“Don’t joke about that,” he scowled at me, “I never thought you would hurt yourself intentionally. I know you’re a strong woman. Stronger than many.”
“Thanks. I think. Now will you explain what you’re talking about when you said not to cancel the wedding? Do you know someone else who wants to use my wedding as their own and pay me back? Because I could sure do with some of my money back.”
“I’ll explain but can you tell me first what you were doing at Drew’s?”
I looked down at my hands. “I just had some jitters. I didn’t sleep well last night and I wanted to talk to him, for him to reassure me that we loved each other and were committed to each other,” I snorted. “Look how that turned out. There’s an irony if I ever did see one.”
“Hmm, okay,” he paused and frowned as though thinking. His indecisiveness hit me. Elliot was usually so sure of himself and here he was hem-hawing.
“Will you just spit it out?”
“You should marry me instead,” he replied.
I sucked in a deep breath at his words and wondered why the universe was being so unkind to me. My deepest secret desire in the world would have been to have Elliot as mine. I’d always wanted him to be mine since he joined my family when I turned sixteen. But seeing the girls Elliot dated then, I had pushed thoughts of him from my mind. At least I tried to. Hearing these words from him only reminded me of what I couldn’t have.
“Ha ha. Very funny.” I tried to get up again but he tipped me back over into the chair with a gentle nudge. “Elliot!” I cried in frustration.
“No, just listen to me,” he said. “I know it’s going to be a pain to call off the wedding and everyone’s going to be disappointed. We don’t have to let Drew feel he has won. Dad’s been on my tail recently about me settling down and I really am not of a mind to. Why don’t we scratch each other’s back? I marry you, I get my inheritance which is a stupid clause of dad’s anyway. We can always get a divorce afterward.”
I stared at him as if he were crazy. “Are you high or something?” I asked him. “There’s no way we can do that. Nobody would ever believe we got married.”
“Except they’ll see it with their own eyes. Think about it.”
“I hear what you get out of it,” I told him, “but what do I get out of a fake marriage to you?”
“I know you always said you wanted to start your own literacy program,” he answered. “You never wanted to accept money from Dad to help you. If we do this, you’ll earn this money. I’ll give it to you so you can start working for yourself. Hell, I’ll give it to you even if you don’t go through with this.”
“This is crazy,” I told him when I saw how serious he was. “Mom and Dad will freak out.”
“Maybe not, but who cares? We are both adults here and they know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.”
Except he would if I gave him the chance to slide even an inch further into my heart.
“Listen, you have six hours to think about it,” he said, getting to his feet. “I’ll be waiting at the altar, taking Drew’s place. I hope you won’t stand me up.” He winked at me and turned to go. “Don’t think about that asshole,” he said over his shoulder. “Things will turn out in your favor. You’ll see.”
The look he threw me over his shoulder stole my breath. I couldn’t decide if he had just leveled those smoky bedroom eyes at me like I had seen him do with so many girls in the past. It was crazy stupid. No way I could marry Elliot. He was my step-brother. That was final. Besides, he couldn’t possibly be serious about showing up at my wedding as my groom. Could he?
Chapter 4
“What the hell is going on?” Dad whispered from one corner of his mouth as he spotted the bridegroom. I barely heard him over the pounding of my heart. Elliot looked at me as though I was really his bride instead of the fake one he had picked up just a few hours ago. I still didn’t get why he wanted to take the place of my cheating groom which in a way was quite stupid for me to be here right now.
Regardless of his reason for wanting to marry me, Elliot wanted my help so I was rendering it to him. After all these years of him being there for me and ensuring that I was okay, this was the first time he had ever asked me for anything. It was the one time I could show him that he could rely on me too, that I didn’t just take but that I was willing to give.
