio.”

I wanted to kill Hunter. I imagined my hands wrapped around his throat as I squeezed the life out of him. My imagination shifted when I realized that in order to strangle him, I’d have to touch him. I remembered what happened the last time we touched. My traitorous body warmed to the idea of touching him.

My last box in hand, I pushed my door shut with my foot. I took in my new surroundings. I wasn’t joking when I told Hunter this room was bigger than some of the apartments I’d lived in. There was a bookcase beside the window and a large lounge chair. I flopped onto the bed, promising myself that I’d only relax for a few minutes before I started to unpack.

* * * *

My eyes fluttered open. Everything was dark. There was no light, except for the moonlight that streamed into my window. I had no clue how long I’d slept. My stomach roared with hunger. I needed to find the kitchen. I was partway to the door when my foot slammed into a box I didn’t see. I hit the floor like a ton of bricks.

I pushed myself up and rose to my feet when the light flicked on.

“You okay?”

“What are you doing? Sitting outside my door?” I stood but didn’t move.

He stood in the doorway, one hand braced on the frame, the other gripped the knob. He wore a pair of track pants with no shirt. His hair was damp. I flicked my gaze over his chest, his abs, the sexy-as-hell V that disappeared into his pants. I smoothed my hair. I hated that I cared how I looked.

“I’m fine. What time is it?”

“Just after midnight.” Hunter smirked. “You hungry?”

“You read my mind.”

Hunter motioned for me to follow him and led me to the kitchen.

“We always have a stash of leftovers in the fridge.” Hunter opened it and peered in. “Looks like the menu tonight is Caesar salad and homemade macaroni and cheese.”

I sat on a stool at the counter. “Sounds good.”

Hunter grabbed two plates from the cupboard. He heated the mac and cheese in the microwave, then served the salad. He set my plate in front of me before he took the seat beside me.

I swore I could almost feel the heat radiate from him, he sat that close. “Thanks.” We ate in silence for a few minutes. I looked at him from the corner of my eye. “You could have told me there was an elevator.”

Hunter smirked. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“If you’d told me, maybe I wouldn’t have been so exhausted that I slept until midnight. I’m going to be awake half the night now.”

“I’m awake half the night most nights.” He turned and looked at me. He roamed his gaze over me, but came back up to meet mine. “I could help tire you out.”

I hopped off the stool and grabbed my plate. “That’s not happening again, Hunter.”

Hunter threw his head back and laughed.

“I’m going to finish eating in my room.”

“Want me to check your closet for monsters?”

“Goodnight, Hunter.”

I didn’t have to turn around to see his smile. The image was burned into my brain, and no matter how hard I tried to stop thinking about him, I failed. It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Eight

I woke up late the next morning. I blamed Hunter for that. His cocky attitude, his hot and cold demeanor, he got under my skin. After I’d returned to my room, I’d spent hours keeping myself busy in an attempt to not think about him. It hadn’t worked.

I hid in my room until the early afternoon. I unpacked all my boxes and put everything away. I wanted to make my mom happy and the way to do that was to show her how well I adjusted to her decisions. I was determined to be supportive of her new life.

My stomach brought me downstairs sometime after two. I’d half expected everyone to be out enjoying the sun, but I found them all in the kitchen.

“Good afternoon, sleepyhead.” Mom got to her feet and poured me a cup of coffee. “I hope you slept well.”

“Yeah. I slept fine.” I sipped my coffee and ignored the fact that Hunter stared at me again. “I spent the morning unpacking and settling in.”

“Good, sweetie, I’m glad.” Mom turned to David. “Do you think ice sculptures would be too over the top?”

David shook his head. “If you want ice sculptures, we can have ice sculptures.”

I furrowed my brow. “Ice sculptures? For what?”

“The family reunion.” David reached for my mother’s hand. “I want to introduce my new bride to the whole family.”

I felt the blood drain from my head. The whole family. I flicked my gaze to Hunter. He looked un-phased. The whole family. Everyone.

“Will Aunt Angela be coming?” Hunter asked.

