by Anna Hard
He rolled down next to me. “Overwhelmed? That’s a good thing, right?” Hearing that unsure tone coming from a man who oozed self-confidence made me smile again. I turned toward him. He wrapped his big arms around me as I pressed my face against his chest.
“Right.”
He kissed my forehead. “I know you’ve been hurt before, McKenna.”
I didn’t respond. I knew he’d seen my bruises. He’d even suggested that they had to do with me liking it rough. I’d been terribly hurt by the callous comment at the time. But I felt so safe in Luke’s arms, it washed away all our previous conversations.
“That’s all right. You don’t have to talk about him. Just know that he’ll never hurt you again.”
I shook my head. My tears flowed again. Not from pain or from being overwhelmed but from the notion that maybe I wasn’t as completely alone as I thought. Maybe I had someone here on the planet who cared about me. One thing was certain, Luke and I were no longer stepsiblings.
Chapter 14
Luke
It had probably been a mistake bringing McKenna to the crowded saloon. But she’d looked bored, and when Drake suggested it, her eyes had lit up with the prospect of going out. She’d dashed upstairs to change. When she’d come back down in a short, sexy sundress, I’d regretted our decision to go. And for two damn good reasons. The first being that if we’d stayed home, I would have had the pleasure of taking that sweet little dress off of her, that is, once I’d fucked her good and hard with it pushed up around her waist. The second reason stemmed from the sudden realization that I wasn’t going to take kindly to anyone else gawking at McKenna in her flirty little dress. Even Drake’s unplanned, open-mouthed reaction as she came down the stairs had been enough to make me curl my fingers into fists. And he was my brother.
The crush of people standing outside Stan’s Saloon assured us that inside was packed tight as sardines. Most of that was due to Bobby’s Hell Cats, a popular band, that only played at Stan’s once a month. The place itself was pretty much a dive, and the drinks were always watered down but people came to hear the music.
Drake was good friends with the bouncer so we walked right in.
“Wow, this place is crowded,” McKenna said. She had her hand on my arm, and I couldn’t believe how fucking happy that made me.
“People come to hear this band play,” I had to almost yell over the din of the crowd and music. There was a dance floor in front of the stage bordered by a half circle of tables. We made our way through the maze of people to the bar. Drake ordered us beers, and we elbowed our way back through the press of bodies to the bar height counters where we would have to stand. We set the beers on the counter and watched the band.
The wood paneling on the walls and the weird chandeliers fashioned from deer antlers and tiny yellow lights kept the place pretty gloomy, but the conversations and music counteracted the dreary decor. The place was definitely buzzing with life tonight.
McKenna looked around with her usual enthusiasm for anything new. It was one of the things I loved about her. She leaned her face close to mine to avoid yelling. “This place is crazy. But people don’t seem to mind that there is no place to put your feet without stepping on someone else’s toes.”
Having her lips so close to my face made me steal a kiss. “I guess you’ll have to stay pressed against me all night. That way you won’t get swept away in the crowd.”
She tightened her hold on my arm and squeezed closer. “You’re right. It’s not safe in here.”
Drake peered sideways at me. My brother knew what was going on between McKenna and me, but my dad had no idea. And, for now, I planned to keep it that way. I didn’t need one of his fatherly lectures on doing the right thing. To him this would definitely not fall into the right thing category. Dad was old-fashioned and a puritan when it came to relationships with women. He’d had five wives, but he always felt the need to lecture me on being with too many women. I usually shut down his hypocritical sermon by walking out of the room to let him know I wasn’t interested in hearing it. The fact that Dad adored McKenna wasn’t going to help my case either. I knew I could count on Drake to keep his mouth shut, at least for now.
“Luke,” a voice called from the tables.
I glanced through the sea of bodies and saw a long, thin hand with pink fingernails waving at me. “Shit.”
My one word reaction had caught McKenna’s attention. She looked in the direction of the waving hand. “Isn’t that the woman from the cemetery? The one with the expensive heels and jewelry?”
Drake who stood on the other side of McKenna shot me a wry smile. “Yes, Luke, isn’t that Chloe? And look, she’s waving you over to her table.”
I cast an annoyed scowl Drake’s way. Chloe called my name across the room and got plenty of attention as she did it. Most everyone in Stan’s Saloon knew everyone else. They knew Chloe had latched onto a rich old man and that she spent a lot more time out with other men than she did at home with her husband. Most people also knew that I was usually her main focus.
“I’ll be right back,” I said. I gave Drake a look that I hoped he understood as ‘keep an eye on her’.
Chloe was sitting with a few friends. A drunk grin broke out on her face as she spotted me coming through the crowd. She said something to the woman next to her, and the woman moved over a chair. “Come sit here with me, Luke,” Chloe called.
I got to the table and nodded hello to her friends, all people who I didn’t know well and didn’t care to know either. “I can’t stay,” I told Chloe. “I’m with Drake and McKenna.”
Chloe squinted through the crush of bodies. “Ah, yes, I see your little sister standing there next to Drake.”
Her friend, whose boob job I remembered but not her name, looked wide eyed at me. “Luke Maverick has a sister? I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t know because I don’t have a sister. Chloe is confused.”
