24. Aria

24

ARIA

T he warmth of the bath still lingers on my skin as I go downstairs. My heart swells when I see my favorite breakfast on the table.

"You did all this for me?" I ask.

Jared nods. "I thought you might be hungry. Did you sleep well?"

I bite my lip. "I did. What do you have planned for today?" I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"I thought I'd introduce you to primal play." He pauses, a gleam in his eyes. "I know you've read about it in those romance novels you love."

Heat rises to my cheeks at his mention of my secret hobby. And he's right. Everything he did to me last night was taken from the pages of my novels as if he'd been studying them.

"Chasing and, um..." I trail off, feeling embarrassed.

"Fucking outdoors." He winks. "Don't worry. I plan to give you the full experience." He sips his coffee. "By the time our week alone is through, every fantasy of yours will have come true. And I'll ensure I fuck you in every room of this fucking house, too."

His words send a shiver down my spine. Anticipation coils in my stomach, and I get wet at the idea of being claimed by him in every room in the family home.

I eat, savoring the delicious pancakes. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a meal this much. Maybe because he made it—my stepbrother who always treated me so badly.

"This is amazing, Jared. Thank you," I murmur.

"You're welcome, baby. I wanted to take care of you." His voice softens. "I know you've been through a lot."

After breakfast, I help him clear the table. The electric tension lingers between us like a living, breathing entity.

"Do you want to walk in the woods?" he asks.

My pulse quickens. "What did you have in mind?"

He leans closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "We strip down, wear only our masks, and play a game of chase. I'll give you a head start." His lips curve in a wicked smile. "If I catch you..." He lets the sentence hang.

My breath catches at the prospect. "Okay," I whisper.

We step out onto the terrace and undress, the cool air caressing my skin as I pull off each layer.

Once we're both completely naked, Jared steps close, his body a tempting proximity to mine. He hands me the porcelain doll-like mask I wore at the party. I secure the ties, the eyeholes allowing me a tantalizing glimpse of his chiseled form.

"Jared, wait." I hesitate, my fingers trailing along his arm. "Can we incorporate consensual nonconsent again, too?"

A feral gleam enters his eyes, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "You want me to force you again, Aria? Claim you against your will?"

My heart skips a beat as forbidden fantasies flash through my mind. "Yes..."

"Fuck, Aria. You have no idea how hard I get when you scream for me to stop." He leans closer, his warm breath fanning my cheek as he speaks in a low, gravelly tone. "I want to bend you over a log in the woods and fuck you from behind while you scream for me to stop. Do you want that?"

My breath catches in my throat as my body responds to his crude suggestion. "Yes," I whisper, my voice hoarse with need.

A dark smile stretches his lips. "Your wish is my command, baby sister." His thumb brushes my lower lip, sending a jolt of desire straight to my core. "Remember the safe word, ‘mercury.' If you need me to stop at any point, just say it."

I nod, my pulse pounding in my ears. "I'm ready."

Jared's eyes darken with hunger as he steps back, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He dons his skull mask, his gaze moving between me and the forest. "Run," he growls.

I bolt into the woods, my heart drumming wildly. The soft ground springs beneath my feet as I dash between the trees, my laughter ringing through the forest. I want him to catch me, my body yearning for his touch.

The cool air bites my naked skin.

I know he's close behind, his eyes feasting on the sight of my bare body in motion.

I'm acutely aware of every sensation—the wind teasing my skin, the soft earth beneath my feet, the scent of pine filling my lungs. The forest echoes with our presence—my breathy laughter, the soft crunch of leaves under our feet, and the occasional snapping of branches as we tread off the path.

Entering a small clearing, I spin around, searching for him.

Then I hear it—the swift padding of footsteps closing in. I dart away, my skin tingling with anticipation, every nerve ending alive.

He's gaining on me. Suddenly, his hand closes around my wrist, and he yanks me into him. A scream tears from my lips, and Jared slaps his hand over my mouth to stifle it.

"Careful, princess. You don't want to draw unwanted attention to our game," he growls, holding me against a broad tree, his body a wall of heat pressing into me.

I struggle against him, my hands pushing at his chest.

Jared's hands are everywhere, and I quickly fall into my role as the victim.

"Please, stop." I gasp, a mix of reluctance and need in my voice as I try to wriggle free. "Not out here."

