by Tia Wylder
Damien wrinkled his nose. “Like I said, I really don’t want to talk about this anymore,” he said.
You were the one who brought it back up, I thought, rolling my eyes. I was starting to realize that maybe Damien’s brusque, playboy behavior was all for show – what if everything was simply for the benefit of a performance? What if he only wanted his father to notice him?
“How did Derek seem?”
I shrugged. “Fine, I guess. He was just relieved.”
Damien raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, right,” he said, and again, I wondered why he couldn’t seem to stay away from the subject of his father.
“What does that mean?”
“Oh, nothing,” Damien said. He sighed and shook his head. “Just that Derek is practically counting the days until Empire Mesa has his name on the door instead of my father’s.”
“I don’t think Derek is like that,” I said. Damien turned to me and raised an eyebrow. I flushed. I shouldn’t have said that, I realized, biting my lip. I shouldn’t give Damien – or anyone else! – hints that I’ve slept with Derek, too!
“And tell me, Emma, how would you know something about my brother that I’ve never been able to realize?”
I flushed even deeper. “I don’t,” I said quickly. “I just…I don’t know. Derek seems so nice.”
Damien smiled, baring his teeth. “Oh, yes,” he said. “Derek is just so nice. That’s certainly the problem he has, now isn’t it?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said quietly.
Damien sighed. “Forget it,” he said. “But Emma, you should know, my brother’s nice guy act is just that – an act.”
“Oh.”
“I mean, I know you probably think of him like Prince Charming,” Damien continued. “He bought you that dress and took you out to a wedding, but that doesn’t mean anything. Derek doesn’t think about the consequences of his actions. He just…does shit and hope something sticks.”
I frowned. “Oh.”
“I’m not saying this to hurt you, I just think you need to be careful,” Damien continued. “Many women fall for Derek. That’s exactly what he wants.”
My heart began to thud in my chest. I’m not falling for Derek, I thought silently, blushing crimson red. I’m falling for you, and I feel like it’s glaringly obvious!
“I see,” I said curtly. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that.”
Damien smirked. “Because he’s your stepbrother, right?”
I bit my lip. “No,” I said slowly. “Because…”
“Cat got your tongue?”
I didn’t reply. Damien reached for my hand and led me away from the shoreline, towards the rocky cliffs hanging over the beach. He pulled me into a small cove.
“Or is it because you’re…otherwise occupied?” Damien asked, his voice soft and low and dangerous. “Is that it, Emma?”
I bit my lip and flushed. Damien took both of my hands in his and gently pushed me backward until I was pressed against the wall of the cliff. I could still hear the crash and roar of the ocean waves, but I felt secluded, almost hidden by the rocky stone walls.
“I don’t know,” I stammered, looking down at my feet. “I…”
Damien put his hand under my chin and tilted my face up. He stared deeply into my eyes and a shiver of something delicious and intense ran down my spine.
“I think you are occupied,” Damien growled. “I think there’s something going on in that head of yours that no one else can figure out.”
I gulped and swallowed hard. My heart was pounding like a drum in my chest, and I could feel my skin was hot and clammy.
Damien leaned down, pressing his lips to mine. When his tongue slipped into my mouth, I moaned. His chin was covered in stubble, and it rubbed painfully against my face, although I didn’t want the sensations racing through my body to stop. Somehow, the slight pain from Damien’s rough chin and jaw just made it even more exciting. We’re doing this, I thought, my heart thumping faster and faster with every second. We’ll have sex, in public, and I don’t even care! I just want to be with him.
"Emma," Damien growled, breaking the kiss and taking my face into his hands. “I want you.”
A soft moan escaped my lips, and I shivered.
Damien kissed me again, pushing his mouth fiercely against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to my body, eager to feel the press of his muscles against my breasts. Damien slipped his tongue into my mouth, and I moaned, spreading my legs as Damien nudged a thigh between mine. He slid his hands around my waist and under my shirt, stroking my lower back and making me shiver.
“I think you want me, too,” Damien growled. “Tell me, Emma. Do you want me?”
“Oh, god, yes,” I purred, arching my neck and tilting my head back against the cool granite. Damien left a trail of fiery hot kisses down my neck, sucking my earlobe and nipping at my sensitive flesh with his sharp teeth. I didn’t just want to make love with Damien, I wanted him to take my body over completely. I wanted him to make me his – I wanted him to screw me so hard that I couldn’t walk.
It wasn’t just about the sex, though – I knew I was dangerously close to falling deeper in love with Damien than ever before.
As we kissed, my heart began to pound faster, and a light sweat broke out over my skin. The day wasn’t overly warm, but I wanted to be naked and vulnerable with Damien, sharing everything that I possibly could with him.
Damien pulled my shirt up and over my head, then pulled me into his arms and held me closer than ever. His kisses on my lips were like scorching rays of heat, and inside my panties, my clit was soaked and throbbing.
