My Stepbrother the Dom (Stepbrother Romance)

by Arabella Quinn

  Holy shit! He had seen me like this last night. A shiver snaked down my spine. And his words were eerily familiar. He had said those same words to April many times – when he was Master Royce. I stared at his tattoo, trying to shake the memories that were creeping up and making my insides flame with desire.

  “Ava,” he used his Dom voice, “drop the covers and come get your water.”

  I don’t know why I did it, temporary insanity, perhaps – but I did. I dropped the covers and crawled down the bed toward him. I was aching with desire; I knew that he could have done anything to me in that moment and I would have let him.

  His eyes grew dark and his body tensed. He looked as if he were about to pounce on me. I sucked in a deep breath.

  “You’ve got perfect tits.” He handed me the glass of water.

  I snapped out of whatever insanity had gripped me. This was absolute madness. I was utterly confused. What the hell was wrong with me? “Shut up, Cole. Get the hell out of here.”

  He laughed. The strange mood was broken. “Get dressed and don’t bother showering or any of that girly stuff. I want to be ready to ski as soon as the lifts open.”

  I groaned, but didn’t argue with him. I gathered the sheets and pulled them up over my chest, because he was still looking.

  He laughed, but it had an edgy sound to it this time. “Oh, by the way - by the end of this trip, you’re going to be begging me to join you in bed. I promise.”

  He walked out of the room and I collapsed backward on the bed. Oh. My. God.

  ~~

  I had vowed to stay away from Cole for the whole trip, but I found myself falling into line. I got dressed, prepared to ski. When I made my way to the kitchenette, I heard Cole’s voice through the connecting door to Marissa and Dad’s unit.

  I walked through and saw Cole and Dad sitting at the table eating breakfast. Marissa was at the stove cooking.

  Marissa saw me enter. “Good morning, Ava. Would you like some pancakes and bacon? Coffee?”

  My stomach felt queasy. “Maybe some coffee.”

  Cole looked up from his plate. “You better eat if you’re going to keep up with me on the slopes.”

  Those were fighting words. “Okay, some pancakes too, but no syrup.”

  Less than an hour later, Cole had me hitting the trails. He was snowboarding and I was skiing. For years, he had tried to teach me how to snowboard, but I could just never figure it out. I decided to stick to skiing because it galled me when he could do something better.

  This time, I felt completely out of shape. I hadn’t skied in years. I was sucking wind trying to keep up with him, but I was too stubborn to admit it. I had wanted to quit skiing for the day hours before, but there was no way I was going to let Cole win.

  It was just after three o’clock when Cole was finally ready to quit. “You’re looking a little ragged, Ava. Why don’t we head in?”

  “I’m fine,” I said, “but if you’re ready to head back to the condo, let’s go.”

  I think the jerk knew that I was on my last legs, but at least he didn’t say anything. I was so weary that I didn’t even protest when Cole carried my skis and poles for me. I headed into our condo while Cole locked up our equipment in the ski lockers.

  On our way back from the base of the mountain, I had spied an outdoor hot tub. It was only a quick run from the small deck off the back of our condo and it was just what my sore muscles needed. I hurried to my room and found my bikini and flip-flops. I stripped off the layers I was wearing and changed as fast as I could. I didn’t want Cole to see me. I grabbed a bath towel and was out the sliding glass doors before Cole had even returned.

  The hot tub was empty. I figured I had a good half an hour at least until the hardcore skiers came straggling in. I closed my eyes and sunk shoulder deep into the hot water. The jets felt like heaven.

  “I hope you weren’t trying to sneak away from me again. That’d hurt my feelings.”

  My eyes flew open and immediately drank in his gorgeous body. “Cole! I thought we were going to stay away from each other?”

  He shrugged. “That was your plan. And why should you get to enjoy the hot tub and not me?”

  He held out one of the two beers he was holding. “Here. I brought you a beer.”

  “You’re not supposed to have glass in the hot tub. It’s against the rules.” I pointed to the sign with the long list of rules.

