URGE: A Stepbrother Romance (With FREE Bonus Book-Greed: A Stepbrother Romance

by Stephanie Brother

  “She is going down in court now that we have the evidence,” Driver said. “You really held the line for me.”

  I sent the next schedules for Driver’s press conferences to Aimee and to Elise. The weekend was coming up, and we’d all had quite a row. “I suppose I can work for any magazine I want now?” I teased.

  “Hey, now, Sparky. You work two years for me, then you get my John Hancock.” I didn’t say anything, enjoying his flirting. “Check your account.”

  “I see.” The deposit I saw was for a cool two million dollars.

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  Driver had insisted I be his handler. Seeing how Hallie fared, I told him I wasn’t sure I would give in, or do the job. Though he did offer me stock in the company.

  “My offer still stands?”

  “Which one? Stock in your company, or your John Hancock?” I heard him chuckle, then realized I enjoyed the sound.

  “Not stock. I’m offering you a seat on the board. Once I take the company public. If you agree, and also agree to meet at my house tonight.”

  “It is not a house. It is a mansion.” I said.

  “But would you mind playing house?” I paused, thinking about the beach.

  “Maybe.”

  “I’ll have Jenks send a car. Wear that little red number I saw come across my desk.”

  “The sleeveless one with the low cut front?”

  “That is the one.”

  I didn’t dress up for men. I liked to believe I looked good for myself. “I’m not some doll you can play with.” I said.

  “I agree. Let’s say, I have an important question to ask.”

  “Really. What is it?” I watched my boss ease his long legs on top of his desk.

  “The one you didn’t answer.”

  I unfolded my arms, grinning, seeing the love in his eyes. And the promise of many nights I would be thrilled by his love. “What time?”

  Greed: A Stepbrother Romance

  Table Of Contents

  Chapter 1: The Big Mess

  Chapter 2: Almost Stranger

  Chapter 3: A New Season

  Chapter 4: The Kiss To Keep

  Chapter 5: The Deepening Of The Bond

  Chapter 6: The Brewing Of The Storm

  Chapter 7: The First Heartbreak

  Chapter 8: The Bolt From The Blue

  Chapter 9: Walking My Own Path

  Chapter 10: The Eternal Kiss

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1: The Big Mess

  Often in life, we meet too many people. Have you ever tried figuring out why you bump into someone? That time when you stand in the queue, waiting for your cup of coffee, and you end up striking up a conversation with a random guy? Or even that moment when you cross four cities and bump into a guy who had been patiently waiting for you—wearing a pink shirt just because it’s your favorite color—ever thought what those moments really mean?

  Life is nothing but a series of experiences and planned coincidences. You think we plan every move, but someone up there has it all figured out long before we know what playing the game is all about.

  ***

  The sun seemed to be in no mood to wake up in the cloudy, misty, morning sky. It wasn’t winter yet, but one could feel the mist in the morning air, as if winter was knocking and announcing its arrival. I turned over on my bed and saw that it was nearly six o’clock on the bright little alarm clock on my nightstand. I usually got up at five every morning, as I had strings of chores to do. However, I woke up mostly so that I could connect with the morning air.

  If you have ever been up at five in the morning and stolen a glimpse of the rising sun, you would know what I am talking about.

  I am 31, single, alone but not quite lonely, and have had a life that makes me smile.

  Of course, on such days when even the sun was busy playing peek-a-boo, I wished to have that one pair of arms wherein I could just melt and forget everything else.

  But sadly, I was alone in my New York City apartment, so I decided that I could cut myself a little break. I wanted to roll over in bed one more time and sneak in an extra hour of sleep. There were days when I was tired of working so hard that even if it meant waking up late, I wanted to do something for myself.

  With these thoughts, I rolled over my empty bed and tossed the extra pillows aside and allowed myself the comfort of some more sleep.

  ***

  I woke up to a call on my phone. It was from Adam, one of my best friends back from high school. I was involved with three NGOs, and one of them was run by Adam’s fiancé. I sensed that it had to be something urgent if it was a call from him so early in the morning.

  As I picked up the call, I could hear the despair in his voice. I was immediately on alert, and all the laziness in my body disappeared in an instant.

  “Lacie, we have some really bad news,” he said in a serious tone.

  “What happened, Adam?”

  “I am afraid things are going to change too much. Les was in tears the whole night. I thought of calling you earlier, but it was too hard to console her,” he said, sounding like he was trying to fight off his own tears.

  “What’s wrong, Adam? Is she alright? Are you two okay?”

  I was genuinely concerned for the two of them, as Les was perhaps one of the sweetest people I had ever met. They both looked perfect for each other, and the last thing I wanted to hear just as I was set to start my day was the two of them breaking up.

  “We’re still together, if that’s what you were thinking. But no, something’s come up with the Golden Ray Charity. Could you meet us at Starbucks in an hour—the one across from my office?”

  “Yeah, of course. I’ll see you soon.”

  I stared at the phone screen and wondered what could possibly be so upsetting that would make Les cry the whole night. There were a hundred thoughts that came to my mind, and not one of them looked pretty. I realized something had to be done, and I threw the blankets off and decided to get ready.