“God,” Damien groaned. “I can’t wait, Emma. I need you now.”
The urgency in his voice sent a whole new wave of shivers down my spine. As quickly as I could, I reached behind my back and unclasped my bra, dropping to the sandy ground. Damien dropped to his knees and dipped his head to my breasts, sucking and gently biting my stiff nipples. It felt so good that I moaned loudly and arched my back, shoving my chest into Damien’s face. I tangled my fingers in his hair and gently yanked at his scalp until Damien was shuddering. His clumsy fingers fumbled with the snap of my jeans, pulling them down my wide hips and burying his face in my crotch.
I flushed hotly and tried to push Damien away – the knowledge that he was smelling my arousal was embarrassing – but Damien chuckled. His hot breath tickled my thighs, and I moaned again. When Damien took my knees and spread them, I obeyed. He pressed his face between my thighs and gently breathed on the soaked crotch of my panties. It felt heavenly and tortuous at the same time – a tease, a promise of the pleasure to come. When Damien slipped a finger inside of my panties and wriggled it around, I moaned loudly.
“Eager, are you,” Damien said in a deep voice that sent a shiver racing down my spine. “I love the smell of your pussy.”
I blushed again, even hotter this time. Damien got to his feet and kissed me – I could smell the musk of my arousal on his chin and mouth. Closing my eyes, I slipped my tongue into Damien’s mouth and gently danced with his, wriggling in his arms. His shirt scratched my nipples, and the sensation was intense and pleasurable. I wanted more – I wanted him everywhere. I wanted his cock inside of me, his muscular body pressing me against the rocks.
“I want you,” I moaned softly into Damien’s ear.
“Good,” Damien said. He fumbled with his belt and jeans, kicking them down his legs. Then he reached for my panties and tugged them down. I flushed scarlet at the thought of being caught naked on the beach, but I didn’t stop him. Damien slipped a finger between my thighs and slid it into my pussy, making me squirm and cry out with pleasure.
“You’re drenched,” Damien growled. When he took his hand away, I moaned for want of more. Damien slipped his finger into his mouth and sucked, locking eyes with me.
I reached between our bodies and wrapped my hand around Damien’s hard cock. It was hot and pulsing, and Damien groaned i
n pleasure as I wrapped my fingers around the shaft and stroked my hand up and down. It was clumsy – I’d never touched a cock before – but Damien thrust his hips forward and closed his eyes, obviously enjoying the attention.
After a few seconds, Damien pushed my hand away. He pulled me close and kissed me deeply, then gently tugged me down to the sand. He smirked.
“Ride me,” Damien said, lying down on his back. His cock was sticking straight up in the air, and I flushed again at the thought of him sliding inside of me. Getting to my knees, I straddled Damien and felt the head of his cock pushing into my pussy. I closed my eyes as intense pleasure flooded my body. Damien put his hands on my hips and pulled me down until he was buried inside of me to the shaft. He groaned with pleasure as I rocked and swayed my hips, moving sensually over Damien’s prone figure.
Every time I ground my hips, Damien’s pubic bone brushed against my clit, sending a thrilling sensation through my body. Damien put his hands to my heavy breasts, cupping them and rubbing his thumbs over my stiff nipples until I was moaning and crying in ecstasy. Soon, we were moving together in a perfect sexual rhythm. I could feel my orgasm building in my lower belly, and I closed my eyes, gritting my teeth and grinding hard on Damien’s cock. I loved the way he felt as he slid in and out of my body, and soon I was throwing my head back and howling as my orgasm ripped through my body.
“Oh my god,” I screamed. “Damien!”
Damien put his hands on my hips and pushed me faster and faster, grunting with pleasure. He bucked and arched his back, and then I felt his cock twitching and gushing inside of me. Then I leaned down and kissed Damien gently, tasting the sweat that coated his lips and savoring the salty-sweet blend.
Damien wrapped his arms around me and held me close. He kissed my forehead and my damp hair. My heart was still racing, and the blood was pounding in my ears, but I didn’t want to move. Tears formed in my eyes and before I knew it, I was sniffling and sitting up, trying to hide my damp cheeks from Damien.
Damien frowned. “Emma, what’s wrong?”
I bit my lip as the sobs came harder and harder. “Nothing,” I said, shaking my head. “That was just…really intense,” I added softly. “I’m sorry, I promise, there’s nothing wrong.”
Damien sighed. He reached over and wiped my sweaty bangs from my forehead.
“I think I’m falling love with you,” I said quietly.
Damien didn’t reply.
“Damien?”
Damien pulled me close and sighed again. “Emma…I can’t talk about this right now,” he said quietly.
I sighed. Damn it, I thought as I reached for my shirt and jeans. I just know I’m going to get my heart broken.
Chapter Eight
Over the next couple of weeks, things slowly returned to normal at home. Jack was able to come back from the hospital after four days, and Mom was overjoyed. She threw herself into cleaning and cooking, even dismissing the hired help just so she could personally make sure everything was perfect for the return of her perfect husband.
