Her Stepbrother, Her Hero Read online

  "Can I have the attention of the graduating class." The music was immediately turned off and the crowd of a couple hundred people all focused their attention on the prom host, a short, stout redheaded man who had announced himself to be Principal Flannigan.

  When everyone was looking at him and the chatter had quieted down he continued. "It's time to announce your prom king and prom queen."

  Looking down at Gabriella, Anthony gave her arm a nudge. When she looked up at him he gave her a wink. "We got this, babe."

  Laughing, she shook her head and rolled her eyes at him, before turning her attention back to Principal Flannigan.

  Despite being captain of the football team and highly popular in high school, he had never really given a shit about those things. And the whole prom king and queen thing he really hadn't given a rat’s ass about. His date Ashley Vaughn had given a shit about it, however, and when he refused to allow her to nominate them for the king and queen she'd gotten her revenge by making out with his best buddy during the prom. So really, his high school prom hadn't ended up much better than Gabriella's. Just no one ever knew that part of things.

  The host pulled Tony from his trip down memory lane.

  "And this year's prom king and queen is..." Principal Flannigan made a big show of pulling the "secret results" from the envelope. "Mr. and Mrs. Anthony King."

  Because of the way it was announced “Mr. and Mrs.” it took him a moment to realize that it had in fact been them selected.

  "Mr. and Mrs.?" Gabriella looked up at him and raised a questioning brow.

  Anthony shrugged. "Must be because of our last names. How many people take their sister to prom? Er, fake prom."

  Gabriella fell silent for a moment and then laughed. He loved seeing her laugh. He rarely saw her laugh while they were teenagers, and practically never because of him. All he'd ever managed to do was hurt her and make her angry. While her angry look was sexy, he'd take her laughter and eyes looking up at him with affection any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

  Her face immediately mellowed and she touched his cheek with her fingertips. "Thank you, Tony."

  The sweetness in her voice tugged at his heart. She'd grown into such an amazing and beautiful woman while he'd been away. He was grateful she was willing to let the past be in the past so they could move on – together? He hoped.

  "Come on, Mrs. King. Let's get you that crown." Grabbing her hand he tugged her along behind him as they made their way to the stage.

  ****

  "Well it's about time you got up, slugger," Gabriella teased when she noticed Anthony stirring on her well-worn cream-coloured sofa. This was the first night that he hadn’t had the nightmares. She knew he’d been nightmare-free because she’d spent most of the night in the armchair across from him in case he needed her. The previous evening the sofa was as far as she could get him. After they received their crowns for being the prom king and queen the partying really started. Anthony partied much harder than her.

  Anthony groaned as he sat up and his grey eyes glanced up at her standing over him with a cup of coffee and a couple of aspirin in her hands. "Thanks." He accepted the pills, tossed them into his mouth and chased them down with the steaming coffee. "I can't believe I got drunk on you, Gabby. It was supposed to be your perfect prom." Reclining back onto the sofa, he shook his head, and his eyes pleaded with her to forgive him.

  "Nothing to apologize for, Tony." Sitting down on the sofa beside him, she curled her bare feet up under her and cuddled up to him, wrapping her arms around his torso. "We were prom royalty, who could ask for more than that?"

  Her smile seemed to lighten his mood and he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "A date who doesn't get wasted and make a fool of himself on the dance floor?"

  Grinning, Gabriella thought back to his dancing that got more and more erratic as the night went on. "Now why would I have cared how badly you danced? It was my husband all the people were pointing and laughing at. I just got the sympathy stares."

  Anthony laughed and then grimaced, his hand going to the large bump on his forehead. "How did I get that?" He touched it again. "Shit, ouch."

  Gabriella attempted to stop her giggling, but it was a futile effort. "Well, I tried to stop you, but you were determined that the king of the prom be able to do the Michael Jackson anti-gravity move for his loyal subjects.”

  His frown deepened. ''I'm assuming I failed?"

  "It was funny watching you try, babe." She kissed him lightly on the neck and gave him a reassuring squeeze, hoping to help soothe his bruised ego. "You do realize that Michael used to have special shoes that would hook into the floor so he wouldn't fall over when he leaned forward, right?"