“Yeah, she’s already confirmed.”

“Is Mitch coming with her?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t he?”

Hunter pushed himself away from the counter. “No reason. I just wanted to know if we should hide the hard liquor. You remember the last time everyone was here, don’t you?”

David grimaced. “Good plan.”

I didn’t listen to the rest of the conversation. I tried to figure a way out. I could feign illness, which wouldn’t be hard. My stomach churned and rolled when I remembered how Mitch had acted toward me at the party. I left my coffee on the counter and mumbled an excuse to go upstairs.

I paced the floor. My hands were balled into fists. I needed to hit something. Mitch, I needed to hit Mitch.

My door opened and Hunter stepped in.

For reasons I couldn’t imagine, tears sprang to my eyes. “Here to enjoy my misery?”

Hunter shook his head. “I can tell my dad what he did. I can have him uninvited.”

I wiped the tears away. I felt ridiculous, crying over a guy who meant nothing to me. “No. It’s okay.”

“Are you okay?” He took a step toward me, his brow pinched with worry. Gone was the cocky, arrogant ass who seemed to enjoy tormenting me.

I took a deep breath and sat on my bed. “Do you think I could just hide in my room through the whole thing? I could pretend to wash my hair.”

Hunter sat next to me. He ran his fingers through my long, chestnut tresses. A moan almost escaped, but I managed to swallow it—hard. “You’ve got this, Summer.”

“Everything is fucked up.” I shook my head, then Hunter cupped my face. I shut my eyes to avoid his piercing gaze.

“Everything is fine.” His other hand blazed a trail of fire up my arm.

“What are you doing?” I whispered.

My eyes were still closed. I didn’t want to open them. I leaned into his touch. I wanted to pretend we were still in my dorm, but it didn’t matter where we were. He was my stepbrother now. I wrenched away and stood, but he grabbed my hand. I made the mistake of looking into his eyes. I couldn’t pull away. He pulled me back.

“I like you, Summer.”

My laughter came out huskier than I expected. A warmth spread through me. It started in my stomach and went down, down to my pussy. I bit my lip when I thought of his fingers and how they felt when they were deep inside me. I wanted him so badly I ached. There was an emptiness in me that only he could fill.

“You like tormenting me.”

He stood and threaded his fingers into my hair. “I love tormenting you.”

His lips grazed my ear, then my neck. I felt his smile on my skin. He kissed his way up my neck and glided his hands down my back. He cupped my ass and pulled me into him. His erection pressed into me, but it was his words that melted me and made me want him.

His lips grazed my ear. “I won’t let him hurt you, Summer.”

Chapter Nine

His touch satisfied something deep inside me. It was like listening to a song you’d thought about for days. The lines rolled through your mind on repeat and nothing was able to match the thrill you get when you finally break down and listen to it. He was music. We were music. Our heartbeats, the sound of our breathing, it was all a part of our symphony.

Our mouths crashed together, and I frantically fumbled with his belt.

Hunter took my bottom lip between his teeth. He raked them across the tender flesh and growled as he released it. He rocked his body forward, pulling me tighter. He roamed his hands over my breasts. His touch was light, controlled. I didn’t want him to hold back. I wanted him to take me. I needed him to devour me.

I worked his belt open, then ran my hand down the front of his jeans. I licked my lips at the thought of tasting him, taking him deep into my mouth. I worked his cock free and then sank to my knees.

“Summer.”

His voice was strained. I looked at him and ran my tongue up his shaft. He wove his fingers into my hair as I swirled my tongue over the head of his dick. I made mental notes. Every groan, every growl, every time he tensed, I made sure to remember what I did. He sighed as I parted my lips and slid my mouth over his cock.

I sucked him slow, because he loved to be tortured like that. I never took my gaze off him. He liked that too. Even more intimate than my tongue on his shaft, my lips around his cock, was the look in his eyes as he stared down at me. I increased my pace, and he wound his hand tighter in my hair. He moved his hips. He fucked my mouth now. He threw his head back, gripped my hair even tighter, pushed my head harder, fucked my mouth deeper.

