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

  From behind her she heard a very familiar voice answer—

  “I am.”

  She turned slowly, both expecting him and not expecting him, but seeing Matt standing there was still a shock. He was staring at her with an expression she could have best described as tortured.

  His voice was thick and husky, “I guess it’s you and me, Princess…”

  He stared at her a moment longer as if he wanted to say something else and then thought better of it.

  Holly opened her mouth to speak, but didn’t know how to respond.

  She was oblivious to the other students who were now openly gawking at her and Matt, but momentarily distracted before she could say a word, a loud clang sounded, and the gathered students dispersed.

  Holly turned back, but when she did she found Matt had already disappeared down the hall.

  “Saved by the bell,” she murmured to herself.

  “Come on, Juliet. Let’s get you to chemistry class.”

  Becky wrapped her arm in Holly’s, steering her to the science wing as the sound of slamming locker doors followed them to their next class.

  Part II.

  If someone had offered to pay her a million dollars to repeat one thing that she had learned that day Holly definitely wouldn’t have been a millionaire. Her mind had been a jumble and a flurry of thoughts, none of which made any sense to her.

  Over dinner her father had asked, “Anything new happen at school today, honey?” and she had only looked down into her peas and mumbled, “No.”

  She waited until she heard her father close up the house and go into his bedroom, shutting the door for the night. She heard Matt sneak in, as he always did, his door next to hers giving a small creak as he opened and closed it.

  How many nights had she spent, waiting up, waiting to hear him sneak in, waiting to make sure he came home safely? More than she could count, but her little ritual was comforting, nonetheless.

  She tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at herself in the mirror, trying to build up her courage. Matt had shut her out so many times before, but she had to try again.

  “It’s ok, you can do this…” She whispered, psyching herself up to go across the hall. “You can do this…”

  * * *

  Matt had already kicked off his shoes and tossed his button-down shirt into a pile in the corner when he heard the soft knock at his door. Knowing it wouldn’t be Ernie, he swung it open.

  Holly stood there, the soft light from her room glowing around her like a halo. Her long hair hung loose, almost to her waist, and her short pajama bottoms clung to her curvy backside like a second skin while her tank top showed ample amounts of cleavage. His cock stiffened.

  “God damn it,” he said to himself staring at her, barely realizing he spoke the words out loud.

  Holly misunderstood. “I’m sorry— I know you don’t want me here— but— I think we should talk.”

  Matt turned his back to her in an attempt to regain control of himself. Gruffly he said, “What’s there to talk about.”

  He heard her shut the door and heard her soft footsteps on the plush carpet.

  “You— me— us…”

  “Us? Is there an ‘Us’ now, Princess?”

  He turned to her finding she had perched herself on the corner of his bed, clutching her knees to her chest as if to protect herself.

  “Yes— I mean, no, but, well—.”

  Oh, God.

  This wasn’t going how she had planned. She was openly staring at him, transfixed by the sight of his broad, naked, muscular chest and strong arms, the way his jeans hung off his slim hips and the way the faintest line of hair trailed to…well, it was better not to think where it trailed.

  She blushed heavily, and his face held the slightest hint of a smile, as if he knew what she was thinking. He raked his fingers through his wavy dark hair.

  She took a deep breath and tried again.

  “What I mean is— which one of us is going to drop out of the play?” She blurted it out quickly.

  He looked at her steadily, she felt as if his grey eyes were piercing her to her soul.

  “Do you want to drop out?” He asked.

  “No! No…”

  “Then why are you bringing this up?”

  “Well… um… you know…”

  “Enlighten me, Princess.”

  “Romeo and Juliet— well, they kiss.”

  Matt grinned at her sardonically. “I’m pretty sure they do a lot more than that, Holly.”

  Holly’s cheeks flushed crimson again. “Well— but, you know— We can’t kiss!”

  “We can’t?” he was deliberately goading her now.

  He approached her and sat across from her on the bed.

