My Stepbrother's Rules: The Complete Series (Steamy Stepbrother Romance)

by Moore, Lila

  I suddenly felt very small. I was surrounded by predators eager to pounce. Alex would protect me. Wouldn’t he?

  His strong hands grabbed my hips. He pulled me towards him, straightening my back. I arched my back giving him a better view of my backside. Suddenly, his lips were on my lower back, kissing my sore flesh. Light and airy, his kisses were sweet.

  A shiver shot up my spine. My senses felt heightened as if they were on a hair trigger. For a moment, the world came into focus. The room, the audience, the party, all vanished. Alex and I were alone.

  “Do you want more, sweetheart?” he whispered.

  “Yes,” I said shakily.

  “Good girl.”

  He kissed me again then stood. I could hear his footsteps walk across the stage and away. I assumed he was going to fetch a new toy, but he didn’t return. The Dom I’d met earlier jumped onto the stage.

  Irritated, I craned my neck looking for Alex. He was nowhere in sight. What sort of game was he playing?

  In a booming voice, the Dom declared that the whore had been punished. There were groans from the crowd; they wanted more.

  “Thank you for attending. I’m sure you’ll find more sensational scenes of sinful delight throughout the mansion. Exit through the back. Be careful where you end up. There are some paths that once traveled can never be returned.”

  The curtain closed just as the Dom wrapped up his dramatic speech. I could hear the partygoers shuffling and talking amongst themselves.

  “Just when things were getting good…” one man said.

  The Dom came over and unlocked the hinges. I sat back on my feet. My back screamed with pain. Not just from the whipping either; having to hold one position for so long strained my muscles to the breaking point. My back stiffened; my legs shook with fatigue.

  The girl who’d dragged me backstage ran out holding a robe. She wrapped it around me. The Dom helped me to my feet. I started to speak, but he silenced me and motioned offstage. I sensed he wanted to wait until we were out of earshot of the partygoers. Once we were in the backroom, I turned on him.

  “Where did Alex go?”

  “Who? Oh, the man who rushed the stage?” he said with distaste. “Highly unorthodox. We encourage audience participation, but we like to know ahead of time. Problematic guests are easier to handle that way.”

  “Why did he stop?”

  “You’d have to ask him that,” he said with a grin.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  The Dom exchanged a look with the girl. They both smiled. I didn’t like the look they shared. It implied they knew something I didn’t.

  “He wants you to chase him,” the girl said.

  “What?”

  “It’s a cat and mouse game,” the Dom said. “You are his submissive. It’s your job to come to him.”

  “Don’t be so naïve,” the girl added. “I saw the way he was with you. He could barely control himself. Word of advice: be careful. When a client falls in love with you it can be a nightmare. They don’t understand it’s about money. The relationship becomes messy. On the other hand, if you fall in love with him, you won the lottery.”

  I had no idea what she was talking about. What did she know about my relationship with Alex? Love? No way was Alex in love with me. A guy as hot and rich as he was could have anyone he wanted. I pushed the thought out of my mind.

  “Which way did he go?” I asked.

  “He slipped out the far right corridor.”

  “You better hurry,” the girl said. “You leave a man like that alone for too long and someone will steal him.”

  I made for the door.

  “Wait!” she called with a laugh. “Your clothes.”

  She held out the remains of my dress. The straps were torn; the fabric wrinkled.

  “You can’t go out there like this,” the girl said, appraising my disheveled state. The robe I wore hung loose on me. I would stick out like a sore thumb at the party.

  “Here-take my dress.”

  The girl pulled her blue sequined dress over her head and tossed it to me. I stared at it dumbly. The girl was completely naked before me. She turned to the closet of BDSM clothes and picked out a latex dress.

  “I’m meeting several clients tonight. They won’t mind if I’m dressed like this. In fact, I think they’d prefer it,” she said.

  I looked around the room. There weren’t any private areas for dressing. The Dom had already seen me naked so it was more than a bit silly to feel shy now, but I couldn’t help it. This felt different. We weren’t in character. I wasn’t his submissive anymore.

  I turned my back on them and let the robe fall to my feet. I slid the dress over my head quickly and went to the mirror. It was tight in the bust and the hips, but I thought I looked okay.

  “You look stunning Olivia,” a voice said from behind me. I turned to find Ivy standing in the entrance to the room.

  “Thanks. I-”

  It suddenly hit me: she’d used my real name. She only knew me as Natasha. How had she discovered my true identity?

  “That was quite the show you put on out there,” she continued.

  “You were watching?”

  “I saw it all. I’m impressed. Don’t suppose I could talk you into leaving your job at the newspaper to come and work for me?”

  I felt as if my heart dropped into my stomach. How much did she know? How far would she go to protect her business? I took a step back. A sly smile spread across Ivy’s face.

  “You didn’t think I’d find out? I have quite a few resources at my disposal. You’re not the first person to come poking around looking for blackmail material.”

  “I’m not trying to blackmail anyone,” I said defensively.

  “No. You’re just looking for a story.” There was a catch to her voice as if she was talking to a child. “I liked your story by the way. Most journalists call us deviants and whores. They don’t get it, but you seem to understand intuitively.”

