Bastard Stepbrother (Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance)

by Faye, Amy

  Thin tendrils extend from his back, reaching for her before being pulled back by him. She could tell he was trying to control his desire, and it made her laugh. How funny that he was denying himself a taste of her.

  She pushed past him and into the room where the newcomer was laying, and something inside of her knew him before she saw him. She knew his scent, the way his energy felt. Vicious glee bubbled up from her in the form of more laughter, and as she entered the room, the man turned to face her. He was disturbed by her laughter, but she saw that his body responded to her.

  He burned with the bright light of a righteous man. It was vile to her, but she wanted to possess it all the same.

  Dean

  Dean let out a curse under his breath when the girl entered the room laughing. Once the harsh sound was gone, he stopped feeling scared and truly saw her. Nicholas had told him he was sending in Cady, the girl with the bright red hair. Edwin's daughter. The girl he was sent to save.

  And all he saw was her beautiful. The way her shirt clung to her breasts. The smile on her lips. The way her eyes shined in the artificial light.

  Edwin would kill me for thinking about you like that, he thought. A new image entered his mind and he winced. Yeah, Edwin's gonna kill me.

  Forcing himself to focus on her face, he noticed that her pupils were huge, dilated so that almost none of the color showed. She stepped closer to him, her hips swaying from side to side.

  Dean stepped away, trying to keep his distance. He knew that if she got too close, he might lose himself in her. When she was close, it was warm. Things felt right. When he stepped away, though, it was like going from the side of a fireplace to the coldest reaches of his mountain with no transition. Jarring, painful. He felt naked in the coldness.

  “Come to me. Stop fleeing,” she said, grinning. Her mouth was plump and so damn red, though she didn't wear a drop of makeup. Her cheeks flushed, too. She stepped closer, and the cold gave way to heat again. Dean allowed himself to enjoy the feeling.

  He forced himself back again, painful though it was. “No, I can't. I – I don't know you. Stay away.” This was the first time in a long time that he felt helpless and pathetic. He wasn't the hunter in this room, not with her around. Something was wrong, but again he felt no magic. Was his ability to sense it somehow dampened?

  “Then come, love.” She pushed forward and took his hand, pressing it against one of her breasts. “Get to know me.”

  He caught a glimpse of them in the mirror on the far side of the room, and it suddenly occurred to him that they were being watched. They would have to perform, he would have to give in, or they would both be in for a world of hurt. “Damn,” he said. She only smiled. I hope Edwin understands that I had no choice.

  Lunging forward, he grabbed Cady by the face and kissed her cheek. She gasped and gripped his shirt, pulling him closer. Her hair twisted between his fingers. Her sigh pressed against his ear. Dean slid his lips against her neck and kissed it lightly, pushing her hair from her face.

  Cady looked more like her mother than she did Edwin. Lucky girl, her mother had been a real looker. Too bad she went off the deep end, because Edwin was head over heels for her.

  Man, they had bad luck with women. He chuckled, which made Cady freeze.

  “What are you laughing at?” She seemed hurt, somehow. Insulted. Did she think he thought she looked silly, or anything less than gorgeous? She would be mad to think that. Perhaps mad wasn't the best word to be thinking just then. They were all mad, there. Even he was mad.

  “Nothing.” He brushed her neck with his fingertips, and there, finally, was the sensation he had been expecting. The prickle of magic. The small song vibrating in his ears. He rubbed his fingers lower, closer to her collar bone. There it was. Black beads he hadn't noticed before. A necklace that ended with an emerald, Olivia's favorite stone. “Fuck.”

  Once he noticed the magic, he realized she stank of it. His head was swimming with it, buzzing with lore and whispered secrets that only the undying magic of the universe knew.

  He kissed her on the lips, stopping her from asking what was wrong. She melted into him, her body letting him do whatever he desired. If he didn't control himself, he would take advantage of her. He didn't want to do that.

