Stepbrother Bastard (15 page)

“
I
do, Cash,
”
I
whisper, staring deeply into his troubled eyes,
“
Truly,
I do.
”

“
Then
I hope you also understand,
”
he says, his voice rasping,
“
That
when I care about someone, I
’
d do fucking anything for
them. No matter what the risks. No matter what the consequences. Nothing can
stop me from doing right by the people I care for. The
person
I care
for. You understand what I
’
m saying, don
’
t
you?
”

“
I
think I do,
”
I
whisper back, my heart threatening to burst straight through my ribcage.

“
Think?
”
Cash growls,
“
I
need you to
know
…”

I
gasp as Cash wraps his arms around me, scooping me up as if I weighed nothing.
He pulls me into his lap as I clasp my hands behind his neck. Brushing the dark
blonde hair out of my face, Cash pulls me flush against him, bringing his mouth
to mine. I open to him at once, trembling at the passion, the ferocity rippling
beneath his muscled surface. Cash works my mouth open wide, letting his tongue
sweep powerfully against mine. I swing my legs around, hooking my ankles behind
his back and straddling him right there on the canoe bench.

A
low growl vibrates from him core as I grind my hips against his already-stiff
cock. Cash grabs hold of my ass with both hands, squeezing hard. He pulls me
even tighter to that irresistible length, pressing hard in the exact place I
need to feel him
…
All
of him.

“
I
love how much you want me,
”
Cash growls, running his hands up along my
back.

“
Looks
like I
’
m
not the only one,
”
I breathe, pressing back against his rigid
manhood,
“
Or should I say,
feels
like
…”

“
Believe
it or not,
”
Cash
laughs roughly, drawing back to take me in,
“
Fucking
you dirty in this boat was
not
my plan.
”

“
I
don
’
t
believe you,
”
I
tease, raking my fingers down his chest.

“
If
you can wait just a little while longer,
”
he says,
“
I
’
ll
show you what I actually had in mind for us.
”

“
You
expect me to
wait
?!
”
I laugh incredulously,
“
What
kind of cruel and unusual
—”

“
I
promise it
’
ll be worth it,
”
he smiles, circling his
strong hands around my waist.

“
You
and your promises
…”
I murmur, wanting nothing more than to
feel him
now
.

“
I
always make good on them in the end, don
’
t
I?
”
he challenges me.
“
Come
on. Be a good little girl and keep your hands to yourself for just
—”

“
Call
me
‘
little
girl
’
again and I
’
m
swimming back to shore,
”
I warn him, picking myself up off his lap
and making a big show of folding my hands in my lap. It
’
s
a bluff, of course. There
’
s no way I could tear
myself away from him now. I try to ignore the throbbing need that rings out
just beneath them, pounding insistently between my legs.

“
Duly
noted,
”
Cash grins, grabbing hold
of the oars once more.

In
a silence pulsing with desperate need, we soar across the lake. I barely notice
as the sky loses its inky black sheen, giving way to a rich charcoal, then a heather
gray. The sun must be about to rise. I can
’
t
think of a better way to greet a new day than this, all alone at the edge of
the world with the man I
…
The man I
what
? Want, certainly.
Need, perhaps. But what else?

Do
I even dare put a word to how I feel for him?

“
Here,
”
Cash says, his voice a
low rasp.

I
look past the bow of the canoe and spot a small stretch of shoreline. It
’
s
entirely hidden from sight, this spot
—
obscured
by overhanging trees and deep woods on all sides. The narrow beach looks unreachable,
remote, and
entirely private. A kick
drum of anticipation starts up in my core as we glide toward the shore. In one
masterful motion, Cash swings his legs into the shallow water, towing us the
rest of the way. My knees are trembling by the time we
’
ve
reached the shore. I
’
m sure that the very
edges of my form must be vibrating with barely contained desire.

From
under his seat, Cash produces a thick gray blanket, tightly rolled. Tucking it
under his arm, he extends his hand to me. I lace my fingers through his,
pulling myself to standing. At once, Cash feels my shakiness, and stops to
steady me.

“
Are
you OK?
”
he asks, training his
gaze on me.

“
Of
course,
”
I smile gamely, willing
myself to calm down.

“
You
’
re
shaking like a leaf,
”
he murmurs, concerned.

“
It
’
s
nothing,
”
I tell him, laying my
hands on his firm chest,
“
Just
…
a
little overwhelmed, I guess.
”

His
brow furrows.
“
Did I do something wrong?
”
he asks,
“
I
didn
’
t
mean to scare you with all that
—”

“
No,
Cash
…”
I cut him off earnestly,
“
You
didn
’
t
scare me.
”

Cash
’
s
story of valor and sacrifice didn
’
t
scare me in the slightest. Nor did knowing what he
’
s
capable of doing, when pushed. What
did
scare me, though, was the
feeling these revelations inspired in me. Or rather, the depth of that feeling
—
the
extent to which I
’
ve fallen hard for this
gorgeous, passionate, steel-willed stranger. This man I know I can never have
for long. I push the thought of our impending separation far out of mind. I won
’
t
let it ruin the moment at hand.

