Billionaire Stepbrother's Promise (A Forbidden Romance) Read online

  Even though Jenny didn’t know the reason for why I’d been pretty much single all my life, she never stopped trying to set me up.

  “Thanks, I guess,” I whispered back. “He’s pretty cute.”

  I wasn’t just saying that. With light blonde hair and pool blue eyes, Samuel looked like a model off duty. His tux was stylishly cut, and he had a great smile too. He was built big, like a football player. He waved over a waiter and got me a drink as I pulled back from Jenny,

  “Hi,” I said as I shook his hand. “I’m Clarissa.”

  “Pleased to meet you. I’m Sam,” he said. His handshake was firm. “Jenny was telling me how you were starting up your own company?”

  “That’s right,” I said, my voice becoming excited. “I’m going to reveal it tonight, so don’t say anything yet.”

  “I’ve got a business myself too. I would be happy to give you some pointers.”

  “That would be fantastic,” I said with a big smile.

  Jenny caught sight of another of my friends and moved off with her boyfriend, her wingwoman duty done. After ten minutes though, I wished that she hadn’t. Though Sam might have been cute, he wasn’t very… exciting. It seemed as though his company was the only thing that mattered to him. I tried to steer the conversation a few times into other topics, but he just barrelled right over me.

  Not only that, but I caught sight of Aiden at one point too. He was walking along with a different blonde on his arm now. Nikki hadn’t lasted long as usual. I could see him on the upper patio, leaning close to the new woman. At one point his hand reached up and swept away a ringlet from her forehead, and she laughed.

  I felt an intense pang of longing. Why couldn’t it be me up there with him? I wanted to be the one to lean into his face, to feel the rush of heat from his touch, to have his arm around my waist. My need was only amplified by having Sam beside me instead. I will say this for Aiden, I was never bored with him around. We might not always agree, but conversations were lively. They made my mind and my body feel alive as we sparred. In those moments, he wasn’t Aiden the asshole playboy, but Aiden, my stepbrother, again.

  Just as I was trying yet again to pull away from Sam, it was announced that the auction was about to begin. He looked pretty put out by the fact that his sermon had to stop halfway, but I was glad for the distraction. With one last apologetic smile, I took off for the back.

  The auction was set up so that each person would come out along with the item/whatever was being sold and explain a little about the charity of their choice. We managed to get a guy from Sotheby’s to help us do the auction, one of those who could speak a mile a minute kinds. There was a big turnout from what I could see at the back of the small stage we set up. All of the chairs we had set out were filled, and there were even more people standing around the room.

  I craned my head a little further and spotted Aiden walking down to a seat near the front row. In his hands was a paddle. My heart sped up a little faster. I hadn’t realized that he would be bidding tonight. He had no interest in art or sculptures, so I wondered what it could be that had had caught his attention. Maybe he plans to bid on me, I thought, before quickly discarding the thought. He didn’t care about what I did anymore, and he never holds the kind of parties that would require my services.

  The Sotheby’s man cleared his throat, and I ducked back behind the curtain. Jenny was there too. Her contribution was a weeklong stay at her family’s private island in the Virgin Islands. It was actually an amazing offer. It was a totally private, and yet fully staffed. The perfect lovers getaway.

  “So, what did you think?” she asked excitedly.

  “Well,” I said, wondering just how friendly Samuel and her boyfriend was. “He’s led a very interesting life. He had a lot of good business advice.”

  “Right?!” She said. “I figured you two would totally bond over the whole business company thing. I mean, he likes to work too according to Jared. I think he doesn’t even take weekends off half the time.”

  I could definitely believe that. I gave Jenny a quick smile and shrugged.

  “I guess we’ll just have to see how it goes.”

  I didn’t really like lying to Jenny about how I felt, but lately I noticed there was a… fervour to her matchmaking. I knew that her and Jared were pretty close to taking the plunge, and I wondered if maybe she didn’t want to feel bad about her own happiness when I had never had mine. Not that I could really explain to her my reasons. Even for a best friend, it would be tough to swallow something like having a crush on your stepbrother.

