PERSONAL: A Stepbrother Sports Romance Read online

  My teeth clattered. Worry mixed with terror traveled down my spine of the thought of him in a gutter somewhere. Or frozen to death, like an ic icle .

  “Yeah , but that was like an hour ago , I think.”

  “Well , he does do those Iron Man competitions.”

  “He does?”

  I mean of course he does. With a body like that, at least the one I saw on the cover of People magazine. Smoking, sizzling hot. Every muscle had its own shiny place to be seen across that tight core and limbs, and chest…and calves…and…I cleared my throat. I ha d a thing for pecs, washboard abs , and that edge on the sides. God help me.

  “Well , I'm kind of worried about him. I think I'm going to look for him. Which way did he go?

  He pointed to the left. “He went that way , but of course you know these Hampton trails, so I don't know where he could be.”

  More panic flooded my chest. “With the freezing weather, he could have collapsed on the side of the road with hypothermia or something.” Finally my fears became public.

  “You’re the writer, right?”

  Taken aback by the comment I looked down at my feet for a beat. “No, I'm just a student in grad school.”

  “Well , everybody was really proud of you for publishing that one piece. But I can tell with that wild imagination of yours that it's time to put your speculation at ease. Let’s go look for him.”

  Moments later we were in his car driving down dark, dark, dark streets from the power outages. We rolled down the windows so we could get a better look instead of squinting through the fogged - up windows. The tires crunched the ice and the first fresh snowfall. The roads were slick and I feared that we were going to crash off the road, but we drove very, very slowly.

  After minutes of driving, my worst fear came to life; there he was on the side of the road. Lying down, not moving.

  Oh my God.

  “Oh my God! Oh my God!”

  Claire's words instantly rang in my head. “Don't let too much time pass and harden your heart.”

  I was too late. It was my fault . I should've been there for him. I should have been softer, no t so damn hard and judgmental. Tears pooled in my eyes as I ran out of the car , running like a bat out of hell.

  Bradley I shouted. “Bradley!!!” I shouted out like a starlet from a Stephen King film. My entire being was covered in absolute horror and fear.

  He moaned.

  Oh thank God, he speaks! But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? He was obviously in pain as he moaned.

  Panic surged. Was he hit by a car? Was he dying?

  “Oh thank God, you're alive. Oh my God!” I was by his side inspecting his body for blood. Mr. Jackson’s headlights lit the scene.

  Moaning, he rolled around on his back and looked up at me. He reached for my face with his gloved hand as a slow smirk appeared on his face.

  I quickly wiped at the tears, embarrassed , but he didn't miss a beat.

  It felt like a moment that lasted for an eternity. Our moment. This moment. But then suddenly Mr. Jackson was by Bradley’s side.

  “Mr. Rainshaw, let me help you up.”

  “I’m afraid I’ve twisted my ankle pretty badly.”

  “Here. Let me help you , ” h e continued.

  As soon as he was lifted, I was aware of his absence.

  I reached for his backpack but it was so heavy I could barely lift it. It was stuffed to the max.

  Mr. Jackson came to my rescue once Bradley was set inside the car.

  “Were you weight training there, running around with this thing?” h e joked. “Miss Kate, please sit in the front. I put Bradley in the back so he can immediately elevate his ankle.”

  Once the doors were shut and mystery was solved, the heater warmed my worried bones instantly.

  Bradley murmured in pain, “There's just one thing I would like to do right now. Soak in the hot tub. But the fucking generator decided to bust.

  “Oh, not true. It’s up and running now , ” I informed him.

  It was beginning to look like a winter wonderland with the mysterious ic icles hanging from trees, the cold air and the silence that hung. It filled the air with a mystique and I couldn’t help but also feel an excited jolt of expectation of what the morning may bring. That is, if I didn’t crash from fatigue and j et lag.

  “I’ll buzz Mr. Fox and have it warm and running for you at once, sir. Anything else?”

  “Scotch, please.” He winced in pain. “And a bucket of ice to ice this blasted thing while I soak.”

