Beautiful Brute: A Stepbrother College Romance (Court University Book 3)

by Eden O'Neill

  Surprisingly, he did, a quick let go. Returning to his seat, he had a smile that’d make the Cheshire cat jealous, both arrogant and lovely.

  It matched his eyes.

  Those bright pools of mischief and beauty. The line was so thin between heaven and chaos in them, between light and darkness. He shielded me from them again when he put his shades down.

  “I will fuck you again, stepsis,” he threatened, his voice passive. He didn’t even look at me, his stare on the road. “And when I do, you’ll know who I am. You will. But you’ll still want it.”

  My eyes laced, glassed in something akin to emotion. I wouldn’t give in to him, refused as I gathered myself together and looked at the road. No, I wouldn’t sleep with him again, but there was no telling him that. My stepbrother drew the line in the sand and no truce would be had. He really did hate me, wanted to break me.

  But that didn’t mean I couldn’t fight back.

  Chapter Seven

  Jax

  I fell asleep beneath my aviators. I lifted them, and Girl Scout was right where I left her.

  Stiff as a motherfucker.

  I had her all worked up like I had that night I tasted her body, tight and hands white-knuckled on the wheel. Those pink polished fingernails left track marks on my body.

  I’d driven her fucking insane.

  I’d felt bad, at first, that I’d been the one to pop her cherry.

  But then she’d opened her goddamn mouth.

  Calling me an asshole yesterday hadn’t been smart for her and put things in a hell of freaking perspective for me. I was down here for one purpose and one purpose only.

  Dad’s arrival that first day had only cemented it.

  The asswipe had actually tried to engage with me, speak to me like we had been for years. Since I’d arrived, it’d been “son” this and “my boy” that.

  I’d fuckin’ cringed every time.

  I had hidden it away, of course, good at that. But every time Rick Fairchild had taken my hand or hugged me, it’d taken everything in me not to knock his goddamn lights out. He actually acted like he had been glad to see me. Like he’d been around or tried at all to contact me before eighteen. Because that’s when he’d first reached out, high school and his contact had been few and far between since. That man was a goddamn liar and so good at the show.

  I supposed that was because he was a politician.

  I guessed I had gotten something from my sperm donor father at the end of the day. I was a hell of a good fucking actor because not only had I popped his stepkid’s cherry, I’d gotten dear old stepmom to trust me too. I had the whole family eating out of the palm of my hands.

  This academic term was going to be fun.

  I’d done pretty well in school, kept up on my grades so my shit transferred pretty good. I’d gotten into my new university, Bay Cove-U, with flying colors, and my politician sperm donor hadn’t even had to make any calls for me. He’d offered to, but I turned him down in the end. I didn’t need him, his resources or his influence. Like always, I did just fine.

  And how good it’d feel to fuck with his stepkid while I was there.

  Cleo was the closest access I had to my father, the one I could hurt the most, and by hurting her, I’d get to him. I’d ruin his fucking life like he ruined mine.

  The car slowed.

  I rose up, squeezing my eyes a bit. Girl Scout had pulled us off the highway, our route scenic and slower by the coast. I wasn’t in the Midwest anymore, crystal clear water to my left and half naked bodies at the beach. I saw several clusters of bouncing tits playing volleyball.

  As there were no complaints by me, I eased back, enjoying the view.

  Stepsis’s tits sweated.

  A constant drip between her double-Ds. It was something I’d noticed quite often behind my shades. Though, I’d tried not to.

  Fuck, I need to taste her again.

  She drove me wild already, and I had to admit, it’d be hard to play this cat and mouse game with her for long. My stepsister was fucking hot with her legs for days and thick thighs I could die between. A mere taste of her sweet pussy hardly had me in my right mind when I had her.

  And then her smell.

  Sweet, innocent. She played quite a show for me, acting all shy and shit. Her goddamn taste in hillbilly music only added to it, all eclectic like her sense of style and dress. She wore brown lace up boots and cargo shorts now like Dora the Explorer.

