A 2 STEP GAME: An Older Man Younger Woman Pregnancy Menage Romance (The Happily Ever After Series (Book 1))

by Amy Brent

  Mom looked at Matt. Her face was white. “But...but...no. I don't care about the company. What about my money?”

  “There is no money, Mrs. Partridge,” the lawyer said. “Mr. Partridge hadn't yet finished setting up the trust fund he planned to leave to you. And by law, it doesn't matter what he 'planned' to do. It only matters what was written on paper. And the only completed copy of a will is this one.” He tapped the pages on his desk.

  Mom continued her protests, but Matt put a hand on her knee. “Don't worry, Mom,” he said. I winced when he called her “Mom,” knowing he didn't see her as a real mother. “I'll make sure you're taken care of.”

  “You will?” She looked up at him with desperate hope in her teary eyes.

  Matt looked right at me, looking me dead in the eye. “Yes. I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement.”

  A cold shiver worked its way up my spine.

  * * *

  “Because,” I whispered, licking my lips, “you're my stepbrother.”

  Matt stood towering over me, waiting for me to submit to his will. He'd told me what he wanted before he would help take care of my mother. He wanted me. My body, my willing submission to his desires. I'd said no at first. But then I'd realized what a desperate situation my mother was in. Before she'd married Mr. Partridge, she'd been deeply in debt and on the verge of losing her house. Once she moved into the mansion, she'd sold the house, quit her job, and left her old life behind. But now, if Matt decided to, he could kick her out of the mansion and she'd be homeless in the streets. I didn't know if he'd actually do it, or if this was all a game to him, but I knew that either way, I was a pawn in his scheme.

  Matt slipped his hand into my tight white blouse. I trembled as he touched my breast and pinched my nipple. I wanted to be angry with him to be disgusted that he was making me do this. But deep down, I knew this was what I wanted. I wanted to be used by him. To be dominated like this. To be forced into submission.

  He placed a hand on my shoulder and pushed me down to my knees. I looked up at him, trembling. Yes, this was how I wanted it. I was too scared to admit my desires to myself, too ashamed to take what I wanted. So if I told myself he was forcing me, if I pretended that I had no choice, then it was as if I wasn't the one making this decision. I'd pretend that he was taking advantage of me so that I could get what I wanted without being disgusted with myself. Because no matter how much I tried to deny it, I desperately wanted my stepbrother. I wanted him to hold me down, to take me, to claim me as his own, to have his way with me in the dirtiest ways possible.

  But I wouldn't admit that aloud. Not to him, and not to myself.

  “Please,” I whispered. “Don't make me.

  Please make me, I thought silently to myself.

  “I'm just giving you what you've always wanted, Sis.” He grinned as he started unzipping his pants.

  “No,” I said, lowering my eyes in shame. “No, I don't want to.”

  Yes I do, I thought.

  He reached down and grabbed my chin in an iron grip, tilting my face up towards him. “Open your mouth.”

  I did as he told me, and before I could pull away, he thrust himself between my lips.

  I moaned and closed my eyes, letting him do as he pleased. Letting go of my fears, of all control, was liberating. All I had to do was kneel there and let myself be used, and I loved it.

  He held my head by both sides, thrusting himself against my face. I reached up and clung to his thighs, holding on for all I was worth. I was ready to take everything, to swallow it all, though I knew there was more to what he wanted.

  He started to tense up, and I thought for sure his climax was approaching. But I didn't want it to end yet. I wanted to spur him on, to make him take me in the most forbidden way. He kept thrusting, and it seemed he wouldn't stop. I knew if I was going to get what I truly wanted, I was going to have to convince him to take me.

  I needed to rile up his most dominant instincts. Make him more aggressive.

  I pulled back, gasping for air. I backed away from him, pushing across the floor with my hands and feet. “No,” I said. “Don't.”

  He glared at me, angry at being denied when he was so close to climax. He stalked forward, grabbing me. I struggled, but it was only for show. My struggles spurred him on, making him get rougher. He grabbed me and pushed me down to the ground, pinning me beneath him.

  Yes, I thought. Yes, make me. Don't let me get away.

  “No,” I said aloud, keeping up the charade. I couldn't tell if he knew I was faking my resistance. It didn't matter, though, as long as my fake protests kept spurring him to be more aggressive. “Please, let me go.”

  “You want this, bitch,” he said. He pulled his pants the rest of the way off and knelt between my legs. “You're a tease. Do you like playing games with your big brother?”

  “No.” I shook my head, closing my eyes. “I'm not a tease. I'm a good girl.”

  He laughed and leaned down over me, spreading my legs. He pressed himself against me. I moaned, aching to have him inside of me. He teased me, rubbing himself against me without finishing what he'd started. I squirmed and whimpered, wanting it, needing it, but unable to do anything but wait until he gave it to me.

  He grabbed my hair and turned my face towards him, leering down at me. He made me look into his eyes. I gasped, feeling completely controlled by his stone gaze. In that moment he entered me, filling me, completing me.

