Shades of Step Billionaire

by Harlow, Jenna

  “Trent again,” she said, clicking off her phone. Jeremy whipped his head around as she said his name.

  “He’s still calling you?” The guy was thick. Rage burned inside him at the thought of Trent trying to contact Olivia. Jeremy wanted to pound him, and make sure he never considered trying to get in touch with her again. After what he pulled outside the bar, he was lucky he only got knocked out. Jeremy could have done much more damage.

  Olivia’s phone chirped, indicating she had a new voicemail message. She deleted it without listening to it.

  “Has he been calling you a lot?” Jeremy asked. Olivia sighed and nodded.

  “He’s left about twenty messages this morning.”

  “Twenty messages just from this morning? Olivia, he’s not stable.” Jeremy turned to face her, his eyes filled with concern. “I wish you would reconsider staying with me in the city. You can still take the subway and have your freedom, but I would feel a lot better knowing you were safe.” He hated the thought of her being in danger and didn’t know what he would do if anything were to happen to her. Olivia shook her head.

  “No, Jeremy, he’s just leaving messages. He doesn’t have any way to find me. Please, don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I want to go home.” Olivia held his gaze, determination sparkled in her eyes. Jeremy knew she wouldn’t budge. Damn it. He looked over at her, remembering the terror in her eyes the night Trent attacked her. He never wanted her to go through anything like that ever again. Olivia might not think she’s in danger, but Jeremy felt differently. He gritted his teeth in rage, thinking about Trent and decided then that he would take the proper steps he felt necessary to protect Olivia.

  They landed at the helipad on top of Jeremy’s building and transferred to his waiting car. Olivia stopped him as they approached the waiting vehicle.

  “Jeremy, I don’t mind going by myself. This seems like an unnecessary trip for you.” Jeremy was shaking his head even before she finished speaking and nudged her into the car. Once they were seated, he pulled her in close and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her deeply.

  “Why would I let you ride alone when I could be in here kissing you?” he teased. He pulled her in close and they relaxed together as the car sped through the city. Her body felt natural next to his, like she was meant for him. “I’m happy you signed the contract, Olivia,” he said, whispering into her ear. She was silent, but squeezed his hand in response. He knew she was weary about their agreement and he silently vowed to do everything in his power to make the experience a positive one for her.

  The car rolled to a stop along the curb in front of her three story building. Jeremy quickly collected the boxes of clothes from the trunk. The stack of boxes nearly covered his eyes, it was so tall.

  “Please let me carry those for you, sir,” his driver pleaded. Jeremy wouldn’t hear of it. He was determined to escort Olivia home personally. Besides, it was fun.

  “Thanks, but no. I’ve got this,” he said merrily. Olivia rolled her eyes playfully and they headed toward her building. After a few flights of stairs, Olivia glanced over her shoulder as Jeremy struggled to follow her up the three flights of stairs.

  “Are you happy you turned down your driver’s offer to help with those boxes?” she asked. Jeremy craned his neck over the top of a box.

  “I’m fine, keep walking.” They reached the third floor and walked down a short hallway to Olivia’s apartment. As they reached the door, Olivia gasped.

  “Oh, my god,” she exclaimed. Jeremy’s view was blocked from all the packages he was carrying, but he could tell from her voice she was distressed. Quickly he set the load down on the floor in front of the door.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked. Olivia’s eyes were trained on the door. Jeremy turned to look. Pinned to the door was a picture of Olivia with Trevor. They were obviously a couple when the shot was taken, smiling and holding hands. The picture looked ideal, except that it was held to the door by a knife that speared through Olivia’s heart. Jeremy’s mouth ran dry and he started to shake, enraged by the menacing threat.

  “He knows where you live,” he said, his voice thick with rage. Olivia turned to him, her face in shock.

  “I don’t know how,” she said, her voice sounded tinny and far away, as if someone else was speaking. She turned back to the picture and then back to Jeremy again. “I don’t understand why he’s doing this.” She reached up and pulled the knife from the door. Jeremy grabbed the picture and ran his finger over the slash in the photo. The threat was real and he was not about to let him hurt her.