  And what the fuck was up with her hair?

  A dark braid draped long across her tits, one she twisted nervously between her fingers as she drove mile after mile. I could climb that thing like fucking Prince Charming to Rapunzel, but I was no goddamn prince. I hoped to be this girl’s fucking nightmare.

  My phone buzzed.

  Royal: Hey, cocksucker. You make it to campus yet?

  Knight: Yeah, show us some palm trees and shit.

  LJ: Just no tits. I got a girl now, you know. *wink emoji*

  Yeah, I knew. My buddies back home all had women in their lives. Pretty goddamn awesome women, but women nonetheless. I liked them all, but currently, I was the only one of my brothers from other mothers who was single.

  Royal: Jesus. Yeah, no fucking tits, please.

  Knight: Right? SMDH. This ain’t fucking grade school no more. You always send tits. No tits.

  Did I?

  I smirked.

  Me: Fuck, when did you guys get to be so goddamn lame?

  Royal: You call it lame. I call it growing the fuck up. December handed me my ass last time she got a hold of my phone. She’d been playing Candy Crush or some shit, then you start sending me titties and shit. I don’t need them, bro. I got the real thing. *grin emoji*

  LJ: Yeah, no titties, man.

  Me: Okay, Jesus. No goddamn tits.

  I snapped a pick of the beach to my left. We’d been driving for a little while, and it seemed my new campus might be directly off the coast. I sent it to my boys.

  Me: Paradise.

  LJ: I’ll say. And who’s the girl, bro? *wink emoji*

  What the fuck?

  I clicked the photo I sent, immediately noticing my error.

  Cleo had her hand on the wheel in the photo, and though I’d snapped the shot of the beach behind her, I caught a perfect angle of her glow. The sun glistened behind her like she was a goddamn Disney princess.

  I dragged my gaze up, and she was looking at me, a long but shy stare.

  A blink and her lashes shifted back to the road, but not fast enough.

  I snapped another picture of her, on purpose this time. I send it to my friends with the text, “My fucking stepsister *eye lift emoji*,” before sitting back.

  “Why did you do that?”

  I didn’t glance over at her, angling my arm out the window. “Call it commemorating the moment.” I swung my gaze to her, and her mouth parted. I tipped my chin. “Your mouth was hanging open just right. Wanted to let my buddies know what I was going to have around my cock later.”

  I stamped my legs out for emphasis, instantly hard when she gazed right between them. I expected her to tell me off, which she did when she mumbled, “In your dreams,” before placing her gaze back to the road. What I hadn’t expected was for her to bite her little lip.

  Goddamn.

  Images immediately in my head, that perfect fucking mouth giving me head while she worked my balls, and right away, the asshole in my jeans took note. I thought I’d literally bust a nut through my fly, my cock steel. My phone buzzed in the next moment, and I picked it up, pretending I didn’t notice her little mouth action a minute ago.

  Knight: That’s your stepsister? Holy fuck, man. What you gonna do?

  Royal: Right. WTF?

  LJ: Be careful.

  I hadn’t expected this reaction from my friends.

  And then that last text….

  LJ’s “be careful” I didn’t get and when I started to text back, the car slowed again. Pretty Pretty Princess navigated her old-ass station wa
gon off to the side of the road by the guard rails with views of the beach.

  I sat up, the girl unstrapping. She got out of the car, like completely out, then snapped the door shut behind her.

  My eyes twitched wide.

  What the fuck’s she doing?

  I unstrapped.

  Getting out, I rested my arms on the top of the car. “What’s going on?”

  “We’re here,” she said simply. She tossed a hand in the direction of the guardrail, a sign posted there.

  Bay Cove University.

  I saw the sign, but I saw no campus. My mouth twitched. “We’re here?”

  I circulated my gaze. Outside of the school sign, there was nothing but beach, then of course, the road to our right.

  Cleo propped her fists tight on her adventure shorts. “Campus starts here. The marine biology students do their work out here by the beach.”

  “So why the fuck are we here?”

