Trying to find her words around the orgasm threatening to crash over her, Emma managed, “No, don’t...it feels…” he rotated his hips and nudged her cervix again, causing her to lose her train of thought before she continued, “amazing!”
Aiden smiled down at her, and with excruciating slowness, pulled out until it was just the tip of his cock inside of her, then he slammed back into her, rocking her with the force. Emma cried out at the passion that swirled through her. The storm of desire that buffeted her was more intense than any she had felt before.
She wrapped her legs around his waist to try to force him to fuck her harder, and he growled at her before knocking her legs apart again. He slipped her bound wrists over his head and onto his neck as he thrust again, harder this time, and Emma cried out, “Harder. Oh fuck, that feels so amazing.”
Her fingers bit into Aiden’s neck as she tried to keep her orgasm from crashing over her. His cock filled her completely and her center fluttered around its length as he thrust in and out of her.
Thrashing her head side to side, Emma screamed out as she stared at the white clouds in the sky and felt like she was there in the heavens with them. Aiden yelled with her, and she felt him bury himself to the hilt seconds before his cum coated her inner walls.
Gasping, he collapsed beside of her, still buried to the hilt. Emma ran her fingers over his arm, which was draped over her chest, a huge smile on her face as she watched the clouds float by. “I think I need a nap before we go swimming,” he murmured and Emma chuckled as she snuggled against him and fell asleep.
Chapter Four
The day had been marvelous and Emma felt all her worries just disappear. After their nap, Emma and Aiden had gone for a swim and made love again in the water. They’d spent the rest of the day talking and eating between swimming and making love. She’d never felt so comfortable with a man and she felt excited by him both intellectually and physically.
It was a disappointment when the sun riding low on the horizon signalled them having to head back to the stables before it got too dark for the horses. Seeing the stables coming into sight, Emma tried to keep the smile on her lips, but it was hard. Home meant they had to pretend they weren’t together. Home meant doubts that they weren’t going to make it. Since this morning and the way Derek had looked at them, she’d been having a lot of doubts about whether this would work or not.
Climbing off the horses, Emma and Aiden led the horses into the stables silently. When they got there, they gave the horses to one of the stable hands waiting for them. Although she loved to see to her own horses, Julia had strict rules about her stables and how they were bedded. She made sure all horses were properly groomed by one of the various staff on hand. Emma knew that the animals were in excellent hands.
Stepping into a darker alcove in the stables, Aiden wrapped her up in his arms. She breathed him in and forced the tears away. “I hate that we have to pretend to not be together,” he said the very words she had been thinking. “I think, for both our sake and their’s, we need to tell them soon. Maybe in the next day or two...we could tell them tonight, if you want.”
Emma nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I agree. I feel like the world is coming to an end...just because I can’t walk out of this stable with my arms wrapped around you. I just want the world to know that I’m with you.”
Aiden cupped her jaw and raised her head so she was looking at him, “I want that, too. I want to shout it from the rooftop that I finally got the girl of my dreams.” He lowered his head and captured her lips in a soul-crushing kiss.
“Julia, why are you...what the hell?” The voice screamed through Emma’s mind, but she didn’t have a chance to think as she was ripped from Aiden’s arms. She stumbled and would have fallen if it wasn’t for her landing into the startled arms of Julia. Looking up at her, Emma took in her startled eyes and then turned around at the sound of a scuffle behind her.
“What the hell are you doing with my sister, you son of a bitch! With your sister!” Derek yelled as he swung, his fist landing against Aiden’s nose. Blood sprayed out and the stable erupted in sound as the horses sensed the incoming storm unfolding.
Screaming, Emma yelled, “Derek, don’t. Don’t touch him.”
Aiden glared at Derek, his eyes filled with murder as he wiped the blood from his nose. In a cold voice, he said, “I’ll give you one shot. Listen to your sister and walk away because I won’t stand here for a second.”
Fear lanced at Emma’s heart – this is what she’d been afraid of. “Please Derek,” she pleaded, “I can explain everything.”
He ignored her and swung again. This time, Aiden moved with deadly precision. He took the hit to the body as he rotated onto the balls of his feet and came back swinging. One...two...three meaty smacks filled the stable and she could hear the wind being knocked out of Derek. Still he fought on, ignoring the pain that must have been blossoming in his ribs. She was positive Aiden had broken one or two of them. “Stop it, Aiden, don’t hit him,” she screamed and she ran to get in the way, but Julia clung onto her and prevented her from moving.
Derek swung again and landed another blow to Aiden’s face. He shook it off and glared at his stepbrother. Both men drew some distance from the other as they circled, wary of what the other could do. Although Aiden was the more experienced fighter, Derek had a lot of experience himself and was a good match for Aiden.
Emma watched in horror as they closed the space between them and began punching each other again. They didn’t take it to the ground, and Emma knew they wouldn’t. A fresh cut bloomed on Aiden’s face as Derek hit him with an uppercut, but as she watched the two men spar, it was clear Derek was losing the fight. She didn’t know whether to be overjoyed that Aiden was winning or terrified because the man could end up killing her brother.
