by Mallory Fox
I grip the basin. His warm, sweet breath is on my core before he plunges his tongue into me, making me gasp as pleasure floods my body. I’m struggling not to make any noise as he takes me to the edge over and over. Then he pulls back, leaving me cold and shivering, and straightens himself. He leans in to kiss me, and I taste myself on his lips. Why do I want him so badly?
I watch him fluff his hair in the mirror. He looks like he just got out of bed. Inside, I’m hot all over and still aching…
That wasn’t enough. I need more.
“Why did you do that?”
He smirks, eyes twinkling like fucking stars. “I wanted dessert.”
And then he’s gone again.
I take my time freshening up before coming out of the bathroom. I’m still shaking all over, but I manage to get back to my seat without tripping over my heels.
Seth is already at the table, calmly eating his actual dessert while my parents lap up his bullshit.
My phone buzzes so I open it in my lap. It’s another message from Seth.
Sign the contract tonight and I’ll finish what I started...
A sinking feeling invades my stomach and I glance at Seth but he’s too busy chatting to Nicole like he didn’t just drop a bomb in my lap.
I can’t sign. I just can’t.
Seth’s lawyers must have gone through my proposal over the weekend, like he said they would. However, as much as I want him, I’m less and less sure that sleeping with Seth is the right thing to do. I mean, how do I explain how I got a seat on the board of his company, one that is poised for a hostile takeover of Darlington any day now?
He’s also my stepbrother. If it gets out that I slept with him on the weekend of our parents’ wedding, how is it going to look?
In the space of three days, Seth and my father seem to have become really close and everyone is acting like we’re one big happy family. The worst part of this weekend has been Nicole pulling me aside and telling me how much she always wanted a daughter, and how happy it made her for Seth to have a sister.
I drop my spoon, totally done with dessert. There’s a sour taste in mouth and my chest feels undeniably heavy. I need to lie down.
I excuse myself for a second time with the promise of a migraine coming, garnering looks from all at the table including Seth, and bolt to my cabin.
It’s only when I’m curled up on my bed with a book trying to read, does my phone buzz again and my heart do a little flip.
Fuck waiting. Tonight, princess, you’re all mine.
I mean, who can read romance with messages like that in real life?
Stepasshole.
I say the word in my head while watching the movers—who are squashing double the amount of furniture into our Kensington five bed apartment—move their van out of the way so Seth can park his car on the driveway. He finishes parking and steps out of his car.
And he’s still so bloody gorgeous.
The sight of him makes my breath catch.
As he takes off his dark shades and slips them into the pocket of his winter coat, he tilts his head up. I flip him the finger, just in case he can see me, and move away from view.
I’ll admit, he confuses the hell out of me. That last night on the yacht, he didn’t even turn up. I waited until two am fully dressed and he didn’t show, and even now I’m still getting tarted up for him. I’m wearing a leather skirt, a scoop top, and knee-high boots with the laces done up all the way. I’ve even reapplied my make-up and curled my hair all because Seth is coming home.
I’m a glutton for punishment, obviously.
Inside, is warm and bustling for once as Nicole and Portia takeover the kitchen. There’s a smell of cooking, and the whole place is filled with boxes full of art canvases and soft furnishings. Even across the stark minimalist counters are as many plants as I have shoes in my walk-in wardrobe. It’s messy and heaving, but Nicole’s touches seem to have a bizarre effect. This place almost feels like a home.
Home… where we’ve both come to stay for half term.
Although Seth needn’t have bothered. I’m furious with him. He’s three days late; make that four, it’s already close to supper time here. I know Seth went to see his grandfather because Nicole hasn’t stopped fussing about it, but I feel like I’ve been waiting for him all day. And now he’s here, I don’t even want to see him.
“Seth has arrived,” I say to Nicole as I enter the kitchen.
She doesn’t look up but continues to stir whatever it is she and Portia are making. “Oh good, just in time for dinner. Will you tell the boys it will be ready in half an hour?”
Nicole has this strange idea that we do everything ourselves. I’m about to ask her why can’t Portia go when I realize there’s no point. Nicole won’t understand why I don’t actually want to see her son.
I leave the kitchen and walk down the hall. Male voices murmur from behind the door of my father’s study. I stop and hover just outside, trying to listen intently. Seth is inside talking to my father, but through the closed door everything is muffled.
I retreat to my bedroom on the second level at the top of the stairwell. It’s not my choice to be taking one of the smaller guest rooms but because I’m the youngest I don’t get to decide where I sleep these days. I’ve somehow gone from being an only child to being the youngest, less important one in a matter of a week.
How the hell did that happen?
And why we’re all piling into my dad’s work apartment, I’ve no idea. We have a thirty-five-room mansion just outside of London. Nicole’s choice, probably.
The bonus of this bedroom though is that it’s directly above my father’s study. I open the window and sure enough, I can hear my father speaking below.
“… would appreciate your thoughts on the matter.”
“I’d be honored, sir,” Seth says, his baritone voice as smooth as honey.
