Stoned: A Billionaire Stepbrother With Benefits Romance (My Brother's Keeper Book 1) (4 page)

He frowned and then widened his eyes. “You’re
Allison Shepard, aren’t you? You’re the girl who was on the account
back when they were suffering at Vision. That explains a lot of why
you’re pissed. Sounds like sour grapes to me, Goldilocks.”

She should have pulled away then or resisted
his grasp more, but he was so near her and it was almost like the
force of gravity. “It’s not. You’re not old school or new school.
You’re just a hack.”

“I have six hundred employees and a
multi-billion dollar portfolio that says I know how clients
think.”

“Fine, then congratulations on everything,”
she huffed. “I guess your next approach will be adding foxy boxing
links to twitter bursts or commercials with stripper poles. Again,
revolutionary.”

“You don’t strike me as the kind of chick who
doesn’t shave her legs. You’re cute enough, so I don’t get why you
have an ax to grind against what I do. I mean, besides being boring
and second-rate compared to me. It’s not like I’m Hugh Hefner.”

She narrowed her eyes further. “Might as well
be.”

“Oh, Goldilocks, stop being so jealous.”

“My name is Allison, and I will be getting
the account back.”

“I doubt it,” he said, and then he shocked
her completely by kissing her.

She stood stock still for a moment, frozen
with confusion and indecision. It was the last thing she expected
from him, didn’t seem to complete the gloating party he was having
all on his own. Then his tongue eased into her mouth and, despite
everything, she relaxed, feeling the caress of his tongue against
hers, the passion brimming between them. He reached lower with one
hand and stroked the small of her back, and she reached up to rub
his cheek, somewhat amused that for the first time in a long time
that glasses weren’t getting in her way.

Heat flared in her stomach and suddenly she
was feeling passion she’d never felt before.

He moaned a little and the resonance of it,
the pitch, reminded her that he wasn’t her actual fiancé. Allison
pulled away then, even if a large part of her was begging her not
to stop, reminding her that this was something she’d been missing
in her life a long time. The rest of her, the part that felt the
weight of her engagement ring on her finger, told her to stop it.
Shaking her head, she just glared back at him.

“This is not happening. I’m not just another
conquest for you or a story for the water cooler.”

He reached down and stroked her hair. It was
surprisingly gentle and that confused her. “I wouldn’t do that to
you.”

She licked her lips and gathered control over
herself. Pulling away, she gave him a quick slap to the cheek, well
aware everyone else was gathered around and watching both of them.
“I’m not something for you to take, Arrow, so have a nice
night.”

“Wow, man, you were shot down,” Oliver chimed
in as Robert ordered a second Scotch from the bartender.

He was hunched over, trying to avoid eye
contact with anyone and hoping all the guests had gotten the
complete and accurate impression that he had no interest in being
talked to right now. In fact, he had no interest in even talking to
his best friend and usual wingman. Robert had never been rebuffed
like that in his life, and the fact it had been from someone on
such a high horse graded more.

But she seemed so shocked too; it wasn’t like
she wasn’t receptive…

And then, oddly, he felt worse about that.
He’d noticed the glimmer of a diamond on her finger as she’d fled.
He barely knew of Allison Shepard and by reputation only. It had
been more than a joy to steal a contract away from Old McDonough at
Vision. He had a score to settle there after all and taking things
away from him piece by piece so far had been a joy. However, now
that he saw her here in person and so wounded, well, some of the
games weren’t as fun anymore.

Robert sipped his Scotch and shook his head
at his friend. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“Every eye in the room was on you, your
cheek’s a little pink, and you’re brooding---”

“Thinking, it’s different,” he objected.

Oliver rolled his eyes and drained his
Jaeger. “Same thing. She did a number on you. Who the Hell was she?
Former one-night stand?”

“No, she’s from a rival firm.”

“Oh, so someone’s jealous about how
capitalism works? Man, let her go. We’ll head out to the Hard Rock
first and hit the scene later.”

“I…not tonight,” he said, standing up from
the table. “I think I need to apologize to Ms. Shepard. I didn’t
mean to do that.”

