ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (268 page)

“She told me she didn’t want to go anywhere too ‘high society’, and the bartender’s my friend. You can even go back and check with him, his name’s Tom. I was waiting for him to get off work; I was hoping that I could dump Chloe off with him and go home.”

“Right, and the bar just happened to run out of seats so she had to use you instead.”

Jeffrey shrugged, “She had had a few to drink; she got handsy. I tried to be nice and keep her balanced; she could barely stand on her own.”

“You could have let her take her chances,” Stephanie muttered, tracing a pattern on the table.

“Yeah well, I was going to. I tried to set her up against a wall and go after you when you left but she threw up all over my pants. I’m down to just two pairs of black jeans now.”

Stephanie smiled in spite of herself at the comment, part of her wondering if Jeffrey really did just have three, now two, pairs of black jeans. To date that had been the only type of pants she had seen him in. She found it a bit hard to believe that he didn’t have an entire closet full.

“Fine,” Stephanie said, not really sure how she felt about the incident.

“Fine?” Jeffrey asked, glancing at the timer and beginning to worry now that he only had two minutes left.

“Fine,” Stephanie said, “is that all?”

“No, it’s not,” Jeffrey said hesitantly, unsure of what else to say. “Look, what can I say to make this better?”

“You explained yourself; there’s nothing else to say.”

“You’re still upset.”

“Why would I be upset?” Stephanie challenged.

Jeffrey threw up his hands, frustrated. “I don’t know, because you thought I was flirting with another girl.”

“Why-”

“Because you like me! Or at least I thought you did. I mean, I certainly like you and I thought you felt the same. I thought that you felt something that night in my apartment when we kissed because I know that I sure as hell did. But I guess I was wrong, and I’m reading too much into this and you really don’t have any reason to be upset because you hate me, or are at least utterly indifferent to my existence meaning I’m making a fool out of myself right now for no reason. So, I guess I’ll go. We can get back to the party and pretend like none of this ever happened,” Jeffrey said, moving to stop the timer with only thirty seconds left when Stephanie grabbed his wrist.

Their eyes locked. “Wait,” Stephanie said, unsure. “I like you too.”

“Then why are you so mad at me?” Jeffrey asked, looking defeated. “I understand how it must have looked to you at the bar, but you still seem upset.”

The timer on Stephanie’s phone went off, making them both jump. Stephanie bit her lip, taking the phone and setting the timer for twenty minutes this time.

“I am upset,” Stephanie said, “or confused at the very least. After that night in your apartment, I did feel something. But then, after you took me home, you just vanished. You didn’t call, you didn’t text, nothing. I thought I was just another one of your flings.”

“I told you, those weren’t flings, just, bad picking on my part.”

“Well, I thought that you saw me as just another one of your bad picks, and you were freezing me out by giving me the cold shoulder.”

“I wasn’t freezing you out,” Jeffrey said, shaking his head. “I was just, scared.”

“Scared?” Stephanie asked, incredulous. “Of what?”

“Of you! Of making a fool of myself,” he said. “You’re so cool and confident. And, I didn’t want to come across as the dorky sap that was trying too hard. I didn’t want to come on too strong.”

“So you were playing hard to get?” Stephanie asked, amazed at the ridiculousness of it all.

“I guess, yeah. I’d prefer it sounded a bit more manly and less like a preteen girl trying to get a guy to ask her to the winter formal. But, yeah. And yes, I’m aware I failed epically.”

“The most epic of failures ever,” Stephanie clarified.

“I mean, it was all new territory for me,” Jeffrey said. “You’re smart, beautiful, and stubborn as hell. I love that about you. And you’re also my step-sister. It’s a whole new ballgame. I don’t know the proper decorum for courting my step-sister. Can I take you on dates? Is it legal? What will our parents say? If we date what will we tell everyone at family reunions? And if we get married. . .”

“Whoa, I don’t think we need to discuss marriage right now.”

“I’m just saying, our kids would be part offspring part step-nephew or step-niece.”

