My Stepbrother the Ultimate Collection (Five Complete Box Sets)

by Cindy Wilder

  When I hung up the phone, I stared out my office window at the city in front of me. Was it real, or would they find the mistake? I decided to wait on the receipt and save it in case they called me on it later. The money would sit in my account each month in case they came back and wanted the payments I had missed. There was no way my loan had been paid. I just had to wait for the bank to figure it out.

  Just as I was grabbing my purse and the shoes that were next to my desk, my phone vibrated. Oh shit, I thought. If I didn't check it, I could say that I left my phone on my desk. There was no way I could get away with that though. It could be Mr. Daniels, and he would know I was full-of-shit.

  I walked home and closed my door behind me. I threw my shoes into my closet, dropped my purse on my dresser, and clicked my phone to read the message.

  Jared: We're meeting for dinner. My driver will pick you up at your apartment at seven. Dress casual.

  I let out a sigh. There was no way I could be around him. He was everywhere I turned, and I needed a break.

  Me: I can't tonight. We can speak on the phone or meet in the morning.

  Jared: He'll be there at seven.

  Me: Why?

  Jared: For dinner, Tabitha.

  Me: I'm busy tonight. I have plans.

  Jared: Cancel them. We need to talk tonight.

  Me: I'll call you.

  Jared: Be ready at seven. Don't keep my driver in front of the building.

  I didn't answer him. Five minutes later, I heard my phone vibrate again.

  Jared: If you're not willing, I can ask Mr. Daniels to send someone else.

  It took all I had not to throw the phone at the wall. There was no way I could explain a second occurrence in that little bit of time.

  Me: I'll be ready, sir.

  That fucker thought he could just tell everyone what to do. There I was, just like everyone else, jumping when he called and kissing his ass. It was so hard for me to do that. I felt like I was going against my entire being. I wasn't controlled by anyone. I was my own person. It felt like I was selling out, but I knew it would only be a month or two more that I'd have to do it. As soon as I was done with him, I'd celebrate with my new car.

  Since I only had a few minutes before his driver would be there, I pulled on a pair of sweats and tank top. My hair was in a messy pile on top of my head. There wasn't a trace of makeup on my face. I slipped on my flip-flops, grabbed my bag and purse, slid my phone into my purse, and walked down to meet his driver. He said casual. It would be hilarious if I walked into a restaurant to meet him looking like that. I couldn't wait to see the look on his face. Hopefully he wouldn't rat me out to Mr. Daniels for it.

  The driver got out of the car and walked around to open my door. His eyes scanned down and up my body. I saw the smirk he was trying so hard to hide.

  “Good evening,” he said.

  “Hello,” I said, as I slid into the car.

  He got back into the car and pulled out onto the road.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “I'm taking you to meet Mr. Blackwell,” he answered.

  He pulled up in front of a very tall building and opened my door for me to get out. I looked up at the building from the sidewalk. It didn't look like there was a restaurant in the building anywhere.

  “Follow me,” he said.

  I walked through the front door when he held it open for me. He nodded to a man at a desk and continued walking. When we came to an elevator, the doors opened. He pressed the button for the top floor, entered a code, and looked over at me.

  “Mr. Blackwell will be waiting for you at the top,” he said. “Have a nice night.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “You have a great night as well.”

  “I'll be waiting for you no matter what time you leave,” he said. “Enjoy your dinner.”

  The ride up the elevator didn't take long. Was there a restaurant in the building, I wondered? It looked like an apartment building. He was sending me to the top floor. I was still trying to figure it out when I heard the ding and watched the doors in front of me part. The site before me took my breath away. My hand moved to cover the gasp that had escaped my mouth. I stepped out as my eyes moved to take in my surroundings. There was a beautiful chandelier hanging in the middle of the room. There was a table beneath it. The artwork that covered the walls was like nothing I had ever seen. Something told me the works were originals. The marble floor was spotless beneath my feet. I was sure it was just an entryway, but my entire apartment could have fit in that one space. A moment later, the hair on neck stood. He walked out from the doorway in front of me in a suit made just for him. His tie was hanging from his neck and the first three buttons on his dress shirt were open. He was by far the most beautiful, sexy man I had ever laid eyes on. I took a deep breath and looked down at my feet.

