Hitched: A Stepbrother Honeymoon Romance Read online

  God, she sounds so dirty in there. I didn’t know innocent little Laney even had it in her. I smirk and step away from the door. I guess this means no shower. And half the hotel’s going to freak out if I go anywhere else with all this dirt on me and wait for Laney to finish.

  So I guess there’s only one thing to do. I look over at the huge pink bathtub in the corner of the living room and smirk. Who knew it was actually going to end up being good for something?

  Pretty soon, Laney’s dirty little moans are drowned out by the noise of running water, and I’m peeling off my clothes, leaving them in a sandy pile as I step into the bathtub. Shit, that feels good. I fill the bathtub up to about chest level, wash the dirt off my face and hair, and then relax, laughing at the half a catalog of fancy bath lotions sitting on the inside rim.

  Then, the second I turn off the water, I hear Laney finish herself off. It’s long, loud, and so fucking dirty. My hand goes under the water and wraps around the base of my cock as I picture Laney’s hips lifted up in the air, pushing a long, hot breath through her teeth as she gets off.

  And then, what feels like a couple seconds later, the door opens, and Laney’s adorable little head pokes through the door, eyes guilty like a bunny sneaking out for a midnight carrot.

  And then she sees me, and her jaw hits the floor.

  Chapter 13: Laney

  Well, it looks like my life is officially over. I had a pretty good run, all things considered, but then I had to go and walk in on my naked stepbrother taking a bath…seconds after I finished touching myself to him. If there’s a more humiliating possible situation, I really don’t want to know what it is.

  “Oh God! I was just…uh…it wasn’t what it…I mean…when did you…why are you…”

  I can’t seem to a put a complete sentence together, and my voice is coming out at least an octave higher than normal. Travis, on the other hand, doesn’t look embarrassed at all. He smirks at me, enjoying every second of me being flustered like this.

  “You look like you could use a bath.” He smirks, gesturing to the other half of the bathtub.

  “Travis! You can’t just get naked while I’m here! What if I walked in on you?”

  Travis’ deep blue eyes blaze, like he’s wishing I had walked in on him. I shudder and break eye contact, only to look down at the little drops of water running down his sculpted, tattooed pecs, all the way down into the bathwater, where the outline of his lower body is disturbingly visible. Closing my eyes and shaking my head, I walk over to the bathtub, grab one of the bottles of bubble bath formula off of the rim, and dump it out into the tub. Foamy white bubbles explode across the surface of the water, and even though I’m still embarrassed that Travis probably heard me in my room, the sight of him sitting in a bubble bath almost makes me laugh anyway.

  “What the fuck? What was that for?”

  “I’m not going to stand here and talk to you while your cock is right there in plain sight.”

  Travis shrugs. “Fair enough. I mean, we’re professional associates, right? Isn’t that what we decided this morning?”

  I cross my arms and nod, hoping to salvage some dignity from the situation. “Exactly. Besides, this way you can keep pretending like you’ve got a big dick under all those bubbles. Really, you should be thanking me.”

  Travis smirks, looking down between his legs, and then back at me. “So you think it’s small, huh?”

  The underwear modeling photo with the mega-sized package I bumped into at the mall flashes into my mind. “I know it’s small. All those stupid underwear modeling pictures you did are clearly photoshopped.”

  When I mention the photos, Travis grins like an animal who’s just cornered his prey. Shit, he probably thinks I was looking them up on the internet or something.

  “You know what? I think they actually did photoshop those. But it wasn’t to make my cock bigger.”

  God, why do we have to have this conversation now? All that stupid, irresponsible heat I thought I’d gotten rid of back in the bedroom is flooding my body again, and I think Travis can tell.

  “But hey, if you don’t believe me, that’s fine. You don’t have to take my word for it. Just come over here, reach down into the water, and feel for yourself.”

  Travis gestures down at the bubbles, his eyes daring me to do it…and then daring me to do a whole lot more.

  I shake my head, walk into the kitchen, and pour myself a glass of water from the sink. “I should have known this was going to happen. You’re ridiculous.”

