Taboo: A Stepbrother Romance Read online

  TABOO

  A Stepbrother Romance

  By Ditter Kellen

  www.ditterkellen.com

  Copyright © by Ditter Kellen

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from Ditter Kellen. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Image/art disclaimer: Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.

  Published in the United States of America

  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.

  Warning

  This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. This e-book is for sale to adults ONLY as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers

  Dedication

  For my Tribe; some of the most amazing ladies, I call friend. I love you all…

  Chapter One

  Danielle Gables rushed through the doors of the emergency room in Lakeland, Florida, her heart hammering in her chest.

  “Where is he?” Danni rushed out the moment her stepfather came into view.

  Kenneth Martin turned from the counter where he stood speaking with a nurse. “He’s in back. They’re checking his injuries.”

  Danni’s stomach lurched. She’d been nauseous since she’d gotten the call from Kenneth that her stepbrother, Jonah, had been in an accident. “What happened to him?”

  “He flipped his motorcycle. That’s all I’ve been told. I don’t even know what condition he’s in. I only arrived about twenty minutes ago.”

  Danni swallowed around the lump in her throat, disbelief still warring with shock over the fact that Jonah was back and obviously hurt. “When did he get here?”

  “I don’t know,” Kenneth quietly admitted. “The hospital notified me. I’m obviously listed on his insurance as next-of-kin.”

  Danni fought back the tears that threatened, remembering the last time she’d seen Jonah. He’d stormed from the house, and fired up his motorcycle, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. That wasn’t all he left, Danni silently admitted. He’d left a seventeen-year-old, heartbroken teenager behind as well.

  Though Jonah had never once been inappropriate where Danni was concerned, she’d been secretly in love with him for years.

  Danni’s mother despised Kenneth’s only son; she had since before she and Kenneth married. But when Sandra had found a barely dressed Danni in Jonah’s bedroom, standing next to his bed, she’d lost control.

  Kenneth had punched Jonah repeatedly, demanding that he get out before he’d be forced to call the police.

  Jonah didn’t bother denying their accusations; instead, he threw a few pieces of clothing into a bag, grabbed the keys to his bike, and left.

  Danni later found out that he’d been staying at Theodore’s place—a friend he’d gone to school with and the man Danni now dated. Jonah later enlisted in the Army, and from there, Danni had no idea.

  “Does your mother know you’re here?” Kenneth was saying, pulling Danni out of her trip down memory lane. He glanced at his watch. “You’re going to miss your graduation.”

  Taking a numb step forward, Danni shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. And I’m sure Mom’s figured it out by now.”

  Danni’s cellphone vibrated in her skirt pocket. She ignored it, knowing without a doubt that it was her mother.

  Kenneth blew out a breath, his eyes weary beyond his years. “If he doesn’t make it…”

  “Don’t say that! Don’t you dare talk like that. He will make it. He’s the strongest person I know.”

  A nurse trailed up the hallway, stopping next to Danni and Kenneth. “Are you Jonah Martin’s father?”

  “I am,” Kenneth responded in a shaky voice. “How is he?”

  The nurse smiled softly. “He’ll be fine. He was unconscious when the ambulance arrived on scene, so we ran some scans. There was no evidence of a concussion. He has some lacerations and bruising, but thankfully no broken bones. We’ll be keeping him overnight for observation. He’s sleeping now, but you can see him if you’d like.”

  “Of course.”

  Danni stepped forward. “May I see him, too?”

  “One at a time for now,” the nurse gently explained. “It’s pretty crowded back there. You can go back as soon as his father is done.”

  Touching Kenneth on the arm, Danni indicated that he should go ahead. Truth be told, she needed to get herself together before she saw Jonah. Her stomach was in knots and her nerves were still raw from the news of his accident.

  Kenneth nodded before following the nurse from the waiting room and leaving Danni alone with her thoughts.

  Danni’s phone vibrated again. She reached into her pocket, pulled it free, and strode through the automatic doors to stand outside. “Hello, Mother.”

  “Please tell me that you did not go to Lakeland,” Sandra snapped in a low voice. “The graduation ceremony starts in half an hour.”

  It pissed Danni off that her mother could be so self-centered. She had to literally force her teeth apart to answer. “If the ceremony means more to you than Jonah’s life, then you—”

  “How dare you!” Sandra spat. “Do you have any idea how much I’ve sacrificed to make this happen for you? Not to mention how much I’ve had to scrimp and scrape for you to be able to go to Paris.”

  Danni pulled the phone away from her ear as her mother flew into a tirade. She waited until Sandra finished ranting before calmly stating. “I graduated, Mother. That’s the important thing. And I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Jonah is going to make it, in case you were wondering. Now, I have to go.”

  “Don’t you—”

  Pressing the end button, Danni dropped her phone back into her pocket and returned to her previous post in the waiting room. She’d be damned if she would stand outside another minute, listening to her mother’s insanity.

