by Wanda Edmond
Kristina smoothed out her dress and she spied herself in the bathroom mirror. She was presentable still, but she saw her eyes. Kristina looked into her reflection and she saw the little girl she was staring back with haunted eyes.
Kristina thought back to the night she found out she was going to have child. She had been taken by her father’s work friend Titus. Her dad worked a lot of different jobs. A stint as a construction worker meant he spent long hours away. When he and Ian’s stepmom weren’t getting along, her dad let some of his friends come over to watch her while her dad went out who knew where.
The men were nice enough. Until Kristina started to fill out. Then a few of them like Titus, started to put on a “show” for Kristina. She remembered the smells of sweat and stale beer—she couldn’t let herself think about those times anymore!
Chapter 11
Ian had hurt Kristina. He knew he was a total jerk. He hadn’t planned to get it on with Amy, to make Kristina upset, or worse, jealous. He was a healthy red-blooded male. Every now and again he gave in to some temptation. Amy was not only tempting, she was—well, she was a friend. Ian tried to explain.
“A friend—really? You crash my job’s party. You tell me you slept with a girl you’ve known for ages. Then you back it all up with, you didn’t mean to, ‘I’m sorry’? How dumb do you really think I am?” Kristina couldn’t decide which of Ian’s crap made her more ticked.
The fact that Ian had changed into a whole other person from when she knew him? Or the inescapable fact that she had been crushing on her own flesh and blood? Damn, the man!
“Kristina, listen.”
“You can take your ‘I’m sorry’ and you can stick it where—.”
Kristina and Ian turned to the door. Amy walked in, and she froze; she saw Ian with his ‘girlfriend’.
“Hi, I’m Amy. Ian has told me a lot about you.”
Amy did her best to keep the conversation light; instead she managed to make everything flame to a fever-pitch. “You know this is a great pre-release party. I even got a book signed.” Amy showed Kristina Bree Sumner’s signature. “Your author is a wonderful spirit.”
“Thank you,” Kristina said tightly. “You’ll be happy to hear, Ian and I aren’t a couple.”
“Ian and I are just good friends” Amy fumbled with the hardcover book she held. “Danged thing. The book jacket is so slick.” Amy darted her eyes from Kristina to Ian.
“Ian, it was great to see you,” Kristina said, as she passed him.
Kristina eased by Amy, and she realized she had just gotten a close enough view of Amy’s lovely black train.
“I hope you and your date enjoy the rest of the evening,” Kristina said, her heart in a knot. “The party is going to relocate to a ferry and then to have late night sweets. The midnight book signing will coincide with Bree Sumner’s new book which goes on sale one minute after the witching hour—.”
Kristina made a point to emphasize the phrase ‘witch’, when she looked from Ian to Amy.
Ian started after Kristina and Amy touched his arm. Ian turned to see Amy shake her head. Ian knew women had instincts about each other the way he could pick out the Alpha males from the average rogue.
Ian glanced at Kristina and Kristina flashed him and Amy a bright smile.
“Amy, it was nice to meet you. Maybe we’ll see each other again,” Kristina said.
Though she knew she’d make sure it never happened.
“Nice hair, by the way.”
Kristina closed the door to the bathroom, leaving Ian and Amy together.
Ian opened the door.
“Ian, whatever is going on between you and Kristina, but don’t go after her. You do and you’ll lose any chance of getting her back.”
When Ian held the door for Amy, Ian asked why.
“You men are all alike,” Amy said quietly.
“You know damn well I’m not like the rest,” Ian said.
“Did it occur to you that Kristina has deep feelings for you?” Amy said.
Ian closed the bathroom door. “What,” he asked softly.
Amy straightened Ian’s tie.
“You and I have known each other for a long time. We’ve never gotten into any arguments, and we find a way to keep things copacetic so we stay friends.” Amy added a slip knot in Ian’s necktie, and she patted his chest.
“What you and Kristina have runs much deeper, and from what I can tell, darker.”
Amy opened the door and she headed out to mingle with the small group of guests who hadn’t already left for the midnight book signing party.
“Call me,” Amy said over her shoulder.
Ian nodded.
Epilogue
Okay Kristina was pissed at him. Ian could deal with that, heck he had to…but the way she had reacted when she thought he was dating Amy… Kristina was hurt.
The cool face she had put on didn’t hide the fire in her eyes. Ian saw that same look when they were back in their parents’ home, before they separated.
Ian knew Amy, was right. The phone call he made was to Kristina’s phone.
“’When you hear the beep, leave a message for me—.’”
Ian had added a photo from the online news he’d found about Kristina when she had been in Miami. He had arranged his software development work to center around New York for the week.
Which would give him the time he would need to win back Kristina’s heart.