With a final whirling kick, Aiden connected with the side of Derek’s head. His head snapped to the side and a bloom of blood sprayed out from his mouth as he stumbled to the left. Derek spun around, his eyes blank as his body tumbled to the ground. Emma and Julia screamed at the same time, but Emma reached Derek first.
She pulled him into her arms and noticed that he was already coming around. Thank God! His face was a mask of cuts, and she knew that his nose was definitely broken. His eye was swelling shut and his cheekbone looked fractured, as well. Glancing up at Aiden, she screamed at him, “Why did you do this to him? You could have subdued him with a submission hold...you didn’t have to beat him to a fucking pulp!”
He didn’t answer her, only stood there staring at Derek. Finally, he said, “It wouldn’t have mattered, Emma. We would have had this fight eventually, better to get it over with now.”
Fresh tears slid down Emma’s cheeks and she felt like everything beautiful about today had been shattered. This is not the way love is supposed to be. It shouldn’t be bloody, it shouldn’t tear families apart. She stared up at Aiden and watched his hands flex and then open as he calmed the adrenaline in his body. “We can’t be like this,” she said quietly and it was like every living thing in the stable had grown silent to hear her.
“Like what?”
“Like this,” she looked down at her brother. “This is exactly why I said we couldn’t be together. This is going to tear our family apart and when...when mom and Tony find out, it may even end their marriage.”
The tears flowed freely and she sobbed as she said, “I can’t be with you.”
The finality of it cut like a knife and she knew that she was slicing Aiden apart as much as she was slicing her own heart up. She couldn’t be with him. Not when it meant that Derek would be this angry over them being together. “Em...” Aiden began.
“No, we shouldn’t have done what we did,” Emma cut him off. “It was never meant to work out because we have a family that could be split apart...and it is starting now.”
Aiden moved towards her and captured her shoulders. He stared down at her eyes and then looked at Derek, who was still struggling
to regain consciousness in her lap.
“It can’t end here, not after today,” he said, his eyes searching hers again. Despair shimmered in their depths, but Emma looked down at Derek to strengthen her resolve. How could she be with him when this is what it did to their family?
“It does,” she whispered. “It has to end here.” She pried her shoulders from his grip and turned to Julia. “Phone for an ambulance, please. Derek needs medical attention.”
Chapter Five
Emma cried into her pillow and ignored the knocking on her door for the millionth time since the fight. Derek had spent three nights in the hospital. Aiden had broken his nose, his cheekbone, and four ribs during the fight, as well as various contusions on his body and face. For Derek’s part, he had worked Aiden over pretty good and he had come away with two cracked ribs and a broken nose.
By the time he had left the hospital, he had looked like he’d been through a meat grinder...unfortunately, Derek had looked worse. Everyone in the family knew about her and Aiden before the night was over. Her mother hadn’t said anything, but Tony had screamed at Aiden about what he had done to Derek. Regardless of what was going on, he should have taken a few hits and then subdued Derek. Emma had winced when she heard her own words coming from Tony.
She’d gone home after that and hadn’t been back to the hospital. When she’d gotten home, Aiden was gone. His room was empty, his bags packed, and his truck missing from the garage. She knew that it was better this way, but she couldn’t make her heart believe it.
Instead, she found herself hiding in his room every day before she left for work. She had started jogging there so it would take longer and then she would shower and dress in the gym changing room. Her day would start at six and she took several clients in the early morning to keep her schedule filled.
She wouldn’t stop for lunch...and really, she had lost all of her appetite for food, and she would work straight through until she locked up at five and walked home. She hated being at home and she was seriously considering moving into one of the apartments near work.
At home were memories of Aiden. Her room reminded her of the night he slept with her. The hallway and shower brought his image to her mind and his bedroom still held the scent of him. At home was where her family was, and she couldn’t stand to be around them.
No one knew what to say to her, and she didn’t want to see any of them and their worried glances in her direction. She knew she was being unfair...none of them had anything to do with her split from Aiden directly...well, except for Derek, but she still blamed them. Why did her mom and Tony have to be married? Why couldn’t Aiden be related to someone else?
So instead of dealing with them, she would grab a freezer meal, microwave it, and then head up to her room for the night. She locked herself away and spent the time working on her business or, as she was doing right now, crying her eyes out over her broken heart.
It had been two weeks and she didn’t see any reprieve in sight. All she could hope for was a return to normal. Maybe she could pretend that she hadn’t found her soul mate in Aiden. She could look at expansion and hiring her assistants. She could give Derek some space and come Christmas, maybe they could pretend that nothing had happened. Her family would be right again...even if it was pretend.
She sighed and rolled over to stare at the ceiling. Who was she kidding? Their family would never be right again and it was all her fault...she shouldn’t have explored her feelings for Aiden.
The worst thing about this, besides being apart from Aiden, was the hurt looks that Derek would cast her way. He seemed angry with her, but she was angry with him, as well. He had no right to do what he did. He should have let her explain what was going on between her and Aiden. When Derek wasn’t shooting angry glances towards her, he was walking around like a hurt puppy dog. It was aggravating because Emma didn’t want to feel sorry for him, but she did.