  Travis raises his eyebrows. “I’m ridiculous? Babe, the only reason I’m taking a bath out here is because of what you were doing in there. I couldn’t exactly walk in and take a shower, could I?”

  Shit. He heard me. This place might have the thickest walls on the island, but I guess they’re not thick enough for us.

  I take a deep breath, trying to keep a straight face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  My voice is weak and soft, and my knees are starting to feel a little wobbly. It’s a big, fat lie, and we both know it. But what should I do? Tell the truth? Tell him that I was thinking about how he almost fingered me at the pool all day? About how I wanted him so bad I could barely think? About how I tried to think about anyone else but him as my fingers pressed against my clit, but all I saw as my body shuddered in ecstasy was his stupid, perfect face?

  And then what happens? We fuck, and I become the next notch on his bedpost? Or, even worse, get found out, and I’m world famous in the worst way possible? There are a million ways it could go totally wrong. It just can’t happen.

  “You don’t?” Travis asks, his voice soft and low. He’s watching me squirm, his eyes openly looking down at my curves. “Are you sure about that?”

  I open my mouth to say something clever or witty, but nothing comes out. So instead, I nod my head and walk quickly into my room, trying not to look at Travis’ soaped-up naked body as I go. But, of course, I fail. And when I do, our eyes meet for what feels like a whole minute.

  Then, I close the door behind me and get back on the bed, my clit aching just like it was before I started touching myself. That’s when it hits me. This isn’t teasing anymore. It can’t be written off as anything other than what it is. And we still have a lot of time left on the most romantic honeymoon money can buy.

  We’re so totally screwed.

  Chapter 14: Laney

  Well, there are a lot of people making out down here in the sauna…but as far as I can tell, none of them are Jason Hayward. I sigh and head back into the hotel halls. I’ve spent all day hopping back and forth across the entire building looking for any sign of celebrity misbehavior, and I haven’t been able to find a thing. Maybe this place isn’t as much of a gossip blog’s dream as I thought it was…or maybe, the hotel makes absolutely sure that the VIPs can get down and dirty in private, even away from the other guests.

  Whatever it is, I should probably stop moving around and do something normal before anyone starts to get suspicious. I’ve already run into Kayla a few times today, and she looks more and more confused every time we talk. Come to think of it, it’s been a couple hours since I last saw her, so I should probably-

  Nope. Too late. She’s already here.

  “Oh! There you are! I brought you some more towels for the sauna!”

  “Thanks, Kayla!” I flash a nervous smile. “But…uh…I think I’m actually going to head back to my room instead. The sauna wasn’t doing it for me.”

  I turn and look for the nearest elevator, hoping that Kayla doesn’t follow me, but of course she does. “Was there something wrong with the sauna?”

  Well, it’s full of humping honeymooners, but I feel like that’s kind of the point. “No, the sauna’s perfect! I just wasn’t in the mood for it, so I think I’m just going to head back up to my room.”

  “Sounds good! Remember to save some energy for the cruise tonight!”

  I stop in my tracks, and Kayla stops with me.

 
; “Right. The cruise. That’s tonight?”

  Kayla nods. “Sorry about the short notice, but I figured you two wouldn’t mind. By the way, do you guys want chicken or fish for dinner?”

  Well, I want to not be stuck on a boat with Travis after what happened last night…but I’m not sure that’s an option. Not after I’ve been alone all day. Kayla might think we’re fighting, or even worse, she might figure out we’re not what we claim to be. “Uh…fish.”

  “Good choice,” Kayla whispers conspiratorially, “I already booked your room, and I think you two are going to love it.”

  “Alright! We’ll tell you all about it when we get back.”

  Kayla laughs. “Oh, you won’t have to. I’m a waitress on the ship when I’m not helping guests. How do you think I got you tickets?”

  Great. Perfect. So now we’re going to have to act like Mr. and Mrs. Cutecouple all night. Maybe I can fake an allergic reaction right before we have to leave and tell Kayla I’m barfing too much to make the cruise…

  “Ok…well…hopefully we’ll see you tonight!”

