Standing up, Terrance shook Justin’s hand. “This fine young man must be Justin. How are you?”
Justin was relieved by the pleasant way in which he was greeted—except for the man staring him down in the leather chair. Glaring was more like it. He looked like he was sizing Justin up to see how many pieces he would have to cut him into to fit inside his trunk. To say the man sitting there, with a look of death in his eyes, made him uncomfortable was a massive understatement.
“Sean, aren’t you going to say hello to Justin?” Connie asked rather nervously. She had been worried about Sean for some time now. His moods had become increasingly erratic in the past months. He was almost always angry about something. The littlest things would set him off.
Sean said nothing and stood. He extended his hand out to Justin and shook it.
“Justin.”
Ouch. Damn it. Why is he squeezing my hand so damn hard?
“You must be the stepbrother, Sean.” Justin wasn’t sure what he had said wrong, but the haggard-looking man standing before him squeezed his hand even harder before releasing it.
Sean turned toward Isabelle and leaned in to hug her. He could see the fear in her eyes. Feel the tension in her body. Good. Let her be uncomfortable. Let her suffer the way that I have. Every night for the past year-and-a-half. He wrapped his arms around her and held her just a little too tight, a little too close and a little too long. Before he allowed her to pull away from the embrace he accidentally brushed his lips against her ear. He fought back a chuckle when he heard a quiet whimper escape from within her.
Terrance watched his son, disgusted with him at that moment. He knew exactly what Sean was doing. The tension filling the room right now was more than unbearable. And he couldn’t be certain but he thought he saw Sean kiss her ear. Jesus, if Connie had seen that she probably would have fainted from the shock.
Connie was the first to break the silence.
“Well, let me show you to your room, Justin.”
“Ah sure.” He was staring at this stepbrother, wondering why he suddenly disliked him so much. The way the man was staring at him with a predator’s gleam in his eye was making him uneasy.
Isabelle stood staring at Sean as her mother led Justin out of the room.
“Well, I guess I should take my bags up to my room. I’ll talk to you soon, Terrance.” She placed a kiss on his cheek.
Sean watched her leave the room and he turned to his dad.
“What?”
“You know damn well what! You had your chance and you did nothing about it. She’s been dating him for months now. Leave it alone!” It was an order, not a request.
“Like hell!” Sean stormed out of the room.
* * * *
Isabelle had just set her suitcase on her bed. She reached down for her duffle bag and placed it on the bed next to the suitcase. She opened it and took out her toiletry bag. She unzipped it to start unpacking the essentials when she felt a presence behind her. Sean.
She turned slowly and was startled to find him standing close enough to kiss. She fumbled with the small bag as its contents spilled out onto the floor. He said nothing to her as he looked down. His gaze was fixated on something. She bent her head to see what it was and felt a whole new level of humiliation when she saw what he was looking at. Her birth control pills.
Sean bent to pick up the round plastic packet of pills. He held them in his hand for a moment, studying them. She was so nervous. She tried to swallow but suddenly all of the saliva in her mouth had dried up and disappeared. He looked at her and cocked and eyebrow.
“Izzy. Why do you have these?” His voice was a low drone, a methodical caress across her skin.
“I–I don’t owe you any explanations Sean.” God, why was this so hard? She hadn’t seen him in over a year and her need to reach out and touch him was just as strong as ever. She had to stop herself from thinking that way. She had a boyfriend. Justin. A man who was kind and gentle and oh-so-patient with her.
She hadn’t slept with him yet. He kept telling her he would wait as long as it took until she was ready, but every time they were alone and kissed, she could sense his frustration. She knew he wouldn’t, couldn’t wait much longer. At twenty, he was a year older than her and she was well aware of the fact that he was well liked by the ladies around campus. If she didn’t give in to him soon, she knew she would probably lose him.
“Don’t you? Hmm, I wonder. I think that you do” Sean said rather smugly.
“I most certainly do not!” Isabelle snapped at him.
