Step-Lover

by Bella Jewel

  “Blade, honey,” I try but he keeps rambling.

  “I lied to you,” he bellows, pacing the room. “I don’t fuckin’ love her.”

  Okay then. I sit on the end of the bed and let him vent.

  “I wanted to love her. I did. I cared for her and so this shit . . . it fuckin’ burns. It burns not just because she had the fuckin’ nuts to do it, but because I’ve been fighting doing it myself for the last two weeks.”

  My eyes go wide.

  He turns to me. “Seeing you in my office everyday has killed me, Aria. I want you. I want you so fucking bad my cock burns for you every time you’re in the same room.”

  Oh. Well. Um.

  “I need to fuck you, I need to lick your sweet cunt because if I don’t, I’m going to explode.”

  Okay, someone has lost it. He prowls towards me and I leap up, taking a few steps back. “Blade, you just lost Peyton, and . . .”

  “And what?” he barks. “What?”

  Oh dear.

  “You . . . told me you loved her. Now you’re saying you don’t.”

  He runs his hands through his hair. “I never did. I wanted you to think that because if you came near me I wouldn’t have been able to stop you, but I also didn’t want to be that guy . . . the one who cheated. I fuckin’ tried. I really did.”

  Right. That’s cleared up then.

  “You’re hurt. You need to think.”

  “Fuck thinking,” he growls, backing me into the wall. “Peyton did me a favor. I’m fuckin’ angry at her for it, because of the cold way she played it out, and yeah, I cared about her enough for it to hurt but I’m lying to myself if I say I haven’t thought about doing the exact same thing a thousand times over.”

  I swallow and he leans in close. “So let’s stop this fuckin’ game here and now.”

  “G-g-g-game?”

  “Tell me what we’ve both been so fuckin’ stupid to keep hidden.”

  “Blade, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, shifting nervously.

  He slams his body against mine and I whimper. “You know,” he hisses. “You fuckin’ know.”

  “Please,” I whisper. “Don’t do this to me again.”

  “Say it, Tulip,” he whispers and my eyes dart to his. He licks his lips. “Fuckin’ say what we both want you to.”

  What if what I want to say isn’t what he wants to hear?

  I stare into his blue-gray eyes and my heart melts. Every time I look at him, he brings me comfort. I love him, and I’m tired of denying it. I’m tired of people getting in our way. I’m tired of Peyton. I’m tired of denying my feelings. I’m tired of missing him so much it hurts. So, if he wants to hear it, I’ll give it to him. I’ll give him exactly what he wants and more.

  “I love you, Blade.”

  His whole body jerks and he closes his eyes, dropping his head, pressing his forehead to mine. He’s like that for so long I wonder if I’ve said the wrong thing. Shit, have I said the wrong thing? I begin to panic and go to shift when he looks up at me.

  “What the fuck are we going to do?”

  No I love you back? My heart sinks. I guess I thought he’d say it back, after all this time. Maybe he isn’t ready. Maybe I need to stop looking so much into things and learn to relax a bit. He just got his heart stomped on by another girl.

  “I honestly don’t know.”

  “It’s not as simple as having a relationship. Nancy and Dad, they live together now. The town all know them; they all know us. If this goes south . . .”

  “I know,” I whisper.

  “But fuck,” he says, staring so intently at me, that my skin prickles. “When I look at you, Tulip, I don’t ever wanna fuckin’ look away.”

  I swallow and my body goes warm. He presses his against mine and I whimper. I want him; I’m so fucking done waiting for it. He goes on before I can speak.

  “I have tried to stop thinkin’ of you, tried to move on, but there was a connection. It was there and it was everything. The problem with that is that it’s still there.”

  I nod, because my throat is too tight for words.

  “I just don’t want to stay away from you anymore.”

  Oh god.

  He crushes his lips against mine, and I’m right there with him. I wrap my arms around his neck and I kiss him, I kiss him so hard I have no doubt his lips will bruise, but I don’t give a damn and neither does he. We kiss until we’re panting. We kiss until my towel drops. We kiss until he’s rubbing his cock up my exposed slit. We kiss until my fingers are tangled in his hair and he’s hissing my name.

