PULSE: A Stepbrother Romance

by Sarah Sparrows

  “Yeah, that’s probably–”

  “No,” a hissing, pained voice called from the floor. “No ambulance. I need…I need to get back…home…”

  It was Sawyer, miraculously. He was starting to move around on the floor, but he snarled with a burst of pain and slid back onto his back.

  “You’re hurt! You need to see someone!”

  “No…I’ll be…fine,” he groaned. “We have…things at…home. Medicine cabinet…fully stocked. Strong stuff…in there. Just need…home…” The pain left his face, and his body slumped subtly.

  Darren turned from him to me.

  “Looks like he’s back out cold. What do you think?

  “What would you do?”

  The bodybuilder glanced over my shoulder, down at the crumpled form on the floor. “It’s a tough call…but he’s a tough guy. If our resident medic can’t see anything particularly life threatening…I’d honor his wishes. I can help you get him back home, get him set up. Is that what you want to do?”

  I looked down at Sawyer. He looked so peaceful. Every ounce of me realized that if anything happened to him, I’d be devastated. He was a jackass, but he was my jackass, and I’d be damned if he didn’t get the attention he needed. At the same time…I felt like that was wrong. Something inside me rebelled at the thought – I felt as if he needed to be home, that he was right. That to send him to the hospital and sit by his side was the wrong choice. I don’t know why; my instincts had never been particularly strong. But my gut told me that I would regret it, and it was strong enough to make the decision for me.

  “Alright. We’ll do it. Let’s get him home.”

  SAWYER

  Chapter 20

  PENSACOLA

  PRESENT DAY

  I felt heavy, weary. My body was weakened, with some bruising and swelling here or there, but none of my limbs shrieked with agony if I slowly lifted anything. I was comfortable, I remember – it took a while for me to open my eyes and recognize that I was lying in my bed at the Beach House.

  I remembered slight flashes – being carried to the back of a car, my eyes barely registering Darren’s determined, distracted face above. There was another – Darren pacing beyond my feet, and Saffron trying to calm me down and make me take some pain medication. Incoherently, I’d tried to explain something to them – but I had been delirious. There were other glimpses, and I realized that some time had passed. I didn’t know how much. Could have been a day – could have been close to a week. Time meant so little to me in this place.

  My eyes adjusted to the light. I deduced that it was late afternoon. The faint caws of distant gulls hit my ears, and I almost chuckled at their sound.

  Saffron was here with me. She convinced me to take another pair of pain pills, and swig of water to wash them down. Issuing some kind of calm command to me, I barely heard her, electing to close my eyes again. The bed was so comfortable, and my flesh was so weary.

  The command was repeated. She sounded agitated now.

  Parting my eyelids again, I frowned slightly at her request.

  “Sawyer! Listen to me!” She was telling me, mildly exasperated. “You’ve got to swallow, or you’ll choke on them!”

  Oh, that’s right. Everything’s still in my mouth.

  I leaned forward wearily; it was just enough to comfortably swallow the pills and the mouthful of water. She helped me rest backwards, and I felt the compulsion to close my eyes again.

  But I ignored it.

  Saffron looked so beautiful. Tired, upset, her face hovered in sight. Her eyes were holding back tears, and her lips were pursed with concern.

  “Are you okay, Sawyer?” She asked sadly.

  I realized that my normal reservation was gone. It was freeing, to be in this place where I wasn’t worried about my actions, or playing some part as the arrogant prick in her life. All of that had shifted to the side, and it was just me now – and although I suspected that the pain medication she had been feeding me was to blame, I knew that this was the opportunity I needed to push it all aside.

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  “Of course you do,” my caretaker grumbled, shaking her head. “That stuff we had to give you was pretty strong. You’re pretty out of it.”

  She didn’t understand.

  “No, Saffron…I mean it,” I responded, my voice taking back some of its strength. In fact, just saying the words seemed to have given me some refreshed momentum, and I meant to make the best of it. “I’ve always loved you.”

  She hesitated. “Sawyer, you should get some rest.”

  “No, Saffron…” I murmured, reaching up the fingers of my right hand. I gingerly brushed her hanging hair out of her face with the tips, reaching down to cup her cheek. “You don’t understand. I’ve loved you from the bottom of my heart for years…and I’ve wanted you so badly. It’s why I left in the first place.”

  My stepsister was visibly stunned.

  “I…Sawyer, I don’t…”

  “Go,” I told her. “Make me some coffee, and bring it back to me. I need something to energize me…”

  “You need rest,” she insisted.

  “No.” The syllable was strong – the cadence of my voice was back, and I felt in charge. I pushed myself up in bed, my limbs a little sluggish but still responsive to my commands. “I need to tell you these things now, before this all wears off…make me a cup of hot coffee, and I’ll explain things to you.”

