Stepbrother Broken (The Hawthorne Brothers Book 2) (11 page)

“
Sure, onstage,
”
I laugh,
“
Real life is far more complicated.
”

“
Tell me about it,
”
she sighs, lying back on the twin bed.

I
lay down beside her, staring up at the gently spinning ceiling fan. In this
moment, I can feel the distance between us collapse just a hair. What I wouldn
’
t give to feel that closeness that used to be such a
given between us again.

“
For real then,
”
I say to her, turning my face toward hers on the
pillow,
“
How are you actually doing,
Annabel?
”

“
For real?
”
she replies, rolling onto her side to face me,
“
Better, lately. Being out of that hell hole of a high
school has helped.
”

“
No kidding,
”
I laugh,
“
That place couldn
’
t handle you, anyway.
”

“
It
’
s
more that I was bored stiff by the end,
”
she tells me,
“
The whole thing just felt so
…
irrelevant, after Dad
…”

“
Yeah,
”
I
say softly,
“
I don
’
t
know how I would have faked giving a shit about prom and college applications
and whatever after losing him.
”

“
You
’
re
lucky,
”
she says,
“
You got to go off and study something you actually
cared about. Imagine trying to sit through abstinence-only sex ed while your
entire world was being blown apart.
”

“
Good lord,
”
I groan,
“
They
’
re
still doing abstinence only? Are they out of their minds?
”

“
Just very, very repressed,
”
she says, rolling her eyes,
“
How did we get stuck in the only conservative bubble
in Vermont, I ask you?
”

“
Just lucky I guess,
”
I smile ruefully.
“
But
you
’
re free now, right?
”

“
Right. And since Mom
’
s been away playing Backwoods Barbie, I
’
ve had the farmhouse to myself, too.
”

A
twinge of jealousy runs through me at this. The Porter family home is built on
a sprawling piece of farmland in rural Vermont. Mom and Dad found the place
just after he got his first teaching job at a university nearby, and spent the
next twenty years building it into their dream home. Mom had plenty of space to
paint and sculpt, and the three of us girls had full reign of the fields and
woods all around. It really was something of a dream
…
before.

“
I
’
m
really glad you decided to come out here, Soph,
”
Anna
goes on, a rare hint of softness coming into her voice.

“
Me too,
”
I tell her,
“
Even taking Mom
’
s little surprise into account. I really needed to get
off campus for a second, myself.
”

“
How come?
”
she asks.

“
Oh, just some boring boy trouble
…”
I tell her vaguely.

“
Go on
…”
she
presses, pulling herself onto an elbow.

“
Well,
”
I
sigh, doing the same,
“
I
may
have gone and gotten
myself a little crush on one of my teaching assistants
…”

“
Yeah, that sounds like you,
”
she observes.

“
And I
may
have made out with
him in the bathroom of a bar on the last night of classes,
”
I go on.

“
Uh huh. Still follows,
”
she nods.

“
And I
may
be having a little
trouble thinking about anything but how much I want to jump his bones,
”
I finish in a rush, rolling miserably onto my back.

“
Damn,
”
Anna
whistles,
“
I don
’
t
think I
’
ve ever seen you hung up on a guy
like this.
”

“
That
’
s
because he
’
s not just any guy,
”
I confide in her,
“
Seriously,
Anna. This dude is perfect. He
’
s smart, and gorgeous, and he
stands up for the right thing no matter what. And you should see the size of
his
—”

“
OK, OK, I get the picture. He
’
s perfect,
”
she cuts me off,
“
But if you
’
re so nuts about him, what
’
s the problem? I
’
ve never known you to hold back on
going after whatever guy struck your fancy.
”

“
It
’
s
different with him,
”
I tell her,
“
I
’
m used to guys falling all over
themselves for a chance to get in my pants. I
’
ve
never had to work at snagging one before. But his guy? He
’
s
…
harder to get a read on, I guess.
”

“
Maybe now you
’
ll know what it feels like to be a mere mortal, where
men are concerned,
”
Anna teases me,
“
Now that your sex goddess jig is up.
”

“
You should talk,
”
I shoot back,
“
Have you
seen
yourself
lately? When the hell did you get drop dead gorgeous?
”

“
Changing the subject, are we?
”
she grins,
“
Fine. But if you need to unburden
your aching heart
…
Make sure to find another sounding
board. I can
’
t stand that mushy shit.
”

“
There
’
s
the Anna I know and tolerate,
”
I laugh, giving her a shove
off the bed.

“
At your service,
”
she smiles, springing up on her mile-long legs and
heading for the door,
“
Now, if you
’
ll excuse me, this welcome wagon has reached the end
of its line.
”

She
disappears down the hall, leaving me alone at last. The quiet of the woods is
almost startling, after living with hundreds of rowdy undergrads all year. In
the gathering silence, I find it nearly impossible to drag my thoughts away
from Luke Hawthorne once more. Letting Anna in on my secret romance only
underlined the extent to which I
’
ve been pining for him. She
’
s right. I
’
ve never been this hung up on a guy
before. Maybe I should just do something about it already, instead of waiting
for him to come around. What
’
s the worst that could happen?

