TEASE_A Stepbrother Romance

by Mia Carson

  The men looked like they were all cut out from a fashion magazine. Most of them had a drink in their hands, and I imagined they were drinking the finest wine money could buy. I noticed several waiters, stationed at every corner of the room, holding trays of hors d'oeuvres. My stomach growled. Eric must have heard it because he grabbed a glass of wine off a tray and gave it to me.

  “No, thanks.” Normally, I would have loved a glass of wine if I was in the company of friends so I could relax and talk dirty. But here, I needed a clear head to figure out what was going on. I didn’t want to get tipsy and end up in the wrong place or get cheated out of my money. Damn, I thought, I should have asked for half the money up front. I had been too shocked by the amount I was being offered to think logically.

  “Yes,” he insisted, pushing the glass to me. "You only have to pretend you’re drinking from it.” He grabbed an empty glass off another tray and poured half the glass of wine into it and handed it back to me. I took the glass from him and cradled it. “Now, leave your lipstick mark on it.” I placed my mouth on the rim of the glass and left a red lip mark on it. It did look like I’d been drinking from the glass. “We’re going to stand here for a few minutes to allow you to study the room.”

  “Sure. So who am I supposed to be babysitting?” I giggled.

  “James Brickstone. He is one of our patrons. And please, no matter what you say, don’t tell these men you’re babysitting them,” he grinned. “That would not be good for business.”

  “Okay, I’m going to be entertaining James Brickstone. Who is he?”

  “You don’t know the Brickstone family?" Eric raised his eyebrows at me. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No. I don’t move in these circles, and the only Brickstone name I know is Brickstone foods.”

  “Same one,” he said, heaving a sigh of relief.

  My heart skipped a thousand beats and I struggled to find my words. “I am going to be babysitting, sorry, entertaining the Mr. Brickstone who manufactures the majority of foods in this country?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re kidding.” My hands started trembling. I held the glass with two hands, trying to control my movements. James Brickstone was only the most eligible bachelor in town. I didn’t follow gossip about him, had never looked up his picture, but I'd heard his name mentioned here and there, and I knew he had just recently gone through a bad breakup.

  “I don’t joke much.”

  “Didn’t he just get stood up at the altar a few weeks ago?” That piece of the story suddenly came to me.

  “So you do know him.”

  “Not personally, obviously, but you know, gossip and stuff.”

  “Well, it would be wise not to mention his past relationship. Just keep him company and talk business.”

  “And he’ll pay me ten thousand to talk with him for six hours?”

  “No, he paid fifty. You get twenty percent. The rest goes to business expenses.” My jaw must have dropped really low because he smiled at me and said, “It’s all business, my dear. If he requests you at another event, you get twenty thousand, and at a third event, you get fifty. We, of course, mark up our prices accordingly as your take-home goes up.”

  “And no sex?” I whispered.

  “None,” he said, grinning at me.

  I nodded, not sure what else to say. The glass of wine I was holding suddenly seemed very attractive, and I took a swig out of it, draining every last bit of fluid from it. I looked around to see if I could identify him, but all the men looked alike–in their late twenties or early thirties, mostly dressed in dark, fitted suits, muscular, and handsome. There was no way to tell who he was. Maybe if I had been paying attention to the gossip surrounding him, I would have taken time to study his picture, but I hadn’t cared since I knew the lives of the rich and famous were over-dramatized and unrealistic. I started looking for men without supermodels hanging on their arms since I knew he was alone, but with that many guests moving about, all the chatter, and the live jazz in the background, it was a little impossible to separate the single men from the crowd.

  “Ready?” Eric asked.

  “Do I have a choice? Let’s do it,” I replied, handing my empty glass to a waiter and picking up another. I could get used to this.

  “Come with me,” Eric said as he navigated through the crowd, saying hello and giving hugs, until we reached the other end of the room and walked toward a group of men.

  “Which one is he?” I whispered to Eric.

  “The tallest,” he said as we reached the group.

  “The one in a black suit?” My eyes moved to the tallest of the men. His face was obscured by the angle.

  “Yes,” he said.

  From what I could make of the man whose face I had yet to see, he was domineering. His huge shoulders, trim waist, and long legs made him stand out from the crowd. If Eric hadn’t pointed him out, he would have been the first man I’d have noticed.

  “Come on,” Eric said

  “Sure.” But my feet were stuck to the ground.

  Eric noticed my hesitation and said calmly, “He’s really nice.”

  “I’m sure,” I replied, smiling and turning on my professional air.

  Even though I had yet to see him completely, handsome wouldn’t do him justice. He looked expensive, if the cut of his suit were any indication, and I could tell he took great care of himself. He seemed relaxed and comfortable with the group, but I noticed he wasn’t talking much; instead he seemed to be listening and nodding his head.

  “Wait here,” Eric said as we got closer.