  “No!” her voice trembled with a hushed urgency. “You’re my— well, you’re my brother! We can’t pretend to be… to be…” Her words failed her.

  “Lovers?” he suggested.

  Holly buried her face in her knees, embarrassed by his use of that word. “Yes…” she whispered without looking up at him.

  Matt hesitated a moment, looking at her, taking in her quiet innocence. Her delicately pointed chin rested on her arms, and her wide eyes looked up at him, fringed with the thickest lashes he’d ever seen. She was curvy in all the right places, a body meant to drive him mad, yet she moved in such a way he knew she had no awareness of it. He had no doubt she was a virgin.

  He had not been that innocent for several years, having had more than one regretful assignation with McKenzie Wilkes behind the school bleachers sophomore year, and a couple other similar meaningless trysts the following summer.

  “Holly—,” He started, but still she kept her head bent.

  “Holly? Look at me.” She raised her eyes to him and he reached out his hand and raised her chin so that she was staring at him in the eyes.

  “Yes?”

  “Holl—,”

  “Yes?”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve never thought of you as my sister.” He murmured as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. His voice was heavy with turmoil and a deep undercurrent of longing.

  He was staring at her with an intensity she did not have words for. Her breath caught in her throat and her mouth was suddenly dry. She licked her lips.

  “Oh.” She said with a catch in her voice.

  Again, she said “Oh.”

  Her chin was still in his hand and she could feel the heat radiating from him. She stared at his perfectly defined mouth, wanting— Wanting without knowing what it was she wanted.

  She dared not speak what she wanted— it was taboo. Completely forbidden— or so, she had always told herself.

  She broke the silence that had grown long and heavy between them. “I— I always thought of you as family…” Her voice was tinged with sadness.

  “God damn it,” Matt couldn’t take any more. She was staring up at him, her eyes deep with a mirrored longing that she dared not name. His thumb rubbed against her lower lip, and he almost lost himself in that moment as her lips parted with desire.

  He knew she would have given herself to him in that moment if only he seized the moment and claimed her.

  No.

  No. No. No.

  He stood abruptly, pulling his pants to hide his massive erection.

  He was a bastard, but he was not yet quite so depraved that he would shatter her innocence.

  No. She deserved someone better than him.

  Someone who wasn’t so fucked up.

  He turned his back to her once more, placing his hands on the windowsill and bowing his head. The muscles in his back rippled as he clenched his fists trying desperately to regain control of himself and the facade he tried to cover himself with.

  Cruelly he said,“Fuck it, Holly. You do what you want. Do the play or don’t do the play, I don’t give a damn. But I’m not quitting.”

  Holly stared at him, uncertain what had happened— or almost happened. The spell she was
under had broken, and there was the surly stranger in front of her again instead of the emotional young man she had known long ago and so had briefly glimpsed again a few moments before.

  She stared at him, unmoving, unsure what to say or do next, unsure how to bring back the softer side she had just been privy to.

  But Matt decided for her. “Get the hell out of my room, Holly.”

  She did not move.

  “Get the hell out.”

  His voice was a growl and this time she did not hesitate.

  * * *

  Part III.

  “Again, please,” Mrs. Bearmon was shouting from the auditorium as onstage Tybalt and Mercurio were having a sword fight.

  Holly was so nervous she hadn’t eaten all day. She thought she might throw up at any moment despite that fact.

  On the rehearsal schedule for that afternoon was the kiss.

  Or, as she liked to think of it, The Kiss.

  It loomed large in her imagination. They had rehearsed and done everything but the more intimate parts of the play because Mrs. Bearmon said she wanted them to have their lines down cold before they started rehearsing those scenes.

  Only a few more weeks until opening night, and yesterday had been her birthday. Her dad had gotten her a small cake and a few small gifts. Her big gift was coming at graduation, he’d said. She’d smiled, telling him she didn’t care about presents.

  What she did care about?