Energized,
I spring across the room and dig my cellphone out of my backpack. No new
messages, but I won
’
t let that deter me this time. I
sit down on the bedroom floor and open my email, pulling up a new message
window and keying in Luke
’
s address. Here goes nothing.

Hey
Luke,

Sophie
here. Just wanted to see how you were doing, after everything that happened at
The Bear Trap. Sorry for not getting in touch sooner, I guess I was a little
embarrassed about how I left things with you. Anyway, I
’
ll be
back on campus in a couple of weeks for summer classes. If you
’
ll be in
the area and want to hang out, just let me know. I
’
d love to
pick things up where we left off.

Cheers,

Sophie
Porter

“
That
’
ll
do for now,
”
I mutter, setting the phone on my
bedside table,
“
The ball
’
s in your court, Professor Hawthorne.
”

I
set off to explore the property on my own, since Anna
’
s nowhere to be found. Maybe a nice hike in the woods
will distract me from the longing ache twisting my core at the very thought of
my illusive, almost-lover.

Maybe.

Chapter Five

I
don
’
t see much of my housemates for the
rest of the night. Anna keeps herself busy, wandering around the expansive
property with her camera, and Mom and John sit on the verandah together,
drinking and talking in hushed tones. Not that I mind a little me-time after a
long day of travel. The peace and quiet will give me some time to settle into
my new digs.

Returning
to my bedroom just after ten, I decide to indulge in a late-night yoga session
to sooth my weary muscles. I go to fetch my travel mat from the depths of my
backpack, and absentmindedly glance at my phone en route. There
’
s a message waiting for me. It
’
s probably from Maddie, who
’
s put off joining us until tomorrow, most likely out
of self-preservation. Of all us sisters, Maddie clashes with Mom the most
violently. I unlock my phone and glance down at the text, but it isn
’
t from my sister at all. It
’
s from a number I
’
ve never seen before.

Hey.
How
’
s it going?

Before
I can ask who
’
s on the other side of the text, a
follow up message appears on my screen.

It
’
s Luke,
btw. Your cell number
’
s part of your email signature. Hope it
’
s cool I
texted. 

My
heart flies into my throat as I stare down at those wonderful words. It
’
s only been a week since I
’
ve heard from Luke, but my body responds like a long
lost love has just come back to me after ten years at sea. With trembling
fingers, I tap out a reply.

Me:
Hey Luke. Ofc it
’
s cool
—
I
’
m glad to hear from you. All well?

Luke:
Yeah, can
’
t complain. Enjoying some time off. You?

Me:
Same, kind of. Off on a good ol
’
family vacation. (Kill me.)

Luke:
Hahaha, I know that game. Hang in there. It
’
ll be over soon. You
’
ll be
back at Sheridan before long, right?

Me:
Yep. In a couple of weeks.

Luke:
That
’
s good. I
’
ll be working on campus all summer myself. And I
miss seeing you.

I
grant myself a moment of happy-dancing around my new bedroom. Holy crap
—
Luke Hawthorne misses me? Composing myself as best I
can, I text him back.

Me:
Even after my less-than-graceful exit from The Bear Trap the other night?

Luke:
Hey, it was a crazy night. I don
’
t blame you for getting freaked out. I just hope
our little
“
private moment
”
wasn
’
t what spooked you.

Me:
Not at all. It was mostly the deranged skinhead. I rather enjoyed getting a
private moment with you, tbh.

Luke:
That makes two of us, then. I wouldn’t mind picking things up where we left off
when you get back, either.

There
he goes, quoting my own emails back to me again. Not that I mind, given the
sentiment.

Me: Is
that so?

Luke:
Oh, it is. I haven
’
t stopped thinking about the other night. How good
it felt to finally get my hands on you.

I
have to sit down on my bed as a huge pang of lust shoots through me. That spot
between my legs starts pulsing with want, just remembering what it was like to
give myself over to Luke. I lay back on the narrow bed and reply
…

Me:
That
’
s good to know
…
Because I can
’
t stop thinking about you, either. Especially what
you could have done with those hands if we hadn
’
t been interrupted.

Luke:
Yeah? You wanted me to keep touching you?

Me: I
did. I really did.

Luke:
I wanted even more than that, if I
’
m being honest.

Me:
Tell me.

Luke:
Sure you can handle it?

Me: I
’
m sure.

Luke:
All right. Honestly, I wanted to push you up against that door and fuck you
until you screamed.

A
gasp escapes my lips as I read Luke
’
s text. This was not what I was
expecting from our little correspondence, but hey
—
I
’
ll take it.

Me: That
would have been so hot
…

Luke:
Does it get you hot, thinking about me driving my cock up inside of you?

Me:
God yes. I might have to take care of myself right now just picturing it.