  I wrapped my legs around him and pulled him tighter against me. There was nothing gentle about the way he took me, there on his bedroom floor. It was raw, it was animalistic, and it was amazing. I grabbed his shoulders and dug my nails into them, holding on for dear life. I'd never had a man who was so rough, so passionate, so determined to take what he needed from me. It made me feel wanted and alive.

  I was thoroughly worn out by the time he collapsed on top of me, panting. I clung to him, holding him tight against me, refusing to let him go. We were both covered in sweat and out of breath. I felt like I'd earned an Olympic gold medal after such a workout.

  Matt rolled off of me, laying on his back on the floor. He closed his eyes, blissfully content. I watched him, wondering what to make of what had just happened. How would this change our relationship? Where would we go from here? But I didn't have any of the answers. Nor did it matter. For now, for this moment, we'd both gotten what we'd wanted for such a long time.

  I got up, stretching my back. Doing it on the floor had been kinky, but uncomfortable. I started searching for my clothes. My real clothes, that is. The way too small schoolgirl outfit had done its job by getting Matt all worked up, but I couldn't go home wearing it.

  “You in a rush to leave?” Matt asked. He gazed up at me from the floor, laying there with his hands folded under his head.

  “We had our fun,” I said, pulling on my pants. “I should head home.”

  He got up and came over to me, pulling me into his arms. “Stay.”

  “Why?” I looked up at him, uncertain.

  “Because I want you to.”

  I started to feel warm. “Why?” I asked.

  “Because.”

  I pursed my lips, sensing something behind his hesitation. He might have been in control when we were having sex, but now that it was done, I'd found a vulnerable place. “Because why?”

  “Anne...”

  I pulled away, smiling coyly and backing away from him. “Tell me why, Matt.”

  He lowered his arms and hung his head, defeated. “Because I'll miss you.”

  “Why?”

  He frowned. I could tell he didn't like losing control like this. But that was just too bad. I had to know. “Why?” I asked again.

  “Because I don't feel the same when you're not here.”

  My heart thudded in my chest. Maybe, I realized, there was something more to Matt than just his primal desires. “How do you feel when I'm here?” I held my jacket up in front of my chest, blocking his view, teasing him.

  “C
omplete.”

  I lowered the jacket, suddenly feeling teary-eyed. “And what about my mom?”

  He frowned. “Uhh, she doesn't make me feel complete.”

  “No, stupid.” I threw the jacket at him. He caught it, laughing. “About the inheritance.”

  “Oh, don't worry.” He tossed the jacket aside and walked over to me, slipping his arms around me. “She'll be taken care of. You don't think I was really going to cut her off, do you? She can have the mansion, and I'll make sure she's set up for life.”

  “You will?” I pressed myself against him.

  “Of course.”

  We kissed, and this time it was slow, deep, and sensual. Now that our more primal urges had been sated, we could relax and enjoy the moment together. Kissing him was like waking up to a bright new dawn. I felt like all of my concerns in the world had been washed away. Nothing else mattered in that moment, except for the man in my arms.

  I stayed the night, sharing his bed for the second time ever, though this time we slept in each other's arms. I wrapped the silken sheets around myself and nestled against him, content. I knew that in the morning I might still struggle with my shame, with the thought of what people would think about us. I didn't know if my mother would understand or accept this relationship. I didn't know whether we'd be able to be open about it, or if it would remain our dirty little secret. But I did know that I wanted to pursue this. That I wanted to learn the deepest, most intimate secrets of my stepbrother's life.

  Matt kept his promise, and my mother was soon provided with a trust fund that would keep her safe and secure for the rest of her life. She eventually moved out of the mansion and into a more modest (though still luxurious) home, saying that she had felt too lonely in such a big place all by herself. She started filling her time with charity work, putting the money she'd acquired to good use by helping others. It made me proud to know that she had found a greater depth than I'd thought she had.

  Matt sold his shares in his father's company, keeping the freedom that he needed in his life. Though there was one part of his life that soon changed, adding a wonderful little obligation that he just couldn't deny. A few weeks after our first wonderful night together, I discovered I was pregnant. He took the news better than I could have hoped for, and while we still maintained the wild, carefree lifestyle that we both loved, we started making a place in our lives for the new addition that was coming to our family. I moved in with Matt soon after, and he had the apartment renovated to make room for a nursery. Prepping for the baby soon dominated the majority of our time, but since I didn't have to work anymore, I was able to devote myself entirely to getting ready to be a mother.

  A few months later, I stood in the completed nursery, holding my hands over my growing belly. I looked around the room, studying the crib, the decorations, and the sights that would be our child's first view of the world. Matt stood behind me, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my cheek.

  “What are we going to tell our kid?” I asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know what I mean.” I twisted around to smirk at him.

  “You mean, about us?”

  “Of course.”

  “Well,” he said, sighing. He paused for a long moment, talking about it. “If you want to get technical about it, we were only really step-siblings for about six months.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “So that's the story?”

  “We'll just tell them,” he said, pulling me close again, “that our parents introduced us.”

  I laughed, held him tight, and kissed him. That sounded like the perfect answer to me.

