Rogue: A Stepbrother Forbidden Romance (4 page)

Chapter eight

"Danny," I plead. "Please open up!"

There's no response. Great. I lean my head against the cool wood of the door with tears streaming down my face. Maybe he just needs some time. I need to call his therapist and reschedule. I push myself away from the door and go wash my face which has to be a mess.

The cool water is refreshing. I look at myself in the mirror. My eyes are puffy and swollen from crying but overall I'm presentable again. I don't know what to do. I sit down on the toilet and not for the first time wish my mother was here. She had a way of dealing with things that made it always look easy. No matter how dramatic or world ending it looked to me, she could say a couple of things and suddenly everything would be all right.

Thinking of her tears threaten again. I push all that aside and take a deep breath. I check my phone. It's almost lunch time now so I need to go get that started. Maybe after everyone eats the three of us can talk.

I start preparing sandwiches for everyone. I'm going to have everyone sit down for lunch. There's only the three of us now. We have to work this out. We need each other. I look the tray over and remember I have some fresh tomatoes that will go great with these so I go back over to the fridge. The knives are next to the sink so I stop to get one. Out the window by the pool I see Danny is sitting in his chair.

I stop and stare. He hasn't gone out there since the accident yet there he sits staring down into the pool right at the edge. What is he doing? How did he get out there? My stomach drops out as his chair jerks into motion and he rolls over the edge into the pool. I scream unable to form words at first. I run for the door out to the pool.

"JOSH!" I cry as I run.

The door upstairs slams open. "WHAT!" he yells.

"HELP!" Then I'm out the door running for the pool.

I dive into the water and down to Danny. He's belted into his chair which has sunk to the bottom. He has his eyes closed and little bubbles are escaping his lips. I grab the chair and pull but I can't move its weight and Danny's. I struggle with the belt but it won't let go.

My lungs are screaming for air and I have to surface. I break through and Josh is running out the door to the pool. As I clear it he leaps over my head and into the water with a splash. I gasp a breath and dive again.

Both of us work the belt. It won't budge. Josh strains, the veins in his neck stand out, but the thing won't release. Danny has a smile on his face, his are eyes closed, and the bubbles are slowing from his mouth.

My lungs are burning again but Josh is still straining. I grab the belt and pull with him. I feel it move an inch. Hope! I pull harder and feel Josh pulling too. It moves again, then suddenly it slides free. We each grab Danny under an arm and pull him to the surface.

We swim him over to the edge and push him up to safety. He coughs as we swim and then he inhales deeply as we push him onto the concrete. He lays there a moment then he slams both his fists against he ground.

"Damn it, let me be!" he yells.

Josh climbs out of the pool while I swim over to the ladder to exit.

"What in the hell were you thinking!" Josh yells standing over Danny with water running off of him. "Are you mad!"

"What difference does it make to you?" Danny yells back. "I'm not your problem!"

Josh stumbles back as the words hit him. His mouth moves but no sound comes out. That same defeated look comes over him as his shoulders slump.

"Oh shit," he says. "Danny, I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what? You just spoke the truth. I'm just a damn burden. I'm not good to anyone or anything. All I do is keep Cindy from being able to have a life!"

Josh turns away and starts walking towards the house.

"Josh, where are you going?" I ask.

"I need a drink," he says.

"No, you don't. Don't you see that's the problem?"

Josh shakes his head. Danny is crying at my feet so I kneel down and give him what comfort I can.

"I can't deal with this," Josh says.

"Yes you can, damn it!" I yell at Josh. "Man up!"

Josh turns and looks at me, then down at Danny. "Danny, I'm sorry," Josh says.

Danny looks at him and shakes his head. "It's not your fault."

"Yes it is," Josh says looking at me now. "I should have been watching you. You're being punished because I did something wrong."

"You're an idiot," Danny says sniffling. "It was my idea. I did it. Just because you couldn't keep your eyes off Cindy didn't have anything to do with what happened to me!"

"Danny!" I yell at him.

"What?" he asks. "You think I didn't know what you two were doing? You two had the hots for each other bad. Probably before I was even born. So what? You're not really related. Go for it. Mom and dad are gone now so there's nothing stopping you! Just do it already!"

