by Lane Hart
That is if Patrick keeps his mouth shut.
Needing a friend to talk to, I text Cassie and ask her to come over. She replies back that she’s on her way.
Making friends wasn’t easy for me in school. I kept to myself and didn’t say much to anyone, too concerned with hiding my dirty secret about the abuse. But Cassie and her two best friends, Taylor and Lindsey, always invited me to sit with them at lunch and hang out on the weekend, so I went along with them to avoid the loneliness.
Unlike me, all three of my friends were born into a rich family, spoiled with luxury from the day they were born. Since we graduated high school, everyone went their separate ways for college except for me, so mostly we only see each other a few times a year. Cassie was at a private university in Tampa but got kicked out when the administration found out she was sleeping with her English professor. During our senior year of high school, she messed around with one of the assistant football coaches and got him fired. She has a thing for unavailable men, but who am I to judge what’s normal? Besides, it’s been nice having her back in town again.
When the doorbell rings, I jog down the stairs to answer, letting her inside and leading her out to the patio since my mom’s still lurking around in the house.
“So, what’s up? Is the wedding off? Because if so, you need to go ahead and sound the alarm,” Cassie says, tossing her long, stick-straight blonde hair over her shoulder when we sit down at the patio table. I feel frumpy in my yoga pants and tee compared to her. Today, she’s wearing one of my giveaways, a short, pleated, rose-colored Gucci dress with a plunging neckline. It looks better on her than it did on me, and I’m pretty sure this one set my stepfather back by a few thousand.
“The wedding’s still on,” I tell her with a sigh.
“Seriously?” she asks, sitting up straighter. “I thought you were for sure calling it quits when Derek said he wanted to fuck other women.”
“He and I talked Sunday morning, and it turns out he changed his mind and said he was sorry,” I answer, holding up my left hand and wiggling it to show the diamond is back on my finger. Why does the platinum band feel tighter this time?
“Wow. You know if he wants to fuck other women now, he’s gonna have affairs when you’re married, right?” she asks with an arched blonde eyebrow.
I shrug, since Derek’s infidelity doesn’t really matter to me now that I’ve calmed down and had time to compare it to the alternative of being stuck in this house. “We’ll figure it out,” I say. “Anyway, do you remember that guy from the club Saturday night?” I ask her, tucking my legs underneath me.
Cassie laughs. “Ah, yeah, the G.I. Joe form of Jamie Dornan? How could anyone forget him?”
“Right. Well, his name is Patrick, and he’s, um, sort of like my stepbrother.”
Her jaw drops and three, two, one…
“Get out! Are you kidding? This is a joke, right?” she exclaims.
I shake my head. “Nope. Oh, and he’s staying at the house with us until the wedding.”
“Shut. Up. That’s…that is fucking insane, Mina!”
“Yep. Pretty much,” I agree.
“So, are you still tapping that?” she asks with narrowed eyes.
“Who said I ever ‘tapped that?” I ask, using my fingers as air quotes for her ridiculous slang while my face flames hot in embarrassment.
“You dirty brotherfucker! You have!” she says, followed by a laugh.
“Shh. Could you try and keep it down?” I ask, glancing back at the house to make sure my mother is still out of earshot.
“You’re hitting that behind Derek’s back, huh? Didn’t think you had it in you, girl.”
“I thought Derek and I were done. If I had known he changed his mind, I never would’ve looked at Patrick.” That’s not exactly true. “Okay, I still would’ve looked at him, good and long and hard probably, but that’s it.”
And I would’ve missed out on the hottest, most incredible sex of my life. Three times now. Oh, and all the oral sex. Would I have lived and died an oral virgin if Patrick hadn’t popped that cherry? How sad would that have been?
Now, the problem is that I know what I was missing, and I want more of it.
Chapter Thirteen
Trick
The ebb and flow of the waves lapping at the sand does nothing to soothe my inner turmoil. When the sun begins to set, and my stomach growls yet again, I decide it’s probably time to head back to the house. Mina’s mom, sister and our half-brother should be around now, so I won’t have to worry about being alone with her.