  A smile formed on his lips. "I must have forgotten that part."

  "Hmmm. My brother the hero forgot something? Craziness!" She was teasing, but his body tensed against hers and upon looking up into his disturbed expression she immediately wished she could take the words back. "What's the matter, Tony?"

  "I'm no hero, Gabby," he admitted, averting his gaze.

  Not liking his darkened expression, she repositioned herself onto his lap. Placing her hands on his face, she forced his eyes to meet hers. The laughter and teasing were gone, replaced with a vacant, haunting look as though he were remembering something heinous. "Talk to me Tony," she whispered, not wanting to press him, but hoping and needing to help.

  He seemed to snap back to her at the sound of her voice. "I was a sniper, Gabby. I've killed so many people and I don’t even know why exactly. I mean, I know why. But…” his voice trailed off and he took on that distant expression again. “I was told to do it and so I did. I’ve seen my closest friends die. Did things... Enemy or not, I never imagined I’d be capable of taking another person’s was, but I have. Many times." He tried to slip her from his lap, but she refused to budge; instead she slipped her hands around his neck and held tight to him. “I thought I could deal with the guilt. I’d been trained. I thought I could cope with what needed to be done, but Gabby, you can’t ever be prepared for taking another person’s life. Not really. Regardless of who or what they are.”

  "You are a hero to me, Tony," she whispered.

  Anthony hesitated for a moment, as if trying to decide if he deserved the affection she was offering him, but relented, snaking his arms around her waist and pulling her tighter to him. Too tight, almost painfully tight, but she didn't say a word, only held him. “Thank you,” he whispered into her hair.

  “We’ll get through this.” Gabriella had no idea what was going through his mind, but she needed him to know that no matter what, she was there for him. She had no idea how long went by before he finally released her and she was able to breathe normally again, but his somber mood had lightened – slightly.

  "I need to show you something." Looking down at himself, he then realized that he was naked and his dick was at half-mast, as if waiting for the go-ahead to turn into a full erection. Upon realizing that her eyes had followed his to his dick he flushed. "Well, not that..." He gave her a wink. "Yet... Where are my pants?"

  A stirring began between her legs at the promise of what may be to come. "Draped over the kitchen chair." She nodded her chin toward the entryway to the kitchen.

  "How did I get naked anyhow?" he asked, standing and raising an inquisitive brow at her.

  Gabriella chewed at her lower lip and shrugged. "You wanted to have sex, so you got naked, assured me you could perform despite the massive amount of alcohol you'd consumed and then passed out."

  Anthony raked a hand through his short unruly locks. "Seriously?" She nodded. "Fuck. I'm sorry, Gabriella."

  "You've done worse to me over the years." She meant it to be a flippant comment, but his frown deepened. He seemed to be in such an up and down mood this morning. Hangover? Perhaps; she hoped that was all it was.

  "I want to show you something. Give me a sec." He turned and Gabriella admired the tight, hard muscle of his ass and broad shoulders from behind as he w
alked away from her. Her stomach did a flip flop and her pussy began the uncomfortable ache from needing him.

  What she assumed to be a few seconds’ task ended up taking over five minutes, as she waited impatiently for him to return with whatever it was he wanted to show her. Did he decide to start breakfast? She sniffed the air for any telltale signs of breakfast cooking. None. Finally he came strolling back into the living room and sat back down next to her.

  He opened his brown leather wallet with an eagle embossed on it, and rummaged through the contents. "Most men usually take with them a memento from home. A way of reminding them what they're fighting for and giving them hope of what they’re going to come back to."

  Gabriella grinned, and pretended to peek over his shoulder and into the wallet. "Let me guess, a picture of Ashley Vaughn in there?" she teased, giving his shoulder a playful nudge.

  Giving her the dimpled grin that made her pulse race he shook his head. "Nah." Grabbing onto a picture, he pulled it out and handed it to her.

