Stepbrother Backstage (The Hawthorne Brothers Book 3) (45 page)

“You never wanted any of it?” I go on, “Being the favorite
son, the star athlete—”

“Well, being an athlete is the only thing that’s kept me sane
this whole time,” he says wryly, “As long as I could take out my stress and
anger on the field, or the track, I was good to go. If I had any choice in the
matter, I’d probably be looking to get into personal training or physical
therapy or something.”

“But…You know you
do
have a choice, right Luke?” I
ask. He turns to look at me, his square jaw clenched. “I’m sorry…I’ve said
something wrong.”

“No, it’s fine. You’re fine,” he says, pulling me against
his side, “It’s just not as simple as all that, Sophie. I have certain
responsibilities to my family, no matter what they’ve done in the past. He may
have his flaws, but our Dad raised us all on his own. That’s not nothing, you
know? I think that’s why I came down so hard on you about wanting to be a performer.”

“When you kept me after class, you mean?” I ask. It’s crazy
to think that that happened only two weeks ago. It feels as though it’s been
years.

“Yeah,” Luke says, running his hand along the dip of my
waist, “I mean, there you were—showing up to my lecture every week, clearly the
smartest person in the room, but hell bent on following your dreams instead
doing something conventional with your life. You were so sure. So solid in what
you believed in. Maybe I was just jealous of how free you seemed. It was shitty
of me, trying to tell you how to live your life.”

“I was kind of shitty,” I mutter, a grin breaking across my
face, “But I have a feeling you’ll find a way to make it up to me.”

Luke lets out a burst of laughter, and the heavy mood is
dispelled at once. But as his hand comes to rest on my bare side, something
else rushes in to fill the air around us. Something urgent and electric,
something I’ve been holding at bay the whole time I’ve been here at the lake
house.

“I definitely have a few ideas,” Luke murmurs.

He takes the coffee mug out of my hand and sets it beside
his on the ground. His hands are still warm from cradling the hot mug, and I
shiver delightedly as those hands warm my breeze-chilled skin. Goosebumps fan
out across my body as he runs his hands along my bare torso. I let my head fall
back between my shoulders as he touches me, memorizing the shape of my body
with his expert hands. A deep, pulsing pressure starts to build between my
trembling legs, my breath coming harder and faster with each passing moment.

With his hard, green eyes fixed firmly on my glistening
body, Luke eases me down onto the smooth slab of rock. Laying my body out
before him, he swings his staggering form so that it’s suspended above mine. I
let my arms fall over my head as Luke lowers himself to me, holding up his
massive form with two thickly muscled forearms. I moan softly as he catches my
lips in his, savoring the sensation of our flushed, bare torsos meeting at
last. That feeling of skin-on-skin is better than
anything
. My knees
fall apart as Luke presses his hips to mine, letting me feel his long,
throbbing erection as it rises in his running shorts. My back is pressed hard
against the cool rock as I hook my ankles around Luke’s hips, pulling his
stiffening cock firmly against my sex.

He lets out a low, rumbling groan as I draw him closer, and
kisses me hard along my throat. His stubble brushes against my skin as he moves
down my neck, across my collarbone. Keeping his cock pressed hard against my
aching sex, Luke pushes up my sports bra, letting my firm breasts spill out
into the crisp morning air. I tug the garment up over my shoulders as he brings
his lips hungrily to my breasts. I suck in a breath as he takes my hard nipple
into his mouth, and cry out in surprised delight as he gives me a sharp bite
there.

“Too much?” he rasps, glancing up at me with his smoldering
green eyes.

“No,” I gasp, digging my nails into his shoulders, “No, it’s
perfect.”

“Good to know,” he grins, closing his fingers around both of
my erect nipples and pinching with just the right amount of force. Pain and
pleasure flow like mad through my body, entwining dizzily. Looks like this star
athlete isn’t afraid to play a little rough.