  “Mr. Blackwell,” I said.

  He shook his head and laughed.

  “Call me Jared,” he said. “You look comfortable. Let's go out to the balcony. Dinner is waiting for us there.”

  He motioned for me to walk ahead. I smelled his amazing scent as I passed by him. We walked into the living room, and I stopped quick causing him to bump into my back. A shiver ran through my body as soon as he touched me. I jumped and moved away. There were floor-to-ceiling windows lining the whole wall in front of me. He could see out over the entire city. He had a huge television, a fireplace, and furniture in the room. I did notice that there wasn't a single picture or anything personal anywhere.

  “Your home is absolutely beautiful,” I said in a whisper.

  He took my elbow to guide me out onto the balcony. The heat from his fingers shot straight to my core, and I pulled away. I couldn't do it. He couldn't touch me. When we stepped out on the balcony, I was blown away yet again. The sun was just getting ready to set and the lights of the city were beginning to sparkle. It was mesmerizing. He pulled out a chair and motioned for me to sit. I sat down quietly but kept my eyes on the world surrounding me. He really had made something out of his life. It brought tears to my eyes, but I did everything I could to fight them. He lifted the lids from the dishes in front of us. The food smelled amazing and looked just as good. There was a steak, baked potato loaded with my favorites cheese, bacon, butter, and sour cream, and the most delicious looking green beans. A basket of what smelled like fresh baked rolls sat next to my plate. I reached out and picked up one of the rolls. It was warm to the touch and tasted so good.

  He looked over at me and smiled. I wasn't letting his food go to waste. He was really something. I knew he was used to people bowing down to him. Did he think I was just going to sit there with that food in front of me? Maybe he didn't remember me. If he did, he'd have known that I would dig right in without a care in the world. I took a bite out of my steak and let out a moan as it melted in my mouth. I could honestly say I had never tasted a piece of steak like that before. He still hadn't taken a bite from his plate. Maybe he did just expect me to sit there. That wasn't who I was. It didn't matter who someone was or what they thought, I never let food waste. I looked up and saw him watching me.

  “Are you going to eat?” I asked.

  He nodded and a cut a piece from his steak.

  “I'm sure you have your own personal chef,” I said. “Where did you find them?”

  “I do,” he said. “They came from a very good cooking school.”

  “Must be nice,” I added. “How do you look like that with a cook that good?”

  He let out a small laugh before going right back to his rigged self.

  “Seeing as how you're just sitting there without saying much, why don't you tell me what you wanted to meet about? It could save us both some time. I really need to get home so I can get sleep for work. There's this huge project I'm working on and the client's kind of a pain.”

  He put his fork down and gave me a warning look. What the hell was that, I wondered?

  “I'll be back in a moment,” he said sternly. “Would you like some
thing to drink? What were you drinking at the club?”

  “Anything that would make me forget,” I said. “Soda would be good for now though.”

  I heard a low growl come from deep in his chest. It was taking all I had not to stand up and yell at him. I wanted to cry and tell him how much he hurt me, how much he was still hurting me. I knew it would be a mistake if I did, but I couldn't help the cocky comments every now and then. He was Jay. It just came naturally.

  When he returned, I had just finished eating my steak. His was still there. It was actually kind of fun messing with him. I don't think he was used to that type of behavior from women around him. Had nobody ever challenged the great Jared Blackwell? He set a soda down in front of me and a glass of something else in front of him. When I looked up at him, my eyes widened. He had on a pair of gym shorts that barely hung on to his waist and a white t-shirt. It wasn't just any t-shirt. The thing clung so tight to every muscle on the man. I could see the outline of each of them. I could even see the line of hair going into those shorts. He sat down and cleared his throat. I shook my head and plastered my fake smile on. It was something I was getting used to doing around him. He leaned back with his drink in his hand. I could tell he thought he was just that awesome. It was actually a little irritating. I leaned over and looked at his plate.

