Shades of Step Billionaire (14 page)

Olivia was still shaking as she stepped into her apartment.  Her eyes glanced around the small space, quickly assessing whether anything had been disturbed.  She didn’t want to say anything to Jeremy, but she had secretly worried that Trent had broken in and trashed the place.  She glanced up at Jeremy, who was scanning the interior as well and knew just from the look on his face he was thinking the same thing. Once she was confident everything was in order, she stepped deeper into the room, dropping her keys on the table.

“I’ll just be a minute,” she said.  She rushed around, collecting clothes and necessities for the following week.  She realized as she packed, that she wanted to get out of there quickly. Knowing that Trent knew where she lived tainted the place for her.  It no longer felt like a safe haven.  After she had everything, she looked once more at the place she thought of as home, and shuddered to think that Trent had stood in a rage just outside her door.  She nodded to Jeremy she was ready.  Gently he placed his hand on her elbow and guided her into the hall.  She looked up at him, grateful to have someone help her through this.  He had made it clear he would protect her, fiercely if necessary.  That thought was the most reassuring of all.  She didn’t like to lean on others, but she was glad to have him right now.

They made their way down the stairs and back out to the car in silence, both preoccupied by the echo of Trent’s threat.  Jeremy’s driver looked quizzically at him as he approached with Olivia, but didn’t say anything.  Jeremy didn’t address it, either.

“Home,” was all he said.

“Yes sir,” the driver nodded as they slid into the car.  Once they were alone, Jeremy slipped his arm around Olivia and pulled her in against him.  His body felt so strong and solid.  Despite herself, heat rippled through her and sent a flush over her skin. He was irresistible before, but seeing way his jaw clenched and the savage look in his eye when he talked about protecting her made her want him even more.

The car drove down the tree lined street, carrying Olivia away from everything that was comforting and familiar.  It felt good to leave the threat of Trent behind and know that she was safe. She looked at Jeremy, light danced across his face, filtering in through the windows and highlighting his strong masculine features.  The time she had spent with him had been captivating, but everything was still new, she couldn’t help but feel a little uncertain.  Staying with him was a big step, even if it was only temporary.

Jeremy took her hand as they rode and stroked the inside of her palm with his thumb.  A jolt of electricity shot to her core.  The simplest touch could send her heart racing. Suddenly the thought of the contract came to mind. With the drama from her apartment, she had forgotten about it completely.  Now she was on her way to stay with Jeremy, at his apartment, as his full-time submissive.
Gulp.
Olivia swallowed hard as she realized what this could mean.  She wasn’t just crashing on a friend’s couch.  She was moving in with her Dom.  She squirmed in her seat, agitated. Just the thought of that alone was enough to set her on fire.

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Step Close, Billionaire
.

Step Closer, Billionaire

By Jenna Harlow

Olivia hasn’t seen her step in years, but there he is, right in front of her, just when she needs him the most. He’s a billionaire now, and she’s a poor student, struggling to make ends meet. It’s hard to believe they ever used to live under the same roof.

She’s trying to ignore her attraction to him, but she can’t. She wants him, bad.  She keeps telling herself it’s forbidden, but her feelings won’t go away.  She might be young, innocent and untouched, but she’s old enough to know what she wants: him. She wants him to be her first, and she wants him
now
. 

Dillon Harris has one rule when it comes to women: no attachments. But when the girl he walked out on years ago comes back into his life, all grown up and sexy as hell, all bets are off.

Read a sample from chapter one of
Step Closer, Billionaire
!

By Jenna Harlow

Chapter 1

Emma sat in the police station, rubbing her scalp as she waited for her name to be called.  Electric lights buzzed overhead and cast a stark glow over the room.  Officers bustled along the corridor, ushering the newest ‘guests’ to their locked accommodations, while an assortment of civilians sat in chairs lining the wall, waiting to be served.

Her lip was split and the blood was just starting to clot, forming a bump on her tender skin.  As she briefly closed her eyes and tried to relax, she realized she was still shaking.

“Here, hon.  Put this on your head,” a female officer appeared and handed her a small ice packet. Emma caught sight of her name tag as she bent over to hand her the chilled packet.

“Thank you, Officer Smith,” she said, suddenly fighting back tears brought on by this simple kindness.  The officer smiled.

“No problem.  Is there someone I can call for you?” she asked.