“’Hi, Kris. This is Ian. I know you are pissed at me, but let’s not be how we leave things. You’re right. A lot has happened since we were kids. One of them I found you to tell you about includes the way we feel about each other. Call me, Kris. I need you. You need me. The two of us will have what we’ve always wanted. Remember?’”
*****
Ian made a date with Amy to hold up his end of their sexual relationship. After the bargain Ian arranged for a limo as he rode through the bustle of New York City.
Ian closed his eyes and let his mind replay the night of wanton passion he and Kristina had almost shared. Ian felt the familiar stirring of heat in his groin.
“One day you’re going to remember what you promised yourself, Kris.
Ian knew when Kristina let her defenses down, they truly would be truly together, and they would share a night neither he nor Kristina could forget.
“Then the two of us will have what we’ve always wanted.”
Ian smiled as he rode to his late night date.
"I'll will have you, Kristina.” Ian said softly, looking out into the night. “Remember what we promised.”
*****
Kristina joined Bree Sumner on the ferry with a bigger crowd than the one that filled the elegant Four Seasons Warner penthouse.
“Wow, the pre-release party was wild,” Bree smiled. “Who would have thought my droll debutante life would take center stage,” Bree laughed.
Kristina grinned while she read her texts. Elise and Jasmine were uploading images from the night into PR newswires and all the industry online portals.
“By noon tomorrow, you Bree Sumner, are going to be toast of the writer world in New York.”
“You know, I haven’t told anyone, but I’ve been seeing somebody.”
Kristina’s brows raised. “Really?”
“Yes, and don’t tell anyone—we’re keeping everything quiet—but he’s a billionaire. Brandon, my ex-husband, would lose his cookies, if he knew, bless him. I never thought I would enjoy a sugar daddy.”
Kristina tried not to think about her stepbrother, billionaire Ian.
The numbers of pre-orders of Bree’s book had just crashed the popular online book site, PopReads. Kristina showed the texts to Bree.
“This is only the beginning,” Kristina promised.
Kristina read the text her phone had translated.
Kris.
The two of us will have what we’ve always wanted.
Remember?
Kristina did remember. She remembered the night of the storm.
The night she and Ian were so young and when they nearly made love. The day when she found out she had miscarried. Kristina remembered everything.
She remembered the words she said to Ian too; when he asked if she would give him her heart.
Kristina refused to cry. She shook her head and she went to be with the guests on the ferry on the way to the extravagant bistro cake party for the real book signing.
The night promised to be a smash.
Kristina thought about the words she told Ian. She erased his texts, wondering how he had gotten her new number, as she walked into the throng of cameras that flashed at the agency’s newest author phenomenon.
“Yes, Ian.” Kristina thought, remembering what she had said.
I promise.
<< THE END OF BOOK 2 >>
YES! I WANT TO RATE YOUR BOOK 2
…Synopsis (Book 3)…
Kristina Layne-Knight tries to forget her dangerous attraction to her billionaire bad boy stepbrother, and find new adventure with a handsome friend from her past.
Ian Knight will not be denied. He’s found his stepsister Kristina after years of being separated. Kristina struggles to erase her troubled history with Ian and she begins a romantic tryst with sexy ad man, Finn Matthews.
Ian learns about Kristina’s new lover Finn, as Finn faces his own secret past that Ian will use to make Kristina his. In the third episode of the scandalous five-part, bad boy stepbrother billionaire romance, “Knight Passion” book series, Affaire.
Prologue
She was his, dammit.
Ian entered the lobby of The Waldorf Towers from the private entrance. He stepped through a crowd from 50th street knocking guests aside, pushing his way to the counter.
“Excuse me.” Ian shoved himself between two middle-aged couples, and he nodded at the suite attaché.
A young woman beside Ian in too tight a dress and heavy makeup glanced him up and down. He smiled at her swiftly as he ignored another couple at the desk.
“Good evening. How may we help you, Sir?” The girl attaché smiled.
“Give me your Royal Suite.”
The tall, young attaché handed a card key to one married couple. The man tugged on his wife as she glared at Ian.
Ian smiled coldly, not really giving a flip. His jet had to taxi at the Pier and he’d gotten stuck in traffic at the airport when he’d arrived. He’d requested a limo be waiting for him and it wasn’t stocked with the Crystal he’d asked for specifically.
His taste for the finer things was his rapt indulgence. He expected it to be met at work, and at play and especially when he traveled. Seeing his stepsister’s eyes light up and then have her run away from him at the dinner party he’d crashed had been the only highpoint so far during his stay in New York.
The girl attaché at the desk saw his mood, as she hurriedly tapped keys on a computing tablet.