  She took a step towards me. I backed up against the wall.

  “And then there’s your brother…”

  “Stepbrother,” I corrected.

  “Stepbrother. What a strange little family you have.”

  “You have no idea.”

  Ivy laughed. “You know, I think you and I are going to get along very well.”

  She ran a finger around my jaw and down my neck. I flinched as her touch moved lower along the curve of my breasts.

  “Do your mommy and daddy know what you and your stepbrother are up to in my club? What about his business associates? How would they react if they knew he engages in such deviant behavior with his stepsister of all people? I’d hate to think what that would do to his business.”

  I could see where this was going. She was going to blackmail me.

  “I don’t have any money,” I said. “I live off my salary. They barely pay me a living wage.”

  Ivy pouted with mock sadness. “Poor little rich girl.”

  “I’m not trying to win your sympathy.”

  “Then what exactly are you doing?”

  “I know you’re protective over your business. I don’t want to destroy it-or you-or any of the girls you employ.”

  “How generous of you.”

  Ignoring her sarcasm, I continued on: “You can threaten me all you want, but I don’t have any money to pay you.”

  “No, but your stepbrother does. This is what’s going to happen: you’re going to bring me a hundred thousand dollars monthly or else I’m going to expose your stepbrother’s dirty little secrets to the world.”

  “Monthly? Alex doesn’t have that kind of money and-”

  Ivy laughed. “He’ll find it. He would never deny the love of his life whatever her heart desires.”

  It was my turn to laugh. “Alex doesn’t see me that way.”

  “No? Well, you better make him see you that way. If you don’t, I’m going to see that his life and your reputation are ruined. Kiss your future in journalism goodbye.
It goes without saying of course that you will not be writing more stories about the club or its clients. Understood?”

  My editor was too in love with the story. There was no way he’d just let it die. He’d put someone else on the case, someone with more experience. I cursed silently. Even if I was able to get Ivy her money, my career would still be ruined. I thought about calling her bluff, but what about Alex? I couldn’t let her destroy his life.

  “Don’t speak a word of this to your stepbrother. Come up with whatever excuse you have to, but get me my money.”

  Already she thought of it as her money.

  “Oh, and one more thing,” she said, “You’re working for me now-full time.”

  2

  Ivy left me in a daze. I braced myself against the wall. I wasn’t feeling steady on my feet. She expected me to make my stepbrother fall in love with me then shake him down for one hundred thousand dollars a month?

  Assuming I could convince him to give me that kind of money, could he even afford to? I had no idea what his financial situation was though Ivy seemed convinced he could handle it. And what was this business about me working at the club full time? It would mean spending time with men I didn’t know.

  I turned to the Dom from the play. He was watching me closely. I’d enjoyed my time with him; maybe working in the club wouldn’t be so bad?

  “You’re a spy?” he asked.

  I didn’t respond.

  “I thought you were… well, it doesn’t matter now.”

  “You were trying to expose us?” the girl said.

  I dropped my eyes to the floor. I knew if I tried to explain I’d only make things worse. They didn’t want to hear my side of things and I didn’t expect them to believe me when I told them I wasn’t trying to destroy them. I simply stood there and waited for them to attack.

  “You don’t have anything to say?”

  I bit my lip.

  “Somebody ought to teach you a lesson,” the girl said, taking a step towards me.

  The Dom pulled her back. “None of that,” he said. “Ivy’s going to teach her a hard lesson. You can guarantee it. She doesn’t need you piling on.”

  I ran out the door on the verge of tears. I didn’t blame them for hating me. I deserved it. My article had put a spotlight on their lifestyle. Because of me, they would be scrutinized and criticized by the community and people on the internet. I didn’t name anyone in my article, but anyone who attended the club could discover their identities and harass them.

  The room was empty now except for a man and woman I recognized from the club. They were on the stage examining the stocks.

  “On your knees,” the girl ordered.

  The man dropped down and placed his head and arms between the wooden blocks. She pulled out a riding crop from a holster she wore on her belt. Under different circumstances, my curiosity would have been piqued, but not now. I needed to clear my head.

  Without thinking I ran to the far right corridor. It was the same hallway Alex exited through. I didn’t want to talk to him right now though. The thought of seducing him for money made me nauseous, but what choice did I have? If I didn’t get the money, Ivy would ruin his life. I wanted nothing more than to avoid him, so naturally I ran straight into him.

  “I was just coming to look for you,” he said.

  When he saw my face, his lighthearted expression changed.

  “What happened?”

  I shook my head dismissing his question.

  “Did someone hurt you? I swear I’ll kill him.”

  Alex brushed past me and headed back towards the stage. I grabbed him elbow.

  “Nothing happened,” I lied. I tried to force a relaxed look on my face. “I was just upset when you left. I thought you were angry at me.”

  Alex hesitated as if he didn’t quite believe me. “Why would I be angry?”

  I shrugged. “You took off…”

  “I didn’t want to continue in front of those people. I didn’t like the way they were leering at you.”

