Last night was the first night I’d slept in a long time. I stayed up super late talking to Aaron. We had some nice conversations, and it was fun talking to him about everything and anything. Turns out there’s a brain beneath all that muscle.
With a stretch, I saunter into the kitchen in search of coffee. Aaron is already there. He’s wearing nothing but his boxers and is standing at the stove cooking eggs and bacon, and the coffee is already brewed.
“Hungry?” he asks. “Since you cooked me dinner last night, I thought I would repay the favor and cook you breakfast.”
My stomach rumbles in thanks. “I’m famished.” I grab a mug from the cupboard and pour myself a cup of energy-jolting caffeine.
I could so get used to this. Not only having breakfast made but also having a sexy near-naked man standing in front of the stove cooking it for me.
In another time, another place, and in another world where he wasn’t my stepbrother, I could seriously fall in love with Aaron Thompson.
He gives me what I can only describe as a devastating smile filled with warmth, and my nipples respond by standing to attention. I turn from him so he doesn’t notice them through my tank.
“I’ll be the breakfast chef if you be the dinner chef.”
“Deal,” I say, pinching a piece of crispy bacon from the pan. He playfully swats my hand with the spatula. “No stealing the food. Go sit.”
“Yes, sir.”
I do as he says and a few minutes later, he sets a platter filled with bacon, scrambled eggs, sausages, home fries, and English muffins smothered in butter on the table.
“Impressive. I didn’t know you could cook. And that there were more than two of us here. There’s enough food to feed a football team.”
“I’m a growing boy,” he says, filling his plate. “And there are a lot of things you don’t know about me.” He smothers his eggs and potatoes in ketchup and picks up his fork. “Maybe one evening I’ll make you dinner. I can grill a pretty mean steak.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” I say, grinning. Across the table, I glance at his perfect muscles, doing my best not to stare, but I can’t help it. His body shows all the work he puts into it.
Aaron is one of those guys who’ll keep getting better with age. When he’s old with wrinkles and laughter lines and salt n’pepper hair, every woman within a ten-mile radius will still throw themselves at him. He isn’t the kind of guy who’ll let himself go. Lucky woman who gets him.
Where the hell did that thought come from? The woman who gets him will have to keep one eye open at all times, and I have to remember that.
“What are your plans today?” he asks. “More snake hunting?”
“You’re so freaking hysterical. I’m going to be boring again and read.”
“You’re not going to read again. Hike to the waterfall with me. Bring a picnic. Or we can take the boat out. If I see you pick up your Kindle, I’ll throw it in the lake. Spend the day doing something fun.”
I consider his offer for a few minutes. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I say, glancing at his naked chest.
He holds up two fingers like a boy scout. “I promise to keep my hands to myself at all times. If you do.”
I give my eyes a hard eye roll. “Oh, please. Where is the waterfall? I don’t remember ever hiking to one when we were kids.”
“That’s because the only thing you and my sister were interested in was making up dance routines and forcing everyone to watch. Which, by the way, was torture. Come on, it’ll be fun.”
Not for the first time, I look at him and wonder where the cocky jock I grew up with went.
You know what,” I say wiping my lips with my napkin, “A day hiking sounds perfect.” I look at him once more, and he’s eyeing me strangely like he’s perplexed. I lift my hand to my face. “What? Do I have food on my chin?”
“No,” he says with a shake of his head. “Do you want to know why I was staring.”
I give him a nervous laugh. “I don’t know. Do I?”
He rubs the back of his head and looks at the table. “I was just thinking about how beautiful you are.”
“Oh,” I say and blush. “Um, Thanks.”
***
While Aaron packs a backpack with water and snacks, I throw together a picnic lunch with whatever we have left over in the fridge, which isn’t much—peanut butter, jelly, and hummus. We’ll need to do a supermarket run tomorrow.
Once lunch is packed, I put on my hiking boots and spray every inch of my body in bug repellent.
“Ready?” he asks throwing this backpack over his shoulders. He winces, but it disappears as soon as it appears. His shoulder must be a mess, but I won’t push him to talk about it. He’ll open up when he wants to.
“Let’s get going,” I say.
During our hike, Aaron barely breaks a sweat while I sweat like a pig on a spit roast, and probably smell like one too.
An hour later, I’m panting, my lungs burn, and sweat slicks my skin. “Where’s the waterfall?” I call from a few feet behind him.
“Not much further,” he says, “promise. It’s worth it.”
“Better be,” I mumble. On the way up the side of the mountain, I’ve already gulped down three bottles of water, and I’m struggling to keep up.
“I thought you cheerleaders were supposed to be fit?” he calls back, his voice echoing through the forest.
“We are fit, just not quarterback fit.”
“You look more than fit in my eyes.”
I groan at his cheesiness. “Enough with the dorky flirting.”
“Lighten up, Taylor. I’m teasing you.”