  Wrapping his hands behind her neck, he buried them in her hair as he unclasped the necklace. He hoped that was all that needed to be done to break the spell for a moment. Their lips pressed together until she gasped, and finally the magic leaked away, back into the emerald. She tried to pull away from him, but Dean held her close. “Stay still, or they'll know I undid the spell.” The look she gave him made him hate himself. She was so scared.

  “Take a deep breath, then kiss me.” She did so, and her lips were less plump, but still damn soft. “Don't act scared. Keep yourself under control. Your dad sent me to save you. And if you don't want to get us both killed, I'm going to have to put this necklace back on you.”

  “My dad…?” She kissed him again. Dean could feel her heart beating against her chest, how quick her pulse was. “Please don't put it back on. It makes me burn. It scares me.”

  “Sorry, sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear. “They'll kill us both if they see I removed it. I'm going to need to follow through with the ritual, which means you need to, too. But we can try to find another way...”

  “No. There isn't another way. The necklace showed me that.”

  “I don't want to take advantage of you,” he said, kissing her neck. The necklace was trying to force him to put it back on. He held the clasps away from each other, but they pulled like strong magnets.

  “You're not. I am completely lucid here. Do what you need to do, and then get me the hell out.” She kissed him on the lips, then, and it almost felt genuine. “I trust you, because I have no choice. There is no one else I can trust. Put the necklace on me, fuck me, then save me.”

  There was no use fighting here, because there was no other way out of the situation. Either they completed the ritual, or they would both be killed as spies. Or worse, Cady would be killed and Dean would be kept for Olivia.

  He hoped the ritual wouldn't immediately brainwash him, but there was no real way to know until he followed through on it. Letting the necklace clasp itself again, he bit Cady's neck to mask why she was gasping.

  With her hand pressed against his manhood, she rubbed him. It felt good, even though it felt dirty, and not the good kind of dirty. They were both forced into a crappy situation.

  Well, if I'm gonna be damned to hell, might as well have some fun while I do it. He bent her over a table in the room and pulled down her skirt. Her ass was alabaster white, and the back of her thighs had a few cute freckles. His finger slid up and down her slit, which made her gasp.

  Grunting, Dean undid the jeans given to him by The Lore Keepers and let them fall to his knees. He pulled his manhood out, which Cady looked back to see. She grinned.

  “Big boy. That's how I like them.”

  She grabbed him from behind and guided him to her slit, rubbing the head of his cock against her heat. She felt so good, so wet. He entered her, and fucked her hard.

  Chapter 6

  Cady

  “So you feel like you've lost time?”

  Janine was sitting next to Cady, her eyes wide. She had been trying to be more friendly with Cady since sending her to Counseling. Maybe she felt guilty, or maybe she was spying on her. Cady wasn't sure, but she was feeling mighty paranoid lately.

  “Yeah. I woke up yesterday feeling really disoriented, and I thought it was Wednesday instead of Thursday. When you told me that it was my day to help in the kitchen, that was why I was so confused.”

  “That's so weird! What do you think caused it?” She leaned forward, resting her elbow on her knee and her head on her hand. Her lips quirked up into a small smile. Outside, a hawk called overhead.

  “I couldn't begin to tell you. I keep getting flashes… of a man, and then my body gets really warm.”

  �
�Whoa, intense. Well, it might have been a side effect from, you know...” The exorcism. Cady had considered it. If the men had really removed a demon from her body, then it was possible that time loss could have something to do with it.

  The last thing she remembered was her strange dream about the Arab man in white tattered clothing. Of course, Cady would never tell Janine about that.

  “Cady,” a man's voice called. It wasn't Nicholas. Janine and Cady both stood, walking near the door.

  “Yes, sir?” Cady asked, bowing her head. Best to be polite, no matter which of the men was addressing her.

  “The Priest wants to see you. Follow me.”

  Her heart stopped in her chest for one terrifying second. The Priest? Had Janine told him about her time loss? Was she going to be killed or punished somehow? Or did he want to use her?