“No rush. Take a look at it over the break. Nicole also tells me you’re planning on going to Harvard?”
Harvard? Seth is planning to leave England? I didn’t know that.
“That’s always been the plan, sir.”
“Good choice of college, although I’m a Cambridge man myself. I can put in a good word for you if you’d like to stay closer to home. The business could do with someone like you behind the helm…”
Seth clears his throat. “About that, sir, I’ve been thinking of ways I can contribute to the business and I have a few ideas that might be of interest.”
“I’d love to have your input. Dinner next week? Just us boys?”
Okay. I’ve heard enough.
Dad has never said that to me. Never. Granted, I’m not boy but we’ve had dinner alone together twice I think in my entire life and not once has he asked me for my input.
And Seth… he is a stepasshole.
After making such a big fuss about the contract during the wedding weekend, it’s like he’s cooled right off me. Even at Ravenwood, Seth has barely touched or said a word to me for weeks. I’ve no idea what he’s playing at, but the whole thing is driving me crazy. I keep waiting for him to make his move, and I keep being disappointed when nothing happens.
And now he’s buttering up my dad for a position at my company.
My company.
I grit my teeth, move away from the open window and wait until the voices stop. When I’m sure Nicole is in the kitchen and Seth is elsewhere, I venture downstairs.
My father’s study door is closed when I get there. My hands have decided to become hot and clammy, so I wait a few seconds, opening and closing my palms before knocking and going inside. Father is at his desk when I enter. When he doesn’t look up from what he’s doing, I step closer, my body tensing all over as he lifts his head and finally sees it’s me.
“Dad, can I speak to you for a minute?”
My father’s eyes narrow, mouth setting in a hard line. “Pearl, not now. I’m busy.”
Now is probably not the right time to ask him about La Roche, but afte
r what I’ve just heard, I need him to know I’m serious about taking over the business.
Ignoring the lump in my throat, I take the plunge. “You know I’ve been taking advanced business classes at school. Well, I want to take the entrance exam for La Roche.”
He stops what he’s doing and pulls down his reading glasses. “Pearl, you know La Roche is not an option for you.”
I almost flinch at his words. “Father, please… I want to go there. I need to if I’m to run Darlington one day.”
He puts his glasses back on and goes back to reading “Pearl, I’m not discussing this with you now. Go and help Nicole with dinner. I’m sure she’d appreciate it.”
I stand there for a few seconds until he looks up and makes a shooing motion. “Close the door on your way out.”
I do as he asks, but not without slamming it. He’ll be pissed at me, but I don’t care. How dare he just dismiss me like that. I really and truly fucking hate my father.
In the hallway, Nicole and the housekeeper are staring at me from the kitchen.
“Pearl, did you manage to find Seth?” Nicole asks.
I release a long, drawn out sigh. “No, I didn’t manage to find Seth.”
Nicole’s face softens. “Are you alright, dear?”
“I’m fine, just fine,” I say, shaking my head, turning on my heels to head to my room. If I stay and talk nice with Nicole, I’ll say or do something I’ll regret. Upstairs, I kick my own door shut and manage to shake the door frame.
It gives me some satisfaction to see nothing in my room has changed. It’s still a sterile guest suite with cool color-coordinated walls and matching bedspread. I used to hate it but now it’s oddly comforting.
I’m just crawling under the duvet fully dressed when there’s a knock at my door.
“Pearl? Are you okay in there?” It’s Nicole. She’s actually really nice, which makes all this so much worse. She has no idea what her son and I get up to.
“Piss off,” I say under my breath.
“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you through the door? What did you say?”
“No thank you,” I say louder.
“Okay, well, let me know if you need anything before dinner.”
I don’t reply.
After a pause, I hear her move away and I’m back to being alone again. It doesn’t last long. With my head under covers, I hear the door open and close. I know it’s Seth. He’s the only one who doesn’t knock.
“And you can piss off too.”
He ignores me and comes closer to the bed. The front of the bed dips and the end of the duvet lifts and he climbs in and under the covers until he’s lying next to me.
“Why the fuck are you here?’ I snap.
“Why the fuck are you being a spoilt brat?” he retorts.
“I hate you.”
“Charming.”
“Do you know why I hate you?”
“I can hazard a guess.”
I turn to him under the covers and catch the side of his mouth twitching with amusement. Traces of his cologne, mixed with the undeniable scent of him, draw me closer. I want to drop all pretenses and just drown myself in his kiss. Memories surface of when we kissed in the car and on the yacht… the taste of him, the feel of his lips bruising mine. It all comes crashing down on me in that small space we occupy together under the covers that I can hardly breathe.
We haven’t kissed since then. I’ve no idea if he’s going to continue hounding me now that we’re back at home but the fact that he’s here…
In my bed…
“I can’t do this,” I say finally.
“Do what? We’re just lying here, princess.”
“Exactly. This…what is this? What are we? This family thing is bullshit. It’s like we’re expected to just slip into our set roles and forget about hating each other. Father clearly adores you now, which is fucked up. And the contract you wanted me to sign, it’s like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. Maybe you can forget that, but I just can’t.”
