The Other Brother Part 2: Taboo: Stepbrother Billionaire Romance (5 page)

“Why were
you
?” Whirling, he pins me with those pale eyes. My heart skips a beat in response, and I look away, over him to the big floor-to-ceiling window instead. The glass offers a breathtaking view of the sea, the sinking sun turning the sky the colors of melting sorbet.

There’s silence in the suite, and I know he’s not going to let me get away without an answer.

“It was my first time.” I risk a peek at him. He’s staring at me with wild eyes. “No, no. Not
that
first time. Ha.”

Oh my God, if he only knew.

“My therapist thought it would be a good idea.”

He’d dropped his gaze to the floor, and now his head whips up to look at me again. “Therapist? Why the hell are you seeing a therapist?”

I feel like a fist is squeezing everything inside my chest. I don’t like the way he’s looking down at me, literally, because he’s standing and I’m not, so I get off the couch, moving to the window. The ocean looks like it’s mirroring my inner turmoil, waves crashing into the jagged rocks. After staring at the wildness of nature for a while, I finally reply. “Why do you think? Because I’ve been fucked-up since the night you left.”

Lifting my chin, I can see him approaching me from behind in the glass. He stands just out of reach, but close enough that I couldn’t ignore him if I tried.

He says nothing, and I spill, needing to fill the space between us.

“And you didn’t just leave. You almost killed Theo. It tore Dad and Dinah apart, one son pitted against the other. And when you got out of jail, you just… disappeared.”

Here, I finally realize, here is where so much of my hurt lies. I’d gotten through Seth’s time in jail by believing it was all a mistake, that he’d somehow come back to us after.

He never did.

“You broke your mom’s heart.” My voice is a whisper, but holds all of the pain I’ve been clutching so tightly.

“And what about yours?” He’s right behind me now. Not only can I see him in the window, I can feel his presence, feel the heat of his body radiating against my skin.

“I was a kid. You were my stepbrother. Of course I was upset. But… not like that.” In my reflection in the window I can see my emotions written all over my face.

Seth dips his head, his breath fanning over the lobe of my ear and making me shiver.

“I was never your brother.”

Everything inside of me clenches. It’s the truth. It’s absolutely the truth, but that doesn’t make this any less wrong. And still I want to press my hands to the glass and offer myself to him, but it feels too much like the other night, so I move away from the window. Move away from temptation. From him.

I need space. And the only way for me to get that is to push him away.

“You were a part of this family, and you broke it. You ruined Theo. He was never the same after you.”

Those gray eyes flash with pale fire, and I’m taken aback. But then I blink and the fury is gone, replaced by the cool billionaire who’s a stranger to me.

Despite my best attempts, I don’t want him to be a stranger. I need to know—why did he try to kill my brother? Was it just bad blood between them? Or was it something more?

“Have you seen him since he got out?” His words are measured as he casually picks up his glass from the table and refills it. He refills my water too, and I’m glad, because just looking at him makes my mouth dry.

I watch as he sips from his scotch, and for one long moment I’m tempted. Tempted to have a drink myself.

I can’t. I never actively admitted that I was an alcoholic, never went to any meetings, but I know. One drink and I can’t stop. I can’t have just one, or I lose control. Alcohol is poison, at least for me.

But even knowing that, I’m tempted. And my hands shake as I clasp them in my lap, trying to focus on the fact that I’m strong enough to have this conversation without alcohol.

“Allegra?”

Right. He asked me a question. I force my stare away from the golden gleam of Seth’s glass of scotch. “Yes, I’ve seen him. Last night. I’m not even going to ask how you knew.”

“Is he staying at the house with you?” Seth’s looking at me as if this is the most important question in the universe—and I’ve just about had it with his little innuendos and comments about Theo.

I give him a
look
. “Yes, of course. It’s his home. Where else would he go?”

Seth clearly doesn’t like this, I can see it in the tension of his body, but he only says one thing. “Be careful around him.”

I groan with frustration and shake my head. “Stop. Just stop. Don’t say shit like that and not explain. You did the same thing that night.” Angry all over again, I stalk toward him. My hands vibrate with pent-up frustration. I need answers.

