Stepbrother The Hard Trainer: A Stepbrother Romance Book Collection

by Anna Restrepo

  Title and Copyright Page

  Title: Stepbrother The Hard Trainer

  Subtitle: A Stepbrother Romance Book Collection

  Editor: Anna Restrepo

  © Copyright 2018 by Anna Restrepo. All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of very brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  From the Publisher:

  Thank you for purchasing this book.

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  Table of Contents

  Title and Copyright Page

  I Do…

  Laid, Lust & Lies

  Strange and Beautiful

  Tempting Taboo

  I Do…

  Description

  When Olivia discovered her fiancé was cheating on her, the night before their wedding, she was devastated. Still there was the part of her that harbored some doubt that was relieved when the wedding was called off. Shame-faced and reluctant to meet the pitiful stares of her bridal party, she took up her step-brother Elliot’s strange request to marry him instead and sail away for the weekend on his private yacht. She never expected a traditional marriage, but after one night of explosive sex, she knew her feeling for Elliot would never go away. But when they docked in Bahamas and she discovered Elliot’s lie, would she be able to trust him again?

  Chapter 1

  “Whoa! This is amazing!”

  I laughed as one of my bridesmaids, Sienna climbed on top of the bar and started shaking her skinny booty. The other girls who had made it to the bachelorette party whooped with delight and Amanda spanked her on the ass to everyone’s delight. We had decided at the last minute not to have any male strippers but to entertain ourselves and I thought we did a pretty damn good job without the men.

  “Take something off!” Lisa, my maid of honor yelled as she sat next to me.

  “No, please for God’s sake, keep everything on!” I yelled back, laughing when Lisa punched me in the arm. My best friend was a confirmed lesbian and had rooted for the “no men allowed” bachelorette party.

  “It’s almost time to go anyway,” I told Lisa. “No sense stirring things up. I’ve to get my beauty sleep for the wedding tomorrow.”

  “But it’s not even two yet! You’ll get to sleep all morning. The wedding isn’t until eleven.”

  She was right, but the truth was the party was beginning to lose its appeal for me. It mostly had to do with the unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. Pre-wedding jitters. I had been fine and then it hit me about half an hour ago.

  “We have one more surprise for the bride-to-be!” Amanda announced, helping Sienna from the bar counter.

  I groaned and glanced at my watch. “We don’t have time for another surprise. Do you want me to look like a raccoon at my own wedding?”

  “Come on. It’ll be fun! Plus, our ride’s not here yet.”

  Our ride was my step-brother Elliot who had volunteered to chauffeur us from the bar we had rented out to our homes after the party. Elliot was a sweetheart and had made himself available because he wanted to ensure we got home safe.

  “All right,” I caved in, “but only until El gets here.”

  The girls cheered and Amanda took me by the arm. Somebody produced a chair and I was pushed down to sit in it. No sooner had my ass been planted on the chair than a blindfold was produced.

  “Oh hell no!” I started to protest but with so many girls rooting to have me blindfolded, I was outnumbered. “Lisa!” I called for my friend to rescue me.

  “No can do, babe. Even I know when to leave well enough alone.”

  I growled and almost ripped off the blindfold when I heard them squealing. I wanted to know what the hell was going on. And then I felt it. Someone took my arms and placed them on naked flesh. Not just any naked flesh but a well-formed chest. Despite myself, my hands wandered over the intense body. Only one other man I knew had a chest to rival this one and I couldn’t feel up my stepbrother this way.

  Someone yanked down my blindfold. I gasped and laughed at what was before me. I should have known these hos would still go and get me a stripper though I had begged them not to. He was a hot one as well, all oiled up for my benefit. Wearing nothing but a pair of silk briefs with a very large imprint at the front, I almost leaped from the chair. He was gorgeous.

  Before I could protest that he should dance with one of the other girls instead, he approached me so close and gyrated in front of my face. If I had leaned forward even a little, his bulge would have touched my face. My face flamed in embarrassment.

  “I guess I should come back?”

  At the sound of Elliot’s voice, I jerked away from the stripper. The other girls groaned their disappointment that Elliot had arrived on time. I was glad he was here. As hot as the stripper guy was, I was uncomfortable with him gyrating for me in this way. I was getting married tomorrow after all.

  “Nooo,” I protested and got off the chair. “I need to get some sleep.”

  “But the fun is just beginning!” Sienna grumbled.

  I stared at Elliot begging him to save me. Understanding my silent plea, he nodded.

  “Okay, guess what? We can move the party to the back of the limousine. It’s big enough. We’ll keep the party going until the last of you are home.”

  “Can we take the long way?” Amanda giggled, fluttering her eyes at Elliot.

  I rolled my eyes. Amanda was the biggest flirt of the lot and she always had a crush on Elliot since he joined my family. She was the girl who slept over the most because she wanted to be around Elliot, never minding he didn’t give us the time of day. He would always see us as little kids.

  “Sure, let’s go.”