I let my fingers rake over Luke’s muscled back as he kisses
down along my torso. My back arches as I feel his lips rove across my ribs,
down my stomach, to the twin peaks of my hips bones. We kick off our sneakers
as he nips at my hip, his hands running down along my slender thighs. My breath
catches in my throat as he grabs the waist of my leggings and tugs them over
the rise of my ass, down my legs. I pull myself onto my forearms as Luke kneels
above me, raking his eyes all along my naked body. I’m sure he can see my heart
pounding straight through my rib cage as I lie there before him, the cool
breeze playing against my slick slit. I can certainly see
him
throbbing
through the thin fabric of his running shorts—I’m surprised they haven’t split
open with the sheer enormity of his desire.

“Christ,” Luke growls, running his hands up along my thighs,
“I’ve been fucking
dying
to see you like this, Sophie.”

My head spins as he pushes back against my knees, spreading
me wide open right there before his eyes. I fall back against the smooth stone
as he brings his lips to my inner thigh, kissing along my flushed skin. Burying
my fingers in his cropped brown hair, I try and steady my racing heart as his
mouth moves closer and closer to my pulsing, eager sex. His breath is warm
against my wetness as he positions his massive body between my spread legs.

“Keep going,” I tell him breathlessly.

“Damn. Already begging?” he grins, flicking his green eyes
up to mine.

“If that’s what you want,” I whisper urgently.

“Go ahead then,” he urges, his lips hovering mere inches
from my sex, “Beg me.”

“Please touch me, Luke,” I plead as I writhe with want of
him, “I want to feel your mouth on my pussy. I want to—”

But my words trail off into a wordless moan as Luke lays two
strong fingers against my slit.

“Fuck, you’re so wet…” he growls, stroking along the length
of me.

“No shit,” I laugh breathlessly.

I bite my lip to keep from screaming as he presses those
fingers inside of me, letting me feel him right where I’ve wanted to for so
long. He pulses his fingers against my soft flesh, sending low waves of
sensation rumbling straight through my core. But just as those waves start to
crest, I feel him push back the hood of my clit, exposing that hard, throbbing
button to his expert touch. As he drives his fingers firmly inside of me, I
feel his tongue glance against that bundle of nerves. The steadily building
sensation rising in my core peaks with a strong rush of pleasure. Delicious
warmth surges through my body as Luke flicks the tip of his tongue against my
clit, tracing firm circles as his fingers collide with that tender place inside
of me.

“Luke,” I gasp, holding onto his shoulders for dear life,
“I’m so close…”

“Just wait,” he growls, his lips vibrating against my sex as
his voice rasps with need.

I cry out in surprise as Luke grabs me by the hips and
swings me up into his arms. I keep my legs wrapped firmly around his waist,
supporting my own weight as he spins me around, tugging down his running shorts
with one hand. I laugh breathlessly as he holds me effortlessly suspended,
reaching into his backpack and grabbing a condom.

“Someone thought ahead,” I grin, nipping at his ear.

“I may not be much of a boy scout,” he smiles, ripping open
the wrapper with his teeth, “But I
am
always prepared…”

Our mouths meet ravenously as he sits on the smooth surface
of the rock and rolls the condom down his cock. I shiver with delight as I
taste myself on his lips, his tongue. Finally, he begins to lower me down onto
his lap, and I feel the swollen tip of his cock pressing against my throbbing,
soaking wet slit. Hooking my ankles behind his back, I let my mouth fall open
as he eases me down along his rock hard length. I take his cock inside of me
inch by glorious inch, groaning as I feel him fill me like no man ever has.

“Jesus, Sophie…” he growls, circling my waist with one
strong arm, “You feel so good wrapped around my cock.”

“You have no idea,” I whisper, clasping my hands behind his
neck.

Slowly, we start to move together, our hips bucking with
deliberate, forceful strokes. His cock drives up inside of me, faster and
harder with every pass. I’ve never had a man this big before, never felt
someone open me so deeply. I can feel him colliding with the core of me,
splitting me open as I bounce on his lap in a state of blissful wonder. I let
my head fall back, taking in the brightening sky arching overhead. That is,
until Luke’s fingers find their way back to my clit. Then, the whole world sets
to spinning madly around me.

“Goddammit,” I moan, bucking madly on Luke’s gigantic,
pummeling manhood, “Goddammit, that’s so good…”

“I’m close babe,” he growls through gritted teeth, bearing
down on my hard, throbbing clit. “I’m right there…”

“I want to come with you,” I gasp back, locking eyes with
him as his full lips part.

