Cruel Page 7

  “Great,” Elyse offered, her pulse racing unexpectedly. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

  “He says the same about you. We were hoping you were free for brunch today.”

  Open mouth, insert foot.

  “Oh, um, today?” Elyse hemmed. “I don’t know, Mom…”

  “I think it’s important that we meet before the wedding. We’re going to have a destination wedding in Costa Rica.”

  “When?”

  “New Year’s Eve,” Irene chortled. “Save the date!”

  This is just getting worse and worse, isn’t it?

  “Where is brunch?” Elyse resigned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

  “Pushkins on Capitol. You know the place, don’t you? I used to take you there sometimes…when you could be bothered to answer your phone.”

  “All right, Mom,” Elyse sighed. “I’ll be there. What time?”

  “Eleven. Please don’t be late. Rap abhors that.”

  Rap and his stupid name can kiss my ass already, Elyse thought, but of course she didn’t share her sentiments with her mother.

  “Looking forward to it,” she lied.

  After they disconnected, Elyse swung her legs off the side of the bed and sauntered toward her closet, shaking her matted red waves as she moved.

  What does one wear to meet stepfather number two? She wondered but she shrugged indifferently at the question. Whatever it was, chances were, Rap wouldn’t be around long enough to see Elyse to wear it a second time.

  Chapter 10

  The spoon clinked against the inside of the coffee cup and and Robert stared too intently at the porcelain as Marcus continued to fiddle with it.

  “Anyway, you know all that,” Marcus concluded. “She hasn’t been well for a long time and well, here we are.”

  His father cleared his throat nervously and sat back, folding his arms over his chest, changing his mind and dropping his arms again to lean forward.

  “I-I’m really sorry about your mother, Marc,” Robert told him earnestly. “You have no idea how sad I am to hear that.”

  Marcus felt his eyes narrow at his father’s tone.

  “But?” Marcus added sarcastically.

  “But what?” Robert replied. “That’s it. I’m really sorry she’s been through so much. I mean, it wasn’t good when I was there but it sounds like she’s gotten much worse. I’m glad Mindy is there to give you a hand.”

  “Mindy wants to go home, Dad,” Marcus said coldly. “That’s why I agreed to meet you. Because I was hoping you’d do right by her and help with the cost of home health care or something!”

  Robert appeared stunned by the demand.

  “I…oh.”

  His brow furrowed and Marcus scowled.

  “Why do you look so surprised?” he demanded.

  “I-I just wasn’t expecting that,” Robert explained. He seemed very ill-at-ease suddenly.

  “Did you think I just wanted to catch up and throw the football around after all this time, Dad?” Marcus growled, his voice rising an octave as he went on. “You abandoned us, you abandoned her—”

  “Marc,” Robert interrupted, holding up his hand. “I know you’re upset with me but there is stuff you don’t know. You only know half the story—”

  “I was there, Dad,” Marcus bit back. “I saw what was going on.”

  “You were a child who was undergoing issues of your own,” Robert insisted. “You had issues at school, issues at home. You only got a part of the picture.”

  Marcus scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

  Is he really going to pull this shit? That I didn’t remember things properly?

  “Why the fuck did I agree to come here?” Marcus muttered, more to himself than his father. He rose from his chair. “Why did you call me, Robert?”

  “Because I’m—”

  “Darling!”

  The sound of a woman’s voice flowed shrilly across the restaurant and in slow motion, Marcus turned his head as a bleached blonde hurried toward them in open-toed stilettos. An unsettling feeling of déjà vu shot through Marcus but it was gone before he could place it, his eyes widening as she threw herself into his father’s arms.

  “Hello, Irene,” Robert choked, giving her a prefectural kiss on the cheek but his eyes were trained on Marcus. “Meet my son, Marcus. Marcus, this is Irene.”

  Irene turned to look at him, a smile lighting up her face and again, he was struck by the sense that he knew her from somewhere.