  The bidding took a long time, which wasn’t surprising. Everyone wanted to be seen donating the most to charities. I was second to last, and by that time a quarter of the room had gone back out to the party in the garden. The Sotheby’s man announced my name, and I stepped out into the light. I waved as everyone clapped and made my way over to the podium.

  I took a deep breath. It was always hard for me to stand up in front of a crowd like this. Out of habit, my eyes searched for Aiden. He was smiling at me, and even gave me a thumbs up, just like he used to whenever I had a piano recital.

  “The charity I’ve chosen to donate to tonight is called Celebrate Life. What they do is help bring joy to kids who are struggling, or have beaten cancer. In addition to organizing events for kids to gather and find support, they have week long summer camps all across the country. Celebrate has a special place in my heart, because I was put in charge of one of their parties just a little while back. They are amazing, and so are the smiles on each child’s face when they show up at a Celebrate event. Thank you.”

  I squared my shoulders as everyone clapped.

  “Tonight I’ll be offering to plan out the party as the very first event of my new company, Clarissa Boutique Events! It’s been a long time coming I think, and I am very excited.”

  I paused and stepped back as the clapping started up again. My eyes were still fixed on Aiden, but he had his head down, as if he was busy texting. A frown momentarily darkened my face, but I pushed it away. I wasn’t going to let Aiden take this away from me. Tonight was my night. I was so hopeful about all this, even if my mom and stepfather disapproved. I knew that I’d never inherit any of the Durant money, and this was my own way forward.

  The Sotheby’s man came up to the podium, and announced bidding to start at $10,000. Right away a few paddles went up. My whole mood brightened then, because I knew that it was going to be an amazing party if people were bidding for my services at this price. I was hoping for a movie star to pick me, and then I’d be a household name.

  The number climbed up, higher and higher. I could hear Sam bidding, though he dropped out pretty quickly. I guess he picked up on my lack of enthusiasm, I thought. At some point, I could hear whispering. Mine was the biggest entry so far. I was so elated that it took me a few seconds to register someone yell out.

  “$100,000.”

  A murmur rushed through the crowd. My head jerked up, hoping that for once it was who I wanted. And it was ! I gasped when my eyes fixed upon Aiden, lifting the paddle into the air. The Sotheby man was equally surprised by how high he had jumped. Raising his eyebrows, he paused, but nobody said anything at all.

  “Going once… going twice… Sold! To number 416. Please make your way over to the side here to finalize your contribution.”

  I walked over in a daze, shocked not only by the fact that I had managed such a large contribution, but by who had bid on me. In the background I could hear another girl, this one offering to give a full body makeover.

  As I walked up slowly to the desk at the side, I could see Aiden all by himself. The blonde he was with was nowhere in sight. My steps were slow. I wasn’t sure I was ready to face him. After all, ever since he’d come back, he’d paid me very little attention. He didn’t even to care one way or another what I was doing, and when he had, it was never good. So to find that he had won me at the auction made me wary. For all I knew, he wasn’t going to throw any party at a
ll, and that would not be a good start for my business.

  “Now please just sign here,” the lady at the table said.

  I wanted to pull him aside, and demand to know what he was doing before he did, but it was too late anyways. The auction had already moved on, and I wasn’t going to be getting a second chance. At least, not without a lot of embarrassment and questions.

  “Here you go,” Aiden replied as he finished up and handed over a check.

  “Thank you. I know that Celebrate Life will be very grateful for your generosity!”

  He smiled and shook the lady’s hand, then turned around to face me. I could see a big smile on his face as he leaned in and gave me a hug.

  “Sis! Have I told you how proud I am that you’re going to be making your own way?”

  I pasted on a smile as I leaned and gave him a hug. Before I could pull away though, his strong arms tightened around me, holding me close. For just a moment, his lips brushed up against my bare neck, and my eyes fluttered. My neck was my weak spot. I always melted whenever anyone kissed or bit it.

