Sweet Billionaire Stepbrother ~ Part 1 (7 page)

I swallowed hard and put on a half-smile. “Of course I am. I should be asking you that question.”

She cast her eyes down, avoiding my gaze. She smoothed her dress with her flattened palms as she replied, her voice pitched too high to be believable. “I’m perfectly fine, Dr. Forbes.”

“Layla, there you are, baby girl.” The clicking of heels on tile became louder as my stepmother approached. “Oh my God, Layla. You look stunning.”

The next moment Taylor came bounding down the stairs. “Doesn’t she look awesome, Grayson? See, all my nagging worked. Our stepsister is a natural beauty, don’t you think?”

She was asking me?

I grinned and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, she is.”

Narrowing my eyes, I scrutinized her face. She was still my little Lala, but she had somehow changed too. She glowed with a confidence she’d never had before. It was alluring as hell. Every man in that ballroom was going to notice her tonight. Fuck.

“Layla, my darling girl, your date is here,” Dad called from the hallway. He paused at the entrance when he saw Layla. Same reaction as myself, stunned with wide eyes. “Layla? Wow, you look beautiful.”

Layla’s hand went to her chest and rubbed a circle over her heart. She always did that when she missed her own father. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she smiled back at Dad.

With a slight tremble in her voice, she said, “Thanks, Milton. That’s very sweet of you.”

And then the moment was ruined because following behind Dad, was young Matthews. I gritted my teeth as I noticed how tall he’d become, possibly a few inches taller than me. Since I’d been seated at the restaurant the day before, it had been hard to judge. And he was muscled. The little pimple-faced boy had grown into a man. A man with a dick. Fuck.

“Holy hell,” he said stepping closer with wide strides until he stood in front of Layla. “You look very pretty, Layla. I’m glad you’re mine tonight.”

Did he just say ‘mine’?
Fuck me. He definitely had plans.
Plans I’m not going to approve of.

I tried to suppress a growl. I wanted to rip his fucking head off and the way Layla’s eyes shone back at him made my stomach drop to my shoes.

His hand snaked around her waist and he pulled her to his chest. And then he kissed her. He fucking
kissed
her in front of everyone. Again. Christ. My mind was about to blow.

A round of applause and cooing from my stepmother and my sister—damn traitors—made me feel sick to the stomach.

“Oh, what a beautiful couple you make!” Alice exclaimed, hardly able to contain her joy.

“It’s your daughter that’s the star tonight, Mrs. Forbes.” Matthews said with a sly grin. Bastard was buttering the women up. Jesus, even Taylor was grinning like a fool. Wasn’t she supposed to be on
my
side?

Layla batted her lashes at him, the deep pink blush on her cheeks made her look more adorable.
Fuck, they’re all loving this shit.
Even Dad had a huge grin on his face.

“Our Layla has always been pretty, but tonight she’s stunning. You’re a lucky young man, Seth.” Dad said as he patted him on the back.

Couldn’t they see through this fucking jerk? See that he was tripping over his own fucking dick to get into Layla’s pants?

“I know, Mr. Forbes. I’m going to make sure Layla has a good time tonight. You can trust her with me.”

Is that right? Cocky little shit
.

I grinned as I stared him down. It was a stroke of pure genius that I’d offered to go with Sloane. I could keep an eye on Matthews and his dick.

And man, was I going to watch him. I already knew his type. Fuck if I was going to let my stepsister become prey to this little fucker. No way in hell was I going to let that happen.
No way
.

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W
hy was Grayson glaring at Seth as if he wanted to rip his head off? People always said that women were difficult to understand, but I swear men were just as much of a mystery. Grayson knew that I was level headed, rational and intelligent, so why couldn’t he just trust me to enjoy myself?

I was already aware that Seth was a player, he was perfect for my needs. I didn’t want a damn boyfriend or to fall in love, not at this time in my life anyway, but my virginity had to go. I was tired of waiting for the perfect man to come along.

I didn’t believe in unicorns or that the perfect man existed; one that would be interested in me and tick all my boxes.

I’d had one botched attempt at having sex a few years ago and that had scared me off for a long time, but I was finally ready to get it over and done with. I knew exactly what I was doing, even though I was nervous as hell. My heart was beating like crazy and my cheeks felt as if they were on fire.

