Hard: A Military Stepbrother Romance

by Swann, Lara

  I ran a hand through my short hair as my mind replayed that disaster of an evening again. Part of me still felt I should have continued, showed her how much she needed that undeniable lust - but I’d promised myself I wouldn’t hurt her again. I couldn’t do that to her if she couldn’t handle it being just that one last time.

  One last time…

  The back of my mind doubted whether even I could have dealt with that, but I ignored it. All I’d wanted was to get her out of my head. Instead, I’d wound myself up to the point I could think of nothing else. Even working out and training with my buddies back at base didn’t do anything for me. Didn’t help that most had places to go, people to spend time with in the precious moments they were home. I couldn’t begrudge them that, but…I found myself doing so anyway.

  With a sigh, I sat on one of the dunes, looking out at the stormy waters that seemed to match my mood tonight.

  The waves broke the glittering light of the moon as the rushing of waves covered any other sound. My eyes scanned the beach automatically, but it was empty, the pier desolate against the dark backdrop. Suited me perfectly. If it wasn’t for the girl in her fine manor behind me, anyway.

  The jagged start-up of an engine cut through my thoughts and I glanced up with a frown. It sounded like…

  A boat.

  My eyes shot to the pier and I thought I made out a couple of flickering lights. Jumping up, I started walking towards it. I knew there was a small motorboat there that Terence no doubt used to ferry people to his yacht sitting a mile or so further out, but surely no one would be crazy enough to try and steal it? They weren’t exactly the most subtle of things.

  That sound was definitely the boat though, and I could hear it ramping up as it darted across the rough waves. It wasn’t even the kind of night for this.

  I started running, heading for the pier as I tried to make out what was going on. The moon couldn’t compete with the blackness of the water, and whoever was driving that thing wasn’t using much light. My suspicions intensified and I came up hard on the pier, catching glimpses of it skipping across the tumultuous waves.

  It was jig-jagging kind of crazily in the rough direction of the yacht, and my brow furrowed, adrenaline already pumping though me.

  What the hell—

  A sudden gust of wind carried a giggle over to me and my blood froze.

  Fuck no.

  I stared, disbelieving, as its movements became halting, a couple of hard waves buffeting it. It was only a little boat…

  “Stop! Come back!”

  I found myself yelling ineffectually, waving my arms even as I knew they wouldn’t hear or see me over the roar of the engine in their ears, the loud crash of the angry sea around them - not even that command voice.

  Fucking stupid idiots. What the hell did they think they were doing?!

  Another wave crashed into them and I heard a sudden scream cut off abruptly. I could barely see anything, my eyes squinting against the saltwater spray, but I knew what had happened.

  That same scream had shot through me only a few days ago.

  And then I was moving, no more time for anything else. I was stripped down to my boxers in a heartbeat, and the dive was born of practice - long, solid strokes moving me quickly through the water.

  Even so, I didn’t know whether it would be enough. They were quite far out, and my heart was counting every beat from when I’d heard that shrill cry. My mind flashed pictures of the sharp blades of the motor, the harsh movement of the sea and the impact that would have blood discoloring the waters around us.

  Fuck no.

  Fucking stupid fucking girl.

  The mental diatribe died as soon as I got close enough to see, eyes not caring about the stinging pain from forcing them open. The motorboat was larger than I’d thought - but so were the waves. I worked with them the way only months of training can do, splitting through them with no effort, as my gaze immediately took in the wild-eyed girl leaning against the edge - holding onto the rope from a lifebuoy bobbing unhelpfully a few meters from the boat. She was calling out, yelling frantically, and I didn’t think she’d seen me, but I ignored her as I tread water in the waves and scanned the rough sea around us.

  I couldn’t see anything and I fought a moment’s panic, cursing myself as I did so. I never panicked. It didn’t happen.

  The crashing waves were distorting any possible sign of disturbance and my heart was pounding from far more than the physical exertion it took to get here.