Josh and I stare at each other at a complete loss for words.

Chapter nine

We all change clothes and dry off then we sit down to lunch. So far it's been quiet and reserved. I don't know what to say. I don't think Josh does either.

"Why did you do that Danny?" Josh asks at last setting his sandwich down in front of him.

Danny sits quietly for a long moment looking very thoughtful.

"When it happened. It was so peaceful. You think it's going to be, like, painful and crappy but it wasn't. It was like going to sleep, nice and easy. When you said I'm not your problem I realized how much of a problem I am for Cindy. I don't want to be a problem so I figured, screw it I'll just go to sleep."

I close my mouth and finish chewing my food. I can't believe he's so calm and collected about this. Josh nods to him but doesn't say anything either.

"Danny, you're not a burden to me," I say.

"I get what he means," Josh says quietly. "I'm sorry I dumped all this on both of you. Danny's right."

"Josh what are you talking about?" I ask.

"I'm going to get straight," he says. "For you. For him. For me even. I've been running away. Danny, I'm sorry man."

"Josh, I'm telling you, it's all good. I did a dumb thing. You can't take responsibility for it."

Danny smiles at Josh and for the first time I see Josh meet Danny's gaze. They both smile then we are all laughing.

It's not going to be an easy road but then whose road is easy? The thing is, I know right then, we can make it. Once more, it's the three of us together, facing the future.

"I'm going to go away one more time," Josh says.

I look at him sharply and Danny drops his fork.

"Wait," Josh says holding his hands up. "Hear me out. I'm going to check myself into a rehab clinic. I don't want to pretend I can break this on my own. I'll need help. But I'm doing it for us. All of us."

"Josh, are you sure?" I ask.

Danny is grinning ear to ear.

Josh nods smiling at Danny. "Yes," Josh says. "Yes I am."

Lunch finishes with laughs and hope. I haven't felt this happy in years.

Chapter ten

Two Years Later

I wait in quiet expectation. Josh has gotten himself clean. It wasn't easy but he followed the steps and took it one day at a time. He's enrolled in school for a medical genetics PH.D and a researcher on his university's genetics team and has put Danny in for a clinical trial of a cutting edge cure for spinal injuries. If successful Danny will be able to walk again.

Danny lies on a hospital bed, his bare legs exposed from under the sheet. This is the final treatment. He's responded well to date but this is the final phase. If successful he should regain sensation in his legs and be able to start a new round of physical therapy that will train him to walk again.

Josh stands by the machines reading all of Danny's vitals as they administer the treatment. The doctor steps back and nods for the nurse who runs a pin wheel tool down Danny's foot. The foot twitches in response!

"I felt that!" Danny cries out in pure joy.

Josh is beaming ear to ear. I give them both a big thumbs up from the observation room. They can't hear me up here, the speakers are one way but I know that everything is going to work out fine. Josh looks up at me and I give him an air hug.

Josh runs out of the room and I hear him pounding up the stairs to me. He bursts through the door taking me in his arms and lifts me off my feet. His lips crush to mine as he twirls me around.

"It worked!" he says.

"Of course it did," I say. You're brilliant."

"I love you Cindy, I always have."

"I love you Josh," I say.

"Let's go to dinner and celebrate tonight. Danny will be able to come," Josh says smiling.

"That sounds great," I laugh.

Josh kisses me again and heaven is here in my heart surrounded by his arms.

Chapter eleven

"A toast," Josh says standing up.

The three of us raise our glasses of sparkling water.

Josh smiles at each of us. "The road has been long," he says. "But it led us here. So I propose a toast to love. Love unending, love that never gives up, love that no matter how bad it gets, you don't let go."

"Hear hear!" Danny says smiling.

We each sip our drink but Josh doesn't sit back down. He turns towards me.

"Cindy," he smiles and I would swear he's blushing. "Your love carried us. Your incredible strength and your heart brought us together. Your love for us knows no bounds."

Josh lowers himself to his knees before me as he talks.

"Cindy, will you marry me?" he holds a box up to me with a sparkling diamond ring in it.

My heart pounds as blood rushes to my face. "Oh Josh!" I cry.

"Say yes, say yes, say yes!" Danny chants tapping his fingertips on the table.