As I watched him and how handsome he looked, I pondered just how much I wanted to give him. I swallowed my urges and reminded myself this marriage was fake. Elliot didn’t really want me. Why would he want me? The last girl he had been with had been the epitome of a beautiful woman. Cherise was French with a svelte form I would never be able to perfect. I had already lost enough weight to fit in my wedding dress but the rest had remained stubborn to go away. There was very little I could do about my wide hips or the way the bodice of my dress clung to the curves of my breasts. Save getting a breast reduction surgery, I was pretty sure they would remain double Ds.
“Carrie, you better start talking before we get to the altar or I’m calling this whole thing off,” Dad continued whispering. “When did you have time to change grooms? And your step-brother?”
“Oh Dad, it’s fine,” I told him, then admitted. “I love him. Always have.” Not that I would admit it to Elliot. If he heard me say it anyway he would just think it was just for the sake of the pretense we had to keep up. I hated lying to my dad but he was serious about calling off the wedding and I couldn’t do that to Elliot. Besides we were already too far gone with this plan of ours. Everyone had already seen me in my dress and him standing at the altar.
I was aware of the sea of confused faces glancing from me to the altar. My now they would have realized something was underfoot. My eyes shifted from Elliot who was waiting for me with my mother and step-father. My mom gave me a big smile and had tears in her eyes. I glanced from them to my step-brother again. Just what had he told them for them to be so happy about our wedding?
“What happened to your fiancé?” Dad asked. “The other one. Did you just dump him overnight the way your mom did me?”
I groaned. I loved my father to death, but he had never gotten over my mom leaving him although all and sundry knew he had driven her to it.
“Dad, not today, please,” I told him. “This is supposed to be the happiest day of my life.”
And it would be too. Since I was already here, I could pretend that this was the most magical time of my life. This was always a secret desire of mine to belong to Elliot, but I never thought it would ever happen in this lifetime. Even if this wedding was all fake, I could enjoy it.
We finally arrived at the foot of the altar and my dad tightened his hold on me. He never quite liked what he had called my second family but a part of me felt sorry for him knowing he was just hurt I never spent as much time with him as he wanted.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked, embarrassing me because I was pretty sure those at the front pews heard what he said.
I nodded, my cheeks stained crimson. I swallowed the lump in my throat, glanced at the man who was about to be mine and knew what my answer would be. “Yes,” I told him, “this is what I want.”
He was conflicted, but there was nothing he could do about it. He accepted that and instead raised my veil to plant a kiss on my cheek.
“Thanks for making me a part of this event,” he whispered, tears in his eyes. “I love you.”
I sniffed back tears, not wanting to ruin my makeup. “Thank you for accepting,” I told him. “I know it wasn’t easy for you. I love you too.”
He could have declined on account of my mother and my step-dad but he still managed to show up and act halfway decent toward them.
I turned my attention back to Elliot who moved to take my hand. He extended his palm toward me. I hesitated, breathing hard and aware of how my bosom heaved with each breath I dragged into my lungs.
“Carrie?”
At the way Elliot breathed my name so soft, I knew I couldn’t turn him d
own. I placed my hand into his and started to pray that I didn’t fall all the way in love with him this time.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered today…”
Chapter 5
I stood on the deck with a margarita and stared at the expanse of water and sky meeting in the distance. I kept my eyes trained on the disappearing sun and the splash of color it threw on the landscape because it quietened the thumping of my heart. Amid the flurry of events that just took place at my wedding, I was still wondering what the hell had happened?
There was no mistaking my marriage to Elliot. I glanced at the beautiful white gold wedding band he had managed to get me even on such short notice. Tears formed in my eyes and I blinked it away. I had been stunned when he produced it at the wedding to slip on my finger. The ring was one I had admired and shown to him when my fiancée had asked me to pick out the ring that I wanted. I never did show it to him because I knew he wouldn’t have been able to afford it. I would have also been content with the simple gold ring he had purchased for me, but there was something special about this ring. I didn’t know what it meant that Elliot had not only remembered but had also been able to get it in my size on such short notice.