  “Olivia, are you finally convinced? Trent is dangerous. I think we should call the police, tell them about this, and about what he did on Friday. He should be locked up.” Jeremy looked at Olivia, desperation in his eyes. If she was sympathetic to that loser before, maybe this would wake her up. Trent was a maniac. Olivia frowned.

  “Jeremy, I know he had been aggressive and threatening lately, but I don’t want to go to the police. I think he’s just handling the break up badly, and his behavior is being influenced by the steroids he’s been taking.”

  Jeremy sucked in his breath and tried to calm down. He couldn’t believe Olivia was blowing this off so lightly. He mentally counted to ten before speaking, managing to control his tone. “Roid rage doesn’t excuse him of anything. It doesn’t matter why he attacked you and is threatening you. All that matters is that he is a threat to your safety.” Despite his best effort, his seething anger was thinly veiled behind his tightly controlled demeanor. He could tell from Olivia’s expression, Trent wasn’t the only one she was afraid of in that moment.

  Jeremy took another deep breath and looked into Olivia’s eyes. He wasn’t about to give up, not entirely. The thought of her being in danger was unacceptable to him. “Fine, if you won’t go to the police, then you’re staying with me. No arguments.” He stood still, gazing intently into her eyes. Olivia bit her lip and looked down again at the picture. “Can you honestly say you feel safe staying here by yourself? How are you going to feel when you leave here to go to work or out with friends, worrying that he could show up at any time and hurt you?” Olivia was quiet, her head downcast. “Do you feel safe here?” he asked again.

  She shook her head slightly. “No,” she answered quietly, her voice tinged with sadness. Jeremy lowered his head closer to hers and wrapped his hands around her arms, pulling her in closer to him.

  “Then stay with me, at least until he stops harassing you.” Jeremy fell silent and gave her a chance to think. His pulse raced and his face burned, he assumed it was a result of adrenaline flooding his system. He knew he wasn’t going to calm down though, until he was certain Olivia wasn’t in danger. He looked down at her as she considered her options. She looked vulnerable, delicate. Despite her fragile appearance, it appeared she also had a strong will. He admired that, but he hoped she would also be reasonable. Finally, after an impossibly long moment, she looked up at him.

  “I’ll stay with you. I just need to get some things.” Relief flooded him as Olivia turned the key in the lock and opened the apartment door.

  Chapter 19

  Olivia was still shaking as she stepped into her apartment. Her eyes glanced around the small space, quickly assessing whether anything had been disturbed. She didn’t want to say anything to Jeremy, but she had secretly worried that Trent had broken in and trashed the place. She glanced up at Jeremy, who was scanning the interior as well and knew just from the look on his face he was thinking the same thing. Once she was confident everything was in order, she stepped deeper into the room, dropping her keys on the table.

  “I’ll just be a minute,” she said. She rushed around, collecting clothes and necessities for the following week. She realized as she packed, that she wanted to get out of there quickly. Knowing that Trent knew where she lived tainted the place for her. It no longer felt like a safe haven. After she had everything, she looked once more at the place she thought of as home, and shuddered to think that Trent had stood in a ra
ge just outside her door. She nodded to Jeremy she was ready. Gently he placed his hand on her elbow and guided her into the hall. She looked up at him, grateful to have someone help her through this. He had made it clear he would protect her, fiercely if necessary. That thought was the most reassuring of all. She didn’t like to lean on others, but she was glad to have him right now.

  They made their way down the stairs and back out to the car in silence, both preoccupied by the echo of Trent’s threat. Jeremy’s driver looked quizzically at him as he approached with Olivia, but didn’t say anything. Jeremy didn’t address it, either.

  “Home,” was all he said.

  “Yes sir,” the driver nodded as they slid into the car. Once they were alone, Jeremy slipped his arm around Olivia and pulled her in against him. His body felt so strong and solid. Despite herself, heat rippled through her and sent a flush over her skin. He was irresistible before, but seeing way his jaw clenched and the savage look in his eye when he talked about protecting her made her want him even more.

