The Complete Bad Boy Series (5 in 1): Best Billionaire Romance Collection (Bad Boy Billionaire Stepbrother Romance Paranormal Series)

by Wallace, Brenda

  When she finally came up and stopped for a minute, she pulled herself up and slicked her hair back, squeezing the excess water out. Sighing, she looked out at the valley as the sun went down. It didn’t get much better than that. Her new life was nothing like her old, besides school and her friends, but even that had been changed. Charles’ surprise was that he had decided to pay for the next couple of years of her tuition. She was now paid up until she graduated. That translated to not having to work at the diner anymore and as soon as she had found out, she had quit. Now Drew had time to do her laps and go out with her friends. She could get used to the life of leisure.

  “You swim and paint, what else do you do?”

  “Lots.”

  He waited for her to elaborate or say something else, but she didn’t. There was a coolness about her and he was trying to figure out why she bothered him so much. He surely couldn’t expect her to swoon. He was her stepbrother after all, but something. There was no twinkle in her eyes and she didn’t seem half as bothered as he did. It irked him and it bothered him even more when her bikini-clad body, made him go back in the water to hide his erection.

  Lars ignored her as she left, doing more laps to get rid of more frustration. Lars tried to get it together and eventually he went in for dinner. Christine was a better cook than their hired cook and since she had quit her dental practice, she found more time to be domesticated as she had been before.

  It was clear that the two new siblings had not warmed up to each other. Charles and her tried to get them to talk, but Drew in particular did not have much to say. She could tell the way Lars had looked at her and while it had thrown her off, it made her respond in a way that she had not expected. It was a curve ball she didn’t see coming and even through dinner with him all the way across the table, Drew could still feel his presence.

  “So Lars, how did the merger go with Alloyd?”

  “As to be expected. They tried to add some things in at the end, but anything added was superficial at best. We made them think they had gotten the better deal. They are still very short-sighted.”

  “Well that is why we will take over management. Their style was going to end their company.”

  Lars nodded and said nothing more. He didn’t have much else to say. Christine and Charles looked at each other.

  “Well I am going to bed. Thanks it was good. Ya’ll have a good night.”

  No one made mention of her abruptness and Drew was thankful for that. The stairs seemed longer that evening, her mind heavy with issues she had not seen coming. As a planner, this was disconcerting. She had figured he would be pampered and rude, but while he was one, he was not the other. What she hadn’t planned on was the way he would look at her and the way those looks would make her feel.

  Drew spent the next hour putting up her things and thinking about the wedding the day after next. It was going to be in true Castine form and the service was going to take place on his yacht. Their honeymoon was going to be the start of their adventure and only thirty people would be attending. There was to be a service the next night, for all those that just couldn’t be there. Drew was looking forward to bringing a few of her friends over to see the house. It had been so hectic with the move and getting her classes ready, that she had not gotten to see Court and Maggie for some time.

  She called them on conference to make sure they remembered the time. Court in particular was flaky, but swore she was just joking about the later time. “Seriously Court. You need to be there. I do not want to deal with all those hoity-toitys down there by myself.”

  “I’ll be there. Jeez Drew. Why are you so stressed out?”

  “Did I tell you I had a new brother?”

  Maggie piped in. Her interest finally peaked when it was back on a topic she cared about. “Is he cute?”

  Drew groaned, “Dammit Maggie. You can’t bone my brother.”

  “That means he is cute.” Court remarked.

  “Yes he is Maggie, but seriously don’t. He is already egotistical as hell. I don’t need him running around here with an even bigger head because he banged my friend.”

  “Alright fine. I won’t. Is there going to be a bar?”

  Drew laughed. “You’re hopeless. Yes there will be plenty of boos and hot guys there Maggie. Court, are you bringing Jesse?”

  “I don’t know. I might.”

  “Uh oh.”

  “It’s fine.”

  There was a silence as all three thought about the on again, off again relationship and tried not to say anything. If Court was having troubles with her boyfriend and even if they broke up, they always got back together in the end. Anything that they said could be brought up later in a fight.

  “Alright well, I’m off. I will see you guys at seven.”

  Drew hung up and smiled. It was good to hear from them and though she hadn’t seen them in months, it was like they had been together the day before. That was what she had been looking for when she had come back from her trip, familiarity and while everything else was changing, she still had her two comrades to stay the same. Now all she had to do was make sure that Maggie didn’t try to jump on Lars and she would be okay. She didn’t know why she felt so strongly about it, but the very idea of them together made her physically ill. Pushing the thoughts away, she climbed into the biggest bed that she had ever seen and was asleep in minutes.

  Chapter Four: The Reception

  The next day was filled with many random people setting up and bringing enough food, drinks and decorations, to turn the estate into an even statelier appearance. It was breathtaking the way the trees were hung with tens of thousands of lights and as the sun went down, they started to twinkle in the trees. Christine had an affinity for Chinese lanterns and there was one person whose job it was to set up one after another, all throughout the night.