I cradled my hand to my chest and fiddled with the trio of diamonds that made up the stones. It was perfect and so had been the wedding. Elliot must have taken care of explanations before I arrived at the wedding because there was hardly any commentary on the change of grooms. Their eyes had held questions but no one had voiced any.
“You have a lot of explaining to do when you get back from your honeymoon,” Lisa had muttered in my ears. “I heard about Drew, that son-of-a-bitch. I’d castrate him for you except for the fact that you found yourself a better man, the one you always wanted.”
Before I had been able to respond, Elliot had whisked me away for the dance. I’d spent the entire time wondering how long Lisa knew about my feelings for Elliot. She never said a thing and I always made it a point to hide it from everyone. Did Elliot know too?
“Oh honey, I’m so happy,” Mom had said, bubbling with joy. “I can say this now but I never thought Drew was the right man for you. Elliot and you… who would have thought? This is so romantic?”
If anyone saw romance in most situations, it was my mother. Divorced from a bad marriage due to her husband’s alcoholism, she had married a handsome and wealthy man. Her life had turned out perfect and she wanted the same for me. She thought the sun rose and set on Elliot. Of course she would be happy Elliot and I got married.
“Penny for your thoughts,” the subject of my thoughts announced, bringing me out of my musings.
I glanced over my shoulder at my husband who walked toward me. He looked relaxed and unlike me, without a care in the world. He was handsome dressed in expensive linen pants that flattened against his muscular thighs in the cool sea breeze. Her gaze shifted and she almost dropped her glass when I saw the imprint of his groin. I turned back to the railing and placed the glass on my left cheek to cool myself down. Suddenly I wished I was going to have a real honeymoon with this man.
“Just wondering how we pulled off such a feat and convinced everyone we were in love,” I remarked, not looking at him.
His actions wasn’t unlike anything he had never done before. He crowded me, his arms wrapped around my waist and his chin resting on my head. Although we hadn't grown up together, we had lived the lives of friends if not siblings. I never thought twice about gestures like these he would do to me. I had gotten used to it over time, but now I had to remind the hussy inside of me that Elliot wasn’t mine for the taking.
I was uncomfortably aware of his hand resting on my wide hip. I wasn’t skinny like his previous girlfriends. I had nothing to fear he would be seeing me naked. By my account, that wouldn’t happen now or any time soon.
He chuckled and dropped a kiss atop my head. “People either see what they want to see or they see the truth,” he responded. “Come, let’s dine on the balcony off my room. The chef has sent word he has prepared us the most scrumptious meal. All of your favorite.”
I loved to eat which he would have known already but now I didn’t want to eat a morsel in front of him. I smiled though, trying to act like everything between us was just as normal.
“Don’t keep me waiting then.” He smiled at me and tucked my hand into his as we crossed the deck of his private yacht. We were sailing from Miami to the Bahamas for a four day cruise. His luxury yacht was fully staffed and although it wasn’t the first time I was aboard, it was the first time I was the mistress aboard. When the servants smiled at me, I glanced away, suddenly feeling shy.
I never wanted dinner but now I was thinking of how long I would prolong dinner before it was time to go to bed.
Chapter 6
With a groan, I squinted my eyes open, wondering at my befuddled state. My head hurt and my mouth tasted like cotton. I was sprawled on my back and staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. I blinked several times to bring the ceiling into focus before rolling to my left side to take in my surroundings. It took me a good five minutes before I remembered where I was and why I was so confused.
Moaning, I hauled myself up to sit in the big bed. I was lying in Elliot’s bed, minus Elliot. I glanced over at his side of the bed, as pieces of my memory returned. Dinner with Elliot had been surprisingly easier than I had thought. It had been like old times with him entertaining me. I should have felt relaxed but it only left me feeling out of sorts because it meant nothing had changed between us at all.
More upset that I would have cared to admit, I’d started drinking more and more of the wine. I was never one for drinking, but I remembered Elliot chuckling that he should get me into bed. If only he had been in bed with me.