Chloe blinked at me over the rim of her wine glass as she took a sip. She swallowed and waved her fingers in the direction of Drake and McKenna. “She’s the daughter of the woman who was married to your father. So that makes her your stepsister. Odd little thing with that ridiculous mass of blonde curls. California native, right?” She smirked. That earned an oh, no wonder head nod from her friends. “You know how those west coast chicks like to think they’re extra special.” When Chloe was pissed her claws came out.
“Well, this has been a grand conversation,” I said. “I will see you all later.”
“How does your father feel about this?” Chloe shot the bitchy question at my back. I spun around. There was a venomous glint in her eyes. We now had the undivided attention of her friends. They all held a collective breath as they waited for my response.
“I don’t know, Chloe. How does your husband feel about me tying you up to your headboard and fucking your brains out?” A lot of feigned shock made its way around the table. As if her friends and half the town didn’t know about Chloe and me. The rage in Chloe’s eyes was overshadowed by the red blush in her cheeks.
Something behind me caught her attention. Her mouth curled up in a wicked grin. “Looks like Cody is moving in on your sister.”
I swung back around. Cody was leading McKenna out to the dance floor. It shouldn’t have bothered me. Cody was an old friend, and he was basically a goober when it came to women. I was still pissed. I was definitely done talking to Chloe. I headed back to where Drake was standing.
He was talking to a couple of women. He glanced over his shoulder at me. It took him a second to notice my expression.
“Good conversation with Chloe?” he asked.
“Huh? Oh yeah, always. Hey, why the fuck did you let Cody take her to the dance floor?”
“I’ll join you two at your table right after I talk to my brother,” he told the women. They
picked up their drinks and walked away. Drake turned back to me with a raised eyebrow. “You’re fucking kidding, right?”
“Fucking kidding about what?”
He waved his big hand toward the dance floor. “It’s Cody. A bigger fool does not exist. She’s dancing with fucking Cody.”
“Yeah, I know.” I gulped down some beer. Still, I couldn’t keep my attention off the dance floor. The soft fabric of McKenna’s dress swished around her silky thighs as she danced. She was laughing and having a good time, dancing with our childhood buddy who still thought it was cool to smash empty beer cans on his skull. And I was standing here like a fucking cuckold, like a jealous husband, ready to throw my fist at anyone who crossed paths with me. Drake, who knew me better than anyone, sensed my tension.
“Fucking hell, little brother, she’s really gotten to you.” He laughed. “Never thought I’d see the day when Luke Maverick was panting after a girl like a lovesick sap.”
“Fuck off, Drake. Don’t you have some women waiting for you?”
He clapped me hard on the shoulder. With the mood I was in, I nearly swung around and hit him. “I’m off then,” he said. “Have fun. Oh, and try not to start any brawls.”
“Yeah, no fucking promises on that account.”
I downed the rest of the beer. As the song ended, I headed in the direction of the dance floor. Before I was ten feet from McKenna, another guy, Brick, a bull rider who I’d competed against, swooped in and asked her to dance. The little flirt had obviously accepted. Brick placed his hand on her back and led her to the floor. I pushed my way through the other dancers, earning a few pissed-off looks on the way.
McKenna looked past Brick’s shoulder. Her smiled faded fast.
Brick looked back at me. His smile didn’t last long either. “Maverick, what the hell are you doing? I’m just about to dance—”
“No, you’re not. Find someone else to dance with.”
He stared hard at me. “You’re telling me I can’t dance?”
“You can’t. I’ve seen you. But you go practice your fancy moves with someone else. This is my dance partner.”
Feeling like a fucking rooster with his chest puffed, I watched Brick walk away. When I turned back to my hen she looked ready to peck my eyes.
“What?” I asked, as if I didn’t know that I was playing the supreme asshole. I couldn’t help myself.
“It was just a dance.”
“I don’t trust Brick.” The music had started, but my partner didn’t look too inclined to dance.
“What you mean is you don’t trust me.” She stormed off the dance floor. My rooster chest had deflated, and I was following her like an abandoned puppy.
“McKenna,” I called, but she ignored me. Every fucking man’s head turned as she fled through the crowd and my jaw clenched. Christ, this was all her damn fault. She was the one turning me into a completely jealous prick.
I pushed rudely between two guys who had turned to watch McKenna as she walked by. I reached her and grabbed hold of her hand. She swung around to look at me. Her bottom lip jutted out with anger. Damn, if she didn’t look even hotter when she was mad. We’d gotten the attention of everyone standing around us. I heard my name being muttered by some of our nosy audience.
“Just let go of me,” she said.
A big guy who I’d seen at the bull riding competitions stepped out of the shadows. “Is this man bothering you, miss?” he asked.
I slid between him and McKenna. “Why don’t you just mind your own business.” I stood toe to toe with him.
“I’m just trying to see if this lady needs my help,” he said.
Drake came out of nowhere. “Luke, what the hell did I tell you about starting a damn fight?” He turned to the man. “It’s all right. She’s family.”
