"What happened?" I ask after drinking deeply.
"Well, you were held hostage by a crazed junkie. Then you were rescued by a dashingly handsome man. Now you're in a hospital recovering."
He grins as he says all this.
"Well so much for self deprecation," I chuckle. "I thought you were gone."
"I was," he says taking my hand in his and sitting on the bed next to me. "I came back for you. I heard it on the scanner."
"You came back for me? Who are you?"
He smiles patting my hand. A shadow passes behind his eyes. That deep pain that makes me want to take him in my arms and hold him until I can heal him.
"I'm Agent Jake McCall, DEA," he says.
I frown arching an eyebrow at him. "DEA? Like Drugs?"
He nods. "Exactly."
"But ... how? I saw you arrested. Twice. How, why?"
"I've been undercover for three years now. Infiltrating a drug cartel. I had just worked my way up the ranks and was being pulled out to testify about my investigation."
"So, it was all just a cover?" My heart sinks and tears threaten.
He shakes his head. "No, not all of it."
"What does that even mean?" I ask as the first tear falls.
"You," he says leaning in close to me. "You were never part of the plan."
A sob grabs me and the tears flow freely. I rub at my eyes trying to stop them but the dam is broken now. He takes me in his arms pulling me up from the bed and I throw myself at him. I cry into his shoulder until I'm exhausted and no more tears will come. He leans back and looks into my eyes.
"Sheila," he says. "I meant every word I said to you. I love you. The moment we met at that party, I fell for you. I knew it then. That's part of why my handler was pulling me out. I couldn't separate you from the cover."
"But I don't even know you! And ... and we're related now. Our parents got married, this can't even be, like, legal."
Jake smiles. "Actually, that was part of the cover. Marcos Benito was an extensive womanizer. My cover as his bastard son is a lie. He was looking for someone to groom as his replacement. Jesus was worthless and he knew it. We cooked up the cover and he accepted it."
"So we're not ... related?"
"No, we're not."
"And you love me?"
"I broke my cover for you. I broke about a dozen rules and half a dozen laws to rescue you. I love you."
I laugh through my tears and pull him close. Our lips meet softly.
"There's something I have to ask you. This probably isn't the best time, but I can't wait. I ... have to know."
"What?" I ask.
He pulls out of my arms and lowers himself to one knee beside my hospital bed. He reaches down then he's holding up a box to me. Inside rests a dazzling diamond ring that catches the low light in the room and sparkles.
"Sheila, will you marry me?"
My heart skips two beats. I gasp in a deep breath as my heart expands to the point I think my chest might explode.
"Yes!" I cry out and he places the ring on my finger.
I'm in his arms, our lips meet, my stepbrother no more, now my lover. The one my heart wants and I take my place in his heart too.
THE END
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Did you love Rogue: Stepbrother Forbidden Romance? Then you should read Stepbrother’s Inheritance: Billionaire Stepbrother Romance by Stephanie Brother!
"Sit down kids," Mr. Morian says motioning to the two leather chairs in front of Meryl's old desk. "Now, your mother thought the world of both of you. She told me that her greatest regret was that you two are no longer as close as you once were."
I look over at Ben and then back at Mr. Morian. Her regret? What? She never mentioned it to me. Hell she collected books full of Ben's exploits, I was just going through them.
"We talked a lot once she found out she didn't have long to live you see. She told me that you Victoria were every bit the find your father was. That when she married him it was so she could be a mother to you as much as a wife to him. She also told me that you Benjamin became a much better person when Victoria entered your life. That the two of you would be unstoppable together. This was important to her."
I watch Ben but his face is an unreadable mask. He's had years of schooling himself for high end business deals and being chased by paparazzi so he doesn't give away his feelings on his face.
"So to that end before either of you can claim your inheritance you must spend a month at her villa in the countryside of France. There's an itinerary of things you will do which includes three meals together every day, a daily outing, and other various sundries."
"No," Benjamin says.
Mr. Morian sits woodenly and I turn to Ben with shock. Even for an inheritance he can't spend a month on vacation with me? He'd turn down all that to avoid me?
"Benjamin, there really is no choice. You're living and working with your mother's company. If you want to gain your full inheritance, including keeping your position on the Board of Directors, you have to comply with her last will and testament."
Ben shakes. He literally shakes as he stares straight ahead not even sparing a glance for me.
"Is that all?" I ask.
I'm still waiting for another shoe to drop. There has to be another catch. One month on vacation to secure my education? You bet. Spend it with my stepbrother who hates me? My heart does a nervous flip in my chest.
"Yes, in essence that is it. I've made all the arrangements. It's set around your school schedule so you don't have to worry about that Victoria. I also talked with your Secretary Benjamin and she has cleared your schedule for the duration."
Ben leans back in his chair, steeples his fingers in front of him staring at Mr. Morian. "I'd like my own lawyers to look this over," he says through gritted teeth.
I close my eyes feeling small. It's hard to catch my breath as my chest tightens. It hits me that I'm having an asthma attack. My vision darkens around the edges as I gasp for air. I fumble around trying to find my purse where I keep an inhaler but it's in the kitchen. I try to stand up but fall back into the chair which falls over and I'm on the ground looking up. Ben's face appears in the closing tunnel of my vision.
"Vic!" he yells then he's gone.
It's okay, everyone leaves. He doesn't want me around anyway.
Don't leave me! echoes through my mind as blackness overwhelms me.
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Rogue: A Stepbrother Forbidden Romance
I have a secret.
