PERSONAL: A Stepbrother Sports Romance Read online

  “I…” My head was swimming. But the look on my family’s faces said it all. They were beaming.

  “Honey, in a reality show or not, the world is still going to know your name. People will love you.”

  “You lost a career, now gain a new one. Show the world how smart you are. Start a blog. Heck, do it this week. Like, now. Like, right now.”

  “It’s a lot to think about.”

  “Well, here’s to not thinking.” She toasted me as did my mom.

  “Mom, I’m sorry for judging you. For running away. For not being there for you as a daughter.” I had to get it out. It was weighing on my chest so heavy.

  “You’re here now. And that’s all that matters, sweetheart.”

  Kate

  Dressed in the gold Givenchy gown Bradley promised he had for me days earlier, I felt like magic. It reminded me of Belle in The Beauty and the Beast, but a much sexier version. Even with my mother’s former position and access to such wealth, I had never been to Paris. Ever.

  Now, standing in a grand building with stone walls and high ceilings, with original artwork from the renaissance, I felt something stirring inside of me, a desire to join the art and bravery of men and women in the past.

  It was torture waiting to see him again. I wanted to tell him how I felt. That with the support of my mother and Claire, I could brace any media storm or frenzy.

  I wouldn’t let the judgments of others, not even my own father, keep me from love.

  Bradley

  Kate: For you

  The doorbell of her soul rang

  Unknown music to far away places

  Those were closer than her own heartbeat

  In another plane

  In another dimension

  Soul ties untied for all time

  To dive in the sea

  To revel in his kiss

  To seal the fate forever

  With just one taste

  With no hurried action

  At just the right time

  You’re mine

  And I’ve arrived in your eyes

  Not just for the night

  But for life

  Dear Bradley,

  I may not be the best with spoken words, even in this tumultuous time. But spending days away with you in the middle of the world, in the waters of the most magnificent seas, you set my soul to rest. It wasn’t the backdrop of luxury, it wasn’t the rich lobster and the finest of wine, and it was you. You made me feel different. You made me believe in me.

  I don’t know of a man who would do what you just did this week with that sweatshop.

  I just know you’re the type of man I’d want to follow.

  Let’s do this.

  You have my hand.

  You have my heart.

  With you I experience so much adventure. Jail. A blizzard that kissed the sea. The world knowing my name. But you make me brave. You make me want to live life courageously dangerous. I’m not perfect and don’t expect you to be, either.

  But I loved you before I even met you. The feelings I had for you were teenage hormones that blossomed and matured to what I know now as real love.

  I just wanted you to know.

  I’ll be by your side tonight.

  Kate

  Bradley: Meet me in my suite, please. I’m here.

  I felt like I was in a ball and leaving the boisterous scene to be with a forbidden lover.

  “Miss Meadows, Bradley would like me to take you to his suite.”

  My heart swelled so big I swear it would burst. I hope he had read my letter. I pinched my arm because I felt so happy; it almost felt like a sin.

  “You came.”

  “Of course I did.”

  His lips crashed into mine and I melted into his arms.

  “What you did for those children, I…”

  “Shhh…we’ll talk about that later.” His lips trailed down my collarbone.

  “Off. Take this off now.”

  “You don’t have to ask me twice.”

  Thirty minutes later, lying in a suite I never thought I’d ever be in, lying next to him in the city of love, we were two beings in love.

  There was no doubting this connection.

  “I have something for you.”

  I watched him in the grand, gold baroque mirror as he draped the most beautiful diamond necklace over my naked body. I felt so admired, special, cherished.

  “You are a woman to be admired, loved, adored, and adorned.”

  His warm husky voice sent chills down my neck. My hands rested over the necklace that now rested over my cleavage. It was a yellow diamond.

  “For my yellow rose of Texas.”

  My breath was caught. I’d never been in position of such jewelry in my life. Sure my mother had, but I never even bothered wearing her gigantic diamond once.

  My jaw dropped and I couldn’t stop staring at the sight.

  “You look so ravishing, I could eat you.”

  Later, and two panty changes after, my cheeks were flushed from the third orgasm he gave me, as he was a man of his word. I’d have to show him my thank you later tonight, in bed.

  As he led me down the hallway to the elevators and to the grand entryway where my mom and Claire stood dressed to the nines, he asked me. “Are you ready for them all to talk?”

  “You can talk about me behind my back, but at least you’re talking.” I winked at the Bravo cameras in the corner of the room. My mom gave me a thumbs up and her face was as bright as the sun.

  My life had taken a complete 180. It felt good.

  It felt good to be with my mom again. It felt good to be with my sister.

  And it felt good to be with him.

  “Come on, babe. I can’t wait for the world to see you by my side.”

  Epilogue

  Four years later

  “You have dozens of New York Times best sellers, Kate. You are quite prolific.” I never grew tired of hearing such reminders of my literary success. It still felt surreal. Heck, everything still seemed surreal. I glanced down at my finger, the gigantic sparkling diamond smiling at me. My free hand rested on my growing belly and the life that was cozily dreaming inside of me. I felt the greatest ball of energy surround me: bliss. He, she, and me. My daughter growing inside of me.

  “May I ask…the bravery? You write dirty romances, which some reviewers slam as mommy porn. Is this something you saw yourself doing back in South Africa where you studied the naturalist poets?”

  “You know, it’s not. But I’ve found a way to express myself. Wait, let me rephrase. I didn’t know I had this need or desire to express myself like this, until I just began to do it as an outlet and need to write. It honestly just came out and I’ve had fun with it ever since.”

  “You don’t write under a penname. Considering your husband’s position now, you are not leery about this?”

  “I learned a long time ago that running from your last name, or hiding didn’t do me any good. I want to be authentic. I want women to embrace their sexuality and be proud, not ashamed. Thank you.”

  Bradley’s strong hand rested on my lower back, the gentle touch leading me further down the press line.

  “Senator Rainshaw, you’re thirty-three, married, a baby girl due shortly. You’ve got the whole world in your hands now. You’ve turned Rainshaw Enterprises around. You started at a great loss by shutting down the foreign operations, but in three short years you’ve doubled your company’s net worth. You clearly have an eye for growth and strategy. You’ve got the work ethic, talents, and clout; can we expect you in the race for governor soon? Or maybe, president one day?”

  “Never say never.”

  “What do you have to say about your wife's scandalous books that she writes?”

  “I think that there's no greater way to live than with courage, no regrets, and to live life not caring what people think. To live life being who you are and not giving a shit about what other people think. Pardon my French. Clearly it led to something
right here.”

  He lovingly covered my belly and we both laughed.

  “What do I really think?” He tilted that Greek-god-like chin, and I could just stare at him all day long. My husband. Mine.

  “It's pretty hot and I think it's time for me to go home if you catch my drift. Because dinner’s on the table and dessert’s in the bed.”

  The crowd was charmed and laughed boisterously.

  “Kate? Any last words?”

  “You can talk about me behind my back, but at least you’re talking about me.” I winked at a chuckling crowd as Bradley kissed my cheek.

  And we were off back to our New York City flat.

  Him.

  Me.

  And Baby.

  The End. ;-)

  About Stephanie Brother

  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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