Stepbrother The Hard Trainer: A Stepbrother Romance Book Collection

by Anna Restrepo

  Nothing mattered but each other right now, our hands clasped tight and our hips rocking together. We'd been making love for so long that I couldn't even remember what it felt like to stand on my own without feeling his body between my thighs.

  His mouth blazed a yearning trail over my jaw, pearly teeth nipping and suckling at the already love bitten flesh. My body arched beneath him, chest rising to meet his own. Our kisses were broken only by the necessary urge to breathe, though had we been able to share that, we would have.

  Right now, with my hands clenching tight against the sheets and my body throbbing with ecstasy deep rooted in my soul, we could both imagine that our time together would be endless. We could both imagine that he wouldn't have to return to his hometown to continue his dream and I wouldn't have to move back in with our parents. That didn't matter. Nothing mattered but the way our lips melted so perfectly together.

  I gasped out his name over and over, reveling the way that it felt on my lips. If there was only one word that I would be forced to speak forever after this moment, than I would gladly choose his glorious name.

  I never would have guessed that this is where my decision to come after him would lead us. I never would have imagined that day when I tried to burst past his security detail that we would have soon memorized each other's naked bodies. The soft hiss of his pleasure in my ear would echo in the back of my mind forever. Even after the slight bruises of his kiss faded from my neck and my lips no longer ached from the intensity of his kiss and I no longer felt the warmth of his body against mine, all of those tingling sensations would linger in my dreams forever. There would not be a day that would go by that I didn’t imagine laying with him again, completely surrounded by the heady warmth of his touch.

  I clung to him abruptly as the pulsing of pleasure grew deeper and stronger and more uncontrollable inside of me, wishing that I could trap him within me forever.

  He held me just as tightly, his breath hot at my ear and his hard body slick against my own.

  When we could take it no more, we both collapsed with cries of raw pleasure, still rolling over the sheets even as we ached and writhed in intense ecstasy.

  Our tongues wrestled, drinking in the moans of one another until we finally went completely still.

  The night had ended at some point, the sun warming the silken pillows and casting a shadow across Jaxon's handsome face.

  He cupped my cheek, running his tongue along the curve of my lower lip as he exhaled slowly.

  "I could stay like this forever," he smirked, brushing the tips of our noses together.

  It always caught me off guard, how deliriously sexy and then sweet he could be. He was the total package, all the way down to his total package. He was flawless in every way, and for now, he was mine.

  "I would like that," I sighed back, giving him another warm embrace for good measure. I’d never felt like I fit so perfectly into a man’s arms as I did right now. It was like my body was molded from his embrace, like I slid right back into exactly where I was meant to be all along.

  It made it even harder to have to leave the security of his muscled arms.

  Just as I squeezed him tenderly, his stomach abruptly growled, the shocking noise of hunger making both of us burst into laughter. Even still, he remained intertwined with me, basking in the glow of our ecstasy. It was like warm wave washing over us, making our toes curl and our heads light.

  "Go and get something to eat," I sighed, though the last thing I wanted was to allow him out of my sight or out of where my leg lay draped over his waist, "and bring me back a bagel."

  He hesitated for a long moment, turning me toward him fully so that our legs would tangle once more and his mouth would greedily capture my swollen lips. The sweetness of his kiss exploded against my tongue as it always did, more luxurious than the richest of wines that I had ever tasted in my life. Kisses like this were dangerous and intoxicating, leaving the whole room spinning when he parted his lips from my own.

  I could feel those kisses not only on my mouth, but inside me as well, like he was whispering sweet nothings right to my beating heart.

  "What if I don't want to go?" he growled against my ear, a low shudder crawling up my spine at the deep reverberations of his husky tenor, “What if I want to stay here with you and lose myself in your lips again."

  Shivering from the raw lust in his voice, I gave a slight shake of my head and moaned as he nipped at my earlobe once more.

  He flipped me so that I lay beneath him, my naked body utterly exposed.