  “A bottle of champagne please. Uh, for mimosas , ” I quickly added to the mix.

  I could feel all of their perplexed faces on me. I never , ever had a single request.

  Well, if we were going to do this, have this talk, if I was going to see what he really meant behind those words he uttered to me, hell yeah. Bottoms up.

  I wanted to ask him what he was doing running so intensely, with such training. I wanted to tell him I would join him. I wanted to tell him I was sorry for his father’s death, for not forgiving him, for him not being able to share what really happened. To apologize for all the lost time. So much I wanted to say and yet it was as if the trees were not the only thing frozen over; my tongue wouldn’t work.

  The Rainshaw manor terrace was not just your typical terrace. Designed for sleek opulence yet efficient usability for the insane parties and functions they would host, there was more than just one hot tub surrounding their grand Olympic sized pool.

  One hot tub in particular was near the outdoor kitchen, close to a gigantic flat screen television. It was perfect for the men to watch all their sporting games.

  It was also perfect for filming my mother’s reality show. Their home was the largest ever featured o n the network.

  We made our way back to the manor where we were greeted by Mr. Fox , who had crutches awaiting Bradley. Forget service at the Four Seasons , t he Rainshaws ’ staff were the best of the best.

  Standing in the grand foyer underneath a dazzling chandelier, Bradley stripped out of his wet clothes down to his boxer briefs while leaning against the men. I nearly fell over from the shock of it all. I mean, sure I had entertained perhaps joining him outside, but there he was. Right next to me nearly naked without an ounce of body fat. And hot damn , did he look sexy as hell. And his ankle was swelling by the minute.

  “Oh my God.” I covered my shock of seeking his nearly naked body suddenly with the fake awareness of his swelling of his ankle. I had to remember to point, to point at his package. I shook my head, I mean…to point at his ankle to match my confession.

  “You were worried about me, huh?”

  Shy and feeling the heat on my cheeks from blushing, my eyes dashed down to his backpack as a book slid out.

  It was a Thoreau history book.

  “Why…why do you have a Thoreau book apparently from the Hampton library?”

  “Help yourself , ” h e said without a care in the world. “I figured you could use the help since the ‘ net is down.”

  My heart raced to my ears.

  “You mean…you mean you just went to the library? That’s where you were?”

  “Broke in is more like it.”

  A robe was wrapped around Bradley by Mr. Fox. Once Bradley tightened it, he balanced on one leg. His hand went inside as he whipped off his wet underwear and they pooled at his ankles.

  Oh my dear god.

  He was now naked.

  Naaaaked!

  My eyes didn’t miss a beat. This amused him as he ran his fingers through his wet hair as if trying to seduce me with his good looks. “Well, I’m one frigid man. That hot tub is calling my body. All of it.”

  I’m quite sure my mouth was hanging so wide, I looked like a fly trap.

  “Right away, sir. Do you wish to lean on me for support?” Mr. Fox inquired.

  Suddenly Bradley’s eyes went mischievous as he gazed through the sitting room and out to the lit glowing waters. In an instant, he dropped his
robe, reached for his crutches and proceeded to the double doors as I stood watching , completely frozen, dumbfounded, as that muscular body of his, on crutches, limped out to the waters completely naked.

  No one said a thing. Mr. Fox went right away to open the door for him.

  All I could do was stare.

  Stare with dis belief in my eyes and a lust that stirred my entire body.

  I barely heard myself say it, but I said it.

  “Would you like some company?”

  Bradley

  I tried to play it off like it didn’t’ matter, like it didn’t mean anything that the very girl who haunted my dreams and always hung around the crevices of my heart, the very girl who disappeared from my life , wanted to join me in not just hot bubbling waters set in a romantic backdrop of winter wonderland , b ut in an activity that promises one to be almost naked.

  I swallowed hard as my j ohnson tensed as if about to grow into a raging hard on. If I could just make it to those bubbling waters where steam and snowflakes could cover my intention.

  Oh , the smile was as big as the Grand Canyon etched across my face. She couldn’t see it , though. So I sounded as flat as possible. “Sure, why not.”