  I turn to leave, but Kayla grabs my shoulder before I get too far away and leans in close. “By the way, just so you know…I heard a rumor that Jason Hayward is going to be on the cruise tonight.”

  My eyes widen with shock as I look at Kayla. “The Jason Hayward?”

  Kayla shrugs. “That’s what I heard. Too bad you’re taken, right?”

  Kayla and I laugh for totally different reasons, and as soon as she walks away, I hurry down the hall towards the elevator. Forget barfing. I need to get on that ship.

  ***

  At this point, I’m basically expecting Travis to be naked as soon as I walk into the suite, so I’m actually relieved that he’s just shirtless and doing push-ups in the middle of the floor.

  But I guess it says a lot about the past two days that the sight of him half-naked and dripping sweat is actually a relief. Unfortunately, he does not look like a guy that’s planning on being on a cruise ship any time soon…and that needs to change. Fast.

  I plop down on the couch and noodle around on my phone for a couple of minutes while he finishes up, trying not to sneak peeks at the way the tattoos on his back twist and bulge with every push-up he does. Luckily, he seems like he’s at the end of a long workout, and it isn’t too long before he hits the floor and flips over, pecs heaving up and down with his breath.

  He looks at me and grins. “Have fun in the sauna?”

  I roll my eyes. “Way too many people making out. I looked super out of place.”

  “Well…we could fix that.”

  Normally, this is where I’d call Travis a pervert and throw a shirt at him…but I should probably stay on his good side if I want to get his oversexed butt on that ship with me.

  “Well, I would, but then we wouldn’t be ready for the cruise tonight.”

  Travis looks surprised. “Wait, the cruise?”

  “Yeah, remember how Kayla gave us those tickets yesterday?”

  “Right, but you actually want to go?”

  I put on my best innocent, nothing-to-hide face. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

  Travis narrows his eyes at me. “Something weird’s going on here. You want to go on a romantic, overnight cruise…with me.”

  I shrug. “Free food. Free drinks. A cool view. It sounds like fun.”

  “Jason’s going to be there, isn’t he?”

  Crap. Now he’s going to figure out that he’ll be doing me a favor by coming with me. “Uh…well, I don’t know that for a fact…”

  Travis smirks. “Alright, we can go on the cruise. But I get to pick out your dress. We’re going to have to look like a real couple, or someone’s going to figure out what’s up.”

  I bite my lip as I try and remember which dresses I packed. I’m pretty sure I just kind of threw everything in there…but hey, it’s not like I’m really in much of a position to negotiate.

  “Fine. But please tell me you packed a suit.”

  Travis laughs. “Oh, I did. Trust me, we’re going to be the hottest couple on that whole fucking boat.”

  I don’t know if I like the sound of that.

  ***

  I glare at my reflection, thoughts of revenge on Travis running through my head. Naturally, he went through my whole suitcase dress by dress until he found the most revealing possible thing he could stuff me in: a dark blue dress that shows off way, way more cleavage than I remember. I look like I’m trying to find a husband, not trying to ditch one.

  When I walk out of the bathroom, Travis openly stares at my cleavage and smirks. I look down at my chest, and then back at Travis. “Happy?”

  Travis’ eyes blaze blue. “Over-fucking-joyed.”

  I shrug. “I don’t know why you’re torturing yourself by making me show off something you’re never going to get.”

  “Never say never, sis.”

  I shake my head. “There’s no way anyone’s going to buy us as a real couple.”

  “Sure there is. All we have to do is relax, have fun, and not fucking fight. We do that, we’ll be fine, you’ll get your story, and you might even enjoy yourself.”

  Travis grabs his suitcase and heads into the bathroom. A few seconds later, after I hear the shower turn on, I start thinking about what I’m going to say when I see Jason.

  Should I tell him I’m his biggest fan? Probably not, he’s here to get away from fangirls. Should I act like I know he’s famous but not what he’s famous for? That doesn’t sound like a great idea either.