Sean threw the package of pills on her bed and pulled her against his body so fast she didn’t have time to react.
“Yes, you do.” He kissed her forehead. “Or have you forgotten?” He kissed her temples and then her cheeks.
He was making her weak. How could her response to him be just as strong as ever? Even Justin hadn’t brought out this aching need in her in all of their make out sessions.
“Sean, stop it.”
She tried to pull out of his embrace but he held on tighter.
“No. I don’t think you want me to stop. Do you, baby?”
Baby. He called her baby. He knew very well what that endearment did to her, because she had told him. She had a boyfriend just down the hall. She shouldn’t do this. She couldn’t do this.
“Yes, I do. I want you to stop this right now!” Although she said it with determination, her voice was shaky.
“Uh-uh. You want me to hold you, to kiss you, to make love to you. I can feel it. I know you’ve missed me.” He kissed her. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t tender. It was primitive and erotic and she loved it. “Can you feel how much I want you?”
She could. She could feel the proof of his need for her pressed hard against her stomach. It was making parts of her own body throb and ache. She had forgotten what it felt like to be in his arms with the need for him coursing through her body. To want him so badly that it hurt.
“Yes,” she moaned.
He was trailing kisses along her neck and shoulder.
“God, Izzy. I want you so bad. I’ve missed you so much. I dream of you every day, every night.” He brought his mouth back to hers. “I have to have you.”
Without any warning he picked her up and set her on the dresser. He was tearing at her clothes and in an attempt to remove her panties, tore them. He was kissing her feverously as he started ripping his jeans down his waist.
Isabelle was lost. What was she doing? What kind of a person was she? She looked at the door to her bedroom and thought of Justin. Oh God. She was interrupted from her thoughts by the sound of Sean’s voice.
“It’s locked. Wrap your legs around me, baby.” He groaned the words into her ear.
She did as he asked. When every part of her body was telling her to stop, she did exactly what he told her to. Because she knew she had no choice. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. It was as if the past year-plus of staying away from him had done nothing to curb her desire for him.
Sean didn’t wait any longer. He plunged into her with such force she had to bite down on his shoulder to keep from screaming.
“Oh Jesus. Izzy you’re so tight.” He had spent the past year living in hell and now suddenly he was in heaven.
“Sean.” Her voice, barely audible, was a whimper.
“Izzy, baby. I’m not going to be able to last.” He reached down to her and found the swollen nub of her passion. He used his thumb to caress it as he brought her closer to her release. He heard her moans, heard her breathing increase. She was close.
“Oh, Sean. It feels so good.” Her cries were of pleasure, not pain. Not like the last time he had seen her.
“That’s it, baby. God, you’re so sweet, Izzy. Show me how good it feels when we’re together.” And she did. He heard her strangled cry as she climaxed. He could feel her inner muscles working around him and stroking him. He couldn’t hold back anymore. He was lost in the feel of her, in his love for her. He threw his head back and thrust into dee
p inside her as he fell over the edge.
He was incoherent for a moment as they clung to each other. They were both startled out of their dreamy existence by the knock at the door.
“Isabelle?” Justin asked.
Oh God.
“Yes, Justin. Sorry. I’ll ah—I’ll be down shortly, just wanted to change.” Did she sound normal? Could he sense her rapid breathing?
“Okay. I’ll see you down stairs then.” She thought he had walked away and then she heard his voice again. “Izzy?”
“Yes.” God please go away. Just wait for me down stairs.
“I love you.”
She looked at Sean. She saw the scowling look in his eyes. She couldn’t say it. She couldn’t look into those eyes and tell another man that she loved him. When she had said it before she told herself she wasn’t lying. She did love Justin. She just wasn’t entirely sure that she was in love with him.
“Justin. I can’t really hear you. I’m in the bathroom. I’ll see you down stairs, okay?” Please go down stairs.
“Ah, okay.” Justin walked down the hall. Sean and Isabelle heard his footsteps fade away.
