BriarEdge Academy: Winter Break Read online

  Dalton’s hand moved to her hip to untie one side of her string bikini bottoms. His hand slipped in to cup her mound, and he rubbed lightly before pressing a finger inside her. “You’re so wet. Is that from the pool or is it for me?” he asked as he broke their kiss to look down at her.

  “All you.” She strained against his finger and wriggled closer. “If we’re going to do this here, we’d better make it quick.”

  He frowned. “We’re not settling for a quickie. I’m going to make sure you come first.” As he spoke, his fingers surged inside her, two of them burying into her opening while his thumb stroked her clit. “You feel so good. Such a perfect little pussy. I can’t believe I waited this long for it.” He brought his mouth to her ear. “You’re just soaking wet for me. Do you want me to put my cock in you?”

  She moaned, shocked to find his filthy mouth a turn-on, but unable to deny it was. “Please.”

  “Soon.” He was still whispering against her ear as he crossed his fingers and thrust them in and out of her. “So fucking tight. I’m going to wreck you with my fat cock.”

  His fingers produced a fiction inside her while his thumb moved against her clit. His crude words should’ve been enough to take away from her pleasure, but they just increased her excitement. His tongue stroked the length of her throat before he nipped hard at the bend of her shoulder. He started sucking her skin while his fingers moved deftly in and out of her.

  She clung to him, unable to swim or even think. His mouth continued to move over her, and she had enough awareness to say, “You’re going to leave a mark.”

  He growled, sounding possessive. “Good,” he rumbled against her skin, pausing only long enough to say, “I want my mark on you.”

  It was positively primitive, but she couldn’t think of any reason why it was a bad idea, at least not with her mind clouded with passion. Instead, she grasped his wrist and held him still as she writhed against his hand, finding the perfect rhythm to elicit enough friction between her g-spot and her clit to make her come with a quiet moan that she managed to hold in by biting her lower lip.

  When she’d recovered enough to think and speak again, she said, “I’ve come. Will you please fuck me now, Dalton?” She was shy speaking that way, but he seemed to like it. So did she, for that matter.

  He pulled away from her throat, licking his lips as he looked down at her. “I’d love to fuck you. I’m going to take that pussy and make it mine.”

  She was briefly worried that his statement was a declared supremacy placing him above her other lovers, but she didn’t have the brain power to focus on that fear at the moment. Instead, all she could do was surrender as he moved her to the side of the pool, letting her grasp the handles of the ladder as she floated upward.

  He held her hips, angling her how he wanted her, and she felt his swim trunks moving aside and brushing against her inner thigh before his cock pressed against her opening. His eyes were heavy-lidded with passion, but he moaned softly. “I don’t have any condoms. I didn’t expect this.”

  “I’m on the pill.” She barely finished the statement before his cock was inside her with one smooth thrust. The sudden intrusion was a little uncomfortable, since he was big, and she was still getting used to having sex, but it felt good and stretched her in all the right ways.

  He must’ve taken her at her word that they needed to be quick, because he started pounding forcefully into her, fingers digging into her buttocks to hold her against him, and the waves undulated around them as their bodies slapped together in the water. Dalton surged in and out of her, his rhythm growing jerky, and his hands dug even harder into her buttocks. Suddenly, with a loud roar she barely managed to muffle by leaning upward to kiss him, he spilled himself inside her, and she clenched her thighs around his legs, wanting to feel every convulsion of his shaft as he came inside her for the first time.

  When he was looking less flushed, he slowly pulled away from her. He righted his swim trunks before retying her G-string on the bikini briefs, and then he kept her against him. He hugged her tightly and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Next time, we’ll have more time. It’ll be a gourmet meal instead of fast food.”

  She giggled. “You know how to romance a girl with your smooth talk.” She shivered, remembering how much she’d liked his filthy words whispered in her ear when she’d been so turned on. “Actually, you really do know how to talk to a girl.”