  The cold winter air slapped my senses into shape. The steam rose from the waters like a natural hot geyser. The contrasting temperatures made the transitioning into the water a slow one.

  So I took even more time.

  My ankle hurt like hell, but there was nothing that could shake off the smile from my face.

  “Sir, uh, we have a few swimsuits from Clarissa if you wish, I could fetch one for her.” Eh, I didn’t care about Fox seeing my naked body. He’d seen so much in this home, nothing fazed him.

  I nodded and kept my eyes closed.

  “Excellent. Thank you.”

  Clarissa, my bitchy ex girlfriend who could stand to eat a hundred cheeseburgers. She didn’t even hold a candle to Kate’s voluptuous body that every guy in the world would kill to have for one night.

  My dick hardened thinking about how no doubt Kate’s double - d breasts would spill out of the top. Oh this was perfect, indeed.

  With my eyes shut, I couldn’t help but think back to the memory etched in my mind like a cow marker, blazed into the skin.

  Her naked body.

  Damn.

  The door swung open and I turned around quicker than I meant to, like a dog hearing its owner’s whistle. It was Mr. Fox with a tray of our drinks and bucket of ice for my ankle.

  I sipped the warm beverage as it brought heat to my weak limbs.

  Finally, the moment I had been waiting for arrived. And there was no hiding my hard - on.

  Normally, I would want whomever I was with to see it. It was a turn - on to them. But with her , it was different.

  Kate

  I undressed as my hands shook. My heart pounded in my ears and dashed down between my legs like a lightning bolt. Right now, tonight, hell , this morning, Bradley wasn’t just my stepbrother.

  Who was I kidding? He really wasn’t anymore.

  He was my school girl crush , who was now naked in a hot tub in winter wonderland , with a backdrop of luxury that would tempt and taunt any other girl like the most delicious sin.

  The air was freezing and I shook as I draped the robe over a chair.

  “Fu…fuck. Fuck. Fuck…that’s hot.” I could only get my ankles in the water. The frigid air nipped my skin and I was caught between a hot and very cold place.

  Well, I needed to do something because everything hurt all at once.

  I lowered myself i to n the waters unaware and uncaring of the moans and sighs the temperature brought naturally to my vocals.

  I swear his eyes grew twice as big.

  “So, you wanted to join me, huh?” He asked as he handed my drink towards me. It was just champagne, sans orange juice. “No juice?”

  “Mr. Fox is trying to get you drunk, it seems.”

  “Mr. Fox? Are you sure?”

  “I may have tossed the OJ far , far away.”

  “Hm…” OJ or no OJ, I needed the liquid courage to accomplish this task. There was one thing I couldn’t stop thinking about, his naked body so close to mine.

  He sat a few inches from me. His back was to the ocean, my back to the property.

  He reached for his phone and swiped at it. Suddenly the privacy shades descended and I felt a dangerous thrill surge through me.

  “Now we’re alone.”

  “Do…do they come out here unannounced?” I twirled a tendril of hair around my finger, nervous. But it made me look menacing, I knew. I regretted asking the question as soon as I asked.

  “Why? You planning on going nude as well?” He winked.

  “I…uh, was just…asking. Stupid , I know.”

  He grabbed the Cristal out of the ice and topped my flute.

  “You could probably leave it out of the ice and it would be just fine, with this crazy cold.” I laughed lightly.

  He nodded, all the while his green eyes turned a liquid jade , and I swear he could have morphed into some shape - shifting creature with eyes like that.

  Right. Well, now or never , before my desire and his good looks ravage me just like a wild animal.

  “Um…Bradley…I…know a lot of time distanced us as a family. I used the incident as a catalyst and reason to stay away, you should know. I wasn’t comfortable with the Rainshaw lifestyle.” I found myself mumbling, nervous, not making any sort of sense. Shit. I’m a fucking writer and I can’t even articulate right with a man like that sitting naked surrounded by all that steam, with small snowflakes teasing his strong muscles before dripping down his chiseled chest, mixing with his own glistening sweat that I bet taste s so salty and delicious. And down it all went below to the same bubbling waters we shared.