  THE SEAL’S SECRET BABY

  CHAPTER ONE

  Deacon Cameron left the range with his best friend Trevor James, walking back to his Range Rover to head out to lunch. They did this on Wednesday mornings when Trevor was home in Washington D.C. and enjoyed the time together since Deacon was no longer a Seal due to a knee injury received on the job three years ago. He missed the job more than he cared to admit, hiding that behind the interest he showed in Trevor’s stories as he pushed down his pain.

  One thing that hadn’t changed in his life was a schedule. Deacon had been smart enough to invest what he’d earned well along with the inheritance from his grandfather so that he could live well now without worry. He helped out with his brother’s security company part time just to keep busy, working long days whenever James needed the assistance as well as Thursdays and Fridays on a regular basis. He still woke early, something that would never change, using that time to hit the gym and keep himself fit and healthy with a regular trainer. After the gym, he’d run a short distance if he was still feeling restless near his house where there was a nice nature trail.

  Today, he’d done all of that early and his knee was hurting a bit as he started the engine of his car. He drove into the city, automatically heading to the diner that they always had lunch at as Trevor pulled a ball cap over his cropped blonde hair and laughed at him.

  “What’s your problem?” Deacon asked him, slipping on his sunglasses as the bright spring sunshine nearly blinded him.

  “We don’t always have to go to this place, D. I love it and everything but anytime you want to change up, it’s fine with me.” Trevor teased him, knowing how rigid his best friend was to his habits. “Shit, this place has been around for thirty years already.”

  “It has, and we’ve been eating here since high school.” Deacon replied, feeling a little contemplative as he pulled into the lot and parked the car. It was one thing that he could still hold onto since losing his job, his memories going back to friends and family as he ran a hand through his own cropped hair. Some of the guys he knew had let theirs grow out as well as growing beards, but Deacon still kept himself clean-shaven at all times. It was what he knew and what he’d seen the men in the family do before him. “I don’t know, Trev. It just means something to me to go here.”

  “I hear that. We have a lot of memories here.” The guys left the truck and went inside, sitting at their regular table and ordering the burgers before Deacon sat back and looked around. “How’s Tina doing?”

  “She started seeing her ex last week. I started seeing this girl Lorna now. Man, dating is fucking crazy.” Trevor shook his head as Deacon smirked. “When are you going to give it a go? You’re retired now, buddy.

  “Like I want a part of that crazy.” Deacon responded, shaking his head. “Ever since James got a divorce, I’ve watched him go through it. It’s insane.”

  “Don’t you want to settle down and have a family? I mean, now that things have calmed down a bit?” Trevor watched a stubborn look cross Deacon’s face as he shook his head, longing for it himself as he dated girl after girl to see if she’d be a good fit. Being a Seal made it difficult to work for his friends that were married with kids, but they were all happy and made it work.

  Something was holding his best friend back. Trevor looked up as their lunch was brought over, taking a bite of the ultimate comfort food as he smiled to himself. Someday Deacon would meet a woman that turned his whole world upside down.

  They parted ways after that, since Trevor had to meet up with his parents and Deacon headed to the large house that he’d bought himself five years ago. It was in one of the best areas of the city, offering a quick drive to most anywhere that he went and it was secure. The house was a two story brick structure that offered everything he wanted despite living in it alone. Deacon parked his car in the five car garage next to his red McLaren 650s and the Harley that he’d bought the first year he’d left the Navy to take a long road trip on. He glanced at both of them with a yearning in his eyes to take off again as he headed through the garage door into his kitchen. Deacon grinned as he heard his husky barking in his crate, going to unlock it as Tasha jumped up to greet him. “Down, girl!” Deacon told her, looking down at the pup that he’d brought home from Kuwait when he’d gotten hurt. “Want to go out for a while?”

  Deacon let her out into the y
ard and walked out to look over the large expanse of grass as he crossed his arms, considering building a pool now that he was home more. The summers got hot in D.C. and it would make things more bearable, though his mind wandered to other places in his job that had been much more intense as he stared forward blankly. He glanced at Tasha to see that she was playing with one of her toys on the lawn, wandering back inside for some water from the fridge.

  Once he’d let her back in, Deacon wandered to the office to check on CM Security using his laptop as Tasha came in to lay down on the floor with him. James had worked hard on building the company, using his part of the inheritance to start it and keep it strong and now his soon to be ex-wife Susan was going after him for part of the company. Deacon shook his head angrily, remembering the look on his little brother’s face when he’d confessed that she was cheating on him with a lawyer from her own job. Nobody was perfect and he knew that James had his issues, but he worked hard to make their life enjoyable and Susan had ripped his heart open.

  They’d hired a lawyer to protect him in court and Deacon watched as he started to date girls that were younger than his age of thirty. Finding someone to warm the sheets was understandable but James was taking it further than that, getting emotionally involved despite Deacon’s warnings.

  He sent a message to his brother via the messenger app they used, seeing how things were as he sipped his water again. James replied with the news that they would be hooking up a new business with their top package the next day, making Deacon grin. He also asked Deacon if he’d like to hit the local BBQ joint up for some dinner since a date had fallen through and neither brother cooked too much.