“Nothing’s wrong. I just don’t know what’s taking you so long.”
His entire demeanor changed from sweet natured to controlling. “Take off your clothes, Ava. All of them this time.”
I couldn’t lie to myself and pretend I didn’t notice the tightening between my legs – the concentrated ache that grew with his every command. I began removing my clothes while I watched him flip on the gas fireplace and turn off all the lights in the room.
When I had removed all my clothes, I stood silently, fighting the urge to kneel in the center of the room and wait for his next order.
He slipped off his hoodie. “Open up the vertical blinds to the deck.”
My heart was racing. “Someone will see me!”
“No one is back there at this time of night. The mountain is empty. And the lights are off in here. No one will see you. Open them.” Cole voice was reasonable, but demanding.
I peeked out into the night before I slid the blinds across the track, opening them wide. Between a few lit lamp posts and the moon reflecting off the snow, I could see the night landscape quite clearly. Cole was right, there was no one walking around back there.
“Press your hands against the glass.” Cole was right behind me.
My palms pressed flat against the frigid glass. “What are those lights on the mountain?”
Cole was shrugging out of his t-shirt. “Those are the snowcats, grooming the trails for tomorrow.”
I could see our reflections in the glass in front of me. The image was vague and distorted, but I could see my nude body with Cole standing possessively behind me.
Cole’s hands covered my own and he leaned into me. I felt his warm chest on my back and he pressed me forward until my nipples were pressed up against the icy cold glass.
I gasped at the icy sensation on my nipples, but suddenly Cole’s hand was pushing between my legs, quickly heating me up. His lips were roaming my neck and my shoulders - kissing and nipping so languidly and so sensually, even as his fingers were doing unspeakable things to my most private places.
Heat flooded my veins. Cole’s body kept me trapped against the cold glass door as his fingers worked a steady rhythm, slowly building an unbearable need for release.
I was quickly losing all lucid thought. “Cole, what if someone sees us?”
“Mmm. They’ll be jealous.”
I couldn’t hold back my moans when his thumb started steadily moving against my clit. His fingers pressed deeper. They never stopped building the sweet torture that was threatening to drown me. My hips moved against his hand, begging him to bring me the release that I so desperately needed.
Cole’s voice was raw as he whispered in my ear. “Come for me baby. I want you to come on my fingers.”
I shattered. Every muscle tightened and then exploded, squeezing his fingers in a frenzied release.
“Keep your hands on the door.” He removed his fingers from me and began stripping off his pants. My stomach clenched; he wasn’t done.
My body was still shuddering from the amazing orgasm. I heard him rip open a condom wrapper. His knee nudged my legs open wider. I was dripping wet, so he easily slid into me from behind stretching and filling me so wonderfully that I sucked in a breath.
His hand slipped around me, and his fingers immediately found my clit. I could see our joint reflection: my naked body pressed against the glass, Cole’s hand between my legs while he took me from behind, slowly thrusting into me.
“Cole, wait… What if someone walks by?” I could imagine exactly how x-rated we must have looked from the other side of the glass.
I blurted out, “What if Mom and Dad walk by?” I almost died.
Cole completely stopped for a moment. I thought I might have killed the entire mood.
“Then we’re both in big fucking trouble.” He shook it off like I hadn’t said a word. Luckily, a few minutes later, we were both too far gone to care anymore.
Much later that night, when Cole and I were tangled up on his bed, we started talking.
Cole’s fingertips were gently rubbing up and down my arms. “You’re pretty adventurous for a virgin.”
I smacked his arm playfully. “I’m not a virgin anymore. Master Royce took care of that.”
Cole tensed and kept quiet. I had struck a nerve somehow. Tonight I seemed to be putting my foot in my mouth a lot.
I leaned up on my elbow so I could see his face. “It’s okay, Cole. It makes a lot of sense to me now why I was so attracted to Master Royce. Why I felt so safe and why I trusted him so much.”