  “Are you going to eat that?” I asked.

  “My steak?” he asked, and I nodded. “Do you want it?”

  Seeing the look on his face made me want to laugh so hard. He was shocked at my question.

  “Yes,” I said. “If you're just going to waste it.”

  He motioned for me to have it. I reached my fork over to his plate, stabbed the piece of meat, and brought it back to mine. Before long, I had taken out his steak as well. Did I feel bad about eating his food? Hell no I didn't. He could just have his private chef make him another one.

  When I was finally finished eating, I stood up, walked to the edge of the balcony, and looked out over the city. It was so quiet, beautiful, and peaceful. I looked back to see him watching me.

  “It is so beautiful,” I said. “You must be very proud of what you have become. You honestly have it all. You have the money, the beautiful women on each arm, and a perfect home. I can't imagine how good it must feel.”

  “It really is a beautiful view,” he said as if that was the only thing I'd said.

  His eyes stayed connected with mine, and I felt like I was going to melt into a puddle on the ground. I loved the way his eyes looked, I always had. When I turned away from his stare, I felt like I couldn't breathe. Stop it, I thought. There was no way I was showing emotion in front of him. I needed to get out of there as soon as I could. I wasn't sure I could do it anymore. My heart was breaking piece by piece. Without turning back to face him, I looked out over the city.

  “Why I am here?” I asked.

  “This is my home office,” he answered.

  “Really?” I asked.

  “The office is inside of course,” he answered.

  “We should get to work then,” I said.

  I turned around and tried to avoid looking at his eyes. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at me.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “How did you know?”

  “How did I know what?” he asked.

  “How did you know it was my birthday, Mr. Blackwell?”

  He stood up and took a step closer. Was he going to say it? Was he going to tell me that he remembered me?

  “Will you please stop calling me that. I make it my business to know everything about the people I give my company's information to, Tabitha,” he said with a cocky grin and sarcastic laugh, as if I were stupid or something.

  It wasn't worth it. Nothing was worth what I was going through. I didn't want to work on his project anymore. I was done.

  “I can't do this,” I said, and I put my hands in the air. “I'm sorry. I've jumped through all of your hoops so far. I know you could make or break my career. I get that you could crush me in a second. You're a cocky asshole. Do you know that? You have so much money. Maybe you forgot where you came from. I know people bow down to the precious Mr. Blackwell and kiss his ass, but I'm not one of those people. I won't be one of them. I'll let Mr. Daniels know that he needs to put someone else on your project.”

  “You're serious?” he asked.

  “I am,” I said. “I'll give him all of my notes and work with whoever he chooses until they're comfortable. I would never do anything to jeopardize your project. It's not about that. I just can't continue to work with you. You'd never understand, and I'm fine with that. I'm sorry, sir.”

  When I moved to walk passed him, he reached out for my arm. That damn feeling shot through me again, and I jerked away from him. The tears I was working so hard to fight back were starting to slip from my eyes.

  “Not even a Corvette is worth it,” I mumbled, as I quickly grabbed my stuff and took off for his door.

  “Tabitha,” he growled.

  I didn't stop. I couldn't. I needed to get away from him. He reached out again, but I moved. I pushed the button on the elevator but nothing was happening. I pushed it again and again as the tears moved faster down my cheeks.

  “Tabby,” he growled out.

  My body froze, but I didn't turn around.

  “What?” I whispered.

  “Please don't walk out that door,” he said softly.

  I slowly turned around to see so much sadness in his eyes.

  “You remember me?” I asked in that same whisper.

  “I could never forget you,” he said, as he stepped closer to me.

  He reached forward to wipe my tears with his hands, but I stepped back. When he took another step forward, my back was against the elevator door.

  “In the restaurant, that first meeting, did you know?” I asked.

  “I knew the second I laid eyes on you,” he said. “That fucker's lucky I didn't break his hand when he touched you.”