  “Oh, you’re just gorgeous!” she cooed. “I knew you would be with a father like Rap.”

  Marcus snorted loudly.

  “Rap?” he echoed. “Is that what you’re calling yourself these days?”

  “Marcus, please sit down. I called you here to meet Irene and her daughter.”

  He didn’t budge, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of what was going on. Suddenly, it struck him like a brick to the face.

  “You’re getting married,” he said dully. Robert nodded, casting his eyes sideways as Irene bobbed her head eagerly. His legs threatened to give out but somehow, he managed to keep himself upright. He couldn’t stay for this farce of a meal.

  “I gotta get out of here,” he muttered, turning away from the table.

  “Marc!” Robert called after him but he couldn’t deal with any of it right now.

  That bastard is moving on with his life like he didn’t leave an entire mess behind. He’s getting married and I’m left to deal with the aftermath of his destruction. Hurricane Rap.

  Pushing his way out the door, he almost plowed over a woman hurrying up the steps.

  “Sorry,” he muttered.

  “Marcus?”

  He turned at the sound of his name, his eyes widening as he stared at Elyse’s equally shocked face.

  “What are you doing here?” they chorused in unison. In spite of his overwhelming dismay, he managed a small, mirthless smile.

  “Wasting my time,” he replied flatly. “You?”

  “I-I’m meeting my mother and…” she paused, a sneer touching her lips. “And her new fiancé.”

  Time slowed slightly and Marcus gaped at her.

  “Well, fuck. Is your mother’s name Irene?” he heard himself ask, his voice slightly menacing. She nodded slowly.

  “Yeah…why?”

  Suddenly, Marcus took a half step backwards and began to laugh.

  “W-what’s so funny?” Elyse demanded, seeming angry as if she thought she was the brunt of the joke.

  “You don’t want to go in there,” Marcus finally managed to snicker after the chuckles subsided. He turned to leave. “Trust me.”

  “Wait! Marcus!”

  Begrudgingly, he turned back to look at her.

  “What?”

  “Where are you going?”

  “The hell away from here,” he replied. To his surprise, she turned and followed him back down the steps.

  “Can I come?”

  He met her eyes evenly, looking for some sign of mockery but all he could see was a deep honesty in their depth.

  “Please?” she asked softly when he didn’t reply. He shrugged his shoulders and nodded, his eyes darting away as he realized who Elyse was to him now.

  Holy fuck. How did this even happen? Stepsister?!

  “Sure. Why not?” he chortled. “After all, we’re family now.”

  Chapter 11

  Elyse stared at Marcus uncomprehendingly as they sat in his Ford Expedition.

  “Wait, what?” she demanded. “Your father and my mother are getting married?”

  He tried to smirk but the expression ended up looking more like a grimace as he nodded. Shock shuddered through her body and she began to shake her head.

  “No way,” she muttered. “They can’t!”

  Marcus peered at her speculatively.

  “Why not?” he asked and Elyse bristled at his tone. She turned her head away to look out the window, her mouth pursing into a fine line of annoyance. She considered the
question earnestly.

  Indeed, why not? It wasn’t like her and Marcus had anything going on except for a one-night, one-off.

  Or had it meant more than that?

  Frustration mounted inside her. She could sense that Marcus was as displeased by the revelation as she was, but why? Because he didn’t want his father remarried or because he didn’t want his father remarried to her mother?

  What the hell does this guy want from me? She thought, her head swimming with this new information. She tried not to study him through her peripheral vision but it was almost impossible when he was staring so intently at her. She reasoned that she could simply ask him and see what he said.

  “Whatever,” she muttered. “I—”

  She was cut off as her phone began to ring.

  “Shit,” she muttered. “It’s my mom.”

  Marcus continued to stare at her, waiting for her to answer the call.

  “Are you going to pick it up?” he demanded as her finger lingered over the green “accept” button. But instead, she punched red to dismiss the incoming call.