“Dork.”
We continue to hike through the overgrown landscape, which Aaron clears with a knife like he’s Dwayne Johnson traveling through the jungle in Jumanji.
“Looks like no one’s walked this way for years,” he says. “Good. I like to keep this place secret.”
The sound of rushing water greets me before I see it.
“Through here,” Aaron says, excitement threading through his voice. He steps through a small clearing, and I follow.
“Wow,” I breathe. Water cascades about one-hundred feet over rocks and crashes into crystal clear water below. I drop my backpack onto the ground, and my mouth falls open. “You were right to keep this place a secret. I can’t believe this.” I’m almost at a loss for words.
“Told you it was worth the hike, right?”
“Yes, but this,” I say, kicking off my boots and socks, and dipping my toes into the cool water. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
Aaron rips off his t-shirt, then his shorts. Underneath, he’s wearing tight boxer briefs that leave nothing to the imagination. I try not to stare as he wades into the water. “Come join me,” he calls back.
“Um. I guess I didn’t think this through. I’m an idiot. I didn’t wear a bikini.”
“And? Get in here.”
“Snakes?”
He flexes his biceps and kisses them one at a time. “I’ll protect you.”
“My hero. I suppose I could wear my shorts and tank.” Beneath my clothes, I’m wearing a red thong and a sports bra. I move my hands to take my top off, but when I see the way he’s looking at me, I change my mind. “It’s maybe better if I keep my clothes on.”
“Fine,” he says, “jump in, but do you want to hike back to the cabin in cold, wet clothes?”
“I’ll deal with it.” The main reason I don’t want to strip down to my underwear is because my clothes, as skimpy as they are, act like a barrier. If I were in nothing but my underwear, I’d feel more than a little vulnerable. And it’s not that I don’t trust him. I don’t trust myself.
Before I get into the lake, I lay out the blanket I’d brought for the picnic and set some water bottles on the bank so they’re easy to reach.
Then I wade into the water. My shorts stick to my legs uncomfortably, but it’s that or be semi-naked.
Against my sweaty skin, the water feels deliciously cool and refreshing. I wade deeper, and when I’m deep enough, I float on my back and gaze at the gray clouds now blanketing the once blue sky. A drop of summer rain falls on my face and thunder rumbles in the distance.
“This is like a little piece of paradise. Thanks for sharing it with me.”
“It’s not like is mine,” he says from a few feet away. “But I knew you’d like it.
“I love it. I could stay here forever.”
A shower of water washes down on me, and I scream. “You didn’t just do that.”
“What-ya going to do about it?” He asks and flicks more water my way.
“This.” I jump on top of his back and do my damndest to drag him under, but since he weighs twice as much as I do, it’s an impossible task. “Sneak water attacks aren’t fair.”
He pulls me off him and dunks me under. I come up, spluttering. I wipe my eyes and push my hair out of my face.
“You’re going down.” I lunge forward, wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, and manage to pull him under. My back slaps into the water, and he falls on top of me.
We both come up laughing and gasping for air. I look at him—his hypnotizing smile, his fiery eyes—and I know there’s no point in denying it or lying to myself.
As his gaze rakes over my body, the fire in his eyes turns molten and pulls me into their depths.
I want him.
I’ve always wanted him.
From the age of twelve, I’ve loved him. Some girls swoon over movie stars or pop singers. Not me. Aaron Thompson was the idol of my teenage years—moody, angst-ridden and full of danger.
My nipples pucker, and my clit swells, and I blow out a deep breath. I’m going to go for it.
“Remember what I said about staying away from me?” He nods, his beautiful brown eyes trained on me. “What would you say if I said I’d changed my mind.” My voice shakes when I say this because I can’t believe what I’m proposing or what I’m asking.
“What are you saying, Taylor?” He steps closer and brushes his knuckle over my cheek.
“I think you know.”
“I might know, but I want you to spell it out for me.”
“For as long as we stay here, there’s nothing stopping us from enjoying each other, is there?”
“Not a single thing,” he agrees.
“We good?” he asks, a breath away from me now.
“We’re better than good.”
“For the next few weeks, it’s just you and me, babe. We can do what we want whenever we want.”
“Perfect,” I sigh against his lips. “Absolutely perfect.”
He lowers his lips to mine and catches them in a breathless kiss. I’m already aware of how hard his dick is.
For an instant, he breaks away, and asks, “Is this what you really want?”
“More than anything. More than you’ll ever know.”
Hope and desire fill his face, which fills my body with arousal. I want him. I can’t—won’t—deny it any longer. For too long, I’ve pretended like I didn’t want him, tried to force myself to hate him, but with every inch of my being, I need him, desire him.
“Come with me,” I say. Showing confidence I’m not sure I feel, I roll my shoulders back and stride from the lake. Water streams from my clothes and body and a light rain begins to fall.
