Redeeming the Stepbrother

by Andrew Grey

  My head spun. “You’re kidding.”

  “No. Your work is recognized internationally and you are in great demand. Dante has agreed to set things up for you, if you agree. Basically, to start with, he’ll continue to pay you, and they will in turn pay him. You’ll still work for Bartholomew Porcelain because you’ll also be doing the research Dante wants. And you’ll be able to stay with me.” Dieter bit his lower lip nervously.

  “You worked all this out with Dante?” I asked. “Why?”

  Dieter turned to me, his eyes gentle, and took my hand. “Because I’m in love with you. Because I’ve been happier than I can remember these last few weeks, and the thought of leaving you rips my heart out. I was supposed to have left already, but haven’t been able to do it. I think I make you happy too.”

  I nodded. “You do. I’ve hated the thought of you leaving.”

  “Then leave with me… sort of. You need to get a passport, but we can get the process started and you can have one in less than two weeks if you already have travel plans.” Dieter could be a whirlwind when he wanted. I liked that.

  Weeks. I could wait that long once Dieter left. “You’re sure?” I swallowed hard. This was like a dream—no, a fairy tale—coming true, and Lord knew I was no prince. Maybe Dieter was, though.

  Dieter drew me into a hug and then a kiss that lasted until Ella cleared her throat.

  “I think I’ll leave the two of you alone. I don’t need to be seeing this.”

  Dieter chuckled and pulled back. I groaned at the loss of his warmth and then blushed. I’d made that sound in front of my sister.

  “Ella, we need to get you a passport too.”

  “We do?” she and I asked in unison.

  “You want to learn dance and then teach? That can be managed as well. I have connections in Munich, and my family keeps a home there. We can get you an audition at a number of dance schools.”

  Ella jumped into the air with a cry of joy unlike anything I’d heard from her since before her dad passed away. “You mean it?”

  “Yes, Liebling.” Dieter turned to me, and I growled under my breath.

  “That’s almost too good to be true,” I said and smiled. “So you’re saying that both Ella and I can come to Europe. She can study and I’ll have a job?”

  “Yes.”

  “And we can both live with you?” I asked, skeptical.

  “The house in Munich has a separate apartment that my family uses as a dowager suite. I’ll explain all of that in time, but Ella can have her own apartment where she can come and go, but you’ll be nearby. You….” Dieter grinned and leaned close. “Will live with me. You can have a room of your own, but I’d hope you’d share mine with me.” He squeezed my fingers gently. “I want to see where this goes between us. I think we have something special, and you and I have an opportunity to explore just how we could build a life together.”

  “But what about after Dante rebuilds?” I asked. This sounded wonderful… and temporary.

  “Then we’ll work things out. You do realize that Dante sells a great number of pieces in Europe.” Dieter grinned like a cat who ate the canary. “Everything will work out in time… if you want it to. If we want it to,” he added.

  “You need to go,” Ella said quietly, “and I’m not saying that because I want to go to Europe to learn dance. You should go for you. See something of the world.”

  I nodded. Ella was right. It was time I got out. I smiled at Dieter. “I’d like to talk to Dante so I can get all the details and what he expects of me.”

  Dieter enveloped me in a deep hug, practically whirling me around the room. I laughed heartily, and Dieter kissed me, hard, possessively. I blushed like crazy in front of Ella, but Dieter didn’t seem to mind. “If we’re going to do this, then we have a lot of things we have to do. Call your mother and tell her that you’ll both be gone for a while, and we’ll get this party started.”

  THE NEXT couple of hours were a whirlwind. Dieter got our pictures taken and then took us to the Federal Building in Baltimore, where we filled out applications for our passports, handed over all the documentation we needed, and paid the fee, along with extras to expedite the process as quickly as possible. Ella was so excited that she could barely sit still in the back seat. I sat next to Dieter, smiling almost constantly.

  To my surprise, Dieter drove us to Dante’s, and when we went inside, Dante was waiting to usher me into his office.