  Fuck.

  Something surfaced across from me and I was moving instantly, diving for the sinking flash of white, eyes wide open as I peered into the murky water. Then I my gaze latched on and I kicked out hard, moving towards Bella as she struggled ineffectually in the water. My arms closed around her waist and I propelled us back up, letting out an inner breath of relief even as I fought to keep our heads above the water. She was fighting me as much as the water but I didn’t bother wasting breath telling her to stop - her eyes were glazed over and I doubted she’d hear even at this close distance.

  I cast around for the buoy and saw it floating dangerously close to the back of the boat, the rope almost getting caught in the motor. The damned girl in the boat didn’t seem to have a clue, and was still looking madly around for Bella.

  Another wave hit the boat and she almost toppled in as well, leaning over the side as she was. It righted the buoy though, and I grabbed onto it as it slung around the side, pulling it over Bella’s head and clinging onto it myself.

  That had Bella’s friend looking up, shock coming over her expression as she saw me - but at least she was quick-witted enough to recover and start tugging on the rope immediately. Nothing happened, and I realized even with the water helping, she didn’t have the strength to drag us both back in. I was still worried about the motor and the waves tossing the boat around, and stopped letting it support me - pushing it forward instead with a few hard strokes of my legs.

  We made it to the edge well enough, and with me holding on and lifting Bella up to her, the girl was able to drag them both back into the center of the boat. She was quick enough to jump up and head back to me, but I was already hauling myself over the side, my mass shaking the boat a little, but it held steady.

  Bella was coughing and sputtering on the hard wooden floor, and my focus narrowed to that one point. My senses were working well enough I knew the other girl was hovering between Bella and I, unsure what to do, and I caught the heavy smell of alcohol.

  Damn fucking stupid girls.

  The small part of me outside pure rationality redoubled it’s rage, but this wasn’t the time or place.

  “What—”

  The question was cut off as she evidently realized getting out of my way was the best idea. I knelt over Bella where she was still coughing up water. That she was conscious was a good sign, but I wasn’t taking anything for granted as I checked her over, rubbing her back and pressing down to encourage the liquid out of her lungs. She’d started shivering - big racking motions that had me concerned, and I did a quick check of her extremities. The water wasn’t freezing this time of year, but the alcohol had already reduced her body temperature, and the shock had probably tipped her over.

  The boat had slipped side-on to the next wave that crashed down around us, water pooling in the center of the boat. I grabbed for Bella, refusing to let the rocking motion dislodge us, but cursed as I glanced over at the motor - with the other girl next to me, it had been abandoned. We needed to get back, and get Bella warm and dry.

  Reluctantly, I looked up at her friend, who was watching me - the glazed look in her eyes punctuated by shock and fear. At least it made her a little more alert.

  “I need to drive the boat back.”

  I was yelling and she had to lean close to understand the rough gestures I was making. She nodded, kneeling next to Bella as I looked at her sceptically.

  I showed her how to rub Bella’s back, and though her movements were jerky, she shifted th
e long red locks out of her face automatically - the long practice in the gesture reassuring me a little. Hesitating, I grabbed her chin, looking hard into the mixed awareness in her eyes.

  “How drunk are you?!”

  I didn’t want to leave Bella in the hands of someone who couldn’t hold onto her if we hit another wave. There was no way I was letting her drive us back, though.

  “I’mm okk…”

  Her voice was slurred as she answered, but her eyes had enough of a spark that I didn’t outright drag Bella back to the rudder with me.

  With a small shake of my head, I let go and jumped into the back, grabbing the neglected motor and ramping the engine up again.

  The sea was rough, but nothing compared to what I’d dealt with and we cut through easily enough, my eyes on the two girls in the middle of the boat more than anything else. They were huddling and shaking together, but it was only really Bella’s shivering I was worried about - her lips had had a pale tinge to them I didn’t like.

