Stepbrother: Caught in the Act: (A Forbidden Billionaire Romance) (Stepbrother Caught In The Act Book 1) Read online

  About the Author

  Stephanie Brother writes scintillating stories with step-siblings as their main romantic focus. She's always been curious about the forbidden, and this is her way of exploring such complex relationships that threaten to keep her couples apart. As she writes her way to her dream job, Ms. Brother hopes that her readers will enjoy the full emotional and romantic experience as much as she's enjoyed writing them.

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  © 2015 Stephanie Brother

  All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the author’s imagination.

  Please note that this work is intended only for adults over the age of 18 and all characters represented as 18 or over.

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  Stepbrother: Caught in the Act

  a forbidden billionaire romance

  Part 1

  By

  Stephanie Brother

  Part I.

  “So, what did you do this time?”

  “None of your damned business.” Matt Simmons said as he leaned against the brick wall of Harrison High School and took a long drag off his cigarette.

  “You know dad will find out. Maybe I can help…?” Holly offered hesitantly. Her long dark hair caught in the breeze and whipped around her face.

  “Princess, go home. I don’t give a damn about your dad.” His voice held nothing but contempt.

  With that, Matt threw down his cigarette butt and stomped on it. He turned his back to Holly, walking away without giving her a second glance.

  Holly watched his tall, broad-shouldered figure as he stalked off the school grounds, over the crest of Coburn hill and into the woods that surrounded the High School. She didn’t have to guess where he was going.

  The school druggies, delinquents, and dropouts hung out in The Den, as the area was called, and it’s where Matt spent most of his days.

  She sighed, hiked up her backpack, and started the mile-long walk home. Holly knew there was nothing she could do for Matt. That is, nothing beyond what she hadn’t already tried.

  Her stepbrother had been in a downward spiral for the last 3 years, ever since his mom had died in a car crash. Matt’s biological dad was in prison and Holly’s father, Ernie, never let Matt forget that he was turning out to be scum, just like his real old man.

  Ernie was also clear on what a burden Matt was on the family, and how all the money he spent on a “low life” like Matt would be better spent on Holly’s college fund. Holly, had a future, was Ernie’s refrain, and Matt’s future leads straight to prison.

  But, Ernie was stuck with him— at least until Matt was eighteen or finished high school— because there was no one else to take Matt in.

  Oh, Ernie had looked into dumping Matt onto the state, but when he found out that the state foster care system would garnish his pay as a form of child support, Ernie changed his tune and let Matt stay. At least under his roof, he wouldn’t cost as much money, even if he was a thorn in Ernie’s side.

  Ernie and Matt were both counting down the minutes until Matt graduated from high school and turned 18 in a few months, just a few days before Holly’s own birthday.

  As for Holly? Well, she saw the looming deadline of Matt’s birthday with trepidation. What would happen to Matt when he left? Where would he go? More importantly…

  …How would she be able to live without him?

  Matt had come into her life when she was an awkward 13 year-old with braces and a massive pair of thick glasses, but she’d had a crush on him from the first time she saw him.

  He had been part of the cool crowd, but she had been part of the invisible crowd. The Boring Girls, they were called, and she couldn’t fault the description.

  Plump and plain, she and her friends faded into the background while they focused on their studies. That didn’t stop her from day-dreaming about being swept off her feet by her effortlessly cool and dangerous crush, Matt, though.

  There was no harm in daydreaming, right?

  And then… Her dad started dating Matt’s mom, which only caused Holly’s daydreams do go in overdrive from her proximity to Matt, even though he barely acknowledged her presence.

  Six months later Ernie had married Samantha, his secretary who came from the “bad” part of town, which caused quite the scandal.

  At the quickie courthouse wedding, Holly knew she had to put her fantasies aside— she couldn’t have a crush on her stepbrother! It was so wrong!

  Her braces came off and she got contacts, but she knew she had to stuff her feelings down— as far as they could go— and she swore her best friend, Becky, to secrecy, making her pinky swear she’d never breathe a word of her forbidden thoughts about her new stepbrother.

  A mere eight months after the wedding, Matt’s mom was gone, killed by a drunk driver. Ernie retreated and became even more surly, and Matt?

  Well, Matt was never the same again.

  * * *

  “Four months, that’s how much longer I have to put up with his bullshit!”

  Overhearing those words, Matt rolled his eyes as he stood on the back porch of the largest McMansion at the end of the perfectly manicured cul-de-sac and waited. He didn’t mind waiting. If he timed it right he’d be able to sneak back up to his bedroom just after most of the lights were out but before Ernie locked the doors for the night.

  Up to the bedroom that had never felt like his bedroom.

  In the house that had never felt like his house.

  In the room next to the girl who… certainly didn’t feel like his sister.

  Ernie had confiscated his keys a year ago after Matt had destroyed the cafeteria. Instigating an impromptu food fight hadn’t been intentional, he had just hated the sloppy joes they’d been serving that day. No matter where Matt went, trouble seemed to follow him.