  Though I’d been shy at first, trying to hide my imperfections beneath my arms and the blankets, his mouth had roamed so freely over every inch of my body that I could no longer feel compelled to hide. I’d never felt beautiful for a day in my life, but with him… it was all so different. I felt gorgeous. I felt admirable. I felt treasured. When he gazed down at me as he did now, his eyes gleaming with passion and warmth, it made me feel so utterly wanted that I found it hard to believe that I was awake and not dreaming.

  How did perfection such as this exist if not only in a dream?

  His stomach rumbled again as his mouth descended on the curve of my breast, his tongue tracing a now familiar path over my ribs.

  "Go and eat and recharge." I murmured, trying to convince him as much as myself, it was that hard to release him from my arms, "I need to shower anyway."

  His smile faded just slightly as he nodded, his brow creasing. The mood changed in an instant, growing tense and heavy as a shadow passed over his lovely face.

  "Actually, Em, we need to talk—"

  "I don’t want to talk," I whispered back firmly, silencing him with yet another endless kiss that left us panting for breath and clutching one another close. "Not today."

  I knew our time together was running low, but I just wasn’t willing to sacrifice even a second on heavy talks.

  He wanted to argue with me, I could see it in his eyes, but he just gave a small bob of his head and slid from the mattress. It creaked as he stood, relieved to be free of his heavy, strong body. I was honestly surprised the bed had lasted all night with all of the action it’d seen the last few hours.

  "I'll bring you a blueberry bagel," he noted as he slid into a cozy pair of shorts and then tugged a t-shirt over his head. "I know that's your favorite. Maybe if you're lucky I’ll even snag a hot cocoa."

  "I know I’m lucky. There’s no maybe about it," I replied with a grin, cheeks flushing from both the heat in the room and from his affectionate remembrance.

  When we were in high school I’d have a blueberry bagel and a hot chocolate cinnamon sprinkles every Saturday morning on my way to my lifeguard shift. It was a strange little ritual, and one that I’d never realized anyone else noticed.

  He shot a teasing grin my way as he approached the door, however as soon as his hand gripped the metal handle his whole body came to a still.

  "Is something wrong?" I asked, climbing up to my knees and keeping the blanket coiled tight around my body. The sheets smelled of Jaxon and sex and the faintest hint of sweat. I wanted to bury my face in it.

  "No," he responded quietly, leaning against the heavy wood of the door, "I just wanted to keep this moment in my head forever. Like a picture."

  The blush on my face grew deeper, the crimson glow easing down my neck.

  “Do you like what you see?” I asked softly, though I could see the tender sincerity on his chiseled face.

  “I love it,” he breathed, making my heart beat hard against my ribs.

  Finally, he gave a small grin and slipped out the door.

  I sank back on the bed as the door swung closed, my body stretched out on the mattress. The ceiling towered above me as the soft pink glow of morning lit the white painted room like a flame. It spread from wall to wall, fading from deep scarlet to a cheery bright yellow. I squinted, stretching the sore and stiff limbs of my body. I’d used muscles I didn’t even know I had last night, though the slight stiffness now was well worth the
pleasure of before.

  I giggled childishly to myself, giving a small shake of my head. I still could hardly believe that any of this was happening, that Jax and I had actually gotten intimate.

  Ralph still snored from the living room, occasionally giving a small whine in his sleep. I wondered what he was dreaming of, if he missed his old house or his old bed. The last thing I wanted to do was uproot him, but leaving Rick had been the only option.

  Even though I didn't wish it to be so, I knew that my time with Jax was dwindling more and more with every second that he was gone. I knew that he would have to head back home and return to his games and leave me behind. I knew that we'd only even reunited for days and so it didn't make sense for us to talk about a future. Plus, our future was already decided. We were stepsiblings. We couldn't be more.

  That didn't stop my heart from beating faster every time Jax turned those beautiful eyes on me, however, and nor did that fact make me desire him any less. He'd opened my eyes to the pleasure of living, and I was going to take that lesson with me for an eternity.