  “I have a lot of plans for the future, and a modern, up-to-date studio is key to that. I’m working on temporary space for the artists in the porcelain works until we can fully rebuild, but I want to do it right.” He leaned back in his seat. We talked over all his plans for the next hour, and Dante finally leaned forward. “Are you willing to do all this?”

  I smiled widely. “Yes. It’s a dream come true.”

  Dante grinned, and I wondered why anyone could ever have thought this man a beast. “I know. When I found Beau, I thought my dreams had come true. I know the studio work is important to you, but go and make your other wishes a reality. There are things more important than work, and those dreams need to have a chance as well.”

  I certainly hoped they would.

  A knock sounded, and then Beau stuck his head inside. “I hope you’re done with all the business talk. I have drinks and nibbles in the library.” He shot Dante a look, and Dante stood, motioning toward the door. We joined the others, and my feet barely touched the ground on the way there.

  ELLA AND I were invited to stay for dinner, and afterward, I expected Dieter would take Ella and me home. Instead, Beau announced that he and Dante had an engagement that evening and would be happy to see Ella home. So within seconds I found myself alone with Dieter, in the same masculine, amazing room where we’d sat the first time I was in this house.

  “I hate that I have to take you to a hotel to be alone with you,” Dieter whispered as he guided his lips to mine. “I’m a guest here, and while Dante and Beau are amazing and thoughtful hosts….”

  “I know.” It was true. As much as I wanted to strip Dieter naked right here and now, it wasn’t going to happen. Instead, we sat together, happy to be alone for a few drama-free hours. “When is your flight?”

  “Tomorrow afternoon. It was the only one I could get a seat on. I thought they had a seat for me in a few days, but it didn’t work out.” Dieter kissed me softly and with promise. “But your passport is in the works, and as soon as you get it, we’ll finalize your itinerary. It will only be a few weeks.”

  I wondered if I could wait that long, but then, I’d waited all this time to find Dieter in the first place, I could stand a few more weeks.

  “In the meantime….” Dieter stood and took me by the hand.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” I stiffened when he led me toward the staircase, thinking he was going to try to take me up the stairs. But instead, he led me outside to the car. I got in, expecting to be taken home, but he pulled into the parking lot of the Captain’s Bed and Breakfast. It was in one of the old homes in town, complete with a widow’s walk that overlooked the Bay. I’d always loved the building and never in my life expected to be staying there.

  Dieter smiled and grabbed a small bag from behind the seat. We went inside, and Dieter signed us in, took the key, and led the way upstairs. Once behind the closed door, I went right into his arms. In a way this seemed so naughty, but the room was beautiful, with a tall bed and luxurious bedding in cool water colors. “I wanted something special.” He kissed me, passion building quaveringly fast.

  “But you didn’t need to do this,” I protested for about two seconds.

  “Yes, I did. One, because I wanted to be alone with you, and two, you deserve to be treated special.” Dieter kissed me with enough force that I took a step back, bumping into the door. “I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier when I was leaving, but I can’t stay any longer. There are business issues that are pressing.” He shifted closer, his leg parting mine, han
ds enfolding me.

  “I know. You stayed as long as you could.” My breath hitched as I thought of all the things he’d done for me. “And now it will be temporary.” I could live with that. “I’ll have something to look forward to.” I wanted to say more, but Dieter interrupted me with his lips, not words.

  The door pressed to my back and Dieter’s heat surrounded me. Chest to chest, he held me still, hips sliding just enough to give me the smallest amount of friction, sending my head spinning. I clung to him, desperate to stay upright as Dieter’s lips slanted over mine, spice on his breath followed by the musky heat that was all Dieter. Each and every kiss, better than the last, sent my heart racing and my mind on flights of all things Dieter.

  He backed away, gazing into my eyes, and the air-conditioned room grew warmer in an instant.

  “Are you sure I’m the man you want?” I asked.

  “With all my heart,” Dieter whispered.