  Cole grinned. “I don’t exactly follow the rules - if you haven’t noticed.”

  “I noticed.” I took the beer and enjoyed a long sip.

  Cole leaned back, his arms stretched out along the top of the hot tub, and closed his eyes. It gave me a chance to check him out without him knowing. Good Lord, was he gorgeous. I was finding it harder and harder to keep my feelings hidden from him. In fact, I had the sneaking suspicion that he already knew, and he was teasing me mercilessly about it.

  But what he’d said earlier about me begging to join him in bed? He’d said it with so much conviction and confidence, it had made my pussy ache - because it felt like he wanted it too, just as badly as I did. The moan I tried to suppress slipped out.

  Cole poked open an eye and smiled cockily. “Enjoying yourself?” He looked so damn smug that I wanted to kick him in the balls.

  Of course, I blushed. Annoyed, I lied to save face. “No, I’m just thinking about what torture it’s going to be running back to the condo. I’ll freeze.”

  Cole sat up. “Give me a two minute head start and I’ll run back and turn on the shower water for you. It’ll be all heated up by the time you get there.”

  I eyed him suspiciously. “What’s the catch?”

  “There’s no catch.” Cole looked innocent. “I’m just trying to be a good brother.”

  “Very funny.” If all it took was enduring a little jabbing to have the shower heated for me, than I would gladly do it.

  I gave him the head start and then slipped out of the hot tub. The bath towel was freezing cold and did nothing to protect my wet skin from the bitter cold temperature outside. I slid into my flip-flops and then made a mad dash back to the condo.

  Just as he’d promised, Cole had turned on the shower. I could see steam already filling up the tiny room. I bolted into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, eager to strip out of my wet bathing suit. I had my bikini off in seconds flat and ripped open the shower curtain.

  I should have fucking known better. Cole was standing in the shower – buck naked.

  Surprise and anger exploded from me, “What the fuck, Cole!”

  He didn’t even blink. “The water’s all warmed up. C’mon in. I’ll soap you up.”

  He was already practically fucking me with his eyes. I felt dizzy. I felt scared. “Why are you teasing me like this? It’s so … cruel.”

  “I’m not teasing, Ava. I’m dead serious.”

  My eyes drifted to his massive cock. I had seen it before, but everything had been so different then. This time it was Cole’s cock. I choked back a sob and grabbed my towel off the floor.

  Cole stepped out of the shower. “Don’t worry, it’s all yours.”

  He grabbed a clean towel and left the bathroom. He left me to the shower. He left me bedraggled, cold, confused and alone.

  Chapter 21

  COLE

  I knew I was pushing her fast, but if we didn’t work out this shit between us before the ski vacation was over, I knew that I would lose her forever. The fucked up thing was that I didn’t even know what I was really trying to get from her. Did I just want Ava to admit that she was sexually attracted to me? Did I just want her to fuck me whenever I got the itch?

  As much as I tried to deny it, my feelings ran deeper than that. Way deeper. If she wasn’t my stepsister, she’d be my girlfriend already. I wanted to wake up by her side after I had her screaming out my name all night long, but being together like that was impossible. Even if I didn’t give two fucks about it all, she certainly did.

  Even more frustrating was damned
Dom thing. I saw how she looked at my tattoos. She was remembering Master Royce. I knew how she responded to my voice when I commanded her. It tore at my gut.

  I wanted her to come to me on her own - not because she wanted me to be someone else – like Master Royce. But for me. Just for me.

  The whole happy family was sitting at dinner at the Greenwood Tavern, and thankfully, everything seemed normal. Ava didn’t seem like she was about to kill me and I was relieved. I knew I had shaken her up with the whole shower incident. I had pushed things too far. Of course, she wasn’t going to just hop into the shower with me. What was I thinking? She was way too good for me.

  My mother glanced at Ava and me. “Dad and I are going to a comedy show here at the resort after dinner. Do you two want to come?”