I don’t miss the breath Aaron sucks in. I glance over my shoulder and shudder as his hooded eyes roam all over me, taking me from head to toe.
“Fuck me,” I whisper.
He follows me out of the water to the bank and runs a shaking hand through his hair. “Tell me this is what you want. If you’re not one-hundred and ten percent sure this is something you want, we should both walk away now.”
I grasp his hand. “I want this. I want you. I can’t—won’t—pretend. Not anymore.”
He steps forward, closing the gap between us. “Fuck. You’re beautiful. So many days and nights, I’ve thought about you. Thought about us, and after what happened the other night on the beach, I thought it would never happen again.”
“For years, I thought about you, too” I confess. “Dreamed about you. The night after graduation, I tried to forget you. I wanted to hate you, but I couldn’t. I can’t.”
Aaron lifts his hand and strokes his fingertips between my breasts and down the center of my body. Heated shivers wrack me. Not even the pouring rain streaming over me cools my want, my fever.
“So many days I’ve cursed myself out for the way I treated you after I took your virginity.” He places the flat of his hand on my stomach and my insides flame. “You’re right when you call me an asshole. I was, I am.”
“Stop. You’re not…well, sometimes,” I say with a small laugh.
“Truth be told, I’m afraid of how I feel when I’m near you.”
I close my eyes, delighting in his nearness, in his confession. “I’m just as afraid,” I murmur.
I open my eyes. Aaron comes even closer, and his chest brushes against my breasts. He reaches down and pushes the soaked fabric of my tank top upwards. His warm fingers brush against my cold skin.
“God, you’re something else,” he says with a reverence in his voice I’ve never heard before.
His lips touch mine, setting my soul on fire, and I kiss him like a starving woman convinced she’ll never eat again.
I run my hands over his chest, up and down his arms, and over his biceps, afraid this will be my one and only chance to touch him. As if at any minute, he’ll change his mind and tell me we’ve made a mistake.
Our tongues duel and fight, tasting, savoring, consuming. I break our kiss and move my hands lower until my fingers reach the waistband of his boxers.
“Take these off.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He steps away, and I watch in wonder as he shucks off his shorts and reveals himself.
The other night at the beach it was too dark to fully see or appreciate him, and the night he took my virginity is now a hazy memory. Seeing him in the flesh is everything I could ever imagine, ever want.
“You’re amazing,” I whisper, awe filling my voice.
“God, Taylor. You have no idea how many nights I’ve thought about you. Thought about us. How many times I’ve jerked off to the night we fucked.” He wraps his hand around his hard cock and pumps back and forth.
I bite my bottom lip and reach for my breasts, my nipples harder than concrete demand and crave his touch.
He groans. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“No.” I kept my gaze locked on his cock. His hand glides up and down with practiced ease, and I scrutinize his movements, studying what makes him feel good.
“Take your clothes off, Tay. Let me see you. All of you.”
Shaking, I cross my arms over my body and pull my tank top and sports bra over my head. Next, I shimmy off my shorts and thong.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Tay. Jesus. Fucking. Christ.” He releases his shaft. “Come here.”
I step forward, and he envelopes me in his arms. His cock presses against my skin, branding me as his. My legs wobble, and I’m glad he’s holding me up otherwise, I would have fallen.
Prickling sensations wash over me, rinsing away any tiny remnants of doubt lurking inside.
His eyes glitter. “After today, you’ll never think about another man but me.”
Desire soars in my chest, lifting me as high as the clouds. The rain grows heavier, but the tree canopy above our heads protects us from most of the downpour.
The pitter-patter of the rain and the muffled sounds of the forest are the perfect backdrops for what’s about to happen.
Aaron entwines his fingers with mine and guides me down to the blanket I’d set out for our picnic.
We lay on our sides, our bodies inches apart. He strokes a finger up and down the curve of my waist, electrifying my skin.
“Lie on your back,” he whispers. “I need to kiss all of you.”
I do as he asks, and he makes his way down to my feet before kissing his way up, skimming his lips over every inch of skin. I moan and squirm beneath him, needing more from him, needing all of him.
When he reaches the apex of my thighs, he pushes my legs apart and swipes his tongue over my throbbing clit. I cry out, and my hips surge upwards, urging him to do more.
“Spread your legs.”
Without hesitation, I do as he asks, inviting him in, offering myself to him.
“Everything about you is perfect, Taylor.” Using gentle fingers, he opens my pussy, and for what seems like an eternity, he doesn’t move and doesn’t kiss me. I sink into the blanket and close my eyes, wiggling my hips, silently begging for more, more, more.
He chuckles, his breath tickling my skin. “Impatient?” Finally, he circles the tip of his tongue around and over my clit, making me gasp, and need, and want.
“Aaron. You’re killing me.”