“I want him gone. Today!” Sean snapped at her.
She was surprised by his order. There was something different about him.
“Sean. I—I can’t kick him out. He’s my–.” Don’t say it. The fierce look in his eyes couldn’t be good.
“He’s your what? Go on, Izzy, your what? Your boyfriend?” He wasn’t able to hide his anger. He hated the asshole. Hated the fact that Justin got to hold her and kiss her while Sean was barely able to take a breath from missing her and needing her.
Isabelle was suddenly very aware of their position. They were clinging to each other and he was still inside of her. He hadn’t used a condom. She hadn’t realized it, but now she was sure of it. Everything had happened so fast that there was no time.
“Sean,” she said worried. “You didn’t use a condom, did you?”
The horror in her voice aggravated him. “Well, that’s just great, Izzy. I can see where I rate now.” He pulled away from her. Dragging his pants back up his waist and fastening them, he continued, “So you can take the damn pills to protect you and your lover but with me you want a condom between us?”
What? He didn’t know. He thought she’d been sleeping with Justin. “Sean no, I—”
“No, don’t even try to talk your way out of it. I thought I knew you. Obviously your pretty boy boyfriend Justin is allowed to fill you with his seed, but not me.” He picked up the pills and threw them at her.
She ducked as the little plastic package hit he wall behind her.
“Sean, you don’t understand.” She started to cry. How could she still love him so much after all this time?
“No, you don’t understand. But hear this. You and I, we’re not finished.” He grabbed onto her half naked body and stared her down. “You are mine. Not his. You’ll never belong to anyone but me!” He shouted the last words.
She wanted to touch him, to caress his cheek to tell him just how right he was. But his eyes looked so dark and if she was honest with herself she would admit she was a little bit scared. She had never seen Sean this angry, ever. Before she could form a response he released his grip on her and walked toward the door.
Turning back to face her he said, “Mine. Don’t ever forget that, Izzy.” He opened the door and walked out.
Isabelle jumped off the dresser and got to the door in a flash. He hadn’t even closed it. She sat on her dresser with her pants hanging around one leg, her panties torn on the floor and he just left the door open. She quickly locked it and slid to the floor as the emotions overtook her.
“Why? It’s been over a year. He shouldn’t still have this kind of control over me.” She whispered the words.
She picked up the small package of pills that lay next to her and opened the lid. On the inside lid were the instructions on when to start taking them. The nurse at the clinic had gone to the trouble of writing them down for her since she had never taken them before.
She had never let Justin touch her the way that Sean did. She had thought she was getting to the point where she would be able to give in but now, now she knew that no one would ever be able to touch her. Only Sean. Always Sean.
“Oh, Sean. I love you.” She mouthed the silent words.
* * * *
Sean stormed down the stairs and walked through the living room without saying a word, startling everyone out of their conversation. The anger rolling off of him made everyone in the room uneasy. Sean stopped for just a second with his back to them.
“I’m not staying,” he said. Then he walked out.
“Is your car the black SUV?” Justin yelled to him, trying to hide his fear that Sean was going to turn and rip him into pieces.
Sean turned his steely gaze to Justin.
“Yeah. What about it?”
Justin started to get up.
“I’m afraid I’m blocking you.”
Sean’s temper could only handle so much with this little twerp.
“Well, I suggest you move it then.”
Justin didn’t respond. He just ran from the room and hurried outside. Connie waited for the door to close before her temper finally got the better of her.
“Sean Nelson Walker. What in God’s name is your problem?” she screamed at him.
“Connie.” Terrance tried to calm his wife, who was embarrassed by Sean’s rudeness.
“No, Terrance. Enough is enough. He has been sulking around and being arrogant for over a year now. Listen here, Sean. I love you like you were my own son. But how you just spoke to that boy was unacceptable. I want you to apologize.”
“No way in hell!” he shouted at her. He even surprised himself. Never once had he ever shouted at her.
Terrance stood up, none too happy about the tone of voice that Sean had chosen to take with his wife.