  Marcus chuckled but there was no humor in his tone.

  “I don’t know your mother but I’m sure she could do better than my father,” Marcus told her.

  “I doubt that,” Elyse replied before she could stop herself. “But then again, five times the charm.”

  Marcus gaped at her.

  “Your mother’s been married five times?”

  “No. Your father would be her fifth.”

  To her surprise, Marcus began to laugh.

  “Well, then,” he snickered. “I hope she’s used to being left. Maybe they’re a good match after all.”

  Elyse turned her head fully to narrow her eyes at him.

  “What does that mean?” she demanded, her heart beginning to thud in her chest.

  “Oh, well, my dad likes to love them and leave them, particularly when shit gets tough. He had no problem abandoning my mom and me.”

  Sympathy overcame her irritation and she gnawed on the insides of her cheeks. She hadn’t realized that there was such a dark history behind him.

  Everyone’s got a story, I guess. We’re all suffering in our own way.

  “I don’t suppose they know this about each other,” she commented slowly.

  “It isn’t something you’d put on your Tinder profile,” Marcus agreed. Their eyes locked and Elyse felt a wave of heat surge through her as she met his gaze.

  He’s such a bastard, but somehow, he lights me up. Why does he have to be so fucking hot?

  Almost instantly, she was brought back to her bedroom, the feel of his breath scalding her neck and a thousand zings exploded over her skin as if he was touching her in that moment.

  Their expressions were charged, neither of them daring to move as the course of electricity pulsated between them.

  Her phone buzzed again, breaking the spell between them.

  “What are we doing here?” Marcus asked when she again dismissed the call. “I might be able to avoid my dad forever, but can you avoid your mother?”

  Elyse admitted that the temptation was strong to do exactly that. Of course, Irene was not bound to make it easy.

  “Do I have to decide right now?” she sighed. Marcus shook his head.

  “No…” he paused and eyed her speculatively. “I mean, we probably have a few more days until they’re officially hitched, right?”

  “According to my mom, they’re set on a New Year’s Eve destination wedding in Costa Rica.”

  “That gives us a couple months,” Marcus commented slyly.

  “A couple months for what?” she asked innocently, knowing exactly what he was suggesting.

  “A couple months to have a bit of fun,” he replied.

  Even though Marcus’ house was closer (according to him), they ended up back at Elyse’s again. To her relief, Amy and Leah were out and when they wound up back in Elyse’s bedroom, she felt her heart begin to pound with more intensity than she’d ever felt before.

  Whatever animosity Marcus had been holding on to seemed to have dissipated when he pulled her into his arms, his eyes boring into hers like he could read the inner workings of her soul.

  They didn’t waste any time with small talk, each of them stripping off their own clothes until their naked flesh was pressed together on the small mattress of her bed.

  This time, Elyse found herself on top, her waves trailing along the smooth, hairless abs of Marcus’ body as she worked her way across his chest. Her tongue trailed along the lines of his ripped body, savoring every inch of his frame.

  This might be the last time we do this, she thought but even as the words formed in her mind, she wondered if she was lying to herself. Even if their parents married, would she be able to give this up? Something told her that Marcus was becoming an addiction for her, even after one time of being together. For a week, she’d been unable to get him off her mind. Another romp in the sack would only fuel the already raging fire inside her.

  Her breaths quickened as she made her way across the washboard, her breasts grazing over his already rigid shaft. Marcus’ hands curled into her tresses, a low groan escaping his lips as she teased him with small kisses and light licks.

  “Fuck, Elyse,” he moaned, his cock dripping as she tongued her way around the head and reveled in his tortured groan. Again, she was struck by the massive size of him, even though she’d memorized the very length of his member like it was etched in her mind forever.

  Without warning, she closed her mouth around his head, sucking him back, her fingers trailing along the tightening sack beneath his tumescent rod. Instantly, he bucked upward, filling her throat and she gagged slightly but didn’t slow her movements. Together, they fell into a dance, her head bobbing against him as he gritted out with pleasure, fighting the urge to release down her throat.

