Save Me: a Stepbrother Romance Read online

  He cocked his head and took a seat beside me. His hand rested on my knee, and once again electric sparks flew out of it. “You really haven’t noticed?”

  “I guess I was distracted.”

  Cal’s cocky grin reappeared. “By what?”

  Shit, shit, shit, shouldn’t have said that.

  “By … uh … well, by you.”

  Shit! Really should not have said that.

  Cal’s hand slid a little up my thigh. My breath caught. God, that felt good.

  “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “In what way?”

  “In the I-don’t-want-to-be-murdered-by-you way.”

  He laughed, not realizing how true that was, at least when it came to the first week we had lived together.

  Relief flooded me when he didn’t move his hand away. Having him so close to me, so intimately, was doing things to me. Not to mention that the warmth of his body was sinking into mine. I could feel his heavy form pressing against me—not dangerously or intrusively, but magnetically.

  I wanted him closer.

  “Are you sure that’s it?”

  “Well, there’s also the I-want-him-inside-of-me way.”

  Shit, Nat, keep shoving that foot further down your throat.

  But it was true, and I knew it. And I wouldn’t take it back.

  Cal’s eyes grew wide, and his grip on my thigh unconsciously tightened a little.

  “Jesus, Nat. Did that really just come out of your mouth? You really aren’t as innocent as you pretend to be.”

  He made a move to get up, and I grabbed his hand. “No, don’t go! I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking—”

  He gave me a strange look. I realized his chest was rising and falling a little faster, and there was a blush crawling up his cheeks. He wasn’t embarrassed—he was turned on.

  “You didn’t do anything wrong, Nat. It’s not your fault.”

  “Then why are you leaving?”

  “Because … Jesus, Nat. Because if I don’t, I’m going to do something really, really stupid.”

  “Like what?”

  “There’s a beautiful woman in my bed, we’re home alone, and she just said she wants me inside her. Take a wild guess.”

  My heart raced. He motioned to move again, but I grabbed his arm and forced him back onto the bed.

  “Why is that stupid? Do you … do you not want me?”

  His jaw dropped again, and I got that you-cannot-be-serious look. “Nat. How can you even ask that? I told you I—” He choked on his words a little, but then cleared his throat. “I told you how I felt about you. I will never not want you.”

  “Then why is it stupid?”

  He groaned and let his head fall in his hands. “I told you, Nat. I’m bad for you. I’m not perfect like you are. You deserve so much better than me.”

  “Don’t say that.”

  “It’s true. And I told you. I’m not going to use you.”

  “What if I want you? Have you never thought of that?”

  “You don’t want me. I’m not your type, Nat. I’m an asshole.”

  “You said it before yourself. Good girls like me always want bad boys.”

  “I was just teasing you—”

  “But it’s true. I want you, Cal.” I leaned forward and brushed his cheek with my lips. The rough stubble of his unshaven cheek scratched against my skin. He froze.

  “Nat … please don’t say that if you don’t mean it.”

  “I mean it. Kiss me.”

  His eyes searched mine for a moment, looking for permission. It was there. I wanted him.

  I had always wanted him, I realized. Not the asshole him, the mask he hid behind. But the real him. Callum Gatlin, who punched my abusive boyfriend when I was too afraid to. Who held me when I cried. Who knew I hated him and protected me anyway.

  I parted my lips, never breaking eye contact with him.

  Helpless, he leaned forward, and his open mouth met mine. He tasted amazing. God, I wanted him.

  “Fuck, Nat,” he breathed.

  His mouth pressed harder against mine, and his tongue slipped inside me. I moaned against his mouth, and that just made him more desperate. Before I knew what was happening, his arms had slipped around my waist and pushed me back onto the bed.

  “Please,” I whispered.

  I was desperate for him. I didn’t care it was wrong, I didn’t care about anything anymore. All I cared about was how good Callum’s strong hands were biting into my hips and how delicious his tongue was in my mouth.

  “You have no fucking idea,” he panted. His fingers ran through my hair, and I dug my nails into his back. “No fucking idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.”

  “Don’t stop,” I whimpered.

  His hands groped their way down to my hips, looping the thumbs underneath the waist of my pajama pants. It happened so smoothly—like he had done this a million times before. Knowing Cal Gatlin’s reputation, it probably had.

  Oh God, I panicked as his fingers tugged my pants down. A moment of clarity hit me. I was going to be horrible at this. I was a virgin, and Cal Gatlin was Cal Gatlin. There was no way I could keep up with him.

  Cal sensed my fear and stopped. One hand carressed my cheek. “Look at me, Nat.”

  Ugh. I hated to. The heat was already creeping into my cheeks. I was humiliated enough without looking like a tomato.

  “Please,” he whispered.