  Ava shook her head. “I’m exhausted. Cole had me skiing all day today. He wouldn’t let me rest. I haven’t skied in a long time – I’m not used to it.”

  Mom laughed. “How about you, Cole?”

  “I think I’ll pass, too.” I glanced sideways over at Ava, expecting a kick in the shin, but she looked slightly amused. “I want to get up early tomorrow and get some good runs in before the weekend crowd gets here.”

  Mom nodded. “Okay. I’ll have breakfast ready by eight o’clock.”

  We ate for a few more minutes in silence before Ava’s father spoke up, “So, Cole, how’s the job going?”

  I forced myself not to cringe. I knew where this was going. Nowhere good. “Pretty good. Keeping busy.”

  “Did you get promoted yet?”

  It was always the same question with him. He didn’t seem to give a shit about anything else, just whether I got promoted. “Not yet.”

  He grunted in disgust. “You’ve been there for what, three years now? How long does it take?”

  My mother broke in, “Frank, please – ”

  “Marissa, you’ve got to stop babying him. How about you, Ava? Any leads yet on a real job?”

  Ava’s voice was quiet, “No.”

  Now I was starting to get pissed.

  Her Dad glared at her. “Are you even looking?”

  I reached for her hand under the table. Surprisingly, she took it. She slipped her hand into mine.

  Her voice sounded shaky. “Dad, you know I am. The market is tough right now.”

  “You graduated almost a year ago. You’re still working at the damn mall like a teenager. Why did I spend all that money on a college education if you’re just going to work at the mall?” His angry voice was starting to catch the notice of people dining nearby.

  Marissa jumped in trying to smooth things over. “Frank, this isn’t the time or the place…”

  I squeezed Ava’s hand under the table. “I’m ready to get out of here. You want to come, Ava?”

  She looked at me and smiled gratefully. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  We got up and left the restaurant.

  ~~

  “Why does he have to be such a jackass?” She was pacing around the small room.

  I popped open a beer and handed it to her. “Who cares what he says?”

  “Jeez, Cole. I was scared.” She took a sip. “I thought you two were going to get into a fight again. I was surprised when you just took that garbage from him. You usually don’t.”

  I turned on the fireplace and sat down on the couch. “I didn’t want to upset you.”

  She whirled around to face me. “You didn’t upset me, he did.”

  I patted the couch beside me. “Come over here and sit. Relax. Why do you let him get to you? What’s he gonna do anyway?”

  Her mind was still spinning. I grinned to myself when she sat down on the couch next to me without thinking. “For one thing, he could kick me out of the house.”

  I put my hands gently on her shoulders and when she didn’t scream bloody murder, I began massaging her tense muscled. “He wouldn’t do that.”

  She sighed. “He just so rigid. I don’t understand how someone so sweet like Marissa can even stand to be with him.”

  Fuck. Just touching her shoulders through a heavy sweater was making me horny. “Let’s stop talking about our parents. It’s creepy.”

  She tensed. “Oh my God, Cole! What are you doing?”

  I didn’t stop. “Trying to relieve some of your tension.”

  “It does feel good. My muscles are so sore from skiing. You don’t think this is creepy?”

  I smiled from behind her back. “This is far from creepy.”

  She was starting to melt into my fingers. “Than what is it?”

  “Sexy.”

  She tried to jump up and away from me, but I was ready for that. I pulled her back against me onto my lap, but she was still struggling to get away.

  “Hold still.”

  Shit. She stopped. It was crazy how she just listened to me like that. Now I had her full attention. She was nervous.

  “Ava, I want you so much right now, it hurts. We both want to be together, why are we denying it?”

  She whispered, “You know why we can’t be.”

  I positioned her on my lap so that I could see her face. “You’ve got a lot of hang ups… a lot of ‘limits’. I know. I remember them all.”

  Her face paled. “Cole, this is more than a limit.”

  I touched her face. “Not to me.”

  “Cole, I…”

  “Will you just trust me?”

  She looked so beautiful and innocent. Like an angel. “I trust you.”