Stephanie pursed her lips, shifting a bit in her seat. “Point taken. But, you could have just told me. You could have called or texted, or actually come to me in person and asked me all of this. Instead of staying in your own head and making me go crazy trying to figure out what you were thinking, we could have been sorting this out together.”

“Yes, okay, well I think we’ve already established that I’m an idiot,” Jeffrey said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“I just love bringing it up.” Stephanie smirked.

“I’m sure you do.” Jeffrey smirked.

There was silence for a moment before Stephanie sighed, putting her hands in her lap and looking at Jeffrey with an open expression. “So, what happens now?” she asked, looking up at Jeffrey from under her lashes.

“Well,” Jeffrey said, trailing off, “I’d like to explore this, see where it goes. I’d like to take you on a date, or several dates, and I’d like to kiss you. I’d definitely like to kiss you again.”

Stephanie blushed. “I think I’d like that too. But I have a few demands.”

“Demands?” Jeffrey asked.

“Yep, demands.”

“Oh boy,” Jeffrey grinned, “okay, hit me with your best shot.”

“Oh I will.” Stephanie smirked, leaning in closer to Jeffrey. Jeffrey scooted closer, intrigued. He also liked that, from this new angle, he could slightly see down her dress. “Demand one: no more playing hard to get.”

Jeffrey smirked. “Done.”

“Demand two: if you’re confused about the status of our . . . . relationship, you talk to me. As in call, text, or see me in person, okay?”

“Done.”

“Demand three: go clothes shopping with me so we can get you another outfit other than black jeans, black shirts, and black leather jackets.”

Jeffrey grimaced. “Fine, okay, two outfits, and you return my leather jacket unharmed.”

Stephanie grinned, laughing. “Deal. Demand four-”

“You have a lot of demands,” Jeffrey interrupted.

Stephanie shrugged, “Did you expect anything less?”

“I guess not,” Jeffrey smirked, “continue.”

“Okay, only a few more.” Stephanie grinned. “Demand four: no more bleached-blonde bimbos hanging off of you. Even if you’re giving them the grand tour of the finest bar in town at the behest of your father.”

He scoffed, “Trust me, after my last pair of jeans were ruined, I certainly have no more plans of leading anyone on a sightseeing expedition. Especially if it’s with bleached-blonde bimbos, as you so eloquently phrased it.”

“Good,” Stephanie said. “Demand five, and it’s my last demand.”

“Oh, better make it a good one,” Jeffrey joked.

Stephanie grinned. “Kiss me.”

Jeffrey blinked, caught a bit off-guard at the different course the demand took but grinning at the request. “That, I certainly can do,” he murmured, leaning in and kissing her softy.

Stephanie smiled, wheeling her chair closer as she melted into the kiss, tangling a hand in Jeffrey’s hair and guiding his hand to wrap around her waist and rest steadily at the exposed small of her back.

Jeffrey hummed, moving his hands down lower to wrap around her thighs and hoist her up. Stephanie giggled as she was deposited onto Jeffrey’s lap, sitting sideways. She bent down, joining their lips back together in another kiss as she leaned her body into his chest. He wrapped strong arms around her waist, lips moving against hers gently as he teasingly bit her lip.

She groaned, pressing herself closer as she pried his mouth open gently, teasingly brushing her tongue along the roof of his mouth. He massaged her back gently, holding her tighter as the kiss continued.

“Oh my God!”

Stephanie and Jeffrey broke the kiss, eyes widening as they looked at the intruder who had caught them.

“Wait!” Stephanie said as the person ran from the door, phone that had just snapped a picture of the kissing couple still in hand.

Jeffrey and Stephanie’s eyes met, both shocked.

“What are we going to do?” Stephanie muttered.

The timer went off, and Jeffrey buried his face in Stephanie’s neck. He sighed, “I have no clue. They have a picture of the son and step-daughter of the city’s richest man and his new wife making out; the ball’s in their court.”

Stephanie groaned, running a hand through his hair in an act of reassurance that she didn’t feel. “So what, we wait?”

