Shades of Step Billionaire

by Harlow, Jenna

  I can’t fucking believe it!

  He stood and paced the room impatiently, like a caged animal, contemplating his options. There were none. The only place that had her information was the dating service, and he knew they would not release private information. He was screwed. The worst part was, he knew if he could get her alone, even for just five minutes, he could change her mind.

  Chapter 9

  Olivia hurried home after work and showered. It was Thursday. She was going to meet Jeremy in an hour for dinner. She hoped the restaurant had a cheap salad she could order, and then made a mental note to grab a power bar for her purse. It had been several hours since she had last eaten and she was already feeling weak. She swore, looking at the clock. She was behind schedule.

  The restaurant Jeremy chose was swanky; Olivia knew she needed to look her best to fit in. She figured her navy blue rayon skirt paired with a polyester blend top wouldn’t cut it. “Yes, it’s from our spring Administrative Assistant’s line,” she snickered as she tossed the clothes in the hamper. She didn’t like buying cheap clothes at low end department stores, but who cared what she looked like at work, anyway? The few pieces she splurged on were for play, not work. She dug through her closet until she found it. It was a sleeveless, v-neck Saint Laurent gold, silver and black lame dress that was shirred at the waist with a thin leather belt. It was made of metal and silk. It was beautiful. She regretted she wasn’t wearing it for a date, she had always imagined wearing it for someone special, like Mr. King…

  Olivia sighed. Her heart ached at the thought of him. The night she had with him had been magical. She couldn’t believe she had met someone so handsome, charismatic and exciting. He was everything she ever wanted. And the way he touched her. My God. Her body had never felt so alive. She burned so hot for him she felt like she might burst into flames. She stared at herself in the mirror as she dressed, her eyes shooting accusations at her from her reflection. Why did you let him go?

  She could hardly believe she had done it- turned him down. But it wouldn’t have been fair to him otherwise. He deserved a match, someone on his own level. She knew she was too inexperienced to satisfy him. He was out of her league. It would be like forcing an Olympic swimmer to stay in the kiddy pool. She couldn’t stand the thought of disappointing him, and she didn’t know enough about his world to know whether or not she could handle it. Better to back out early than to get into it and really feel the sting of failure. He was a force, strong and magnetic. Olivia could easily see herself falling for him, even falling in love. That was what she was really afraid of. She couldn’t bear the thought of bonding with him emotionally and then losing him because she couldn’t give him what he really wanted. It was hard, letting him go. She was so distraught about it she impulsively canceled her entire email account. She didn’t want to hear from him that she was right, that he had already made the same decision she had, it would hurt too much.

  Olivia finished brushing her hair and glanced at her watch. Damn it! She was late. She threw a compact, along with her wallet and phone into a black clutch and headed out the door.

  The three block walk to the subway was an adventure in three inch heels. Her feet were pounding by the time she slid into her seat. Having not eaten since lunch, she was feeling shaky and dizzy. She opened her purse and tensed. She had forgotten to pack a power bar. Crap. Olivia’s hypoglycemia was mild and usually didn’t interfere with her daily life. She kept it under control by eating small meals throughout the day and would usually keep snacks or candy on her for emergencies. Damn! It wasn’t like her to forget something like this. She’d have to keep her eye out for a store along the way to buy a juice or a yogurt to stabilize her blood sugar before it got too low. She closed her eyes and rested for the rest of the trip. As the train rattled into the station, she opened her eyes. She felt better after her short rest. Glancing at her phone for directions she sighed. Jeremy’s building was a two block walk from the station.

  By the time she entered the building, she was feeling weak again from the walk. The building was in the business district, and all nearby shops were closed. She rummaged through her purse once more looking for anything, even a piece of candy. She sighed, as she dug through it, finding nothing, not even a tick-tack. Her phone chirped just as she was about to close it. She pulled it out and read the incoming text.

  Olivia-

  I have an emergency business call I have to take. Why don’t you come upstairs? I live in the penthouse, top floor. I’ll leave the door open, let yourself in.

