Bad Boy - A Stepbrother Romance (20 page)

I would’ve never had the confidence to say or do anything like that to anyone in the past, but Finn’s general attitude to life finally seemed to have rubbed off on me. I knew I could be confident now, like him, and there was no way I’d ever let anyone treat me or anyone I loved like crap ever again.

For a wonderful moment, I forgot all about the earlier trouble with Mom and Elijah, and a smug smile quirked my lips up as I stepped out of the house. I could hardly stop myself from giggling as I got into my car and drove away. It had been so easy to catch Candice in a lie; even easier than I’d thought it would be. She’d played right into my hands like a complete fool, and as a result, I’d made sure that Finn would be vindicated.

Any minute now, Candice would be turning herself in, and Finn would be walking free from the police station.

Any minute now, he’d be back in my arms, just in time for Christmas Day tomorrow.

Merry Christmas to me…

Chapter Twenty-Three

Finn

After the fucking horrific Christmas Eve we’d had, Christmas Day had to be magical. It just
had
to be.

Rory and I had spent most of the day at the hospital trying to celebrate the day as best we could with Adelina and my father, and although that was difficult considering the circumstances, we’d all still managed to make each other laugh as we shared stories and gifts.

I had one last ace up my sleeve, though; a place I hadn’t shown Rory just yet. I’d been saving it for a special day, and knowing what a horrible holiday season she’d been having, I knew I wanted her to see it as soon as possible.

When we finally returned to the hotel from the hospital, I made Rory promise to meet me outside my room at nine P.M. She was right on time, all bundled up seeing as it was freezing outside, and I bopped her slightly-reddened nose as I came closer.

“Hey, Rudolph.” I grinned at her, and she stuck her tongue out at me.

“Hey. Where are we going?” she asked. I’d only told her to dress up in warm clothes, nothing else.

I took her hand and started walking towards the elevators. “Somewhere you’ve never been. But it’s a surprise,” I said.

“Not for much longer.” She smiled at me, and it felt so fucking good to see her happy. For a moment yesterday, I’d honestly thought she’d never smile again, but here she was, proving me wrong yet again.

I guess the awesome way in which she’d stood up for me and gotten me out of the police lockup yesterday afternoon was enough to make her smile for a while. I still couldn’t believe how easily she’d pulled it off, and I’d never been more grateful to her than when I found out that she was the reason Candice had retracted her statement and admitted she was lying.

Rory.
She was the absolute fucking best, and I wanted to keep that smile on her face every minute for the rest of her life, whether it was Christmas or not.

I ushered her into the private elevator and pressed the top floor button, and Rory looked at me with surprise. “Shouldn’t we be going down?” she asked.

I shook my head, my eyes sparkling with mischief. When we stepped out of the elevator, I headed straight for the emergency exit, pulling Rory along with me.

“Finn, where are we going?” she asked me again, and I grinned at her as I pulled down the emergency stairs. They were creaky, but they were checked regularly to ensure that they were still safe.

“We’re going to the roof,” I finally said.

“Huh? You’ve already taken me there before,” she said. “You said you were taking me somewhere I’d never been.”

“This is a different part of it. It’s the old rooftop garden,” I said. “You’ll love it, I promise. Come on!”

I helped her climb the stairs and followed behind, leaning in closer to her when she hesitated on the steps. “Don’t worry, I’m right behind you. I’ve got you.”

Rory relaxed and started climbing the stairs, newly excited. I followed suit, and soon, we came to a hatch in the ceiling. I produced a key from my pocket and unlocked it. The cold hit us first, and then the wind.

We climbed outside and there we were—on the roof. This particular part was always closed off as security had deemed it too dangerous for guests, but I’d made sure to keep the key, even though I’d never intended bringing anyone up here. It felt perfect bringing Rory, though, and I knew I was doing the right thing.

“Come with me,” I asked her, extending my arm to her. She took my hand without hesitation and followed me towards the edge of the building, where my Mom had set up a fern and herb garden years before she died.

It was insanely cold but still beautiful. The city beneath us was lit up with lights, beautiful and sparkling under our feet, and the sky was a dark inky blue, with so many stars it looked as lit up as a Christmas tree. Usually we couldn’t see many stars here in the city, but tonight was different. A minor Christmas miracle, perhaps.

“It’s so beautiful up here,” Rory said as she trailed her hand over a particularly tall fern before looking up at the sky.

I hugged her close. “I’m glad you like it,” I said. “This place…it’s special to me. I used to come here a lot, when Mom was still with us, and Kristin, too. She loved this place so much, Rory. We used to spend hours here, even though we weren’t supposed to.”

Rory squeezed my hand and smiled at me, encouraging me to go on.