  She wasn’t listening to me, and before I knew it, she was opening the truck.

  I followed her with my gaze and my eyes expanded when she took out my bag…

  And tossed it in the street.

  It literally flew like she’d gone for a shot put medal at the Olympics, and shooting off her car, I dashed into the street after it.

  Traffic didn’t see me, a Beamer honking and skidding. This was followed by a minivan, dance moms clearly on one hundred in this place when the woman threw her finger out the window and tossed me the bird.

  I gave it right back, holding my other hand out for traffic like a cop. I heard horns and my heart in my goddamn ears, but eventually, I was able to work my way into the middle of the street. Traffic had gratefully slowed, then moved around me, and getting my bag handle, I dragged it back.

  I ran while horns sounded and people tossed obscenities my way and only stopped to catch my breath after I got my bag out of the street.

  Huffing, I grabbed my knees, my head jerking up just in time to see. Cleo was already back in her car.

  And she was pulling away.

  No, pulling was an understatement, wheels spinning as she darted off the side of the road. Her old station wagon went into overdrive, and I saw nothing but the butt of it as she merged into traffic.

  A buzz in my pocket, I ripped my phone out of my jeans in a fury, and heat crept up my neck at the sight of a text.

  I got you to campus. Enjoy the rest of your year.

  We’d exchanged numbers at the club, but I hadn’t even programmed her name into my phone. She hadn’t been worth it and still wasn’t.

  I grinned, not even bothering to text her back. I’d see her again and soon. So stepsis wanted to play, huh?

  Funny, how she actually thought she was in the goddamn game.

  Chapter Eight

  Cleo

  My ears rang by the time I’d arrived at Bay Cove’s main campus. Nestled off the shore, palm trees and students lined its winding paths, and I released a harsh breath.

  Don’t go back. Don’t go back. Don’t go back.

  I already had—twice, the last of which I’d gone all the way to where I’d dropped Jax off only to find him not there. He’d either hitchhiked, caught a ride share, or something else.

  Either way, he was on the move.

  One hundred percent, my stepbrother would be pissed. Three hundred percent, I’d be fried if he managed to get a hold of me.

  I never did things like that. I never lost my temper so bad that I’d just been cruel and left someone on their own like that. He simply brought out the worst in me, but between him joking about putting things in my mouth and promising I’d come back to him in any type of capacity, I’d lost my mind. He had to be joking if he thought I’d ever touch him again, let alone have sex with him. He was disgusting and filthy and just…

  Don’t you dare go back.

  If anything, for my own personal safety at this point. I’d merely called him an asshole and he’d manhandled me in my own backyard with our parents within feet of us. Jaxen Ambrose was dangerous, cruel.

  I gripped the wheel in a harsh panic, trying to navigate the road like some shaking psychopath. Campus was fairly busy considering the early hour, truly the best place to go to school. Most picked the university on location alone.

  Constant refurbishments made buildings donated by aristocrats and scholars shine, the campus glistening and radiating off the beach. Most considered Bay Cove a party school, but I’d gone here because it was equal parts academics and progressiveness. The campus had many student programs in which its students’ voices could be heard. It was a great place for activism, growth, and had many ways in which I could and did get involved. I shared a lot with my parents in that way and was always looking for ways I could do more for the world.

  Add to the fact campus was simply beautiful with its lush landscapes and sparkling shoreline, Bay Cove was a vision beyond any student’s dreams. It’d been a place I got to call home for the past three years.

  It was also extremely large and I hoped to easily blend into it this year. I had to disappear, the only way I could avoid Jax and whatever recourse I may receive from leaving him alone and throwing his bag out into traffic.

  I palmed my temple, actually quivering. I had to get out of my head a little when I noticed people I knew. People from classes and whatever during the previous three years. I waved at them, dragging their bags and stuff along the walks. Many people knew me before I even came here because of my stepdad, and yeah, I also stood out like a sore thumb in this place because of my car. I could only thank God the bus system was pretty good here. I could use that instead of drive to class.