  Abruptly, Marcus sat up, pulling her forward so that she straddled him with her own drenched center.

  “I’m going to fuck you so hard right now,” he growled, guiding himself inside her from underneath.

  “I was going to say the same thing to you,” she replied but her words caught in her throat when he took her, thrusting inside her harshly. Her breath was stolen and her eyes opened wide as he continued his rhythmic thrusts. A gasp fell from her lips as she took the pounding, her fingers splayed against his chest as he cupped her swollen breasts for support. His face contorted into an intense fierceness that almost scared her, until she realized that she was more aroused by his look than alarmed.

  His thrusts increased in intensity until she could feel his cock hitting the very depths of her core. Never had she felt so full, so stretched. The burning intensity of sensations tingled through her body from the tips of her toes, to her clit, and further north when he grasped her nipples tightly and twisted slightly. The cry that tore through her was almost enough to tip him over the edge, but he gritted his teeth, forcing his orgasm back as he watched the spectacle of Elyse reaching a pinnacle.

  He squeezed one nipple again, just to feel the walls of her pussy clench hard on his shaft as another tortured cry slipped from her lips.

  “Yes! Please…Marcus…please…” her voice trailed off as her breath hitched. His strategically placed thumb, rubbing against her clit was more than she could take. Her body spasmed, over and over again, as she reached her climax.

  “Come all over me,” he ordered her. “Soak me, baby.”

  It wasn’t a tall order to fill. The slickness of their combined juices only increased the speed of his jabs inside her and trembling, Elyse fell forward, her nipples in Marcus’ face. His mouth latched out to suck and nibble on her and she could feel the blood rush fully into his rod, the walls of her pussy drawing him in tightly until, he, too, could take no more.

  Moaning, he pulled her closer, her body falling over his as their hearts raced in uneasy unison. Elyse felt herself growing lightheaded.

  Oh God. Not again, she thought, her breaths escaping in short whee
zes.

  Marcus hadn’t noticed yet, but Elyse was terrified that he would any second and react the same way he had the last time.

  Or you could just tell him the truth, she thought, but she dismissed the notion. He was her bully, the guy who had made her life miserable since childhood. She wasn’t going to let him know she was weak.

  “You are good,” Marcus murmured as she struggled to regain her breath. “Too good.”

  She couldn’t respond, her body falling limply to the side. Any illusion of keeping this bout of arrythmia hidden was gone now. She didn’t even have the strength to kick him out. Instantly, he was up, peering over her, his face a combination of skepticism and worry.

  “Are you okay?” he asked and she could hear the wariness in his voice. She nodded and pointed toward the nightstand, unable to speak. In a minute, she would be unconscious.

  “You need something in there?” he asked. Rasping, she struggled to sit up but Marcus seemed to understand and he reached inside, his eyes narrowing as he removed the pills from the drawer.

  “What is this?” he asked, reading the bottle but Elyse snatched them out of his hand and took one of the blue pills inside, sinking back against the blanket as she waited for it to work.

  “Elyse, what are those?” he demanded again, taking the pills back from her hand. She was too listless to fight him.

  “Are you going to answer me?” he growled and she cracked her eyelids to look at him. He was studying the prescription with wide, uncomprehending eyes.

  “You should go,” she managed to mumble, worried that he might figure out what the pills were for.

  He scoffed in disbelief.

  “Is this for anxiety?” he demanded and a flutter of relief crossed through her.

  Of course, he has no idea what they are. Why would he?

  “Why do you keep inviting me over here if you have a panic attack every time we have sex?”

  She wanted to shake her head and tell him he had it all wrong but from somewhere inside her, she could hear her mother’s voice warning her that people didn’t want to know about her weaknesses.

  “You’re not going to say anything?” he growled and she closed her eyes again, feeling her pulse return to normal.