“Um…” Emma searched her brain for a name she could give her. It had been less than a year since she had moved to the city to start school. She lived alone, off campus.  Between work and school, she had not made any friends yet.  There was only one person she could think of to call; her stepbrother. She was reluctant to contact him, though.  It had been years since she’d seen him, and she didn’t know how he would respond hearing from her.  It wasn’t like they were even family, really. 

The officer shifted her weight and Emma knew she’d have to think of a name quickly.  She didn’t even have bus fare to get home.  Emma thought about her stepbrother again.  She didn’t want to bother him, but realized she didn’t really have a choice, given the circumstances. Her dad and stepmom lived over an hour away, and the reality was she wouldn’t call them even if they lived in town. Their relationship was so strained.  She sighed, and rubbed her head.  She had not realized until this moment how alone she was in the world.  Suddenly an empty, hollow feeling settled over her.

“My stepbrother lives here.  I don’t have a number for him, but his name is Dillon Harris of Harris Industries,” she said.

Officer Smith smiled.  “I’ll see if I can get a number and call him,” she said, and disappeared behind the counter. 

***

Dillon Harris stared blankly into his drink and watched the brown liquid swirl around the cubes of ice in his tumbler.  He sighed and leaned back in his chair as the woman sitting across from him, Amber, droned on about herself. She had been talking nonstop for close to twenty minutes, oblivious to Dillon’s disinterest.  Her long acrylic nails clicked against her glass as she talked, irritating him further. 

He glanced down at his watch.

I’ll give her five more minutes then I’ll cut her loose.

He had stopped into the bar after work for a quick drink with his buddy, Ryan.  Unfortunately, Amber spotted him and pounced, like a hunter stalking prey.

“Dillon Harris! You bad boy, you haven’t returned any of my calls!” Amber had teased as she slid uninvited, into the booth next to him.  He was trapped.

Dillon smiled weakly in response and mumbled an excuse as Ryan, gleeful to witness his friend’s awkward cornering, smirked. “Amber, right? Nice to see you,” he grinned. He was enjoying this way too much. Dillon glared a silent threat at him as Ryan stood to leave. “I have to run. You two enjoy yourselves,” he said and disappeared into the crowd.

Amber was an attractive sales associate for a well-known pharmaceutical company. He and Ryan had met her at the same bar a few weeks earlier. She definitely knew how to use her good looks to drive sales.  Within minutes of learning he was Dillon Harris of Harris Industries, she had turned on the charm like a warm thermostat.  Dillon was more than happy to let her seduce him, but he was not interested in anything more than a one night stand.  Unfortunately, Amber wasn’t taking the hint.  She had somehow gotten his number by calling his work and had left multiple messages for him.  He had to give her credit for being persistent though, that’s probably why she was so good at sales.

As the successful and ruggedly handsome owner and CEO of Harris industries, Dillon Harris  had one rule he lived by when it came to women: no strings, no attachments, no relationships. He didn’t lack female companionship, quite the opposite. Money hungry women like Amber eagerly sought him out.  Up until recently, Dillon had enjoyed the attention.  But now, after years of bedding woman after woman, he had grown tired of gold diggers trying to lay claim to him. Unfortunately, given his status and wealth, he now doubted the motives of everyone he met, and kept his inner world carefully guarded.   Dillon glanced at his watch again.

One more minute.

Just then his phone chirped.

Perfect.  Hopefully whoever is calling will give me a good excuse to escape.

He pressed the phone to his ear. “Dillon Harris,” he said. Dillon’s blood ran cold as the officer on the line told him his baby stepsister had been mugged and was down at the station. He didn’t even know she was in town. In an instant his cold heart cracked inside as warm memories of the affectionate little girl he had left behind years ago came flooding back to him.  Without hesitation, Dillon responded.

“I’ll be right there,” he said.  He tossed some bills on the table and nudged Amber out of the booth. “I have an emergency. I have to go,” he said, consumed now by thoughts of Emma. Amber, still oblivious, didn’t even register the panic in Dillon’s voice.

“Okay, well, call me!” she chirped as Dillon walked away.

As he made his way to the police station, rage burned inside him, imagining anyone harming his baby sister. Thoughts sprang to mind of the young girl he lived with briefly during his tumultuous teenage years. He had loved spending time with her, teasing her and making her laugh.  She was sweet and silly and a nice distraction from his overbearing parents.  She was the only one he had ever felt comfortable enough around to let his guard down and really be himself. 