  Because if Jax saw this car, I knew, just knew there’d be trouble. The guy was quite literally outside of his mind, and my panic brewing, I slowed my car.

  I had to.

  Feeling literally on the cusp of hyperventilation, I parked on some random street. I needed to collect myself and quickly unstrapped.

  I had to scream.

  I mean, I made sure there were no other people around, of course. No one around to think I was crazy, but tossing my head back, I let it roar. I even balled my fists, jumping on terra ferma like a kid having a hissy fit. If anyone saw me, they would think I’d lost my mind.

  I think I had a little.

  I kicked at my tire, shaking my baby before hunkering down and hugging my legs. I was angry, frustrated.

  But mostly, I was scared.

  Jaxen scared me, and though I couldn’t see his reaction much when he’d leaped into traffic to get his bag—after all, I’d been trying to get the hell out of Dodge myself—he had to be pissed.

  I mean, I would have been.

  I buried my face in my hands, elbowing back against my wheel. A quick sprint and someone was jogging up on me. Jumping, I nearly peed myself until I realized it wasn’t Jaxen.

  But he was kind of beautiful too.

  Hell, if Mr. USA was a thing, Lawson Richards would win by a landslide. Like every time and he’d wear the hell out of the sash. He cruised up to me in a set of basketball shorts and tank that hung so low it gave him man cleavage. The guy seriously had pecs for days.

  Almost as hard looking as…

  Shaking myself out of that thought like a Tiny Toon, I watched as he hunkered down, his eyes wild. He had a pair of earbuds in his ears he took out at seeing me. “You okay? I heard you scream or… something.”

  Oh, fuck. Maybe this street wasn’t as quiet as I thought, and getting up, I let him help me. I dusted myself off. “I’m fine. Just having a panic attack.”

  “A panic attack?” Shock ripped through his timeless features. He was like seriously one of those earls out of a Jane Austen novel. His hair sweated back, he still appeared perfect, flawless. He brushed a tanned arm across his brow. “You all right now?”

  “Yeah.” Just not so casually losing my mind. “Ever just need to scream?”

  Of course, he didn’t. He was perfect. This guy spent his summers backpacking through Europe and prob
ably would join the Peace Corps at some point in his lifetime. No, he didn’t have a psycho stepsibling set out to ruin his life, but he laughed, laughed with me instead of at me when I joined too.

  He tucked his hands under his arms. “Not lately, but it’s been known to happen, yeah.”

  Yeah? “Yeah?”

  His eyes twinkled. “Yeah. That’s kind of where I was at when I was in Europe and didn’t know what to do with my life. Eventually, it brought me back here. Slowly starting to figure it out now.”

  “Well, can I get some of that ability to solve problems efficiently instead of screaming?” I shook my head. “I could use some of that.”

  “Tell you what? Once I bottle it, I’ll give you a cut for the idea. I’d make a fucking fortune.”

  I’d laughed, seriously laughing hard and not just at myself this time. It felt good, and finally, I realized I wasn’t panicking.

  Lawson smiled. “You okay now? I was jogging, happened to see you. I just moved into an apartment about a block over.”

  Hence, why I’d seen him. I nodded since I actually did feel okay. “Thanks for stopping. Checking on me.”

  “Thanks for not actually dying. I was about two seconds away from calling the cops until I saw it was you. Figured I’d check first.”

  “Well, thank you for that.” Because that would have been more embarrassing than it already was. I shook my head. “But yeah, I’m okay. Sorry I scared you.”

  “No problem.” A chuckle before he popped the earbud back in his ear. His arm flexed and everything, his smile wide. “Maybe next time scream inside your car. Works for me.”

  A nudge and he had me laughing again and burning where his elbow touched me. Seriously, I was a mess and so shouldn’t be thinking about boys. My judgment was obviously off.

  He looked at me. “Or you know sometimes coffee helps. Conversation?” He winked. “I could offer that if you’re interested and need an ear.”

  Wait. Was he asking me out?

  Elicit small freak-out inside.