  Though Sandra had gone above and beyond to ensure that Danni would be able to go to Paris, it was her mother’s dream more so than Danni’s. Not that Paris wouldn’t be an adventure, it just wasn’t something Danni couldn’t live without. Her stepfather had assured her that, upon Danni’s return, he would put up the money for her to start her own business in whatever field she desired.

  Kenneth came around the corner, looking pale and tired. He held his phone to his ear, speaking in a low but tight voice.

  Danni had no doubt her mother attributed to most of Kenneth’s distress. Sandra had obviously called him the second Danni hung up on her.

  Without interrupting his one-sided conversation with his wife, Danni hurried past her stepfather and took a right at the hall she’d seen him emerge from.

  “Excuse me,” she murmured to a nurse that stood outside a door, jotting down something attached to a clipboard. “Will you tell me where I can find Jonah Martin?”

  The short, blonde nurse half turned and pointed to a set of double doors at the end of the hallway. “Through those doors and to your right.”

  “Thank you.”

  Danni trailed off down the hall, pushed the lar
ge silver button situated on the wall and waited for the doors to open.

  Stepping through, she turned right and entered the emergency room.

  The sounds of equipment in use reached her ears as she eased farther inside and scanned the crowded area.

  Several nurses sat behind a large, horseshoe-shaped desk, working feverishly.

  “Excuse me,” an elderly woman wheezed, brushing against Danni on her way to a curtained area.

  Danni was just about to approach the desk when her gaze landed on a face she’d seen in her dreams a thousand times. There, lying on his back, his lower body covered with a blanket, was Jonah.

  Her breathing accelerated the closer she got. Funny, she hadn’t realized her feet were moving until she stood next to his side.

  His light brown hair lay haphazardly on the pillow; his full, sexy lips appeared soft and relaxed in his sleep. He was even more handsome than she remembered.

  She reached up and brushed a few strands of his hair away from his forehead while her eyes greedily drank him in.

  His nose appeared slightly crooked as if he’d broken it before. A small scar adorned his chin—just right of the cleft Danni had loved so much—and smears of dried blood covered his neck.

  God, he’s changed, she silently marveled, taking in the differences in his face.

  Her gaze wandered down to his chest, amazed at how much he’d filled out in the past six years. And then she noticed a long, pale scar that ran from his ribs to disappear beneath the blanket covering him.

  With trembling fingers, she reached over the cold steel of the bedside railing and laid her palm over the back of his hand. “Welcome home, Jonah…”

  Chapter Two

  Jonah’s head ached worse than it had ever ached in his life. And that was saying a lot considering the numerous injuries he’d sustained in various rodeos.

  He attempted to open his eyes, but something held them closed. He felt as if a hundred-pound weight rested against his lids.

  “Jonah, can you hear me?”

  He had to be dreaming. For a second there, Jonah could have sworn he’d heard Danni speak his name.

  “Jonah?”

  Fighting to open his eyes, Jonah felt a warm hand brush against his face. It caressed, soothed, and comforted. And then the most incredible scent drifted up his nose; a scent he would recognize anywhere. Danni …

  Jonah gritted his teeth against the pain in his skull and forced his heavy lids to lift. What he saw staring down at him, faded his headache to the background. “Danni?”

  “Hi.” Her beautiful blue eyes sparkled with concern and something else he couldn’t name. “You’re awake.”

  “Where am I?” he wheezed, squinting against the bright lights above him that framed her head like a halo.

  She closed her warm fingers around his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You were in an accident. You don’t remember?”

  Images of an oncoming car spinning out of control flashed through his mind. The sirens, an ambulance. “I’m in a hospital.” It wasn’t a question.

  A blonde-haired female, wearing pale blue scrubs suddenly appeared in his vision, forcing Danni to take a step back. “Mr. Martin?”

  Jonah met the nurse’s gaze.

  “Can you tell me what day it is?” she questioned, adjusting his IV bag.

  “Friday.”

  The nurse nodded without looking at him. “That’s right. Do you know why you’re here?”

  “I was in a motorcycle accident.”

  She finished tinkering with the IV and gave him her full attention while checking his vitals. “You’re a very lucky man. Your helmet saved your life.”

  “How long do I have to stay here?”

  The nurse met his gaze. “We’re going to keep you overnight for observation. If everything goes well, you should be released some time tomorrow.”

  Jonah briefly closed his eyes in frustration. He was due to be back in Oklahoma on Sunday to ride in the state championship rodeo. And it was already Friday night.

  The nurse finally meandered off, leaving Jonah alone with Danni once more. He studied her delicate features, amazed at how much she’d changed in the past six years. She was no longer the awkward seventeen-year-old who’d followed him around like a lovesick puppy. No, Danni had blossomed into a gorgeous woman with apparently just as much brains as beauty.

  She opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. “What are you doing in Florida?”

  Danni’s question caught him off guard. He attempted to sit up, only to change his mind when his body protested. “I was coming to your graduation. Congratulations, by the way. I always knew you would make something of yourself.”