  Saffron was troubled, but she nodded briskly and left my side – pausing at the doorway to look over her shoulder at me. With a quick shake of the head, she disappeared from sight, and I leaned forward and held my head.

  Am I really going to go through with this?

  I wasn’t sure if I should. Fading in and out during my recovery, she had always been there – always taking care of me, never leaving my side. Thinking harder, I remembered a faint glimpse; I had seen her asleep in her chair by the bed. She had dedicated everything to keeping me comfortable and keeping me safe…the role that I was meant to play for her.

  My face lifted from my hands. I unsteadily climbed from the bed, slipping out of my fighting shorts. Listening intently for her footsteps against the stairs, I staggered into the closet and examined my wounds in the mirror – a little puffiness here and there, but ultimately my body had already healed up a number of the injuries. Sure, there was the evidence of a split brow and some ample bruising, but I’d suffered these things before.

  I took the opportunity to quickly dress, whipping on a pair of jeans, a belt, and a graphic tee. I quickly splashed water against my face in the bathroom, and then sat back down on the edge of the bed.

  All the moving around had drained me – I needed to take it easy for a little while, and the coffee would help put some spunk back in my veins.

  She returned shortly after, bringing me a fresh cup of Robusta coffee. The wafting, uplifting scents of some gourmet Swiss chocolate blend filled my nostrils, and I carefully took the dish from her. My stepsister was clearly surprised at my change of clothes, but didn’t say anything about it, choosing to allow me to enjoy the hot beverage.

  Lifting the cup to my lips, I blew across it steadily before swallowing. It did the trick – a slight burst to my senses, probably just the heat, but I knew that the caffeine would hit my system as I told my tale.

  And that’s exactly what I did, as Saffron sat by my side.

  I told her everything.

  My words carried me forward, drawing additional strength into my veins. I started by revealing the conflicting feelings I felt when we began living together; I continued by explaining my decision to leave home, and how much of an impact she had made on it. I told her about New Orleans, and how I met the man I previously knew as Slippery Pete. Then there was the police raid on our home – and arriving in Pensacola, meeting Darren, and setting up New Horizons. I continued through to decision to leave, testing out my luck on the national underground circuit. I even explained a few side adventures: Rio de Janeir
o with Darren, hiking alone in Colorado, and hitting the open road on the back of my Suzuki.

  Finally, I lead up to the defining phone call.

  The one that kicked all of this into gear.

  “What was it?” Saffron asked, the first words she’d spoke aloud since I began. “What did you two talk about?”

  “I suspected that he wanted me to return. For that reason, I almost didn’t bother,” I confessed. “But it was more than that. We did the small talk thing first – he explained a few changes in his business life, I told him the cities I’d driven to. I was impatient, wanting to know his angle…

  “But then,” I continued, “he was heading to Paris. He wanted to take our mother abroad, and he didn’t feel right leaving you for the summer. Said there were threats made against the company. Bad ones. They named names… They named you.”

  “Who would want to hurt me?” she asked quietly.

  “He said he didn’t know. He was going to either ship you away somewhere for a few months, or let you have full rein of the Beach House for the same period of time. It’s a gated community, lots of security out there, and nobody knows he owns it. You’d be safe down here…”

  Saffron nodded, understanding.

  “Of course, you’re aware that there was a catch. He wanted someone there to protect you, and he wanted it to be me. Turns out he’d been keeping tabs on me. He knew about my cage fighting, and he knew that I would take care of you. In his eyes, I was perfect for the role. But he needed an answer then and there.”

  “And you said yes.”

  “I said no,” I told her, and she looked uncomfortable for a moment. “But I changed my mind. I figured, it’s been five years. I can handle my emotions now. I can deal with being around my stepsister without feeling anything for her. I’ve knocked a hundred men out in the ring; I’ve escaped from the police, ridden a bus halfway across the States, and I’ve seen incredible things. After all that, I can handle being around my old flame again.”

  She looked demure for a moment. “Could you?”

  “Fuck no,” I chuckled. “The moment I saw you, I realized how wrong I’d been. You were so fucking beautiful from that first moment and on. I spent time away from the house in the build-up to the trip, just hoping beyond reason that I’d be able to get a grip. But I couldn’t.”

  Saffron was struggling with something internally – I couldn’t tell what. But when she opened her mouth, she surprised me.

  “I’ve done something wrong, Sawyer.”

  “Oh?” I raised an eyebrow, maintaining eye contact.

  “I’ve been such an idiot, I…I was so mad when you were disappearing on me. I was furious. You were so distant, and I needed to know what was going on…I…”

  Saffron looked like she was completely on the verge of crying. It would be cruel to let this continue and, just by bringing it up, she had already shown me everything she needed to.

  “The tracker,” I smiled knowingly.

  “I…what?” She was confused now, her beautiful eyes lining with tears.