“That’s right,” I sneered up into his round face. “She’s family.” With that, I pulled McKenna along behind me, garnering curious glances from everyone we passed.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked.
“Someplace where we don’t have fucking spectators and self-appointed heroes.”
I led her down the small hallway that led to the storage room and utility closet. The storage room door was ajar. I pushed inside, pulled her in behind me and shut the door. A lone light bulb hung overhead casting a yellow light onto the metal storage shelves.
“What the heck has gotten into you? You’re acting like—” her voice wavered as the words fell off.
“Like who?”
She shook her head. “Like someone else. Jealous. Like you own me.”
A cold knot formed in my stomach. She was comparing me to the asshole who’d left bruises on her.
“McKenna, I would never hurt you. You know that, right? I would never lay an angry hand on you.”
She blinked back tears and nodded weakly.
I scrubbed my hair back with my fingers and paced around the room. “I’ve never acted like this before. I’m sorry.” I walked back over to her. “The thought of anyone else looking at you, dancing with you— I couldn’t take it.”
A slim smiled creased the side of her mouth.
I pulled her to me, relieved that I’d made her smile. “This is your fault. If you weren’t so damn amazing, I wouldn’t be acting like an asshole.”
She picked at some invisible lint on my shirt. “You’re actually blaming me for your asshole behavior?”
“Yeah, pretty much.” My hands dropped down to her waist, and I half carried her to the one free wall. I had her trapped between my body and the hard wall. She bit her lip in anticipation. She knew what I was thinking. It was that simple gesture of biting her lip that set off the fuse.
“I have to have you right now, McKenna.” I reached down and grabbed the hem of her dress and pushed it up to her waist. “Take off those panties.”
“But we’re in a storage closet.”
“If I take them off, I can’t promise they’ll be wearable afterwards.”
She pushed them down. I lifted the dress higher and stared at her smoothly shaved pussy. “Hell, Slick, you’ve got to stop doing this to me.” I unzipped my fly. After a week of almost nonstop fucking using condoms, McKenna had admitted that she was on the pill. We were both clean, so I’d dispensed with the condom altogether. Feeling her pussy without the latex barrier had made sex with McKenna that much more mind-blowing. Having her there, in my grasp, with her sexy dress hitched up above her naked pussy was bringing me to the edge, and I hadn’t even touched her yet.
I lowered my mouth to hers and drew my tongue along her bottom lip. “Tell me you want this, Slick. I need to hear it from those beautiful fucking lips.” I drew my thumb across her lips and pulled my cock free with the other hand. I pressed the wet tip against the bare skin of her belly. She drew in a sharp breath.
Her lashes fluttered as she looked at my face. “I want you right here. Right this damn second, Luke Maverick.” Her hands curled around my neck, and she pushed her mouth up to mine.
I lifted her and braced her back against the wall as her legs circled my waist. My cock found her sweet, wet pussy without me having to guide it. God, she was ready. She was so damn ready. She groaned against my mouth as I pushed inside of her, nearly having to coax her tight pussy to open wider for me. She clung to my neck as I pushed into her, wanting to go as deep and hard as I could.
My hands slid down to her ass to support her and hold her firmly against my cock’s invasion. One long finger slid into her ass and she pushed against the pressure of my finger as it impaled her anus. I was already just a stroke or two from coming, but I wouldn’t allow myself to finish until she came. There was nothing fucking better than having her pussy tighten around my cock as she reached climax. Having her call out my name in the middle of her delirium was the damn icing on top.
> Her head lolled back. Her plump lips parted with a soft moan as I pummeled her, shoving my cock into her as I far as I could go. There was nothing like this in the world. There was nothing like fucking McKenna. It was all I could think about anymore.
“I want you like this all the damn time, baby. Ready and willing,” I growled. “I want you to walk around with wet panties and thinking about me fucking you like this all damn day.”
“Oh, Luke.” She pushed her face forward to muffle her scream.
“Don’t, baby, I have to hear you. I want to hear you come. The music’s loud.” I shoved my cock into her again. She bucked and writhed against me as my finger impaled her ass.
“Fuck, Luke, yes, yes!” Her scream echoed off the walls. The sound of it made me come.
“God, baby, you’re too much. I’m going out of my mind with needing you,” I groaned. My body trembled, not from fatigue but from the overwhelming feeling of being inside her and bringing her to a shuddering orgasm. I wanted to do it again, right then.
I wrapped my arms around her as she lifted herself off of my cock and lowered her feet to the ground. I pressed my mouth against her forehead. “I can’t get enough of you, McKenna. We could do it a hundred times in a day and I’d still want more.”
Her face was on my shoulder. She giggled. “A hundred times? I’m not completely sure I could survive ten times a day, let alone a hundred.” She kissed my chin. “But it is a gallant offer.”
“I think we should try an experiment to see if it is possible. Say tomorrow?”
“You promised to take me on a ride around the ranch tomorrow.”
“I see, so Ranger has won your heart, and I’m only second fiddle now.” I leaned down, swept up her panties and handed them to her. “By the way, love this damn dress. Next time you should try it without the panties. They are just in the way.”
She blushed at the suggestion as she pulled on her panties.