“Looks like you did buddy. Besides, she
seemed to enjoy it, probably why she acted like such a prude. We’re
in the home of strippers, prostitutes, and gorgeous showgirls and
you’re upset what one uptight chick who’s too short thinks of you?
Man, you need to vacation for real and STAT.”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it? You never were bothered by
taking anything you wanted before.”

“Then it’s different, that’s all, and I have
an apology to issue,” he said, heading off to the concierge to
figure out where Ms. Shepard was staying within the hotel.

Allison frowned at her phone. It was already
eleven p.m. in New York, and her fiancé should have been home right
now. Maybe he was slammed back at the Columbia library working on
his latest research project. Hell, he’d been talking about going
back to Baltimore for the weekend to research more about Poe. Maybe
he’d decided to actually do it. Either way, there was nothing she
needed to hear more right then than Tom’s voice.

I kissed him. What the Hell was I
thinking?

Okay so Robert had started it, but she could
have broken away faster, should never have felt so drawn to it as
she was. What was wrong with her? After, okay and maybe Cassidy
wasn’t wrong about this part, after months of lobbying Tom to set a
wedding date, she was kissing another man and actually feeling
things.

Things Tom hadn’t made her feel in years.

“God, I’m the worst person ever,” she said,
standing and about to go to the bathroom to get a hot shower. No,
scratch that. She needed a cold shower. It was then that there was
a knock at the door. She hoped like Hell it wasn’t someone from the
hotel staff upset that she’d been a little aggressive with Franklin
this morning getting into the keynote.

God, like that had gone well.

Stalking over to the door, she flung it open
and prepared to give her biggest smile and best lies to the staff,
assure them she wouldn’t pull anything like that again. Her face
fell when she realized it was Robert. “Weren’t you done making me
feel crappy?”

He sighed and surprised her all over again by
looking down at his feet. “Look, I feel like I need to
apologize.”

“You’re not sorry that you won over
Schmidt’s.”

“About the kiss,” he said, gesturing down to
her ring. “I didn’t know you were engaged before I kissed you, and
I’m really sorry.”

Allison was about to slam the door in his
face, but there was something so sincere and humble about his tone
that she couldn’t push him away. Sighing, she opened the door wider
and let him pass into her room. She sat down on the sofa and was
shocked a third time in quick succession when he sat down next to
her. She should have asked him to stay standing or take a
chair.

Of course, you shouldn’t even have let him
in. What do you think is going to happen here?

“I’m listening,” she said, holding her hands
out, palms up.

“Look,” he said, taking her hand in his. She
noted he chose to do it with her right. “Maybe I am an ass.”

“Oh, you definitely are. I think it’s a big
part of your brand.”

“Okay, so I’m an ass.”

“Well you said it,” she said, smirking back
at him.

He obliged her by laughing. “Maybe, I just
shouldn’t have taken advantage that way. I’m still not sorry about
Schmidt’s.”

Allison pulled her hand back. “I
figured.”

He chuckled again. “Look, you’re not without
talent. I dig that honest creative attitude of yours.
Unfortunately, it’s naïve to try and sell people stuff in a way
they don’t want.”

“Excuse me.”

“I didn’t make the rules, Goldilocks. Sex
sells and that’s what I have to do. It’s made me an empire and I
don’t regret that. I’m just saying if you could abandon your high
horse, you’d be a Hell of an ad exec.”

She stood up and stomped over to the sink by
the kitchen. “I am an ad exec. I know we’re not as big as you
guys.”

“You’re in trouble and just bending a little
would help.”

She slammed the glass down as she started
pouring water into it. “Maybe I don’t bend.”

Robert’s eyes blazed at a statement like that
and he was rushing to her then, taking long, deliberate strides her
way. She stilled there, curious to where all this was going,
feeling that fire again in her belly and flaring through her just
like when he’d kissed her before. He reached to her hand first and
took the water from her, setting it away on the counter.

“You’re a stubborn thing aren’t you?”

“You’re just getting that now, ‘Arrow,’” she
said. Since when did her voice ever come out so breathy and
desperate?