“You trusted Master Royce so much and look what happened. I fucking walked away. I don’t deserve you.”
My fingers traced his tattoos. I could never keep my hands off them. “That was different. Cole, I don’t blame you for anything that happened then.”
“I wish that I could take it all back.”
A heavy unease started to creep into my bones. What did he mean? “I don’t. Not one minute.”
As quick as a flash, he rolled on top of me. His head dipped and he took my lips. His kiss was urgent and demanding. I didn’t have time to think about his odd comment, because my belly was coiled tight with need. This time we had frantic, wild sex. We gave all of ourselves to each other like it was going to be our last time together.
Chapter 25
AVA
Something woke me from a deep sleep, but when I awoke safe and secure in Cole’s arms, I brushed it off. I didn’t move a muscle, because I didn’t want to wake Cole up. I wanted to bask in the sexily delicious feeling of being in his arms after a night of endless love-making.
My eyes roamed his body. Most of the covers had twisted underneath us at some point, so most of his body was bared. I drank in his sexy tattoos and allowed my eyes to wander over his muscled chest and down his flat stomach. It was when I felt his cock growing hard against my leg, that I realized he was awake.
His grinned slowly, showing his adorable dimples. “You look like you’re about to eat me up.”
“I just might.” I was already diving for his cock.
Somehow we ended up wrestling. He had pinned one of my wrists and I was squealing with laughter. He rolled me over onto my back and his hand was slipping between my legs.
That’s when my world was torn to shreds.
Cole froze. It only took another second for me to realize what had caught his attention. My father was standing in the doorway, about to erupt with an absolute black rage. I had never felt so scared in my life.
“Get the fuck off her you filthy dirtbag,” he yelled in a murderous voice. The blood ran ice cold in my veins. I thought I’d be sick.
I quickly pulled up the sheets to cover myself, but my father hardly noticed me. He had Cole pinned in an ugly, contemptuous glare.
I could tell that the sheer venom my father exuded shocked Cole. “We weren’t doing –”
“I can see exactly what the fuck you were doing. You better shut your god damned mouth or I’m going to beat the shit out of you, you little fuck.” Spittle flew from his mouth as he screamed. My father was nearly out of control with rage.
I knew we were at a dangerous point. My plea sounded like it came from a frightened little girl, “Dad, please stop.”
“You!” He turned the full extent of his fury in my direction. “You’ve got five minutes to pack up all your shit and get in the car. Five minutes, Ava. Or else.”
He stormed out of the room leaving Cole and I shell-shocked in his wake. I was crying and shaking at the same time. I found some clothes on the floor and immediately started getting dressed.
Cole tried to stop me for a second to sit me down. “You don’t have to go with him, Ava.”
I couldn’t even process his words at the moment. My brain just wasn’t working. “Yes. I’ve got to go. Please, let me get my stuff together before he comes back.”
“He’s like a maniac right now, Ava. Please don’t go with him.” Cole looked lost.
I started crammi
ng clothes haphazardly into my suitcases. All I could think was to get my father away from Cole. Before something really bad happened.
Literally five minutes later, I was in the car crying. We didn’t leave for about twenty minutes though, because Dad had to wait for a confused Marissa to pack up.
Dad only said one thing to me in the car on the ride home, but it was enough to chill me to the bones. If he ever touches you again, I’ll kill him.
Chapter 26
COLE
I had gotten exactly one text back from Ava. Please stop texting and calling. If my dad finds out, he’ll kill you. Then she must have turned off her cellphone, because every call went straight to voicemail.
My mother had called the day after it happened. In hushed tones, she told me that Ava was okay and that I should stay away until things settled down a bit. I was sick with worry for Ava, but I didn’t want to make things worse for her. I spent a few days wracked with anxiety and guilt, but knowing I could never stay away from her for good.