  They hadn’t managed to get too far out, and I nigh on grounded the boat as I raced straight for the shore, the straightest line to the path back up the house, not bothering with trying to moor at the pier. That route raised a shrill scream from the girl I didn’t know, but I ignored it as the boat ran up into sand, wedging hard enough not to fall over. Then I was out, landing knee-deep in the sea and reaching over to take Bella into my arms. I helped the other girl out, but didn’t give her any time to recover as I set off at a brisk walk for the house. I considered running, but figured it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to leave the drunk girl back here alone, and the situation wasn’t quite urgent enough to warrant it.

  Even if every instinct had me needing to surge forward, dedicate every muscle and fiber to getting her back safe.

  Bella had curled up in my arms, still coughing against my chest as she shivered hard. My body-warmth had been sapped by the sea and her wet clothes rubbing against my bare chest wouldn’t be helping either, but she had melded herself against me easily. I tried not to think about that as my heart beat hard just under the softness of her cheek.

  “I’m Kaylee.”

  The girl beside me - Kaylee - piped up, breath coming short as she tried to balance while following the pace I was setting. I ignored her, not sure I could trust the anger boiling just on the edge of a mental partition that was shrinking with every step we took closer to safety.

  “….aaand you are?”

  I reigned in my irritation with difficulty. Now that we were back on solid ground, her fear seemed to have been replaced with a bubbling energy I wasn’t prepared to deal with. Drunk party girls could be fun, sure - but not for this.

  “Seth.”

  My grunt didn’t deter her, and she giggled - for what reason, I had no idea. There was nothing to laugh about here.

  “Are you the new stepbrother?”

  I didn’t bother to answer, even with how carefully she enunciated her words to counter the effect of the drink, nodding instead to the house.

  “Run on ahead and find her father.”

  I was pretty sure the last thing Bella wanted right now was for her father to see her like this, but I didn’t really care. Maybe his reaction would convince her to never, never try this again.

  “They’re…gone. Gooone for the…night.”

  Of course they were. Fuck.

  “Settthhh…”

  Bella’s voice came through the coughing and gasping, and my arms curled tighter around her.

  “Almost back, baby girl. You’ll be warm soon.”

  Even with the anger coiling inside me, my voice was soft. I could get angry with her another day. As soon as she was okay.

  “Sssseth…”

  She was slightly incoherent, and I was surprised she even knew it was me. I turned to Kaylee instead.

  “Go on ahead and start a bath, okay?”

  The blond girl squinted at me and I refrained from sighing.

  “Bella’s room. Bath. Now.”

  A moment later she nodded and ran off in a very not-straight line that wasn’t all that much faster than my walk. At least it got her out of my hair for a few moments, and let me focus on the girl in my arms.

  “It’s alright, baby. You’re okay. You’re going to be fine.”

  The shivering wasn’t stopping, and it was starting to prick at me. I upped the pace just a little and started stroking her back again. That brought back the coughing, but as I felt the drops of moisture coming out of her lungs, I figured it was probably a good thing. Her throat was going to be wrecked the next morning.

  Then we were at the house and I was making my way up to her bedroom before I’d thought through the next plan of action. Kaylee met me in the bathroom, and then looked at me semi-suspiciously. The bath was almost full - thank god for expensive, working plumbing - and her gaze was almost a challenge as the situation dawned on both of us at the same time. I was almost impressed with her drunk wits as I read the curiosity in her expression.

  “How drunk are you?”

  It was the same question as before, but this time the lack of wind and waves made the deep silence much more powerful. She met my eyes and took a breath, and I gave her points for the thought she put into it.

  “I’m…alright.”

  She had to fight back a hiccup in the middle, but I wasn’t really bothered by that. There was an alertness in her eyes, but still - I didn’t know whether to trust Bella to her care.

  “Sseriously. I’m drunk, but…I’ve done this before. I’m not so…light-weight.”