  “Fuck me,” I gasp. “Fuck me so hard I forget the pain.”

  “Plan to,” he says gruffly.

  He keeps his hands around my waist and uses it to rotate my pussy against his jean-clad cock. I gasp out his name and clutch him tighter, driving my nails into his scalp. He hisses my name and one hand frees me to cup my breasts. He does this roughly and I like it—no, I love it. He kneads until I’m gasping and then his fingers slide down my body and into my wet flesh. I’m so ready for him.

  He groans as his fingers slide through my sex. “You’re so fuckin’ wet. I can’t wait.”

  “Then don’t.”

  He lets me go long enough to free his cock from his jeans. Then he lifts me so my legs are wrapped around his waist. His lips glide over my jaw and he tugs my hair as he thrusts upwards, filling me with one swift movement. I gasp and my fingernails glide down his back as he pushes into my body without warning. I love it. I love how full I feel. I love how damned amazing he makes me feel when he’s inside me.

  “God,” I gasp. “Blade, I’ve missed you.”

  “Fuck,” he grunts. “Me too baby.”

  He starts fucking me, like an uncaged animal. We’re grunting, our skin is slapping together, and my head occasionally slams back onto the wall behind me. I don’t care. I just want him to fuck me until there’s no more of the past. I want him to take it away and replace it with something new and beautiful. His cock slides in and out, long and thick, stretching me, molding me around him.

  “Dammit,” I whimper. “I’m going to come.”

  “Yes,” he rasps.

  I explode all over him. Dampness coats his cock and he groans his pleasure over this fact. I clutch him, crying his name as my body convulses and continues to release all around him.

  He starts fucking me harder after that. His fingers bite into my hips, his mouth closes around my shoulder and he slams me so damned hard I see stars. Then, with a hard little bite on my shoulder, he’s coming with me.

  We stay like that for a good, long while. He slowly licks my skin where he bit me, and then gently places me down. My hair is stuck to my face and little droplets of water continue to run down my back from my bath. Blade catches one and brings it to his lips, sucking it off. Then he leans in close and kisses me softly. I slip past him and find a pair of panties and a tank, slipping them on before sitting on the bed.

  “Well,” I say softly. “What now?”

  He does up his jeans and then takes his shirt off and tosses it on the floor before joining me. We both lie back and he takes me into his arms. “Fuckin’ no idea.”

  “I need . . .” I hesitate. “I need something from you, Blade.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I need you to really want this, because I can’t take you walking away again. So, I’m asking you. If you want this, stay, because I can’t go through it all once more.”

  He squeezes me. “I have every intention of keeping you, Tulip. I just don’t know how I’m going to do it smoothly.”

  “And Peyton?”

  He snorts. “She made her bed, honey.”

  “But you cared about her. I don’t know that it’s good to jump from her to me.”

  He laughs softly and starts detangling my hair with his fingers. “Baby, me and you came along far before me and her. It’s not like you’re a rebound.”

  “But . . .”

  “Hush, darl
in’. Let be what will be.”

  I giggle. “When did you get so smart?”

  He chuckles. “I didn’t, it’s all an act.”

  I smile and let myself, just for a moment, believe this is all real.

  But it can’t be, right?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  “Fuck,” Blade grunts, jerking my head so hard my hair stings. “Baby, keep going.”

  I’m sucking his cock. I’m not doing this lightly. He woke in the middle of the night with an appetite and I decided it was time I got to taste him. So, I slid down and closed my lips around him. I’m sucking like he’s the last lollipop on earth and I’m a starved candy addict.

  “Baby,” he moans.

  I swirl my tongue around the tip before bobbing my head, taking his length as deep as I can. His fingers are in my hair and he’s tugging, over and over, urging me on. His body is wound up and every now and then he flinches with pleasure. He’s beginning to swell in my mouth, and I know he’s getting close. This only spurs me on. I use my teeth to gently graze him and suck as hard as I can.

  “Holy . . . shit . . .” he roars.

