My Master (Stepbrother Romance #1)

My Master

A Stepbrother Romance Story

By: Ellen Lane

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Copyright 2015 by Ellen Lane - All rights reserved.

In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

My Master: Stepbrother Romance 1

Laura Lee

“Oh shit!” My eyes widened, and heat crept up my neck and face. What the hell was he doing here? How had he found me? Panic seized my chest, and I pressed my hand between my breasts in a weak attempt to calm my racing heart.

              “What? What’s wrong?” Daryl asked me, glancing around furtively.

              “Nothing,” I said quickly and averted my gaze, hoping and praying my ex didn’t see me. I knew if I pointed him out to Daryl, Daryl would try to have him thrown out of the gallery. That’s the last thing I needed tonight. It was my debut showing, and even though I worked at the gallery, I didn’t own it and I couldn’t risk losing my job or my connections to this place.

              Daryl eyed me suspiciously. “Nothing? Are you sure, Laura? You look like you just saw a ghost or something.”

              I smiled, looped my arm through his, and led him further into the gallery. “Yes, I’m sure. I guess I just got momentarily overwhelmed. I mean, it’s not every day your art is displayed in one of the city’s most prestigious galleries for the world to see.”

              He leaned over and kissed my cheek. “And I’m so very proud of you, sis. You’ve worked hard for this. Enjoy it, and don’t worry about anything, okay?”

              “You clean up nice,” I said, hoping to distract him from my outburst. “A suit and tie look good on you.” Normally he was in jeans and T-shirts, a baseball hat, sneakers or work boots. Daryl was the quintessential outdoorsman. He loved to travel and hunt and play sports. A man of few words with unshakable confidence. I wished I could be more like him, that I could have more of a “who gives a fuck” attitude, but in the art world, I had to play nice if I ever wanted to make it.

              “So do you.” His gaze raked over me appreciatively.

              I smiled bigger and rested my head on his shoulder. Daryl was my step brother, but he was also my best friend. We shared everything with each other, and I’d be lost without him in my life. When my mom married his dad, we were thrown together. At first, I hated the idea of having a sibling because I’d been an only child for the first twelve years of my life, but Daryl grew on me, and now I couldn’t imagine my life without him. Thankfully, I knew I’d never have to find out.

              “Hey, Laura, come here.” Cora, my boss and the gallery owner, waved me over.

              I reluctantly let go of Daryl’s arm and gave him an apologetic shrug. “Duty calls.”

              “Go.” He grinned. “I’ll be here wandering around.”

              Daryl winked at me, and my stomach had that weightless feeling, the one I always used to get when I had my first crush and my first kiss. It was a great feeling, but it was weird to have it about my own step brother. I mean, that was so wrong and taboo, right? Yet, the idea of that excited me in ways it shouldn’t, made my body react in ways that were forbidden between siblings. I watched him walk away for a moment, and then I turned to go see what Cora wanted.

              “Ah, there she is. The star of the evening.” Cora put her arm around my shoulders and handed me a glass of champagne.

              I graciously accepted it and took a drink, the bubbly liquid calming my nerves. “You’re too kind,” I said, giving her a sideways glance.

              “Laura, I’d like you to meet Bill Reigns. He’s one of my biggest investors and a huge art aficionado.”

              “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Reigns,” I said, extending my hand to him.

              He took my hand and shook it, then held onto it. His hand was large and warm. “Please, call me Bill.” His crystal blue eyes sparkled when he smiled. That’s when I noticed his dimples, and my breath hitched slightly. There was nothing sexier than a man with dimples. And this man was definitely sexy. He had solid arms and muscles that begged to be touched. Yes, he was the type of man worthy of cover model status.

              “Okay, Bill.” I pulled my hand from his and drank the rest of my champagne. Generally, men didn’t make me nervous, but something about him did. I couldn’t put my finger on why, though.

              “Would you mind giving me a personal tour of your pieces? I’m always so fascinated with how the creative mind works and where artists get their inspiration.”

              I wanted to tell him no, but Cora was staring at me expectantly, and I knew she’d be pissed if I didn’t give him what he wanted. And knowing he was her biggest investors, I really couldn’t fuck this up. I smiled and nodded. “I’d be glad to.”

              He stepped up beside me and put his hand on my lower back. “Lead the way.”

              Biting back a rude comment, I moved toward the closest exhibit, which also, thankfully, happened to have the biggest crowd around it. A flat screen TV was mounted to the wall and it showed a collage of images. Photos I’d taken. Photos Daryl had taken while travelling that he allowed me to use. Images from pop culture. Scenes from some of the biggest news stories of the year.

              “This here is a visual representation of good versus evil. Things that bring us joy, the good in the world. And then the not so good, the evil and suffering.” It had taken me months to pull this piece together, to arrange the images in just the right order, to find a musical backdrop that fit perfectly.

              “Stunning,” Bill said. “Tell me, Laura, what inspired this piece?”