“Fuck, Summer, fuck.”

His forehead creased as he slammed his eyes shut. He tried to pull away, but I gripped the back of his legs and held him there. He stiffened, twitched, thrust. His cum spurted over my tongue. The thick, salty liquid ran down my throat.

I let him slide out slowly, then rose to my feet. Hunter peeled his shirt off and dropped it onto the floor. I skated my hands over his ribs as I wrapped my arms around him. He slid a finger under my shirt. His hand was hot on my back.

“Why did we waste so much time arguing and competing when we could have been doing this?” Hunter asked as he pulled away and lifted my shirt over my head. He dropped it next to his, then looked at my pants. “Get those off and get on the bed.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What if I say no?”

He smirked. “I’ll spank that cute little ass until you can’t sit for a week.”

My hands went to the waistband of my pants, but I paused. “What if I want you to?” I had no idea where this side of me came from. I was saucy and defiant. He made me want to be bad for him. Only for him.

I wiggled out of my pants, but didn’t move toward the bed.

He took a step forward. He was huge—his broad shoulders, his height. He could snap me in half. I should have felt intimidated, instead I felt safe somehow. He’d never hurt me. I could give myself over to him, put all my trust in him, and know I’d come out the other side unscathed.

“I said get on the bed.”

“Make me.”

Hunter scooped me up into his arms as if I weighed nothing at all. He lay me on the bed, then stood there for a moment and stared at me.

“What am I going to do with you?”

I slid a hand inside my panties and traced my fingers over my clit and through my dripping folds. “Anything you want.”

He bent, hooked the waistband of my now soaked panties with his fingers and slid them down my legs. I squealed in surprise when he grabbed me by the back of the ankles and hauled me to the edge of the bed.

“You like my fingers.”

He knelt and ran his hand over my clit. I wanted to move, to press my pussy into his hand. I ached for more, but didn’t beg for it. I trusted he’d give it to me.

“You like my cock,” he said as his face dipped lower. His breath drifted over me, and I suppressed a shiver. My eyes fell shut as he licked his way up my swollen lips to my clit. I moaned when he took it into his mouth and flicked it with his tongue. “You like my tongue.”

He did it again. He sucked and flicked my clit until I gripped the blanket, desperate to hold on to something. I wanted to grab his head and ride his tongue the way mine had ridden his dick earlier. I wanted him to tongue fuck me until I screamed.

He slowed down, kissed my aching pussy and ran his hands up my inner thighs. I opened my legs wider. He slid two fingers into me. I wanted to snap my legs shut and squeeze him tight. I clenched my muscles around his fingers as he eased them out of me.

“Hunter,” I breathed. My body was in the middle of a revolt. I wanted to stay still, but it wanted to buck and writhe under his expert touch. He ran his thumb over my clit.

“Tell me what you want, Summer.”

I cried out as he slid his fingers back inside me.

“You, Hunter. I want you.”

He slid his fingers out of me. He stood and removed his pants. I stared at him. It was the first time I’d seen him naked in the daylight. It was one thing to feel him inside me, his cock buried so deep I felt as if I could burst. It was another to see him standing there, naked, waiting to fuck me. I could hardly believe, even after he’d come all over my tongue, that he was ready to go again.

I expected him to climb on top me, impale me and fuck me senseless. Instead he dove back between my legs. He licked my pussy. He lapped up the juices that spilled out of me. I groaned and wove my fingers into his hair. He kissed around my clit, ran his fingers near all the places I wanted to be touched, but refused to touch me where I needed him to the most.

Then something amazing happened. He lapped my clit as he plunged his fingers deep inside me. I pressed him into me as I bucked. I let go, drifted away. He fucked me with his face, his hands, he was everything I needed him to be, and when I finally stopped writhing, he pulled out and climbed up onto the bed.

I didn’t open my eyes. He ran a finger down my cheek. I could smell myself on him, but I was beyond caring. He pressed his lips to mine. I let go of the blanket and found his hot flesh. I pushed him over at the same time that I rose onto my knees.