Jeffrey nodded, squeezing her tight. “Yeah, we wait.”

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BONUS

UNSTABLE
(book 3)

By Elisa Elliot

It had been a month since that fateful photo was taken in the conference room of the fundraiser, meaning it had been a month since Stephanie’s and Jeffrey’s lives had been thrown into turmoil. They still didn’t know the identity of the photographer, but it didn’t matter. The next morning the picture of them kissing with the headline ‘Billionaire Incest’ or a similar title had been splashed across every magazine in the newsstand. Their romance was trending on Twitter and the two of them had been dodging calls from reporters ever since.

Joseph and Dianne had been strangely silent on the topic. They had expressed disappointment in their poor choice to ‘engage in activities’ at a fundraiser. Stephanie’s mother hadn’t spoken to her directly much, but Stephanie definitely knew that she was upset over the whole situation, and probably blamed Stephanie. The entire thing just made her so mad. She didn’t ask to be photographed. She didn’t ask to have her privacy invaded, and yet that’s exactly what happened.

And now, every time Stephanie so much as left her apartment, there was at least one reporter or photographer shouting for her attention or hoping to get a candid photo. Her building manager had talked to her, saying that a few people had filed complaints about difficulty getting into the building or people harassing them to be let in the hopes of getting to Stephanie’s apartment. Joseph had put one of his personal security guards at the front desk, but that couldn’t keep the press from waiting on the sidewalk outside.

Despite all this however, Stephanie and Jeffrey had continued to see one another. It was difficult, and the majority of their dates happened in one or the other’s apartment, but they were doing well. In fact, Stephanie was currently preparing for a night out with him. They had taken to role-playing. At least, role-playing of a sort. Every time they went out in public they wore a new disguise with a new name and they always paid in cash.

Currently, Stephanie was securing the short black wig she’d asked one of Joseph’s drivers to buy to her head. She also wore deep red lipstick that she was now very fond of, a black sundress with a matching black sunhat, and red heels. Jeffrey and Stephanie still referred to each other by their real names, but each time Stephanie dressed up she couldn’t help giving herself a codename along with a back story. She had once told Jeffrey this and he had laughed, kissing her on the cheek and cooing that it was adorable. Stephanie had felt embarrassed at the time, but after their last few dates in which she had caught Jeffrey posing in the mirror, she had a sneaking suspicion that he did the same thing.

Tonight, Stephanie was Natasha. A sultry seductress that ensnared men in her gentle grip and then gave them the night of their lives, only to disappear and leave them forever wondering where she was. She grinned at herself in the mirror, doing a little turn and chuckling. Jeffrey wouldn’t know what hit him.

-x-x-x-

If Jeffrey had to be completely honest with himself, he enjoyed this dress up game they were playing. He knew it wasn’t a game; in fact, he found it quite annoying at times when he couldn’t just go out with Stephanie any time he wanted in his regular clothing, but he did manage to find some enjoyment in their situation.

And that enjoyment came from letting himself play the role of whatever guy he wanted. Tonight, Stephanie would definitely be surprised when she saw him. On their last date Stephanie had complained that he always had some version of the same ‘douchey jock’ look going on. And he admitted it, she was right; he had switched from the leather jackets and black jeans to sports pants, tight muscle shirts and baseball caps whenever they went out together. But tonight, he was dressed in something he liked to call ‘geek chic’.

He had taken out his contacts and put on his seldom-worn round glasses, and had forgone spiking his hair with the gel he usually ran through it in the morning. He wore a plaid button-up tucked into his meticulously-ironed khaki pants. The look was only elevated by the black suspenders and matching black shoes he wore.

He posed in the mirror, snapping his suspenders playfully and then wincing at the sting when they snapped back to his chest. He checked his watch; it was getting late and the driver would be here soon to pick him up and take him to the surprise venue that Stephanie had decided on.