  The car drove down the tree lined street, carrying Olivia away from everything that was comforting and familiar. It felt good to leave the threat of Trent behind and know that she was safe. She looked at Jeremy, light danced across his face, filtering in through the windows and highlighting his strong masculine features. The time she had spent with him had been captivating, but everything was still new, she couldn’t help but feel a little uncertain. Staying with him was a big step, even if it was only temporary.

  Jeremy took her hand as they rode and stroked the inside of her palm with his thumb. A jolt of electricity shot to her core. The simplest touch could send her heart racing. Suddenly the thought of the contract came to mind. With the drama from her apartment, she had forgotten about it completely. Now she was on her way to stay with Jeremy, at his apartment, as his full-time submissive. Gulp. Olivia swallowed hard as she realized what this could mean. She wasn’t just crashing on a friend’s couch. She was moving in with her Dom. She squirmed in her seat, agitated. Just the thought of that alone was enough to set her on fire.

  More from Jenna Harlow!

  Did you like this story? Would you like to read more steamy forbidden romances? Then check out my other titles below:

  Here is a description of Step Close, Billionaire.

  Step Closer, Billionaire

  By Jenna Harlow

  Olivia hasn’t seen her step in years, but there he is, right in front of her, just when she needs him the most. He’s a billionaire now, and she’s a poor student, struggling to make ends meet. It’s hard to believe they ever used to live under the same roof.

  She’s trying to ignore her attraction to him, but she can’t. She wants him, bad. She keeps telling herself it’s forbidden, but her feelings won’t go away. She might be young, innocent and untouched, but she’s old enough to know what she wants: him. She wants him to be her first, and she wants him now.

  Dillon Harris has one rule when it comes to women: no attachments. But when the girl he walked out on years ago comes back into his life, all grown up and sexy as hell, all bets are off.

  Read a sample from chapter one of Step Closer, Billionaire!

  By Jenna Harlow

  Chapter 1

  Emma sat in the police station, rubbing her scalp as she waited for her name to be called. Electric lights buzzed overhead and cast a stark glow over the room. Officers bustled along the corridor, ushering the newest ‘guests’ to their locked accommodations, while an assortment of civilians sat in chairs lining the wall, waiting to be served.

  Her lip was split and the blood was just starting to clot, forming a bump on her tender skin. As she briefly closed her eyes and tried to relax, she realized she was still shaking.

  “Here, hon. Put this on your head,” a female officer appeared and handed her a small ice packet. Emma caught sight of her name tag as she bent over to hand her the chilled packet.

  “Thank you, Officer Smith,” she said, suddenly fighting back tears brought on by this simple kindness. The officer smiled.

  “No problem. Is there someone I can call for you?” she asked.

  “Um…” Emma searched her brain for a name she could give her. It had been less than a year since she had moved to the city to start school. She lived alone, off campus. Between work and school, she had not made any friends yet. There was only one person she could think of to call; her stepbrother. She was reluctant to contact him, though. It had been years since she’d seen him, and she didn’t know how he would respond hearing from her. It wasn’t like they were even family, really.

  The officer shifted her weight and Emma knew she’d have to think of a name quickly. She didn’t even have bus fare to get home. Emma thought about her stepbrother again. She didn’t want to bother him, but realized she didn’t really have a choice, given the circumstances. Her dad and stepmom lived over an hour away, and the reality was she wouldn’t call them even if they lived in town. Their relationship was so strained. She sighed, and rubbed her head. She had not realized until this moment how alone she was in the world. Suddenly an empty, hollow feeling settled over her.

  “My stepbrother lives here. I don’t have a number for him, but his name is Dillon Harris of Harris Industries,” she said.

  Officer Smith smiled. “I’ll see if I can get a number and call him,” she said, and disappeared behind the counter.