  Maybe Travis is right. Maybe all I need to do is relax, have fun, and not fight with him. I look around the room and take a deep breath, reminding myself that I’m in a luxury suite specifically designed to be fun and relaxing. Then, before I know it, I’ve poured myself a glass of wine and I’m sitting on the couch, waiting for Travis to get out of the shower so we can get on that ship.

  But I’m definitely not prepared for the sight of Travis walking out of the bathroom in a ridiculously nice-looking suit. Holy crap, he cleans up well. I was expecting him to look like his usual foul-mouthed, immature self stuffed into a tacky suit, but no, his hair is actually combed, his stubble is gone, revealing a smooth, powerful jawline where it used to be, and his suit fits him perfectly, hugging his body in all the right places…

  Who’s this guy, and what has he done with my stepbrother?

  Travis offers me his arm. “Ready to go, honeybuns?”

  I down the rest of my wine and take it. “You know it, loverboy.”

  You know what? I think I’m starting to have fun with this.

  Hopefully, I don’t have too much.

  Chapter 15: Laney

  The cruise ship rocks gently beneath me as I lean against the railing and try to catch my breath. It turns out that fifteen minutes wasn’t nearly enough time to get from our room all the way down to the little dock right below our window…and we realized this after about ten minutes, when we weren’t even out of the hotel yet. So we ended up booking it the rest of the way to the docks, with me waving my tickets at the Royal Shores employee like a crazy person right as he was about to close up the ramp. But hey, we made it on the cruise. That’s the good news. The bad news is that I couldn’t look like a bigger fish out of water here if I tried.

  The entire ship’s deck is full of elegant, classy-looking couples decked out with expensive jewelry and designer clothes; basically everyone looks like they just stepped out of an awards show. Meanwhile, I’m over here against the railing, out of breath like I just ran a marathon. I’m about to fall out of my dress, my hair’s a mess, and I feel like I have a giant blinking sign around my neck that says “On a date with my stepbrother! Ask me anything!” in huge neon letters.

  Whatever. Don’t think about it. It’ll only distract me from the real reason I’m here…finding Jason. As I start to get my sea legs under me, I take a couple steps away from the railing and scan the crowd. Lots of pretty faces here…but I don’t see Jason. As my eyes pass
over Travis, standing on the other side of the deck talking to a couple of fans, he looks at me with a hungry smile on his face. A shudder runs through my body, and I bite my lip, trying to think about anything but him.

  “There you are! I was worried you weren’t going to make it.”

  My eyes shoot open and I see Kayla, standing in front of me wearing a sailor hat and a short blue dress and carrying a plate of what look like flowers resting on napkins.

  I smile at her nervously. “So were we! I wanted us to leave earlier, but Travis and I got a little…uh…sidetracked.”

  Kayla looks me up and down and nods knowingly. “Understandable. Well, you made it! Cheese flower?”

  She holds the plate of flowers out towards me, and I pick one up and cradle it in my hand. “Thanks! So...” I look around and lower my voice. “Is you-know-who here?”

  Kayla looks apologetic. “He said he was coming yesterday, but I didn’t see him get on board. We saved him a table, but some of the other waiters are saying that they heard he checked out with his lady friend a couple of hours ago.”

  You’ve got to be kidding me. I Vegas married to my stepbrother to report on this guy, and he checked out? I’m about to explode.

  I turn and face the water so Kayla doesn’t see the look of disappointment on my face. “Lame…I really wanted to meet him.”

  “You and me both. But hey, it happens all the time. Celebrities are unpredictable.” Kayla puts her cheese plate down on an empty table and looks out over the water with me. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  I nod. “Yeah, it’s gorgeous. I’m sure you’re bored of it by now, though, right?”

  “Not at all. It’s always a little different. Sometimes the moon shines off the water and it looks amazing, and sometimes it’s so dark out that it’s like we’re floating in a whole other world.”

  I peel a petal off my cheese flower and pop it into my mouth. “Right, but doesn’t it get old telling people the same things over and over again?”