I lifted the bottle to my lips and drank, slow this time. I enjoyed the burn of the vodka as it poured down my throat. The liquid courage swirled in me, but I wasn’t drunk. Not yet. I reached past Hunter and placed the bottle on my desk.
My gaze flicked to meet his as he grabbed my hand and pulled me down. I sat on his lap and slid my other arm around his shoulders. He watched his fingers tangle in mine.
“What are we doing?” he breathed.
I licked my lips. “Celebrating.”
His mouth came closer to my exposed collarbone. “We’re drunk. We shouldn’t.”
I smiled at the lack of conviction in his voice. I ran my fingers along the back of his neck and leaned closer. My breath passed over his ear when I spoke. “We’ve had drinks, Hunter. We’re not drunk.”
I kissed his neck, just below his ear. He stayed still, as if he was afraid if he moved at all it’d be to flip me over onto the mattress and take me. Part of me wished he would.
“What are we doing?” His mouth met the hot flesh of my collarbone and he kissed his way up to my lips, but stopped short of kissing me.
My skin tingled with anticipation. He ran his hand up my arm, slid to my neck and turned my face so I was forced to look at him.
“What are we doing, Summer?”
I kept my eyes open as I kissed him. His lips were softer than I thought they’d be. I melted into him, then shifted. I straddled him, bit my lip and dared to look him in the eyes again.
“We’re celebrating.”
Chapter Four
I brushed my lips against his. His tongue skated along my lower lip before he plunged it into my mouth. All the oxygen left my blood, and my head swam, but I didn’t stop kissing him. I pulled myself closer. As I moaned, he gripped me tighter. Nothing I’d ever done before had felt this good. Maybe it was just the vodka, or how I sat, but it felt as if my entire body tingled.
He broke the kiss and brushed his lips against my cheek. I hungered to have them back. I wanted Hunter’s mouth on every part of me.
His breath tickled past when he whispered into my ear. “Take off your dress.”
I eased off him. I stood and let my arms dangle at my sides. I looked down at him and grinned. “You do it.”
My challenge accepted, he rose to his feet. I swallowed, tilted my head and look at him. Was it possible that I forgot how tall he was? He circled around until he stood behind me. He found my hips with his hands and pulled me into him. His lips trailed down my neck. He sank his teeth into my delicate flesh, not hard, but enough to make me inhale sharply.
Hunter gripped the zipper of my dress and slid it down. His fingers grazed my bare skin, and I felt an army of goosebumps rise to attention. He pushed the flimsy fabric to the floor, and I kicked it to the side. He skated his hands down my body.
“Does Mitch know what he gave up?”
The mention of his name should have made me feel something, but I couldn’t concentrate long enough to hold on to any emotions. All I could think about was the places on my body that Hunter touched, and the places he wasn’t, and how I wanted him to touch me everywhere.
I tried to reaffirm in my mind that this was just a one-night stand, but my body was telling my brain that one night wouldn’t be enough. Before I had too much time to think about what I was doing, I turned and kissed him. My hands took on a life of their own and slid under his shirt. Hunter pulled away and peeled his shirt off. I let my mouth roam over his rock hard chest as I fumbled with the button of his jeans.
As I gripped it, Hunter’s hands enveloped mine. “Are you sure?”
I bit my lip and nodded as I worked on the button. “I’m sure.”
He seized my mouth again, his lips were demanding, possessive. His kisses commanded my body to react in a way I’d never experienced before. I pushed his jeans down his hips, and he kicked them off. I ran my hand down his chest and stomach, and slid into his briefs. He groaned as I wrapped my fingers around his thick shaft. I tightened my grip. I couldn’t stop from smiling when he groaned again. The sound came from the back of his throat and it made him sound like an animal.
He took a step forward, forcing me to take one backward. When my legs came in contact with the edge of my bed, I sat. He removed his briefs, then eased on top of me.
I gripped his shoulders and pulled him toward me. I took his earlobe into my mouth and nipped it with my teeth. “I want you to touch me, Hunter.” I crushed my lips onto his, raking my hands down his back.
“Where?” His lips moved against mine, not quite breaking our kiss.
“Everywhere.”
“Good.” He growled as he slid his hand into my underwear. “Take these off.”