  It took almost half an hour to move out of the cozy bar Elliot had rented for me uptown and into the limousine. The girls had grabbed bottles of alcohol and climbed in after ensuring the male stripper was in first. They had no intention of letting him go until they got their money’s worth.

  “Hey, can I ride up front with you?” I asked Elliot. I didn’t want any part in the debauchery that was about to take place in the back.

  “Sure.”

  Relieved, I got in the front beside him and buckled up.

  “You’re such a party pooper!” Amanda yelled at me from the back. Up the separation went to block us off.

  Despite knowing my friend was kidding, I couldn’t help feeling hurt by her comment. Of all of us, I was usually the sensible one who ensured they didn’t go home with strangers when we went partying.

  “Are you okay?” Elliot asked as he expertly maneuvered the limousine into the street.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “Not by a long stretch. This is me, Carrie. Talk to me.”

  “It’s just pre-wedding jitters,” I said, aiming a smile at him. “This time tomorrow I’ll be over it.”

  “Right. Because this is what you want. There’s nobody else you’d rather spend your life with than Drew.”

  I swallowed hard as I thought about his words. My heart started thumping in my chest. This was what I was afraid of… that I didn’t know.

  “Yes?” When I realized my response sounded more like a question, I
repeated more affirmatively. “Yes, this is what I want.”

  Chapter 2

  “What are you doing, girl? Just turn around the car and go home. It’s your day.”

  Despite my brain telling me the right thing to do, I drove my car up the driveway to my fiancé’s apartment building. I claimed an empty spot and turned off the ignition, trying to give myself some time to change my mind about this. My pre-wedding jitters had turned into wedding day jitters. I couldn’t shake the feeling and last night I hadn’t hardly been able to sleep.

  Just before dawn, I’d finally gotten out of bed and with a notepad and a pencil started one of my infamous lists. List of reasons I was marrying Drew. At the top of the list, I’d written the three words “I love him,” but I hadn’t been able to write anything else. I became fixated on those words, mulling them over in my mind. I should have just gone back to bed. My unease was clearly anxiousness over the wedding.

  Instead, here I was at eight in the morning of my wedding, seeing the groom. I wondered if it was bad luck seeing the groom before the wedding. I didn’t think so. I wasn’t wearing my wedding gown, so no bad luck should be headed my way.

  After convincing myself it was fine to see Drew one last time before the wedding and be reminded of how happy we would be, I got out of my car. Drew and I had started dating eighteen months ago. He was a practical and dependable man with a stable job as an accountant. I liked the way he made me feel grounded and we suited each other well.

  While my own family was wealthy—my mother having married Garret Stone, an investment guru—I tried to live a life as normal as possible. It wasn’t their fault I sometimes felt a bit like the odd one out. My mother had adopted well to a rich lifestyle, but I’d preferred our sedentary lives. I didn’t like the flashy parties where I always felt so out of my element. No matter the expensive dresses and jewelry, I would never be anything but plain Carrie with a too many curves.

  I’d distanced myself as much as possible from the glamorous lifestyle by taking the more “‘normal” route possible. I went to college where I studied literacy. Now I helped students at the middle school who had a problem with reading. That was about as glamorous as a whale flopping on the beach, but I loved my job and wouldn’t have traded it for anything else.

  From the elevator, I walked to apartment 102 and inserted my key into the door. Since I’d be moving in with Drew, he had caved in and had given me a key to his apartment two weeks ago when I had to start moving my things in. I had used this key about a dozen times since and thought nothing of letting myself into our apartment.

  I frowned when I entered and noticed the place was trashed. Drew had stated he wouldn’t be having a bachelor party but would have a few guys over for beers. I never believed that of course. A few guys over on the night before one got married was exactly a bachelor party.

  Beer cans were strewn all over the apartment. Empty pizza boxes were on the table in the living room. The television had been left on and I turned it off. Someone had crawled into bed late last night.

  With a smile, I headed for his bedroom and stopped short when I heard giggling. Feminine giggling. I paused, too stunned to really fathom what I had heard and what it meant. I approached the bedroom and the hushed chatting became louder.

  “—to go.”

  “You can stay for just thirty minutes. It won’t take long.”

  “I’ve to get to Carrie’s to help her get dressed.”

  My heart fell to the floor, finally recognizing the female voice. This couldn’t be happening. No, no! Of all the persons, it couldn’t be.

  I pushed the door open because I had to be certain. Giggling, followed by moaning assaulted my ears. I stared in horror at my fiancé who had his head buried between the thighs of my bridesmaid, Sienna. Her legs were draped over his shoulders.

  “Carrie!” Sienna saw me first and yanked at Drew’s head. All the blood drained from my face.

  “Jesus!” Drew cried in horror and pulled away from Sienna so fast he sent her legs flying.

  “I can’t believe you two would do this,” I mumbled past my stiff lips. Tears pricked my eyes as I stared at the naked pair. Sienna pulled the sheet up to her breasts and Drew scrambled off the bed to approach me, his cock jutted in its erect state.

  Bile rose in my throat from the disgust of seeing him this way and with one of my best friends.

