Dirk: A Stepbrother Romance(8)

“What's making you so tired?” she prompted, sensing there was more to his demeanor than he was letting on.

“I haven't been sleeping very well,” was all he said.

Dirk rose from the rock and stared out over the ocean. Katherine studied his form in the moonlight. His looks were beyond perfect, and the way his long hair wafted in the breeze as he stared pensively out over the ocean looked striking – almost philosophical. Maybe there was more to him than the brutish playboy she had seen at the wedding.

Katherine sighed and stood beside him. She took his hands in hers and looked deeply into his eyes. He looked down at her in surprise. His perfectly shaped mouth pursed for a moment, and she sighed again to herself. She knew she shouldn't be doing it, but...


Dirk didn't seem to give it a second thought. He looked at her tenderly, tightening his grip on her soft hands, and then they were kissing. His hot lips were eager to taste hers, and she accepted them hungrily, allowing her hand to roam up his strong forearm and settle onto his bulging bicep. Their tongues danced, sending waves of longing crashing throughout their bodies. He gripped her tightly, pulling her closer into his body, until she could feel the hardness of his lust pushing urgently against her.

The overpowering force of her desire startled her back into herself. She shouldn't be doing this. Dirk was her stepbrother now. Maybe it would have been okay before the wedding, but not now. She pulled roughly away from him and looked down at the ground to collect herself. She was embarrassed to find that she was panting, and when she looked back up at Dirk, he was avoiding her gaze, looking awkwardly over the ocean again.

“Let's go,” he said quietly, without meeting her eyes. He led her down the path and back to the manor, where they went back to their rooms without another word.





Chapter 11




Katherine laid in bed, tossing and turning all night long. She couldn't believe she had let that scoundrel put his hands on her. He obviously lacked any type of morality whatsoever. He would kiss his own stepsister and not think twice about it. It disgusted her, and yet, whenever she closed her eyes, she relived the passion he had touched her with and the immense desire he had ignited deep within her. She had never responded so strongly to any man before. It was scary. And worse than that, it was wrong. She had to get off this island. It was starting to make her feel crazy.

She sighed and got out of bed, pulling on a luxurious silk robe and heading out to the balcony that was attached to her room. Maybe a bit of fresh air would help her sleep. If she still smoked, she could have used a cigarette right about then. She sighed and unlatched the balcony door, stepping outside into the cool, soothing night air.

She couldn't believe her predicament. Not only would it be weeks before her passport was reissued and delivered, but she had just kissed her stepbrother and made everything that much worse. Or, more to the point, he had kissed her. But she had let him; she was just as guilty. They were both to blame, and now they would have to suffer endlessly in the weeks that remained of her stay. Whether it had felt good or not, Katherine wished it had never happened.

A dark cloud began rolling over the moon, and she stared at it, suddenly overwhelmed by an irrational feeling of dread. She heard the creak of the balcony door swinging closed, and she turned around just in time to see a hideous man's ugly smirk as somebody else grabbed her from behind and held a strong-smelling cloth over her mouth. She didn't have time to scream before she was knocked out cold. The men laughed shrilly, dragging her from the balcony and deep into the night.



Dirk awoke late in the night, his body drenched in sweat. He had had a horrible dream. He forced his body to awaken through the panic, absolutely convinced that it was the end of the world as he knew it. The adrenaline left his heart pounding, and he laid back against his pillow, his tattooed chest rising and falling rapidly. Finally, he was able to catch his breath, and he slipped out of bed in his boxers to get a drink of water from the kitchen.

That's when he heard the nearly imperceptible sound of laughter. It came from outside, and it chilled him to the bone. He stopped in his tracks, nearly dropping his water, and ran through the house, yelling for the staff to be alert. He demanded everybody gather in the common room, and when Katherine didn't show up, he glowered. The staff stared at him, some of their eyes filled with resentment, others with fear. He explained the situation to them as quickly as he could and looked around impatiently for her.

“She needs to be here,” he exclaimed. “Could somebody – oh, never mind.”

Dirk spun on his heel and ran toward her bedroom. He knocked politely, and when she didn't answer, he called her name.

“Katherine, I need to talk to you!”

There was still no response, and he felt himself filling with anger. She was probably ignoring him because of what had happened before. The kiss had left him feeling pretty awkward around her, too, but this was ridiculous. It could be life or death. He tried the doorknob and discovered that it was unlocked. He pushed his way into her bedroom and called her name, leaping to her bed.

It took him a few seconds to register the fact that she was gone. His face paled, and he began searching wildly, calling to the staff in a panic. Soon, the room was crawling with staff members as he tore the bed apart and glanced in her bathroom. Suddenly, a hand was in his face, waving a hand-written note in front of him. He read it, and his heart began to pound loudly in his ears.