Is it wrong that I prefer being alone with her than dealing with the rest of my family?
Obviously, I’m a magnet for unavailable women. First, there was Alyssa, who was mourning Austin for months before falling for another man. And now there’s Mina, who is supposed to be getting married in days. Four fucking days.
I would like to think that if I were about to marry a woman, that she wouldn’t still be screwing around with guys on the side. And I would really hope that the sex with a stranger wouldn’t be so fucking fantastic that she would keep going back for more.
There has to be more to this story, because it just doesn’t make sense. Mina is young, beautiful and rich. She doesn’t need to marry the first asshole who happens to come along. Does she feel some obligation to Derek since she told him she would marry him and now she feels stuck? Hell, fucking me behind his back is a helluva lot worse than breaking a promise to him. I just need to dig deeper, figure out what’s going on, and that means having another heart-to-heart talk with the groom.
When I pull back up at the house in Mina’s convertible, not only is the douche’s Viper here again, but so is my father’s red Corvette. Huh. What sort of family man drives a two-seater? His wife has a luxury SUV, so maybe it’s not that big of a deal.
“Patrick, come help yourself. We have plenty,” my dad’s wife shouts from the dining room as soon as I walk through the back door.
“Ah, thanks,” I mutter as I join them. Glancing quickly around the room, I see Mina sitting next to the boy at the long dining table, and it’s a sucker punch to my gut. Only, the longer I stare at her, the more I realize that the smile on her face is forced, fake. Despite what she may say, she’s not happy with him. Or am I the reason she’s not happy because she’s worried I’ll rat her out, tell her man how I’ve now fucked her three times, ate her out twice, and had her on her knees sucking my dick this morning?
In one day I’ve been with her more than any other woman from my past, the few girls in high school I dated before I ran off and joined the Marines. Sure, there were plenty of opportunities to go to bars and screw random women while we were off base or on leave, but Austin wouldn’t even consider going out and cheating on his wife, so I never wandered off to get laid either. Guess I would rather jerk off than have what I knew would be nothing more than a one-night stand. Until the other night when I was so desperate to stroke my bruised and bloody ego that I took Mina outside the club. Within minutes of being buried deep inside of her, I confessed that I wanted to see her again, and she turned me down. I was never supposed to be more than a one-night stand for her, and now here we are. She’s probably only still fucking me to make sure I keep my mouth shut.
“What can I get you to drink?” my stepmother asks, snapping me out of my musings.
“Water is fine, thanks,” I tell her politely. Hell, I don’t even remember her name. Vanessa? Valerie? Her daughters and son have only called her mom. She’s several years younger than my father and my own mother, not that I’ve actually seen her in a decade either.
“I was just telling Wilhelmina that I think it would be great for you to be part of the wedding. So what do you say? You can find a tux when she goes for her final dress fitting tomorrow,” her mom rambles on.
“Yeah, sure,” I say, just to be agreeable.
I’m sure she doesn’t want to hear the truth, that I’ve been fucking her daughter and plan to shut this wedding down hard
. For now, I keep my mouth shut, sitting at the table with the rest of my family and trying to focus on having a conversation with my little brother instead of thinking about the couple at the other end. My dad is silent during the meal and looks agitated. Everyone else is pretty quiet too and keeps sneaking looks at my old man like they’re not used to his presence. What do I know? I’ve only been a part of this family for a day. All I’m certain of is that I need to figure out how to get some one-on-one time with the douchebag groom.
“Where’s your sister?” my dad suddenly asks, and everyone freezes.
“With Alexa and Sarah,” Mina answers softly. I refuse to let my eyes land on her for more than an instant since I worry someone will catch me and notice how much I want to throw her on this table and fuck her in front of them all. Okay, well, not my brother, but the rest I don’t give a shit about.
“She’s staying with them tonight?” he asks Mina.
“Yeah,” she answers on a sigh.
