Score: A Stepbrother Sports Romance

by Aubrey Irons

  But still, it’s time to get Roxie and get the hell out of here.

  I swing the door open, and that’s when I walk right into Henderson.

  “Well well! Can’t keep your hands off me huh, babe?” He leers, beer stink and sweat nearly overpowering, and I wrinkle my nose and go to push past him.

  He doesn’t budge, and I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m pretty sure I told you to fuck off, downstairs,” I spit at him.

  He grins again and shrugs. “Little hard of hearing I guess,” he says, his eyes firmly on my breasts.

  “Well, I’ll enunciate this time.” I shove both my hands against his chest and push him away from me. “Fuck. Off-”

  BAM.

  I’m suddenly against the hallway wall, the full weight of him pinning me there as he grips my arms hard.

  “You need to learn to talk a little nicer, cutie,” he spits the last word out at me, his crooked-tooth grin leering at me as he chuckles. I can feel my blood pounding in my ears, panic rising as I realize how tight his grip is.

  And then it’s cold, black fear that grips me even tighter. I want to kick, I want to scream, I want to fight.

  But my body goes rigid, my voice caught like ice in my throat.

  Henderson leans in close. “I think you and I would have a lot of fun once we got to know each other, you know.”

  He leers at me horribly. “Real loud down there - nice and quiet up here,” he says with a wink.

  Without warning, there’s a sound like a bomb going off behind him, and suddenly, Henderson is wide-eyed and lurching away from me.

  Dalton.

  Dalton Cole - his face a mask of utter rage and his eyes fuming - looks at me briefly before he grabs Henderson by the neck and bodily throws him against the wall.

  Henderson hits it with a crunch, grunting as he slumps to the ground, and Dalton is on him like a wild animal.

  He’s got the asshole by the throat, hauling him up and shoving him back against the wall with a crack. His arm hauls back before he slams his fist across Henderson’s face. Again, and again, and again.

  I’m dimly aware of Roxie charging through the crowd massing around us and dropping to her knees by my side. She’s yelling, but it’s like her voice is underwater somewhere. And I can’t even turn away from watching Dalton in full god-of-thunder-mode shoving Henderson to the floor and kneeling astride him with a primal yell. He starts to pound on the guy, his face enraged and his eyes on fire.

  “Hailey!”

  I snap my face to Roxie as she shakes me again, screaming my name.

  “Huh?”

  “Are you okay?!”

  I nod, looking quickly at her then back to Dalton before I look at her again. “Rox, I’m fine.”

  I turn back to look at my protector, my white knight beating the snot out of the creep on the floor. I can’t look away. There’s something just…animal-like about my sudden and overwhelming attraction to him, seeing him like that.

  “He saved me,” I manage to whisper out as I stare.

  Shit, is this what shock sounds like?

  Dalton finally stops and looks around at the crowd that’s quickly filling the upstairs hallway. The music downstairs is off.

  He slowly gets to his feet and looks down at his teammate, moaning on the ground.

  “YOU. STAY. THE. FUCK. AWAY. FROM. HER.” He roars each word, the asshole on the ground flinching at each and every one.

  Dalton turns and helps Roxie bring me to my feet.

  “Are you okay?” His arm is around my back, holding me steady as his eyes burn into mine. There’s no grin on his face this time, only this dark, savage look of concern.

  I grin dreamily at him feeling the room start to spin. “I…I’m-”

  And then all that adrenaline hits me all at once, and I feel my legs start to give out.

  “I’m fine.”

  Dalton catches me, and suddenly I’m being lifted off the ground in his arms. Part of me wants to fight him and tell him to get his hands off me, because I feel like that’s something I should say to Dalton.

  But I let it go and melt into him, my face in his chest.

  I’m dimly aware of Roxie’s face - full of concern and hovering over mine. And I’m aware of Dalton carrying me downstairs and then outside - the warmth of his chest, his smell, the strength in his arms.