He took a deep breath, looking at himself in the mirror as he ran a nervous hand through his hair. Tonight was the night. He wanted to make it official, and had planned on asking Stephanie to officially be his girlfriend. He felt like such a little kid asking a girl on the playground to be his valentine, but he couldn’t help it. He was nervous. So nervous in fact that, after about half an hour of trying to determine just what he would say, he decided that when the moment came he would just wing it. But, as he got closer and closer to when he would leave to see Stephanie, he was starting to think that that was a bad idea.

He sighed, looking at his watch once more before grabbing the keys to his apartment and heading down the hall, down the stairs, and out a side door where the car was waiting outside of the reach of the paparazzi.

“So, I don’t suppose that you could tell me where we’re headed, huh Brad?” Jeffrey asked through the car’s partition.

His driver smiled, meeting his eyes through the rear-view mirror. “I’m afraid not; I’ve received very strict instructions from Ms. Stephanie not to tell you. In fact, I was even threatened with bodily harm. Sir, I’ve served as a driver and bodyguard for seventeen years, but that woman struck the fear of God in me and I don’t fancy crossing her anytime soon.”

Jeffrey sighed, sitting back in the seat with a small smile on his face. If nothing else, Stephanie was a strong woman with a fiery personality, and that was one of the things he loved most about her. He couldn’t wait to see her.

-x-x-x-

Stephanie was excited. The driver Joseph had hired had just dropped her off and, from the text she had received from Jeffrey’s driver when he had stopped at a light, Jeffrey would be there in five minutes.

She waited, considering whether or not she should pose herself to heighten the effect when he first saw her. However, her considerations were in vain when Jeffrey’s car pulled up, two minutes earlier than scheduled.

She hurriedly brushed her dress off, although the supposed dirt she was attempting to rid it of was nonexistent, and made sure that she was standing up straight as she waited for the backseat door to open.

Jeffrey had strictly told his drivers that he didn’t want any of them to open his doors for him. In fact, he had asked not to have drivers at all, but his father had refused, claiming that his driving on two wheels was scary enough and he couldn’t bear to think of the damage he could do with four.

Soon enough, Jeffrey had opened his own door, saying something kind to the driver before climbing out and turning to face Stephanie. As he took in her appearance his eyes widened, his mouth hanging open on the word he had just been ready to say.

Finally, he seemed to recover himself somewhat. “You look. . .”

Stephanie smiled as he trailed off, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yes?”

He swallowed. “Wow, um, I . . . Yeah, you look . . . wow, you look wow.”

“Wow?”

“Wow,” he said, smiling.

Stephanie laughed. “Why thank you. And you look wow too.”

Jeffrey smiled, walking towards her and taking her hand. She grinned, coming in closer and smiling as Jeffrey gave her a lingering kiss.

“So, what shall I call you?” Jeffrey asked, hand still placed on the small of her back to keep her close.

Stephanie blushed. “I told you; it’s not a codename thing.”

“Mhmm,” Jeffrey hummed, clearly not buying what she was selling. “Well then, what name did you call yourself in your mind when you got dressed and looked in the mirror tonight?”

Stephanie mumbled something inaudible and Jeffrey’s grin broadened, raising an eyebrow in interest.

“I’m sorry; what was that?” he asked.

Stephanie sighed, looking up at him through her lashes before shaking her head at the silliness of it all. “I said, Natasha.”

Jeffrey snorted out a laugh. “Natasha; I like it. Very sexy, spy seductress. Which, I’m guessing you were aiming for, what with your skin tight, sultry outfit; am I right?”

“Sexy huh?” Stephanie asked, holding on to his suspenders lightly and giving them a gently tug, avoiding his question.

“The sexiest,” Jeffrey growled, kissing her neck before Stephanie pushed him away gently.

“Come on; we’re here to have some fun, not dillydally with other things,” Stephanie chastised.

“Dillydally?” Jeffrey snorted, “what are you, sixty? And I thought we were having some fun?”

“Not that kind of fun,” Stephanie chuckled, grabbing his hand and leading him down the sidewalk to the old, nondescript building down the street.