“Bridgette’s gonna miss her friends. Sarah’s going to school in Georgia, and Alexa is staying here, so they want to spend their last few days together,” their mom adds defensively.
“That’s fine,” my father tells her followed by a collective exhale around the table.
Dad must still be a hothead. The Marines were nothing compared to growing up with Mike Foxx, who was harsher than any drill sergeant. He’s not nearly as intimidating to me now that I’m bigger and taller than him, but I’m sure he scares the piss out of his young son. Report card days were always the worst in our house. He’d beat my ass for anything less than a B, which was unfortunate since I was pretty much a C average student. I doubt Michael has that same problem. He seems smart. I’m sure Dad is proud that at least one of his sons will not only get accepted to college but probably go on to law school as well.
“I’ve got some boxes ready for you to take home with you,” Mina says to her man. Guess after I left she worked on packing more of her shit. I had told her I would help and then ran when things got tense.
“Patrick can help Derek run those over tonight,” my dad speaks up and offers on my behalf, causing my eyebrow to arch at him in automatic defiance.
“No, that’s okay. It’s not much–” Mina tries to say.
“Your stepbrother can help,” my father abruptly cuts her off.
Fuck. Do I want to help? Hell no. But will it give me a chance to beat Derek down until he calls off the wedding? Fuck yes.
“I’ll do it,” I answer. “Not like I have any other plans.” I make the mistake of letting my gaze land on Mina, and her eyes meet mine. Without a word, I know her icy blues are pleading with me. She wants me to keep my mouth shut. There’s also lust and some other emotion I can’t read or focus on because I’m thinking about her earlier, how I had her on her back, eating her out and then how she came riding me. Does she want an encore tonight? God, I hope so.
“Fine, but hurry back. I don’t want you driving my car on unfamiliar streets in the dark,” Mina says.
“Patrick can take my SUV. It’ll hold more,” my stepmother suggests.
I’m in a hurry, ready to go now, because as soon as I get back, I’ll be between Mina’s legs again, right where I belong and hopefully with the news that the wedding is off.
…
Mina
After my mom’s SUV and Derek’s car is loaded down with boxes, I watch him and Patrick drive off into the night and start counting the minutes until he gets back. At least my mother and Michael are here, so I just need to stick with them until Patrick is back. My stepfather is never home from work this early, and it scares the shit out of me. At least I was able to convince Bridgette to stay overnight with Sarah, so that she’s clear of our stepfather’s wrath.
When I walk back into the kitchen, things quickly start going to hell.
“Valerie, why don’t you take Michael out for some ice cream? He’s been a trooper through all this graduation and wedding shit,” Mike tells my mother as she finishes up the dishes.
“That’s a good idea,” she answers. “I’ll take Mina’s car.”
No, no, no!
“I’ll go too,” I blurt out. “Ice cream sounds good.”
“Really, Wilhelmina? And what are you gonna do when your dress doesn’t fit?” my mom counters, and Mike flashes me a predatory smile.
“My dress will fit fine,” I assure her. It’s not like I’ve been eating much with the entire Patrick ordeal going on.
“Can’t take any chances,” she says with a shake of her head.
“Then I’ll take Michael,” I offer quickly, grasping at straws. Anything to avoid being alone in this house with Mike. “I won’t get any ice cream, just spend some time with him, you know, before I move out.”
“Fine,” my mother agrees with a wink. “Can’t argue with a night alone with your father.”
Ugh. He’s not my fucking father, and more power to her if she wants to get naked with him. I know for certain I’m gonna be on his shitlist for this, which just means I’ll need to keep avoiding him until the wedding. As long as Patrick’s around, that should be easy.
Chapter Fourteen
Trick
I sit the last cardboard box down on the living room floor, hating the rat bastard even more for having Mina’s possessions now in his house and owning a big-ass place with such an incredible oceanfront view. It’s time to end this shit.
“Great place,” I tell the little prick when he comes back from the bedroom.
“Thanks,” he says with a pinched brow. “Well, that’s everything, so you can go.”