  I met his eyes again.

  God, he was beautiful.

  “If you don’t want this, Nat,” he said, rubbing my cheekbone with his smooth thumb, “we don’t have to.”

  “It’s just—I’ve never—”

  “I know.”

  Oh, hell. Was it that obvious?

  He smiled at my expression, and I ducked my head. He kissed my forehead. “Natalie, I’m not going to fuck you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “What?” I peeked up. “Then what are you doing?”

  He gave me a wolfish smile that made my stomach flip.

  “Just watch,” he ordered.

  Slowly, Cal’s lips traveled down my cheek to my throat. His teeth nipped my earlobe on their way down, sending electric trembles down my body. Oh Jesus, that’s good. His hands slipped down my waist back to my waistband, pulling my pajama pants down as his tongue dipped into my navel.

  The cool air washed across my stomach as Cal’s hand slipped between my legs. His fingertips traced their way down my inner thigh, feather-light and gorgeously warm. Cal’s lips pressed against my hip, then down between my legs. He kissed the soft flesh of my thighs as he pried them apart.

  “Are you alright, Nat?” he whispered. His warm breath rolled across the thin cotton of my panties.

  “Yes,” I moaned.

  “Are you sure you want this?”

  “Fuck yes!”

  He chuckled deeply, and more of his warm breath licked against my thighs.

  “Good girl. Now spread your legs.”

  “What are you going to—”

  Cal’s mouth nipped at my panties.

  I gasped. God, god, god, that was good.

  He chuckled again, pulling back to nip and kiss my inner thigh. The vibration of his voice between my legs was mind-numbingly wonderful.

  “God, I love when you make that noise,” he growled.

  Cal’s hands spread my legs, pulling me open for him. His lips pressed against my thigh again, grazing the skin as he took the thin cotton of my panties in his teeth. Slowly, he pulled them down with his mouth.

  His lips traced down my leg as he undressed me. The warm cloth rolled down my skin, heated by his breath.

  I felt the panties pulling off my foot, and Cal’s head appeared back up between my legs. His cheeks were flushed, and eyes were dark and hungry. He carressed my cheek.

  “Are you still okay, Nat?”

  “Yes,” I whispered, breathless.

  His gaze slid down between my legs. I heard him suck his breath in, and his j
aw began working. He licked his lips.

  “Fuck, Nat,” he breathed. His eyes were wide, and he rested his cheek against my thigh. “Your pussy is gorgeous.”

  Slowly, he leaned forward and kissed my clit.

  I shuddered underneath him. Jesus, that was good.

  He began tasting me in short, tiny licks, making my heart hammer against my chest. I had never known something could feel this good. I mean, I wasn’t a complete prude—I had masturbated and fantasized before.

  But now? With Callum Gatlin pulling my legs apart and laying the flat of his tongue against my pussy?

  I was afraid I was going to explode.

  Cal pressed his face into me and lapped hard. His tongue explored me, up and down and in little circles that left me gasping on the bed. His nails dug into my hips, forcing me against his face until there was no way for me to escape the pleasure. It built in me higher, tighter, and more painfully, pushing me to the edge.

  My legs trembled around his head.

  Cal’s fingers locked in mine. “Tell me this feels good,” he growled. He lapped against my clit, sucking hard.

  “Y-yes,” I gasped. “Oh God!”

  “Put your fingers in my hair.”

  Shaking, my hands felt their way down to his face, brushing past the rough stubble along his cheek. I laced my fingers through his locks, pulling his face against me. Cal growled in pleasure, purring amazing tingling vibrations against my clit that left me moaning and limp on the bed.

  He sucked my clit hard, and there was nothing I could do to stop from screaming out in pleasure.

  “Yes, Nat,” he growled, holding my thighs down around his face. “Come on me. Come on my face, let me taste you. Fuck, you’re beautiful.”

  I writhed against the bed as I came, digging my nails into his hair and moaning out his name. Cal, Cal, Cal. Gorgeous Cal, sexy Cal, bad boy Cal, Cal with his tongue up my pussy and his face covered in my wetness. God, he was good.

  He kept lapping against me as I came, licking harder as my back arched and my eyes closed in ecstasy. So good. So, so, so good. Good didn’t begin to describe it.

  “Fuck, Natalie,” he groaned against my pussy.

  He waited until I collapsed on the bed, breathless and aching on the sheets. Then he pulled himself up to lay beside me, his mouth still glistening and his cheeks flushed.

  “Kiss me,” I whispered.

  Slowly, he pressed his lips onto mine.

  I could taste myself on him.

  “Stay with me,” he said, cupping my chin with a hand. I nodded, my mind already hazy with sleep. I doubted I could walk back to my bedroom after that anyway.

  He kissed me again.