  “Carrie, baby it’s not what it looks like.”

  Hysterical laughter bubbled from my lips. This felt like a bad movie that had been run one time too many. I’d seen this scene so often in movies and even laughed about it, but I had never imagined it would have become my reality.

  “Stay away from me!” I cried, inching for the door. “You disgust me. Both of you!” I glared at Sienna who had tears rolling down her cheeks. “You were with me last night pretending to be happy for me and you came back here to fuck my fiancé!”

  “I never meant this to happen,” she cried. “I’m so sorry, Carrie. The first time was a mistake and I tried to stop it from happening again but things just got out of control. I couldn’t help it. I fell in love with him.”

  Drew stopped short and glanced back at her. “You did what?” He looked horrified.

  “I said I love you,” she repeated, kneeling in the center of the bed. “I know it’s less than ideal but I think we can sit down and work this out.”

  “You think we can sit and work this out?” I stared at her in disbelief. “What? Do you think I keep him one week and send him your way for the other week? I don’t want him so you can take him!”

  “No!” Drew protested. “This was a mistake.” He glanced at Sienna. “You knew nothing could come of this. I love, Carrie. Not you. I’m sorry but Carrie’s the one I want to be with.”

  “You’ve a funny way of showing it you fucking jerk!”

  I stormed from his apartment with him behind me. By now his cock was softening. I didn’t stop but opened the door.

  “Carrie, please wait! We need to talk.”

  I ran through the door and smack into someone. Hands steadied me.

  “I’m so sorry,” I apologized, the tears falling then.

  “Carrie?”

  I glanced up at the man who held me, surprised to find Elliot. “Elliot? What are you doing here?” Did he know what was going on?

  “I came by to have a talk with Drew,” he responded. “You know, the last talk about him taking care of my sister.”

  Of course Elliot had no idea about this. To even have thought that had betrayed him.

  “The wedding’s off,” I told him. “I want to go home.”

  “Carrie, please. Let’s talk about this,” Drew said from the open door. Behind him, Sienna shuffled by.

  “What the fuck’s going on here” Elliot thundered, as it hit him then why I was so upset.

  “I’m sorry,” Sienna cried and ran for the elevator, her shoes in her hands.

  “Can we go, please?” I asked Elliot. “I don’t want to be here.”

  “Just a minute, hon.” Elliot released me and approached Drew. “You prick, did you just cheat on Carrie?”

  Before Drew could respond, Elliot threw a fist in his face. “Shit!” Drew cried, clutching his bloody nose.

  “Elliot.” I grabbed his arm before he punched Drew again. “Please, let’s just go.”

  The tension slowly left his body. He glared at Drew. “If I ever see you near her again, I’ll gut you like a fish. That’s your one and only warning.”

  Chapter 3

  “Elliot, will you stop pacing!” I snapped at him. “You’re making my head hurt.”

  I was in the living room of my apartment half an hour later while Elliot wore a hole in the rug. He seemed even more upset than I was at the debacle I had found myself in. I had less than five hours to cancel all the arrangements for my wedding. I felt sick at the thought of all the explanation I would have to give. How did I explain to two hundred guests that I had caught my fiancé only this morning sleeping with o
ne of my bridesmaids who thought herself to be in love with him.

  In some ways, I felt sorry for Sienna. Both of us had been screwed by Drew. He had the gall to declare he wanted to be with me even after what he had done. Did he think I had such low self-esteem that I would go through with the wedding still?

  “I’m sorry. I’m just so mad thinking about that prick,” he said and dropped to the couch beside me. He placed an arm around my shoulders and squeezed. “I can’t imagine how you must be feeling. Now I just want to go back to his apartment and snap his neck.”

  I smiled fondly at him. “That doesn’t solve anything. If you really want to help, grab the phone so we can start canceling everything before they arrive,” I moaned, thinking about the cost of things that were not refundable. The venue was already booked with or without the wedding.

  “Shit. This is a lot of waste.”

  “I know.” I shrugged off his hand and climbed to my feet. “I guess I should call Mom and Dad.”

  He didn’t say anything as I walked over to the phone. I started dialing their number when the phone was plucked out of my hands. I turned to frown at Elliot and found he was way too close for comfort.

  “What are you doing?”

  He placed the phone back on its hook, took me by the hand and walked me back to the couch. He pushed me gently to sit then crouched before me on his knees.

  “I know this is going to sound like a crazy idea,” he said, “but how about we not call off your wedding?”

  I frowned at him. “You’re not making any sense. There’s no way I’m going to marry him, El. I don’t care if everybody thinks I’m a plain Jane and not likely to find another man. I simply won’t marry that cheater. So you can save your breath.”

  “Hey, calm down. I don’t expect you to marry that ass,” he answered, patting my knee. “As for the rest, you sorely underestimate yourself, Carrie. You’re anything but plain.”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “You don’t have to try to say nice things to boost my self-confidence. I promise. I’m not likely to jump from a building because my wedding was an epic failure.”