  “You really remembered me?” I asked again.

  “Yes, baby,” he said a second before slamming me against the door and covering my mouth with his.

  It wasn't loving and soft like I always pictured his kiss to be. His lips were commanding just like his attitude. When he grabbed my bottom lip between his teeth and pulled to open my mouth to him, I moaned into the air surrounding us. His tongue pushed into my mouth and found mine. My hands went to his hair and my fingers felt the softness surrounding them. I held tight afraid to let go, as he owned my mouth. His lips were warm and so damn amazing against mine. He drove his fingers into the mess of hair on top of my head, wrapped it around his hand, and pulled back. With my neck open, he bit and sucked slowly.

  “Fuck, Jay,” I whimpered.

  When he pulled back, I was afraid he was going to let me go. My body needed him. I wanted him so badly. Just for one night, I thought. He was all I had been thinking about for years. I just needed one night with him. When he grabbed the hem of my shirt and ripped it over my head, I gasped. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. The sound of the fabric tearing sounded like it was booming through the air. He undid my bra, slid it from my shoulders, and let it drop at my feet.

  “Fucking beautiful, Tabby,” he groaned.

  I laughed and he pulled back to look at me.

  “I'm in sweats and have no makeup on. I'm far from beautiful. I'm nothing compared too.”

  He moved forward and took my nipple between his teeth with a tug, and I yelped. When his tongue moved around it, I found myself clenching my thighs together. He laughed against my breast before rolling my other nipple through his fingers. My back arched, and my head fell back. His hair slid between my fingers. It was so soft and perfect.

  “I love the hair,” I whispered. “It looks so great and feels just like I remember. I've missed it so much.”

  “You've missed my hair?” he asked.

  I could feel his smile against my skin.

  “I've missed everything
about you, Jay,” I said. “You have no idea.”

  He let out a groan and moved back up my body. His mouth was on mine hard. I knew my lips would be bruised when he was done. It was like he was claiming my mouth as his. I couldn't explain it. His hands moved so fast. Before I knew it, my sweats were down, and I was stepping out of them. His shorts were gone and I felt his rock-hard erection against my belly. When his hand grabbed my mound through my panties, I heard a growl vibrate from deep in his chest. He lifted my leg around his waist. His hand moved through the side of my panties and rubbed my already dripping pussy. He became harder against me. With his mouth on me, I couldn't look down. I wanted to so badly, but I wasn't going to break the connection between us.

  I heard the rip of my panties and felt the cool air against my skin. He grabbed my other leg and lifted me from the ground. I wrapped them both around him as he held my ass in his hands.

  “I have to have you now,” he said.

  I nodded at the same time that I felt him at my entrance. Slowly, he lowered me over him. I winced when he entered me and he stopped. Once I felt comfortably stretched to the limit, I nodded for him to move. He lowered me until I was being filled completely. His forehead leaned against mine and he stilled for a moment.

  “Fucking perfect, Tabby,” he said. “You were made for me.”

  It was then that something happened between us. Every memory came flooding back, and I needed him to mark me. I needed him to take me as his. I knew I wasn't his. I wasn't stupid. It was just something I needed in that moment. I wanted him to give me everything he could. I didn't want any holding back.

  “Jay,” I whispered.

  “Yes,” he answered.

  “I need you right now,” I said. “I need all of you. Give me everything I've been missing.”

  He lifted his forehead from mine and looked into my eyes. We were so connected in that moment. It was like nothing and nobody else existed. When he lifted me and dropped me down on him, I cried out his name. His fingers dug into my hips, and he thrust up into me hard and deep. My head went back, and my eyes closed. All I wanted to do was feel him inside of me. I wanted to memorize every movement. My hands went to his shoulders and lifted. His body had me pressed so hard against the door. He pumped into me harder and deeper than I thought he could. I cried out over and over. His sweat was soaking through his t-shirt. We were a tangled mess as he fucked me fast. I could feel his fingers digging into my skin, but I didn't care. He needed to be closer. I wanted him closer.