  ***

  Dillon Harris stared blankly into his drink and watched the brown liquid swirl around the cubes of ice in his tumbler. He sighed and leaned back in his chair as the woman sitting across from him, Amber, droned on about herself. She had been talking nonstop for close to twenty minutes, oblivious to Dillon’s disinterest. Her long acrylic nails clicked against her glass as she talked, irritating him further.

  He glanced down at his watch.

  I’ll give her five more minutes then I’ll cut her loose.

  He had stopped into the bar after work for a quick drink with his buddy, Ryan. Unfortunately, Amber spotted him and pounced, like a hunter stalking prey.

  “Dillon Harris! You bad boy, you haven’t returned any of my calls!” Amber had teased as she slid uninvited, into the booth next to him. He was trapped.

  Dillon smiled weakly in response and mumbled an excuse as Ryan, gleeful to witness his friend’s awkward cornering, smirked. “Amber, right? Nice to see you,” he grinned. He was enjoying this way too much. Dillon glared a silent threat at him as Ryan stood to leave. “I have to run. You two enjoy yourselves,” he said and disappeared into the crowd.

  Amber was an attractive sales associate for a well-known pharmaceutical company. He and Ryan had met her at the same bar a few weeks earlier. She definitely knew how to use her good looks to drive sales. Within minutes of learning he was Dillon Harris of Harris Industries, she had turned on the charm like a warm thermostat. Dillon was more than happy to let her seduce him, but he was not interested in anything more than a one night stand. Unfortunately, Amber wasn’t taking the hint. She had somehow gotten his number by calling his work and had left multiple messages for him. He had to give her credit for being persistent though, that’s probably why she was so good at sales.

  As the successful and ruggedly handsome owner and CEO of Harris industries, Dillon Harris had one rule he lived by when it came to women: no strings, no attachments, no relationships. He didn’t lack female companionship, quite the opposite. Money hungry women like Amber eagerly sought him out. Up until recently, Dillon had enjoyed the attention. But now, after years of bedding woman after woman, he had grown tired of gold diggers trying to lay claim to him. Unfortunately, given his status and wealth, he now doubted the motives of everyone he met, and kept his inner world carefully guarded. Dillon glanced at his watch again.

  One more minute.

  Just then his phone chirped.

  Perfect. Hopefully whoever is calling will give me a good excuse to escape.

  He pressed the phone to his ear. “Dillon Harris,” he said. Dillon’s blood ran col
d as the officer on the line told him his baby stepsister had been mugged and was down at the station. He didn’t even know she was in town. In an instant his cold heart cracked inside as warm memories of the affectionate little girl he had left behind years ago came flooding back to him. Without hesitation, Dillon responded.

  “I’ll be right there,” he said. He tossed some bills on the table and nudged Amber out of the booth. “I have an emergency. I have to go,” he said, consumed now by thoughts of Emma. Amber, still oblivious, didn’t even register the panic in Dillon’s voice.

  “Okay, well, call me!” she chirped as Dillon walked away.

  As he made his way to the police station, rage burned inside him, imagining anyone harming his baby sister. Thoughts sprang to mind of the young girl he lived with briefly during his tumultuous teenage years. He had loved spending time with her, teasing her and making her laugh. She was sweet and silly and a nice distraction from his overbearing parents. She was the only one he had ever felt comfortable enough around to let his guard down and really be himself.

  Dillon’s heart swelled in anticipation of seeing Emma again. She had been so little when he moved out. His chest burned, remembering how she had cried the day he left. It tortured him to know the pain he had caused her, and how terrible life at home probably was in the wake of his absence. He had his own life to live though, and he had to get out of there. Staying in touch just wasn’t an option for him, but he thought of her often. Over the years, the memories had faded. He thought his feelings had, too. One phone call had brought it all flooding back now, and he knew in an instant his heart was still alive. He was overwhelmed by the concern he felt for her welfare.

  He knows he shouldn’t, that she’s off-limits but that just makes him want her even more. He can’t hold back any longer. He knows before the night is over, he’s going to make her his.