  Gabriella's mouth dropped as she peered upon the photo. She was truly shocked. "Wow. Anthony... This is me?" She looked down at the photo of her that Anthony had taken on a family camping trip, when she was seventeen – him eighteen. She was reclined against a tree and looking out onto the lake, not realizing he was even there taking the picture. Neither one of them had wanted to go but their parents had insisted. It was the one weekend in their entire time living together as siblings that they'd gotten along.

  "Do you remember that weekend?"

  Gabriella felt tears welling up in her eyes. She sniffed and batted them away with the back of her hand. "Yeah. It was fun." She raised her eyes to meet his. "But why me? Why carry this with you?'' The pieces were beginning to fall into place for her, but she wanted to hear it from him. She needed to.

  He turned to face her and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "Because I love you, Gabby. I tried so hard to deny the feelings. That night you came into my room before I left. Shit, for a brief moment I was going to tell you. And then…"

  “And then…” she parroted. "But... I...." Oh, God it was so confusing. She frowned. What exactly did he mean? He couldn't possibly... Could he? "Well, of course you do, we're family." She didn’t want to jump to conclusions and attempted to shrug it off, but his eyes told her that wasn't what he meant.

  "I didn't chase off those guys in high school because I wanted to make your life miserable, Gabby. I did it because I couldn't handle the thought of any of them touching you. I couldn't bear it. And I knew I couldn't tell you, I almost did that night. God, Dad would have fucking killed me. It was killing me, Gabby."

  "So you joined the Marines..."

  He shrugged. "Yeah. I needed to get away. I needed you out of my head. My feelings for you were wrong and I knew it, but I just..."

  He slipped his hand to the back of her head and she sighed softly, covering his hand with her own. Closing her eyes, she turned her face and kissed his palm. Opening her eyes back up, she could see the anguish in those stormy grey eyes. It tore at her heart.

  "You should have told me, Tony. We could have worked it out, had I known..."

  He gave her a look that said “get serious,” which caused a soft smile to touch her lips. "Seeing you and knowing I couldn't have you. Knowing one day I wouldn't be able to stop some asshole from having you. It was too much. But I'm in love with you. The years haven't changed that for me, Gabby, they've only made me want you more."

  Placing the picture next to his wallet on the small glass coffee table, she straddled his lap. She touched the side of his face, beginning to show signs of a shadow. She loved this man. She always had. Even while she hated him, she loved him. The surreal part was that he loved her back, and all this time he'd wanted her as much as she had wanted him.

  "I love you too, Tony."

  "My God, Gabby." Slipping a hand behind her head and threading his fingers into her hair he forced her lips down to his, kissing her with a passion she'd never known existed until that moment. It lit up her entire body. Love, joy, lust, need. So many emotions were rushing through her as their tongue duelled together, she could barely control herself.

  "Lift your arms over your head Gabby," he ordered, pulling his mouth from hers and grasping the hem of her camisole while leaving her breathless. "Since we didn't get to the best part of prom night last night I think we need to get on it right away."

  Grinning, she raised her arms and he slowly peeled the tight sheer pink garment up over her stomach. His eyes lit up at the sight of each inch of her body as it became revealed to him. He inched his way up further, revealing her generous breasts and then up and over her head, tossing it to the floor.

  He palmed her breasts in his large hands, pinching the nipples. Her heart rate accelerated. His breath hitched as she moved on his lap, grinding her pelvis against his growing cock. Her sheer lace panties became wet with her growing need.

  Anthony took her first nipple into his mouth and tugged at it with his teeth. Gabriella cried out as a sharp rush of pleasure and pain ran down her spine and she gripped tight to his shoulders, her fingernails digging into the hard muscle.

  His mouth travelled over to the other nipple, swirling his tongue around the tightening nub and then taking it into his mouth. Her pussy was aching, her body moving and grinding onto his, needing release.

  "Too much clothing," she gasped. Her thin panties and his boxers needed to go – immediately. She slid from his lap and stood before him, loving the way his eyes wandered hungrily over her naked body. Quickly sliding her panties over her hips, she leaned over him and tugged his down as well, unveiling his beautiful, thick cock standing ready and proud. Kneeling between his spread legs, Gabriella kept her eyes locked to his as she grasped his dick in her hands and began stroking him, from the base to tip.

