A Baby for My Billionaire Stepbrother (2 page)

BOOK: A Baby for My Billionaire Stepbrother
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He smiled, obvious relieved. "New York really has changed you," he said. "Okay, go and get some rest." He kissed my forehead and left. When he was gone, I finished the conversation in my head.

Actually, Dad, I’m the same person I always was. New York just let me be that person. Oh, and not having an asshole stepbrother actively trying to make my life a living hell helped, too!

I sat down heavily on the bed and let out a grumpy huff of air. I reminded myself once more of everything I was going to have to go through this vacation. But it would only be a week, and knowing James, he would probably be gone at the first polite opportunity. I could handle being around him for a few days. I wouldn’t let him turn me back into the high school girl he tortured. And as for the other baggage... I’d find a way to deal with it. I’d dealt with it for the last few years. Two days was nothing next to years, right?

And anyway, this Christmas would be different than the others. This Christmas he would have to deal with the new Allison. The sexy, sophisticated Allison.

A light bulb went off in my head as I remembered I had something to wear for the party. I sat up and dug into my luggage, carefully unpacking my clothes onto the top of my dresser until I found it. A sexy little black dress that Nicole made me bring. I told her it would be a waste of space, that it wouldn’t fit in where I was going, but she had insisted. "There’s always an occasion for a little black dress. And girl, you never dress down to fit in with slobs. That’s not even fashion 101. It’s, like, high school fashion!"

I lifted up the dress and ran my hand over the plastic film enveloping it. She was right. I hung it up on the corner of my bureau mirror and hunted in the bag for my heels, lifting the black straps and heels in front of me to admire them. Nicole had picked these out, too. Four inches that would change my legs and ass into those of a porn star, she had promised. I laughed as I set them aside and caught myself smiling. Was I actually looking forward to the party?

No. But I was looking forward to seeing James’s reaction. To me. To this dress.

I felt my stomach twist and a little wave of nausea.

Yes. I was sick. I knew it.

And not just because he was my stepbrother, though that alone was enough to make me want to die of embarrassment. I could almost get past that. He wasn’t my
real
brother after all, and you’d have to be blind not to see he was a handsome man. Every girl had wanted him in high school—and if you believed the rumors, if they were even just a little bit cute they probably did get with him—so I could almost forgive myself a casual physical attraction.

What was more disturbing than the step thing was that he was a jerk. The few nice things he had done for me were far outweighed by the millions of hours of suffering he inflicted, knowingly or not. He wasn’t a nice guy, not even a decent guy. He was handsome, sure. But also vain, cruel when he wanted, and uncaring. I didn’t understand how I could want someone like that, especially when we were related!

I opened a drawer in the bureau to unpack my carefully folded panties and socks. I froze, captured by nostalgia, when I saw what was inside.

There were a dozen faded photographs, movie ticket stubs from first dates and best dates. Little notes of love and encouragement in my best friend Tessa’s bubbly handwriting. I looked around the room, searching for my cork board that was their home, but the maid must have been told to take it down and put all the pieces from it in here.

I was overwhelmed with memories, and as I fingered some of Tessa’s notes, I felt a little angry with myself. She had stayed in town and gone to the community college—her parents weren’t as well off as mine, and she was working while getting her basic requirements out of the way—and since I went to New York I had been a terrible friend, barely answering her texts let alone her phone calls.

I was just about to go grab my phone and call her when I spotted an even older piece of paper with a hastily scribbled I.O.U. on it. I shook my head. I had almost forgotten I had actually held on to it. I lifted out the wrinkled scrap of paper and read the whole thing.

––––––––

T
O ALLIE

FROM JAMES

Merry Christmas!

IOU one present

––––––––

I
t was typical James. Something sweet and playful about the gesture if you wanted to see it that way, but beneath it, the stink of his rotten selfishness and casual cruelty. His first year away to college he had come home for Christmas with gifts for dad and Nancy and even our maid, Maria. But not for me. He had forgotten, he said. So he scribbled this IOU on some notecard and handed it to me when we opened presents.