“
That
’
s
good,
”
Cash murmurs, taking my
face in his hands.
“
I never want you to be
afraid of me, Maddie. You never have to be afraid of me. I know how to control
myself. I
’
ve had to learn. And goddamn, has
that control been tested.

“
I
know, Cash,
”
I
whisper, wrapping my fingers around his wrists.

And
it
’
s
the truth, too. There may be nothing but raw power coursing beneath his
sculpted exterior, but I know without needing proof that he would never turn it
against me
—
or anyone else who didn
’
t
deserve it. Didn
’
t he hold himself back
from fighting Luke just yesterday? Didn
’
t
he rise above those asshole bikers the night we first met? His Dad may have
passed down the reckless impulse to do harm, but Cash has trained himself to be
better. This is a man who turned down a profitable business when it was offered
on a silver platter, simply because it was the right thing to do, by his code.
And that is a man I trust, implicitly.

I
rest my cheek on Cash
’
s shoulder as he pulls me
into a swift embrace. He kisses the top of my head, a gesture that somehow
feels more intimate than anything we
’
ve
yet to share. I feel my body meld to his; fluid, eager, and so,
so
ready. My body has ceased to tremble, now. I
’
ve
never felt more steady in my life.

Cash
peels himself away from me just long enough to snap out the gray blanket,
spreading it out across the sandy, pebble-studded shore. As he smooths out the
well-worn fabric, I kick off my sandals and step up to him, running my hands
down his broad back. He turns to me, eyes gleaming as I kneel on the blanket
before him. Slipping out of his muddy shoes, he lowers himself to his knees as
well, running his hands down along my sides. I plant my hands on the panes of
his chest as he circles my waist with one arm, letting his other hand continue
its journey down my body.

A
low moan escapes my parted lips as Cash slides his hand beneath the band of my
cotton shorts. I press my forehead to his shoulder, my back arching as he
slides his hand between my thighs, letting his fingertips brush against the
thin material of my underwear
—
the only scrap of fabric
separating us now. My breath catches as Cash pushes aside the scant panel,
resting two masterful fingers against my throbbing sex.

“
Christ,
”
Cash groans, running his
fingers all along the length of me,
“
You
’
re
so wet for me, Maddie
…”

“
What
do you expect?
”
I
breathe, letting my head roll to the side as Cash strokes my aching sex.

“
I
’
ve
been thinking about this all week,
”
he growls, holding me
steady as my body goes liquid under his expert touch,
“
Thinking
how fucking sexy you are when you
’
re
turned on. How much I love making you come
…”

I
gasp, clutching onto Cash
’
s shoulders as he lays
those two fingers firmly against my tender clit. Every word I
’
ve
ever known falls away as he traces long, slow circles over that aching nub.
Warm, blissful pleasure radiates through my body at his every stroke, my
muscles clenching ecstatically around the delicious sensation.

“
Relax
…”
he murmurs
authoritatively in my ear, rubbing that excitable button with swift, firm
loops.
“
Just
let go, Maddie. Let me make you feel good
…”

“
It
does. You do,
”
I
breathe, my knees going weak as searing pleasure mounts in my core, ready to
spill out through my entire body.
“
It
feels so good, Cash. I
love
your hands on me
…”

But
my words give way to a throaty cry as his two strong fingers slide back,
driving up inside of me as he works my clit with his thumb. His fingers collide
with that luscious spot just behind my navel, flexing deliciously as
unrelenting pulses of sensation ring out through my body. I can feel myself
speeding toward the edge of orgasm, unable to keep myself from tumbling over
the cliff.

“
I
’
m
so close
…”
I gasp, bucking my hips
against Cash
’
s expert touch.

“
Let
go,
”
he urges, bearing down on
my screaming clit as his fingers slide even deeper inside of me,
“
Come
for me, Maddie. I want to feel you
…”

At
his command, I let down my defenses, give into the rush of sensation that
bursts through me. My every cell is infused with that rolling wave of bliss as
it courses through me, carries me away on a sea of ecstatic pleasure. Cash
lowers me onto my back as I
’
m overtaken by this
feeling, pinning my hands above my head and kissing along my neck. I can feel
his cock raging with desire against my trembling thigh as the orgasm passes
through me, leaving my chest heaving and mouth spread with in a rapturous grin.