His demanding tongue licks up and down my slick folds, and my body sings in response. Why had I wanted to deny myself this bliss, this pleasure?
He slides two fingers to my opening and eases them deep inside, and I melt onto the blanket. He dips his finger in further and further until he’s knuckle deep. My muscles clench around him, holding him tight, never wanting to let him go.
He returns his attention to my clit, sucking and licking my aching bud. The feel of his finger inside me while his mouth pleasures me leaves me delirious. The other night on the beach was nothing like this.
Exasperatingly slow, he slides his finger in and out, thrusting deep before retreating. Swirls of desire create a hurricane of yearning inside me.
Cool rain continues to fall, splashing off my bare limbs and off Aaron’s back, but it only adds to the magic of what’s happening.
Pleasure piles on top of pleasure until I can’t stand it. “Please, Aaron, please.”
Sensations engulf me to the point I feel overwhelmed, dizzy, floating. Aaron eases his finger from me and glances up. Hunger fills his eyes, but he doesn’t remove his mouth.
He clamps his hands on the inside of my thighs and spreads my legs farther apart. He doesn’t stop pleasuring me; if anything, his mouth becomes more demanding, taking everything he wants.
Leaning on my elbows, I arch my spine and raise my body.
“Oh, God. Please.” Undulating waves take over. I’m no longer in control. Aaron owns me and need for release consumes me. Blood rushes through my ears, pleasure coils in my belly, and arousal clenches every muscle.
He fixes his lips over my clit and flicks his tongue back and forth, sometimes firm, sometimes soft.
There’s nowhere I can go, nothing I can do but give myself to the sensations assaulting my body, my mind.
My orgasm hits. I scream and thrash against the onslaught of pleasure. Aaron holds my thighs firm, not allowing me to escape.
Wave after wave of pure bliss flows from that one spot, bathing me in happiness. Moaning sobs tumble from my lips. Gasping breaths whoosh from my lungs, but he still doesn’t stop. Incapable of giving him anymore, I slump onto the blanket in a coma of contentment.
“Damn, baby.” He inches back and brushes light kisses across my inner thighs and against the tip of my still fluttering clit.
“Taylor, Taylor, Taylor,” he whispers against my sweat-slicked skin. “What have you done to me?” Once again, he slides a finger into my pussy. My inner walls clamp down, and he pulls pleasure I didn’t know possible from my depths.
Shocks shake me, and I twist and writhe beneath his touch.
I gaze at him, his deep brown eyes rapt. No matter how long I live or where life takes me, I’ll remember this moment forever.
When he takes all I have to give, he eases his finger from me and kisses his way up my body to my lips.
“You’re everything I want and more,” he murmurs against my mouth.
I reach for him, place my palm on his scalp and draw him into a hungry, needy kiss. His tongue makes leisurely strokes around my lips, my mouth, and I crush my body against his.
“Take me. Make me yours.” I nip at his neck, at his bottom lip, and graze my teeth along his roughened jaw.
I hook my legs around his waist and lock him in place, trapping him. The heavens open and rain pours through the canopy, drenching us.
Neither of us cares because we’re too lost in each other.
“Do you have a condom?” I ask.
“Believe it or not, I do. I didn’t want to be presumptuous, but I hoped.” Reaching over me, he grabs his backpack and unzips the front pocket.
He places the foil packet between his lips and rips it open. Reaching down, he sheathes himself and then guides the head of his cock to my entrance. Both of us hiss out a breath when he first enters me.
Thunder bellows from above, and lightning illuminates the grove. Aaron pushes inside, and I open up, inviting him in. He surges a little deeper.
Concentration lines his face and sweat beads his forehead.
“You’re so fucking sexy and beautiful,” he grits out. But he still doesn’t fully enter me.
I squeeze my legs around his waist, urging him to go deeper. “I want you,” I gasp. “All of you. Take me. I’m yours.”
Aaron growls and slides to the hilt. Both of us cry out, but the rain and thunder drown out our cries, our appreciation of each other.
At first, he moves his hips at a slow and steady pace. But that’s not what I want. I want fast, deep, hard. I want him to make the rest of the world melt away. To show me how desperate he’s been for me.
With his back bowed, he balances himself on his palms, and I balance myself on my elbows.
“Fuck,” he growls. “Fuck, Tay.”
“Harder. Please.” My words come out in broken sobs as I beg him to take me. “Give me everything you have.”
The pulse in his neck thuds against his skin and his sweat drips onto me. He works his hips harder, faster, thrusting at a ferocious tempo.
Thunder booms and lightning flashes, and his thrusts become demanding, punishing, exhilarating.
I match him, movement for movement. Every time he moves, his pelvis brushes off my clit. The rise of a second orgasm builds within me, possessing me, turning me into a crazed woman.
“I can’t hold on, Taylor.” Pleasure contorts his face. He roars, and the throb of his climax sends me over the edge again.