Luke:
Oh man. I love the thought of you touching yourself while you text me
…

In
that case,
I think
with a smile, double checking to make sure I locked my bedroom door. Slowly, I
let my knees fall open, trailing my fingertips along my taut stomach and under
the elastic waist of my cotton shorts. I
’
m not surprised to find that I
’
m already wet just thinking about Luke Hawthorne
taking me hard and fast from behind. I trace my fingers along the length of my
slit, revving myself up as my imagination runs wild. A new text from Luke
appears on my phone:

Luke:
Are you touching yourself right now?

It
takes me a minute in my distracted state, but I manage to respond:

Me:
Yes
…

Luke:
Keep going. Imagine me grabbing you by the hair as I pound into you, pulling
just hard enough for you to really feel it.

Me:
That
’
s what I want. I want you to be a little rough with me.

Luke:
Then think about my fingers digging into your hips as I bear down on you.
Imagine my cock splitting you open, hitting you so hard and deep that you
almost can
’
t stand it.

My
mouth falls open as I bring my fingers up to my throbbing clit. I trace quick,
deliciously firm circles over that aching button as I picture Luke poised above
me, his perfect body straining with devastating lust.

Luke:
Now think of us alone in that lecture hall again. Imagine me flipping you over
and laying you out across the desk, totally naked. Think of me bringing my
mouth to your pussy, and rolling my tongue over your clit
…

I
let the phone drop from my hand as warm sensation mounts in the pit of my
belly, threatening to spill over. Though my knees begin to quiver, I press on,
sending myself hurtling over the edge. A sweeping orgasm rolls through my body.
I come hard thinking of Luke
’
s mouth against my sex, and have to
bite my lip to keep from moaning so loud the whole house will hear me. Falling
back against the bed, I stare up at the ceiling, amazed at what Luke can do to
me through texts alone.

My
cell chirps beside me, and I pick up in a daze.

Luke:
That did the trick, huh?

Me:
And then some.

Luke:
Glad to be of service.

Me:
Hold on though
…

Luke:
What?

Me:
You never let me get into what I
’
d do to you
…

Luke:
By all means, share with the class.

I
roll onto my stomach, grinning as I let my dirtiest fantasies fly. The hours
wear on as Luke and I text well into the night, each of us gunning to get the
other off as many times as we can. By the time I finally pass out, my entire
body is spent and satisfied. I didn
’
t realize how much tension my body
had stored up since the last time I saw Luke. But until I get to see him again
in the flesh, I
’
m more than amenable to this
particular form of stress relief.

***

The
next morning, I wake up feeling like a brand new woman. I all but spring out of
bed, make myself a delicious cup of strong coffee, and take it out to the dock
just as the sun is rising. I bask in the light of the breaking day, feeling
happier than I have in months. Years? And all because I have something to look
forward to again, once I arrive back at school. Nothing can crush my good mood
today.

After
a nice long shower and lunch with Annabel, I decide to make good on that yoga
session I had planned for last night. Not that I mind it being derailed for a
steamy sexting session with the hottest man I
’
ve
ever met, of course. I have to say, I was blown away by the intensity of Luke
’
s plans for me. The way he laid out exactly how he
’
d work me over. There was a raw, ferocious need in
those images he rolled out. I
’
ve never been with a guy who wasn
’
t afraid to get a little dirty. These two weeks are
going to be the longest of my life.

It
’
s late afternoon by the time I begin my yoga practice
on the verandah. In the calm quiet of the woods, I lose myself in my breathing,
letting my mind go blissfully blank. The minutes fly by as I move through my
favorite sequences of stretches, luxuriating in the poses. So wrapped up am I
in my practice, that I don
’
t even notice that someone
’
s approaching until they let out a little shriek of
surprise as spotting my twisted limbs on the deck.

“
Jesus Christ!
”
someone yelps from the top of the stairs.

I
look up from my pose, a little annoyed at the abrupt interruption. But I guess
I should have anticipated it, knowing my older sister was bound to arrive at
some point today.

“
Oh. Hey, Maddie,
”
I say, swimming up of my blissed-out reverie.
“
One sec, I
’
m
just finishing up my practice.
”

“
What are you practicing, exactly?
”
she asks me tersely, watching as I unfold my body,
“
How to fit a corpse into a
suitcase?
”

I
sit up to face her, failing to swallow a sigh. Madeleine stands staring down at
me with a skeptical look
—
her resting expression, as it were.
Though she
’
s a few years older than me, she
’
s as many inches shorter. Often mistaken for the
youngest of all us sisters, her body is petite and compact where mine is
athletically curvy. I used to get grumpy about her adorably sexy physique, but
I
’
ve grown to love my womanly body as
I
’
ve moved out of my teenage years.
What I
’
ve never grown to love is the
patronizing tone my older sister takes with me when she
’
s trying to keep things chipper.

“
It
’
s yoga, Maddie,
”
I tell her flatly,
“
Surely you
’
ve
heard of it.
”