  After showering, I quickly took out my long-sleeved red dress from my wardrobe and didn’t bother applying makeup. I had a very dark complexion, and I was one of those girls who were comfortable in her own skin. I was never a huge fan of loud makeup because I believed in the beauty of the soul.

  I called Adam on the way, informing him that I was almost there, and he let me know that he was already there.

  That day, the roads were busier than usual, and I was getting paranoid. I wanted to know the real reason as to why Les was so messed up. As I kept sitting in my car, waiting for the roads to clear, I couldn’t help but remember the first time I met Les.

  ***

  Adam and I were hanging out together, eating at one of the local burger joints a couple of years ago, when he saw a girl checking him out and gossiping with her friends. Adam was black-skinned like me, but unlike me, he was never comfortable with his skin color. He had his own reasons, as he had been bullied by a lot of people all throughout school. He was so sure that the girl was mocking him for his skin color, and I saw him shrugging his shoulder and retracting in his seat. It hurt my heart to see him like this, and that day, I had asked him to go and stand up. I told him that he had to earn his own respect or else he would never be able to look the world in the eye.

  “Speak, Adam. You deserve better.”

  “She hates me. Look at her. She is sparkly white and mocking me in front of her friends. You know, Lacie, I’ve seen her in college too. She is in another academic building, but I often see her giggling whenever I pass by. Why can’t people grow up?” he said, frustrated.

  Adam was literally on the verge of tears, and I knew that he had to do it this time. I put my foot down and told him he had to do it for me; for every black friend he had. He was ready, and before I could let the moment escape, I pushed him.

  Adam went straightaway to the group and didn’t wait, pause, or anything. He just said, “It is wrong of you to pick on guys on the basis of color. So what if I am dark-s
kinned? Do you think you can just sit there and mock me? I wouldn’t have said anything to you; but over there, that girl, you broke her heart and she is my friend, almost like my sister. I am sorry but you can’t do this. You can call me names, even though it hurts, because you are beautiful. I like you so much.”

  I stood there with my mouth wide-open. I was so dumbstruck at the way he changed his speech, and I had no way of knowing that he actually had a crush on her.

  I was sure that the girls were going to make fun of him, and I jumped up to rescue him; but before I could even reach them, the beautiful girl said, “What! Do you like me? For real? I mean, I wasn’t mocking you. You look sexy. I was just asking my friends if I should go to your table and ask you, but I thought you two were together.”

  “Oh! Who, Lacie? We’re like siblings. Nothing romantic between us. I am Adam by the way,” he said as he reached out for a handshake.

  “I am Leslie. Call me Les. Do you mind having a cup of coffee?”

  The rest, as they say, was history.

  It was a very cute story, and my heart melted. We three started hanging out, and I found a great friend in Les. She was really sweet and had a very beautiful heart. It was so wrong of us to judge and say that she would discriminate people on the basis of color. She was in the humanities department and was doing a research paper. She decided to rope the two of us in, as she would cover the paper on the ethnic mix. Our friendship started from there, and even today, there has been no looking back.

  ***

  Knowing that Les was in tears made my heart sad. If there was one person that truly deserved to be happy, it had to be her. I quickly parked my car and walked inside the coffee shop. They were both seated at the same table we often frequented. Les was crying, and her eyes were swollen.

  “Hey Les, What happened? You look so...” I started.

  I couldn’t even complete my sentence as she enveloped me in a big hug and broke down. I didn’t know what the problem was yet, but I swore that I would fix it, no matter what.

  Adam later told me that the orphanage at Borough Street was being taken down. There was a huge business firm that had bought the whole land. They decided to take down the orphanage and expand their business by constructing an office there. Les had written to them because the orphanage was the legacy of her grandfather and remained the only memory she had of him. However, she didn’t hear back from them, and yesterday evening, she had received a letter asking her to evacuate the place in a month.

  I was shattered to hear the news and was equally devastated. I had been to the Borough street orphanage myself and spent quite a lot of time there, volunteering to be around the kids. The little kids would become homeless, and even though they could be moved to some other place, it was a huge orphanage, and the kids would be separated from each other. There was so much at stake, and I couldn’t understand how some people could be so blind just because all they really cared about was money.

  I promised that I would take care of it. I had some connections in the real estate market and even knew a few lawyers. Even if I had to make use of all my connections, I promised to do it, because this is what really mattered. Friends needed to stand up for friends, and I was willing to walk through hell because I knew how hard it was to grow up without parents.

  On my way back to the orphanage, I couldn’t stop myself from reliving the pain of the times after I lost my parents, when I had to grow up alone. Les and Adam had a flight to catch, as they were going to see Adam’s parents for Thanksgiving. I promised them that I would not let the orphanage go down so easily. Les was hesitant to leave New York; but Adam’s parents, whom had yet to meet Les, had already gone to great lengths to prepare things.

