He eased into me, slow at first. My eyes fluttered shut and I enjoyed the feel of him. How he stretched me, filled me, and tormented me all at once.

“Summer.” His voice was husky.

“Mmm.” Words were beyond me at that point. I was on a cloud. There were no words or air to speak them with.

“I’m going to fuck you so goddamned hard you’ll be sore for a week. Is that okay?”

I tightened my internal muscles and squeezed his cock. He groaned, or maybe it was a growl. The next thing I knew, he’d sat up, snaked his arms under my thighs and grabbed my hips. My legs dangled over his arms, I was exposed to him. His body no longer covered mine, but it didn’t matter. He pulled me closer as he thrust into me. He buried himself to his balls. He growled. Gripped my hips tighter. Drove harder.

Everything that wasn’t him blurred. It was him and I. His flesh in my flesh. I gripped the pillow. Our moans filled the room. I didn’t bother to try to stifle my sounds. I let myself be loud. The louder I was the harder he fucked me.

He let go of my hips and threw himself forward on top of me. His mouth crashed to mine and his hand wound into my hair. I gripped his face. I wanted time to stop. I wanted to freeze my life right there so I never had to stop living that moment.

It started as a slow burn, a throb, an ache in my stomach. I dug my fingers into Hunter’s muscular back as I shuddered and bucked underneath him. He kissed my neck, ear, shoulder, anywhere but my mouth. I guess he wanted to hear the stream of obscenities that poured out of my mouth. My juices exploded and slathered his cock.

He groaned the words as he stiffened. “You’re so perfect, Summer.”

He tensed again as he slammed into me. His orgasm triggered another one of my own. I stared at his face the whole time. I loved the look in his eyes when he was lost in his release, lost in me. He pounded and shuddered until it was over.

It was over. The reality crashed back down on me. I pushed against his chest and climbed out from underneath him. I grabbed the yoga pants and t-shirt I’d worn earlier and then slid into them as Hunter got dressed behind me. I couldn’t look at him. The truth circled in my brain like a vulture, waiting for the rest of me to die along with my dignity. I’d used him to get back at Mitch. He was nothing but kind to me tonight, and I took advantage of that.

I wrapped my arms around myself. “So, I guess I’ll see you in the fall,” I said as Hunter pulled his shirt on.

Hunter grabbed his jacket, but didn’t put it on. He gripped it. I hoped he felt as awkward as I did. I’d never had a one-night stand before. I wasn’t sure how they were supposed to end.

Hunter headed for the door, then turned to me. “Do yourself a favor, Summer.” He grabbed the doorknob but didn’t turn it. “Stay away from Mitch. You deserve better.”

I nodded, then he was gone. The door shut and I walked to it. I leaned my forehead against the cold wood. I didn’t know how this was supposed to end, because I didn’t want it to end at all.

Chapter Five

Hunter had been right. I was sore the next morning. It was hard to push it out of my mind when every time I took a step I felt him. My mom arrived, and between the two of us, we had her truck loaded in an hour. I avoided asking about my surprise. She’d tell me in her own way at her own speed. Whatever her secret was, it seemed to make her happy. There was a glow around her that wasn’t there when I’d come home for spring break.

By the time we stopped for lunch I was tired of waiting. I wiped my mouth on my napkin and pushed my empty plate to the side. “So, Mom, what’s your big surprise.”

She smiled. “Do you remember the cruise I went on a month ago?”

“The singles thing, right?”

She nodded. “I met someone.”

I took a drink of my soda. “Good for you, Mom. I mean it.” I didn’t want her to end up alone and miserable. My dad had been gone for ten years, it was time for Mom to move on and be happy again.

“We got married.” My mother was the master of dropping the bomb. Speak as fast as possible and unload the information as quick as you can. The other person’s brain will short circuit and the backlash will be less. “I moved in with him, so you’ll be living in the new house this summer.”

And there it was. The bombshell. The life-altering surprise. I was an adult now. I was in college, her decision would have less of an effect on my life now that most of it was separate from hers.

“Good for you, Mom.” I reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “I’m happy for you. So, who’s the lucky guy?”

The door of the diner chimed and a middle-aged man walked in. Mom waved at him. “There he is now. His name is David.” David approached and the door chimed again. “There’s his son. You’re going to love him.”

My gaze went to the door.

The planet stopped.

My heart stopped.

My breathing stopped.

My gaze met Hunter’s.

Surprise.

Chapter Six

It figured that mom’s surprise for me was a gigantic kick to the face from good old karma. The one and only time I’d done something reckless it turned into a giant mess. My first, and last, one-night stand was a romp with a guy who was already my stepbrother.

As I rose to greet them, David extended his hand. “Nice to finally meet you, Summer. Your mother has told me a lot about you.”

I forced a smile. “I wish I could say the same.”

David pulled away and motioned toward Hunter. “This is my son, Hunter. You might know him. He attends the same college as you.”

Before I could say anything, Hunter extended his hand. “Yeah. I think I’ve seen you around.”

I didn’t know what to say. I shook it and tried to push an image out of my head. Hours ago those same hands had roamed my body. Hell, I rode his fingers. He might still have my nail marks on his back.

I felt my face redden and turned my attention to my mom. “Why didn’t you tell me you got remarried?”

David draped his arm around my mom and kissed her temple. “That was my idea. She wanted to tell you right away¸ but I thought it’d be more fun for her if she got to do it in person.”

Yeah, real fun.

Mom looked at David, then at her watch. “If we want to get these kids settled in today, we should get back on the road.” She fished in her purse and dropped a handful of bills onto the table.

“How about you ride with Dad, Megan.” Hunter stared at me, his expression unreadable. “Summer and I can get to know each other better on the drive.”

My mom beamed at Hunter. She went on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “What a great idea.” She took David’s arm and handed Hunter the keys to her truck. “We’ll see you kids at home. Drive safe.”

I could have killed Hunter. Or kissed him. Or done a million other things I shouldn’t have been thinking about doing to my stepbrother. Without a word, I grabbed my purse and then headed to the truck. I leaned against the passenger side and waited. He approached, stood right in front of me, and slid the key into the door. He was so close I smelled his cologne.

“You could have just used the power lock feature on the keypad,” I said, pointing to the set of keys in his hand.

I hoped he couldn’t tell what kind of effect he had on me. Before yesterday, I couldn’t stand Hunter. He was smug, conceited and had the unrelenting desire to beat me at everything. Today I felt him every time I moved. The memories of last night made me want to do it all over again.

He grinned and opened my door for me, then walked around the other side and climbed into the driver’s seat. He started the truck. “Ready to go home, sister.”

I recoiled. “Oh god, Hunter. Don’t call me that ever again.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “This is an interesting twist of fate, isn’t it?”