A Step Two Close Read online

  “Mason, why don’t we go outside and enjoy the summer air? It’s been lovely and warm today. Besides,” she looked over to us, “I think Ayden and Hunter should be left alone to get to know each other.”

  I shook my head. “That’s not necess—”

  “That would be great, Kat. Thank you.”

  I looked over at Hunter while he beamed in my direction. If I had had a large object, I would have gladly aimed it at his smug face.

  “Well, that’s settled then. Come on, darling.” My mother grabbed Mason’s hand and dragged him out of the room. The minute they were gone, I felt my whole body tense.

  Hunter watched as they disappeared and then turned to me with a big grin. “Hello, sis.”

  I balled my fists in my hands. “Don’t fucking say that. I’m not your sister.”

  He ran his eyes down the length of my body. “No, you certainly weren’t doing sisterly things to me a couple of weeks back. In fact, some of the things we were doing may have been damn right illegal.”

  I put my hand up. “Don’t.”

  He stepped forward. “Don’t what, AJ?”

  I shuddered at the memory of him whispering that into my ear as he was fucking me. “You’re so fucking beautiful, AJ.”

  “Don’t come near me.”

  He stepped forward again, so I stepped back. “Why not? Don’t you want to give your brother a hug?”

  I stepped back again. “No, I fucking don’t. And stop saying that. We’re not related.”

  He stepped forward again—looking like a lion about to pounce on his prey. “You know... I’ve often thought about that night. I wanted to fuck you again, but by morning, you had run off. No one has ever done that to me before.”

  I took another step back. “Well, what was the point? We were never going to see each other again.” Not to mention the fact I knew he would have been a danger to my heart.

  “That’s not the point. The point I was trying to make was that I had never had that done to me. I wasn’t finished with you yet, and you fucked off anyway. I’m the one that leaves. Not the other way around. You owe me.”

  My eyes bugged right out of my head. “I don’t owe you shit.”

  He stepped forward again. “Really?” I nodded. “Do you want to tell your mum and my dad that?”

  No, I fucking well didn’t, and he knew it. “You’re not telling them anything. You’re just bluffing.”

  He stepped even closer. “Really? I highly doubt my dad would be surprised by me, but your mum? It’s not good on a lady if she sleeps around.”

  I felt my nostrils flare. “I do not sleep around.”

  He grinned. “So, you really don’t make a habit of picking up men in bars and taking them back to a hotel room?”

  I thought back to the only two times in my life that I had done exactly that. Little did he know the first time was with his dad.

  “No,” I growled back.

  He stepped forward again, and I took another step back. I instantly met with resistance behind me. Why did people have to put up walls in houses?!

  Hunter smiled when he realised he had me just where he wanted me. He had me captive—pinned there by his body and his eyes.

  “Please leave me alone,” I whimpered.

  Hunter lifted his hand and started caressing my cheek. “I’m going to have you again, Ayden. Once I move in, I’m going to fuck you until you scream out your release in every room in this house. I’m going to fuck you for so long and so hard until you can’t take it anymore. Then, and only then, will I fucking leave you alone. I just need to get my fill of you, and once I do, then we can go back to our lives playing happy-fucking-families.”

  Despite my raging hormones, I smacked his hand away. “Never going to happen. Now quit it.”

  Hunter laughed and pulled away. “Let’s see how long that lasts, shall we?”

  I tried to calm my breathing, but it was no use. “How long what lasts?” As if I didn’t know. It was like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

  Hunter smirked. “How long your stubbornness that’s keeping me from being inside of you will last.”

  I balled my hands into fists again. “Am I just a game to you?”

  Hunter laughed again. “Maybe. But, I’ll tell you one thing for certain.”

  “What?” I asked breathlessly.

  He edged closer to me, sweeping a lock of hair behind my ear before breathing his hot breath on my neck. As he trailed his nose along the base, I shuddered. He stopped a moment and then carried on up towards my ear. “I always win,” he whispered.