I can't tell anyone. Not my mother, not my best friend, and especially not my stepbrother. It eats away at me. Digs in, distracts me, randomly hits me at times when I'm supposed to be focused on something else.
The sun beats down on my already golden skin as I lay beside our pool. A thin sheen of sweat glistens. My secret consumes my thoughts. Quiet surrounds me. My stepbrother and my bio brother have gone off to the store for something and my folks are gone. I'm alone in our giant backyard, soaking up some rays, and wrestling with the one thought that consumes me.
Glancing towards the house to make sure I'm still alone, my hand wanders down to my mound, sliding easily under my string bikini. I rub, finding that perfect spot. Some of this tension has to go before they get back. My secret envelopes me as I give myself over to it. I imagine him climb out of the pool, the water runs down his washboard abs, the muscles of his chest and shoulders flex and roll as he pulls himself out.
My rubbing gets faster. Circular motions. He's running his hands through pushing his wet hair back. I gasp, my hips thrust up against my hand to increase pressure. Slowly he turns towards me, almost there.
"Cindy!"
Shit! I jerk my hand out of my suit as I jump up from the lounge chair.
"WHAT!
" I yell.
My younger brother Danny runs out of the house barreling straight at me. He bowls into me and I take two steps back from the impact.
"Oooph," I exhale.
"We got strawberry soda!" Danny says excitedly.
"Oh yay," I feign enthusiasm.
He's only eight, the product of my mother's second marriage to Josh's dad, my stepdad. Josh comes out of the house carrying a two liter of strawberry soda with a sheepish grin on his face. I feel myself flush at the sight of him, my secret pounding in my mind.
Did he see? Does he know . . .
Josh is beautiful. We've lived together for almost nine years now all of which I've been in love with him. Love like not in the way you should, like brother and sister love, love as in I want him.
Josh is my secret.
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A Baby for My Hero Stepbrother by Stephanie Brother
"Samuel," my stepmother calls to my stepbrother.
I roll my eyes. Samuel hates me.
Our parents got married three years ago and since then we've been shoved together in the same house. Apparently he's made it his life's mission to make me miserable. Aside from his constant snide remarks he seems to have a knack for walking in when I'm half dressed. I can't ever prove it but I know he's doing it on purpose, probably just to make me mad.
"What!" he yells across the house.
Samuel's always angry. Even with his mother he's mean. I don't think I've ever heard him say a nice word to anyone.
"Come see your sister's dress!" she yells back ignoring his attitude.
My stepmother is a saint. She has to be to deal with Samuel. Her first husband was killed in a car crash and I wonder if that doesn't have something to do with his attitude.
Samuel walks in and no matter how much I can't stand him my heart skips a beat. He wears his hair too long, just past his collar and over his ears. His bangs hang down into his face but man is that face beautiful. He's like Johnny Depp, all perfectly carved planes and lines that scream unearthly handsome. He moves like a cat ready to pounce with an easy strength. I've seen him lift weights that are twice his size but he tries to never do it when he thinks I'll see him.
I've walked in on his workouts before and seen him covered in sweat, muscles rippling as he lifts. It happened by accident the first time and he screamed at me but since then I've slipped back to watch him work. The sight of it makes me have thoughts that are definitely not stepbrother appropriate.
If I'm a loner at school, Samuel is a total rebel. I think he has one friend who's another complete outcast. At least as a book nerd there are a handful of other academics I can claim as friends. Samuel has pretty much no one.
He's not dressed for prom. He's wearing ripped up jeans, one of which is right below his crotch so that his boxer shorts show. His t-shirt is stretched tight over his chest and his leather biker style jacket is worn down and abused. There's a cigarette dangling out of his mouth.
"Samuel!" his mother cries out.
"What?" he growls.
"You know how I feel about smoking!"
"Yeah, why in the hell do you think I'm doing it?"
He stares at her, his deep blue eyes defiant, his mouth set into a line with that nasty thing sticking straight out. He never even inhales just has it jutting out in defiance of his mother. I shake my head at him and he narrows his eyes but says nothing.
"Well, look at your sister, tell her how beautiful she's," his mother says.
"She's not my fucking sister," he says.
"Samuel, I will not tolerate that language in this house!"
"Whatever," he says turning away to leave. "You look like a hot piece of ass Sis."
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Stepbrother's Inheritance
A Baby for my Hero Stepbrother
Stepbrother Beloved
Stepbrother Holiday
Billionaire Stepbrother Obsession
Stepbrother Confession
Stepbrother Savior
Stepbrother, My Love
From Stepbrother to Lover
Stepbrother Revealed
Billionaire Stepbrother's Offer
Billion Dollar Stepbrother
Romanced by my Billionaire Stepbrother
My Stepbrother Rocks: Opening Act
CRAVE: My Billionaire Stepbrother
Stepbrother At Last
Billionaire Stepbrother's Promise
Taboo Romance with A Billionaire
Book 1
Book 2
Torn by my Two Stepbrothers Series
Book 1 - Sinner
2 Stepbrothers. 1 innocent Girl Series
Sins of the Stepbrothers
Deceit of the Stepbrothers
About the Author
Stephanie Brother writes scintillating stories with step-siblings as their main romantic focus. She's always been curious about the forbidden, and this is her way of exploring such complex relationships that threaten to keep her couples apart. As she writes her way to her dream job, Stephanie hopes that her readers will enjoy the full emotional and romantic experience as much as she's enjoyed writing them.
Feel free to write with comments, suggestions, or requests for stories at [email protected]
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Stepbrother's Secrets (A New Adult Forbidden Romance) Page 5