Chapter 53 HEADLINE
THANE
She frowned, and that alone made it worse, that she actually asked me that.
“Fucking no!” My hands flew up before dropping hard between the gear, right where her knee rested.
She pressed her lips together, then nodded slowly. “So… Do you love me, then?”
There was something in her face, a suspicious glint that made it click where this was going. “I think I know what you’re doing, but no. We don’t have to go down that road. I…”
“Just answer the damn question,” she cut in, impatient.
I stopped stalling. “Hell, yeah,” I admitted.
“Good.” She nodded once. “That means whatever happens… we choose each other. Even if it’s hard and—”
“Wait.” I blinked. “You’re preaching to me about love now?” I frowned slightly, not even sure that was the question I meant to ask.
“Not really,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m just saying this is me telling you I love you. And whether you think you’re too messed up to let yourself be loved… I’m not giving up on you. And I’m not going anywhere no matter how many times you try to push me away.”
Her palm rested softly on my chest. Her fingers moved slowly, skillfully tracing up to the buttons of my shirt. “Which reminds me…” Her eyes stayed on mine for a second, studying mine, like she was choosing her next words carefully. “Nancy called. She said you need to show up for your…”
She hesitated, lips pressing together like she didn’t want to say it. “Your therapy, Thane,” she finished. “And I’m ready to make sure that happens.”
My brow tightened in shock. “Wait… Nancy called you?”
She nodded slowly, that soft, almost cautious look back in her eyes.
“Hell, I don’t even know why she’d do that,” I snapped, frustration rising again. “But that’s still none of your business. She had no fucking right dragging you into my shit.”
Rachel didn’t respond. It was like everything I said just passed through her and disappeared into the air. She kept messing with the buttons on my shirt, calmly, like I hadn’t just raised my voice at her. That only made it worse.
“Rachel,” I muttered, grabbing her wrists to stop her. “This isn’t okay. She can’t just involve you in my business like that.”
She still said nothing. Instead, she gently pulled her hands free, then took one of mine and placed it between the smooth space on her chest, right over where her heart was racing fast with unsteady rhythms.
And somehow… mine started slowing. She guided my hand down slightly over the swell of her right breast, making me feel the warmness around it, her other hand resting against my side, grounding me in a way I didn’t even realize I needed.
“I know you’re not…” she started, her voice catching for a second before she steadied it. “You’re not mad at me.”
I clenched my jaw but didn’t pull away. I picked her hard nipples between my fingers and kneaded it softly. Her back arched involuntarily causing the next words to choke out, “You’re just… angry,” she continued softly. “Because I’m seeing the dark parts of you you’d rather hide.”
Her eyes held mine. “But no one is perfect, Thane.”
My grip tightened slightly around not just on her tiny waist, but on the moment, on everything I was trying to hold back.
“Let me see all of you,” she said quietly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
That hit harder than anything else she’d said. Because even sitting there, with her this close, with everything between us pulling tight again… I knew she didn’t fully understand what she was asking for. And even if she did… She didn’t deserve to be dragged into the kind of darkness I’d been living with for years.
RACHEL
Thane was wrong. He probably thought I couldn’t handle all of him, but I could, no matter how dark it was. I wanted to try and understand it, be there with him. That’s how deep I am for him now. After the stress of trying to find him, I was never going to back down easily even if he pushed me away.
He lowered his head as if whatever was eating him up was too big for him to admit, or maybe he thought it’d scare me off. But I already prepared myself for anything. I tilted his chin up, forcing him to stare into my eyes, letting him see what he’d done to me. I was completely his now.
I let my other hand work on his belt, unfastening it as slowly as possible, my eyes never leaving his for a second.
He didn’t stop me. He just watched me with those dark, grounding eyes that said I want to be inside you. The second I pulled the hook, I pulled my hand away from his chin, still holding his gaze as I dragged his trousers and boxers down to his thighs. I didn’t mind how tight the space was. His cock sprang free, thick, heavy, veins pulsing, the head already glistening with pre-cum.
My chest started beating faster at the sight of his hardened length. The way it looked unimaginably thicker and heavier than how I remembered it. I stared at it, almost in disbelief. My mouth instantly went dry. God, he’s so big. The memory of how he felt stretching me that day flashed through my mind, making fresh heat flood between my legs. I wanted him. I wanted every inch of him, even if it hurt, even if it ruined me.
His eyes dropped to it for a second then flicked back to mine. “Don’t look at me that way,” he whispered softly. “I’ve told you it’s shameless when it comes to you.”
I chuckled, my voice shaky. “I love it.” I wrapped my fingers around the base, feeling the burning heat and the way it throbbed powerfully in my palm. I stroked him slowly from root to tip, squeezing just enough to make him hiss. “I love how shameless it is for me.”
Finally, I drew a small smirk from him. “How about we stop talking and do something about it. You already woke it up.”