  “Aiden,” I whispered. “What are you doing?”

  Slowly he pulled away. His hazel eyes were hooded, and a shiver ran through me. Why couldn’t I look away from his gaze? He straightened up, and I wobbled a little on my own two feet.

  “Well, I had to support my little sister in any way I can,” he said. The lady at the desk nodded approvingly, but I was still suspicious.

  “I think we should have a talk. Alone.”

  Chapter Three

  I walked outside of the auction room and into the main hall where the gala was in full swing. The heavy velvet drapes by the windows let in little light, to encourage everyone to let loose. I smiled distractedly at people as they passed by. As the waiter went by I picked up a glass of wine and downed it. I’d need the liquid courage if I was going to have a talk with Aiden. It was almost impossible to find a quiet place to chat. Instead, he tugged on my arm and gestured toward the window. The velvet drapes had covered up the entrance to an empty balcony, and we slipped through gratefully for a moment of peace.

  Aiden walked forward toward the stone railing of the balcony, and all I could do was follow. We spent a few minutes looking down at the people below. Up close by his side, I squeezed my thighs together involuntarily as my body reacted to his proximity. I’d given up trying to figure out what made this man so attractive to me.

  “So, is this party business thing for real?” His tone was light and surprisingly candid. It changed his whole countenance, so that he looked approachable for once.

  “Yeah,” I said, startled by his friendliness. Was this really the same Aiden who made snarky comments about me doing the same work that the help did?

  “I’m glad. You need to be doing something to get out from my stepfather’s thumb.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, confused. “I’m doing this for… for myself.”

  “I mean, that I’m glad you’re going to have a means to your own income. That way you never owe my father a thing, and he can’t just decide what he wants for you.”

  My eyes opened in surprise as I saw how bitter Aiden seemed to be. Somehow this had shifted from being about me to himself. I thought carefully back on everything. Going abroad to learn the business, his dreams of being a lawyer suddenly gone, those glances I’d catch from him sometimes…

  “You mean…”

  “Yes. I never wanted to go Clarissa,” he said, his voice low. “Don’t ever think that I did.”

  “I don’t understand.“

  “I mean I didn’t want to leave you. My dad had things figured out. It didn’t take a lot, and back then I wasn’t half as good as hiding my thoughts from him as I am now.”

  My whole body lifted with every word he uttered.

  “He threatened to cut you off and cast you out. He’d found your dad, dug him out from some trailer park. He told me he’d prop him up so that he could claim custody or something. He was going to ruin your life if I didn’t do what he said.”

  My hands tightened onto my dress with every word. I felt like my whole world was spinning, everything I thought I knew tumbling down around my ears. Aiden looked at me, his eyes burning from the choice he had to make. I could see the pain that was in his eyes, pain that he’d forged into a hard shell.

  “I was trying to protect you.”

  “So our promise. You hadn’t forgotten?”

  “No! Of course not! It was tough to convince him that I didn’t care for you anymore. It had gotten to the point where I thought I’d never convince him. And of course, by then, it seemed like you hated my guts. Honestly, I wanted to have this talk much earlier… but I didn’t think it’d serve any purpose.”

  “No purpose! Aiden, of course it would!”

  My face flushed. Things had proceeded so quickly. Even though I’d thought about it so many times, I didn’t ever think he’d be attracted back to me still. I had seen the women he took to bed every night. How could he not have enjoyed that on some level? But his expression was so pained, so sincere. I wanted to believe.

  “Really?”

  “Yes! I could have told you that I…”

  Could I say it? Should I? My heart wavered, still afraid that he could take away all that he said in an instant.

  “That I still felt the same.”

  I didn’t have to wait for his reply. His hands reached forward to cup my face and lift them up towards his as his lips claimed mine. He pressed his mouth against mine roughly, urgently, as if letting go of years of pent up emotion. I felt his tongue against me, probing at my lip until I opened up and let him in. We tangled deliciously together, my body melting in the fiery kiss. My hands reached for his chest to steady myself, warm tendrils of heat curling around my core.