  “Of course,” I replied, happy to postpone the inevitable.

  Eric walked up to the group of men and whispered something in Mr. Brickstone’s ear. He turned and I saw his face. I froze, my heart skipping a thousand beats. It was him.

  What the fuck? It was really him. My fucked up stepbrother who left me after taking my virginity. I hated him so much.

  With a few long strides, he was next to me.

  “Mr. Brickstone. This is Ms. Sara Faye. She’ll be your hostess for tonight,” Eric said to the man who still had the deepest shade of brown eyes I had ever known. Eric turned to me. “Ms. Sara, Mr. James Brickstone.” And with that he walked away from us, leaving me standing in front of a man I swore never to talk to again. A man who made my blood boil just by the mention of his name. A man who I had lost touch with after our parents divorced years ago. A man who I had loved all my life, even after he broke my heart.

  ‘“James?” I still couldn’t believe my eyes. There had to be a mistake.

  “Sara, you came.”

  “What sort of a sick joke is this?” I was fuming and my voice was getting louder by the minute.

  “Sara, calm down.”

  “Calm down? This is your idea of a reunion after five years?”

  “Calm down, Sara. I’ll explain everything in a minute.”

  “I don’t have a minute for you, James.”

  “But you do. I paid for your time.”

  “You know what, fuck you and your time,” I hissed. A nearby group must have overheard me; they all turned towards us but went back to their conversation as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. “I’m leaving.”

  “Wait, Sara.” He reached out to hold my hand, and for that instant, I felt my skin burn with lust for him, just the way it always had in the past. The way it had the many nights I touched myself while thinking of him those first few weeks after our parents divorced. “I’m sorry, Sara. That was way out of line.”

  “James, you have a lot of explaining to do and you better start now or I walk away.”

  “Kiss me.”

  “Excuse me?” I wasn’t sure I had heard him right. “Are you crazy? I’m leaving.”

  “No Sara, you’re not leaving yet. Kiss me right now and make it good.” His eyes threatened.

  “You’re insane. You better ask for your refund or have them find you another whore. There is no way in this world I’ll kiss….”<
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  Before I could complete my sentence, he cut me off and pulled me roughly into his arms. I tried to push him away without making a scene, but even in my heels, he was still a lot taller and stronger than me.

  “Let go of me, you dick,” I hissed.

  “Soon,” he said as he placed his lips on mine. I started to resist and push him away, but he held me tight, his tongue demanding mine. Though I willed my body to block the sensation of his kiss, I couldn’t help noticing that his lips felt warm and sweet. He had his arms wrapped around my waist. My hands were at my sides, but he was squeezing me in a tight hug and I was uncomfortable, so I reluctantly placed my hands on his shoulders to steady myself, causing him to hold me even tighter and deepen his kiss, which became more persistent.

  I wanted to scream at him to leave me alone, but instead, sweet memories of our past flooded into my mind. I felt a tingle all over my body; my body was betraying me to a man who hadn’t even said hello to me after disappearing from my life five years ago.

  My lips, which I had tightly closed, released of their own volition, letting him into me, once more, and soon I was kissing him back, slowly. My hands roved from the top of his shoulders to his back, feeling the tightness of his muscles. My attraction to him, which I had buried for years, rushed back, and against my better judgment, I kissed him with almost as much passion as he kissed me. I was pressed to his body, and I could feel the contours of his tight stomach within the expensive material of his suit.

  I felt his hands move lower to my back and rest on top of my hips. I knew I should have made him stop, tell him to fuck off, but I was enjoying his touch too much to want him to stop.

  Someone cleared her throat behind me.

  I stopped kissing him, hoping he’d let go of me so I could crawl into a hole until he disappeared, but he took his time ending the kiss, and when his lips finally left mine, he looked into my eyes and mouthed “thank you” before releasing the hold he had on me. Just one look into his eyes melted all the anger in my heart at being forced to kiss him; instead, I was thinking about how much I had enjoyed the feel of his mouth and how I could have participated more just for old time’s sake. I knew my lips would be scarlet red from the kiss and my cheeks would be flushed, but it would be rude of me not to turn around to see who was requiring our attention. I knew I should walk away from him, cursing and swearing, but something kept me rooted where I was. I had a lot of questions for him, and I was not going to give him the easy way out by walking away. Besides, he was the one that always walked out on me, not the other way.

  He kept one hand on the curve of my hip and held me close as we faced an angry woman.

  “Hello, James.” A lady who looked to be about the same age as me, but far more sophisticated than I could ever be, stood before us. Her hair and makeup were professionally done. She wore a red, tight dress that showed off curves I would die for. A frown curved her lips.

  “Hello, Vera,” he said in a very cold voice that made me look at his face. I may not have seen him in years, but I knew he was very angry and that Vera was not welcome in his presence. I knew instantly that something had gone bad between them.