  -Jeremy

  A rush of nerves hit her as she made her way through the plush lobby. Her heels clicked along the marble floor as she walked. The building had a grand two story foyer with rich mahogany moldings, crystal chandeliers and carved marble columns. She gaped in awe of the elegance and slowly made her way to the elevator.

  One inside, she pushed the button for the top floor. Another wave of butterflies set flight in her stomach. She didn’t realize how nervous she’d be seeing Jeremy again. She didn’t know what to expect, would he be friendly, happy to see her? Her gut told her no. He hadn’t spent years avoiding family because he wanted to see any of them. She realized she was getting herself worked up. She took a breath trying to calm herself and staggered as her vision blurred. She hated to impose, but she knew she’d have to ask Jeremy for some juice or food right away. The elevator doors dinged and opened. Olivia crossed a small hallway to an elegant door, unadorned. She turned to see if she was in the right place, but it was the only door on the floor.

  “This must be it,” she mumbled.

  She knocked softly and then remembered Jeremy’s text said she should let herself in. Slowly she pushed the heavy wood door. As it opened, it revealed an elegant modern space, tastefully decorated with an eclectic mix of leather and fabric, wood and glass.

  “Wow!” she whispered, entering the penthouse. She could see an elegant dining room, a professional chef’s kitchen and beyond that an open living room with sweeping views of the city. The lights glittered like jewels in the distance. Almost immediately she was drawn into the living room for a closer view out the window. In the distance she heard footsteps approaching and a male voice talking, as if on the phone.

  “Oh, good, you let yourself in. I should just be a few-,” he cut himself off as she turned to look at him. A look of confusion swept over his face. His hand was covering the phone as he spoke to her. As if remembering he was on a call, he abruptly pressed it to his ear once again. “I’ll call you back,” he said curtly, and clicked the phone off.

  “Ms. Prince, what are you doing here? I was hoping to hear from you,” he said stepping into the room from the hallway.

  As Olivia turned and saw him, her head spun again, this time reeling from what she was seeing. Her brain struggled to understand what had happened. Did she get the address wrong? What was he doing her? Nothing made sense.

  “Mr. King? There must be some mistake,” she heard her own voice say. It sounded strangely far away, like an echo. Her heart rate accelerated as he crossed the floor and stepped closer to her. “I’m sorry to bother you. I must have gotten my directions wrong. I’m here to meet my stepbrother,” she said. She felt the floor move under her, as if she was standing on a wave. He crossed in front of her and grabbed her arm. As she focused on the lines of his face she realized who Mr. King really was.

  “Oh, my God, Jeremy,” she whispered. It was the last thing she said before falling. Jeremy rushed forward and caught her as the entire room cartwheeled past and everything faded to black.

  Chapter 10

  Olivia blinked open her eyes and struggled to sit up. What happened? Her memory seemed foggy, and at first she could only recall a glimmer of the events leading up to her fainting. As she fought to clear her head, she felt the weight of a large body compress the cushions on the couch as someone sat down next to her.

  “Here, drink this,” a man said. His voice seemed familiar, but she was too groggy to place from where. I
t was a deep baritone, smooth like silk and it sent currents vibrating over her like a massage. Obediently she grabbed the glass of juice and drained it, pushing away all other thoughts until the glass was empty. “Ah, thank you,” she whispered. A large masculine hand took the cup from her. She blinked up at him as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. As his face came into focus she felt the room spin again, but this time not because of her low blood sugar. “Jeremy,” she whispered. The full impact of who he really was slowly registered in her mind. Jeremy was Mr. King. He was also her stepbrother. Hazy images flew in her mind of the intimacy they had shared. Oh, God.

  “I see you’re still hypoglycemic,” he said, grinning down at her. His dazzling smile glittered in the dim light.