But my half-hearted protests only spur him on. He lifts me, pressing my back against the tree, his body wedged between my thighs. He's thick and hard, and I know what's coming.

"You don't want this, Aria?" He growls. "Say it again."

"I don't want it." My voice shakes as I lie, my body already responding to him. I can feel my arousal gathering between my thighs, betraying my true desires.

He gives a ruthless thrust, claiming me with a force that steals my breath. "Liar. Your pussy is clenching around me, milking my cock." His voice is rough, his grip bruising my hips. "Admit it, baby. You want me to fuck you hard."

"No!" I cry out. "Please, no more." But even as I beg him to stop, my body yearns for more.

"Beg all you want, Aria." His lips curve into a dangerous smile, his thrusts becoming more relentless. "But you won't escape me. Say it. Admit that you love being fucked by your stepbrother."

I tear my gaze away. "No! Jared, please, not here. Not like this." I struggle against him.

"Yes, here. Now." He punctuates each word with a brutal thrust. "Hearing you say you don't want it while your pussy is soaking my cock makes me so hard." His voice betrays his urgency, and he pushes into me harder, filling me so completely it's overwhelming.

I moan, my body surrendering to the pleasure he's wringing from me. My head falls back, exposing my neck as I arch into him.

I can't bring myself to lie anymore. "Oh God, Jared, please!"

"Please, what?" he demands.

"Fuck me," I sob, all pretense gone. "Fuck me hard."

The tree digs into my back, and my body shudders with each impact. I can feel the bite of his fingers on my skin, leaving bruises. His thrusts are fierce.

"Say it," he pants, his lips hovering over my ear. "Tell me who I am to you."

My response is a whisper. "You're my stepbrother, and I want you. God, I want you so much!"

At my confession, he groans, his rhythm faltering before he collects himself and slams into me harder.

"You're my little stepsister, and I've wanted you for so long. Say you're mine, Aria." His voice is commanding, brooking no refusal.

"I'm yours," I gasp.

Jared lifts me, his arms coiled taut like steel bands around my waist. He pulls me away from the tree, his eyes blazing with a feral light, and sets me down on the forest floor.

Jared hovers over me, his beautiful blue eyes burning with intensity. I want him with every fiber of my being. My hands grasp his back, pulling him closer, needing to feel the length of his body against mine and the hard ridges of his muscles as he readies himself to take me again.

With a primal growl, he thrusts into me, taking my breath away. He's claiming me, marking me as his own in the most animalistic way.

His thrusts are relentless, each one pushing me deeper into the soft earth. I cry out, a tangled mess of sensations flooding my body.

The sounds of our passion fill the forest. My cries mingle with his harsh grunts, creating a symphony of desire.

Jared's hips snap against mine as his thrusts become more urgent, driven by the same reckless hunger that consumes me.

I wrap my legs around his waist, urging him on, wanting him deeper. My fingernails dig into his skin, leaving marks that mirror the ones he's branding onto my soul. He leans down, his lips crushing mine as his tongue invades my mouth, tasting of sin and lust.

My body coils tighter and tighter with pleasure, spiraling toward the precipice." Jared," I moan his name in a desperate plea as I surrender to the pleasure consuming me. My release hits me like a storm, rolling through my body in relentless waves.

"I'm going to come, baby," he grits out, his voice strained.

I want to feel him come inside me. Want to be overflowing with his cum by the time this week is over. It's unbelievable, but my body is on the cusp of another climax.

With a primal roar, he lets go, filling me. My body shudders with the force of my second orgasm, my walls clenching around him as he empties himself into me.

We stay joined together as our breathing slowly returns to normal. His full weight presses me into the forest floor, and I feel his heart hammer against my chest.

"That was—" I begin, searching for the words.

"Incredible," he finishes, his lips curving into a satisfied smile. "I've fantasized about taking you like that for so long."

I swallow, my pulse racing with a sickening guilt. It's the same each time we fuck, and my orgasm wears off. Feeling guilty and dirty. I'm keenly aware of the stickiness between my legs as his cum drips out of me.

He rolls off me and runs a hand through his hair. "We should probably get back before someone catches us."

I nod mutely, feeling a mix of emotions as we move naked through the woods back toward the house, trying to process what we're doing. It's wrong, yet nothing has ever felt so right or natural.