I did my best to cover up my sarcasm and I think it worked, because my mom smiled wide and then turned back around.
“Yes,” she said. “A regular old family...”
Chapter 4
This dress is amazing, but holy shit it’s too hot out here to be wearing such a dark color...
I shifted in my seat, trying to turn in such a way that the afternoon sun was out of my eyes. The wedding was about to begin and I had front row seats. I was excited, yet nervous. I had never been to a wedding before and I never thought that my first one would be my mother’s.
I glanced around behind me, watching as everybody filed in and found a seat. I didn’t really know anybody there. Most of the attendees were relatives of William, except for a handful of my mother’s friends. We had a small family, which became even smaller after the divorce.
This is crazy...my mother is getting married today. I hope I don’t cry.
I turned back around in my seat, facing the flowery gazebo in which my mother and William were about to become married. I had always imagined weddings happening inside of a church, but I really liked the setting they had picked out. It was a beautiful park on the outskirts of town. You could hear the small creek nearby and birds chirping playfully in the trees. It was pretty serene, almost like something from a dream. It was beautiful and I felt like I could have sat there for hours just taking it all in.
“Is this seat taken?” I heard a man’s voice ask.
It shook me from my daydreaming and I jumped a little out of surprise. I turned to look, but the sun hit me right in the eyes.
“Uh, no,” I said. “I don’t think anybody is sitting there yet.”
The man stepped in front of me, temporarily blocking the sun. I brought my gaze up his body, which was adorned in a tailored black suit.
“Sorry if I surprised you there,” he said, looking down at me.
I looked up to his face and immediately felt my lips part slightly from shock.
“Oh, no problem,” I said. “But yeah, I think that seat is open.”
Holy shit. He’s gorgeous.
I had no idea who this man was. I had only laid eyes on him for a brief moment, but the image of his handsome face was burned into my mind. He had black hair that was combed to the side, complimented by a thick but perfectly trimmed beard. His smile was wide and contagious and the tone of his voice deep and sexy. But none of these things mesmerized me the way that his baby blue eyes did. They were gorgeous and so bright that they were almost fluorescent.
He’s perfect. I thought to myself.
The man sat down in the chair to my right and I glanced over at him. He looked back in an instant and smiled.
“I’m Steven,” he said, holding out his hand.
Out of habit, I glanced down, checking to see if he had a ring on his ring finger. I didn’t have any intentions at that point, but I figured it would be good to know if he was married or not. Luckily, though, there was no ring.
“I’m Kelsey,” I responded, shaking his hand.
Steven nodded slowly and looked me over. I immediately got lost in his eyes, hypnotized by the exotic color.
“You’re very pretty. I really like that dress,” Steven replied.
I cocked my head to the side and smiled coyly.
“Thank you. The groom bought it for me,” I explained. “Speaking of which, who are you here with? Do you know the bride, also known as my mom, or do you know William?”
Steven smiled and chuckled quietly, shaking his head.
“Of course,” he said. “Of course. This is the way things always work out, isn’t it? I meet the most beautiful girl and I’m lucky enough to get to sit next to her. Then I find out that she’s the daughter of the woman that’s marrying my dad.”
Steven then turned to face the front.
“Just figures,” he said, under his breath.
My jaw hit the floor and I placed my hand on Steven’s forearm.
“Wait,” I said. “You’re...William’s son?”
Steven looked back at me and nodded slowly.
“The one and only,” he responded. “And you’re the new bride’s daughter. Which technically means that in about five minutes you’ll be my sister.”
I stared at Steven for a moment, trying to take it all in.
This gorgeous man who I felt an immediate attraction to is about to become my brother? Could this get any weirder?
“Wow,” I said. “Well, I don’t really know what to say. Welcome to the family?”
Steven laughed and then nonchalantly placed his hand on my knee.
“You’re funny, Kelsey,” he said. “I think we’re going to get along just fine.”
He kept his hand on me knee for a few seconds longer than I had expected he would. When he pulled it away, I instantly missed his touch. It was so strange. I had just met this person but the attraction between us was so apparent. Even so, though, I had to stop myself. I couldn’t let my emotions get in the way of my logic. This man was about to be my stepbrother. Obviously there was no way that anything could ever work out between us.
So I took a deep breath and tried to accept that fact. Then without saying another word, I faced forward once again. It was almost time to watch my mother get married.
Chapter 5
The wedding ceremony was beautiful. I had never seen my mother so happy. A month after the wedding, William moved into our home. I still remember the day.
I was up in my room, getting ready for my first day at a new job. I listened as the moving truck pulled up.
“Kelsey,” my mom called out. “Can you come help unload the truck?”
I shook my head and laughed to myself.
I’ve got to get my own place...
Living at home, I still felt like a little kid. As soon as I saved up some money, though, I had plans to get out of there.
I finished slipping on my skirt suit for work and then walked downstairs.
“Mom,” I said, as I stepped into the kitchen. “I can’t help William move in. I’ve got work today. It’s my first day at the accounting firm, remember?”