I was happy with my high school self for not throwing it away. Its value had to have increased a thousand fold, now that James was for all purposes an actual billionaire. Maybe I’d redeem it this year.

I tucked it into the pouch inside my purse, texted Tessa, then finished putting away my panties and the rest of my underthings. When I finished, I checked my phone for messages. Tessa had responded:

still at work. I'll see you tonight for some fun. call later!

––––––––

I
looked forward to seeing her. In the mean time I stripped down to my panties, socks and bra and grabbed an old pair of pajamas—stained gym shorts and a tank top—that hadn’t made the trip to New York with me for obvious and good reasons. Then I climbed into bed to get a cat nap in. Whatever Tessa had found for us to do, I wouldn't have much to show off if I arrived with huge bags under my eyes and slouched, tired shoulders.

***

J
ust as I started to doze off, I heard the doorbell and the rubber soles of Nancy’s slippers sprinting to answer it.

From her delighted scream that followed I could guess her boy was home. I was picturing James grabbing her and lifting her off her feet with one of his big bear hugs, usually reserved exclusively for Nancy. He might be a jerk with everyone else, but you didn’t dare touch his mother.

I learned that right away. It was soon after they moved in with us. We were still kids practically. I had made some nasty comment about his mother, I can’t remember what, but I’ll never forget the way he stared me down with pure fury. I was positive he would actually hurt me, physically, if I didn’t take it back. So I did. Right away. And I never said anything mean since.

As I heard the dark rumble of his voice echoing up the stairs I tried to make out what they were talking about, but it was impossible. Especially once my dad finally made it over to welcome him and added his booming voice to the mix.

I wondered if I should get up and go downstairs. My parents knew I was napping, so I didn’t have to, but I was curious to see him again. He had looked... I don't know,
different
on all the magazine covers. He had hit it big after his little start up my dad had bankrolled was invested in by some big Wall Street firm. I didn’t really understand what he did, but it was some sort of software that did math things that stock traders could use to make a lot of money.

Yeah, he was handsome and smart. And a total ass. Most of the time, anyway.

I was getting up to go say hello when I saw myself in the mirror—the old Allie stared back at me in her silly pajamas.

Hell no.

Maybe I would just sneak a peak at him down the stairwell and wait until I was dressed in that little black dress to have our official reintroduction. When he saw me for the first time I wanted to make an impression.

No
, I corrected myself, slowly opening my door and tiptoeing to the edge of the stairs.
You want to make him want you, you sick, sick twisted girl.

I saw James’s big, olive green duffel bag by the door and could hear their voices moving around downstairs. I waited until I heard his boots on the wood floor and craned my neck further. Then I saw him.

He reached down, grabbing his bag, and when he turned around he looked straight up at me.

"Well, hello little sister." He flashed his most charming smile. When he got a look at my outfit he raised his eyebrows, as if impressed. "Aren’t we looking good!?"

I gave him a sarcastic smile and retreated to my room.

So much for making that first impression.

Chapter Three

I
got back in bed just in time to find my phone vibrating on it. Tessa was calling.

"Girl," I sighed into the phone. "I miss you."

"Aw, I miss you, too, sweetie. Did you just get back?"

"Pretty much. I was just getting into bed to take a nap."

"Good, you’ll need it. I’m still at work but I wanted to check in.” I could practically hear her smile through the phone. “Aww, it feels different talking to you when I know you’re home!"

"I feel so weird being here," I confessed.

"Well, Bloomfield isn’t
New York
," she said, putting on a thick and funny accent when she said it. "You’ll have to forgive us common folk for being so drab,
darling
."

I laughed.

"Okay, business. I only have a few minutes," Tessa said. "Statesmen. Tonight. Alumni thing. Everybody will be there, et cetera et cetera."

I saw myself stepping up the stained carpeted stairs of the dingy Statesmen Bar and Lanes in my new heels and my black dress and having everyone's jaw drop. I imagined Audrey Lipman and her bitchy accolades there. I hoped they had gained their freshman ten—or thirty!