  Warm liquid spurts out and hits the back of my throat over and over. I swallow it down, taking every last drop before slowly releasing him. He slumps backwards and I fall down beside him, crawling up until we’re side by side.

  “Shit. I should have asked you to do that earlier.”

  I laugh softly. “I think that might have been a good choice.”

  He rolls to me and then pulls back. “Go and brush your teeth, woman.”

  I grin. “But I thought you liked it dirty.”

  He blanches. “I like your dirty, not my dirty.”

  “You make me suck myself off your fingers.”

  “Baby,” he says, placing a hand over my mouth. “Your pussy is sweet. My dick is not.”

  With a giggle, I crawl out of bed and rush into the bathroom. I brush my teeth, positively glowing, and join him back on the bed. He wraps his arm around me and pulls the blankets over us. “Get some sleep, ’cause you look like shit.”

  “Thanks,” I mumble against his skin.

  “As shit as rainbows can look.”

  I slap him. “Your charm is not welcome here.”

  I feel him grin against my flesh, before my eyes start drooping. I’m exhausted and after a few rounds with Blade, I’m even more exhausted. I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, so I’m going to enjoy this for just a little bit longer.

  I think we deserve that.

  ~*~*~*~

  “Aria?”

  I blink, confused.

  “Aria honey? Wake up.”

  Huh? I shift and realize I’m wrapped in a wall of hot, hard male. I smile remembering last night, and slowly untangle myself from Blade’s arms.

  “Aria?”

  Shit.

  I jerk upright remembering the voice. Mom. Oh god, Mom is at my door. I spin quickly, yelling out, “Ah, one second, Mom.”

  “I’m coming in.”

  No. Oh my god.

  “No,” I cry out so loud Blade jerks awake. “I’m, ah, naked. Let me get changed.”

  “Okay, five minutes.”

  I turn to Blade and rasp, “My mom is here, which probably means your dad is here.”

  “Fuck,” he mutters, throwing himself out of the bed.

  I only get a moment to enjoy the amazing view that is Blade naked before Mom knocks again. “Come on, honey, it’s exciting news.”

  Please tell me she’s not pregnant. I’d shoot myself.

  “Coming!”

  I turn to Blade. “You have to leave!”

  “You’re two stories up. What do you think I’m going to do? Jump out the window?”

  Shit.

  “Go into the bathroom. I’ll get rid of her.”

  He runs about, getting his clothes, then he ducks into the bathroom, shutting the door quietly. I dress and run my fingers through my hair, before doing a quick scour of the room. Then, I open the door. Mom is standing in the hall and when she sees me, she smiles big.

  “Morning sleepyhead.”

  “Ah, hey Mom,” I murmur. “How did you get in?”

  “Melanie let me in. She’s making coffee. Come out here. I want to tell you something.”

  “Please tell me you’re not pregnant.”

  She snort-laughs. “Honey, I’m far too old for that.”

  Yes, yes you are.

  “Then what is it that was so important that you had to wake me?”

  She scoffs and wraps her arm around my shoulder. “Stop that complaining and give your momma five minutes of your time.”

  “You’re lucky I love you,” I grumble.

  We step out into the kitchen and I see Jack sitting at the counter while Melanie chats happily to him. When we step out, they both turn. “Morning sunshine!” Melanie chirps, taking me in. She stops at my neck and her eyes widen. She rushes over, shocking me by throwing her arms around my neck. Then she whispers. “You have a mega hickey, pull your hair down.”

  Shit.

  I let her go and quickly rearrange my hair. Mom doesn’t notice but Jack, oh, he’s staring at me with an expression that tells me he totally saw my hickey. Crap. I turn away and look to Mom. “So, what’s the big news?”

  “Jack and I bought a house!” she squeals.

  I blink.

  “P-p-pardon?”

  “A house,” she cries. “We bought a house.”

  “But . . . you have a house.”

  “This one is amazing, Aria,” she smiles. “It has five bedrooms and paddocks. Paddocks! For horses.”

  Well yes, that’s usually what paddocks are for.