I didn’t need Grayson to be the overprotective big brother. I wanted Seth to be the guy who helped me get over my fear of intimacy. I’d been on the pill for two months in preparation for this, just as a backup of course. No way would I have unprotected sex with Seth. I was being both logical and practical about this.

Did I expect fireworks my first time? Hell no . . . I didn’t even expect an orgasm. But I knew after that I’d be broken in and maybe I’d get to experience everything the other girls talked about.

“Ready, babe?” Seth asked, taking my hand and pulling it through his arm. I swear I heard Grayson growl again. The first time I thought it was my imagination, but he was standing closer to me this time and it
was
a growl.

I tucked into Seth’s arm with a wide grin. Nobody was wrecking my plans for tonight. I loved that Grayson cared enough to want to protect me, but I was going to be just fine.

I got this.

“I’m ready.” Annoyed by my stepbrother’s behavior, I smiled up at Seth then glanced sideways at Grayson and stuck my chin out in defiance. “Sloane is probably waiting.”

“Oh God, Grayson, you should’ve been at Sloane’s place already. Fine gentleman you are keeping her waiting.” Taylor was loving that she got to reprimand her brother. It didn’t happen often and if her shit-eating grin was anything to go by, she was enjoying every moment.

“As a matter of fact I was just on my way when Layla came down the stairs.” He held out his arm indicating for us to walk ahead of him. “After you, Princess Layla,” he said with a smile in his voice.

As soon as we stepped out of the front door, Grayson laid a hand on Seth’s shoulder, forcing him to stop. My head jerked toward Grayson.

“Be a gentleman tonight, Matthews. I’m watching you.” The threat was clear and even though he was smiling, it didn’t reach his eyes.

Seth’s back stiffened but he didn’t reply. Instead he slid his hand down my back until it rested on my ass.

In. Full. View. Of. Everyone.

My cheeks burned. Jesus. Was he purposely trying to start shit with Grayson?

Not wanting to deal with testosterone driven feuds, I grabbed the offending hand away from my ass and pulled my date down the stairs quickly before this escalated into something unpleasant. From under my lashes, I chanced a sneak peek at Grayson. His teeth were clenched together and his eyes were an inferno of anger. Holy hell. An angry Grayson was something I rarely witnessed. I’d heard all about his ongoing competitiveness with Seth’s brother, but surely that couldn’t be what was pissing him off?

“Princess Layla,” Seth drawled as he opened the car door and helped me in. It didn’t sound quite the same from his mouth as what it did when Grayson said it. It actually irritated me that he had the gall to mock something that was between me and my stepbrother, but I decided to let it go. Instead I blew a loose strand of hair out of my face and waited for Seth to drive us to prom.

We made small talk in the car, but my mind kept wandering back to Grayson. Was he telling Sloane that she looked gorgeous too? A small ache settled at the center of my heart. I’d loved the way he’d reacted when he saw my transformation and I didn’t want him finding another woman more beautiful tonight. Why? I had no damn idea. I just did.

“Layla, you haven’t heard a word I said.” Seth admonished as he turned the car engine off and turned to face me.

“Oh, I’m sorry—”

Before I knew what was happening, Seth had leaned in and sealed his lips over mine. He bruised my lips with a forceful kiss and definitely ruined my perfectly applied lipstick. I tried to kiss him back, tried to let myself give in to the moment. But neither my mind nor my body would go there.

“Christ, Layla, it’s just a kiss. Relax. You know you want it.”

I did. I wanted to experience all the night promised. But Grayson’s face was stuck in my damn mind and try as I might, I couldn’t chase it away.

––––––––

S
eth made sure I was watching him as he twirled around me. Sweating it out on the dance floor, my date delighted the crowd surrounding us with his smooth moves. He was cocky, self-assured and loved being the center of attention as he showed off his agile body. I smiled at him while I admired the perfect ass he seductively shook to the rhythm of the music. This was fun. I’d only heard other girls talk about the sexy side of Seth Matthews but I’d not had the pleasure of seeing or enjoying it yet. Now he was putting on a show just for me, strutting his stuff like a peacock.