“Tell me what the hell is going on. Tell me what Theo did to warrant you almost killing him. I want to believe that you had a reason, but you’ve given me nothing to go on. Please, Seth, I want to forgive you. I want…”

I’m right in front of him now. I can see the faint sapphire flecks in his icy eyes. The heat of his body envelops me, and the scent of him, soap and man and just a faint hint of cologne, makes me fuzzy in the head.

Going to him is definitely the wrong decision, but neither can I seem to step back. I’m frozen in place, waiting for him to make the next move.

“You want?” Like a large cat who finally has its prey in its sights, Seth appraises me with glittering eyes, raising his hand to traces the line of my jaw with a finger.

“I want.” It’s a relief to say it, to just give in.

“What do you want, Allie?” Our stares are locked together, and I have to fight back a whimper. I can’t say it. I just can’t. I don’t even have the right words.

“This?” He leans down to me, slowly edging toward my mouth. My lips part in anticipation. A gasp escapes me as his lips lightly brush mine.

But it’s not enough. I want more. More of what I know he can give me… more of what he showed me last night.

I don’t have a clue how to ask for that.

I moan into his mouth with frustration as I shift restlessly. I can feel him smile a bit against my mouth, but I’m not amused. I…

I want him to take control. Otherwise I don’t think I can do this. I need to be dragged over that line.

I
want
to be.

“Allie.” Seth fists his hand in my hair. “I think I’m getting the picture here. I think you’re having a hard time asking for what you want. Am I right?”

I nod as he tugs lightly, just hard enough to awaken the nerve endings in my scalp.
Yes
. Yes, this is what I want. Take my control away. Make me take what I need.

“You want to submit to me, Allie. I know you do. Your entire body told me that last night.” Seth brushes his lips against mine again, and I can barely breathe. “We just need your mind to catch up with everything else.”

“I’ll hate myself if I do this, Seth. If I give in.” My mind
is
starting to catch up. I can’t do this. I can’t. This man almost killed my brother.

“What if I said that you had no choice?” Seth is watching me so closely that I’m sure he can see every thought I’ve ever had. The hand in my hair tugs a bit again, reminding me of how it felt to be under his hand last night.

I exhale, my knees trembling. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…” He tugs again, forcing me to look up into his face. “I mean that I can absolve you of responsibility, if that’s what you need. I’ll make you.”

What?

I’m full of questions but can’t get them out of my swollen throat.

“Let me explain.” His hand slides from my hair to cup my throat, and I shudder at the possessive gesture. “I think this is what you want. I think you want to run. I think you want do the smart thing and run away from me. But I think you also want me to chase you. Is that right?”

“Yes.” I nod, then stop. Wait… surely he doesn’t mean that literally?

“Oh yes.” He seems to read my thoughts on my face. He smiles at me, the curve of his lips full of dark intent. “That’s exactly what I mean. If it’s what you want, we’re going to act out exactly what you’re feeling. And by act out, I mean that you’re going to run. I’m going to chase you. And when I catch you—and I
will
catch you—I’m going to fuck you the way we’ve both wanted to fuck for years. You’re going to take my cock, Allegra. You’re going to be mine.”

Say something, damn it
. I’m a strong woman. I shouldn’t want this. But the picture he’s just painted is so, so perfect…

I’m lost to him. He knows what I want, what I need. Nobody ever has, not even me, so in this moment, I can’t move away. I can’t push him back.

I don’t fucking want to.

Seth releases me and steps back. His hands are fisted at his sides, as though he’s doing his best to control himself.

“If you need to stop, if you need to slow down, if you need anything at all, you say red. Do you understand?”

“
Red
,” I repeat, my voice hoarse. “Why not just
stop
?”

He smirks, his hands raising to the buckle of his belt. “I think you can imagine why the word stop might not work in this game.”

Game
. Right, this is just a game. But it sure doesn’t feel like one as he closes the distance between us, fists a hand in the front of my work blouse, and tugs. I shriek as buttons go flying and fabric tears.

“Seth!” I’m wild-eyed and shaking, just from that animalistic action. “What are you doing?”

He smiles at me mockingly, already in character.

“Run.”