  I weighed her for a moment and then nodded, glancing at the bath. I tested the temperature, but the girl - Kaylee - had had the sense not to make it too hot. Then I slowly lowered Bella into the water. She gasped at the shock of the water - which was mirrored by Kaylee.

  “What—”

  “Her clothes are already wet, it makes no difference - and I’m not having you trying to lift her into the bath.”

  I settled her down, holding her so she didn’t slip, and tried to ignore the way that under the harsh light, her t-shirt was practically transparent. I looked over to the other girl instead.

  “Keep holding her up and I’ll leave. Then get in and join her. Once she’s calmed down a bit, remove the clothes and stay in until the shivering is mostly gone. It might not stop completely. Then let the water out and wrap her in towels. Call out and I’ll come back in to help.”

  She nodded and I felt like she probably understood all the instructions. I’d left the most important one until last.

  “Talk the whole time. To Bella, me, I don’t care - just keep talking. I’ll be waiting outside and if you go silent for a moment I swear I’m bursting this door down, modesty be damned.”

  Her eyes sparkled at that, and she gave me a slow grin.

  “Dude, you just want to see some girl-on-girl action.”

  I stared at her for a moment, disbelief spreading across my face at her attitude.

  Her friend had almost drowned, damn it!

  My glare gave away some of my barely controlled reaction, and she paused, then reached out and caught my arm as she shook her head - which seemed to make her dizzy.

  “Sorry - I…it’s what I do. Stupid jokes when I’m scared shitless. S-sorry.”

  The stammer was more because she had started to shiver than because she was afraid of my reaction, but I grunted and accepted the apology anyway. I relaxed a little as I handed Bella over to her. At least when she was with Bella, some sort of focus seemed to appear.

  I disappeared without another word, shutting the door behind me with one last curt order.

  “Talk.”

  She jumped, but then started up a constant chatter I imagined wasn’t too different from how she was day-to-day.

  What a way to meet one of Bella’s friends…

  Then I shook my head - why did I care about meeting Bella’s friends? The stress and adrenaline must be starting to make themselves felt now, with most of the danger over. I lean
ed back against the closed door and my eyes slipped shut. Flashes of sea and boat, Bella’s pale flesh underwater, flickered through my mind, but I was used to the post-action images and let them wash over me, breathing deeply. I still had half my attention on Kaylee’s reassuring voice, but at least part of me could try and process some of the intensity.

  My own body was cold itself, and I was dripping saltwater onto the thick carpet, but I ignored that for now. I’d warm up later. When I knew she was alright.

  I didn’t touch the coiled ball of anger and fear waiting just under the surface, keeping my cool control wrapped tightly around me as I waited the interminable amount of time it took the drunk Kaylee to get Bella warm, undressed and wrapped in towels.

  “Ooookkaaayyy!”

  Kaylee seemed to think I’d disappeared to the other side of the manor from the sound of it, and I winced before I opened the door.

  They were both sat on the edge of the bath - or rather, Kaylee was sat, and Bella was leaning almost entirely across her, the other girl struggling a little to balance them. At least they were both covered up.

  Some part of me twisted into a smile at the thought I’d be glad about that but I ignored it. Sex had no place on a mission.

  Unfortunately, Bella didn’t seem to realize that.

  When I reached down to help support her up, her head lolled and she looked up at me with wide, unblinking eyes.

  “Seeeeth…you’re…naked.”

  Her hand slapped into my bare chest and I just grunted at her. I wasn’t naked, not exactly - but my boxer shorts obviously didn’t mean much to Bella.

  “Uh-huh - let’s get you—”

  “That’s…new.”

  She was trying to focus on my chest - the elegant black lines there confusing her. The interwoven eagles holding an anchor and trident were something I’d had done after passing BUD/S - a piece of work I was particularly proud of. But it was completely not the time for Bella to notice - or to point out she remembered it bare. A sidelong glance revealed the sudden sharpening of Kaylee’s interest too - girl was far too alert for a damned drunk.