GRIND: A Stepbrother Romance Read online

  I chuckled. "Or… you don't know how to finish your drink."

  She pursed her lips together and took a long drawn out sip, just to spite me. "I always finish," she added when she was done.

  Something twinged in my groin at the possible implication. "You do? You always finish all of it?"

  The blush I loved so well spread slowly across her face. I wished she was wearing something more low-cut than some t-shirt, just to see if it continued lower, and when she grinned mischievously it was like being transported back in time. "Every. Last. Drop."

  There was no denying the twitch in my jeans. "I'd like to see that some time."

  Pushing her hair out of her rosy face, Emma shrugged one shoulder. "Who says you won't?"

  Chapter 10

  EMMA

  * * *

  At some point, between the flirting and the drinking and nearly passing out along with Dad, we'd made it to the airport, my stomach lurching as we landed.

  Expecting to be taken to some fancy private resort, I was surprised to see Sandy gesturing for us to follow her toward a ferry docked right off the tail-end of the airport. "Here we are," she said, letting the attendant grab her bags.

  Not even meaning to, I looked over at Cory, who didn't seem one bit surprised. He'd obviously been here before. Figured.

  The ferry, while a nice change of pace from the flying, still made me want to vomit off the side of the boat, so I took a seat along one of the benches on the inside, closing my eyes until we made it to our next destination.

  The private island actually belonged to Sandy, as she put it, and was still part of the country, though still separate enough to only have access to it granted by none other than herself. It was much smaller than the main island, yet looked very similar, with its sprawling green cliffs and gorgeous tropical waters. I took in a deep breath, glad to be on actual dry land again.

  "I know you're probably dead tired, but it's just a little further up," she explained, Cory cutting right past her and my dad, taking long strides. Maybe I wasn't the only one who needed to find a room to pass out in.

  The long, gradual slope of the bamboo steps led us up to a wide-set front lanai, the gorgeous deep colors of the wood polished to a shine. This was better than some touristy resort. Much better.

  "The main entrance still has part of the original grand villa's structure, but my… well, Cory's father had it completely renovated with all the conveniences of the main island, just more secluded, as you can see."

  As I walked inside, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. It was like walking into one of those remote getaway cabins but built for a party of twenty or so people, and so very well-maintained and clean-looking that I was surprised to only see one person waiting for us.

  The woman's dark eyes greeted us warmly. "Mrs. Shire, Mr. Shire. Welcome back," she said, giving us all a little curtsy. It reminded me of being in the presence of royalty.

  As shocked as I was to see the stunning look of the inside of the grand villa, I was even more taken aback when dozens of people swarmed toward us, seemingly out of the woodwork. Everyone, except for a few highly-stylized women with varying perfected hairstyles, was wearing similar uniforms, and though quiet enough not to talk over one another, they were all equally overwhelming together.

  Butlers and maids started to bustle about. From outside the back end of the villa came a few men and a woman with different cameras strapped around their necks. Every which way I turned, there was someone new popping up to speak with either Sandy or even my father, who looked almost as overwhelmed as I felt.

  An older man with a trimmed mustache and an honest-to-God chef's hat came from another room, and a short woman in a matching white chef's jacket quickly followed behind him with a notepad and pen. "Madame, such a pleasure to see you again," the chef said with a heavy French accent, taking Sandy's hand and kissing the top of it.

  I guess this was what billions in the booming oil business could provide you.

  "Miss! Miss! Follow me, please." One of the younger maids came up to me, pointing to my suitcase as someone else, a butler maybe, pulled it along ahead of us. I barely had a chance to say anything to anyone before I was being directed down one end of the villa.

  "Dinner will be served out on the terrace at 8:00 tonight, Emma! We'll see you then!" Sandy shouted over the noise of everyone starting to get louder.

  The room I was led to was in its own separate part of the villa, connected to the main villa by a sandy breezeway. I looked around in awe, still too stunned to say a word as the maid opened the door. I stepped inside and couldn't help but grin to myself. It smelled amazing, like fresh laundry and the light scent of plumeria, soothing some of my nausea.