  The words juvenile delinquent and military school had been tossed around, but Matt knew that as much as Ernie wanted to get rid of him, he was way too cheap to shell out money of any kind to send him away.

  And so they lived together, in an uneasy state of war, Ernie never letting Matt forget that he was the son of a drug-dealing thief who was rotting away in prison. Matt always knowing he would never really belong in the high-class world Holly could claim by birthright.

  Matt should have hated Holly— a prim and prissy little miss goody-two shoes was how he had pegged her when they first met, and he hadn’t been too far off.

  He had rolled her eyes at her efforts to save the rainforest… and the whales… and the polar bears… and the— well, she was always saving something. And ever since his mom died Holly had been focusing her efforts on saving him.

  But I don’t need saving, he thought to himself angrily. I just need to be left alone.

  He saw the lights flicker and then turn off, and silently he pulled the patio door open and slipped inside, the dark shadows hiding his muscular frame as he crept up the stairs and into his room.

  * * *

  “Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,Whi
ch mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that… that… God! Holly, help me out here!”

  Becky was twirling her long red hair and chewing gum a the same time, her long, lithe legs propped up against the wall as she reclined on Holly’s ornate four-poster bed.

  “That pilgrims' hands do touch,” Holly prompted.

  “That pilgrims’ hands do touch,” Becky dutifully parroted back. Then she sighed, “Damn it, I’m never going to get this down!”

  “It’s just an audition you know— they don’t expect you to have it memorized. Anyway— do you know what the chances are of either of us getting cast in this thing? Slim and none, and Slim just left town…” Holly gave Becky a crooked smile.

  Becky flopped her arms back dramatically and covered her eyes as Holly laid back next to her. “I know, I know— it’s just, can you imagine what a smash it would be for our senior year? To go out in a blaze of glory?”

  “Ummm… I don’t think that’s what “blaze of glory” means…” Holly tried to interject, but Becky was too far gone.

  “The spring play is the event of the year! For three years we’ve said we’ll get the courage to audition, but I swear, Holly! This time we’re really going to do it! No more chickening out!”

  “No more chickening out,” Holly dutifully intoned. She turned a page in the script. “Now, try again—“

  “That pilgrims’ hands do touch…”

  “No! From the beginning!”

  “I don’t remember the beginning…”

  “Becky!”

  The girls couldn’t contain their laughter and erupted into giggles.

  On the other side of Holly’s wall Matt threw a rubber ball against the ceiling, listening to the sound of their laughter as it wafted in though his open window. He shut his eyes, the sound of their laughter almost painful to him.

  But he made no move to close the window.

  * * *

  “Matt, I don’t know what to tell you— I mean, you obviously know the material, but you’re just never in class! I can’t pass you if you’re never in class!” Mrs. Bearmon looked at him over the top of her horn-rimmed spectacles.

  Matt stared off into space defiantly and shrugged his broad shoulders. He raked his hand through his dark wavy hair and waited for her to continue. Lectures. Always lectures. He was used to waiting out lectures.

  The middle-aged teacher watched him expectantly, hoping he would say something. When he didn’t she sighed, “I know you’ve had a hard time of it since your mom died…”

  “That has nothing to do with it…” he mumbled, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.

  Mrs. Bearmon gave him a hard assessing look, and simply shook her head. “Matt, I can’t pass you with such little class participation, and without this class you won’t graduate.”

  “I know.”

  “You know? Is that all you have to say for yourself? What do you do when you skip? Where do you go?”

  Matt just shrugged. He couldn’t tell her— didn’t want to tell her. It’s not that he didn’t care about graduating, it’s just that he had— well, he just didn’t care that much about anything. He was just counting down the clock until he could get the hell out of Harrison.

  “Fine. Fine.” Mrs. Bearmon threw up her hands, her petite frame slumped over her desk. “I can’t stand to watch you throw your life away, Matt! Is this really what you think your mom would want for you? Is it?”

  That got a reaction from him, his grey eyes flashed and Mrs. Bearmon could see the flicker of pain behind them, emotion that Matt kept carefully hidden.

  He raised his eyes to hers and met her hard, unflinching stare, but he remained silent. Maggie Bearmon could see the anguish behind them though, pain barely kept at bay, and it fanned the flames of compassion and empathy deep in her soul.

  “I’ll tell you what, Matt. I’ll give you one last chance to bring up your grade. I’m directing the spring play this year— Romeo & Juliet— You might have heard of it.” She gave a wry smile.

  “It was my mom’s favorite,” Matt said softly, almost to himself. “She loved the old version directed by Zeffirelli.”

  Mrs. Bearmon gave him a small, encouraging smile. “That’s mine too. Here’s the deal—you audition for the play, and be in the crew or the cast— even if it’s just standing in the background as a tree— and I’ll pass you. How does that sound?”