              I took a deep breath and looked around for Daryl, hoping he was watching and could come over to join us. But he was engaged in a deep conversation with Cora. I scowled. I knew Cora had a thing for my step brother, and it irritated the shit out of me. Not just because Daryl deserved better than Cora and not just because the two of them had absolutely nothing in common, but because I loved Daryl – as more than just a brother. It was my darkest secret, a secret I kept buried deep within me, a secret I would take to my grave. I knew there could and would never be anything romantic between Daryl and I. But that didn’t stop me from fantasizing about it.

              I turned my attention back to Bill and realized everyone else was now watching me, waiting for my explanation.  I licked my lips and smiled. “My parents’ divorce. My biological father passed away when I was nine, and my mother remarried three years later. I was in a dark place in my life, but my step brother, Daryl, helped me get through it. The joyful images in this piece are his and he represents the good. The other images, the evil, are representative of the dark place I was in during that time in my life.”

              “That’s so profound,” someone in the crowd murmured.

              Bill’s hand on my back inched lower, and I took a step away from him. He might be sexy, but I knew his type, and I wasn’t interested.

              “Shall we move on to the next?” I asked him.

              “Absolutely.” He smiled.

              I spent the next hour giving a private tour to Bill, but by the end, it wasn’t so private. Along the way, we’d collected several other people who were listening to me talk, nodding and offering compliments on my art. For a while, I forgot all about Bill’s wandering hand from earlier. It was nice to know all these people were here for me, for what I created. Hopefully all of this would result in some sales and cash in my pocket. God knows I could use it.

              “You are one of the most talented women I’ve ever met,” Bill said. He grabbed two glasses of champagne from a passing tray and handed me one. Then he held up his in a toast. “To the lovely, alluring Laura.”

              I rolled my eyes. “Look, Bill, you’re a nice guy, but your cheesy pickup lines won’t work on me, so just stop trying.”

              He coughed and almost spit out his drink. “Excuse me?”

              “You heard me. I know you’re type. Rich. Sexy. Powerful. Used to getting whatever you want. I’m sure women throw themselves at your feet all the time, but I can assure you, I won’t be one of them.” I downed my champagne in one large gulp. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have guests to mingle with.” And with that, I walked away. I was sure Cora wouldn’t be happy if she found out I’d just shot down Mr. Money Bags Bill, but I was confident Bill wouldn’t complain to her. Men like him didn’t admit defeat, they wouldn’t confess to being rejected.

              “Oh no you don’t.” Bill grabbed my elbow before I got too far away, and he turned me back to face him. “You may know my type, but I know yours, too. Strong. Independent. Smart. Sexy. And a complete bitch.”

              My eyes widened in shock. My first instinct was to slap him, but that was certain to end my art career and my job at the gallery. I scowled at him instead. “Is that how you seduce women, Mr. Reigns? You physically grab them, call them names?” I jerked out of his hold and looked around again for Daryl, but I didn’t see him anywhere.

              Bill smiled slowly, the look arrogant yet sexy as hell. I hated that I was attracted to him, hated that my body was leaning closer to him despite my mind not wanting to. “No, sweetheart,” he said, moving closer to me, his mouth hovering dangerously close to mine. “But you can bet your ass I can seduce any woman, anywhere, any time. You included.”

              His words were like ice water on my head. I jerked away, repulsed. “In your dreams, buddy.” I walked away again, and thankfully, this time he didn’t try to stop me and he didn’t follow.

              I walked around the gallery, searching for Daryl. I finally found him. He was standing in the corner, still chatting with Cora. A strong stab of jealousy coursed through my veins. I cleared my throat. “Excuse me, but could I steal Daryl away for a moment?”

              Cora’s smile faded. “Yeah, of course.” She plastered on her signature fake smile, the one she generally reserved for difficult artists and angry customers. “Finished with Bill’s tour already?”

              “Yup. He seems to have really enjoyed himself.”

              “Well then, I guess I’d better go close the deal and sell some of your art.” Cora touched Daryl’s arm, her hand lingering there much longer than necessary. “It’s been fun, Daryl. Be sure to call me so we can grab that cup of coffee.”

              When Cora walked away, I looked at Daryl with a raised brow. “I know you’re not thinking about dating my boss.”

              He laughed softly. “No, of course not. I’m just being nice. She does hold the fate of your career in her hands tonight.”

              I blew out a breath. Tonight wasn’t going at all like I’d hoped it would. It wasn’t a total disaster, but it wasn’t quite as exciting as I wanted it to be either.

              “What’s going on, Laura?” Daryl’s voice had turned serious, concerned.

              “That Bill guy, the one I just gave a tour to… Yeah, he’s an arrogant ass who thinks he’s god’s gift to women. Can you believe he called me a bitch?”

              “Looks like I need to teach that boy a thing or two about how to treat a woman. Where is he? Point him out to me.”

              “Daryl, don’t.” I grabbed his arm, impressed by how muscular it was. He didn’t even flinch when I gave his bicep a firm squeeze. An image of these strong arms holding me flashed through my mind, and I forced it away. “I didn’t tell you so you could get into a fight with him. I told you so you could kinda stay close by in case he tries to seduce me again.”

              His body relaxed, and he nodded. “Okay, consider me your shadow for the rest of the night.”

              I gave him a hug and sighed when I felt his arms wrap around me. “Thank you.”

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