Run.
It echoes through my head as I back away. I haven’t gone more than three steps when he starts to move too. Crying out at the sudden clench of fear in my belly, I turn and do as he’s ordered, kicking off my low-heeled sandals as I go.

Adrenaline is potent, rocketing through my veins and making me clumsy. It’s real fear, but… different. Exciting. As I take off across the living room, I can’t help the giggle that escapes me.

I’ve never felt so alive. And it’s not funny; the laugh is slightly hysterical, because I can hear Seth’s footsteps behind me, each heavy and deliberate.

I’m being chased. When he catches me, he’s going to fuck me, and I’m not going to be able to do anything about it. I should hate the whole idea. Instead I crave it more than I crave my next breath.

“You’re not going very fast, girl.” Oh my God, he’s so close. “Seems to me you want to be caught.”

“No!” Oh no, I didn’t want that. He wasn’t going to get me that easily. I slide behind the bar to put something between us, turning while I’m protected to get a look at where my pursuer is.

“Oh, this was almost too easy.” Seth reaches over the counter, grabs a fistful of my shirt. I shriek and pull away, jolting myself free. I hear the fabric tear and the sound is huge, echoing in my ears as I sprint away.

The suite is big, but not big enough to stay away from Seth for long. No matter where I go, I can hear him following behind me, his steps slow but relentless. He’s driving me mad.

After a detour through the dining area, I propel myself back into the main room. Relief is warmth on my skin as I heave out a massive sigh, thinking I eluded him again. He’s still in the dining room, which has two doors on opposite ends. I have a chance to catch my breath and maybe think about where to hide next.

I scurry across the thick carpet where the game first started. Maybe if I hide in the bedroom, I can get away.

I’m just passing the huge floor-to-ceiling window when a strong, hard hand grabs me by the upper arm.

I scream.

“That’s a nice sound.” He tugs me toward him roughly, my heart hammering so hard it hurts. The look in those icy eyes in full of possession.

“No!” I flail, and my arm connects with a stone lamp sitting on an end table. It crashes to the floor, the light flickering out in a shower of glass. I can barely hear it over the tattoo of my pulse.

“No!” I shriek again as he herds me toward the window. He curses loudly as I buck against him, which only serves to press me against every last hard plane of his body.

This chase has aroused him. Excited him. And he can do whatever he wants with me.

I have no control.

The realization makes me buck even more wildly against him.

“I like it when they fight.” Seth. This is Seth smiling mockingly down at me. Grabbing me by the hips, he presses his erection into my belly and grinds. “See what it does to me? What
you
do to me?”

He’s going to fuck me with that cock, and I can’t do anything about it. Just like I couldn’t do anything about the events that happened six years ago. Adrenaline and endorphins flying through me, I hiss at him and duck my head, sinking my teeth into his biceps with blinding rage.

“I hate you.” I bite him again, and he groans. “I don’t want this.”

He smiles again, his hand sliding between my legs. I cry out when his hand slides up my skirt, when he shoves two fingers beneath my panties and right inside of me.

I clench around him. I’m shaking, and panting, and my heart is racing so hard I feel like I might be sick. I’ve never experienced anything like this.

“I hate you!” I cry again as he pulls his fingers out, then shoves them back in. My hips press forward, my body betraying me. “Fuck you! Let me go!”

“Remember our rules, Allie.” He continues to fuck me with his fingers, and I’m so wet I can hear it as he tunnels in and out. I can barely hear
him
, but I understand what he’s telling me. I have a way out.

In all of this chaos, I still have control.

I don’t for a second consider using it.

“Yeah, I remember the rules.” I try to wiggle away, but only succeed in sinking down farther onto his hand. “The rules that say you’re a bastard who’s going to just take me, no matter what I want.”

“That’s right.” He removes his hand, and I can’t hold back the groan. Pinning me against the window with his pelvis, he unbuttons his shirt, tugs mine right off of me, rips the front of my bra open. His hands fill with my breasts, roughly kneading them, making my body clench, my skin go hot.

“No.” This time my voice is weaker, and it’s belied anyway by my actions as I press my breasts into his hands. I know I won’t protest again. There’s no point. He’s in control, and he’ll do what he wants with me. All I have to do is let go.