Stepbrother Broken (The Hawthorne Brothers Book 2) Read online

  “This is just about perfect,” I say softly, in awe as the sun breaks over the hilly horizon.

  “Yeah,” he murmurs, drinking in the sight of me, “It is.”

  I almost feel bashful at the intensity of his admiration. Maybe I still can’t believe that this amazing, complicated, fascinating person is interested in me at all. I’ve always had trouble taking people at their word, trusting them to step up and be there for me. But I’d happily be proven wrong, if I could just keep easing my guard down for Luke Hawthorne. It still has a ways to go, but hey—anything is possible, right?

  Luke hands me a mug of coffee as I sit beside him on the flat rock, and I happily accept. Our bare shoulders touch as we sit side-by-side, nursing our black coffee as we look out across the expansive forested landscape.

  “So,” I say, giving him a playful nudge with my shoulder, “Is this where you used to bring all the local girls when you wanted to score?”

  He lets out a bark of laughter, laying a hand on my knee as he replies, “It would have been, if any other girl could keep up with me. You’re not as dreadful a runner as you led me to believe.”

  “You say the sweetest things,” I drawl sarcastically.

  “You love it,” he teases, edging his hand ever-so-slightly up my thigh. My back arches as a shot of desire races up my spine. “But for real, Sophie,” he goes on, “You are the first and only girl I’ve ever brought up here.”

  “Really?” I ask, softly, leaning against him as he runs his hand along my thigh.

  “Really,” he replies, turning his face toward mine. “I didn’t have a lot of time for girls, back when I was a kid—collegiate escapades notwithstanding.”

  “All those hometown girls must have been heartbroken,” I laugh. “But what do you mean, you didn’t have time?”

  Luke pauses for a long moment, his hand stilling on my leg as he sips his coffee. I can tell we’re leaving his conversational comfort zone. I’ve never heard him mention his past before. I wonder how often he talks about that time in his life to anyone, even his family?

  “Let’s just say that there was a lot of slack to pick up around here, back then,” he finally allows.

  “I see… And who was the one slacking off?” I ask, seizing the opportunity to learn more about Luke’s shadowy past.

  He gives a gruff laugh, rubbing his sharp, stubble-studded jaw.

  “The real question is, who wasn’t?” he replies. “I guess my mom was the original slacker. She bailed on us before my brothers and I were in the double digits.”

  So that’s what happened to Mrs. Hawthorne. I’d been too nervous to ask, up until now.

  “She just left?” I press gently, laying my hand over Luke’s.

  “Yep,” he sighs, “Decided she didn’t want to ‘rough it’ out here in the woods with Dad anymore. Wanted the cosmopolitan life or whatever-the-fuck. We weren’t living as well back then as we are now. Dad had only just started his construction firm, and things were tight. She just couldn’t take it. Didn’t have any faith that he could make it work. The funny thing is, business started picking up just after she bolted. Dad’s company has been thriving ever since. This house here? That’s what we was able to make for our family. That’s what she missed out on.”

  “Where is she now?” I ask him, “Your mom.”

  “East coast,” he says shortly, “Didn’t waste any time starting a new family out there. Has a couple kids with her new husband and everything. We don’t really hear from her much.”

  “Damn,” I breathe, “That must have been so hard for you and your brothers.”

  “Not as hard as what you and your sisters have been through,” he replies, his hard gaze softening, “I had no idea about your dad, before the other night…”

  “How would you have known?” I shrug, taking a long sip of hot coffee, “It’s not like we took each other’s family histories before deciding to hook up.”

  “Yeah,” he says with a small smile, “But I’m…I’m sorry you had to go through that, Sophie. That you’re going through that. I know that kind of pain doesn’t ever fully go away.”

  A hard knot starts to build in my throat. I’ve never talked about my Dad to anyone, besides my drama school classmates. But even then, it was only in terms of how his death was holding me back as a performer. The raw intensity of Luke’s understanding is so new, so total, that it’s almost overwhelming.

  “You know. It’s hard,” I say vaguely, “But so are lots of things. Like growing up in a house full of dudes, I’d imagine.”

  “It could be…challenging,” Luke laughs roughly, “Dad’s not exactly what you’d call the ‘nurturing type’. Most of his ideas about discipline involve a smack in the face, or worse. I was only seven when he became my only parent. Cash tried to shield me and Finn from the worst of it, but he and my dad butted heads so much that he was gone the second he turned eighteen. Didn’t want anything more to do with us, so he went off and joined the army. Dad had always assumed that Cash would take over the business and everything, being the oldest. But, it became pretty clear, pretty fast, that it wasn’t gonna happen like that.”

  “So it all fell to you…” I say softly.

  “It all fell to me,” he echoes, looking up at the brightening sky, “By the time I started high school, I was already carrying the weight my family’s future on my shoulders. I was busting my ass to make straight A’s, training like crazy to get myself a track scholarship, and working part time at my dad’s firm to learn the ropes. He’d already decided that I was going to take over the business instead of Cash. I was only fifteen years old, but my whole life was already set in stone. Has been ever since.”

  “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.