  I wished that there was some way for us to be together, even one more time... though I knew that one more time would never be enough. I would always crave the next and the next.

  Sighing, I stood up and traveled across the room with the blanket still wrapped tight around me. Stepping foot on the cold tile of the bathroom, I turned on the faucet and appraised myself in the mirror.

  My blonde curls stuck around my cheeks, matted down and knotted from rolling from pillow to pillow. I could still feel Jax's fingertips tangled in my hair, pulling lightly at my scalp and making my whole body shudder. I had to grip the porcelain sink and close my eyes at the thought my whole body quaked so suddenly with lust.

  Just what had Jaxon done to me?

  How was I ever supposed to look at another man again when I had clearly had the best there would ever be? There was no one that I wanted more in this world than Jaxon, but he was my stepbrother and we could never be together. Not truly. Not in the way that I wanted.

  I would never be able to curl up beside him at a movie theatre or hold his hand in the parks where we played soccer as teens. I would never be able to stand under the mistletoe at our parents’ party and kiss him as desperately as I wanted.

  I splashed cold water on my face, trying to distract my wandering mind. Jax and I had limited time left together, and I did not want to spend it wallowing.

  That precious time was much better spent memorizing the brush of his tongue on my lip or the lines of his muscles under my wandering palms.

  Again, I splashed my face, blowing bubbles into the water and allowing them to lightly slip along my cheeks and closed lashes.

  The water was cool against my still warm skin, gliding down the bruised flesh of my neck.

  I straightened again and ran a finger over the marbled flesh, a small smile flickering over my mouth. Each of those nips was a place where Jaxon's warm mouth had found solace. I could feel him there in every pulsating bitemark. They weren’t painful, not in the common sense anyway. It pained me that eventually they would fade and I would no longer have proof of Jaxon’s time with me.

  A ring suddenly chimed out at the door to the hotel suite, making Ralph growl and lazily lift his chin from the cozy spot on the couch where he was resting. He was so comfy and content, however, that he didn't even bother to climb off the sofa. Instead, he watched with sleepy eyes as I wrapped the sheets tighter around my body and headed back over to the door.

  "Forget your room key?" I grinned as I pulled it open and stepped to the side.

  Instead of my stepbrother, however, it was Cynthia who appeared in the doorway.

  "Oh, my," I mumbled, eyes going huge as I slid the door a bit more shut and tried to hide my body, "I am so sorry!"

  Though she had significantly less makeup on than the day before, Cynthia looked as flawless as ever in a simple pink halter top and black shorts. She stared at me, grey eyes flickering over the blanket I was using as a toga.

  "...I'm looking for Jax," she said slowly, taking a wary step back, "Is he in there?"

  "Oh. No. He isn't. I think he went downstairs to try and find us some breakfast," I bumbled, clearing my throat and hoping that my cheeks would not turn red once more.

  Oh, man. How could I have been so careless? If we weren't more careful, there was no telling who would find out about us. If it came out that Jaxon was sleeping with his sister, his entire career would be ruined. He’d worked so hard for so long to get where he was in the world. I couldn’t imagine it all being ruined by me.

  Cynthia, however, didn't seem that concerned with my naked state.

  She sniffled loudly, a huge tear abruptly rolling down her cheek. It was funny, a second ago her eyes weren't even red rimmed in the slightest.

  "Are you... okay?" I finally asked, willing myself to somehow keep the door open.

  I wanted to slam it shut and dive into the shower.

  "It's just that Jax has been so distant," she wailed, "I mean we're in this relationship together, aren't we? So why doesn't he act like it?"

  "Are you?" I said slowly, before I could have time to get a hold of my quick tongue, "In a relationship, I mean. He told me that it um, ended."

  Her eyes went huge again, one hand flying up to her lips as though I had said something offensive about her lip gloss.

  "Of course we are!" she cried with a stamp of her foot that would make a two-year-old throwing a tantrum happy, "We're having a baby, after all. We have to be together!"

