The Admirable Badass
CHAPTER ONE
Arianna Pepple peered over the hedge trying desperately to tamp down on her blushes and rising excitement as she watched her new step-brother, Dylan Vanderbilt, trail one hard, sun-bronzed masculine hand down the full, thrusting, naked breasts of his girlfriend, Linda Herron. His fair head leaned further down to worship her breasts, his velvety tongue flicking out to lave at one erect, prodding nipple, wringing eager breathless moans of pure undiluted pleasure from Linda’s slim throat.
Arianna’s green eyes widened to the size of small saucers in her gamine face as she saw Dylan’s hand disappear into Linda’s bikini panties and she watched as the other girl arched against his hand, her arms twining encouragingly about his head.
“Damn,” Arianna breathed softly as she felt lust war with jealousy inside of her.
It had been like this all summer. Her mom and her new step-father had suggested they take a trip to Santa Fe to visit her step-brother whom she had never met and ever since she had clapped eyes on him, she had been in a constant tizzy. When he was in the room, it took everything she had to pretend not to be watching him and when he wasn’t she missed him dreadfully. She had taken to following him around, albeit stealthily and she just knew she would die if he noticed her unholy interest in him.
Arianna had never wanted to go on the summer vacation convinced the unknown Dylan Vanderbilt would be every bit as stodgy, austere, rigid and boring as his father, her mother’s husband of a mere six months. Will Vanderbilt was a nice enough man, but he tended to come off as cold and aloof; probably because of his aristocratic upbringing. He was good at looking displeased too whenever she was near; kinda like a great big dignified Dalmatian uncertain of how to act around a tiny, over-enthusiastic puppy.
She remembered now with renewed embarrassment how she had pinkened and perked up when she had seen the tall, blond, blue-eyed handsome stranger striding confidently down the driveway to meet them. He had a granite jaw and the kind of shoulders that made one want to lean against them; thick, slashing eyebrows; controlled, silent power like a man you wouldn’t want to cross; and a broad chest that tapered into a slim waist. He was for want of a better word a Greek god! For the first time in a dreary six-hour trip, she had felt real excitement; perhaps the holiday wouldn’t be as bad as she had feared. The man looked hot enough to make a nun blush and if her guess was correct, she had thought, he was probably a staff on the premises which meant she could lead him on to her heart’s content and enjoy watching him struggle with lust and his commitment to his job. Surely someone as fastidious as Dylan Vanderbilt had to be would probably fire a man for so much as flirting with his step-sister.
However, her interest had quickly dissolved into confusion when Will, her step-father had introduced the handsome, debonair stranger as his son, her step-brother. He was tall at almost six-two, he had golden blond looks with sweet blue eyes. But a granite jaw belied any hint of softness in his face and his strong aquiline nose gave him a definite stamp of character. He had a clearly defined six-pack and washboard abs. His chest was hard with muscles and sinew. He had surprisingly full, pink lips and deep slashing dimples which she had caught sight of when he grinned his welcome at his Dad. He had looked every inch the billionaire playboy she had heard he was.
Dylan had however stared at her out of cool blue eyes and said, “Hi Arianna,” in a voice that made her want to curl up under the warmth of it and purr like a kitten.
She had swallowed, tossed her head and replied in what she thought of as her confident and unaffected voice, “Hello.”
A faint, mocking smile had touched his lips for the merest hint of a second, before he flicked his cool blue eyes to his new step-mother, Penelope Vanderbilt, and murmured, “You’re welcome Maám.”
Those were the only words he had spoken to Arianna in the ten days she had been here and she had been hanging on his next word since then. Her eyes widened now as his fair head disappeared between Linda’s thighs and she craned her neck, unconsciously trying to get a better view. She lost her balance and toppled out of the hedges with a loud crash that had the couple on the chaise lounge springing apart and turning towards her in unison.
Linda gasped and rushed towards Arianna, pulling her bikini into place as she moved, “Are you alright?”
Her liquid brown eyes were filled with concern, her blond hair framing her head, as she helped Arianna up from her undignified sprawl on the ground.
Unbidden, Arianna’s eyes shot to Dylan’s and she recoiled as she saw the cold, murderous fury blazing in his green eyes as his eyes flicked tellingly to the hedge she had been hiding behind and then returned to her face.
His lips curled in an expression of contempt and he said quietly, “What happened?”
“I ah, lost my footing. Was just going for a swim,” Arianna lied desperately, brushing down her clothes.
“In jeans and a sweatshirt?” he asked.
“Oh shush Dylan,” Linda said, oblivious to the cold anger of the man standing behind her. “Can’t you see the child is rattled? She probably saw us being naughty and freaked out or something,” she added with a giggle.
Arianna rolled her eyes inwardly at being called a child. She couldn’t blame the woman though; she was 22 years old and yet she always managed to look like a child of sixteen. It was not the first time she had been mistaken for a child. Dylan was twenty-eight but there was nothing childish about him, he was as masculine as they came. Arianna’s green eyes wistfully trailed Linda’s voluptuous curves and full, thrusting breasts; she looked anything but childish.
Unhappily, she stared down at herself. She was tall at five-eight with a tiny waist that was so slim it was barely there; her chestnut brown hair extended below her waist in a riotous mass of curls that were the bane of her existence and her breasts were a boring size 34B. Was it any wonder everyone thought she was a child?
“I’m sorry I was such a bother. I’ll get out of your hair now,” she said quietly, studying the toes of her shoes.
Silence reigned for a bit and she glanced up just in time to see a silent exchange pass between Dylan and Linda. His eyes were like ice chips and he turned to her and said, “Would you care to join us?”
A little devil hopped onto her shoulder and prompted her to open her mouth and say cheekily, “I don’t think you need an extra person for what you were doing.”
The ensuing silence was so absolute it seemed the very air was still as his blue eyes locked with her green ones. He stared at her silently until hot colour began to creep up her neck and bloom in her cheeks. Even Linda was startled into complete silence.
Dylan stared at Arianna until she was completely uncomfortable. But just as she opened her mouth to apologize, he said in a voice cool enough to freeze ice itself, “You would be surprised, Arianna.”
Then before she had quite recovered from her surprise at his response, he wound his arm around Linda’s shoulder and walked away with her, leaving Arianna staring after them with her mouth hanging open. Had she imagined it or had his eyes lingered on her breasts?