"Towel," I said.
"You sure?" he said, grinning. "I'd rather keep looking."
"Don't be an asshole."
He handed me a towel. "You've got an incredible fucking body, you know that?"
"Thanks," was all I could think to say.
"Fuck girl, if this were any other time I'd be making you scream my name right now."
I hid behind the curtain as I wrapped the towel around me. "Yeah, well, good thing it isn't."
"Good thing. You okay now? I'm going to make you something to eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"You have to eat. Trust me, after shit like that, you need to eat something. Helps you process."
"Really, I'm fine."
"You're not. Get dressed and come downstairs." He disappeared out the bathroom door.
I watched him go for a second, amazed that he had only made one or two dirty comments. I had just stood there completely naked in front of him, and he had walked away. He clearly understood the mental state I was in, although for some stupid reason I was a little disappointed.
I went into my bedroom and got changed slowly, taking my time. When I was done, I checked my phone. Lydie had called and texted, but I ignored them. I wasn't ready for that crap.
From downstairs I could smell something delicious. My stomach growled and I realized I was way hungrier than I had thought.
I went down the steps and found Nate wearing fresh and dry clothing and standing in the kitchen.
"What are you making?"
"Fried chicken."
"Seriously?"
"Sure. I make some damn good fried chicken."
I sat down at the island and watched him cook, frying the chicken like he actually knew what he was doing.
"I thought SEALs were all dumb muscle heads."
"Frying chicken doesn't take much brains."
"Maybe, but I'm surprised you know how to cook at all."
"Every man needs to know how to cook one or two dishes."
"I'm hungrier than I thought."
He nodded. "Good. That's a good sign. Means you're coming back to yourself."
"What happened to me? It was like I couldn't control myself."
"Shock," he said simply. "You weren't ready for what happened, so your mind shut down to avoid things getting worse."
"It was so strange."
"Happens to some guys in battle every once in a while."
"Has it ever happened to you?"
He shook his head. "No, it hasn't. Guess I'm built for that sort of shit."
He walked over and placed a plate of fried chicken down in front of me. "Go ahead, eat."
I picked up a piece and took a tentative bite. It was hot, but it was absolutely delicious, the best thing I had ever tasted in my life. Or at least I was hungry enough to think so as I finished off that piece and started on another.
He watched me, smiling to himself.
"What?" I asked.
"You eat like a pig."
"Whatever. I get a pass right now."
"You do."
We ate in silence for a minute, and it felt good to be there with him. Then the memories came back and I felt a shiver run down my spine.
"How did you know?" I asked him after some silence had passed.
"Not sure."
"You're not sure?"
"It's hard to explain."
"Try to explain. I could really use an explanation right about now."
"You develop this feeling, this extra sense. It's an awareness of your surroundings from training and battle and all the danger you've been in. Something about that boat and the weather and the situation just screamed ambush." He paused, biting into his chicken. "I don't take chances."
"What did they want?"
"I don't know. I didn't get a chance to ask."
"We didn't have anything worth stealing."
"I know that. Maybe they wanted the boat. Maybe they were just looking for anyone stupid enough to be out on the water at that time."
"How are there pirates? How is that possible?"
He was silent for another minute as he chewed. "There are a lot of bad people in this world, Claire. You don't have to see it most of the time because you're rich and sheltered."
"My dad's money has nothing to do with this," I snapped.
"It does. You don't have to be down in the shit with everyone else."
"And that's somehow my fault? I'm not a bad person because I was lucky enough to be born where I was."
"I didn't say that. You're not a bad person. But you haven't seen the things that I have. Believe me, there are pirates out there, and much worse."
I was silent, absorbing that. I was pissed off that he was basically calling me spoiled and naïve, but he did have a point. I really didn't have to deal with the darkness some other people did.
"But you did good back there," he added.
"I just hid."
"Yeah, you just hid. And you didn't panic. You listened to me. Most people collapse or run into a worse situation because they can't handle themselves. You did good."
"Thanks," I said, surprised he was complimenting me. I didn't feel like I had done anything right.
"One more thing," he said. "We can't tell anyone about this."
"Why?"
"Because I killed two men. There's no proof now that they were pirates except for our word."
"The boat? The guns?"
"Both long gone now."
"My dad needs to know. Somebody needs to know that men like that are out there."
"People know."
"Nate . . ."
He stood up and came around the island, stopping in front of me. "Listen," he said softly, his face inches from mine, "you need to do as I say. I'm not trying to scare you, but something was off about that whole thing. For now, please just stay quiet and keep on doing your normal thing."
"Am I in danger?"
He put his hands on my shoulders. I took a deep breath, my heart hammering in my chest.
"No. Not with me around. You're never in danger."
His face was inches away from mine. All of the tension between us suddenly peaked, and I remembered the way he had stared at my naked body. I remembered his hard cock, how big it was, and all of the things he had said to me. I felt the wetness between my legs and knew that I couldn't stop myself.
"I'm afraid."
"Don't be."
He pressed his lips against mine, kissing me hard, and I melted against him. I was powerless, totally and utterly powerless, not because of what had happened, but because I had wanted and needed him since the first time I'd seen him at the bar back in the club.
I needed his touch again. The fact that he was my stepbrother suddenly disappeared from my mind as he pulled me against his hard body, kissing me deeply. His taste and smell flooded my senses and I needed it.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips hard against him. His strong hands suddenly grabbed my hips and picked me up from my chair. He pressed me against the kitchen wall as his hips pushed into mine. I felt his stiff cock, already hard, pressing against my soaked spot.
I moaned softly as his lips found my neck.
"I knew you couldn't stop yourself," he grunted. "I knew you've been thinking about that night."
"I really can't help myself," I groaned as his hands roamed my body.
"I know."
Desire and lust lanced through my body as he suddenly slipped his hands down my panties, finding my soaked pussy. I gasped and bit his shoulder, sharp pleasure ringing through my whole core.
"Damn girl," he grunted. "You're soaked. You fucking wanted this bad."
"Ah, shit, you're pretty hard yourself," I said, my mind a blank of need and want.
"Damn right I am. You taste fucking perfect. And your little pussy is incredible."
His perfect hands began to work my clit just like the night outside the club, but it was far more intense. The days of want and tension were suddenly spilling out between us, and the thickness of our lust was incredibly powerful.
Suddenly, he pulled his hands back and tore my shirt over my head. He unhooked my bra and threw it onto the floor, his mouth finding my perky nipples. After a second, he stepped back and pulled off his own shirt. I gaped at his hard body, his muscles and abs and tattoos, but he was quickly back against me, kissing my body, his warm skin against my own.
I could barely control myself. Every touch sent my body into deep shivers of pleasure. I had been imagining what it would be like to have him again for days on end, all day long, and it was better than I could possibly have guessed.
Suddenly, he grabbed me by the hips, pulled me away from the wall, and lifted me into the air.
"Nate!" I cried out.
He laughed, grinning. "I'm taking you now."
"Put me down!"
He ignored me as he carried me upstairs. He went up toward our rooms, ripped open his door, and practically threw me down onto the bed. I gasped at how strong he was. He carried me around and threw me down like I was absolutely nothing. The fact of his strong shoulders and arms sent a chill running through my body, and I wanted him to possess me, because I knew that he could. He could take me and have me whenever he wanted to.