My mom’s eyes widened and she nodded slowly.
“Oh yeah, I completely forgot,” she said. “I’m sorry, honey. Well, Steven should be here soon, so he can help.”
Oh...Steven...
I hadn’t seen him since the wedding, but that didn’t mean that I hadn’t thought about him. I could still hear his deep, sexual voice as the image of him flashed into my mind. It sent a pleasurable tingle through my body. I felt like I had a crush for the first time in years, despite constantly telling myself that I should put him out of my mind.
“Well, tell Steven “hi” for me,” I said, as I turned to head out the door.
My mom placed her hand on my shoulder and gently stopped me in my tracks.
“You can tell him yourself, honey,” she said. “Steven is moving in too.”
My jaw dropped immediately.
“What?” I asked.
My mom nodded with her usual excited expression on her face.
“Isn’t that great?” she asked. “He’s only going to be here for a couple of months, though. His lease was up on his apartment and he’s looking to buy a house soon. He asked if he could live here in the mean time.”
Oh no...talk about temptation...
How was I supposed to control myself around a man with whom I knew I had a carnal attraction towards? I wasn’t sure that I would be able to.
But I cracked a smile anyway and responded, “That’s awesome, Mom. Which room is he taking?”
My mom smiled wide and then said, “We’re going to give him the guestroom, the one right next to yours.”
Butterflies immediately began to fly in my stomach. Was it fate that was bringing Steven and I together? If so, why was it happening in such a twisted manner? Why did he have to be the son of my stepdad?
“That sounds good, Mom,” I said, still in shock and trying to take it all in. “I’ll make sure
I come straight home after work to help everyone get unpacked.”
“Yes, please do,” my mom responded. “I’ll be making dinner too and I want you to be here.”
I turned and walked out the front door. Then I hopped in my car and began making my way toward my new job, still in shock as to how much can change in such a short amount of time.
Chapter 6
The first day at my job went well. I found myself counting down the hours, though, excited to get home. As soon as my shift was over, I said goodbye to all of my new co-workers and then went to the bathroom to make sure my make up and hair looked good. I found myself wanting to impress Steven.
“You’re going to have to get over this crush, Kelsey,” I whispered to myself, as I stood alone in front of the mirror in the bathroom of my office building. “It’s only going to lead to trouble...”
I brushed my blonde hair back over my shoulders and then touched up my mascara. Then I took a deep sigh, cocking my head to the side.
Life is very, very weird...I thought. It’s funny how things work out. It’s like whatever you really want, you aren’t allowed to have.
I stood there for a moment then turned to leave, making my way home. The entire drive, I had butterflies in my stomach. I felt nervous, like I was going on my first date or something. It was ridiculous. I was just going home to see my family. But all I could think about was when I had first met Steven on my mother’s wedding day. His beautiful blue eyes, the masculine stubble on his face, the way his deep voice sent a pleasurable tingle down my body and into my nether regions. I felt so wrong thinking about him like that but I couldn’t help it, despite how hard I tried.
When I pulled up to the house, I saw that the lights were on inside. The moving truck was gone, but there were two other cars there, one of which I didn’t recognize. I assumed that it was Steven’s.
I pulled up and parked behind it, then took a deep breath before hopping out of the car. Then I grabbed my purse and headed inside.
As soon as I stepped in the house, the smell of freshly baked lasagna entered my nostrils. A smile crossed my face immediately. My mom knew how to make me happy.
I heard voices coming from the kitchen as I kicked off my shoes and hung my purse up on the coat hangar near the front door.
“Sounds like Kelsey is home!” I heard my mom’s voice call out.
A burst of excitement shot through me as I walked toward the kitchen. I was about to see Steven for the second time. I walked up the tile steps that led away from the front door and then turned toward the smell of the lasagna. When I turned the corner, though, I only saw my mom and William sitting at the dining room table.
“Hey, baby!” my mom said. “How was your first day at the new job?”
I smiled and was about to respond, when I felt someone walk up behind me, placing their hands gently on my lower back.
“What’s up, sis?” a man’s voice whispered.
I recognized it immediately. The deep vibration of his voice caused my eyes to close slightly and my breathing to quicken.
“Hey...” I responded, still overwhelmed with a tingling sensation in my body. “How are you?”
Steven kept his hand on my lower back for a moment and then stepped to my side, looking down at me and smiling playfully.
“I’m good,” he responded. “Just getting settled in here.”
My mom waved both of us over to the table.
“Come on, guys,” she said. “Dinner is getting cold.”
Steven kept his eyes locked with mine for a moment. It was like he could see right through me with those beautiful blue irises. He knew. He could tell that he had a spell on me. I just knew it.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get some dinner. We’ve been waiting on you.”
Steven and I walked over to the dinner table and I took a seat next to my mom. Steven sat down next to his dad, directly across from me. He was wearing a light purple dress shirt. It was ironed to perfection and the top couple of buttons were open, allowing me to have a peak at his muscular chest.
“So, you didn’t answer me, Kelsey,” my mom said, nudging me gently with her elbow. “How was your first day?”