  "A baby?" I choked, "You and Jax?"

  The world was suddenly spinning around me, threatening to throw me to my knees.

  This couldn't be real, there was no way—

  "Yes, I showed him the test yesterday," Cynthia continued as she wiped her watery eyes again, "He's going to be the father of my child. Our child."

  Chapter 15

  Jaxon

  "Hey, man!" Lucas grinned widely, showing off his pearly white teeth as I approached the bar where to place the food order.

  He leaned over as he took another sip of his orange juice mimosa, the alcohol flushing his tan cheeks a merry red.

  "How's your sister doing? She looked roughed up last night."

  "She's fine," I murmured back, pretending to be immersed in the swirly font of the hotel menu, running a finger down the page.

  I was worried if I looked up at him he'd be able to see the lust still churning in my eyes. Even just thinking of her made my whole body long to be back upstairs at her side, caressing her long hair and holding her to my body.

  Even just this small distance was difficult to handle. I had dreamed of her for so long that I wasn’t willing to let even the smallest of spaces come between us now.

  Last night and this morning had been unbelievable. It was almost good enough to forget that I still had yet to tell Emily that Cynthia was pregnant. There was no way that I could put that off for any longer. I had to tell her before she found out herself. It wasn't fair that I hadn't told her the night before, but I had been unable to resist her pleading desire. I could only hope that she wouldn’t be too angry with me, though I wouldn’t be able to blame her for that reaction in the slightest.

  "That dog she brought was hella cute." He continued with a chuckle, dreamy eyes shifting toward the elevators as though he were considering darting up to the room and playing with the pup for a while, "Was he some sort of guard dog?"

  "You could say that," I smirked, imagining him on the couch.

  I’d have to remember to bring him up something tasty for breakfast too. What did dogs even like? Maybe a fried steak?

  “But he's a pretty lazy guard dog at that."

  Lucas chuckled, crossing his arms over his burly chest as he inspected the vegie breakfast burrito he'd been scarfing down. He took another healthy munch from the tortilla, chewing it pensively before swallowing it down. With the movement, his Adam’s apple rippled up and down his throat.

  "Is it going to
be hard for you to say goodbye, man?" he asked, "When we leave for home, I mean. I think the busses leave tonight. You and your sister had kind of a strained thing going on, didn't you?"

  "It'll be hard," I acknowledged glumly, pushing away the menu as my appetite abruptly vanished at the thought of being forced to leave Emily once again. "It'll be harder than I ever thought possible."

  A moment of quiet hung in the air between us as Lucas chewed his lower lip.

  "Why didn't you tell us about her or your family?" he asked softly, leaning forward so that the other teammates scattered around us couldn't hear the words being spoken, "Why didn't you say that the situation was a little weird? There are so many of us with stuff like that, you didn't need to hide it. Especially not from me. I’m your best friend, Jax. Right?"

  "You are, Luc,” I responded hastily, turning to face my oldest friend, “bBut there are just certain things you don't share." I shrugged, "Just like you tried to hide being vegetarian for the first two years you were on the team. How many steaks did you have to pretend to eat, again?"

  He laughed heartily, his lopsided grin making his face look boyish. His hair was tousled and unbound, curling wildly along his shoulders like thick fuzzy vines.

  "I told you before anyone, remember? And I felt way better after I finally let everyone know." He beamed, "I didn't have to hide who I was anymore. It was really freeing, like I was letting go of a huge weight I hadn’t even really noticed I was carrying."

  "Not everything is that easy." I retorted with a roll of my eyes, "I think family issues tend to be a little more complex than a food aversion."

  "It is more than a food aversion, Jax!" He pouted, "How many times do I have to explain that? Meat is gross, man. Just plain gross. Would you eat that cute dog you've got up in that hotel room?"

  I went immediately back to ignoring him now, chuckling down at the menu and trying to decide what I wanted to eat. Something light, something that I could eat with one hand while the other pins Emily to the be so that I could see every single raw inch of her naked body-