  The crisp white linens on the king-sized bed were practically calling to me, begging me to come lay in them and sleep for the next day or so. After the whirlwind of crazy over the past week, my body was out of adrenaline.

  "Please let me know if you need anything, miss," the maid said softly, shutting the door behind her as she and the butler left the room.

  I spun around, feeling both goofy tired and giddy as hell, taking it all in. Even the view from the open windows was beautiful. Next to the windows was a clothing rack like the ones you see at stores, full of different kinds of clothing. As I got a closer look, each piece was both expensive and also in my size. Courtesy of my step-mother, no doubt.

  Running my fingers along the different fabrics on the rack, I let out a low whistle to myself. The sequins on one of the longer dresses sparkled a little too much, and my head started to pound. Clearly, my body didn't give a single damn about what was going on around me. I desperately needed to rest.

  After taking the time to freshen up a little and make sure I wasn't actually going to be sick, I decided to lie down in bed. My eyes felt heavier by the second, the sound of the waves crashing nearby lulling me to sleep…

  Something crept up my thigh, a warm hand tracing along my hip before pulling my leggings down. I looked down to see a thick head of wild, light brown hair peek up from under the covers, a pair of startling blue eyes dead-set on me.

  Cory's grin was wicked, almost as wicked as the way he pressed his lips to my mound, placing kisses all down between my legs, his warm breath teasing me through my underwear. I fisted the bedsheets, my breath hitching in my throat. He spread me open, his mouth merely an inch away from my wet sex.

  My underwear was gone, and when the first of his fingers slipped in my slit, my thighs quaked and I let out a soft moan, tilting my hips upward. With my heart already racing in my chest, pounding out a desperate rhythm, I didn't care if what he was doing was wrong. I didn't care about anything at all…

  Chewing on my lower lip, I cried out as Cory slowly pushed his fingers deep inside me, pressing up against my g-spot. His tongue darted out at my clit and I knew it was only a matter of time before…

  My thighs unintentionally squeezed together and I looked up, my mind foggy and still full of lust until I became totally aware of my surroundings again. The waves in the background relaxed me until I realized it was just a dream. A very hot dream… a dream I still wanted to finish…

  Slipping my own hand down under my waistband, I softly touched myself, already knowing I was soaking wet. I groaned, hitting my head against the fluffy pillow. Dammit… I hated waking up from dreams right before the good part! Glancing over at the iron-wrought clock on the wall across from me, I saw it was already 6:30.

  Cory's mouth… his tongue… his fingers… oh, God.

  How could I let myself entertain that kind of thinking? With our parents both in the same villa, no less. And ugh… he was my step-brother now! I wasn't supposed to be imagining riding his cock, watching it plunging in and out of my burning hot pussy…

  "No," I said out loud, hanging my legs over the side of the bed. I had to stop that train of thought before it went any further, no matter how sexy Cory was.

  There was a knock at the door, a blush spreading like wildfire across my f
ace. Just in time. "Yes?" I went to the door and cracked it open, incredibly relieved to see one of the younger women, who must have been a hair stylist, standing on the other side.

  "Hello, darling!" she said in an accent I couldn't quite place. Dutch, maybe? "I'm Vera. I'll be doing your hair while Shanté will be doing your makeup. May we come in, darling?"

  I let them get to work on me, Vera helping me pick out an outfit too. It was probably silly, but I couldn't help but feel like I was in one of those ugly duckling type stories, about to emerge as the swan princess. But when they turned me to face the vanity mirror with its fully lit side-lighting, I nearly teared up.

  My freckles were softened but not covered, my cheekbones highlighted, and my face glowing. The usual plain makeup I wore was nothing compared to the expertly done masterpiece Shanté had accomplished, with even my boring brown eyes standing out. With the beachy waves in my curled hair, I felt like… well, a princess.