  She looked back to Janine and saw an expression of black hatred on her face. She knew exactly what Janine was feeling: the same jealousy that she had felt when Cady had seen the bruise on her face. To be with The Priest was one of the greatest honors a woman could have.

  Even if that woman was planning escape.

  She followed the man through the fields, keeping far enough away from him that she couldn't hear his humming. The men hummed while they worked, to keep evil thoughts out of their heads. Each day had its own tune, a tune that told a story about The Goddess. Friday told the story of her resurrection, of when she went from being fully human to fully divine.

  It was one of her favorite tunes, but she didn't want her mind clouded when she was about to meet The Priest. He would be expecting her to have her full wits, until of course he wanted her to submit. He liked to play games, where the woman would misbehave, only to submit. She loved to submit.

  The Priest had a large house on the farm, one with a secretary that greeted them. She was nude, of course. Cady didn't look at anything but her face as the secretary greeted them.

  The secretary and a few others were given the privilege of living with The Priest, at least for a while. While they were still beautiful.

  A long hallway led them to the waiting room outside of The Priest's office. They passed by the room where Cady had been welcomed into adulthood by The Priest. Her stomach flipped and she smiled, remembering how he had touched her.

  As they got closer to the office, shouting could be heard. One man was yelling, the other speaking in a calm but authoritative tone, but Cady couldn't understand most of the words.

  The door flew open, the hinges on the door squeaking violently as Nicholas stepped into the room. Slamming the door shut, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he noticed he wasn't alone in the waiting room.

  The tall man looked down at her, his eyes alight with twisted anger. She shifted away from him, feeling his rage roll off of him in waves. Another emotion flickered in his eyes, something softer but more hungry. Lust? Before the rage came back and he stormed off, slamming the front door behind him so loudly that the silence that came after rang in their ears.

  “Cady, please come in.” The voice was soft. The Priest was ready to see her.

  The other man left as she entered the room. The Priest sat at his desk, a glass cup with clear liquid in his hand. He took a sip as she stepped before him. Already, she felt under his control.

  The few gray hairs he had shined with the rest of his black hair, which was shorter and more controlled than his son's. He sported a similar beard, however. It was groomed, and a bit shorter. It suited his square jaw. Cady's knees felt wobbly, barely able to hold her up.

  There was a slurping sound that Cady couldn't place. Once she did, though, she blushed hard. It was coming from beneath The Priest's desk.

  She wished that she was the one down there, servicing The Priest. She wanted only to make him happy, to pleasure him so that he might approve of her. How could she have ever considered leaving, when The Priest was so kind and perfect?

  Part of her still wanted to escape, but the rest of her only wanted to obey.

  “I have good news for you, my dear. I have decided to let a man claim you.”

  “Oh?” She said. A few of the men, the ones who do exceptionally good deeds for The Lore Keepers, are allowed to take a woman as his own. He was still allowed to take others when he pleased, but no other man could take that specific woman, and she was available to him every night in his room.

  It was a rare gift given only to the best of men, and only the best women were chosen. She didn't know why she had been chosen, as someone beautiful like Janine or, if she were still alive, Sasha would have made more sense. Aside from her red hair, which most men seemed to hate, there was nothing special about her at all.

  She held back a cry of despair. It would have been easier to escape if she were in the women's cabin. When she would be sharing a bed with a man, escape would be nearly impossible. It would take a miracle to leave.

  It also made it more likely that she might fall pregnant. If ever there was a tether to The Lore Keepers, it would be a child.

  But The Priest expected a good response, and she both needed and wanted to give it to him. To please him, but also to escape his suspicion. She grinned so wide that her cheeks hurt, gasping. “Really?! Oh, sir, I am so pleased! Thank you for this gift!”

  She wondered who she might be given to. Had he chosen her, or had The Priest? It couldn't have been Nicholas, the only man who had shown any real interest in her.