“I’m glad you brought me here,” she said. “It really is special. Why did Kristin like it so much?”

It felt really nice to hear her saying my sister’s name. I was going to love sharing this story with Rory, and Kristin would’ve wanted me to tell her, too.

“She was pretty sick at the time,” I said. “And she loved this place, because it’s so beautiful, yet so dangerous at the same time, if you step too close to the edge. So she used to say…she liked being here because she felt like she was breaking the rules. And in her short life, she didn’t exactly get to break a lot of them.”

I could feel the lump in my throat growing, but I wanted to keep talking.

“Kristin would tell me that she’d be my sister forever. She used to say that even when she was gone— and she knew she would be, as hurtful as that was—I’d still have her right here.” I touched my heart, smiling at Rory. “Maybe that’s why I never saw you as a sister after our parents got married. Because Kristin fills that space in my heart.”

“I’m glad.” Rory smiled through the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “I’m glad you still have her in there. How do you see me, by the way?”

“Well,” I said, deciding to tease her a bit. “I guess I see you as a woman, a friend, and a sexy Santa’s helper…”

She giggled, and I pulled her closer to me, kissing the tip of her nose. “I see you as Rory Villanueva, and one day, if I’m lucky….Rory Grayson,” I whispered against her lips.

Her face turned hot as I stole a kiss. I hadn’t even needed to tell her what I just had—Rory already knew she’d never been a sister to me, despite our parents being married. She was just Rory…the love of my life.

Besides, our parents had practically only been together for five minutes, anyway...

Something wet landed on the top of my nose as I kissed her, and I broke away from her, looking up at the sky. “Rory!” I said, grinning widely. “Look up.”

She looked confused but quickly followed my gaze.

Thick, wet snowflakes were falling from the sky.

“It’s snowing!” Rory said, her face taken over by a smile. “It’s snowing right here in friggin’ San Francisco, can you believe it?”

“No,” I said, laughing. “I really can’t.”

It
never
snowed in our city; at least it hadn’t in the twenty years I’d lived here. Another Christmas miracle, perhaps?

Rory and I laughed and spun on the roof as the snow came down, slow but persistent. Finally, we came back together and I pulled her close again.

“I love you, Rory,” I said, one hundred percent sure I meant it. Her eyes fluttered to mine, tiny snowflakes getting caught in her long black lashes. “I almost told you yesterday, but it really wasn’t the right time, considering what was going on.”

“Oh…I love you too,” she said, her voice shaky.

I grinned. “I know.”

I couldn’t wait any longer. I took her hand and pulled her back towards the hatch that led downstairs. We descended the rickety emergency stairs without saying a single word, both knowing what we wanted.

I didn’t even bother putting the stairs away when we reached the bottom. Instead, we took the elevator, our bodies crashing together as soon as the doors closed. I kissed Rory hard, my mouth demanding what belonged to me. I claimed her mouth, took her body, and held her soul in my hands.

And she let me.

Once the doors opened again, we were out of breath. Rory grabbed my hand and led me towards her suite, fumbling with her keycard to get it open. Finally, we were inside, frantically pulling off our clothes. I got rid of her cute pom-pom hat, her parka, and her hoodie, and she pulled off my leather jacket, stripping my T-shirt off me and unbuckling my belt only seconds later.

My mouth was hot against Rory’s skin, whispering her name against her skin again and again. I wanted her so fucking badly, wanted to show her the kind of man I was now. The kind of man she’d made me.

We kissed deeply as I pulled off the rest of her clothes, leaving her in her underwear, and I took a look, my eyes growing wide as I saw what she was wearing.

“Aurora Villanueva,” I said. “You didn’t!”

She twirled in front of me, looking like a fucking vision. She was wearing the black lingerie set from the store where we’d had a little romp in the changing rooms, and she looked stunning, her cheeks flushed, her hair in disarray and her eyes blazing with heat. She was a true beauty.

“I did.” She giggled, but I didn’t let her say anything else.

“Too bad it’s gonna come off soon,” I growled in her ear, undoing her corset in the back. She leaned into me, letting me strip her of the lingerie until she was just in her thong.

“So damn sexy,” I said, my cock straining against my tight boxers. “I want you, right fucking now.”

“I want you too,” she said, her voice breathless. “Please….I need you.”

She pulled down my boxers, and my cock sprang free, thick and ready for her to ride it. I lay back on the bed, pulling Rory on top of me. Her pussy was soaked against my crotch, and as she began to grind against me in her thong, and I could feel her growing even wetter, moaning with pleasure at the friction we were creating.