  I leaned back against the couch, tucking Ava’s back against my chest, and continued to massage her shoulders. She was so tense that she was trembling now. I was almost thinking that maybe I should stop - that I should just leave her alone, but the thought sent a stab of panic through me.

  My hand slipped under her bulky sweater and I heard her gasp. I let it settle on her waist until she got accustomed to it being there. She was like a skittish colt, ready to bolt at any moment. I knew that if I scared her too much and she ran, I’d never have another chance.

  I slid her silky long hair to the side and softly kissed the curve of her neck. She seemed to like that, so my lips grew bolder. So did my hand. It slid to the front, resting on her stomach. She was panting now.

  My other hand slid under her sweater and unclasped her bra. She tensed again, but stayed in my lap. I focused on kissing her neck for a while. When I felt her body melting against mine, my hand slid up to touch her breast. I was hoping to feel her nipples pebble under my hand, but they were already hard little buds.

  I think we both moaned. I moaned because I wanted those breasts in my mouth. I wanted to pinch her nipples until she was pleading with me. Jesus, I knew she liked that.

  She wasn’t shaking like a leaf any more, but she was starting to wiggle in my lap, little movements at first that turned into her full out pressing her ass against me. Fuck, I wanted her so bad.

  “Put your hands over your head,” I whispered in her ear.

  She complied right away. I whisked off her sweater and then slid the bra off her arms. I tugged my shirt off so that my body could keep her warm, but really I wanted to feel her soft skin against my own.

  “Lean back.”

  She fit herself against my body. I slid both my hands around her and cupped her breasts. I was in heaven. I ran my hands all around her chest, dragging my palms across her sensitive nipples and pinching them just hard enough to make her moan for more.

  “Oh, Cole.” She was arching her back, pressing her sweet tits into my hand.

  My lips brushed against her ear. “I want all of you, Ava. Stand up.”

  I saw a slight hesitance on her part again, and I silently vowed to take away all her doubts. I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, reaching for the button on her jeans. Her hand reached for mine, stopping me.

  “It’s me, Ava. I’d never hurt you.” I wasn’t sure why I was whispering promises to her that I wasn’t sure that I could keep, but I’d never hurt her intentionally.

 
Her hand slid away, leaving me to undo her jeans. I grabbed the material and then dragged it down her legs until she could step out of her jeans. Then I pulled her panties down, much slower this time.

  She stood still in front of me, still facing away. I slid my arm around her side and gently guided her back with me as I sat back down on the couch with her in my lap.

  “What about… your pants?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Relax.” I pulled her back against my chest again. “We’ll get to that later. First there’s something that I just have to do.”

  I played with her breasts for a few minutes, watching the firelight flicker across her skin. I had fantasized about this scene ever since the restless night I had spent sleeping on this very couch. I hooked my feet around her ankles and began slowly spreading her legs open.

  “Cole?” She questioned.

  My hand slid from her breast. I could feel her body tense as my hand moved lower, exploring every inch of her skin. She inhaled sharply when my fingers skimmed over her mound and reached her wide-open pussy.

  “Mmm. You’re so wet for me.” My fingers slid through her wet juices and circled her clit slowly, over and over.

  Ava whimpered and her hips started thrusting toward my hand. “Oh God, Cole!”

  My fingers pressed further, teasing her entrance with my fingertips. “I love watching you, Ava. I want to see your face when you come for me.”

  She was panting now, her breasts rising up and down with every shallow breath. My fingers never let up on the exquisite torture, circling and flicking her clit and then plunging further and further into her sweet pussy. My other hand was still squeezing her breast and tugging on her nipple.

  Her groans were growing louder. Her hips were thrusting in time to the finger fucking. I thought I’d come right in my pants watching it all.

  I spoke loudly so she’d hear me over her moans. “Ava, open your eyes.”

  She was caught up in the throes of passion, but she opened her eyes for me.

  I didn’t stop teasing her pussy. “Look over to the left of the fireplace.”