“So where are we anyway?” Jeffrey asked, looking for some kind of sign to give him a hint of what they were heading into.

“I can’t tell you that either,” Stephanie said over her shoulder, grinning.

“So is everything a secret then?”

“Yep; I’m a spy, remember?” Stephanie quipped. “Well, I mean, I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you. And Natasha knows over a hundred ways to get the job done with just her shoe.”

“You know, oddly enough, that’s the opposite of a turnoff,” Jeffrey teased. “Wait; isn’t the entrance to the building on the other side?” he asked in confusion as Stephanie led him around to the opposite side.

“Very astute; yes, the entrance is on the other side, but we’re not going into the building.”

“Then where?” Jeffrey asked, more than baffled now. The only other buildings in the vicinity were all closed and the houses surrounding them all seemed to be full of sleeping occupants or homeowners at least preparing for bed.

“Right here.” Stephanie grinned, gesturing to the water tower in front of him.

Jeffrey looked up, scratching his head and wrinkling his nose unwittingly as he tried to determine if there was something in front of him that he was simply missing.

“That’s a water tower,” Jeffrey said blankly.

“Yes babe,” she grinned, pecking him on the cheek, “never let it be said that I fell for you for your brains.”

“Haha,” he said dryly, looking up at the tall, blue figure before them. “I’m just saying, on our last date I took you to a French bistro, and now, when you wanted to plan it, you take me to a water tower. I’m not saying it’s a competition, but if it were, let’s just say that I won and you barely crossed the starting line.”

“You’re going to eat those words later,” Stephanie said, grabbing on to a rung on the ladder leading to the top of the tower, “now come on.”

Jeffrey balked as Stephanie began climbing up the ladder to the top of the water tower.  “What are you doing?” he hissed, looking around to check for cops that may pop out from the shadows and arrest them.

“Come on; what are you, scared?” Stephanie called, already a fourth of the way to the top.

“No!” Jeffrey said defensively, crossing his arms.  He gulped, nervous. Carefully, his hands took hold of one of the rungs on the ladder as he hoisted himself up, beginning to climb as he followed after Stephanie. “You know,” he began, “from this angle I can see up your skirt.”

“Jeffrey!” Stephanie said, her voice high from shocked outrage, “don’t you dare.”

“Well, they always tell people that are afraid of heights not to look down, and all things considered, there’s nothing else worthwhile to look at, so I’m almost forced to look up.”

“I will throw this shoe at you!” Stephanie said, the outrage in her face betrayed by a quiet laugh. She began to climb faster, Jeffrey following suit as he tried to keep up.

Finally, Stephanie reached the top, Jeffrey a mere thirty seconds behind her before he too reached the top of the ladder and climbed onto the tower’s ledge, gripping on to the rails to ensure that he kept his balance.

“So, we’re at the top; now what?”

Stephanie smirked mysteriously, turning from him to face the tower’s door before knocking sharply three times.

“Still not telling me what’s happening here?” Jeffrey asked.

“Nope.”

“Password?”

Jeffrey jumped as a small square panel that he hadn’t seen before in the door to the water tower opened and a pair of blue eyes looked out at them.

“The white crow flies at dawn,” Stephanie said clearly, earning an even more confused look from Jeffrey. A second later the wooden panel in the door was closed and after a clicking sound the door opened, a man in a top hat and tailed suit gesturing the two of them inside with a sweep of his cane.

“What in the world is this?” Jeffrey asked, awestruck, as he followed Stephanie in over the threshold.

The water tower was quite large. The inside was painted a pale shade of blue with purple and red paper lamps draped across the ceiling. There was a fully-stocked bar on the adjacent wall of the tower and a black and white tile dance floor in the center of the room. On the edge of the tower were small circle tables with large, cozy and plush chairs covered with purple velvet.

The music playing in the room was smooth, soothing jazz, and there was a wide array of people in the room, ranging from those quite nicely dressed to those in costumes and even those still in everyday clothes. Jeffrey thought he and Stephanie were a combination of all three.