  “Baby, I knew that.”

  Baby.

  That term of endearment heated my body like an icicle dropped in to the middle of bubbling waters in Death Valley. I was silly putty.

  NO, no, it’s the alcohol. Blame it on the alcohol ! m y ego shouted at me like a small devil with a pitchfork on my right shoulder. But I knew it wasn’t telling the truth. There is no way ever undoing your childhood crush that you literally saw every night before you went to sleep because he smiled at you from your ceiling. There was no way you could shut out that obsession. Because it was an obsession! Just like any girls in the 70s would literally die to sleep with a Beatle, or any girl in the 60s with Elvis, Bradley was mine. And then he was really mine as family. Maybe he could really be mine tonight…

  “Maybe it was a good thing you went away.” His statement shook me out of my thoughts.

  I shook my head from my crazy rabbit trails in my head. My heart pounded in my ears as the heat and dizzying intoxication of the sexiness of him, the magic of the moment, the surreal - ness of the hour, left me feeling like I was on the crazies t roller coaster ride at Six Flags. A good thing?

  I could feel the perplexed emotion on my face as my chin tilted. His eyes lasered in on the movement as he cl e nched his jaw , as if he fought from doing something.

  Doing something to me.

  Please do it.

  Alas, he slid closer to me and I held my breath. Please pin me against the side, make me a prisoner to your body. I’ll do anything. I want you. My insides screamed. Yet on the outside I knew it, I looked like a scared little kitten with doe eyes.

  “Because of this.”

  His strong hand reached for my dainty , fairy hand and placed it across it.

  Fucking it!

  Oh.My.Freaking.God. It was huge. And he was hard. For me.

  I felt him throbbing and stiff for me.

  My breath quickened and my nipples hardened so tight I could swear the little tie on my back c o me loose a bit.

  Bradley

  I had to do it. It was just a tie and I just distracted her with my cock. It was delicious the way her innocent , weak hand wrapped around my shaft. The shock in her eyes, priceless. Just
a small movement with my fingers to unravel her swimsuit strings, a bit. She’ d never know. Her eyes sought the privacy shades and she began to pull her hand away, but my hand wrapped around hers once more , keeping her firm around me.

  Kate

  Feeling shy, I began to pull my hand away from him but he didn’t miss a beat. He kept my hand on him. I could feel him throbbing.

  “This is what you do to me, did to me.”

  Oh good Lord. Pools of heat shot down my body like electricity and I swear my nipples felt so hard they hurt. So hard that…oh my God.

  My top fell off and floated in the water before diving down in the water to its own adventures. Were my nipples that hard? Was I so in need of him my back arched and somehow…

  The little triangles floated away before disappearing like a smiling and purring mischievous Cheshire cat. It flirted with the edge of the water before diving down past the bubbles to its own adventures like a little trickster fox. Shivers covered my upper body like a small little village of pleasure mountains. Brave snowflakes with the aid of the wind found their way under the covered terrace to kiss my searing skin , but there was one feeling that sent me over the edge.

  His tender , wet lips across my shoulder.

  They felt as soft as satin, but juicy and wet enough to reveal a slow, purposely teasing kiss, the trail of a tongue. Such trailing of small circles, made my pussy clench so hard, I swore I moaned in hot erotic pain. That slow circle teased me. He knew exactly what he was doing. Exactly. I held my breath as a flood of heat floated my way like a heat wave until his soft whisper registered in my eardrums . “There’s so many things I want to do to you right now.”

  The confession of a lifetime. Words tried to form in my larynx. Words tried to form against my synapses. English? Spanish? Hell, just any sort of voice to signify hell yes, but nothing escaped because his teeth lightly bit my ear and I was seconds away from having to straddle him right there in the water.

  Bradley

  I had her in my hands. I could tell. Oh , I could tell I ha d her desire bubbling like these waters. Flashes of scenes so hot sizzled across the movie screen in my dirty mind , of all the wicked things I could to do to her. I could lick her dry until she quiver ed and beg ged me to stop.