  "Damn, Gabby." His body tensed and he groaned softly.

  Feeling empowered that such a strong, gorgeous man was aching with need for her, she lowered her lips to the tip. Her tongue lashed out and swiped the cum beginning to form at the tip.

  "Take it all Gabby," he groaned, cupping the back of her head in his hands and urging her mouth lower on him.

  "Not yet." She grinned wickedly at him and she was thrilled to see the look of anguish in his eyes. Her tongue circled the head, flicking at the tip and then running up and down the underside of his shaft.

  Anthony groaned once more and his hips began to move, thrusting up, begging her to end his torture and take him into her mouth. "Ah, Gabby." His fingers tightened in her hair and his body tensed, every beautiful muscle taut and ready.

  Once done with her teasing she ended his torture, taking him fully into her mouth. His loud groan of relief fuelled the fire between her legs as she began to move up and down on him, sucking and licking the shaft with each movement. Gabriella slipped a hand between her legs, parted her pussy lips and began to stroke herself, her hand moving in time with her rhythm on his cock.

  She was coming close, the shivers running through her increasing by the second, taking her to the edge of bliss when his hands left her hair and he grabbed her shoulders. Frowning, she lifted her eyes and caught his.

  "Ride my cock Gabby, I want to see your face when you come," he ordered, his tone gruff, but strained.

  Reluctantly she released his dick and slid onto him, straddling his lap. She was so wet, he easily slid into her, stretching her wanton core.

  "Ride me hard, sweetie." He gripped her hips and thrust up into her, spurring her into action.

  Leaning back on him, her hands braced on his knees behind her, her back arched and her eyes locked to his she began to move on him. She rotated her hips in a circular motion while moving up and down on him. The head of his massive cock stroked her inner wall, and with each rotation she found herself whimpering as a spasm of pleasure would rush through her.

  "Stay with me."

  She nodded, her breasts jiggling as she continued to grind against him. She saw the fire in his
eyes, burning hotter than she had ever seen before. She was coming closer to her climax. The closer she came, the faster her movements on his cock became, until everything seemed to spin out of control and she gave in to the sweet surrender of his massive cock.

  "Oh my God! So good, Tony!" she cried out as she felt her body preparing to explode. Seconds away. Harder, faster. Her fingers gripped tight to his legs as with one final thrust against him, slamming down onto his lap and driving his cock as far into herself as possible, she exploded.

  "Oh fuck baby, that's good!" Anthony groaned.

  She was still basking in the aftermath of her mind-blowing orgasm when Anthony shifted their position, taking care not to become separated from her, and laid her onto her back on the sofa. The next thing she knew, he had her legs slipped over his shoulders and he was taking her, hard, fast and deeper than she'd ever felt anyone.

  He slammed into her over and over, his balls slapping her ass with each downward thrust. "Oh yes Tony, yes, yes, yes!"

  She gripped tightly to his arms, and watched as his cock disappeared and reappeared from within her. The view was amazingly erotic and so consuming, seeing their union and then feeling the pleasure that came with it.

  "Fuck, I love watching myself fuck you, Gabby," he grunted between clenched teeth.

  She bit her lower lip as she felt his cock thicken and felt his balls harden against her ass. He was close and she needed him to come almost as much as she needed to feel the rush of coming a second time that morning.

  "I'm going to come again!" She closed her eyes, letting the sensations rush over her.

  "Open your eyes."

  Her lids fluttered open and she caught his gaze once more. The electricity between them was so intense it was leaving her breathless. If she hadn't been in the middle of another loud moan she would have grinned at his bossiness. With a loud groan a rush of his cum came spewing from him, beating against the walls of her pussy.

  "So good!" The words hadn't left her lips when her body began to tremble. Her stomach clenched and then her pussy erupted, coating every inch of his cock with her sweet nectar. Her juices quickly filled her, mixing with his semen.