  We’re barely past the steps of the front porch when I look up at him woozily. “Ferris Bueller, you’re my hero.”

  Yup. I say that. To Dalton.

  And then I pass out.

  Smooth.

  21

  Dalton

  “She’ll be okay, I think she just got freaked by that asshole cornering her like that,” Roxie says, helping me lay Hailey down on the front lawn. She frowns and then sticks her hand out. “I’m Roxie, by the way. Her neighbor.”

  I nod. “Hey, I’m-”

  “Dude,” she gives me a look. “I know who you are.”

  I shrug. “Look, I’ve got it from here. I’m just going to take her home and get her in bed.”

  Roxie’s brow shoots up and I roll my eyes. “Jesus, give me a little bit more fucking credit than that. Not all football players are the scummy douchebags you think we are, you know.”

  “And Dalton Cole’s the exception, huh?”

  I frown. “Yeah, he is, actually.”

  Roxie holds my eyes another minute, as if trying to read me as she stands protectively by Hailey’s side. Finally, she nods, seemingly satisfied that I’m not the rape-y asshole she seems to think all ball players are. “Take care of her, okay?”

  I nod. “Listen, thanks for coming to get me.”

  “Thanks for kicking the shit out of that fucker.”

  My jaw tenses as I look down at the sleeping Hailey. “With pleasure.”

  My car is a few streets away, and Hailey wakes suddenly in my arms as I reach for the keys in my pocket. Her eyes go wide before they suddenly frown at me, and there’s a confused look on her face before she glares at me.

  “Dalton, put me down!”

  “Relax, darlin, we’re almost to the-”

  “Damnit! Put me down!” she hisses again, this time shoving against my chest. “I can walk by myself you know!” Her heel catches me in the ribs, making me grunt as she tries to squirm out of my arms.

  “Jesus, okay!” I mutter, helping her to feet as she shoves me away.

  She glares at me, still looking confused as she crosses her arms over her chest.

  I glare right back. “Okay I don’t know if you remember that time about eight minutes ago when I saved you from that douchebag?”

  “I can take care of myself, you know,” she throws back, her eyes still darting around and her body shaking.

  “Uh, yeah, I can see that.”

  “Just take me home, okay?”

  “Oh! Of course, m’lady,” I say, bowing dramatically and swinging the passenger side of the Escalade open.

  She glares at me and climbs in.

  “You’re welcome, by the damn way.”

  She slams the door shut.

  Jesus, this girl…

  I roll my eyes as I walk around to my side and yank my own door open. I climb in and slam it shut and the car goes silent inside.

  “Thank you.”

  I look over at Hailey, and she’s looking at me, the stubborn anger gone from her face. She takes a deep breath, her look softening.

  “Really, thank you,” she says with a soft smile.

  I grin. “Anytime, red.”

  I start the engine. “You want to head back to the dorms?”

  “Actually,” she bites her lip, looking down before her eyes dart back to mine. “Can you take me to your house- uh, I mean home?”

  “You got it.”

  The car rumbles to life and I peel out onto the main campus road. I crack the windows, letting the fall night blow inside and brush over my face as I drive, letting my other hand drop to its usual place on the center column.

  When Hailey’s
hand slips into mine, it not steamy, or sexual, it’s just…there. It’s comforting.

  It feels good.

  So good, in fact, that we drive the whole way home like that. A quiet car with the Southern autumn air blowing gently over us, holding hands.

  The house is dark when we slip in through the kitchen door, Mom and Jim having long since turned in over on their wing of the house. I follow Hailey up to her room without her asking, and without either of us saying a thing until we get to her door at the landing at the top of the stairs.

  She turns to me then, her eyes searching mine. “Um, thank you, for everything tonight.”

  I nod, my hand squeezing her shoulder. “Get some sleep, darlin. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

  She turns to open her door, but then turns back suddenly, frowning. “Dalton?” She looks up at me, biting her bottom lip. “Will you stay with me tonight?”

  I arch a brow, a grin starting to tease my lips, but she rolls her eyes. “God, I knew you’d make it gross.”

