I take a deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh. That seems to be the question of the day and no one wants to believe that I got these bumps and bruises from falling.
“You can tell me,” he urges gently as he rests a hand on my thigh.
“I made him angry,” I confess quietly. “But it was my fault. I’m not his punching bag, you know? It’s just that sometimes I push him too much and that’s when the Dad in him comes out.”
“I’d never lay a hand on you. No matter how angry you made me, though I don’t think you ever could,” he says thoughtfully. “But if it’s okay with you, I’d like to have a talk with him—man to man—so that he doesn’t do this again.”
“No, it’s okay,” I reply quickly. “It’s very few and far between that it happens.”
“It shouldn’t happen at all, Skylar,” he tells me softly as he inches his hand to the inside of my leg. “Daddy doesn’t allow any of us to hit each other. No matter how angry we get, everything can be talked out. And, honestly, there’s never really a time I remember being so angry that the thought even crossed my mind. Daddy is a great man—you just have to give his rules a chance is all. You can be as happy as the rest of us.”
I shake my head and blow out my breath again. “I don’t belong here, Casey. Neither does Richter or Cleo. I get that we’re probably going about this the wrong way, but she’s our sister and she belongs with us in our home.”
I doubt that if I tell him of my intentions once we get her out of here, he’d be willing to even listen anymore. Hell, he’d probably tell Bryden, who would no doubt tell Richter, and then where would I be?
At the bottom of the oubliette where all disobedient Greene women go.
“Can I ask you one more question?” he asks, scooting a little closer to me, the tips of his fingers brushing the crotch of my jeans. I turn to look at him—his eyes, his lips, the way he brushes them quickly with his tongue—and I nod. “How do you show Richter your love?”
I blanch.
I wasn’t expecting that, and quite honestly it isn’t something I feel comfortable talking about, because while I do love my brother… it’s not in actions or words. It’s simply in the beating of both our hearts that came from the same parents.
It’s because I have to love him, but it’s never how he wants me to.
“I tell him,” I reply in a shaky tone as Casey leans forward and brushes his lips against mine. I suck in a breath as need takes over sense and I lean into his gentle kiss.
He chuckles slightly when we break apart and slips an arm around my waist, using his other hand to pop the button on my jeans. Then he slowly pulls my zipper down and strokes his fingertips across my underwear.
“Is this okay, Skylar?” he asks, his lips brushing against my neck. “Is this what you want too?”
I close my eyes and nod.
To think that I could be with a man that isn’t Richter is scandalous to say the least, but this feels so right that it can’t be wrong.
“Let me show you how family is supposed to love each other,” he whispers as he slips his hand inside my underwear and uses his forefinger to circle my clit.
I take in a sharp breath as I lean into Casey, resting my forehead against the side of his face. He tightens his grip around me, snaking his hand up my shirt, holding me close, brushing my nipple over the bra, then squeezing my breast tightly.
“Does this feel good, Skylar?” he asks, and I nod as my hips begin to roll slowly against the sensations he’s sending through me. “How about this?” he whispers, slipping a finger inside me.
My mouth is open as my breathing becomes ragged and Casey chuckles. He brushes his lips against my forehead as he begins to thrust his fingers in and out of me as best as he can.
I grip his leg, digging my nails into the fabric of his jeans, doing my best not to make noise.
I don’t want anyone to hear me because then they’ll stop us, and this feels too good to fucking stop.
“Good girl,” he whispers as he moves his fingers back to my clit. He presses down hard, gives it a pinch, then begins to circle it again until my breathing becomes labored, until the feeling is too much—until my body betrays its loyalty to Richter’s touch and I bite down hard on my lower lip to keep from moaning out loud as pleasure rushes through me.
Casey gently takes his hands out of my shirt and jeans but keeps me held tightly.
“This is why we’re so happy, Skylar. Because we know how family should be loved. Isn’t that something worth fighting for?” Another soft kiss against my hair. “It’s why Daddy won’t give up Cleo so quickly—why he won’t give up on you and Richter. You deserve to be loved, and we can do that for you both. I can do that for you.”
I pull away from Casey and give his hand a gentle shove before I reach down and pull the zipper of my jeans back up. I don’t know what I want, but the last thing I need is a Greene Family pile-on, and that seems to be what he’s suggesting.
As he gets to his feet next to me, I shake my head at him and turn to walk back into the house when I see Bryden and Richter standing there, staring at us.
Bryden with a proud look on his face and Richter looking betrayed.
Did they see what just happened?
Twenty-One
Bryden
Skylar has a beautiful flush on her face, and I recognize the look