  She looks so happy, so damned happy that I can’t help but smile. “I’m happy for you, Mom.”

  She beams and hugs me. I hug her back and meet Jack’s eyes. He mouths we’re going to talk and I swallow. Eek. I pull back and beam at her. “When do you move in?”

  “In a month! We’ll have a big party. It’s right down the road from Jessica. I’m so happy.”

  My guilt swarms me. Jessica is her best friend; she’s also a judgy bitch when she wants to be. It’s not that, though. It’s her smile. It’s her happiness. It’s killing me, because what Blade and I are doing could bring it all to it’s knees. I push the guilt away and keep a smile on my face all the way through a coffee.

  Then I lie that I have to go to school and rush back to my room after saying goodbye to them.

  Blade is sitting on my bed when I slip in and he looks up at me. “I heard what she said.”

  I flop down beside him. “I feel awful, Blade.”

  He takes my hand. “We’ll work it out, just . . . give it time.”

  “And until then?” I say, meeting his eyes.

  “Until then, it’s just me and you, Tulip.”

  Great.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  “Have a good afternoon, everyone.”

  We all stand from our chairs and make our way out of the classroom. It’s been a long day; I’ve had four lessons and I’m buggered. Usually I’d go home, but today I’m feeling a special kind of anticipation. I’m feeling it because I get to see Blade. We’ve effectively managed to keep our relationship hidden for one week, and it’s been an amazing seven days.

  I smile just thinking about how amazing he makes me feel.

  I hurry towards the parking lot but stop when someone calls my name. I turn and see Yates hurrying down the hall towards me. Dammit. I’d had a coffee with him, told him things were good and I’d moved on, but he isn’t taking that hint. He stops when he reaches me, and he smiles, and I can’t help but feel a little sorry for him. He is a good guy; I’m just not the right kind of girl for him.

  “Hey, Yates.”

  “How was class?” he asks.

  He falls in step beside me as I walk towards the doors. “It was great. Yours?”

  He shrugs. “The usual. Hey, what are you up to tonight?”

  Fucking my man, slow and s
weet.

  “Having a quiet one.” I force a smile.

  “You should come out with a few of us. We’re going to the Shack for a few drinks.”

  “I’d love to, but I’m swamped, sorry.”

  He frowns. “Are we ever going to be able to get along again? I stuffed up, Aria, but I want to be your friend. I care about you.”

  I sigh and stop walking to turn towards him. “Look, Yates, I hope that can happen too, but right now things in my life are complicated, and I don’t have the time to think about anything else. Maybe when it gets better we can catch up.”

  “Is it because of him?”

  He jerks his head and I spin around to see Blade striding towards us. Why the hell is he here? And he looks . . . pissed. When I left him this morning he wasn’t pissed, so why the hell is he pissed now? When he reaches us, he stops and shoots daggers in Yates’ direction. Well, Blade has a jealous side. Good to know.

  “He botherin’ you?” he barks.

  “Ah, no, we were just talking,” I say gently. I want to reach out and touch him but that’ll only cause suspicion.

  “I was just asking her if everything was okay,” Yates says, taking a step back. “No harm.”

  Then he turns and scurries off. This only reinforces exactly why I am not with him anymore. He never faces a fight; he runs from them. I turn to Blade and whisper, “What’re you doing here?”

  He’s watching Yates still, but at my words his eyes turn down to me. God. Yum. He obviously came straight from the garage, because he’s wearing a tight black tee and grease-stained jeans. His hair is mussed and he looks fucking amazing. Girls in the hall stop and stare at him, some of them giggling like school children. Blade takes no notice; his eyes are on me.

  “Thought I’d come and pick you up.”

  “I have a car . . .”

  “No, you don’t,” he says.

  I blink. “Um, I drove it to school this morning.”

  He gives me a crooked smile that makes my heart melt. “And I came and stole it while you were busy.”

  “You stole my car?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  He shrugs. “I’m restoring it – Suzie deserves that much. So now you’re comin’ back to the garage with me. I have a late one and fuck, honey, I want you there.”