It was about five days later when I got a knock on my apartment door. I had just gotten home from work and wasn’t expecting anyone. Immediately, hope surged in me that it was Ava sneaking away to see me.
I swung open the door, my heart pounding in my chest like crazy, and came face to face with Ava’s father. I felt my hands clench into tight fists.
Frank seemed strangely calm. “I’ve got a letter here. Written by Sam Walters. You remember your buddy, Sammy, right?”
I could never forget Sammy. Not after what happened.
Frank pushed into my apartment. He had a twisted smile on his face. “It seems that Sammy has finally decided to admit who his accomplice was. I guess he’s getting tired of sitting in jail; maybe he’s looking for a reduction in his sentence. Who knows?”
A sickening dread filled me.
Frank shook his head. “You’re a sick fuck, Cole. You proved it the other day. But, rape? You’ll be looking at 5-7 years in jail, minimum.”
Adrenaline was coursing through my veins. “I didn’t rape anyone. You know that.”
“Not according to Sammy.” Frank laughed. “And he was there. Pinning her down, while you raped her second, if I recall the story correctly.”
I couldn’t believe this. “He’s lying. I was never at her apartment. I went straight home from the bar, just like I told you.
“No one’s going to believe you.” He looked like he was enjoying himself.
I was desperate to refute him. “There’s no evidence. No proof. No DNA. No one is going to just take Sammy’s word for it.”
Frank laughed cynically. “Four years they’ve been trying to get Sammy to roll on his accomplice. The girl was a Senator’s niece for fuck’s sake. This is an important case for the DA. It’s an election year, too. He won’t give a fuck about justice. He’ll be gunning hard, really hard, for a conviction.”
My head was spinning, I couldn’t think straight. How could this be happening? “Why do you have the letter?”
“Let’s just say that he was willing to keep quiet for a price. If it weren’t for Marissa, I’d have let you rot in jail for being a scumbag rapist. Instead, I’m going to offer you a deal. You keep up your end, and this letter will stay safe with me and I’ll take care of Sammy.” Frank tossed the piece of paper onto my table.
“What deal?” My pulse was racing.
Frank started jabbing his finger at me. “You go to Ava tomorrow and convince her that it’s over between you. That you were just getting your jollies doing something totally sick and taking advantage of her. Make it convincing because I’ll be listening.”
I felt my face heating in anger. “You want me to deliberately hurt your daughter?”
Frank’s voice was menacing. “I’m protecting her. I don’t want her to ever give you one more second of her time. Not one more thought. Then I want you to never contact her again. Never talk to her. And just so I know that you’re serious about this, I want you to move out of the state. By the end of the week.”
I laughed, but it sounded forced. “You’ve got to be kidding. I’ve got a job here. A life. I can’t just – ”
“Your job is bullshit. You can get another one. That’s the deal. If you’re not gone by next week, the letter will be in the mail to the DA’s office. Don’t think for a moment that I’m bluffing. I wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep if your sorry ass got thrown in jail.”
I swallowed, feeling trapped. “There’s no fucking way. This is all bullshit.”
“Your choice.” Frank headed for the door. “You can take the chance and go to trial for rape. See if you can beat the charges. It’s an awfully big gamble. And no one will believe you anyway if you manage to get off.”
He was out the door. I picked up the letter that he dropped on my table, clearly a photocopy. I skimmed it briefly and felt sick – like I was literally going to throw up any moment.
How could one innocent night at a bar, four years ago when I was just twenty-one, come back to haunt me so badly? Sammy had been on my football team in high school, but we had never really been friends. A bunch of high school friends, including Sammy, had shown up that night. I drank a few beers with them, but hardly spoke two words to Sammy.
I went home straight from the bar by myself that night. I didn’t find out until the next morning that Sammy had raped some girl when the police showed up at my door to question me. I was taken down to the police station when my answers weren’t sufficient. Not knowing what to do, I had called Frank for help.