  “Me too.” My heart had been Dieter’s since he’d first held me on the dance floor. I just hadn’t wanted to admit it then, but it didn’t seem to matter. When I backed away, Dieter pursued, burrowing his way into my heart the same way his hand worked its way under my shirt, sending ripples of passion running through me. He worked my shirt open, peeling it off my shoulders, tossing it aside.

  “Damn you’re stunning.” Dieter ran his gaze over me, and this time I didn’t blush but warmed inside, my gaze meeting his with as much heat as he gave me.

  “I may be stunning, but you’re breathtaking.” I worked Dieter’s shirt off and then undid his pants, feeling bold and knowing what I wanted.

  In Ocean City Dieter had taken control. I’d needed him to, but now I pushed Dieter back toward the bed, stripping off my shoes and stepping out of the last of my clothes as we went. My gaze grew as hot as my skin with each of Dieter’s touches, but I refused to let him distract me. This was my last chance for a couple of weeks to explore his skin, run my hands through his silky golden hair, and feast my tongue and lips on every inch of him, and I had every intention of doing that the entire night. I wasn’t going to waste a single minute.

  “Florian,” Dieter groaned as I sucked a taut pink nipple.

  “Lie back. Tonight, you’re mine,” I growled, and felt Dieter’s cock throb in his pants. I worked them open, yanked the damn things down his legs, and flung them off to the side, with his underwear following.

  “Scheisse,” Dieter mumbled, and I grinned, raking my hands down his chest and belly to wrap my fingers around his length.

  “This is only the beginning.” I squeezed and took Dieter between my lips, sliding down his hot length as he groaned softly. I had him right now, for this one night, and I intended to make the most of it, for both of us. I reveled in the whimpery noises Dieter made as I bathed my tongue in the heady taste of him. The mewls that sounded when I straddled his body and turned, facing away from him, were mind-blowing. Then it was my turn to moan and groan as he prepared me with his thick fingers and a hot tongue that left me half blind with lust and need, and I adored every second. Dieter groaned when I rolled the condom down his length, teasing and enjoying the way his entire body shook. It was wild to think he did that because of me. He wanted me as much as I wanted him. That was sexy in itself.

  Dieter groaned, his fingers holding my thighs as I sank onto him, our gazes drilling into each other as his cock bored into me, reaching deeply enough that his heart touched my own. Minds and bodies, hearts and souls, connecting in a moment, a minute of bure bliss and adoration. That wasn’t to say that Dieter took only an instant. He seemed to have the control of the gods and led me on a journey that melted my brain, but for a moment, a few seconds, everything was perfect, the connection one of pure adoration, everything exactly as it should be for both of us, and I transcended my own body to a place where it was just Dieter and me. That sensation felt like the memory of a lifetime. I knew in that moment what Dieter felt for me and I for him.

  Then the body took over.

  I blinked and was back in the room, with sweat beading on Dieter’s chest. I leaned forward to capture his lips, and Dieter held me close, rolling us on the bed until he looked down at me, his eyes dark and deep like the very depths of the ocean. “I love you, Florian, and I want to make you happy.”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him into a deep kiss. “I love you too, and you already have and do.” I wanted to make him happy too, deliriously so, and guessing from the way he panted as our passion overcame both of us, I think I was on my way to a very good beginning in that department.

  DIETER AND I fell asleep very late. He and I made love—noisy, neighbors-pounding-on-the-walls love—well into the night. I felt sorry for them for about two seconds, and then Dieter proceeded to make me forget my name and it was just the two of us once again.

  When I woke in the morning, stretching my blissfully aching body, I realized I was alone.

  Dieter came out of the bathroom, naked, and stood by the bed. “I have to get dressed, and I need to take you home.”

  I remembered what day it was. Dieter was going back to Germany today, and I had to say goodbye. I stepped up to him and clung to Dieter for just a few seconds.