I sighed and glanced at the other side of the bed, wondering where he had slept. I couldn’t say for certain but the pillow next to mine had an indentation like someone had slept there. I pulled the sheet down from the bed and saw the bed covers were a little ruffled. Had Elliot slept in the same bed with me last night?
Although I wasn’t sure what had happened after I had become drunk, I did know for sure that nothing had happened between us. That was disappointing. He must have undressed me for bed though because I was wearing nothing but my panties. I blushed, thinking about him maneuvering my limbs and exposing my body. I wasn’t flawless like the women he dated. I wasn’t big but would never be petite.
He must have not cared for me knowing he had slept beside me because he was gone. The gentle swaying of the ship almost lulled me back to sleep, but I decided to get up and take a shower before he returned and found me still wearing my underwear.
I pulled back the bed covers and shuffled my legs toward the bathroom door. I pushed the door open and stepped inside the luxurious bathroom of porcelain and marble. The shades of black along with the white made the bathroom quite posh. The vanity were designed in the shape of two medium porcelain bowls over which the tap hung.
It took a while before I realized I was not alone. I froze as running water from the glass enclosed shower met my ears. This bathroom didn’t come with a hot tub since the hot tub was in a private area overlooking the balcony. The shower took up a good portion of the room.
I stilled, unsure what to do. I was certain Elliot was the one taking a shower. Besides the two of us, the only other people on board the ship were the servants. I inched toward the door, prepared to slip out quietly. No one would be the wiser that I had been inside the bathroom while he was taking the shower. My plan seemed sufficient enough until the tap was turned off.
I panicked which was the wrong thing to do. I should have hightailed it the hell out of there. Instead, I froze with my hand behind me on the door knob. The sliding doors of the shower pushed apart and a wet Elliot stepped out of the shower onto the bathmat.
“Carrie!” he exclaimed in surprise.
The door became a necessity to keep me upright. I clung to the doorknob and stared at the gorgeous man before my eyes. Although I had s
een him wearing swimming trunks and bare-chested before, nothing could have prepared me for the way he looked entirely naked. He wasn’t just naked but, naked and wet. Water was dripping from his hair. My eyes followed a droplet that ran down his neck and down his chest before following the straight line to his groin.
A strangled moan left my mouth. I didn’t even try to hold it back. God help me but after today there was no way Elliot wouldn’t know I was into him. What I wanted was his well-endowed cock inside of me. I could feel my inner muscles clenching in anticipation of what I would never have.
“I-I’m so sorry,” I gasped and finally got the door behind me to open. I exited and ran over to the bed where I dropped onto my belly. I grabbed the pillow and stuffed my face into it while I screamed so it muffled the sound.
Chapter 7
“Carrie.”
I kept my face buried in the pillow and refused to acknowledge Elliot who entered the bedroom. I wished I could move for the sheet to throw over my body but removing required drawing attention to myself and I just wanted to curl up and die.
“Go away,” I said in the pillow and the words so muffled I couldn’t even tell if he heard me.
“I can’t. We need to talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” I said and finally rolled over onto my back to look up at the ceiling. “In fact, can we just forget that ever happened. I really don’t want to think about it.”
When he didn’t answer, I hazarded a glance at him to find he was still gloriously naked standing before me. Not only was he naked but his cock was fully erect. I glanced up at him in confusion. Had I made him excited?
“Then let’s not talk,” he said, drawing closer to me. “Let’s do what we’ve both been thinking for a long time.”
My mouth fell open as he stepped between my legs. Leaning forward until he was lying on top of me with his arms on either side of my face, he stared into my eyes. I willed myself not to panic because I couldn’t make sense of what was happening. He couldn’t be playing with me. Dear, God the look in his eyes said he wasn’t.
Stepbrother The Hard Trainer: A Stepbrother Romance Book Collection Page 2