A knock came at Emma’s door and she said, “Go away. I don’t want to talk to anyone.”
“Emma, it’s me,” Alison’s muffled reply came through the door.
“Mom, I said to go away.” She felt like a stubborn mule, but she didn’t need a lecture from her mom about Aiden. She was beating herself up about her relationship enough for everyone. “I just really want to be left alone.”
“Emma Marie! You open this door now or I will get Tony up here to knock it down,” the sharp tone made Emma smile despite her depression. Knowing her mom, she would do just that. Standing up, she crossed the room and unlocked the door before she headed back to her bed.
Her mom opened the door and closed it behind her. She glanced at Emma and then scanned the room, taking in the mess that she had left it. “Emma, this isn’t like you,” she said as she moved to pick up the clothes scattered around the room. “I think you have done enough moping and it really is time to talk.”
Emma ignored her and stared out the window. She didn’t want to talk...didn’t want to hear everything that she had done wrong. Her mom sat down on the side of the bed and sighed. “Emma, you should have told us.”
The words made her turn towards her mother and another set of tears started falling down her cheeks. She was so tired of crying. “So that what I should have done? My time with Aiden would have been even shorter. I know that being with my stepbrother is a taboo. I get that society frowns on it, but I ignored that. I wanted to live with a little happiness, if only for a little while.”
Her mom frowned and turned slightly so she could look at Emma in the eye. “Why would you think we would feel that way?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Emma asked. “Look at how Derek reacted.”
Fluttering her hand as though she was clearing the room of a dumb idea, Alison said, “Derek reacted on gut instinct. He saw a guy making a pass on his sister and he saw red. He saw a friend...a guy that he thought of as a brother, even before Tony and I were married, kissing his sister. I’m not sure of the details, but sisters are off limits for friends.”
Emma’s laugh was harsh in her ears, and she realized it was the first time she had laughed since the day at the river with Aiden. “That wasn’t reacting, that was him wanting to murder Aiden.”
Her mom laughed with her. “I don’t doubt it. Derek has been in competition with Aiden for years...even before we were formally introduced. Remember, they used to go to the same tournaments and Aiden often beat Derek. But when I decided to have Derek train with Tony, that competition grew even stronger. He wanted to be the shining star.”
She sighed and leaned back before continuing, “I know it wasn’t easy for you kids growing up. I decided to raise you both by myself after I left your father. I cut off all contact with him and I fought his rights as a dad.”
She went still for a minute, her expression filled with sorrow. “He wasn’t much of a dad really...he spent most of his time drinking and he had married me for the money. You kids were the best thing I got from him and when I offered him money to leave and never see you guys again, he signed all the papers.
“I always regretted how I handled it and I wanted you to be around a strong man, especially Derek, which is why I put him in MMA. Falling in love with Tony was never the plan, but I never expected my love to affect yours.”
Emma watched her mom and really focused on her words. Although she knew a bit about her birth father, she didn’t feel anything for him. She had never felt cheated since they had her grandfather to fill the father role. She definitely didn’t want to see him and she’d only been a few months old when he left. Neither she, nor Derek, really remembered him.
“Why are you bringing this up now?”
Her mother sighed. “I’m bringing it up because I messed up with my first husband. I messed up when I met Tony and tried to keep my attraction from affecting me. I have so many regrets where love is concerned that I don’t want you to have those same regrets.”
Shaking her head, Emma said, “Aiden is nothing like Ed...like my dad. He wouldn’t hurt me that way.”
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“I know,” she said, “but I know you are a lot like me, and I could see you ruining your future because you got some dumb idea in your head.”
Sitting up, Emma chewed on her lip. “But...”
“No buts. I didn’t raise you to be a wimp. I raised you to embrace life’s challenges.” Her mother stood up. “Sure, it may not be conventional, but really, when has this family ever been conventional.”
Hope swelled in her chest. Maybe it wasn’t as hopeless as she thought. Maybe she and Aiden wouldn’t break their family apart. “But what about you and Tony? How does he feel about us?”
Her mom reached down and patted her on the shoulder. “Tony has known Aiden loved you for years and really, we have talked about the possibility several times. It isn’t my life or Tony’s life – it’s yours and if he makes you happy, then we will support it.”
Tears flooded Emma’s cheeks, but this time, they were tears of happiness. “I don’t know what to do now,” she whispered.
“Go and get him back. Tell him that you were wrong for breaking things off with him,” her mother said and added when she saw the question in Emma’s eyes, “Julia told me what happened and...well...Aiden isn’t here.”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a boarding pass. “Aiden is at the cottage he owns. Tony talked to him about an hour ago. He doesn’t know you are coming, so you will have to fly out and rent a car.”
Emma stared at the ticket in her mother’s hand as her mind whirled around the possibilities. Could she do this? Could she be with Aiden after all? “Are you sure?” she asked.
“Am I sure that I want my baby girl to be happy? Of course,” her mother said.
“What about Derek?”
Bad Fighter Stepbrother (Book 3) Page 3