  I closed my eyes and let the feel of the burn creep between my legs. He knew he affected me. It was damn obvious by the way my breath escaped me and by the way I shuddered every time he touched me. My heart was beating rapidly, and I already knew that fighting him was going to be a losing battle. I also knew I couldn’t do this. Not once more. Not ever.

  So, with more strength than I could ever imagine I possessed, I pushed him away and walked over to grab my champagne glass.

  I heard Hunter laugh as I turned around to face him. “What?” I took a swig of my drink.

  “Do you know that the more you turn me away, the harder I am for you? Keep this up, princess, and I’ll fuck you even harder when it happens.”

  Wetness pooled between my legs. I wanted to be fucked hard by him. In fact, nothing would have given me more pleasure at that moment. He was right about me though. I was stubborn. Living alone with my mother for thirteen years had taught me that.

  “You’re disgusting.”

  He smirked, making his green eyes sparkle. God, those eyes were so easy to get lost in.

  “You love it when I’m disgusting. In fact, the dirtier I talked, the more you screamed. The sooner you admit that, the easier it will be for both of us. I only ask for one day from you, AJ. One day for my lost opportunity.”

  I huffed. “You already had one day.”

  He looked indignant. “I woke up the next morning with the hard-on of the fucking century, and you weren’t there. I was planning on taking you again.”

  I tried so hard not to let that turn me on, but it did. I couldn’t help it. “That would have been once. You’re talking about a whole day.”

  His eyebrow rose in shock. “So, you’re entertaining the idea?”

  I frowned and shook my head. “That’s not what I said. You’re putting words into my mouth.”

  Hunter stepped forward. “I would much rather put something else into your mouth.”

  I made a fist with my hands again. He had a habit of making me do that. “Stop saying things like that.” I sighed heavily. “Listen, whether we like it or not, your father and my mother are getting married. This... ” I said, pointing between him and myself, “can never happen.”

  Hunter stalked towards me, placing his finger on my arm. He looked from where his finger lay and then up to my eyes. “AJ, ‘we’ will happen, and when we do, I want the whole day. Not once. Not twice. As many times as I can have you, until I get my fill of you.”

  He held my eyes steady, and it was then I realised something. “This isn’t about us having sex again, is it? You just can’t stand the fact that a girl walked out on you.” I saw the surprise in his face, and I knew I was right.

  I started laughing. “That’s what this is all about? The great Hunter Davenport didn’t get to have the last say.”

  He gritted his teeth. “No, it fucking isn’t.”

  I laughed again and pulled away from him. Despite the fact that I had gained the upper hand, I still didn’t like being too close to him. One touch of his hand, and I would be back to where I started with him. At that moment, I felt empowered, and I was determined more than ever to rebuff him.

  “Sorry, Nancy-boy, but you aren’t hitting this.” I emphasised my body with my hands and giggled. Even I was surprised at my strange choice of words.

  “Nancy-boy?” Even Hunter was smiling.

  I nodded. “Yes. Now, stop getting too close.”<
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  Hunter took that as a challenge. “Why? Are you frightened that you might go back on your word?”

  I shook my head. “No. What happened between us was two weeks ago, Hunter. If it wasn’t for this fucked-up situation, we would never have even seen each other again.”

  Hunter fell silent for a moment and then sighed. “Okay, I’ll tell you what... I’ll continue to pursue you, and you can continue to try and turn me away. But the only thing you’re going to be is exhausted by the end of it. Why don’t you just let me have my one day, and then we can get on with our lives?”

  I laughed. “Why? Because I was the one who got away?”

  He didn’t smile back. “Exactly.”

  I sighed. I was already exhausted. I had only spent two hours with this man, and I already wanted to wave a white flag.

  “So?” Hunter raised his eyebrow again waiting for me.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “So, what?”

  He moved forward again. “When I move in next week, are you going to open your legs for me?”

  I huffed. “No, I fucking won’t. Piss off.” I swigged the rest of the champagne down and moved a little further out of the way.