  I needed a plan, but before anything else, I needed to kick some ass. I decided to get to the site myself and see what the ruckus was all about. When I made up my mind to do something, there was no way I would let anyone hamper me from achieving my goal. I tied my messy hair up in a bun and decided to look into the matter at hand.

  As my car entered the driveway of the orphanage, I found two guys talking to the guard. There was a part of me that knew that it was wrong to judge people so quickly, but my heart was so sure that it was the corporate guys who had come to demolish this beautiful place.

  I got out of the car and went to them.

  “Hello mister, what brings you here?” I asked politely.

  “May I ask who you are?”

  “I’m Lacie, and I’m a part of this orphanage. What makes you carry your asses down here to spoil the beauty of this abode?”

  “Hey! We have permission. We are not the ones that are doing anything outside of the legal boundaries. It is your fault that you never checked the contract with your manager,” the shorter of the two men said.

  “It is best if we don’t discuss any confidential matters with her. We don’t know her,” the other man said, clearly in order to stop the conversation.

  I kept looking at them with my mouth wide open. I couldn’t believe that they had the audacity to talk to me like that. That orphanage was a significant part of me, and I had been actively involved with those kids for the last five years of my life. Losing that place would be like losing a limb, and I was not ready to let it go without a fight. I knew what losing your parents was like, and I wasn't going to let the orphans lose what they had together as family—if I could help it.

  “Take my word, mister—this orphanage will not be yours, not now, not tomorrow,” I objected sternly. I meant business and I was going to let them know.

  “We will see about that!” the shorter man said.

  I was about to lose my temper when I heard a voice from somewhere behind me.

  “Don’t argue with them. They are not worth it.” I looked around and saw a tall, handsome looking man standing right behind me. I gave him a detailed look and couldn’t stop myself from admiring him. His jaw line and chiseled face were absolutely flawless. He had light green eyes, but they looked dark, almost black in the absence of light. His blonde hair and white skin made him striking enough that he looked like a living dream. He was wearing a black blazer and a pair of faded jeans that imparted a dapper appeal to his ensemble.

  “Ah! I will, but—,” I said while peering at him.

  “Don’t!” he stopped me halfway and I listened. For a moment, I didn’t say anything. I just kept looking at him with my dark eyes.

  “You had a long and rough day,” he said, which was more like a statement rather than a question. “Let’s get a cup of coffee,” he said and crossed the road to me. There was a café nearby, and he started to walk towards it. I looked at the men who were standing in front of the orphanage, and they both looked at me with questioning faces.

  That moment, I had an option—I could either walk away and prepare a strategy to save the orphanage, or I could cross the road and have that cup of coffee with a complete stranger.

  If it would have been any other day, I would have gone and done something else. But it wasn’t like any other day and I wasn’t my usual self. So I did what I had never done before. I crossed the road to him.

  Chapter 2: Almost Stranger

  As I entered the café, a strong aroma of fresh coffee beans being ground and brewed from inside the kitchen welcomed me. Although the café was just a two-minute walk from the orphanage, I had never gotten the chance to visit the place before.

  I saw him waiting for me at a table that was facing the street. I passed him a smile and sat in front of him, looking at the orphanage. The only thing that was between me and the world outside was a thick, transparent glass. We could hear the sound of the city in the background and see the bright city lights.

  When I moved to New York City, I was told that the city was for dreamers. It didn’t take very long to realize that this was true. The city witnesses the conversions of dreams to reality every single day. There are so many people in the city who dream with their eyes wide-open, standing out from the crowd and taking the path less travelled.
If you listen closely, then you will find New York City speaking to you.

  I know this is all true, because right then, while I was sitting in front of an almost complete stranger, I listened to the most beautiful city in the world, playing its symphony in the background, echoing with my heartbeat.

  “Who are you?” I finally asked him, after looking at him for a minute.

  “Whoever you want me to be. Today, I can be your best friend whom you have known for years. I could be that pen pal with whom you have interacted for the last ten years, but it is the first time that we are meeting each other. I could be the guy with whom your mother had fixed you up on a date with, or I could be your next-door neighbor. I could be your childhood classmate or a strict boss. There are no rules tonight. Give your life a reset button and begin everything once again. This is brand-new. A new beginning. Everything starts here. Right here. Right now.”

  As he said those enigmatic words, I couldn’t keep my eyes away from him and how flawless he looked in every way. There was not even one thing that I wanted to change in him. It was too hard to believe that he was real. It felt like he was a figment of my imagination, just another dream that was living in the city. “Right now, you are just a stranger to me!” I said in a truthful manner.

  “Then why not make me an almost stranger,” he suggested. I couldn’t argue anymore. “I know you have had a rough day. I know it’s true, because I can see it in your eyes. Right now, I will be your friend. You can talk to me and let me know whatever it is that is bothering you. I might not give you a perfect solution to it, but I will surely give you my undivided attention. That’s a promise!” I could tell he meant each and every word of it.

  I have always known when people were lying. As he said those words, he gave me a part of him, a small piece of time that would be just ours to cherish, and I was eternally thankful to him for that. For making me feel special in that dark and lonely night.