“You feel so good, Rory,” I groaned. I couldn’t take much more, and in one swift motion, I ripped the thong off of her as she gasped. “Sorry. I’ll get you a new one…”

She interrupted me with a deep kiss, and we came together in a perfect arch. Finally, her pussy was naked against me, her boobs pressed up together and ready for me to lick them.

I reached for a condom, pulling it from my jeans which lay discarded on the floor below. I unwrapped it and slid the latex on, throbbing to be inside her, and then I was back, ready to make love to the girl of my dreams.

I licked her nipples, feeling them harden under my tongue, and Rory moaned as I positioned my cock at her entrance. I was coated in her slickness and ready for so much more. She started riding me, slow and sensual at first, but her movements quickly became harder, more frantic. She was grinding against my cock, and I was begging for release.

I knew it would have to be hard and fast, because I couldn’t hold back much longer. Rory’s mouth was deliciously sweet against mine, her tongue teasing me relentlessly and promising a world of pleasure when I came.

“Come on, Finn,” she begged me. “Make me come…”

“Yes, baby,” I said. “Just ride me…right there, ride me harder.”

She moaned with pleasure, throwing her head back, and I knew she was close, as close as I was. I grabbed her hips, pushing my whole length inside of her and making her gasp with pleasure.

“Fuck,” I groaned. “Rory, you feel so good. I’m gonna come.”

“Please, Finn,” she said, her voice hoarse. “Please, make me…oh….”

We came together, our bodies flooding with heat and pleasure. Rory’s forehead pressed against mine as my cock twitched inside her, her breathing frantic and heavy as she rode out the waves of her own climax.

She pulled her head back a moment later. Her eyes locked with mine, and she gave me the naughtiest yet sweetest look I’d ever seen.

“My naughty girl,” I said with an exhausted grin, gently pinching one of her nipples and making her gasp again. “Lucky you’re all mine and Christmas is almost over, otherwise you’d be on Santa’s naughty girl list too…”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Rory

Christmas had come and gone now, but life still hadn’t gone back to normal just yet. Our fractured little family was still reeling from my mother’s betrayal, and sometimes it was hard to stop the tears from coming, but I had a constant source of support in Finn. He was always there to hold me; always there to wipe my tears away.

James had been wonderful as well. I still couldn’t believe how loving and generous he’d been, giving me and my Grandma a permanent place to live even though we were related to the bitch who’d tried to screw him over and take off with most of his money.

I guess when it came to my mother, he’d been generous to a fault. Finn had told me that most wealthy men didn’t allow anyone else to have access to their main bank accounts, even their wives, but his father had fallen for my Mom so hard that he’d let her do whatever she wanted, allowing her to take full advantage of that.

It was sad that James had been victimized in the way he had, but at least Mom and Elijah were getting what they deserved now; rotting in prison as they awaited trial.

After they’d made their confessions to the police, we’d learned even more of their sordid story. Mom had apparently met Elijah a year ago. The two had quickly become lovers, and they’d cooked up the plan for her to seduce Elijah’s wealthy boss—James—not long afterwards. At first, they’d only wanted to get their hands on some of his money, assuming my mother would only ever reach ‘girlfriend’ status with James, but when James had truly fallen for her and proposed to her, she’d jumped at the chance to say yes, knowing that this would give her and Elijah the opportunity to make even more money.

And so their plan had evolved. Seeing as Mom now had access to James’ bank accounts, she and Elijah had decided to drain his main account before vanishing to a non-extradition country so that they could never be brought to justice. In order to distract him from what was really going on, they’d set the fire on the third floor so that he’d be too buried in the insurance claim work to notice what they’d done until they were already on a plane.

Assholes, the both of them.

James was having the marriage annulled as soon as possible, on grounds of fraud. That meant that even after my mother got out of prison, she’d never be entitled to any sort of alimony from him, which she technically could have claimed if the marriage was deemed legal. It wasn’t, though, seeing as she’d tricked him into marrying her and never really loved him.

She’d never really loved me, either. That knowledge stung, but it was easier to handle when I thought of my grandmother. She was my real mother, as far as I was concerned. She’d raised me, taken care of me, and been there for me since I was just a little kid, and to me, that made her my real parent. Not my shitty abusive father or my criminal mother…her and only her.

She’d been released from the hospital a few hours ago, and she was currently settling back into her old room on the second floor. I was in my room as well, and Finn was lying beside me on the bed, stroking my arm with the pad of his thumb as we recovered from all the leftover Christmas candy that we’d just munched our way through.

“Hey…seeing as our parents aren’t going to be married anymore, do you think it’s time to tell everyone about us?” I asked, turning my head to face him.

“Probably. Then again, I’ve kinda gotten used to keeping this all a secret,” he said with a grin. “It’s a sexy secret, like Romeo and Juliet.”