  “Keep talking to me like that, AJ; it only makes my dick harder for you.” He started laughing.

  “Well, I guess the only thing you’ll have is a massive case of blue balls because you and I are not happening.”

  Hunter shrugged his shoulders. “It makes no difference to me. Every time you get me horny and rebuff me, I’ll just fuck another girl and pretend it’s you. I might even call out your name whilst I fuck her.”

  I screwed my face up. “You really are disgusting. What woman in her right mind wouldn’t mind being fucked by a guy when he’s calling out another person’s name?”

  Hunter chuckled. “Baby, you would be surprised.”

  I huffed again, feeling not only repulsed, but turned on. And, I must admit, I was feeling jealous of the fact that he was going to sleep with other girls. I really hoped he didn’t end up bringing them back to the house. That would be my undoing.

  I sighed and closed my eyes, hating myself for feeling anything other than pure, raw lust. The same lust he was obviously feeling for me. Why couldn’t I get that night out of my head? Why couldn’t I get him out of my head?

  “Listen... I realise you and I are going to be seeing a lot of each other now, and I realise that we have to try to get along, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to drop my knickers every time you snap your fingers.”

  “One day.”

  I frowned. “What?”

  Hunter smiled. “I only asked for one day.”

  I sighed. “How is that going to happen with my mum and your dad in the house?”

  What was I saying? Why was I even contemplating this?

  Hunter grinned like a Cheshire cat. He obviously realised I had made a blunder. “Pretty soon, the summer holidays will start. Your mum and my dad will be at work. We’ll have free reign of the house most days.”

  I cringed. That was never going to happen. I was going to have to call Mandy and ask if I could stay with her for a while. In fact, I wondered if her parents would mind if I moved in ... just for a little over two years—give or take? If that failed, I could always ask my other best friend, Christian. He was the best person to go out with because he was gay and flirted just as badly as we did. He would make a fantastic flatmate. Given that he’s a man, he knows what men think. He’s great to share stories with, and he knows exactly what to say if you’re unsure about something.

  I wonder what he would think of Hunter?

  Shaking my head, I stared back at those eyes that had held me captive for two weeks straight. “I’ll just make sure I’m out.” I smiled sweetly. Hunter was about to reply when my mother’s shrill voice could be heard from a distance.

  Before I could even register what was happening, Hunter raced over to me, grabbed me by the neck and pulled me in for a kiss. He delved his tongue in my mouth seeking out mine, and, for some reason, I let him.

  My mother was going to enter the room at any second, but all I could think about was Hunter’s lips, Hunter’s tongue, and Hunter’s caress of my hips as he pulled me to him.

  Just as I was getting into the feel of him, he suddenly pulled away, winked at me, and left me standing there out of breath.

  My mother then appeared looking straight towards us with a smile. She saw Hunter first. He looked as cool as a cucumber. Me? I looked like I had just been ravished by a sexy monster.

  “Ayden, are you okay?”

  My mother looked half concerned as she stared at the state I must have been in. “Me?” I shrilled. “I’m fine.” My voice screeched a little more than it should.

  She frowned a little. “Your cheeks are all red, and you sound like you’ve just run a marathon.”

  Hunter chuckled, and right then I wanted to hit him so badly that my fists started to clench at the thought.

  I was about to answer that I felt sick again when Hunter answered for me. “I’m sorry, Kat. This is my fault. I was telling Ayden that I loved to swim and could hold my breath for two minutes. I then dared her that she couldn’t hold it for more than thirty seconds. I guess I lost that bet, but I think it took a lot out of her.”

  My eyes widened and my mother smiled. “You love swimming?” He nodded. “Well, if you love swimming, then you’ll love our pool. Did your father tell you about it?”

  Hunter smiled politely. “He did, and I’m very much looking forward to using it.”

  Mason appeared, and my mother’s attention went straight to him. That gave Hunter just enough time to look at me with a glint in his eye. He turned so that his father and my mother couldn’t see and made a hand signal to his mouth. He stuck his tongue in his cheek to signal a blowjob and winked at me again.