The music changed to a slow song. Seth immediately hooked me around the waist and pulled me closer to him. Heat radiated off his body in waves and his shirt was damp with perspiration.

“Damn, you smell so good,” he said, sniffing my neck before planting a soft kiss below my jaw. He pulled me even closer and whispered in my ear. “I can’t wait to devour you later.”

“Ohhh.” I really didn’t know what to say to that.

“I’m already hard for you, baby. Feel my cock.” He grinned down at me as he pressed his erection against my hip. “And later I’m going to fill you with it.”

My cheeks burned.
Were all men that verbal about their intentions?

Seth took a wide turn and slightly lost balance, causing us to bump into another couple. My back stiffened as I looked up into Grayson’s stormy eyes. His gaze burned into me, making my body feel even hotter than before. I tried to look away, yet my gaze stayed locked on his as he elegantly steered Sloane around the room without breaking eye contact.

How did he do that?

He kept my attention, drawing me to him even while I was being held by another man. It was bizarre.

The song ended and another slow dance followed as the lights grew dimmer.

Seth stopped dancing and let go of me. “I need a cold drink,” he said as he wiped his brow. “Let’s go outside for a drink and fresh air.” He winked at me playfully.

Before I could reply, Grayson cut in, holding his hand out for mine. “Princess Layla, would you do me the honor of the next dance?” He didn’t wait for me to answer as he took hold of my hand. He pulled me to his chest and let out a low rumble as my breasts came into contact with his body.

Seth’s eyebrows knitted together, but he didn’t protest. He turned on his heels and waked off, presumably to get a drink.

Grayson’s left hand settled on the small of my back. I instantly relaxed in his arms as we danced slowly without speaking, my softness melting against his hard body. I closed my eyes and rested my head against his shoulder. He planted a soft kiss in my hair like he’d done a million times before, but this time it felt different. It was as if there was an electric current surrounding us.

This shouldn’t feel so good
.

I shouldn’t feel as if I never wanted him to let me go. Why had dancing with Seth not evoked these feelings inside me?

This has to be wrong
.

Yet my heart was out of control. It was beating hard and fast, making it difficult to breath. Grayson’s closeness had an indescribable effect on me.

I slipped my hand between us and pushed lightly against my stepbrother’s chest, needing to create distance. What if other people were watching? What would they think?

What I felt under my fingertips caught me completely off guard. Grayson’s heart was beating almost as frantically as mine. Through ragged breathing he said in a hoarse voice, “Lala, you feel so good in my arms.”

Oh God. He was so right.

“Grayson,” I moaned. I was completely caught up in the moment, hardly caring what the people watching us were thinking. I wanted the song to never end so this moment could last forever.

I’d never felt this giddy before. 

Get a grip, Layla.

“I think I had too much sparkling wine.” I whispered, trying desperately to rationalize my behavior.

Grayson laughed softly. “Makes two of us.”

He loosened his hold on me and took a step back.  I instantly felt the loss and wanted to propel myself back into his arms. Like a magnet, drawing me to him.

Or was he my Kryptonite?

I couldn’t tell, I definitely blamed the damn alcohol. Usually I didn’t drink much, only on special occasions and at parties, but now it was making me think all kinds of naughty thoughts. Like what it would feel like to have Grayson kiss me properly. What it would be like to have his tongue caressing my lips before exploring the inside of my mouth, tasting me.

Kissing me all over my body.

Stop.

Stop those ridiculous thoughts.

If there was one thing that could never go anywhere, it was fantasies about my stepbrother. Confusion took over my body and my brain. I needed to get away from Grayson. Get away from the way he invaded my thoughts and made me want to stay in his arms. I was here for a reason. I had to get back to my mission: Get Laid By Seth. God, it shouldn’t be this difficult.

Seth already said he wanted me so all I had to do was find him and give him the go-ahead. Get it done before I changed my mind or lost my nerve—maybe these crazy desires for Grayson would finally be over once I got laid.

“I . . . um, thanks for the dance, but I need to go.” I reached up on tiptoes and kissed his cheek lightly before I turned and fled. My throat felt thick and tears pricked my eyes.

I had to find Seth.