I’d expected Mom and Jack to fight over his work schedule, but to my surprise, he began to throttle things down. He was only going to the office once a week and delegating most of his work to Derek and Damien. So, when days passed with no word from either twin, even though I knew they had good reason to be busy, I still felt a little hurt.
I tried to keep busy with school, but the truth was that I couldn’t stop thinking about Damien and how I was obviously falling in love with him. Mom noticed something was up – she kept asking me what was wrong. Heck, even Jack noticed – he sat down next to me at the table when I was doing homework one afternoon and asked if there was something he could do.
It was hard lying to Mom, but lying to Jack was even harder. When the phone rang, I was relieved for an excuse to jump up from the table.
“I should get that,” I said breezily as I reached for the receiver. “Who knows, it might be someone from Empire for you!”
Jack rolled his eyes. “I hope not,” he said dryly. “I’m going to lie down.”
As soon as he was gone, I picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Em, it’s me – Derek,” Derek said. He sighed. “I feel bad, I’ve been so swamped at work that I haven’t had much time for myself. Are you free for dinner?”
I bit my lip, feeling guilty for wishing that it was Damien on the other end.
“Sure,” I said after a moment. “What should I wear?”
“I don’t know,” Derek said, sounding annoyed that I’d asked. “Just a dress, whatever.”
I frowned. “Okay.”
“I’ll pick you up at eight, Emma,” Derek said.
Just as I was about to say goodbye, he hung up. I stared at the receiver in my hand for a long time before returning it to the cradle. What was going on? Derek had sounded irritated – had he found out about Damien and me? I groaned – it wasn’t above Damien to taunt Derek about something like that. Not that I hoped he’d tattled, of course…I didn’t want anyone to know.
And I could never have anyone – especially Derek – know that I was falling in love with his twin brother.
I took a quick shower and changed into a loose sundress that was flattering on my wide curvy hips. After a light touch of mascara and lip gloss, I felt I looked okay. At eight on the dot, Derek pulled into the driveway and honked.
Great, I thought. I bet he’s in a terrible mood!
“Oh, that must be Damien outside,” Mom said, peeking through the kitchen curtains.
I rolled my eyes. “It’s actually Derek,” I said. “He’s taking me out to dinner.”
Mom narrowed her eyes and gave me a strange look. “Oh,” she said. “Well, isn’t that nice of him.” She frowned. “Still, it isn’t like Derek to just honk like that, you know,” she continued. “I bet he’s in a bad mood.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I had the same thought,” I said.
Mom gave me a hug and watched from the doorway as I walked down the drive and climbed into Derek’s car.
“Hi,” I said, twisting in my seat and buckling the belt safely over my wide hips. “How are you?”
Derek snorted. “I had a shitty day,” he said, shaking his head as he backed out of the driveway and drove down the street at an alarmingly fast pace.
“I can tell,” I said cautiously. “I don’t think you’ve ever honked before.”
Derek sighed. “Sorry,” he said. “This shit at work…ugh, it’s killing me, Emma,” he said, shaking his head and stomping on the gas. The car shot forward and we merged onto the highway.
“Where are we going?”
“I thought I could take you into the city,” Derek said, keeping his eyes firmly on the road. “You like that?”
“Yeah,” I said, looking out the window as we sped down the highway. The trees and grass passed in a fast green blur and my stomach rumbled with nausea.
Derek didn’t talk much. He drove like a madman – like Damien, almost – and by the time we got into the city, my palms were sweaty, and my heart was thumping anxiously in my chest.
Derek valet parked in front of a fancy Russian restaurant and went inside without opening my door. I frowned – I didn’t like this. Derek had been the sweet one, and I was starting to realize that he didn’t have the smirking charisma like Damien to pull off this new personality.
As soon as we were seated, Derek snapped his fingers in the air. “I want a fucking drink,” he said.
“We can get some wine,” I said, forcing myself to smile. Derek ordered a bottle of expensive red and threw the taste down his throat without even swishing. The sommelier didn’t look amused, but poured us two full glasses and then left the table without a word.
The silence was killing me. “So,” I said sweetly. “What happened at work?”
Derek groaned. “It’s too much,” he said. “I know Dad’s recovering, but I can’t handle this workload. And my piss-ant of a brother doesn’t even feel like helping.”
>
I narrowed my eyes. “Oh,” I said, gnawing on my lower lip. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s just too goddamned much, Emma,” Derek said angrily. His face was tomato-red, and he looked angry enough to kill someone.
“Well, let’s talk about something else,” I suggested. “Thank you for taking me out, by the way. I haven’t been here since I was a kid.”
“Yeah,” Derek said. “Me, neither.” He sighed moodily and poured half the glass of wine down his throat at once.
“It’s funny, you know,” I rambled on nervously. “I used to hate lamb – Mom would tease me about it – but I love it now, I guess it’s just one of those weird things!”