Step in the Zone (Heart of a Viper #1)

This is a high-heat, BDSM-lite MM romance with dark themes and a guaranteed HEA. Cody and Rafael are both 18 years old, but that might be too young for some readers, considering the subject matter. Please check the trigger warnings.

Rafael
I knew the way to my awful dad's demise was through his wife and stepson, but I had to be subtle about it. I couldn't just unleash an all-out assault on them. I needed to be low-key, or I would wind up in military school with no hockey. At first, I thought I'd target Jill. Stalk the weaker prey. I could tell she was one fry short of a Happy Meal at the wedding—it would be easy, but buttoned-up little Cody would be a far greater challenge. I could sink my teeth into that. Into him. When I caught my Golden Boy stepbrother checking me out one night, I knew he was mine. This would be so much better than just beating the hell out of him. It would be subtle. Secretive. He wouldn't go running to mommy and stepdaddy, and this would truly destroy the family. Stepbrothers together? One breaking the other's heart? Oh, it was just too good. I'd never used my sexual prowess to dominate another dude before. The idea of it invigorated me.

Cody
Am I gay? Am I bi? He's my stepbrother! It didn't matter if I was gay or bi or pan or an alien from another galaxy. The topic of my sexuality shouldn't have been anywhere near Rafael. The only thought that should have plagued my mind around Rafael was how best to avoid him. Everything about him made my insides twist into painful knots. Just uttering his name made my throat dry and clog with anxiety. I'd waited years for a typical, predictable life, and Rafael possessed the predictability of a rabid raccoon. The sexual collision between the two of us led me to question everything about myself. I went from being a hockey-playing straight-A student to his "good boy" overnight. My brain turned into a tempest of questions. No. This couldn't happen. I needed to hate Rafael again. I could do this. I could resist him…right?