Dillon’s heart swelled in anticipation of seeing Emma again.  She had been so little when he moved out.  His chest burned, remembering how she had cried the day he left. It tortured him to know the pain he had caused her, and how terrible life at home probably was in the wake of his absence.  He had his own life to live though, and he had to get out of there. Staying in touch just wasn’t an option for him, but he thought of her often.  Over the years, the memories had faded.  He thought his feelings had, too.  One phone call had brought it all flooding back now, and he knew in an instant his heart was still alive. He was overwhelmed by the concern he felt for her welfare.

He knows he shouldn’t, that she’s off-limits but that just makes him want her even more. He can’t hold back any longer. He knows before the night is over, he’s going to make her his.

Her Step Billionaire

By Jenna Harlow

Click now to get your copy of 
Her Step Billionaire
!

I’ve had a forbidden crush on the sexy man-of-the-house for as long as I can remember.  An unexpected cancellation means that I am now meeting him
alone
at an oceanside resort.  If I play my cards right, this might just be the opportunity I’ve been looking for…  I know it’s wicked and wrong, but I can’t help it.  I want him to be my first.  I love him.

I can have any woman I want, so why am I fixated on the one woman who is completely off-limits? I’ve lost all control.  She’s become my secret obsession, my forbidden desire.  I want her so much I may risk everything just so I can make her mine.

Read a sample from chapter one of Her Step Billionaire!

By Jenna Harlow

Cassie leaned her head back and let the warm water spill over her head.  She ran her hands down along her wet breasts as soapy water glided down her body. Her nipples hardened under the touch of her own fingers, sending a jolt of electricity burning between her thighs.  As the feelings of arousal grew within her, she fueled her hunger with images of him. She imagined his broad shoulders, hovering over her as he pumped inside her, grinding himself into her over and over again until she slipped over the edge in ecstasy. She filled her mind with thoughts of him that were so vivid she thought she could nearly taste the salt of his skin on her tongue. As she imagined him touching her, she slipped her hand down, over her taught belly and into the silky folds between her legs. She rubbed her wet fingers over the soft nub until it grew and swelled beneath her touch. In her mind, she could almost feel what it would be like to have her legs wrapped around him, squeezing him tight just as his strong body brought her over the edge. As her tension cracked and her body convulsed and twitched, she whispered his name: Drake.

Cassie turned the shower off and stepped onto the marble floor of the bathroom.  She couldn’t count the number of orgasm she had given herself in his name, and woefully lamented the fact that he was so far out of her reach.  Cassie was young and vibrant and beautiful, with a tight body, full lips and bright blue seductive eyes.   She knew she could have any number of men in an instant, but she refused.  She couldn’t stand to waste time on anyone other than the man who had become her secret obsession, her stepfather.  Resigned to her frustration, Cassie consoled herself with the fact that she could at least be near him for the next few months, when she was home for the summer before starting graduate school.

Drake Jacobson had been her secret crush even before her mother married him.  They had met while on vacation, at a luxury resort in Mexico. Cassie had spotted him as he came out of the pool, tanned and toned. She blatantly stared at him from behind the cover of her oversized sunglasses, admiring his toned form. He was much more appealing to her than the scrawny boys her own age. His chiseled muscles seemed to dance under his skin. He took her breath away.  She had been only seventeen at the time, but her attraction to him was instant. He didn’t look like the other older men his age.  He was tall and athletic.  His face was still smooth and youthful.  The only sign of his age was a smattering of grey hair interspersed between the curls of his tousled dark hair.

She had been crushed to see her mother had taken an interest in him as well.  With her California-girl good looks and irresistible charm, it wasn’t long before she captivated Drake.  Cassie’s mom was just a teenager when she had Cassie and only thirty four when she met Drake. A former beauty queen, she was still a stunning woman.  Soon her mom was abandoning Cassie alone in the room to join Drake for dinners on the beach.  Cassie was used to that.  Whenever her mother was single, she knew she took a backseat to anyone who became a love interest.  Drake was a prime candidate for her.  Rich, successful and he lived just an hour away from them near Calabasas. He had amassed billions as one of the top developers in California.  Not only was he rich, he was well connected- just what Cassie’s mom, Claire, would look for in a man.  A workaholic herself, Claire would only consider dating someone who could bring extra business her way. 