  “Oh, my God. Jeremy, you’re my stepbrother! She exclaimed, pushing forward. She felt a sudden urgency to fight through the fog in her brain and regain control, focus and clarity. Jeremy wrapped his hands around her arms as she struggled to sit up.

  “Whoa, slow down! Do you want to pass out again?” he asked.

  “No, I just. I need to sit up,” she said. She swung her legs over the couch and straightened her spine. She closed her eyes as another head rush swept through her, darkening her vision.

  “I told you to take it easy,” he said. His large hands pushed her back gently against the sofa. She leaned back reluctantly. What she really wanted to do was jump up and run and pretend nothing had ever happened between them. Olivia was horrified by the thought that she had been intimate with her stepbrother. Jeremy however, seemed more relaxed about it, even slightly amused.

  “I thought I’d never see you again,” he said, brushing a lock of hair from her face. Olivia covered her face with her hands.

  “Oh my God, Jeremy, what have we done? We’re family! Oh, God. This isn’t happening,” she said, rocking back and forth on the couch.

  “Olivia, relax. We didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not like we’re related, at least by blood anyway. We weren’t raised together as brother and sister. Hell, we hardly even lived together,” he said. Olivia admired how calm he was, but she wasn’t seeing it the same way he was.

  “I call your father ‘Dad,’ I think that makes our relationship pretty twisted,” she said. Jeremy’s smile darkened into a wicked grin.

  “Are we in a relationship now?” he smiled.

  Olivia’s eyes grew wide in horror. “No, that’s not what I meant!” Olivia leaned down and grabbed her purse. “Jeremy, I think I’d better go,” she said. As she sat up Jeremy’s hand cupped her face and pulled her in unexpectedly. Before she could even resist, his mouth was on hers, wet and demanding. Warm tingles cascaded over her, showering her with desire. She could feel her resolve weaken. Whatever arguments her head came up with failed against the urges of her body. No matter how wrong it was, she was responding to him. His lips parted and his tongue entered her mouth, tasting her. She sighed under his touch, succumbing to him.

  “You want this, Olivia. Don’t run away, and don’t deny it,” he growled. As he kissed her, she remembered the dark and mysterious stranger from the dating service she knew as Mr. King, not her stepbrother. He was right, she did want him, badly. He was everything she had ever wanted, and more. She moaned and he drew her in closer, deepening his kiss. She felt like she was underwater, drowning in her own desire. Part of her wanted to let go and let the sea of passion sweep her away, but another part of her scrambled for dry ground. He’s your stepbrother. His father raised you since you were ten years old. What would he say about this? Suddenly she felt like she was gasping for air.

  “Jeremy stop!” she yelled, pushing him away. Jeremy pulled back and gently caressed her hair. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to push you Olivia, it’s just… You’re all I’ve been able to think about since that night at the restaurant…,”

  “Oh, God, the restaurant!” Olivia moaned, remembering how she had taken off her underwear for him. Olivia’s hands flew to her face in shame at the memory. Jeremy was unmoved by her obvious embarrassment. He licked his lips and his eyes grew heavy, “and in the elevator,” he said with a throaty voice.

  “Oh, God the elevator!” she cried. Waves of humiliation crashed down on her, thinking of everything she had done with him. That was all with my stepbrother! Jeremy edged closer to her, with a predatory look in his eye.

  “Olivia, I know it’s a shock, but please don’t let a stupid title like ‘stepbrother’ stop you from getting what you really want,” he said as his hand brushed against her cheek. His tone softened and he sighed. “Do you know what you’ve done to me? I thought I was going to go nuts when I couldn’t contact you. I haven’t been able to concentrate on anything this week, all I thought about was you and that night. It was awesome, Olivia. I know you thought so as well.”

  His hand trailed down her back and circled her waist, sending shivers down her spine. She felt heady, hearing that he had felt the same way she did about that night. She had wondered all week what he had thought about it, if he had enjoyed it as much as she did. He pulled her in and planted a string of kisses along the line of her neck. She felt a fire ignite within her, and felt as if he could incinerate her with his touch. She closed her eyes and relished the feel of his lips on her skin. “Jeremy,” she whispered. She was fading into him again, losing herself under his influence. She knew the night at the restaurant was the best night of her life, and she had never been so attracted to someone, but she couldn’t continue, couldn’t let it happen again. “Jeremy, please,” she said.