  “Aww, hell,” Dieter groaned. “You’re going to make me late and I don’t give a damn.” He lifted me off my feet, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. Dieter carried me to the bed and we made love just like that, hopefully without waking our poor neighbors… again.

  A while later, we really did get up and dress. Dieter held my hand as we left the bed-and-breakfast. Dieter took me home, and I reluctantly got out of the car. “No sadness. Everything is in place, and you watch the mail for your passports. I’ll have things ready for you.” He tugged me into a kiss. “I’ll see you soon.”

  I nodded and stepped back from the car, watching as Dieter pulled out of the drive, headed down the street, and took the first step back into his old life.

  Now it was time I dealt with mine.

  Chapter 11

  WHO KNEW that a little over three weeks could feel like a lifetime?

  My mother sure tried to make each and every day seem as long as possible.

  But it was finally happening. Ella and I were out. Taking charge of our lives. Leaving the past behind us and moving forward into an adventure.

  “Stop that,” Ella said from the seat next to me. “I want to try to sleep, but you keep bouncing your leg.” She swatted my shoulder, and I stopped my jittery foot, pressing it to the floor.

  “Just an hour more,” I said half to myself.

  Ella shook her head and rolled her eyes dramatically. “I suppose.” She tried to hide it, but I knew she was just as excited as I was. “I am happy to be out on my own… sort of.”

  I could understand that. In the last three weeks, Mom had done everything to get me to stay. The guilt had been piled to the ceilings. But I was Teflon Man and proud of it. I didn’t let anything stick to me, even as I packed up all my things and took them to storage with Mom watching and half pleading with me to not leave her alone. But it was time she got on with her life, and I needed to go out and find one of my own. It was time for me. And Ella too.

  My art supplies had been shipped and should be waiting for me when I arrived. My paintings, the ones I’d hidden under my bed and in my closet, had been offered for sale online and had sold quickly. Well, all but one, which, according to the shipping tracker, had arrived with my supplies. That particular fantasy was coming true, and I intended to hold on to it for as long as I possibly could.

  “You’ll do just fine, and caring for yourself for a while will be a good exercise.” Besides, it wasn’t like I was going to be all that far away. “I was going to ask, what about Weston? How did he take you leaving?”

  Ella smiled. “He and I are going to be friends. His dad wants him to go to college, so he’s doing the junior college thing to start with. I like him, and maybe could grow to more than like him. You know. But I want to do this first.” I saw the dou
bt in her eyes. “I have to know if I can do it.”

  I bumped her shoulder. Years of my mother’s putting her down had definitely taken their toll. Getting Ella away and into a more supportive environment would be the first step. I was sure her confidence would grow and she’d develop into the amazing woman I knew was inside her, just ready to morph into the butterfly of her own creation. “I already do.”

  We shared a smile as the captain made an announcement that we were getting ready to land and that the flight attendants would be coming through the cabin to make a final check.

  “This is it,” Ella said softly, and I had to agree. Excitement spiked once again, and I lifted the shades to look out on the city as we passed over it on the way to the airport.

  After what seemed like a long time, we landed. Ella and I got out carry-ons and filed off the plane with everyone else, then headed down ramps to passport control.

  We waited in line to get our new documents stamped for the first time, then got our luggage and walked out into the arrivals area. I saw Dieter standing right in front. It was hard to miss him with the way everyone seemed to part around him as they got close. How could they not? Even in jeans and a polo shirt, he looked every bit the stunning count, worthy of a romance novel, complete with flowers.

  Leave it to Dieter to meet us at the airport with flowers.

  I grinned as Dieter strode closer and handed Ella the flowers, to my surprise, but then he engulfed me in a hug before kissing the everlasting life out of me. I damn near forgot my name, and the worries that had niggled their way into the back of my brain over the past weeks that things might have cooled or changed for him went right out the damn window. I was surrounded by a bubble of heat that seared its way directly to my heart.

  “Ahem,” Ella said from behind me, and Dieter pulled away, still holding my hand. I turned as Ella smelled her flowers. “I have just one question.”