In less than a year he became her mom’s third husband.  Cassie and her mom moved into his mansion and settled in.  She never got over her crush, though.  Seeing him every day and pining silently for him was torture, especially because she knew her mother didn’t love him deeply; she simply wasn’t capable of it.  Once her mom had soaked him for every business contact she could use, she started spending less time at home, and more time away on business trips.  Over time, she figured out that many of her mom’s ‘business trips’ were covers for her to sneak away with her most recent boy toys.

Wearing a bathrobe and drying her hair with a towel, Cassie wandered into her mom’s bedroom.  Claire was rushing about, stuffing clothes into a suitcase and talking on the phone.

“Niles, bring the car around front, I’ll be leaving in twenty minutes. Yes, for the airport. Thank you. Goodbye,” she said. She flitted around the room grabbing toiletries, scarves and shoes as Cassie sat down on the bed.  Cassie frowned.

“Where are you going, Claire?”  She always resented the way her mother treated her more like a friend, and calling her Claire instead of Mom was her subtle way of punishing her. Claire’s eyes narrowed and she seemed to contemplate saying something, but then changed her mind.

“I’ve got to fly to Miami on business. I leave tonight,” she said as she brushed by Cassie and disappeared into the master bathroom. Cassie jumped up and chased after her.

“Miami?! We’re going away this weekend!  We have reservations at the Hotel del Mer, you
know
that.  All I wanted for my birthday was for us to spend the weekend together, as a family, on the coast. My birthday was over a month ago and you’ve already rescheduled twice!” she said. Cassie sat down on the bed and tried not to let herself be disappointed.  This had happened so many times before, she knew she really shouldn’t be surprised.

“I’m sorry, Sugar.  I
promise
I will make it up to you.  Work has just been
crazy
lately and I have an emergency,” Claire said as she breezed into her walk in closet. Cassie knew she was lying.  Most likely Claire had plans to meet someone in Miami.  Claire was consistent that way, always putting plans with Cassie on hold as soon as something better came along.  That ‘something better’ was usually a man.

“You need to bring a bikini on a work emergency?” Cassie yelled, as she picked up a turquoise string bikini sitting in her mom’s suitcase.  Claire came out of the closet and looked around, making sure they were alone. She sat down next to Cassie on the bed and placed her hand on top of hers.

“Look, Cassie, you are right, I’m not going to lie. It’s not for work. I just need to get away. I had a horrible week at work and Drake and I are fighting…  Please don’t make a big deal out of this,” she said.

“What’s his name?” Cassie asked quietly, keeping her eyes focused on her hands.

Claire sighed. “Oh, Cassie.  I didn’t want to tell you this way.  Drake and I…it just hasn’t been going well for some time now and I think I’ve got a chance at real happiness.  I know this is hard for you to understand, and I wish I didn’t have to postpone your birthday celebration again, but I really need to go. If you were pursuing something that made you happy, I would support you.” Cassie understood what she was saying even if she didn’t come out and admit it directly.  She stood to leave, she knew arguing with her would be pointless. She had accepted long ago that her mother was a self-absorbed, flawed individual.  She tried to not let these disappointments get to her, but still, it was hard.

Claire walked over and gave her a hug. “Thanks for understanding. When I get back we’ll do something
real
special, just the two of us, okay? Oh, and go out and have fun this weekend!  Just because I won’t be there doesn’t mean you and Drake can’t enjoy yourselves! I know how much you both love that hotel,” she said as she headed back into her closet.

Claire’s words hung in the air as Cassie made her way back to her room.  Her mind was a mixture of sadness mixed with fury. As she walked down the hall she let the anger and resentment go, and resolved to not let her mother ruin this weekend for her.  She had been looking forward to celebrating her birthday for a long time now, and she was going to have a good time no matter what.  Besides, having Drake all to herself for a couple of days was an added bonus.

She entered her room and looked down at the conservative, demure sundress she had laid out on her bed.  Her mother’s words rung in her ears as she picked up the dress.

“
If you were pursuing something that made you happy, I would support you
.”

Suddenly Claire’s words made sense to Cassie.  A delicate smile crossed her lips and she realized that what was a disappointment a moment ago had just turned into an opportunity. “Go for what I really want, huh? Cassie whispered to herself.  She smiled and dropped the dress back down on the bed and headed for her closet.