Page 26 of Unhinged Love

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He lowers his head until his lips skim my jaw. I turn my head away, but that doesn’t stop him. He only caresses my neck with his lips, his warm breath heating my skin and making me shiver at the same time. “I’m just getting started.”

My eyes close and a shudder runs through me and, for one crazy, unthinkable second, I find myself melting against him. Somehow, he’s getting to me, and I hate him worse than I ever have, but not enough to make me fight against the touch of his lips on mine.

Oh, my god! All at once, an inferno comes to life in my core, lighting my body up, taking me right back to that night in my room, on my bed, when I was completely under his spell. Now I remember how it was so easy to give in when his kiss has the power to make me forget the difference between good and bad, right and wrong. All I know is this, right here and now, when my heart pounds and my nipples go tight and goosebumps pebble my arms under my sweater. I wish he would take it off me. My skin craves his touch in the worst way, and all it took was a single kiss to reduce me to this weak, trembling thing.

The worst part? I want more.

When he pulls back, I lean in, hungry, yearning. A soft snort from him makes my eyes open—he’s smirking, the prick, enjoying the way he reduced me to a mindless, greedy animal.

“Hello! We’re home!”

“Shit,” Carter whispers, almost leaping backward to put space between us at the sound of Paul’s voice ringing out in the entry hall. I’m going to throw up—my heart is racing out of control, and I’m shaking so hard my teeth chatter. They’re not supposed to be home until tomorrow!

Running a hand over his short, blond hair, he murmurs, “We’re not finished with this.”

The flood of warmth and wetness from my pussy tells me my body agrees, whether I want it to or not.

“In the kitchen,” he calls out, sounding light and chipper, while sending me messages with his eyes.Don’t even think about it. I will end you.Right. I wouldn’t even know how to start to explain what just happened.

Paul appears, wearing a sheepish grin. “Hi, you two. We had to cut the trip short, unfortunately.”

“What happened?” My voice is tight, unnatural. I catch Carter’s sharp look out of the corner of my eye—like that’s going to help anything.

“I’m afraid your mom ate something at dinner last night that didn’t agree with her. She was so miserable, we decided to come home a day early so she could rest in her own bed. She’s headed straight up there.”

It’s probably wrong, but I’m glad I don’t have to see her tonight. “That’s a shame. But did you have a nice time otherwise?” Is this really happening? Am I standing here making small talk moments after my stepbrother shoved his tongue down my throat?

I can’t believe Paul doesn’t see it written all over my face. All he does is nod while wearing a pleasant grin. “It was very nice, thanks. I needed an excuse to relax for a little while.”

Finally, he turns to Carter, who, until now, has been silent. “Thank you for this warm welcome home,” he murmurs with a good-natured scowl.

“Welcome home,” Carter tells him, smirking. “The house is still standing, as you can see.”

Barely.

“Well, I’m gonna head upstairs now,” I announce. At least that sudden interruption means I’m covered long enough to make it upstairs without Carter trying to stop me. I never did eat, but I’ll survive. Maybe I’ll wait until later, when everybody’s in bed. All I know is it’s for the best if I get out of the kitchen and hide away for a little while.

Maybe I can make sense of the mess going on in my brain and all throughout my body while I’m at it. I need to clear my head, which is why I immediately go to the bathroom to take a shower. It usually helps me get my thoughts in order if I canstand under the hot water for a little while and not think about anything but going through the motions of bathing. By the time the water coming down from the showerhead runs hot, I’m undressed, stepping into the stall, and turning with my back to the showerhead to wet my hair.

What am I going to do about him? It was bad enough when I had to hide because I was afraid of getting bullied the way I’ve been so many times before. At least that was the devil I knew.

With this? I am completely in over my head. I don’t have the first clue about how to be sexual, how to manage my body’s cravings. That’s what I’m going to have to do. I need to manage this, plain and simple. I need to get a grip on myself somehow. To set the tone so he knows I’m not messing around when I tell him no. That I’m really not interested.

So what if that’s a complete lie? Because as much as I hate him—and I do, so much, for so many reasons—the fact is I also like what he does to me with his hands and his mouth. I like it so much I consider touching myself, making my body feel good the way he did. That wouldn’t do me any good. I would only want him more, and he is the last thing I need. This is all too twisted to comprehend.

By the time I’m finished, the walls of the shower stall are coated in steam that makes them almost opaque. I was in here for that long. I quickly open the door, shivering when cool air hits my wet skin, and reach for the towel hanging from the hook.

Only it isn’t there.

“What the hell?” I whisper, opening the door wider, looking at the floor, thinking it fell.

Which is when the sound of a camera taking a picture startles me, making me jump.

“That’s right. Show me what you’ve got.” Carter chuckles from the doorway as he takes another photo, then another, before I realize what’s happening and pull the door shut witha sharp gasp. He snuck in here. He waited for me to finish showering and stole my towel so he could take my picture.

“You are disgusting!” I hiss while my skin burns with shame. “Get out of here! Before I scream for your dad.”

“I don’t think you’ll do that.” How does he sound so sure of himself? I can’t see him clearly through the fog-covered glass, but can make out his shape as he wanders into the room, coming to a stop opposite the stall door.

---