I shimmied my underwear down and kicked it onto the floor. Hunter trailed his hand up my thigh, and I shivered under his delicate touch. He grazed his fingers over my clit, and I wanted to lose it right then. I moaned into his mouth as his touch floated over top my dripping pussy. His touch was light, tantalizing, and it drove me to the brink of madness. I wanted him to take me.
“Hunter.” I writhed as he slid a finger inside me. He inched it in. I was going to lose my mind. “I need you. I need you to fuck me.”
He dove for my neck, sucked, bit, kissed, tongued as he slid two fingers in and out of me. It was good. It was so good, but it wasn’t enough.
“Hunter, please.”
He looked at me. Was that sadness in his eyes? “I don’t have anything.”
A slow, lazy smile spread across my face. “Top drawer of my nightstand.”
He retrieved a small foil package from the drawer, tore it open and rolled it on. I propped myself on my elbow to get a better view. It was a spectacular sight, and if I was being honest, I could get used to spending a lot of time with naked Hunter.
He wasted no time. He climbed back onto the bed, used a knee to slide my legs apart and eased himself into position. He put a finger under my chin and kissed my lips. It was so gentle it made me throb and ache. He opened his eyes, and I saw the words in them that he didn’t have to ask. I nodded. I was sure about this. I wanted this more than I’d wanted anything in a long time.
He eased into me, slow at first. My eyes fluttered shut and I enjoyed the feel of him. How he stretched me, filled me, and tormented me all at once.
“Summer.” His voice was husky.
“Mmm.” Words were beyond me at that point. I was on a cloud. There were no words or air to speak them with.
“I’m going to fuck you so goddamned hard you’ll be sore for a week. Is that okay?”
I tightened my internal muscles and squeezed his cock. He groaned, or maybe it was a growl. The next thing I knew, he’d sat up, snaked his arms under my thighs and grabbed my hips. My legs dangled over his arms, I was exposed to him. His body no longer covered mine, but it didn’t matter. He pulled me closer as he thrust into me. He buried himself to his balls. He growled. Gripped my hips tighter. Drove harder.
Everything that wasn’t him blurred. It was him and I. His flesh in my flesh. I gripped the pillow. Our moans filled the room. I didn’t bother to try to stifle my sounds. I let myself be loud. The louder I was the harder he fucked me.
He let go of my hips and threw himself forward on top of me. His mouth crashed to mine and his hand wound into my hair. I gripped his face. I wanted time to stop. I wanted to freeze my life right there so I never had to stop living that moment.
It started as a slow burn, a throb, an ache in my stomach. I dug my fingers into Hunter’s muscular back as I shuddered and bucked underneath him. He kissed my neck, ear, shoulder, anywhere but my mouth. I guess he wanted to hear the stream of obscenities that poured out of my mouth. My juices exploded and slathered his cock.
He groaned the words as he stiffened. “You’re so perfect, Summer.”
He tensed again as he slammed into me. His orgasm triggered another one of my own. I stared at his face the whole time. I loved the look in his eyes when he was lost in his release, lost in me. He pounded and shudde
red until it was over.
It was over. The reality crashed back down on me. I pushed against his chest and climbed out from underneath him. I grabbed the yoga pants and t-shirt I’d worn earlier and then slid into them as Hunter got dressed behind me. I couldn’t look at him. The truth circled in my brain like a vulture, waiting for the rest of me to die along with my dignity. I’d used him to get back at Mitch. He was nothing but kind to me tonight, and I took advantage of that.
I wrapped my arms around myself. “So, I guess I’ll see you in the fall,” I said as Hunter pulled his shirt on.
Hunter grabbed his jacket, but didn’t put it on. He gripped it. I hoped he felt as awkward as I did. I’d never had a one-night stand before. I wasn’t sure how they were supposed to end.
Hunter headed for the door, then turned to me. “Do yourself a favor, Summer.” He grabbed the doorknob but didn’t turn it. “Stay away from Mitch. You deserve better.”
I nodded, then he was gone. The door shut and I walked to it. I leaned my forehead against the cold wood. I didn’t know how this was supposed to end, because I didn’t want it to end at all.
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.
Revenge Page 2