  “You moved on fast,” she said, moving closer to him and placing a hand on his arm. Her fingers were well-manicured. He recoiled and pulled his arm away from her.

  “You as well,” he said, and at that point, I noticed a man standing beside her.

  She turned and introduced her partner. “Scott Well. Scott, darling, this is James Brickstone.” The man named Scott extended his hand to James, who ignored him.

  “This is Sara…” his voice trailed off.

  “Sara. A friend of James,” I said, taking the hand that Scott was still holding out. I didn’t want James to introduce me as his stepsister, or rather, ex-stepsister. That would not do.

  “Nice to meet you,” Scott said as he took my hand. I could tell he was grateful that I was relieving him from the awkwardness of the situation as well.

  “Hello, Vera,” I said, extending my hand to her, but she ignored me and moved even closer to James.

  “How much are you paying her?” Vera whispered to James, but clearly so I could hear.

  “Vera, I think you have more important things to do with your time,” James answered coldly.

  Vera seemed too stunned for words, something I knew was unusual for a woman like her. James took my extended hand and held me tight. “Let’s go, Sara,” he said, dragging me away from them, walking in long strides.

  I looked back at Vera. Her eyes had darkened. She seemed even more upset. Scott, on the other hand, looked amused.

  “Nice to meet you,” I said to them as I hurried to keep up with James.

  When we were far away from them, James slowed down and grabbed two glasses of champagne from a waiter.

  “You handled that well,’ he said as he sipped his drink and handed me a glass.

  “What?”

  “Vera.”

  “Oh. I’m not surprised, James.”

  “What do you mean?” His voice was cold again.

  “You seem to like getting into trouble with women you can’t handle.”

  “Sara, you know that’s not a fair thing to say,” he said.

  “It’s not about fair. It’s about right. Remember the last time we were together?”

  “Sara, that was five years ago,” he reminded me, moving away. I followed him.

  “Time doesn’t heal every wound, and I think after that fake kiss you made me give you back there, you owe me a lot.”

  He was silent for a time. He looked at me with pained eyes. “Sara, what happened between us back then was one of the single biggest regrets of my life. I’m sorry I forced you to kiss me. That was taking undue advantage of you.”

  I wanted to tell him he hadn’t forced me. Yes, maybe he had coerced me, but I hadn’t done anything I didn’t want to do.

  “Who was that woman?” I asked, ignoring his apology. I didn’t feel like talking about what transpired between us five years ago. It was too painful to talk about.

  After a moment of hesitation, he said, “She’s my ex-fiancée.”

  “Oh, I see,” I said, unsure what to say.

  “That’s all you have to say?”

  “What else do you want me to say, James?”

  My lips were still burning from the kiss he had claimed for the benefit of his ex-fiancée and meant exactly nothing to him. That was fine with me. I was still a paid employee, and I had a personal, strict policy about fraternizing with the boss, although in this case, I had a feeling the lines were going to be blurry. But as long as the closeness went no further than kissing for show, I was fine. I looked at my watch and noted that I had barely spent fifteen minutes in his presence and still had many hours to go before my shift ended.

  “How many more hours do I have with you?” he asked.

  “About five,” I said.

  He looked at his watch. “That’s enough time.”

  I was almost afraid to ask but did. “Enough time for what?” I hoped my voice was steady and didn’t appear panicked.

  “For a little cruise on the inner harbor. Would you care to join me?”

  JAMES

  I didn’t expect her to agree to go with me, but I know I left her few options. The jerk in me knew she needed money; if she didn’t she wouldn’t have been there. I was counting on the fact that the money I was paying to Fox Wood Manor was significant enough for her to put aside her hatred for me and get on my boat. I looked at her, not sure what she would do or say but preparing myself for the worst. If she didn’t agree, I could blackmail her with the fact that she had legally agreed to keep me company for the rest of the night. But I knew Sara so well - no amount of threat or blackmail would make her change her mind unless she wanted to. That was one thing I had loved about her when we were growing up, and I already knew from spending a few minutes with her, that hadn’t changed. She was still as strong-willed as she had always been. And I was still in love with her like
I had always been.

  At that moment, I wanted to beg her to come with me, even if it was only for a few hours, but I also knew it was important she came with me of her own free will. I needed her to come to me since I already knew what would happen once she was alone with me – the same thing that had happened between us five years ago when our emotions got out of hand and we ended up making the sweetest love. I had taken the most precious gift she could ever give any man, but I had flaked at the moment she needed me the most. Stupid as it sounded, I started ignoring her after we had sex because I realized how much I wanted and needed her; it scared me. I had withdrawn from her and started dating other girls in our school. By the time I reined in my emotions, my mom was leaving her dad, and I never got a chance to tell her how I truly felt about her. She had every reason to hate me, to despise me, but if the kiss she had just given me was any indication, I knew I still stood a chance at making things right.