  “Only if she’s a filthy girl,” said Dalton with a wink. Then he turned serious. “We will have more time, and next time, it’ll be better.”

  She grinned. “If it’s any better, I might die. That was perfect. It was just what I needed.”

  “I agree it was pretty damn good, but it was missing some of the connection and the emotion I want to show you.” He cupped his hands around her face. “I want to prove to you that I love you.”

  She blinked as her eyes stung, and it had nothing to do with the saltwater surrounding them. “I already know that, Dalton. You’ve made so many sacrifices to be with me.”

  He scowled. “It’s no sacrifice to make you happy. It just took me a long while to realize how to do that, and then a little longer to accept that I could.” He leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers. “It turns out I can do anything required to make you happy.”

  “Oh, Dalton, that’s so sweet, and I love you too.” She brushed her lips against his in a tentative, gentle kiss.

  He groaned, his mouth pressing to hers, as he consumed her mouth.

  Candace lost herself in the sensation, pressing closer to him as she strained against him. He was going hard again already, and she wanted to suggest they leave the pool and go to one of their bedrooms.

  “What the hell are you doing?” thundered Hannah.

  Candace stiffened like she’d been scalded, and Dalton tensed as well, but he didn’t pull away, other than to move his body to partially shield hers. He put his arm around her waist and held her against him. It was easier for him to be defiant, since it wasn’t his mom.

  Hannah was clearly angry and confused, and she was scowling at Candace with a level of disapproval she’d never seen before.

  Candace bent her head, trying to wriggle away from Dalton, though that was ridiculous. The damage was already done. Hannah had caught them kissing. Fortunately, she had been too late to catch them doing anything else. Her mother might’ve had a stroke or killed both of them if she discovered them in the act of having sex.

  “We aren’t doing anything wrong,” said Dalton with confidence.

  Candace lifted her head, glancing up at her mom, whose expression was pinched.

  “Get out of the pool and meet me in the living room in twenty minutes. I need to talk to your father.”

  “His father,” Candace emphasized carefully, wanting to remind her mom Dalton wasn’t her real brother. Surely, Hannah hadn’t convinced herself they were becoming close like siblings? Then again, her mom probably hadn’t been expecting her to fall for Dalton, and she hadn’t been looking for any signs she had.

  Hannah just shook her head. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you. Get dressed. Now.” She turned on her heel and walked away, clearly having decided to abandon her swim in the face of the crisis of her daughter and Ashton’s son being romantically involved.

  “Shit,” said Candace once her mom left the room, as she reached for the ladder.

  Dalton stopped her before she could get out, holding her chin so she looked into his eyes. “It’ll be okay. There’s nothing they can say that will tear us apart, right? We’re not siblings, and we aren’t related. We haven’t done a damn thing wrong.”

  His words bolstered her courage, and she nodded. “You’re right. I know you are. It’s just, she’s my mom, and I don’t want to disappoint her.”

  “I feel the same about Dad, but I’m not going to give you up to make them happy. As long as we present a united front, there’s nothing they can really do.”

  “They could send us away to separ
ate places.” She blinked back tears at the thought.

  He scowled. “I guess they could, though we’re both eighteen. Even if they did, it’s only for a few months, but I don’t think they will. Just be confident in your choice.”

  She certainly was, and she knew nothing Ashton or her mom said could sway her from how she felt about Dalton, but she was still nervous as she got out of the pool, dried off hastily, and went to her room for a quick shower and a change of clothes.

  Her stomach was twisted in knots of anxiety by the time she neared the living room a few minutes later. Dalton stood by the door, and he took her hand in a blatant display. She squeezed in return as they walked over to sit on the loveseat. Ashton and Hannah sat across from them in wingbacks, both scowling with disapproval.

  “What are you thinking, son? She’s your sister.” Ashton didn’t bother to hide his disgust when he addressed Dalton.