  Jeremy pulled back and smiled dreamily. “I know you don’t really mean that,” he said. She was in dangerous waters with him, she knew it. He was far too persuasive, too charming to resist. She needed to get away from him. Perhaps sensing her fear, he abruptly changed his tone and pulled her to her feet.

  “You haven’t eaten yet. Let’s get some food in you and then we can talk,” he said. Just then his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the display. “My phone call, I completely forgot.” He looked up at Olivia as he put the phone to his ear. “I’ll reschedule the call, it should just take a second,” he said stepping toward the hallway. He turned back just before he disappeared around a corner. “I’ll be right back and then we can go,” he said. Olivia nodded as Jeremy left the room. Once alone, she took a deep breath, and absorbed in everything that had happened. She knew Jeremy would pursue her relentlessly. He didn’t get to be that successful by giving up easily, and she could see the resolve and determination in his eyes. But she didn’t know what she wanted. Her head told her it was wicked and wrong, but the rest of her wanted to throw herself at him and damn the consequences. Mostly she wanted room to breathe and to sort things out for herself.

  She grabbed her purse and slipped out, knowing she was being a coward. She also knew she couldn’t disappear. He knew her name and her contact information now. She knew she’d have to talk to him, sooner or later. She just needed it to be later.

  Chapter 11

  Jeremy clicked on his phone and reread the text:

  Jeremy-

  I’m sorry. I need some time alone.

  -Olivia

  He couldn’t count how many times he had read that email over the course of the week, too many. Each time brought with it a fresh sting. He sighed and tossed the phone into his gym bag. He sat down on the bench and began wrapping tape around his fingers. As he focused on the mundane task, his mind drifted back to the week before, the night she had disappeared from his place. He knew he shouldn’t have left the room to take that damn call. She was skittish, a flight risk. He should never have left her alone. A sinking feeling washed over him, just as it did that night after his phone call. He had known she was gone even before he got back into the room. He could feel it. The room was too quiet, too empty; the absence of her presence was palpable. He remembered crossing into the living room and searching for her. He checked the other rooms and found nothing. He knew had fucked up.

  Fuck.

  He leaned
over the bench to tie his shoe, still lost in his thoughts of her. He couldn’t be mad at her for leaving, he knew it was a lot to take in, a lot to sort out. He just wished she had stayed so they could have talked things through together. At first, he considered going after her, chasing her down and making her listen to him, but he didn’t. Her text had come in shortly after she left, and he decided then to grant her request, and give her some time, space, but that had been over a week ago. He had sent her one text midweek.

  Olivia-

  I haven’t heard from you. Contact me.

  Jeremy

  She never responded. He had spent the week checking obsessively for messages from her; but nothing. Why couldn’t he let her go? If she were any other woman, he would have cut her lose days ago. He didn’t chase women, they chased him. Fuck. He had never been in this situation before. Infatuated. He felt like a fucking school boy with a crush. The frustration had been building all week, and his patience was wearing thin. He was done letting her have the upper hand. He looked down at his shoe and realized he had still not tied the laces. Just then the locker room door opened.

  “Yo Jeremy, let’s go!” a man’s voice yelled.

  He stood up and pulled on his head gear, hastily fastening the strap. He was late, again getting caught up in thoughts of her. It happened a lot this week. His focus had been completely compromised. He couldn’t stop himself, couldn’t refrain from imagining, visualizing, fantasizing about her. He saw her face while giving presentations, her body while on the phone, her mouth open and craving while he wrote purchase agreements. She was everywhere, but nowhere. He stood up and slammed his locker shut, hard. Once out on the gym floor, he caught up with his sparring partner, Will.