  Drew was wearing the blush pink dress that her mother had picked out and she was thankful that she had good taste. It was a beautiful dress and sans a tiara, she felt like a princess. Makeup and hair was brought in and Drew had herself done up for the first time. She hardly recognized herself and she was surprised to see how different and refined she looked. Looking around for Maggie and Court, her lips grinned as saw Maggie’s fiery red hair in the crowd.

  Waving her over, Drew moved through the throng of people that she didn’t recognize and gave her a hug. They both walked around looking for Court and found her alone in her car crying. It was Jesse, so the two girls just gave her words of encouragement, biting their lips to not get too negative about it. Drew wiped her mascara. “Let’s go dance and have a few drinks. Vodka makes everything better sweetie.”

  Convinced, they moved to the bar and ordered a couple shots each. They got a raised eyebrow from the bartender. Everyone else was drinking wine and champagne, but Drew wasn’t of that world, her taste still as broke as she had been as long as she could remember.

  Slamming down the drinks, they hit the dance floor and they had Court turned around in no time. She knew, as they did, that it was only temporary and they would be back in cahoots in no time. That night, they all just wanted to have a good time. Maggie was eying one of the young men that looked to be associates of Lars, but her stepbrother hadn’t shown up that she had seen. When she heard his voice behind her, she had mixed emotions.

  “Drew, that dress is beautiful. You look like a Queen.”

  She liked that better than princess and she blushed as she turned around to look at him. It was then that she noticed the lust in Maggie’s eyes. She figured she would introduce them then before Maggie got any ideas. “Bro, this is the girls, Maggie and Court. Girls this is the new bro.”

  Court shook his hand and Maggie’s fingers played on the top as they touched. He looked down at the connection and could see from her eyes that she was ready for anything he wanted. Looking back at Drew, her eyes were squinted and she didn’t look too happy about it. He had the good sense to blush, but a secret twinkle in his eyes from the ability to bother her.


  “Nice to meet you ladies.” He kissed Maggie’s hand and then grinned at Drew turning away. While she wasn’t looking, he released her hand. There was no point if Drew wasn’t watching. He wanted to see the same thing in her eyes that he seen in every other woman’s eyes. Drew was a challenge to his pride and ego and he couldn’t resist. He asked the redhead if she wanted to dance and he made sure that he held her close. Lars also made sure that they were in sight of Drew, but he tried not to look her way.

  ***

  Maggie pushed her hand through his shoulder length hair and whispered something in is ear. Drew saw her stepbrother blanch and she could only imagine what she was saying to him. She had known that Maggie would make a move, but she did not expect him to take the bait so easily. Drew had seen him with another girl the day before and she thought that was his girlfriend. He wasn’t acting tied down though and she watched the two of them move closer together. There was a myriad of feelings that sprung up and every single one of them was out of place for who it was they were directed towards.

  She stalked off, not wanting to see the display anymore. Maggie was in rare form and she partially blamed the shots that had started their reunion. Now she was regretting them and rethinking her vodka phrase. It did not make anything better. Deciding that maybe it was her that needed to imbibe it to dull her frantic nerves, Drew ordered another drink and drank it at the bar.

  “Can you believe her?”

  Drew patted the stool and ordered one for Court. “Yes.”

  “Do you want to just get out of here and go down to the beach?”

  Drew took her drink and passed it to her. “One of us has to drive Drew and it doesn’t look like it is going to be you.”

  “We have drivers, come on.”

  Court drank hers down and moved with Drew. She looked around like she had to sneak, hoping that her mother didn’t catch her skipping out. Drew didn’t see her and she figured she was giving eyes to Charles anyways and wouldn’t even notice her gone.

  Drew found one of the drivers that she had talked to several times and got him to drop them off at one of their favorite beaches. Drew grabbed the champagne that was always in the back and told Jeffrey that she would call him in a while to bring them home. Court giggled as he was leaving. “Girl, this is so awesome. Why are you so down?”

  They walked down the small dune and to the roaring ocean below. Drew was the first to strip the dress off of her and she dove in with her just her panties on, as the sleeveless dress did not allow for her to wear a bra. Court was not far behind her and they swam out to a large buoy.

  Drew pulled herself up on the floating plastic and held on while Court got up on the boy next to her. It took a moment for them to balance out and Drew looked up at the moon. It was so much bigger when she was out there. The two and then three of them had spent countless nights out there with contraband far before they were able to drink.

  Court popped the bottles top and handed her the bottle. “How the hell do you do that?”

  The blonde laughed. “I just stick it in the front. Remember trying to swim out here with that 12-pack?”

  Drew took a few gulps and then handed it back to her friend. After Court had a few pulls, she handed it back and the two women drank the bottle halfway down before either said anything. “So what is going on with you Drew?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’ve been acting strange. I have known you since 2nd grade. I know when something is bothering you.”

  She didn’t say anything. In reality, Drew didn’t want to vocalize how she felt. She was still trying to process it all. Finally she realized that she had to talk to someone and there was no one else that she would ever be able to say that to. “It’s Lars.”