  “You think I wouldn’t notice? Jesus, Saffron, you realize that I refill my gas less than a foot from that spot…and I know what those things are. Very creative usage, though…you certainly got your mileage out of it.” I gave her a sideways glance, watching her process this information.

  “Oh my god, I…I don’t know what to…can you forgive me?”

  “Don’t get me wrong…you crossed a line. But I pushed you. I let you down. I should have been here, should have…” I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter now. If you hadn’t said anything, I would have been angrier, but I know that it’s my fault. You will remove it in the morning, though. Understood?”

  She nodded gratefully, wiping her eyes.

  Silence filled the air between us for a moment. Both of us wanted to say something, but neither of us could.

  “Listen, Saffron…” I told her, putting my feet down on the floor. It was time to bring it all back around. She pulled her chair back and stood up uneasily. “I just want you to know that, no matter what…I’ve always loved you, completely and fully. I understand if you don’t feel the same way…I can’t see why you would, honestly…but I will always protect you from now on, if you want me. Not just at this fucking Beach House. Anywhere. Anytime.”

  I rose from the bed. To my surprise, I wasn’t shaky or nervous; my injuries felt like nothing to me, although the medication must have had a lot to do with that. Perhaps they’d mostly healed by now.

  “You are the entire world to me, and I just can’t bear the thought of–”

  My words were cut off as she threw her body against mine. Her arms wrapped around me as she began to heavily cry into my chest.

  “Sawyer…you asshole…” she sobbed. “You shouldn’t have ever left me…I was broken when you were gone. You devastated me. And all this time, I hated you…for making me love you…and when you came back, I just didn’t…”

  I lifted her chin; my eyes peered deep into hers. My thumb rubbed along her cheek, wiping the tears away. I felt her warmth against my skin, and I knew that everything was going to be okay.

  “I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.”

  And then my lips found hers.

  SAFFRON

  Chapter 21

  PENSACOLA

  PRESENT DAY

  Electricity crackled between us. It’s the only way I know how to put it. I felt it sparking in our lips, whiplashing pleasure down my spine until I thought I’d physically jolt with the intensity of it.

  His lips were married to mine, hungrily drinking in my taste. My hands, at first held down with a lack of confidence, slowly slid up his strong, sturdy arms. My fingertips found his cheeks, pulling him deeper into me, and I felt his tongue twirl into my mouth. Mine met his – they slow-danced against one another with passionate, eager force.

  All this build-up.

  All this anticipation.

  So very fucking worth it.

  Sawyer’s fingers were pulling at the hem of my shirt. I shifted my stance just enough for him to tug it upward. Reluctantly, I pulled free from him, arms lifting up, and he eagerly plucked the shirt from my body and let it fall to the floor.

  I wanted back in his arms. I needed my tongue against his again. But it wasn’t fair that I was shirtless and he wasn’t. I held off just long enough to grasp the offending layer of clothing, ripping it up his body as his washboard abs came tantalizingly into view. His mouth was on mine before I could finish, and he did the last part himself, tossing it down as well – all the while crashing his lips into my own.

  Chest to chest with this handsome, insatiable man, only my bra held back my ample breasts. He pulled me into his embrace, hungrily enveloping me with the passion of his kiss. I wasn’t sure how far we were going to go, but he answered that thought with his fingertips – quickly unclasping my bra from behind and sliding it off my shoulders. As it, too, tumbled to our feet, my bosom was freed from its fabric prison.

  Instead of immediately pulling free to check them out, he continued kissing me. He palmed my cheeks, keeping my hungry lips against his. I needed so much of him – all of him – and he was determined to savor every last drop of this moment.

  My fingertips found his belt buckle, but he pressed his lips to my neck. I gasped as he nuzzled into my throat, his hot breath cascading across my skin. My concentration was shattered, and I basked in his warmth.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered dressing,” he murmured into my throat. Before I could respond in proper, his hand grasped my breast. The calloused fingers graced the perky peak of my erect nipple, catching it between two and pinching it between them.

  Involuntarily, I let out a small gasp.

  I heard a chuckle escape his lips, pressed against my skin. He continued to squeeze my bosom, his lips lifting from my throat. I felt the warmth of his breath flow over the folds of my ear. His teeth lightly nipped at the lobe, tugging it gently.

  “Sawyer…” I murmur
ed softly. “God, that...fuck…”

  Our chests heaved with the combined weight of our collective passion. I opened my eyes to see him pull his lips back. His forehead pressed against mine and, as my forearms limply fell upon his strong shoulders, my fingers loosely grasped one another.

  “Is this what you want?” Sawyer softly asked. “We can stop right now…”

  “Do you want to?” I asked with an open, searching gaze.

  There were only a couple of inches at most between our eyes. Our attention was focused entirely on one another, pupil to pupil, and I’d never felt anything so remotely intense in my entire life.