But there was a problem. "We’re not twenty-one."

"They don’t really care. Anyway, I’ve been hanging out with one of the bouncers."

"
Which
one of the bouncers?"

She was silent. I could practically hear her chewing her lip. "Bill Houston."

"Shut up!"

"Leave me alone. What about you? Is Mr. Billionaire Wonderful in town?"

I groaned. "Just got here."

"Oh. Yeah. That’s so depressing.” I knew she was rolling her eyes at me. “Come off it, would you? I know your twisted little secrets."

"You mean your crazy little
fantasies?
" I laughed.

"Handsome. Fit. Charming. Who cares if he sleeps next door and calls you sister?"

"Only you wouldn’t care, you sicko."

"If he was my stepbrother, I would be all over it. Especially if he was worth a billion dollars."

"I don’t doubt it, but he isn’t as wonderful up close," I said.

"Here we go.” She sighed. “I really didn’t miss hearing you complain about him, so don’t feel obligated to do it now,"

"Yeah well, he didn’t throw you to the wolves you first day of high school and ruin four years of your life," I said, sounding a little exasperated.

"This story is never interesting. I’m hanging up now. I get off at ten so I’ll pick you up around eleven, okay?"

I sighed, then said goodbye and snuggled into my bed sheets again.

Tessa liked to make fun of me, but it was true. James really had destroyed my high school life in one day. Not that he noticed or cared.

***

I
t was the first day of my freshman year. James was a senior at the time and one of the most popular boys with his handsome charm and easy athleticism.

I was the opposite, of course. Awkward, petite, mousy, invisible.

I had been terrified by the size of the school. Everyone looked and acted so old, and the aggressiveness of the boys disturbed me. I had spent my entire life at an all girls prep school up to that point, and James was the only soul I knew on the entire campus.

I was hoping that he would do me a favor and let me be seen riding home with him in his truck. It might have made it easier for me to make some friends, or at least avoid being tortured by the older girls. To be seen with him would be a sort of stamp of approval.

It took all my courage to run out to the parking lot after the bell rang and ask him. But to my horror he shook me off, nearly knocking me over in the process, and laughed in my face. "Go take the bus, freshman."

I blushed, embarrassed, and hurried back into the building with my tail between my legs, but not before half the senior girls saw what happened.

James had basically told the world it was open season on me as far as they were concerned, and the girls didn’t hesitate to take his cue. And while the girls at my prep school had done some mean things to each other, these bitches didn’t stop at mean. They went straight for humiliating. Four years later and I still hadn’t gotten over some of the things they had put me through that first year.

“But that was the old Allison,” I said out loud as I snuggled into my bed, too tired to go through all that again.

Even so, my high school ghost was raging around the room.

***

W
hen I woke up it was black outside, the white Christmas lights blinking into the falling snow. I pushed back on my comforter, sweating. As I lay there trying to revive myself, I listened to the house. The heat clicked off. I heard the sound of silverware and glasses clinking.

I reached under my pillow for my phone. It was almost nine already. The cocktail party had started.

I needed to shower.

I went into my bathroom and started running the water. While it heated up I stripped naked and waited, still groggy and half asleep. I was about to step under the spray when I saw there wasn’t any soap or shampoo. I checked under the sink but there wasn’t any there either.

With a groan I wrapped myself in a towel. I
had only been gone three months! Why did they have to move all my shit?
I hadn't brought any of my stuff, thinking it would still be here. I'd have to go use the guest bathroom, where at least Nancy kept little sample sizes of soaps and shampoos for guests to use.

I peaked into the hallway. The lights were on, but all the sound was coming from downstairs. When I was sure no one was upstairs, I dashed for the guest bathroom, evading my stepbrother’s open door, just in case he was still around.

In my hurry to hide myself again, I went straight into the bathroom and closed the door behind me.

"Hello, 'sis'." I jumped at his gravely voice, nearly dropping my towel in the process. I turned around without thinking.

BOOK: A Baby for My Billionaire Stepbrother
13.86Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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