“Actually there’s one last thing,” I tell him, grabbing him by the lapels of his jacket and slamming him against the wall. I almost feel guilty tossing him around since he’s so much smaller than me, nearly a head shorter. Almost. “Tell Mina you’ve changed your mind and call off the fucking wedding.”
His brown eyes widen in fear. I should probably back off before I literally scare the piss out of him.
“Did you hear me? End it. Now.” I even reach into his front jacket pocket where I saw him stow his cell phone and pull it out for him. While I promised Mina I wouldn’t let him find out we were fucking, I didn’t agree to not try to get the wedding to crash and burn.
“No. Can’t,” he says, shaking his head and shocking the shit out of me with his refusal.
“Yes, you can. You will,” I tell him, sounding like a motivational speaker. “Remember that big-ass knife I told you about?”
“Not that easy,” he says, his breathing growing harsh like he’s hyperventilating.
“Oh, but it is that easy. You just say, sorry, Mina but I don’t want to marry you; I’m fucking someone else; I’m gay; I need to find myself first, blah, blah, blah. Insert any excuse you want to use, and then boom, it’s over!”
“I wish I could…but I can’t,” he says again, and I am really getting tired of this dude’s pessimistic attitude that’s even worse than my own. So, I pull out the big guns, even if it means skirting around my promise to Mina.
“What if I told you Mina’s been cheating on you? Today even. Now will you grow a pair and end this shit?” I ask him.
“No,” he answers as moisture fills his brown eyes.
Jesus Fuck.
“Why the hell not?” I snarl while still hovering over him.
“I’m in too deep,” he answers with actual tears now rolling down his cheeks. “Too much at stake.”
“What’s at stake?” I ask, letting him go since he’s obviously not gonna run or put up a fight. Instead, he sinks down the wall until his ass hits the floor.
“Law school. My future. My car. My house. Everything!” he exclaims before he begins to sob.
“Okay, you lost me,” I say while pacing in front of the crying boy. “Let’s start at the beginning.”
He wipes off his face, and I wait patiently until he starts talking.
“About a year after Willow and I started dating, Mike took me aside, said he’d pay me…
”
“Pay you for what?” I ask in confusion.
“To keep seeing her and to…he wanted me to…to…”
“To what?” I snap.
“Fuck her.”
What the hell? My dad wanted the boy his stepdaughter was dating to fuck her? In what world does that shit happen in?
Afraid my head is gonna explode, I go over and collapse down onto the sofa. Apparently, my distance helps the asshole open up.
“We hadn’t…yet. Willow was a virgin and wasn’t ready. I put more pressure on her until she finally let me pop her cherry.”
“Ugh,” I groan, rubbing my aching temple, not wanting to hear all this shit. “Get to the wedding part please.”
“Mike paid for this place, my car, law school, gave me an internship and offered me a job with his firm when I graduate,” he answers, slamming his head against the wall over and over again. “Do you know how hard it is for graduates to find jobs? I’ve heard of guys waiting tables at restaurants to pay back student loans since they couldn’t find any jobs in the legal field.”
“So let me make sure I’ve got this all straight. My father bribed you to marry Mina?” I ask in disbelief. What the hell is my father thinking? I’m his own goddamn son and he never gave me shit growing up, but he’s setting this fucker up for life.
“Yes,” he answers with a nod. “She’s beautiful and great in the sack, so why wouldn’t I? I’d be stupid not to agree.”
“Definitely stupid,” I mutter. “So you won’t call off the wedding, even knowing she’s fucking someone else?”
“Nope. It’s done. I have to marry her, or I lose everything,” he answers. “And I mean, if she wants to fuck someone else on the side, maybe she’ll let me do the same too, right? Best of both worlds.”
“Have your wedding cake and eat it too,” I grumble with an annoyed eye roll. “So how do you think Mina will react when she finds out you were paid to date her, fuck her, marry her?”
“No! You can’t tell her! Please,” he says frantically, getting to his feet to and yanking his fingers through his hair. “I’ll be ruined!”