  Matt looked at her steadily, assessing her, looking for an angle. Life had taught him that people rarely did anything for any altruistic purpose, but he couldn’t find any angle that Mrs. Bearmon might be working.

  Hesitantly he nodded.

  Mrs. Bearmon smiled widely. “Great. Auditions are tomorrow at four o’clock. Be on time, Mr. Simmons, or our deal is off.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  * * *

  In the darkened auditorium murmurs went through the crowd as each new student climbed up onto the stage to try their luck at claiming a role.

  “You didn’t tell me there would be so many people here,” Holly hissed to Becky, suddenly overcome with fear by the idea so many people would be watching her.

  The popular kids, the jocks, the theater nerds, the honor society kids, the stoners… it didn’t matter. At Harrison High School, everyone wanted to be a part of the plays.

  In such an affluent neighborhood the production value was sky-high, and talent scouts were known to frequent Harrison High productions in the hopes of finding the next breakout star. Two members from the class of ’03 had made it onto Broadway in the chorus for Mama Mia! And Amanda Aldridge from the class two years ahead of Holly had been plucked from obscurity to star in her own show on Nickelodeon.

  As Holly watched the other students go up and audition one by one, she felt she might throw up. And then— her name was called.

  “Holly Reid”

  On wobbly legs she made her way up to the stage, and when she was up there she was suddenly grateful for the darkness of the auditorium and the light shining in her eyes. She couldn’t see the director or anyone else in the audience.

  You’re all alone in here… you’re just practicing in your bedroom… you’re all alone… you’re just reciting your lines to yourself… She told herself over and over again, willing herself to still her body and calm down.

  She cleared her throat. “Holly Reid, I’ll be reading the part of Juliet.”

  Hesitantly she started the famous monologue she knew by heart, and as she started speaking she found her voice growing strong, and her emotions more passionate.

  “O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet!”

  The rest was a blur.

  She seriously thought she might have blacked out or something because while the words tumbled out of her, she had no conscious awareness of speaking them.

  She was off the stage and into the hallway outside the auditorium moments later, the rush still leaving her feeling dizzy and high.

  Becky joined her out in the atrium, jumping up and down, squealing with delight. “Oh, Holly! That was perfection! Honestly! I never thought you’d go through with it, I was sure you’d back out! But, oh! Oh! Holly you were so good!

  “You have to say that! You’re my best friend! It’s practically in the best friend constitution or something,” Holly teased.

  Becky looked at her playfully and shoved her in the ribs. “I get to say that because you’re my best friend! I can’t wait— I can see it now!” She waved her hands at the ceiling, gesturing wildly, “Golden Globe Winner, Holly Reid! Academy Award Winning Actress, Holly Reid!”

  “Why not ‘Academy Award Winning Actress, Rebecca Bloomfield,’” Holly teased back.

  “Um… well… probably because I didn’t actually go through with my audition…”

  Becky ducked as Holly swatted at her, shrieking, “What! You traitor!”

  “I couldn’t, Holl! Did you see how many peo
ple were watching!”

  “Arrrgh! You….!” Holly tried to grab Becky, but Becky was already running from her, laughing as her long legs carried her away.

  As the girls ran off down the hall, slinging their backpacks over their shoulders, they didn’t notice Matt pulling open the heavy doors to the auditorium.

  * * *

  The next day in school, Holly heard the squeals before she turned the corner. There, clustered like hens around the bulletin board were about twenty of the most incongruous students Holly had ever seen in one place. Drama geeks, the popular pretty people, the stoners who worked crew and shop— all of them gathered around the board, gawking.

  “Well, you know,” McKenzie Wilkes sniffed haughtily and loudly as Holly approached, “The really good part in Romeo and Juliet is the Nurse. I mean, everyone knows that. Juliet is just such a boring character.”

  McKenzie’s acolytes nodded in agreement.

  Holly wasn’t even listening as the crowd parted before her and she looked up at the board, her hands clenched nervously.

  CAST LIST

  Juliet - Holly Reid

  Nurse - McKenzie Wilkes

  Mercutio - Jake Cho

  Tybalt - Jeff Anderson

  Lady Capulet - Riley Banks

  (Continued on Reverse side)

  No.

  Way.

  Holly’s stood, slack-jawed, the thought that she might have the lead in the school play barely sinking in when Becky came careening around the corner.

  “Holly! I just heard! Oh my God!”

  Becky stopped talking when she realized all eyes were on her, but she quickly pushed her way through the crowd to be by Holly’s side.

  “Oh, Holly!” She said, her voiced hushed and urgent. “I’m so sorry!” Becky bent her head close to Holly’s so that the others wouldn’t hear her.

  “Sorry? For what?” Holly gestured to the board. “Didn’t you see!? I made it!”

  Stricken, Becky looked at Holly, her eyes wide. “Holl— I know! It’s not that! It’s… well, it’s who Romeo is!”

  Holly looked at the board again, reached up and started to flip the paper. “Why, who is Romeo?”