Frank lawyered me up, and the police really didn’t have anything to hang on me. Because I didn’t fucking do anything. That had been the end of it for me, but Sammy was convicted and was still in jail. The girl had always claimed there were two rapists, but Sammy had never given up the name of the guy he was with that night.
So, how could this shit all come back to haunt me now? And why did Frank hate me so much that he was willing to send me to jail for it?
I tossed the letter onto the ground and sank into my couch. What the fuck was I going to do?
Chapter 27
AVA
Since we’d come home, my father hadn’t spoken one word about Cole. I was too scared to broach the subject with him, but the fact that he didn’t mention it at all was kind of disturbing.
I couldn’t get Cole off my mind. I kept reliving that morning, that moment in time, when my father had stormed in on us. I still felt physically sick whenever I remembered it.
Just because we didn’t talk about it didn’t mean there wasn’t any tension in the house. I could barely look at my father, and he and Marissa constantly seemed to be fighting about something. The atmosphere was horrible and I did my best to avoid being home when I could, and I stayed as far away from my dad as possible.
I desperately wanted to see Cole, but I was afraid of my father finding out. Marissa seemed sympathetic to my plight, although she couldn’t know the entire story. She had told me to let things with my father cool off for a while, so I felt like I was in a state of limbo. A hellish limbo.
It was about 10 AM on Saturday morning, when my wait was over. I was just about ready to escape the house for the day when the doorbell rang. Marissa and I looked at each other, not knowing who it could be. I stayed in the kitchen while she went to answer the door.
I could hear her surprised voice as she answered the door. “Cole, you shouldn’t be here! Frank is home.”
My heart started pounding in my chest. I wanted to see Cole so badly, but I was scared of another confrontation between him and my father. Without thinking, my feet started slowly bringing me toward the front door.
“I don’t give a fuck about Frank.” Cole’s voice was rough with emotion. “I came here to say good-bye.”
I vaguely heard Marissa’s shocked reply, because it got tucked into the back recesses of my mind. All I could hear in my head was Cole repeating, ‘I came here to say good-bye.’
His words hit me like a blow to the stomach. I’m not sure ho
w my legs managed to keep moving forward.
Marissa was questioning him, “Why the hell are you moving to Idaho? Cole, that’s so far away…”
“Mom, I’ve got a buddy that I can stay with until I get settled in and find a place-” He stopped when he saw me. “Ava.”
He was moving away - running away.
I could feel tears that felt like burning acid, gathering at the corners of my eyes. Cole was leaving. There was no way I could hide the pain. I was devastated.
Cole was staring at me. He looked pale and nervous. “Mom, can you give me a minute to talk to Ava?”
Clearly Marissa still had more to say to Cole, but she quickly retreated to the kitchen where I was sure she’d still be able to hear everything anyway. I didn’t care anymore.
I couldn’t keep the bitter accusation out of my voice, “You’re leaving?”
“Ava, I’m sorry.” He wasn’t even able to meet my eyes anymore.
The tears started to spill down my cheek. “Sorry? Sorry for what, Cole?”
He shook his head, looking very uncomfortable. “I never meant to hurt you. Honest.”
I could barely speak around the hard lump that had lodged in my throat. “And yet, that’s exactly what you did, isn’t it? Did you know the whole time that you were going to drop me cold, as soon as you got what you wanted from me?”
Cole looked miserable. It was no consolation. “It wasn’t like that. You’re better off without me, Ava. You’re too good for me. I’m a complete fuckup.”
I started sobbing at this point. I hurled his words back at him. “You are a fuckup. You’re a fucking coward.” I wanted to beat on his chest.
He flinched at my words. He spoke quietly, “It was all a big mistake.”
His words nearly knocked me to my knees.
My hysterical cries brought my Dad and Marissa out to the foyer. I didn’t want any part of this anymore. I turned and started running up the stairs.
My Stepbrother the Dom (Stepbrother Romance) Page 13