“Sounds like you’re having second thoughts.” His voice is soft, sultry… dangerous,
“No, but if they find out—”
“They won’t find out.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, wanting the pain in my chest to just fuck off and disappear. “I can’t do it.”
He turns to me under the covers, beautiful blue eyes slicing through every part of my being. “Then let’s just stop.”
I blink at him. “What?”
“You don’t want to anymore, I get it. Let’s just forget any of this ever happened. I won’t touch you again and you and I can be siblings for real. I’ll still have your back, Pearl. Whatever happens.”
There’s a suffocating pause. He shifts and sits up.
An ache rips through my chest. I’m losing him.
“No, that’s not what I want.” And it’s the truth. I want him. I want Seth… even if it kills me.
He’s silent next to me for the longest time, and then…
He rolls over and pins me down under covers, gazing at me with such a deep, brooding look on his face that I can’t help but blush.
“What do you want? You want to just fuck? Is that it? Get it over with?”
“No…Yes…” Screw the contract.
“Which is it? Yes or no??” His breath is hot on my cheek, his hands teasing through my hair.
I want to…
Oh god, I really want to.
“Fuck, yes. It’s a yes.”
He launches on me dropping the duvet down around us, and I turn on him like a crazed animal. His mouth and hands are everywhere, under the short skirt I wore to tease him, yanking at my top, slipping under my bra…. everywhere.
“Don’t you fucking stop this time,” I growl at him.
“I’m not stopping…” He hauls my top over my head. “This isn’t stopping.”
He expertly reaches around and unclips my bra. “Is this what you want?”
This is what I want. This is all I’ve wanted since the first time he ran his fingers up and down my spine.
I gasp when he takes my breast in his mouth and teases my nipple with his tongue before moving to the other. Until they’re both standing to attention.
I reach up and haul off his v-neck grey t-shirt and run my hands up and over his solid form. There’s a beautiful tattoo wrapped halfway around his torso, one I’ve never seen on any of his modeling pictures. I trace my hands over it.
He’s fucking beautiful… and he’s mine.
My breath hitches as he knocks my legs apart and pushes me back down onto the bed. I grab tufts of his hair as he hovers over my lacy pants. It doesn’t take long for him to tear them aside and ram his tongue inside me, expertly lapping the aching spot between my thighs as he holds me down.
“Nicole is looking for you, by the way… should I tell her you’re between my legs?” I pant between moans.
He pulls back, grinning, and starts to unbutton his jeans all the while regarding me with a feral look.
“Tell her I’m helping you with French oral class.”
“Fuck French, I need you inside me now.”
“I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk straight.”
A shiver runs through me at his words.
This is wrong. This is bad. My dad and Nicole are literally downstairs. I can hear someone walking in the hallway outside my door. The movers are starting on the second floor. Any minute they could barge in here.
I don’t fucking care. I want Seth inside me.
I’ve waited long enough.
A knock at the door has us frozen in the place.
“Pearl?” It’s fucking Nicole again. “Your father would like to speak with you.”
“Dad?” Oh, now he wants to speak to me. “I’ll come down in a minute.” My heart is practically leaping out of my chest.
“Pearl, he needs you to come now. Shall I’ll come in…” The door thuds and I literally can’t breathe.
“No, no, I’
m not dressed!” Shit! “Nicole, don’t come in. I’ll come down, just give me a minute,” I say, sounding half strangled.
“Before or after I fuck you senseless?” Seth whispers in my ear. I bat him away, but he pulls me closer and wraps himself around me.
“Okay, well we’ll be in the study,” Nicole calls through the door.
Seth sucks and bites my breast making me squeal. Bastard.
I wait until I hear footsteps on the stairs before speaking again. Before breathing again. I was holding my breath; I’m surprised I haven’t passed out.
“Seth… let me go,” I pant. My knee hits his crotch as I wrestle loose from him and that makes him keel over. I stumble off the bed, struggling to get dressed.
“Fuck,” he hisses, clutching himself. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“Always,” I say as I fix myself in the mirror.
I give him one last look before I go, at him lying on my bed all mussed up with his jeans half undone and his t-shirt missing. He looks like sex incarnate. Like a GQ cover come to life before my very eyes.
I give him a half smile. “You know, you’re going to regret this moment for the rest of your life.”
He shakes his head, eyes as dark as a storm approaching. “Babe, I’m already regretting letting you go.”
He also looks majorly frustrated as I leave the room.
As probably do I.
Chapter 12
Pearl
Daddy is in his study when I enter, but so is Nicole. From the way she peels herself off him and walks over to the fireplace, I have a feeling they were doing something I don’t even want to think about.
I glance at my father who looks at me expectantly. “I thought you had a call?”
“It was cancelled, so I have a slot.”
A slot. That’s what I am. A slot in his bloody diary.
“Does she have to be here?”
Nicole has the grace to look apologetic but my father frowns. “Yes, she does. She’s part of this family now, so we decide things together.”