“Now that’s enough, damn it. Come on. I’ll walk you out. Maybe the cool air will help cool that temper of yours.”
* * * *
Isabelle heard a car start. She walked over to the window and looked out. She saw Justin leaving. Oh no. What had Sean done? Even though she wasn’t truly in love Justin, she didn’t want to see him hurt. But her fear was assuaged when she realized that he was moving the car.
Justin got out and was walking back up to the house when he looked up and saw Isabelle standing in the window. He waved to her and blew her a kiss. She smiled at him. How could she not; he was so sweet. It was going to break her heart to break his. But after what just happened, she knew she had to break up with him. All that she had done since she started school to try to forget Sean had been for nothing. He was, quite simply, a part of her. A part she couldn’t deny or ignore.
Justin walked out of view and she soon saw Sean and Terrance. They watched the door for a moment. They must have been waiting for Justin to come back inside. Isabelle was startled by the arguing that ensued.
“What the hell is wrong with you? I don’t care how messed up you are over Izzy. You do not ever speak to Connie that way. Understand?” Terrance shouted the question at him.
“I know, I know. I’m sorry about that. But damn it, dad. What do you expect me to do? She brought a damn guy home.” Sean was pacing the area around the front of the SUV.
“Sean, son, he seems like a good kid. You ask what I want you to do. I want you to let it go, to let her go,” Terrance said simply.
“Never!” Sean stalked up to his father and was toe to toe with him. “I will never let her go. She belongs to me!” He said the last word as he thumped his fist to his chest. “You don’t understand.” He expelled a huge breath and looked up to see Izzy staring down at him. Turning back to his dad he said, “I love her. I don’t think I can live without her anymore.”
Terrance watched his son as he stalked to his SUV, got behind the wheel and sped away.
Isabelle stared at the altercation in confusion. What had they been arguing ab
out? She knew there was something different about Sean. He seemed darker, edgier. But she had never seen him be anything but respectful to their parents. She couldn’t remember one time she had heard Sean raise his voice to his father. But up here on the second story, with the windows closed she could hear his muffled shouts. She couldn’t make out the words. But she heard the unmistakable anger in his voice.
After she watched Sean drive away, she turned to go to her bathroom. She needed a shower. She couldn’t face Justin with the scent of Sean’s fierce love making on her skin.
* * * *
Connie stood up when Terrance entered the room.
“What on earth has gotten into him?”
Terrance nodded and placed his hands on her shoulders.
“He’s not himself right now, honey.” He turned to Justin. “My apologies, Justin. Sean is a bit intense and he ah—well let’s just say he’s a little protective of our Izzy.”
Connie looked startled by his excuse.
“He is?”
Terrance shrugged.
“It’s not like she’s ever brought a boy home before.” He looked to Justin. “She didn’t even date much in high school. So I guess Sean is taking the role of big brother a bit too far.”
“Sure, I understand. Don’t worry about it.” Terrance was lying to him. There was something in the man’s eyes that told Justin there was more to it. But he looked at Isabelle’s mother and knew that whatever it was, she was as much in the dark as he.
Terrance let out a breath of relief, thankful that they both bought it.
“So, when do we eat, honey?”
Chapter Nine
It was two days before Christmas and Isabelle’s mother had kept her busy with preparations for the big day. Her mother’s favorite holiday had always been Christmas. They were supposed to attend a party at a neighbor’s house that night and she was mentally going through all of the shopping she still had to do when Justin walked in her bedroom.
“Hello, beautiful.” He leaned over and kissed her.
“Hi, Justin.” She accepted his kiss with regret. She had been struggling with how to handle this break up since last night. Should she do it now and get it over with so he could still go be with is family? Or would that be cruel? Should she wait until after Christmas? Or would that be even crueler yet? Would it make the hurt worse knowing that she had pretended to be happy with him while she was secretly plotting the demise of their seven-month relationship?
Morgan, Nicole - Love Knows No Boundaries (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 9