  A princess with her own entourage, the way they led me back to the main villa. Vera had mentioned the dinner out on terrace being shoes-optional, and gave me a pair of pretty anklets that resembled the kind of bohemian shoe-style that I'd seen in magazines before. I pretended not to gawk at the real gemstones encrusted along the top of them. They went perfectly with the silky red sarong that was wrapped around my short black dress.

  "Oh my, you look beautiful, Em," Dad said, the first to turn and notice me at the table. He gave me a huge grin and stood up as I walked over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

  But when I looked over and saw Cory standing too, his eyes focused on me the same exact way he looked at me when he'd come to my room that night, my breath caught in my chest.

  Chapter 11

  CORY

  Staring at Emma, something boiled up inside of me. She did this on purpose—she had to have done this just to spite me. I couldn't pretend to know why, but I didn't see how she didn't realize what she was doing to me on the inside.

  With her hair pulled up and away from her face, I got a look at her delicate neck and collarbone, the sexy black sleeveless dress she was wearing pulled tightly across her chest so that her glowing white cleavage just peeked over the top of it. She looked like she'd just come from the beach at sunset, the red wrap around her billowing in the breeze. I had to shake my thoughts clear just to keep my damn mouth shut.

  Dinner was mainly uneventful with the usual kind of conversation. Or maybe it was exciting—I wouldn't know. I couldn't concentrate on anything that anyone was saying except for the few times Emma spoke up or smiled. It was impossible not to keep staring at her, conversation be damned.

  "We're going to keep it very small. Only fifty people or so, I'd say. Right, Jeremy?" Mom asked him.

  "Yes, although your mother insists on adding two or three new people every time I turn around," he replied, winking at me.

  "She does like to spring surprises on you, that's true." I wasn't exactly in the mood to hear about all the details.

  As the dessert was brought out, I wondered if Emma had her phone hidden somewhere in her attire. If she was going to drive me crazy by dressing like an island goddess, then surely she wouldn't mind me complimenting her on it?

  I'm really liking you in that dress, I texted. Very nice. I'd also really like to see you out of that dress. Maybe in my room later?

  I sent it and sat back in the chair, half-expecting to hear a ding or a buzzing coming from across the table. I waited. And waited some more, the smug smile fading from my face.

  When it was clear that Emma wasn't going to be picking up her phone any time soon, I cleared my throat. "You look very nice tonight, Emma," I said, interrupting the quiet talking between our parents.

  Emma, looking like a deer caught in headlights, immediately blushed just like I thought she would. "Um, thank you, C-Cory. You look nice, too."

  My mom looked at Emma’s father, both sharing the same expression of relief and happiness. I could just hear the conversation back in their room now: "Aww, isn't it great that the kids get along?" "Absolutely. The better they get to know each other, the closer they'll get, I'm sure. It's fantastic that they like each other."

  Ha, if they only knew.

  Emma, who was still startled that I'd addressed her at all, didn't even finish her dessert before claiming to need some sleep after the long plane ride. My shoulders slumped as she nearly rushed off the terrace, her red wrap flailing after her. I hadn't even realized she'd been barefoot the whole time…

  "I do hope she feels better," Mom said with a look of genuine concern on her face.

  "She'll be fine, I'm sure," Jeremy said, helping himself to another slice of the pineapple tart. "She needs to get used to the planes and the traveling, especially with Italy coming up for her so soon."

  Italy. I'd almost forgotten that Emma would be leaving for the summer. As stupid and irrational as it was, another stab of jealousy went through me, this time because I knew some idiot Italian guy would probably try and sweep her off her adorable feet. She'd be banging him by the Florence moonlight, me completely forgotten in her mind.

  Get ahold of yourself, I told myself. Stop worrying about what she does or doesn't end up doing, and chill the fuck out. I never got worked up about a girl like this. I had way more important things to worry about, like the vineyard, the ranch, my horses…

  Jumping to my feet, I mumbled something about needing a shower, and left my mom and Jeremy to their much-wanted alone time. I felt like going for a run, something I used to do every morning before checking in on the horses. I made a mad dash back to my room and changed into a pair of running shorts, glad that I had the forethought of bringing them with me.