I broke my gaze from Steven’s body and then turned to face her.
“Oh, it was good,” I said. “I just spent the whole day in training. I think it’s going to work out, though. It seems like a great company.”
My mom smiled and patted her hand on my knee.
“That’s great, honey,” she said. “If it doesn’t end up working out, though, then maybe some day you can work for Steven’s company.”
I brought my gaze back to Steven, who was just about ready to take a bite of his lasagna. He smiled and slowly nodded his head.
“You never know,” he responded. “I’m kind of a hard ass of a boss, though. You’d probably learn to hate me.”
I chuckled at his response then shrugged my shoulders.
“Nah,” I said. “I’m pretty sure I could handle you. You probably aren’t as much of a hard ass as you think you are.”
Steven took a bite of food and then swallowed it down with a sip of red wine.
“I don’t know, Kelsey,” he said. “You sort of turn into a hard ass when you have to tell a hundred people what to do all day.”
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped.
“A hundred people?” I asked. “Wow...I had no idea that your company was so big.”
Steven nodded.
“Well, it’s gotten big over the past few months,” he responded. “What started out as a simple Internet business has become a multi-million dollar enterprise, practically over night. It’s great, but not everything in life is about money, you know?”
As I watched him speak, I immediately began to remember why I had felt so attracted to him from the beginning. He was charismatic in a way that was unlike anybody else I had ever met. He was so sure of himself, a calm kind of confidence. It was so attractive that I could hardly contain myself.
“Yeah, I suppose it’s not all about money,” I said. “That is, when you have enough of it anyway. When you don’t have enough, though, then suddenly it becomes more important. It’s like anything else in life.”
Steven stared at me for a moment, a look of shock in his eyes. It was as though he was surprised I had said something so profound.
“I guess I hadn’t thought about it like that,” he responded. “That’s a good point, Kelsey.”
His approval sent a smile across my face that I couldn’t control. I shifted in my seat and then reached forward, grabbing my glass of red wine and taking a sip.
Steven kept his eyes locked on me for a moment and then looked away. The rest of the dinner went like this. There were brief moments of conversation, followed by Steven and I looking at each other quietly. At first, it felt kind of awkward and I did everything I could to make sure that my mom or William didn’t notice. But it wasn’t long before I started to not care as much. Besides, there was no real harm in some simple conversation and eye contact between Steven and I. At least, that’s what I had to keep telling myself.
Chapter 7
After dinner, my mom and William went straight to bed. I knew exactly what was going on. They were freshly married and were in the “honeymoon stage.” This involved countless hours of sex, I knew. Luckily, though, I couldn’t hear it from my side of the house. And thank God, too. I don’t think I would have been able to stay there for very long if I had to listen to that all the time.
Steven and I sat at the table by ourselves after our parents went upstairs. We sipped on red wine and I felt myself starting to get a buzz. Each second that went by I found myself beginning to feel hornier and hornier.
“So, how old are you, Steven?” I asked, after setting down my empty wine glass. “I feel like I’ve gotten to know a lot about your business, but not really much about you.”
Steven sat back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head.
“Well, I’m probably quite a
bit older than you,” he responded, chuckling. “But if you want an exact number...”
I nodded my head.
“Of course I want an exact number,” I responded.
Steven looked at me for a moment and then said, “I turn thirty-four this August.”
My eyes widened and a look of shock crossed my face.
“No way,” I said. “You don’t look older than twenty-five. I don’t believe you.”
Steven shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, it’s true,” he said. “My dad is an old man, you know? He’s a lot older than your mom. You’ve got a couple of old guys hanging out in your house.”
I began laughing at his comment, but was still shocked that he was thirty-four. He looked so young, even with the trimmed stubble on his face. His demeanor was full of youth and vigor, something that I thought most people probably lost by the age of thirty. I guess that I was wrong, though.
“Yeah, well, I guess you’re only as old as you feel, right?” I said.
Steven nodded and then leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table.
“I want to show you something,” he said, instantly changing the subject. “Come on. Let’s go upstairs.”
He then stood up from his chair, turning to walk out of the kitchen. I followed his lead, feeling a bit excited.
“What do you want to show me?” I asked, as we made our way toward the bottom of the stairs.
Steven continued walking as he responded.
“I have something I want to give you,” he said.
An excited smile crossed my face as we walked upstairs towards our bedrooms.
“Can I least change out of these work clothes, first?” I asked.
Steven chuckled and nodded his head.
“Of course,” he said. “Just meet me in my room.”
Once at the top of the stairs, Steven disappeared into his room and I stepped into mine, closing the door behind me. I quickly removed my skirt suit, setting it on the chair next to my desk so that I could get it dry cleaned before I wore it again. Then I undid my bra, tossing it into the dirty laundry. After that, I skipped over to my dresser, finding a pair of comfy sweat pants to wear. I slipped them on and then pulled a simple t-shirt over my head. It felt so good to get out of those stiff work clothes and back into pajamas.
Steven: A Billionaire Stepbrother Romance Novel Page 2