I smiled. For that moment, we both forgot everything that led us here. We just wanted each other… To drown ourselves in this consuming pleasure.
I straddled him gently, feeling the thickness of the veins as I rubbed my soaked pussy along his thick length, coating him with my wetness. “Fuck!” He growled loudly, his head falling back.
Then, slowly, I touched his lips with my index finger. His eyes snapped to mine as he parted his lips, sucking my finger into his wet mouth. His tongue swirled around it, teeth grazing gently as his other hand glided down to stroke himself. Without warning, his free hand gripped my right thigh hard. I shifted, pushing my hips up, and in one smooth motion, I sank down onto him.
Aw—Shit!” I rasped, fingers digging into his bare chest to steady myself as he stretched me open so wide it bordered on pain and overwhelming pleasure. The fullness was almost too much. Every thick inch dragging against my walls, hitting deep places that made my toes curl and my vision blur altogether.
Fuck, he feels even bigger like this. The thought made me clench around him involuntarily. I was so wet I could hear the slick sound every time I moved. Part of me was terrified of how much I needed him, terrified that this would break me, terrified that this might not be a happy ending for us. But the bigger part, the part that had fallen so hard for him, didn’t care. I wanted to feel him everywhere. I wanted him to ruin me. I wanted to be the one thing he couldn’t walk away from.
“Rachel. Fuck.” Thane gasped, his warm breath fanning my face.
I rode him, my waist rocking against his shaft, taking him deeper with every roll of my hips. “Hmm… Ah! Thane.” I hummed softly as his hands gripped my ass harder, using his strength to pull me down deeper, forcing me to take every inch until he was pressing against the deepest part of me that made my toes curl again.
I gripped a fistful of his hair, forcing his face up to mine. “I want myself in your business…” I breathed, still trying to catch my breath. “That’s what caring about someone… is all about.” I choked out.
Thane’s mouth parted as he dropped his head to kiss my neck, but I forced his face back to mine again, grinding him harder until the chair leaned lower. “You can’t miss therapy,” I continued, the words coming out breathy.
This time he was staring at me, eyes dark. “Are you trying to blackmail me by fucking me, Shorty?” he chuckled darkly.
“I think it’s working.” I laughed back.
“That’s not fair.” He whined while his hand slid down behind me, anchoring me tighter before slamming me down harder against him.
“Aw!” My voice came out ragged in pleasure, the delicious stretch of him inside my cunt almost driving me insane. I twisted my hips to feel it again, chasing that spot that made stars explode behind my eyes.
“Yeah, that’s it, baby.” Thane cheered me on. That alone made me ride him faster, my breasts bouncing with every movement as I lost myself in the feeling of him filling me completely.
When his phone started ringing on the dashboard, he didn’t even bother to look at it. I knew it had to be Simon. He was probably furious by now. I almost forgot Thane was supposed to fly out. Look at me, I was supposed to be a good influence, and now, here I am, being the one wrecked, riding my stepbrother like I couldn’t get enough.
“You need to take that,” I said.
He groaned, dragging a hand over his face. “Such a mood killer,” he muttered flatly, making me laugh. “Next time I’ll remember to switch that thing off.”
I reached for the phone and glanced at the screen. Just like that, the small smile on my face disappeared.
He noticed instantly. “What’s wrong?”
I looked at him. “Your ex.” I dropped the phone onto his chest. “Wendy.”
He licked his lips and pushed himself up slightly. “Do you want me to talk to her?”
“What if I said no?” I tested him bluntly.
“I don’t give a fuck. I won’t.” He said it so damn sure, and I knew he wasn’t lying. But as much as I almost fell for it, I was more interested in knowing why she was calling.
“Just pick it,” I muttered.
He didn’t argue this time. He answered immediately. I didn’t realize he’d put it on speaker until her voice filled the car.
“Hi, Thane.”
“I’m busy, Wendy,” he said coldly. “You’ve got one second.”
She exhaled sharply. “Well, you’re going to need more than that, because this is important…”
“Just fucking tell me. What is it?”
“Don’t talk to me like that when I’m trying to help you,” Wendy snapped. “Have you even seen the news?”
My chest tightened. I looked at Thane. I knew he felt it too.
“Listen, Wen,” he said, his voice calmer now, but tight underneath. “You called to tell me something, so stop dragging it out. I told you I’m busy.”
“Fine,” she said flatly. “See for yourself Neither of us spoke.
Neither of us said a word. Thane quickly unlocked his phone and pulled up the internet. It didn’t take long. There we were. Our pictures boldly stamped on the front page.
With a looming headline: A SOURCE CLAIMS: “THEY’VE ALWAYS BEEN UNUSUALLY CLOSE. THIS JUST CONFIRMS SUSPICIONS.”
My chest twisted painfully as we both stared at the screen. “Fuck.”