  With the sun setting on the western coast of the small island, I pumped my legs hard, steadying my breathing, my quads and calves nearly screaming as I circled around.

  Emma's mouth drawn up into a cute smile. Her nibbling on her lip as she was in deep thought. That same lip tugged between my teeth…

  I stopped back at the small bridge that led deeper into the jungle of the island, the sunlight almost completely gone. Bending over to catch my breath, I grunted from the effort. Dammit, I thought the run would help but it only fed the dirty visions of Emma in my head.

  Pacing around, I glanced at the backside of the smaller villa all the way to the right, knowing that inside of it, Emma was in her bed. Possibly even naked. Maybe even waiting for me…

  My footsteps led me right to her door, my hands balled up in fists at my side. I desperately wanted to bang on her door, hot with need. If I couldn't get her off my mind, then maybe I needed her on my dick.

  Drawing in a deep breath, I dropped my arm as soon as I raised it. No. I need to stop acting like a mare in heat.

  Slowly retreating back to my room, I stripped myself of my shorts and boxer-briefs, tossing the gray Calvin Kleins into a corner somewhere behind me. My legs may have been done for the evening, but everything else was pumping overtime, my brain included.

  The lights flipped on as I hit the switch, nearly blinding me with my own sweaty reflection in the mirror. I looked like a hot mess, in need of a shave and then some. I wonder if Emma preferred the stubble rubbing against her inner thighs…

  The faucet squeaked to life when I turned the knob to the left, the shower-head hanging from the ceiling made to resemble an island rainstorm. The water was warm, too warm for me to get rid of the thoughts in my head, so I turned it more to the right. Goosebumps broke out across my tan skin as the water sluiced down my chest and abs.

  There was already a bar of soap waiting for me, so I got to work, scrubbing my face and shoulders first before making my way down my chest and stomach.

  I imagined Emma's fingers wrapping around my hard cock, stroking me slowly. Such a fucking tease she was, that cute little smirk on her face not fooling anyone… I pictured her dropping to her knees, cupping my balls in her hand as she worked my shaft.

  With my cock stiffening even under the frigid water, I ran my hand over
it, feeling as though I would explode if I didn't jack off right away. I squeezed the head of my length, thinking about how hot it would be to watch my dick disappear between Emma's warm lips.

  "Mmm," I moaned, my leg muscles starting to give out on me. I leaned my arm against the shower to help hold myself up, the water running down my back as I imagined surprising her in her room right now. Having her suck my cock with my hands wrapped up in her luscious hair. Her wet tongue trailing down until she licked my balls, and oh fuck… the noises she'd make…

  "Fuck!" I yelled, pounding my fist against the dark tile as I spurted cum all along the wall. The last image of Emma's head bobbing between my thighs was all it took to finally get some relief.

  Chapter 12

  EMMA

  * * *

  I knew I should be out enjoying the absolutely stunning vision of the beach instead of lazing around in my room, hoping for some privacy, so I pulled my bikini out of the suitcase. Holding it up in front of the many different bathing suit designs hanging on the rack, I twisted around and looked in the mirror. Did I want to wear the same old plain black bikini I always wore? Or did I want to step outside my comfort zone and try something new?

  I blew a piece of hair out of my face, smoothing out the deep burgundy bikini bottoms over my ass, turning to get a good look at it in the mirror. The bottoms were low-cut, hugging my hips perfectly, while the top was both sexy and sophisticated—matching burgundy halter bikini, with the keyhole of cleavage covered by a burgundy mesh.

  Throwing my hair up in a messy bun on top of my head, I grabbed my sunglasses and went out into the main grand villa.

  “Excuse me?” I called out to one of the maids I recognized from yesterday. “Um, hi. Which way do I go to get to the pool?”

  “If you go out the back terrace, there’s a small bridge that leads up deeper into the island. Once you cross it, you’ll see the steps to the pool. It’s up on an elevated deck, overlooking the ocean,” she said. “There are towels and anything else you may need already there. Will you be needing any drinks? Wine? A cocktail, maybe?”