“Yeah, and keeping secrets ended really well for those two,” I said, playfully pinching him.

He chuckled. “Good point. I think my Dad’s busy at the moment, but do you wanna go tell your Grandma now?”

“Sure. Aren’t you scared she’ll bite your head off, though?” I asked in a teasing tone.

“Nah. Your Grandma and I are total besties,” he replied with a grin. “Especially since I gave her that Degas sculpture for Christmas.”

“Hmm…true. Okay, let’s go.”

We headed down to the second floor and knocked on Grandma’s door.

“Abuela?” I called out, rapping on the door again when she didn’t answer.

“Maybe she’s asleep,” Finn said.

“Maybe,” I replied, a twinge of fear stabbing at my guts. “But maybe she’s sick again.”

I pressed my ear up to the door and heard a strange noise; a sort of mumbling crossed with a moan. My stomach lurched.

“I think she
is
sick again,” I said.

“Shit. Don’t worry, I have a master keycard to every room,” Finn said, hurriedly pulling a card from his pocket. “One of the benefits of being the part-owner of this place.”

He slid the keycard into the lock, and we burst into the room. I expected to see my grandmother lying on the sofa, looking pale and listless, and she
was
lying there…but not in the way I expected.

She was with Dr. Cummings, and they were kissing rather passionately; with their clothes on, thankfully.

“Abuela!” I said with a gasp.

She shot up, and Dr. Cummings followed suit, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

“Er…hello, kids,” Grandma said in a flustered tone, her face turning red. “Dr. Cummings was just…checking my blood pressure.”

I arched an eyebrow as Finn snickered next to me. “Really? Is there a new oral way of doing that now?”

For once, my grandmother was speechless, and I giggled. “As you always say, Abuela…I didn’t come down in the last shower. I know what you were doing.”

She sighed and then smiled. “All right, all right. Dr. Cummings and I have been…well, we’ve been seeing each other.”

Dr. Cummings grabbed her hand and squeezed it, giving her an adoring look. “When Adelina came in for that checkup several weeks ago, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. So I gave her a call, and the rest is history.”

I put my hands on my hips, feigning shock and annoyance. “So you’ve had a secret boyfriend this whole time, Abuela?” I said, trying to stop the grin from spreading across my face.

“We didn’t want to make a fuss about it,” she replied. “Besides, I’m not the only one who’s been keeping romantic secrets…am I?”

I flushed and hesitated for a second.
She already knew.
“Well, that’s actually why we came to see you,” I replied. “I wanted to tell you that Finn and I are together. We’ve been involved with each other for a while now, but we were worried about telling anyone, seeing as Mom was married to his Dad, which kinda made us siblings.”

“Eh…they were only married for three seconds, and besides, you’re adults. You aren’t really related,” she said, waving her hand. “I’ve known there was something between you two ever since that first dinner. The way Finn looked at you…ah, I’m just happy you’ve finally admitted it.”

I smiled and leaned down, giving her a tight hug. “Come here, Finn,” she said over my shoulder. “You don’t get out of hug duty just because you’re a boy.”

Finn grinned and hugged her as well, and as he did so, there was a knock at the door.

“Adelina, it’s James,” a masculine voice called out. “You left something at the hospital, and they’ve just had it couriered over. May I come in and drop it off?”

“Just use your master keycard to get in, Dad!” Finn called out.

The door opened a second later, and James entered, looking at us with wide eyes.

“What’s going on in here? Some sort of party?” he asked.

“Actually, Dad, we were here to tell Adelina that we…er...” Finn hesitated, and I knew he was wary of admitting our relationship to his father, seeing as his own relationship had imploded only days before.

“What is it?” James said, cocking his head to the side.

“Do you remember when I told you how I’d crashed that girl’s blind date, and it got all screwed up?”

James nodded. “Yes, and I told you to find her.”

“Well, I found her,” Finn said. “It was Rory.”

James was silent for a moment. “
What
?” he finally said.

“I had no idea she was about to be my stepsister when I met her. But…she was, and now we’re together,” Finn replied. “Are you upset?”

James shook his head slowly. “No. Just surprised, that’s all. I knew you two had grown close, but I didn’t realize it was like this.”

“I’m sorry we hid it from you. We were just worried, seeing as we were technically related. We thought you might not approve.”

“I see. It might’ve been awkward, yes, but Anna and I are no longer together,” James replied. “So you aren’t related anymore.”

He paused, and then a smile broke out on his face. “It’s fine. I’m happy for you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, of course. Come here, all of you,” James said in a gruff voice, gesturing for us to hug him; even Grandma.

Dr. Cummings remained on the sofa, awkwardly watching us.

I looked over at him and smiled. “Welcome to our incredibly weird family, Dr. Cummings!”