He keeps his fingers pressed firmly to that tender button as
he rears back and pounds into me with more force than I could imagine possible,
his massive cock driving straight into the very center of me. That deep,
leveling stroke sends me soaring over the edge into dizzying bliss. As I feel
him come deep inside of me, his cock pulsing like mad as he lets go, a rolling
wave of sensation crashes through my body. The feeling sweeps across my every
frayed nerve, infusing each and every one of my cells with searing heat. I’m
run through with the restorative, unimaginable joy of true satisfaction—a
feeling I’ve never shared with another person…until now.

I collapse forward against Luke’s unbending form, feeling
his heart beating wildly against mine. For a long while, it’s all we can do to
try and catch our breath as we stay here, tangled up in each other’s arms
beneath the clear, breaking day. At long last, I manage to sit back on his lap,
training my eyes on his. Not a single word comes to mind that could encapsulate
what I just felt with him…but when those green eyes lock with mine, I see that
no words are needed. We both know exactly what we shared, here.

Gently, Luke helps me to my feet, cleaning himself up with a
towel he was wise enough to pack as I slip back into my leggings. My sex is
already sore and satisfied as I straighten up, my breasts bouncing freely as I
watch Luke step back into his shorts. He turns to face me across the clearing,
looking as at ease as I’ve ever seen him. With a slow smile, he opens his arms
to me. I rush forward, closing the space between us as I wrap my arms around
his waist. Resting my cheek against the hard pane of his chest, I look out over
the wide world, wondering how the hell I got to be so lucky.

And that’s when I hear it—a branch snapping off in the
woods.

Luke and I whip around to face each other, eyes going wide.
When the first sound gives way to another—most definitely the sound of someone
or something approaching—we lurch away from each other’s arms. Heart in my
throat, I rush to pull on my bra and sweatshirt while Luke slips back into his
sneakers, sitting down on the rock that just served us so well. He picks up a
coffee mug and thrusts one in my hand as I hop on over toward him, nearly
face-planting as my shoelaces tangle beneath me. I plop down beside him,
wrangling my face into a casual expression as those footsteps close in on our
clearing. It’s then that my ears pick up a second sound. Something softer,
crisper, absolutely distinct.

The sound of a camera shutter.

“Oh, hey you guys,” I hear my younger sister say from behind
us.

Luke and I turn to see Annabel stepping into the clearing,
her DSLR camera slung around her neck. Relief and frustration war for control
of my mind. On the one hand, thank god she didn’t happen along five minutes
sooner. On the other, how can it be this hard to get a second alone with Luke?

“Hey Anna,” Luke says calmly, “You’re up early.”

“So are you,” she observes, looking between me and Luke as
if trying to solve a puzzle.

“We were out for a run,” I tell her evenly, holding up a
sneaker-clad foot for her to see, “Gotta work off all the meat and potatoes Mom
keeps making, right?”

“Mhm,” Anna replies, raising her camera to capture the view
unfolding before us. Her response is hard to read. Do I detect something
crackling beneath her composure? Something that sounds very much like
disapproval? Maybe I’m being paranoid… I just can’t be sure.

Luke and I steal a glance at each other while Anna’s
distracted by the view. Neither of us can believe how close a call this was.
We’ll have to get even more creative with our clandestine meetings in the
future, because god knows this can’t be the last time that we have each other.
Not now that we know exactly how good it can be.

“Well, I’m probably gonna head back,” Luke says, standing to
go. He packs up the thermos and mugs, swinging the bag onto his back.

“I might just walk back with Anna,” I tell him, “If that’s
cool with her, I mean.”

“Sure,” Anna says, totally absorbed by the world she sees
through her lens.

“See you back there,” Luke says to me, his eyes lingering on
my face. I can feel the longing rising off of him like steam. How nice it would
be, to take our time together. To stay here, unhurried, and explore each
other’s bodies all day.

All in good time,
I try and tell him with my eyes.

“See you later,” I say instead, crossing my arms tightly.

Luke turns to go without another word, taking off at a jog
along the path we traversed to get here. I turn away from him, marveling at how
relaxed my body feels. That uphill run was totally worth it, that’s for damn
sure.