  Candace scowled in return. “He’s not my brother, and I’m not his sister. And don’t pretend like it’s all Dalton. I’m just as willing as he is.”

  Ashton still didn’t seem to grasp that. “You’re young and easily influenced. Dalton should know better. He’s older—”

  “By three months,” said Candace with a snort. “There was nothing coerced about it. I love Dalton, and he loves me.”

  “You’re too young to love anyone. That’s obvious by how many boyfriends you’re juggling at the moment,” said Hannah with a sneer. “If you were ready to commit to anyone, you certainly wouldn’t be playing around with everyone.”

  Ashton turned to look at Hannah. “What are you talking about?”

  “Honestly, Ashton, don’t you remember Lex, who was just here? And there’s some other boy at school, whose name I’ve forgotten. Joe?”

  “Jonas,” said Candace carefully. She wasn’t ashamed, and she owed it to her men not to try to hide them like a dirty secret. Thinking of them helped straighten her shoulders. Looking at Ashton, she said, “I’ve been dating a few different people at the same time. They all know about each other, and we all care about each other. I know what I’m doing, and I know how I feel about Dalton. We haven’t done anything wrong.”

  Ashton looked stunned, and he glanced at Hannah, who shrugged. He opened his mouth, and he looked stern and forbidding. He seemed on the verge of issuing a dictate, but then his mouth closed, and his shoulders slumped. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

  “It’s all right. You really don’t have to say anything, Ashton. I want you guys to like who I’m with, but I don’t need your blessing.” She kept her tone gentle, not wanting to hurt her mom or her stepdad. “I care about Dalton, and he cares about me.”

  “But you’re siblings,” said Hannah, looking irritated and sounding enraged.

  “Not really,” said Dalton. “It’s not like we’ve grown up together. We hardly knew each other before we started at BriarEdge together. We spent a lot of time getting close over the last few months, but there’s definitely no sibling bond between us. She’s my girlfriend, not my stepsister.”

  “She’s both,” snapped Hannah. “You can’t date your stepsister.”

  “Says who?” Dalton leaned forward. “It’s not illegal, and it’s not immoral under the circumstances. We weren’t raised together. You need to accept that we care about each other.”

  Hannah shook her head and started rubbing her temple. “I have a migraine coming on.”

  Ashton’s attention switched completely to his wife. “Let’s get you a pill and have you lie down.” He turned to look at Candace and Dalton as he got to his feet to help Hannah to hers. “This isn’t over, but we’ll discuss it further later.”

  “We can talk about it all you want, but it’s not going to change anything,” said Dalton as he pointedly put his arm around Candace’s shoulder.

  In a show of solidarity, she laid her cheek against his shoulder, staring impassively at Ashton as his lips pursed, but he didn’t say anything as he escorted Hannah from the room. Once their parents were gone, she let out a heavy sigh and collapsed harder against him. “That went well.”

  Dalton snickered. “Maybe better than expected. We just need to keep strong and remain united in front of them.”

  Candace nodded, knowing he was right. That was easier said than done, since she hated to disappoint her mom. Hannah had worked so hard to give her the best life she could, and she wanted to please her mother and make her proud, not have Hannah disgusted with her life choices and turn away from her.

  If her mother made that choice, Candace knew she’d have to accept it though. As much as she wanted to please her mother, she wasn’t going to give up any of the men she loved just to make her mom happy.

  Chapter Eight

  Candace

  She was in her room a little while later, recovering from the confrontation with Hannah and Ashton while trying to regain her composure, when her door slammed open. She half-expected it to be her mom, though it was unlikely the migraine medicine had kicked in so quickly. Instead, it was Malone who burst into her room, laughing like a madwoman. She stared at her. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “I heard everything,” she said in a singsong voice. “I’m going to destroy you. By the time I get done telling everybody what you’ve been doing with all your men, your reputation will be in shreds. No one will touch you. Not your friends, or boyfriends, and certainly not my brother. You’ll be damaged goods.”