  I laugh and pull her in for a hug, the scent of her hair filling my nose.

  “I just mean stay here, Dalton. I’m not going to-”

  “Hails, I get it. And yeah, no problem.”

  I’m sitting on the edge of her bed when she comes out of her adjoined bathroom - hair down, glasses on, baggy pajama pants and a t-shirt with an image of the solar-system on it.

  She hasn’t tried to “doll up” for me, she hasn’t tried to hide anything about who she is, or hell, wear a t-shirt that didn’t scream “giant nerd”.

  And she’s fucking gorgeous for it.

  “Thanks for staying.”

  I blink at her words, realizing I’ve been staring at her. “Hey, I mean at least this floor looks a lot comfier than the last one,” I say with a smirk.

  She grins, her cheeks going that adorable shade of pink. “You can- I mean, it’s a big bed.”

  I wink as I stand. “Careful darlin, if I was a weaker man I might be tempted by your blatant attempts to get into my pants.”

  Hailey laughs - a genuine, easy sound - for the first time all night. “You’re ridiculous, you know.”

  “I try.”

  I turn with a wink and start to pull down the neatly made covers of her bed.

  “Ew, wait.”

  I turn back to her. “What?”

  She’s making a face, her nose all scrunched up. “No jeans in my bed, that’s gross.”

  I arch a brow. “That means they’re coming off, you know.”

  She shrugs, like it’s nothing, “So?”

  I like watching her try and play this down - like us stripping down and sharing a bed is just this natural easy thing we do all the time.

  Like my making her come with my fingers the other day while she moaned into my lips never happened.

  My cock is half hard at just the thought of it, so I turn away - not out of any sort of embarrassment, but I figure if she sees my semi, she’s going to flip about this.

  She’s already under the covers when I slide in.

  “No touching or anyth-”

  “Hailey.”

  Her mouth clamps shut. “Sorry.”

  Damn, the bed is a lot smaller than it looked when it’s the both of us in here. Hailey shuts off her side-table light, and we’re both squirming and twisting to get comfortable, when I suddenly find myself turning just as she does. Suddenly, I’m spooning her, her body right against mine and my arm hovering over her.

  “Dalton-”

  “Darlin, this bed is small as shit, and if you want me to stay-”

  “No, I was-” she sighs. “I was just going to ask if you’re comfortable,” she says quietly. Her body pushes back into me, and again, it’s not sexual, it’s like a comfort.

  I grin, letting my arm drop over her. “Yeah, Hails.” I close my eyes, inhaling the scent of her as she nestles into me. “Yeah, I’m great, darlin.”

  She smells fucking amazing, her shampoo, or whatever that scent is, fills my nose. Her body molds against mine, her skin warm against my arms. I’m definitely half hard, but there’s no fucking hiding that. But if Hailey notices it pressing into her ass, she doesn’t say a thing.

  Fuck, do I want to make this more.

  I mean, if this was literally any other girl in the world, I’d have her panties down, her ankles up in the air, and my cock balls deep in that pussy. I’d have her on all fours with my cock between her lips, or screaming my name as I tasted her pussy.

  But that particular line of thought isn’t exactly doing anything to help my erection situation, so I push it away.

  Besides, this isn’t most girls.

  This isn’t any other girl.

  Because for whatever reason, Hailey Garrison is different, and I’m okay with that. And after the night she’s had, there’s no way I could do anything without feeling like a major asshole.

  “Goodnight, Dalton,” she murmurs sleepily, her breath coming slow and rhythmically against my chest.

  “Night, darlin.”

  22

  Hailey

  It’s dark when I wake up, confused.

  Confused and very, very turned on.

  The dream started with a kiss. But the kiss turned into something so much more as the passion and the heat whipped around us both like a storm. He was pulling at my clothes, tearing them like he couldn’t wait to get them off me; to see me.