  The Priest smiled. “I am ecstatic that you're so pleased. Hmm,” he said. “Perhaps a gift from me, considering you will never be able to take part again...” She was captivated by the erotic power of his voice and eyes.

  He stood up, and she heard a groan of disappointment from beneath the desk. She felt for the poor woman. Being away from The Priest was like being away from the sun. Walking out from behind the desk, he presented himself to her.

  “Here, come to me.”

  She fell to the ground immediately, feeling dazed and mellowed, and crawled up to him. Her prize was so near. That deep, primitive tug that told her to obey was so delicious.

  She opened her mouth and licked the length of the shaft, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

  “Damn,” The Priest said, stepping away from Cady. It was her turn to groan as she felt the wind knocked out of her. She just wanted to be near him. “Stand,” he commanded, and it took everything in her not to crawl to him and cling to his leg.

  “Come in,” The Priest called. He smiled at whoever answered, but Cady did not turn. She only watched The Priest's face. “We were just discussing you. Cady, this is Dean, and he has shown great promise.”

  Cady turned. The man behind her was tall, very tall, and he looked somehow familiar. She couldn't quite place why, though. She cocked her head and watched him walk in. His eyes were only on her.

  “You asked to see me?”

  “Yes, son. I read your report on wraiths that Nicholas had you write for me, and I saw how much your expertise could be worth to us. Do you know much about demons?”

  Dean nodded, crossing his arms. His eyes flicked from The Priest to Cady, appreciating for a moment the deep curve of her hips. “Yes, I do. I've killed my fair share.”

  “Killed! My, we've only been exorcising them.”

  “I can do that, too,” Dean said, his voice low.

  The Priest nodded. “Good, good. Our women have had a bit of a problem, lately, and it seems that I have left them susceptible to corruption. I would like to task you with teaching them about demons, and how to avoid them. You can also teach them about any other monsters you think might pose a problem for us here. The Goddess only knows what lives in those woods we found you in.”

  “Probably plenty of nasty things,” Dean guessed. “But why is she here?”

  “Ah, that's right. In payment for your efforts, I would like to give you a gift. Cady here will be your student, as well as your permanent lover. She will stay in your room with you.”

  Dean balked. “So, we're getting mar
ried?”

  “No, of course not. It would be too hard to nullify a marriage should you fall from my good graces. No, she is just your pet. Your lover. Your slave, if you prefer the term.”

  Cady's breath came faster. Slave? He would own her? No, no, she could not abide that. She nearly spoke up, but Dean spoke first.

  “That's a wonderful gift. I'll be sure to use her well, and I will begin teaching the other women tomorrow, if that is acceptable to you.”

  “Yes, of course. You two may go, now.” He waved them out and looked under his desk with a perverted grin. Cady again flushed, then looked away. If she watched for too long, she would be overcome with desire.

  Dean and Cady walked through the door and into the waiting room at the same time. Dean paused, Cady walked ahead.

  “Ahem.”

  She turned to look at him, eyebrows raised.

  “Don't remember me, do you?” His eyes looked sad.

  “No. Should I, sir?”

  “It's probably for the best that you don't. And just call me Dean, please.”

  She nodded, then waited for him to walk ahead of her so that she might follow. Leaving the office filled her with a dire depression that she feared would be impossible to shake.

  Dean

  Every glance at Cady stoked a primal need from within Dean. He wasn't exactly a hormonal, horny teenage boy anymore, and yet he could barely control himself with her. It was a struggle to shackle his raging lust that first night when he woke up next to her. Since then, he had been staring out the window at the stars.

  It wasn't helping that she threw herself at him at every turn. He wished that she remembered who he was, but the spell had wiped her memory of him. While that was inconvenient for his ability to focus, it was convenient for his ability to plan. If she still knew he was planning her escape, she might do something rash or say something to another member of her cult.

  She undressed in front of him with no shame. No doubt she had been used by other men before. That thought pissed him off, that she had been abused by men who saw nothing special in her. All they saw was a sex toy.