  “What about him?” Court handed her the bottle and Drew took a few drinks before she responded.

  “He just has this look when he looks at me. Like you know, a look that shouldn’t be given to his sister.” Drew failed to mention the way the looks made her feel and how guilty she felt for like the attention. The way her pussy got wet around him, her nipples hard at the very idea of it all, was also forgotten.

  “Well it is not like you are his real sister and besides he isn’t even your stepbrother until tomorrow.”

  “I know but still. It is weird right?”

  “Sure it is, but he is cute. I say go for it.’

  “Court! What is wrong with you? You are starting to sound like Maggie I swear.

  “Seriously. He is hot and you should give it a chance.”

  Drew giggled, almost spilling how she really felt about him to her friend. She caught herself though and tried to play it off. “Now I know your ass is drunk. You have lost your mind Court.”

  Court giggled with her and drank the last of the champagne. She set it down beside her and the two talked about the two men that were driving them crazy. Drew confessed that she did find him attractive and Court almost had her convinced that she should just do it. Drew tried to convince Court to just go home to Jesse’s house. “You know you are going to go back to him anyways. Might as well have a good night and go fuck your brains out.”

  She agreed, laughing and horny from the liquor. She had always been that way and it made Drew laugh the way she was constantly talking about sex when she was drinking. Court turned into Maggie when she had had a few too many.

  It took them longer to get back than it did to get there and both girls were tired when they got back to their clothes down the beach a ways where they came up. Drew made a call and she was surprised how quickly Jeffreys was back. “You weren’t waiting for us, were you?”

  Her cheeks started to turn pink and she wondered for a moment if he had seen them getting in and out of the water. His downcast eyes told her nothing, so she thanked him and got in the car. Court gave her the address to Jesse’s house and Drew knew that at least one of them was going to have a good night after all.

  The driver asked her if she wanted to go anywhere else, but Drew didn’t. Once he told her that everyone was pretty much gone from the pre-wedding reception, she asked him to take her home. It was late enough that she could bypass all the questions of where she had been from Christine and hopefully, not see the stepbrother that was dominating far too much of her time lately.

  Chapter Five: Dirty Tricks

  Christine may not have noticed that her daughter had taken off, but Lars knew almost immediately. He looked around for her and had to disentangle himself from the redhead. She was beautiful and obviously DTF, but it wasn’t what he wanted. Lars liked the thrill of the hunt and there was no pleasure in getting something that was offered up on a platter.

  When he finally did get away from Maggie, Lars was unable to find his sister. He went up to the house, checking the downstairs before going upstairs to go to her room. He knocked and waited for her to answer. When she didn’t, he pushed the door open and stepped in.

  The room was much different than when he had helped her move her things in not but a few days before. The bed was covered with a pink comforter with splashes of paint all over it. Canvases lined the wall and were stacked upright by the closet. They were everywhere and he was impressed with them. She had talent, that was impossible not to see and he caught himself flipping through them. As he got to the back, they seemed to be newer.

  Lars stopped on an oil portrait. It was of a man and he could have sworn that it looked like him. There was a familiarity in the eyes and for a second, he tried to think of what that meant. His hopes soared, but as the night wore on and he still couldn’t find her, he became more irritated than anything else. He went to the temporary guard stand in the front that regulated who could and couldn’t get in.

  “Hay Karl.”

  “Yes boss?”

  “Have you seen Christine’s daughter anywhere? Did she leave?”

  “Oh Drew? Her and one of her friends took off with Jeffreys.”

  “Do you know where they went?”

  He shook his head. “Do you want
me to call him and see where they are?”

  Lars nodded, knowing that he shouldn’t show that much interest in her whereabouts, but he couldn’t help it. It was what it was and he wanted to know right then. He waited for several minutes, the impatience showing in the way that he shifted from one foot to the other. His eyes kept checking his watch for the time, trying not to hurry it all along.

  “They will be here in a few minutes.”

  “Where did they go?”

  “He says that he took the two to a public beach approximately ten miles from here called Beechfort and then he dropped off the madam with her. I do not know her name, but now they are headed back here.”

  It was detailed, like the man and that was the main reason that he had just gotten a hefty promotion, as well as a new job title to add to the beginning of his name. “No that will be all. Thank you.”

  He walked back into the house. There were already people outside working to have the place cleaned up by morning. The service was beautiful, but just like then, he was not where he should be. His mind was away thinking of the one that he couldn’t have and it absolutely drove him crazy.

  Lars paced while he waited. He didn’t know why he felt so compelled to see her when she came in, to be down there waiting for her no less. He had to see her and for some reason or another, the plan that he had to tease her backfired and she now seemed even farther from him than before.

  He heard the gates open and the car doors outside that opened and closed. He knew that it was her and he braced himself. Lars was not used to feeling so out of control and he knew then, that he needed the upper hand. If not for no other reason than his sanity moving forward.