  “Thank you, Natalie.” Soft and tender, a tone I had never heard him use before. His arm slipped around me.

  I fell asleep in Cal Gatlin’s tattooed embrace, with his body cradling mine and his grizzled cheek nestled in my neck.

  For the first time in a long time, I felt safe.

  I woke up to a hand clutching my mouth.

  “Mmph!”

  “Shh!” Cal pressed his lips against my ear. “Be quiet.”

  I tried to scream ‘what the hell are you doing,’ but it only came out as muffled growls. Cal’s arms held me down in the bed, forcing me to stop my thrashing around. What the hell did he think he was doing?

  I wondered if I should bite him. I was a good biter.

  “Don’t,” he warned, watching me eye his hand. “Just wait, Nat. Listen.”

  “What’s going on?” I demanded in a harsh whisper as he removed his hand from my mouth.

  “I’m saving us.”

  “From what?”

  “Do you trust me?” he asked

  I considered that.

  “Yes,” I whispered back after a moment, sort of surprised. The whole time, I hadn’t actually been afraid, just caught off guard. And not being afraid of Callum Gatlin? I was either crazy, stupid, or seeing a new side of him. Maybe all three.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. “Then be quiet for just a few more minutes,” he said into my ear. He nodded at the window. I peeked out for a moment and realized our parents’ cars were back in the driveway.

  “Shit,” I whispered.

  He nodded.

  I know.

  The fact that I was half naked in my stepbrother’s room finally hit me. Even worse, half naked in my stepbrother’s bed. Maybe we should have been more cautious about this.

  Listening closer, I heard the sound of our parent’s footsteps stomping around below us. I cocked my head at Cal. Stomping? My mom didn’t stomp. If she did stomp, he must have really pissed her off. Cal petted my hair, burying his nose in my neck.

  “What’s going on?” I repeated.

  “Just listen.”

  I heard muffled voices yell at each other, and my eyes widened again. Mom never yelled. Ever.

  “Cal, tell me!” I whispered, eyes wide.

  “They’re fighting.”

  “I’ve never heard them fight before.”

  “Because you’re always out, Nat,” he said, rolling his eyes.

  It was true. I guess I had forgotten just how much time I spent outside the house, dealing with school, extracurriculars, and my currently imploding relationships with my semi-boyfriend and increasingly distant best friend. “Do they really fight this much?” I whispered to him.

  He nodded. His hand began stroking my hair. I realized it was shaking.

  Cal Gatlin? Shaking?

  Footsteps stomped up the stairs, and I heard James’ voice yell something. I froze. Oh fuck no, he did not.

  “Did he just call my mother a whore?” I demanded.

  Cal’s throat moved against my neck as he swallowed.

  “I’m sorry, Nat.” His voice was weak. It was the first time I had ever really seen Cal weak. There was fear in his voice.

  “I’ll kill him!”

  I threw the blanket off, no longer caring about being found in my stepbrother’s bed. All I could think about was Nate and James and how much I suddenly wanted to murder both of them. Cal’s hand grabbed my shoulder and forced me back down on the bed. I thrashed against him.

  “Let me go!” I yelled against the hand he clapped against my mouth. The footsteps outside our door in the hall paused.

  “Nat, please,” he whispered. “You’ve got to be quiet.”

  “He can’t talk to my mother like that!”

  “Natalie, please!”

  His voice sounded truly pained now, but I didn’t care. A switch had flipped in me after breaking up with Nate. I had had enough of men treating me and my mother like shit. And God help him if he thought I’d allow that in my own house.

  But I didn’t get the chance to rip his throat out like I wanted to. At that moment, the doorknob turned.

  In a flash, Cal threw me sputtering under the covers. He launched himself up in one smooth movement, shielding the bed from sight. I peeked out of a small hole in the blanket, breathless and confused again. The door opened.

  “Dad—” Cal started.

  “Shut the fuck up.”

  James’ voice was more venomous than I had ever heard before. Gone was the personable fifty-year-old with the desperate comb over and powder blue sweater. The new James had enraged eyes and a sneer on his face. My stomach turned as I realized what it reminded me of—Nate when he dropped the mask he wore around other people.

  “You think this is a fucking joke?” Cal’s father asked him, taking a menacing step forward. “I heard you threatened another student at school again. We both know you’re a fuckup, but I didn’t think you were so fucking stupid to keep testing me like that!”

  “Dad, it wasn’t—”

  “Shut the fuck up!” I heard a sickening slap as James’ hand came down hard across Cal’s face. Cal was sent stumbling back. He didn’t fight back. He didn’t even look up. Something about that made my heart twist hard.

  James took another step forward. Instead of getting out of the way to avoid ano
ther blow, the smart thing to do, Cal moved in front of him again. Shielding me.