Once he was on his back, I crawled on top of him, ran my dripping pussy up his shaft until his head dipped inside me. I slid down on him, never taking my gaze off his face. He took my breasts in his hand, pulled himself up, took a nipple into his mouth, then swirled his tongue around it. I clenched my muscles around his thick cock, and he fell back.

I sat up straight and let my head drop back. I reached down and ran my fingers over my clit as I rocked my hips. With every touch, my muscles clenched around him. Hunter moaned louder and gripped me tighter.

I fell forward and found his shoulders with my hands as I dug in, fucking him as hard as I could. Not hard enough.

Hunter flipped me over and held us still for a moment. He kissed my lips, then my cheek before he whispered into my ear. “My turn.”

He hit me like a storm. He came from nowhere, but was everywhere at once. He held me tight against him. I wrapped my legs around him as he drove deep inside me. Would it always be like this? I wondered. This intense? When he was around, there was nothing else. I shuddered, arched my back and cried his name. I dug my heels into his ass. He slammed into me hard and fast, then stopped. He slid out slow before he drove it in faster.

I snaked my fingers up his body and then through his hair. I gripped his face and thrust my tongue into his mouth. He moaned into it, and I lost it. He swallowed my cries as I shuddered out another orgasm. Wave after wave of pleasure ripped through me. I pulled away and dropped my head back. He wasn’t there to swallow the words that tumbled out of my mouth. A stream of incoherent obscenities followed by a moan.

“Fuck. Hunter. Fuck, you’re so good.”

My words must have been magic. His gaze met mine for a fraction of a second before his eyes slammed shut. He buried himself deep and growled. His cock twitched inside me as he came over and over again. Each thrust brought another ooze of liquid with it. After he was done, he eased out, flopped next to me and pulled me close.

We laid there and panted, breathless and spent. I curled myself closer and lay my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me and brought his hand to rest on my side. My eyes fluttered closed and I drifted off to sleep.

* * * *

When I woke up, Hunter was still there. I tilted my head, careful not to disturb him. He looked so peaceful, so serene. His lips twitched.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.”

I stretched and kissed his cheek before I nestled back down against him. “Good morning.”

He ran a finger up my side.

“If you don’t stop that, I’m going to have to retaliate.” I placed my hand on his chest.

“That was kind of the point.” Hunter laughed.

I pushed myself up and leaned on my elbow. “Really? Again?”

Hunter opened his eyes. “I could spend all day in this bed with you.”

“Mmm.” I pressed my lips to his and slid my tongue along his lower lip. “That sounds like a great plan. Do you think they’d miss us at the reunion? We could hide up here the whole time.” I ran my hand down his stomach, but he grabbed my wrist and stopped me from going farther.

“I’m not going to let Mitch hurt you, Summer.”

I bit my lip and nodded. I knew this. I even doubted that Mitch would be an asshole to me in front of his entire family. A fear stirred in my stomach and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. I felt ridiculous, stupid, but no matter how many times I told myself so, the feeling never left.

I lay on my side. Hunter rolled over to spoon me. He rested his hand on my hip. He was propped on his elbow now. Kisses, soft and tender, landed on my neck, behind my ear. “I promise he won’t hurt you anymore.”

I wasn’t afraid of Mitch hurting me. It was going to be awkward to see him again, but it wasn’t him I was afraid of. It was Hunter. He promised to protect me from Mitch, and I believed him, but who was going to protect me from Hunter? He was everywhere now. He was on my mind almost constantly. I couldn’t shake him. I didn’t want to be hurt again. I couldn’t take another heartbreak, but I was in too deep to pull back now.

I shut my eyes and let myself enjoy the slow steady breathing from the man who held me. No, it wouldn’t be Mitch who hurt me. It’d be Hunter and this thing between us, whatever it was. I was already too attached.

I wrapped myself in his arms. I didn’t care that I knew this could never end well. I held on. I’d work on letting go later.