  She appeared embarrassed by his praise. “I haven’t seen you in six years, Jonah. Not even so much as a postcard. Where have you been?”

  If Jonah didn’t know any better, he’d swear he saw hurt flash in her eyes. “Ridin’ bulls…mostly,” he slurred, suddenly unable to hold a thought.

  “Get some sleep,” Danni whispered, her voice sounding far away. “We can talk when you’re rested.”

  Jonah fought to hold his eyes open. “I’m sorry I missed your graduation…” His world went black.

  * * * *

  “You can stop fussing over me,” Jonah growled, eyeing his friend Theo as he straightened the covers at the foot of Jonah’s bed. “I’m not an invalid.”

  “Sure you are. Now, shut the hell up before I poke that cut on your arm with that lamp standing in the corner over there.”

  Jonah almost laughed. Almost. He was in far too bad a mood to find any humor at the moment.

  He hadn’t seen Danni since her short visit with him in the recovery room; which was probably a good thing. He’d be smart to stay away from her. Seeing her the day before had awoken feelings inside him he’d thought long dead.

  After twenty-four hours in the hospital, Jonah had been released. And since his bike had been destroyed in the accident, he’d been forced to take a cab to Lake Wales where he could spend the next few days recovering. Or so he told himself. Staying the extra days had absolutely nothing to do with his gorgeous stepsister.

  “Have you heard from Danni?” Now, why the hell had he asked that? he wondered with no small amount of annoyance.

  Theo trailed over to the sink in Jonah’s hotel room and washed his hands. “I had lunch with her today. You haven’t talked to her?”

  Jonah narrowed his eyes. “If I’d talked to her, I wouldn’t have had to ask, would I?”

  Wiping his hands on a towel hanging near the sink, Theo propped his hip against the counter. “Ya know, asshole, you did leave her for six years without so much as a phone call in all that time. You can’t expect her to just pretend like that didn’t happen. She’s your sister for fuck’s sake, not some ex-wife you can toss away like yesterday’s garbage.”

  Jonah had to fight the snarl that rose up at his friend’s words. Danni was no more his sister than she was in love with Theo.

  According to Theo, he and Danni had been seeing each other off and on for the past two years. That bit of information didn’t sit well with Jonah. “I need to get out of here.”

  “Not just yet, Cowboy. You’re supposed to rest for a few days. Besides, you haven’t even been home to see your parents.”

  Jonah wanted to scratch the itching wound on his arm but thought better of it. “They haven’t exactly rolled out the red carpet or tossed a few steaks on the grill. I believe I’ll pass on visiting this trip.”

  “Sounds legit,” Theo conceded. “So, listen. I’m taking Danni to River Ranch for a few days. A few of the old gang are going as well. You should come if you’re still in town.”

  Jonah shook his head. “I need to go home. I left a friend taking care of my horses. I was supposed to be back on Monday after the rodeo.”

  “I get it.” Theo moved toward the door. “But if you change your mind, the invitation stands.”

  Tugging the covers up to his chest, Jonah nodded.
“I appreciate it, man. I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”

  The door closed softly behind Theo.

  Jonah blew out a breath and stared up at the solid white ceiling of his hotel room. Truth be told, he didn’t think he could bear to spend a weekend watching Theo and Danni together; though Danni deserved someone like Theodore. The guy had gone to college, had a good job, and would no doubt give her all the things she deserved. Unlike Jonah.

  It wasn’t that money was an issue with Jonah. He’d made more than his fair share riding bulls. But he couldn’t, in good conscience, saddle Danni with the taboo of being with her stepbrother. Not to mention, the rodeo was in his blood. There was no way in hell he would expect her to give up her future to run the circuit with him.

  Why was he thinking of her in future terms? He ground his teeth in frustration. Jonah had loved Danni for as long as he could remember. Which was the biggest reason he’d left to begin with.

  Danni had begun clinging to him not long after her fifteenth birthday. But the doe-eyed looks she’d given him, started long before then.

  To say that he hadn’t noticed her maturing, becoming more beautiful by the day, would be a lie. But that didn’t change the facts. Not only was she his stepsister, but her age had been a huge no-no in Jonah’s book.

  Jonah had planned on leaving home the minute he turned eighteen. And Danni’s presence in his life had only cemented his decision. He had fallen in love with her…loved her still. No, Jonah wouldn’t allow himself to entertain the thoughts he’d had about Dannielle.

  His mind drifted to Sandra, Danni’s mother, and how she’d persistently made passes at him when no one was looking. Jonah had never told his father about his stepmother’s advances. Not only would it have destroyed Kenneth, but Danni would have been hurt as well.

  Jonah recalled the night Danni had slipped into his room and removed her robe. His heart had nearly jumped from his chest at the sight of her bare skin. But he didn’t touch her, he wouldn’t have touched her. Of course, had she been over eighteen, no amount of moral compass would have steered him away from her that night.