"Yes, oh my god, yes!" Both my hands are on my lips.

Josh slides the ring on to my finger. The cool weight of it feels like a solid line between the two of us, making our love real. He rises up taking me in his arms, our lips meet. Tingles run over me as he kisses me and his arms envelop me.

"Woo hoo!" Danny cries out breaking the moment.

The room around us, filled with other diners, breaks into applause. Josh turns so that he is standing by my side now.

"She said yes!" he calls out to the room.

The crowd applauds louder and there are cheers too. I've never been so happy and so mortified at the same time in all my life but now, at long last, I finally have what my heart wants.

Chapter twelve

I check the mirror one last time before I open the door to the bathroom. Josh lies on our bed waiting. His eyes drink me in. I walk towards him slowly, swaying my hips. The negligee hides little as I move. The way his eyes glisten and his jaw hangs open I know I'm creating the desired effect.

He rises from the bed, his hands coming to rest on my hips. He leans into my kiss, his hands roam up and down my back. We kiss and kiss some more. Gentle, loving, his perfect lips work against mine. Our tongues meet and dance one with another, his hot breath passes across my lips warming my skin.

I pull back to breath, then I kiss the cleft of his chin, under his jaw, and down his neck. My fingers trail along his arms as I lower myself before him. I use my tongue to guide my way across his chest and down along the tight muscles of his abs. My fingers trail from his hips lightly until I reach his cock. I lick the tip of it softly with my tongue, teasing it, enjoying how it jumps.

I take him in my mouth swirling my tongue around the head while making a twisting motion with my hand on the shaft. I start working up and down. Josh moans loudly, his hand grasps my hair as I pleasure him. He holds back so I reach around behind him and force him deeper into me, pulling his hips forward then pushing them back. I feel his pleasure building as well as hear it in his voice.

"God, Cin, I'm going to lose it," he says trying to pull back from me.

I have other plans. I pull his hips in closer, forcing him to stay in my mouth. I take him deeper and deeper until he's fully in my throat. He explodes dumping his hot seed into me. I take it, swallowing it all before I pull off of his deflating member.

I smile up at him. "Happy?" I ask.

"Just you wait," he says his eyes heavily lidded.

He bends down scooping me up in his arms. Turning he lays me on the bed so that I'm right at the edge. His hands rest on my thighs and now he lowers himself between them. His tongue is relentless. A piece of heaven going after my pleasure. He kisses up and down my legs, traces my muscles with his tongue, before tasting my velvet folds.

Then he licks up and down my sweet passage not hitting my pleasure nub directly until I am completely soaked with my own wetness. Only then does he lick around my tight, protruding nub. Jolts of pleasure rock through my body as my clit tightens. He builds it up expertly until at last I explode. My toes curl, my back arches, and it takes me a few moments to realize I've buried my hands in his hair and am forcing his face into my womanhood.

As it passes I let him go. He slides up over the top of me and I think we will cuddle and go to sleep but he's not finished yet. He is again erect and pressing against my entrance. Slowly he enters me, knowing how sensitive I am immediately after a release. He takes me gently, pushing in, then holds his position before slowly pulling back. I moan my pleasure, crying out, he grunts deeply as he slides in then exhales a soft moan as he retreats.

I move my hips with him. Pleasure starts to build, that familiar tightness and pressure increasing as he pistons in and out. Then his hands are on my hips and he's holding me tight while thrusting deeply. He rolls us both so that now I'm on top. I rest my hands on his sculpted chest. He thrusts his hips straight up.

I move my hips in a grinding motion. It makes my clit rub against his pelvis while forcing his dick deep inside. It pushes me further towards the edge. His eyes are half lidded, his hands free now fondle my breasts, my pleasure nub rubs hard against him. The pressure builds as I grind. I pick up the pace. He finds a way that he moves which adds to my motions and then I'm falling over the edge again. Pleasure explodes once more through me. It feels like electric jolts are leaving my dripping mound to shoot out to my hard nipples then shoot back gaining intensity with each pass. The world is nothing but stars and pleasure. I feel him exploding inside me.

At last I collapse down on him, our lips meet and we kiss.

"I love you Cindy," he breathes.

"I love you Josh," I say.

At long last, I have everything I ever wanted.

THE END

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