  I dropped my eyes to the floor; my vision clouded with tears. I tried to hide my tears from Alex, but it was useless.

  “Sweetheart, don’t cry.”

  He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. It felt nice to simply be held by someone. Alex ran his hand up and down my back. When his hand passed over the lash marks, I groaned.

  “What am I doing?” he said. “I forgot about your…”

  He trailed off as if he didn’t want to state the obvious. It was awkward to talk about outside The Red Room.

  “Let’s get you cleaned up,” he said.

  I nodded and let him lead me away like a child. As Alex led me away, we passed the girl from backstage. She narrowed her eyes and smiled devilishly. It was a stark reminder of what I had to do.

  I stuck close to Alex as we made our way down twisting corridors. We passed couples making out in the hallway like teenagers. We walked through a room where a woman wearing a latex mask whipped a naked man strapped to a riding saddle. It was such a strange sight that it brought me out of my depressed state for a moment.

  The man was gagged and tied to the saddle. The woman wielded a whip high above her head, swinging it dramatically before bringing it down on his back. A sharp crack echoed through the room. A man sitting in the back winced, squirming in his chair.

  I recognized his face; he was a personal aide to the governor. It seemed irrelevant now.

  Alex scarcely glanced at the scene as if it was of little interest to him. I followed him out of the room and into a narrow hallway. A guard stood in the middle of the corridor. He nodded to us as we passed.

  Alex opened a door and led me inside. The room was small. A daybed was pressed against the far wall. He closed the door behind us.

  “Take off your dress,” he said gently.

  The commanding Dom I’d become accustomed to had vanished. I slipped the dress off my shoulders and let it fall to the floor.

  “Lay down,” Alex said.

  I stretched out on the bed face down. My muscles ached with stiffness. I was in more pain than I realized. Alex opened a drawer and pulled out a tube of liquid and gauze.

  “How did you know those were there?” I asked.

  “Before the party, I requested a room. I asked it be stocked with certain supplies.”

  Leaving me to wonder what supplies he requested, Alex started to apply a salve to my back.

  “What do you think of the party so far? Did you find your story?”

  “There is no story,” I replied. I couldn’t keep the bitter disappointment out of my voice.

  “No?”

  “No.”

  I didn’t elaborate further. The less Alex knew the better.

  He touched my cuts gently. The liquid was cold; it burned like battery acid on my scratches. I glanced over my shoulder. I was covered in red marks and bruises. To my surprise, I didn’t see blood. The cat o’ nine tails’ hooks had done a number on me, but they carried more bark than bite.

  “Relax,” Alex said. “That’s an order.”

  I let my head fall back down on the bed. One hundred thousand dollars. The figure kept randomly popping into my head. I sighed and closed my eyes.

  “What’s wrong? And don’t say ‘nothing.’”

  “Things have been stressful lately,” I admitted. “Work, home… you. It’s all a lot to take in.”

  “Things have certainly… evolved between us.”

  I laughed. “That’s one way to put it.”

  “What’s been going on at home and work?” he asked. He was trying to change the subject. I didn’t blame him.

  “Nothing… just money troubles.”

  I couldn’t believe the words came out of my mouth. I had his sympathy and now I was laying the foundation for him to offer to help me out financially. I wanted to die. It was a horrible thing to do someone, but I had to protect him from Ivy.

  “My apartment flooded and work has been, well, less than helpful. I’m sti
ll paying off my financial loans and my credit cards.” Once I started talking about my debt, I couldn’t stop. “Then there’s the medical expenses from last year.” I’d clumsily broken my ankle after tripping on the stairs outside my apartment. “I’ll be paying that off until I die.”

  “Why didn’t you say something? You know I’d help you out-so would your mother if you ever talked to her.”

  My mother… a momentary spark of hope was ignited and rapidly extinguished inside me. My mother didn’t have the kind of money I needed. Besides, she would have demanded a full accounting of every penny. It was a sad state of events when manipulating one hundred thousand dollars out of my mother felt like a better alternative.

  “You know we don’t get along,” I said.

  “You’re both stubborn.”

  I ignored his comment. “Besides, she doesn’t have the kind of money I need.”

  “How much?”

  I paused. I couldn’t do this. I did not want to shake down Alex, but what if Ivy made good on her threats? He was well-respected in the corporate world. This could destroy him if it was made public. Who would want a Dom in a relationship with his stepsister to be the public face of their company?

  “How much?” Alex asked again.

  There was an edge to his voice. He was starting to lose his temper. He hated it when people danced around about what was really on their mind.

  “One hundred thousand,” I blurted out. “That would cover most of my debt.”

  “Done. I’ll write you a check when we get out of here.”

  I flinched away from his touch as he applied another bandage with ointment to my back.

  “Don’t act weird about it,” he said. “I know how you like to rail against ill-gotten corporate wealth, but I won’t hear it. You’re going to take my money and live comfortably. You’ve earned that much. You’re smart, you work hard and you always try to do what’s right. You deserve to live an easy life.”

  My face burned so hot that I buried it in the comforter. I crossed my hands in front of me and rested my forehead on them. I couldn’t look him in the eye. It was too much.