  Candace rolled her eyes. “Where did you get that from? A novel written in the Victorian times? No one’s going to care who I sleep with, or who I love.” She hoped she sounded more confident than she felt.

  The reality was, lots of people would be gossiping and looking for the salacious details. They’d look at her differently, and they’d probably start treating her differently. It was a reality she had to accept if she was going to be open with her relationships, but she hadn’t anticipated needing to start the process while still at BriarEdge. Still, she couldn’t show any weakness to Malone.

  “Are you really that stupid? Everyone’s going to know you’re a slut.” Malone grinned. “All the guys will want to get in your pants, because they’ll know you’re an easy slut, and none of the girls will want anything to do with you. This is going to be so much fun.”

  “Do your worst,” said Candace evenly. She was trying to handle this in a mature way, though the girl inside her who hadn’t quite caught up with the adult that she was urged her to cross the room and pluck every hair out of Malone’s head.

  “I will, and it’s going to be spectacular. You’re going to regret ever meeting me.”

  Candace laughed. “It’s too late for that. I regret meeting you and have since the day I did it. Believe me, I don’t want this state of affairs any more than you do, but I’m mature enough to realize we’re both stuck in a shitty situation that we should make the best of. If it makes you happy to go gossiping or whatever, I don’t care. You’re such a child.”

  Malone scowled as she crossed the room, striding on heels that were ridiculously high with a confidence Candace couldn’t imagine feeling while walking in them. “Are you calling me immature?”

  Candace tipped her head slightly as she stood up from the chair at her vanity table to face Malone. “Let me think… Yeah, I certainly am. Why don’t you just grow up and act like an adult instead of a spoiled little brat?”

  “You bitch.” Malone slapped her as hard as she could, her nails raking against Candace’s cheek.

  “That’s really mature,” said Candace. Then she ruined her words by punching Malone in the face, right in the cheekbone. Malone let out a howl of rage mixed with pain, and she lunged at Candace.

  They fell onto the bed, pulling hair and scratching as each tried to slap the other. Candace hadn’t had much experience with fighting, but she was determined to give as good as she got. She managed to elbow Malone in the solar plexus before Malone viciously jabbed her in the left boob. They were both panting heavily, and she was in a lot of pain, but she wa
s determined to rip the hair out of Malone’s head.

  “What in the world?” Calvin’s voice sounded from the doorway, and then he called, “Dalton, come here.”

  Candace vaguely heard him, but she was beyond listening to him. She was still swiping at Malone and trying to tug on her hair when strong arms enfolded her and lifted her physically from Malone.

  Calvin moved to the side of the bed and grasped Malone by the arms, pulling her off and to her feet. Malone surged toward Candace, and Candace rushed to meet her. Dalton’s arms kept her back, and Calvin’s kept Malone in check.

  She glared at her stepsister, chest heaving and blood trickling down her face from the slash marks on her cheek. Malone had a bloody lip, and she looked like she was going to have a bruise on her cheekbone where Candace had punched her. Candace figured it was worth the battle scar she’d gotten to dole that out.

  “What’s going on here?” asked Calvin, looking bewildered.

  “Nothing. The slut attacked me when I told her I was going to tell everyone about her boyfriends, including Dalton.”

  “Lying witch. You hit me first.” Candace touched her cheek and lifted her fingertips, coated with blood. “You did that and started this, along with your bullying and harassment.”

  “I’d do it again and would love to do more,” snapped Malone, testing the bounds of Calvin’s hold and patience by trying to get to her again.

  Calvin shook his sister. “Enough. I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but you both need to stop this.”

  Dalton was less diplomatic. “Malone, you’re going to keep your mouth shut about everything, or I’ll do my best to destroy you. You’re popular, but I still have more clout than you, and I’m a senior. If I set my mind to making your life miserable at BriarEdge, I can do it without much effort. You still have to get through the rest of this year and all of your senior year. Do you really want that?”