  The fact that she was eighteen years old and she’d never even been kissed, she thought to herself with disgust. But, she thought to herself, At least I’ve still got the lead in the school play, and McKenzie Wilkes doesn’t, so I’ve still got that going for me, which is nice…

  …even though I’ll probably die a virgin with a million cats, She added to herself sardonically.

  Lost in her reverie, Holly allowed Becky to help her change her costume for the rehearsal in the dressing room just off stage left.

  “Now, be careful, because you’re still just pinned into it in some places,” Becky warned. Her long red hair was pulled up into a loose, flower-child braided crown, and her patchwork skirt swirled around her as she worked.

  “Got it,” Holly nodded, pulling the long, ornate gown over her head and slipping off her jeans underneath the hem. She struggled to fit into the corseted top and was dismayed to find it was very tight.

  “Don’t worry,” Becky said, sensing her distress, “This is why there are laces!”

  Holly looked down at her breasts which were threatening to escape the confines of the fabric, and gave Becky a doubtful look. “Whoever wore this last must have been a twig.”

  From behind her she heard McKenzie whisper loudly to Riley, “I guess some people just don’t care what they look like. I think this is the only production of Romeo and Juliet that has ever been disgraced with a fat Juliet!” She caught Holly’s eye and smirked as she flounced off, her wimple askew.

  At her elbow, Becky said softly, “Ignore her. You’re not fat.”

  Holly raised an eyebrow, “I’m not thin.” She gestured to the dress.

  “You’re…rubenesque. Zaftig.” Becky said kindly.

  “In other words, fat.”

  “No!”

  “Becky, you know those are just nice words for ‘fat.’”

  Becky frowned. “She’s just jealous you know. I heard a rumor that she and Matt used to hook up, but he dumped her for Madison Jenson, and she’s mad because she was hoping they’d get back together.”

  Holly contemplated this information, but didn’t say anything.

  “Not only is she mad that you got the lead part and she didn’t, she’s mad because she wanted to use it as an excuse to get closer to him.” Becky explained matter-of-factly. She always had the latest gossip, though Holly didn’t know how she did it since she always had an air of complete innocence. She was keenly observant though, which probably explained it.

  Becky continued gleefully, “Instead of looking gorgeous, McKenzie looks like an old hag with warts! And! Matt won’t give her the time of day.” Becky snorted a giggle.

  “Matt doesn’t give anyone the time of day.” Holly murmured.

  Becky gave her an appraising look. “I don’t know about that…”

  From the house Holly heard Mrs. Bearmon shout, “Can I have my Romeo and Juliet please on stage please?”

  Holly started to move. Becky shouted, her mouth pursed as she held a pin. “Hold on!”

  “Everyone else, you may go. Be here at 4 p.m. tomorrow for notes, on the dot people!” Mrs. Bearmon added.

  Holly took a deep breath and made her way to the stage.

  “Good luck!” Becky whispered. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

  * * *

  “No! No! No!” Mrs. Bearmon was shouting at an exhausted Matt and Holly. They had been rehearsing for two hours and still hadn’t gotten past the first page of their dialogue.

  “I don’t believe it. You’re supposed to be star-crossed lovers! Where’s the heat? Where’s the passion? Holly, you might as well be telling me you’re in love with a dead fish for as much as I believe you’re in love with Matt!”

  Holly was nearly in tears. She shielded her eyes and looked out at the audience where only Mrs. Bearmon stood. “I’m sorry…”

  Mrs. Bearmon bounded up the steps with youthful energy that belied her age. “Holly, what happened? When I cast you, you were perfect! You were acting against an empty chair and you had more emotion than this.”

  Holly looked at the ground while Matt stood awkwardly off to stage right, his prop sword hanging by his side. “I guess it’s just hard, trying to pretend to be madly in love with my—my—“

  “Your what, Holly?”

  “My stepbrother.”