  Touching me, his hands slid between my legs and spread me wide. His mouth devoured my neck, my breasts, my nipples - going lower as I gasped and clawed at his back. I urged him on, feeling my body melt under his touch and his lips as he slid even lower, his tongue moving to-

  And that’s when I wake, in his arms

  Oh, right, I’m sharing a bed with Dalton Cole.

  It’s just because it’s a boy in general, that’s all.

  It’s not that it’s Dalton that’s got my nipples hard beneath my t-shirt, and my slit throbbing with heat between my legs.

  No, it’s the feel of a body. It could be any body. It’s chemical; simple biology.

  It’s not that Dalton has me utterly and completely turned on.

  It was just a sex dream, and it’s not like I chose to have it, anyways.

  I close my eyes, trying to will myself back to sleep. But the pressure and the heat are intense, and burning, and I’m still practically panting from the dream that left me so on edge.

  I lay still, barely breathing and listening to the sound of his breaths.

  God he feels good.

  His strong, muscular arms hold my much smaller body against him, and I feel safe and just complete.

  And still maddeningly turned on.

  I take a deep breath, trying to center myself and trying to coax myself back into sleep. I shift, and then he does.

  And that’s when I feel it.

  Oh. My. God.

  Dalton’s cock is rock hard, and it’s right against my ass.

  And it’s big.

  Like, really, really big.

  It’s not like I’ve got much else to compare to in terms of feeling a penis against me like that. But…yeah, there’s no way he was stuffing in the underwear ad, let’s just say that.

  He growls in his sleep, moving his hips.

  Pushing against me.

  His thick bulge nudges between my thighs. Before I can think about it, I’m slightly opening my legs, letting it just barely brush against my slit.

  Oh…

  There’s the feeling of electric current shivering through my body, sending pin-prickles to my fingers and my toes as I feel the full hardness of Dalton’s cock pressing against me there.

  My breath is coming heavy and staggered as I hear him murmur again in his sleep. He moves his hips again, and this time his hands grab me tightly.

  I briefly wonder if he’s having a dream like mine.

  I wonder if his dream involves me.

  His hand slowly slides up to my breast, and my breath catches as he cups it through my t-shirt. My nip
ple hardens under his palm, and I arch my body even more into him.

  I’m on fire. My panties are soaking wet, and my body burns for…for…

  For him.

  There’s no denying it, or rationalizing it as science or biology. Not anymore. It’s Dalton that has me this hot, and there’s no running away from that plain and simple truth.

  I’m moving back against him before I can stop myself, my body moving on its own accord. I bite my lip to silence the moan that threatens to tumble from my mouth, feeling his thick bulge rubbing slowly against me.

  “Hailey.”

  I freeze, his dark, husking voice right in my ear.

  I quickly shut my eyes and pretend I’m asleep, as ridiculous as that is.

  “I know you’re not sleepin’, darlin,” he drawls into my ear.

  I bite my lip, feeling that hardness pressing against me. “Maybe.”

  His lips brush across my ear, making me shiver. “Your dreams as good as mine?”

  His voice is low and sleep-heavy right in my ear, sending shivers down my back. He’s awake, but his hand is still on my breast, his cock still rock hard between my legs.

  And he doesn’t even pretend to make a move to change that.

  “Maybe,” I breathe again, feeling my head spin at the feel of him against me.

  “Hmm, and I wonder what we should do about that.”

  His lips brush my ear again, this time nipping at the lobe.

  Oh, God.

  “We— we shouldn’t do anything about that,” I whisper quietly, trying not to moan as he moves his hips against me yet again. His mouth drops to my neck, his stubble brushing my skin and making me pant.

  “You sure about that?”

  I answer before I can stop myself.

  “No.”

  He growls, and suddenly his hand is sliding up to cup my jaw. I gasp as he turns my head, and then his lips find mine, and I moan.

  I’m lost in that kiss, turning my face into him. I whimper as his strong hands circle around me, pulling me tight against him and growling into my mouth as I kiss him back.

  “Dalton-”

  “Fuck, Hailey.”