“Pardon me. We were here first—.” A Wall Street suit, standing beside Ian with a red-haired escort, tapped Ian’s shoulder. Ian could tell the woman worked Manhattan by the heavy eyeliner, and thick lipstick she wore. He turned to the bald man and knocked his hand back.
“Hey—I’m talking to you—.”
Ian grabbed the bald stock trader’s wrist, then he slammed his head on the counter surface. The guy’s face scrunched up as his cheek slopped with spittle.
Ian leant close to the trader and he whispered low. “I’m gonna make this easy for you. Get out of my face, or I’ll bust a cap in you and use your tart to set it off. Got it?”
Women hugged their faux furs and minks closed, while guests in the hotel gasped.
Ian reached into his front jacket pocket, whipped his silver-plated card case, and took out his AMEX.
“We have a residential suite near the elevator available.”
Ian slammed his Black Card on the slick counter. The slap of the plastic made everyone near turn and stare.
The girl flinched and Ian smiled feral. “The suite, now?”
The attaché drummed her frosted fingernails over the tablet, panicked.
“Get off my date!” The red-haired leopard mini wearing escort said.
The bald Wall Street suit tried to swing a fist and Ian blocked it with his elbow. He used his weight to bear down on the trader’s neck.
“You want me to break something?” Ian shouted, pressed harder on the trader.
The assistant hotel manager joined the attaché.
“Good evening, Mr. Knight. Welcome again to the Waldorf Towers.”
“The gentleman wants the Royal Suite.” The girl whispered.
The assistant manager pressed the girl aside. He tapped a code into the computer, and he took Ian’s card.
“Will you be staying your usual week, Sir?” The assistant shook his head when a security detail approached.
Two security staff backed off. The assistant hotel manager completed the accommodation transaction. He handed a card key to Ian.
“Thank you, Mr. Knight. The Royal Suite will be available for you in an hour.”
“Thanks, Jeffrey,” Ian said.
The Wall Street trader winced under Ian’s weight and Ian looked down. “We done?”
“All right, all right!” Ian let the trader up and he swung at him. Ian stepped to the side and the stocker trader hit his forehead on the reservation desk.
“Honey!” The escort knelt, her tight mini riding up over her bottom. Ian glimpsed her red neon ride up between her buns.
She was underdressed and too made up—Ian glanced at her red haired pussy poking out from her mini—he bet she’d do all right with the single men she “dated”.
“You big, jerk!” the red-haired babe screamed.
Ian straightened his tux and he flung a Ben Franklin on the ground. “Sorry if there’s any permanent damage,” he said while the stock trader wiped a red smudge from his teeth.
“I had a fight with the girl of my dreams.” Ian tossed another couple of hundred dollar bills, and he added his business card for his company, Knightware.
“There’s my card if you want to press charges.” Ian nodded at his card beside the Franklins.
The stock trader shook his head rubbed his chin. “Girl trouble? I’ve been there,” the trader said.
“No hard feelings?”
The trader shook his head. The redhead tried to wipe the blood off the stock trader’s face and he swatted her hand. Ian and the stock trader nodded at each other and Ian pocketed his silver card case as his left the lobby for Sir Harry’s.
Ian copped a bar seat, surprised Harry’s was empty. He nodded at an older man and woman gathering their coats, staring. He tipped his chin at them and the couple hurried from bar. He guessed his rep preceded him tonight, Ian smirked.
He’d had a row with a woman he’d longed to have for eight long years.
Ian met his stepsister Kristina at a book party pre-signing tonight. She had told him she didn’t want to be together. Ian had tried to respect her wishes—a little.
Then they’d run into each other, and Ian felt a familiar twinge in his gut that spread to his manhood. He couldn’t stop himself from drawing near to his sister any more than he could stop wanting her. He had to be near her.
He’d made a brief stay at The Four Seasons, until he’d run into his ex, Amy. After making it with her when he only had eyes for his stepsister, he’d finagled an invite from Amy into his sister’s book signing party pre-launch. He’d wanted to wipe away his stepsister’s pain the minute she’d discovered he’d made it with another girl; his heart skipped when he saw the heartache wash over his Krissy after she found out what he had done.
He’d found her hiding, and then he’d kissed her. She melted into his arms, like his wildest fantasy come to life. No, the two of them weren’t over.
No one could give her what she needed like he could.
His stepsister might not be ready to explore their relationship yet, but he always achieved what he set his mind to do. Ian was going to show Krissy how mu
ch she cared about him, even if it meant breaking her heart.
Because he knew Kristina had been seeing someone.
Chapter 1
Kristina stepped away from the crowd and she walked to the stern on the ferry.
Everyone looked so joyful and happy. She wished she could feel the same, but it wasn’t so easy a fete. She’d let her stepbrother try and convince her what she felt for him was real. She told herself it wasn’t.