  Mrs. Bearmon’s mouth dropped open, and her hand went to her face. “Oh! Oh… Oh. Oh.” She pursed her lips and looked from Holly to Matt. “I didn’t realize— I guess I had forgotten when I cast the show—,”

  She looked from one to the other again, pacing up and down the stage, thinking hard. “I had heard, of course, when your mother passed away, Matt— but I didn’t know…I knew she had remarried, but I didn’t realize… oh..”

  Thinking out loud she said hesitantly, “Well, I suppose we can always have your understudy go on. McKenzie can go on for you, and Jenna O’Reilly can go on for her…”

  “No!” Holly said quickly, her hand going to her mouth, surprised by her own exclamation. Holly was on the verge of tears, her dream on the so close to being snatched from her grasp.

  Matt, seeing this, interjected smoothly. “I really don’t think that will be necessary, Mrs. Bearmon. Holly and I can make this work, can’t we, Holly?”

  Mrs. Bearmon’s eyes flew open as she turned to look at Matt. “What did your father say when you told him you had both been cast?” She asked nervously.

  “Well, my dad has been in jail for the last fifteen years, so I have no idea. Holly’s dad was thrilled. Wasn’t he, Holly?” Matt prompted his stepsister.

  The truth was, Holly still hadn’t told him. And since Ernie and Matt weren’t on speaking terms, he certainly hadn’t heard it from him.

  Every night at dinner Holly tried to work up the courage to tell him, and every night she seemed to choke on her carrots and broccoli and never get the words out.

  The truth was she was terrified about what he might say.

  It was easier just not to tell him.

  Matt cleared his throat, and Holly realized he was waiting for her to answer.

  “Oh! Um, yes. Yeah. My dad thought it was great.”

  Matt nodded encouragingly and Holly gave him a small smile of appreciation.

  Mrs. Bearmon clapped her hands together. “Oh, good. Good. Okay, we can make this work. You’re not blood related, right?” She laughed nervously.

  They both shook their heads.

  “Okay, good.” Her relief was palpable, but she tried to play it off. “Well, we just need to get the two of you more comfortable with each
other. That should be easy enough.”

  Mrs. Bearmon looked at her watch. “Well, unfortunately we don’t have the time to run any more lines tonight because the school board says I legally can’t keep you here past 9:30 p.m.” She laughed with a false lightness, but Holly and Matt could both tell that if she could have kept them there rehearsing until 2 a.m., she would have.

  “Why don’t you both practice some more at home and we can start fresh again tomorrow, hmm?” Mrs. Bearmon said cheerfully.

  Holly and Matt nodded their agreement and helped Mrs. Bearmon shut down the lights in the auditorium and put away the props.

  “Good night, you two! Be sure to lock up the dressing rooms when you leave. The auditorium doors will lock behind you when you leave.”

  With a wave, Mrs. Bearmon left the two of them alone back stage to finish changing and closing up.

  * * *

  The silence in the newly quiet auditorium was deafening. Matt and Holly stood awkwardly for a few moments, just looking at each other.

  “Well… I guess I better go change,” Holly said, gesturing to her costume.

  “Yeah… Me too.”

  The had both paused in the doorways of the dressing rooms which were side by side.

  “Matt?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks for speaking up. I almost thought she wasn’t going to let us go on because we’re siblings.”

  A strange look crossed Matt’s face. “You’re not my sister, Holly.”

  “…I know.” She said quietly.

  “Do you?” He asked roughly, looking down at his feet and then back up at her. “Do you? Because sometimes I think—,”

  “What?”

  “Never mind.” He turned his back to her again, an old familiar sight she was getting used to.

  Silently they both went in to their respective dressing rooms to change.

  Fifteen minutes later Matt was still waiting outside the women’s dressing room and growing impatient. He knocked.

  “Holl? Is everything okay?”

  “Just a minute.” A muffled voice called out.

  “Holly, you’ve been in there forever. Your dad is going to lose his shit if you get home after ten.”

  “I know! I — ugh.”

  He heard a groan and the door swung open. Holly stood in front of him, her hair disheveled, her dress askew, and her bosom heaving.