  He was so dead meat.

  “So, now you’ve managed to spend some time with my son.” Mason wrapped an arm around my mother and smiled in our direction.

  “Yes,” I sighed. “We’ve been getting on swimmingly.”

  Chapter Four

  “Mandy, I need to see you—like now. Can you get out for a couple of hours? Shit has just gotten fucking real at my house.”

  I heard Mandy gasp. “What is it? Is it the new man your mother’s got? He’s not another douchebag, is he? Please tell me he didn’t try it on?”

  I groaned. If only she knew.

  “No, it’s not like that. They’ve just left, and now I’m stuck in my room. She’s getting fucking married to him, Mandy. They’re moving in next week.”

  “Noooo,” she shouted.

  “Oh, hell yes! But that’s not the worst of it, Mandy. I feel like I’m going to scream if I don’t get out of this house soon.” I was sure she heard my panic.

  “Okay. Okay. Calm down. I’ll meet you at All’s Well in twenty.”

  She hung up on me, and I quickly raced to get ready. I dragged a brush through my hair, replaced my elegant skirt with the one I was previously wearing, and grabbed my bag.

  I was just heading out the door when my mother’s piercing voice shouted, “Going out again?”

  I sighed at the door and turned around. “Yes. Is there a problem?”

  She shook her head. “No. Just don’t be falling in drunk once Mason and Hunter move in. I can’t let them see how much of a lush I’ve brought up.”

  I smiled sweetly, but my voice was laced with hatred. “Sure thing, Mum.”

  I shut the door behind me and made my way toward the gate. I planned to hail a taxi once I got myself on the main roads. I wasn’t going to wait for one. Not with my mother still in the house. I realised that was the wrong thing to do as soon as I shut the gate behind me.

  “Ayden? Ayden, is that you?”

  I cringed. Of course it would be me, arsehole. You’ve been following me and making my life a misery!

  I turned to see Robert. He was someone I dated a couple of times a few weeks back. After the second date, though, he started
talking about what our kids would look like once we were married. That was enough for me to fake an illness and rush back home.

  “I haven’t seen you in a while.” He ran his fingers through his longish black hair. He looked every bit the bad boy, which was what attracted me to him in the first place. I just didn’t realise what a creep he would turn out to be. He was only four years older than I, tall, but a little too skinny for my taste. I liked my men with a bit of meat on them.

  Despite my misgivings, I went on a date with him because I thought he was cute. That was so the wrong thing to do.

  “Robert, you saw me two days ago when I was out shopping with my friend.”

  He chuckled. “I know. I guess it just seems like longer.”

  I groaned. “Robert, why are you here?”

  Robert moved a little closer and smiled. “I was just passing through when you emerged. Isn’t that a coincidence?”

  I looked at him in disbelief. “Yes. Isn’t it just?”

  He roamed his eyes over me. “Going out somewhere nice?”

  I sighed. “I’m just on my way to meet a friend.”

  His eyes lit up. “Do you want some company?”

  I shook my head. “No, thanks. This is a girlies night out.”

  He looked a little disappointed, but smiled. “Okay. How are you getting there? Do you want me to give you a lift?” He pointed to his car further up the street, and it was then that I knew for certain that his bullshit of “just passing through” was definitely bullshit.

  “No, thanks. I ordered a taxi, and I’m supposed to meet him at the end of the street.”

  He stepped closer. “Why don’t you call them to cancel? I’ll take you.”

  I stepped back, feeling a little claustrophobic. “I don’t want to do that. Thank you, Robert, but I’m fine. I need to get going because my friend is expecting me.”

  I turned to walk away when I heard his voice again. “You mean Mandy?”

  I cringed again. He was something else. “Yes. Bye, Robert.” I started walking quickly.

  “Bye, beautiful. I’ll call you tomorrow. Maybe we could go out again on another date.” I didn’t answer him. I just kept on walking. Man, he was a pain in the arse.