  “We can’t. Somebody will see us,” I gasped as he let me go at last.

  Even as I protested, my nipples hardened at the thought. I could see his eyes, darkened with unabashed lust at my fertile body.

  “You’re afraid of what those people think?” he waved down at the crowd below. The very best of New York had gathered here tonight. Any of them could look up and see us.

  “Well no,” I said, unwilling to close the door on his offer. This was what I had wanted. Did it really make sense for me to blow it? I wasn’t going to be seeing him again after tonight.

  He waited.

  “You’re my brother! What are people going to say?” I protested again weakly. I knew I should just enjoy it for what it was-a chance to spend the night with the man of my dreams. Wasn’t that enough?

  “Not by blood.”

  His voice was husky with his desire. My body felt heavy, and I fought against pressing myself up against him and giving in.

  “Rissa,” he said again. “Come on. I know you feel this too. The love we had, back then we didn’t know better, but it wasn’t the kind of love shared with a sibling. It was the kind of love between a man… and a woman.”

  He wrapped his hands around my body, pulling me tight against him. They ran free over my silky curves, caressing and squeezing my ass. I could feel a hot heat through his trousers. His cologne was smoky and rich, filling my senses and leaving me weak. Aiden moved slowly down my neck, nibbling the bare skin. I moaned softly as each kiss made contact with my chilled skin, branding me as his for the night.

  My head was spinning. Was this truly happening? Anyone could come onto the balcony at any moment. The thought alone made my heart pound, and not from fear either. He pushed me easily against the brick wall of the mansion, the material rough against my bare back. In the back of my mind, I knew that I shouldn’t be doing this, that I should say stop, but I was tired doing that. How could kissing him be wrong when it felt so fucking good?

  Aiden’s hands moved quickly now that I was pinned tightly against the wall and his body. His hand pushed up the hem of my dress until he could slide his fingers around my lace panties. They pressed up against my wet pussy, and my hips bucked up reflexively.
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  He worked against the soaked fabric with his broad fingers, rubbing my swollen clit. With one swift motion, he had hooked them down so that they dropped onto the floor. The cold air was a shock on my hot slit, and my eyes opened in surprise. This was much further than what I wanted to go out here.

  “Wh-“ I was about to say. He clamped his hand over my mouth, something I found incredibly erotic.

  “Trust me,” Aiden whispered, his hot breath brushing my shoulder. His hand moved back over my slick pussy lips, massaging and rolling my clit between his fingers. I whimpered quietly under his hand, head rolled back in pleasure. It was a good thing the wall was there, because my legs had turned to jelly. All I could do was rock onto his hand, chasing the pleasure he offered.

  “That’s it,” he crooned in my ear. “Give in to it.”

  I moved his hand from my mouth to my breasts, the dark nipples swollen with need under the smooth fabric. He delved into the neckline, pushing one breast up into the open. My peaks tightened as he rolled and pinched it deftly, leaving my breath ragged and short. Sparks of pleasure was shooting up and down my spine. Aiden picked up the pace, aware of how close I was to the edge, wanting to leave me skating so close, so close-With one last buck of my hips, I came, tipping over the precipice into a numbing pleasure. My orgasm tore through me with white hot heat, suffusing my body with warmth. I trembled against him, the noise of the party retreating until it was as though we were in a bubble.

  As my orgasm subsided, I relaxed against his arms. He was the only thing holding me up. I could feel his hands teasing me slowly still, sliding languorously in and out of my quaking pussy. Time started to move again. After a while, I found my voice.

  “You’re not done already, are you?”

  I was pleased at the surprise in his eyes. Hell, if I was going to really do this, then I was making sure it would be worth it.

  “No, I wasn’t. I think I owe you an apology though. I’ve underestimated you, Clarissa.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “I didn’t think you’d actually let me do this out here,” he said with a shrug. “You were always so concerned with being good.”