Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 110(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 110(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
“I want to mark every inch of your skin, Lily. Mark it until they all know you’re mine.” My jaw drops. My body begins to tremble. “You’re so innocent, and I want to corrupt you, worship your sweet body and ruin you until you can’t remember a time when you didn’t bow at my feet and belong to me.”
Colt’s words should scare me. Instead, they ignite me. Passion flares deep down in my core. I know it’s wrong. It’s bad. But what am I supposed to do? I can’t control this, these feelings. Even if we are going to be family soon—technically family.
“Well…why don’t you?” I ask, feeling bolder than ever. Maybe it’s the tremors shaking courage out of me. Or the ache spreading through me like my blood is on fire. Or the tight grip Colt has on me that’s making me feel like he already owns me.
But instead of making his move, Colt groans and looks away. “Because you’re my stepsister, Lily. You’re eighteen—”
“We’re alone, Colt,” I whisper. “For more than two weeks.”
For a split second, I’m sure he’s going to kiss me. His mouth hovers over mine, sharing my breath, seductively invading my space. But then, lightning flashes overhead, and a crash of thunder rattles through us. The sky opens with a crash, and rain pelts down in heavy sheets like a hose was turned on above us.
“Inside!” Colt calls over the sound of the pour. He lifts me by the waist onto the dock. Climbing out, I slip on the wet wood, but he’s right there to catch me, both his strong arms around me, lifting me to safety. I can smell him as he pulls me toward the house, my hand in his, the rough skin gripping mine.
The world shudders past me as I race up toward the house, rain pattering against my skin, my feet moving automatically. It’s like I’m in the middle of a dream where Colt is pulling me along with him and I’m more than willing to follow him wherever he wants to go.
A jolt snaps me out of it as the front door slams shut behind us, and I find myself standing dripping in the living room as rain pounds against the windows. Neither of us speaks. We just look at each other, my shirt totally transparent, clinging to my body, and Colt’s briefs barely hiding his massive arousal. His severe gaze keeps dropping as he looks at me.
“You’re shaking. You’re going to freeze.”
“I’m not cold,” I counter.
He swallows hard. “Lily—”
“You almost kissed me.” I’m pretty much bragging.
“No, I—” He squishes his lips together, closes his eyes, and shakes his head. “That was a mistake.”
“No.” I step closer. Water drips at our feet. “The mistake is pretending nothing is happening here. Pretending you don’t feel what I feel.”
“And what you feel is—?”
“Real.” I reach for his hand and somehow find the courage to put it to my chest, directly over my racing heart. This is the most a man has ever touched me before. “This is real, Colt.”
He stands there for a moment, frozen, palm against my breast, feeling the frantic rhythm of my heart. Then he jerks away like I’ve burned him and backs up.
“Stay away from me. I mean it.”
He disappears into the shadows of the house, leaving me standing there, soaking wet and shaking. But more than ever, I’m determined. Because for just a moment, when his hand was on my chest, I saw his walls come down. And what I saw there matched the fire swirling inside me.
You want me too, Colt.
He can run, but he can’t hide forever. Not while we’re stuck here together.
The storm continues to rage outside, but it’s nothing compared to what was just going on between us. I trace my lower lip with my tongue, imagining the kiss that almost was.
Colt might just be the strongest man I’ve ever met, but he can’t fight fate.
And we are fated, whether he wants to admit it or not.
4
COLT
More thunder crashes overhead, rattling the windows of the house as I search through the kitchen drawers for candles. The power went out a few minutes ago, plunging us into darkness. Rain pounds down on the roof like soaked fists as I try not to think about what happened at the dock.
How I held my hands around Lily’s waist as the water streamed down her skin, her wet hair hanging over her eyes—
I slam another drawer shut.
Focus, Colt.
I have to find the candles, secure the house. Not daydream about Lily, upstairs, probably scared by the storm, probably naked and drying off her body with a towel…
“Christ,” I grumble. My cock pulses against my briefs. Need, desire. This is actually getting painful now.
Lightning illuminates the kitchen for a moment, and I spot the box of emergency supplies in the pantry. I grab some candles, matches, and two flashlights. Now I have to check on her. It’s what Dad would expect. It’s what a reasonable adult would do.