He nodded and cupped her cheek, and despite
everything, especially logic, she relaxed in the embrace. “I think
I like that about you, Goldilocks.”

“So your brilliant apologizing plan was just
based around what? Getting more make outs?”

He grinned and started to kiss the side of
her throat, his lips and tongue working gentle ministrations of her
skin and the dip of her clavicle. She moaned and drew closer
against him, feeling his hardness already pressed against her hips.
“I think I want more than that. And,” he added, reaching low and
running his fingers over the wetness already collected on her
panties. “I think you do too.”

He was grazing his teeth over the curve of
her neck and her pulse was already pounding and her clit throbbing
with desire. It felt so amazing, like being outside on the first
day of summer after being snowed in all winter. She hadn’t allowed
herself to feel this way in such a long time, hadn’t even realized
how long she had been hibernating.

“I…” she started, her voice low and throaty.
“This is wrong. I’m engaged.”

“You can throw me out,” he purred, his brown
eyes boring into hers, and she could lose herself in them forever,
even if the man behind them did nothing most of the time but
irritate her.

“I should make you go,” she replied and then
she bucked her hips a bit as his fingers traced over the delicate
patterns of her folds through the thin cotton of her panties. Every
nerve ending was suddenly on fire, and no part of her wanted to end
it now.

Or ever.

“You should,” he said, as he started to
unbutton her blouse. He did it slowly, deliberately, with suave
motions. One button, two, a third and her bra was unveiled before
him. Robert licked his lips. “Are you going to, Goldilocks?”

“No, don’t you dare leave,” she said,
reaching down to trail her fingernails over his abdomen. “Not
now.”

“Good,” he said, reaching over and under the
fabric of her shirt in order to undo the clasps of her bra. He did
it with aplomb, and she shouldn’t be surprised. Allison knew his
reputation well, knew that he had had a cavalcade of lovers. It was
no shock he was able to help her ease out of her bra almost
seamlessly.

Her shirt too.

She was exposed to him, slightly nervous
because who knew if she measured up to any of the models or
actresses he’d had over the years.

Robert frowned back at her even as his left
hand moved to cup her breast. His right was still working up a
ferocious rhythm, rubbing her through her panties, and he hadn’t
even done much and she was so close to the edge of coming.

God, when was the last time she’d done more
than fake it on Sunday nights with Tom?

“What?” she asked, still grinding against
him, desperate to give his fingers the access they needed to her,
to help fulfill her. “You stopped.”

“You’re beautiful,” he gasped, gazing
thoughtfully at the pointed peaks of her already hardened nipples.
“God, you don’t even know how much.”

“Now you’re just laying it on thick.”

He shook his head and brought his tongue to
the tip of her left nipple even as his hand cupped that mound. He
flicked his tongue up and down, his rhythm there quickly matching
the ferocity with which his hand stroked her. Robert continued like
that, his tongue a whirling dervish of activity, tracing all over
her breast and teasing at her areola. She moaned even as her
wetness flooded her.

Robert maneuvered his fingers under the
fabric of her panties, and she gasped as two thick fingers entered
her channel even as his thumb found her clit. She moaned loudly as
he worked her over quickly then, his fingers slamming into her, his
thumb applying fantastic pressure that made her clit throb even
harder, sending electricity running up and down every nerve of her
body. His mouth was on her nipple and when he gave it just the
tiniest bit of pressure with his teeth…

She came.

It was like a massive wave crashing over her,
pleasure consuming every pore, and Allison wondered how she’d ever
lived without this feeling for so long, without this pleasure and
completion.

Her orgasm lasted for what felt like hours,
and when it was done, she sagged in place where she was, only
making it back to the couch because Robert helped her. It was hard
to stay awake even, to concentrate or be rational, but then she
looked up at him through half-lidded eyes and spoke, “Are you okay?
I didn’t even…it’s not like you had a chance to feel anything
either?”

“Oh, believe me,” he said, patting her hip as
he sat down near her. “I felt more than enough, Goldilocks.”