StepBrother: New Rules (Stepbrother Romance)
New Rules
Prologue
She went through her mental checklist: hands up, weight on toes, shoulders loose. She bounced, trying to hide her anxiety. It was the first time she’d ever been in this position—the first time she’d ever stared down another person whose goal was to completely physically dominate her. She was scared, and for a moment she considered turning around and walking away. She knew she didn’t have to do it, but some wild, primal part of her wanted to. She wanted to know if she could handle the pain. She wanted to know if she could inflict pain—deliberately hurt another human being. She wanted to test herself, push herself beyond the everyday tedium of her life. She craved something different—something raw and real.
Evelyn’s trainer had been urging her to get into the ring to spar for months, but it was the voice of her mother echoing in her head that had prevented her from actually doing it, at least until now. Evelyn had worried about bruises, cuts, and how she’d explain the inevitable damage she’d take by facing off against an opponent who was obviously more experienced than she.
But there she was.
When the first kick came, it took Evelyn completely by surprise. Though she’d worked hard, her trainer had never actually tried to hurt her. The woman who smirked at her as Evelyn struggled to stay on her feet showed no such mercy. With a flurry of action, the woman grabbed both of Evelyn’s arms and landed a knee in her ribs. Afraid she was about to vomit, Evelyn tried to stumble away, break the woman’s hold, but her grip was too strong.
Evelyn would never be able to remember exactly what happened next. When she opened her eyes, she was staring at the light fixtures on the ceiling, and by the time she could focus, her trainer’s face came into view, and she felt his fingers in her mouth, pulling her mouthpiece out.
“How’d I do?” Evelyn croaked, feeling the sharp ache of ribs she hoped weren’t broken.
“Well, honey, you still have your teeth, and I don’t think that pretty face looks any worse for the wear.”
Evelyn rolled to her side, unable to sit up. “I don’t care how I look. How’d I do? I don’t remember exactly what happened.”
Wrinkles creased the corners of the man’s eyes as he smiled down at the young woman he’d encouraged to get in the ring. “Well, we probably should have waited a little longer before putting you in the ring with Svetlana.”
“I don’t guess she’s in as much pain as I am, is she?”
“Hardly. The whole thing lasted about twenty seconds before you were flat on your back and seeing stars.”
“Well, shit.” Evelyn coughed, wincing at the pain in her mid-section. “Did I land anything?”
“Nope. She moved in on you, and you froze.” He reached out a hand to help Evelyn to her feet. “Take it slow.”
“Jesus, I feel like an idiot.”
“You shouldn’t. It happens to nearly everyone … everyone who didn’t grow up fighting, that is. You’ll get over your polite upbringing—or you will if you want to be as good as I think you can be.”
“Ugh.” Evelyn reached for his arm for support as she bent to step down from the raised ring in the center of the gym. “How do I hurt so much from twenty seconds?”
“You’re young. You’ll heal up quick, but you need to remember this feeling. If you don’t want the shit beat out of you, you better learn to get out in front of the next attack. I have a plan for next week. We’ll work not just on your defense, but also on stringing together the right moves that get you in position to capitalize on your strengths.”
“God, I don’t feel like I have any strengths at the moment. Where’d Svetlana go?”
“Off to gloat, I’d guess. Let her have her moment, Evelyn. She got her ass kicked same as you her first time.”
“Really? So you think I could still do this?” She’d worried that her lackluster performance would cause the trainer to drop her.
“No doubt in my mind. You just have to decide how badly you want it. You’re a remarkable young woman, Evelyn. If you decide to succeed, I don’t think there’s much that can stand in your way.”
“I hope you’re right.”
The man put a hand on her arm and stopped her slow progress toward the dressing room. “Evelyn, you just have to believe in yourself. You have to be brave enough to define yourself, rather than letting everyone else in your life tell you who you should be. I know you have it in you.”
Evelyn nodded and shuffled toward the showers, trying to find the courage to believe in herself.
Evelyn Caswell looked up and down the hallway one last time before she opened the door to the hotel room. She knew William couldn’t be more than ten minutes behind her, and she wanted to have enough time to change out of her uniform and into something a little sexier. As the heavy door closed behind her, Evelyn looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror that faced the bed.
“Nothing sexy about that,” she said, starting to unbutton the dress she wore to work every day.
The cotton-polyester blend never wrinkled, and the deep burgundy color hid stains well, but the mid-calf length couldn’t have been less fashionable, and the shapeless cut didn’t do Evelyn or the other maids at Chicago’s swanky Hillford Hotel any favors.
Tossing the dress onto the chair next to the window that looked out over Lake Michigan, Evelyn pulled the bobby pins out of her perfectly neat bun and shook out her long, nearly black hair. When she turned back toward the mirror, she smiled at what she saw. She ran her hands over her flat stomach, admiring the muscle definition that was slowly appearing. Her time at the gym was really paying off, and the way William looked at her when they were together really made it all worthwhile. She’d never realized how sexy muscles could be.
She took off her bra, leaving the tiny black panties on, and pulled a sheer red negligee over her head.
“Perfect,” she said, walking into the bathroom to arrange her hair—the messy waves a stark contrast to the conservative, pulled-together outfit she’d worn just moments before.
Evelyn heard the knock at the door, and she hurried to open it.
“Room service,” William said, joking as he came through the door, stopping in his tracks to look her up and down. “But you look good enough to eat.”
“You’re welcome to take a bite,” Evelyn said, pulling him toward her and reaching up to wind her fingers through his wavy, dark hair.
He bent and kissed her, letting his fingers skim over the thin red material, and he squeezed a handful of her ass as she unbuckled his belt.
“God, I want you, Evelyn. It feels like forever.”
“It’s only been a couple of days, but I know how you feel.”
William pulled his T-shirt over his head. “Anything special you want today?”
She watched him, taking in the lines of his lean, long torso and the dark trail of hair that led beneath his boxers.
“Just you inside me,” she answered, giggling as he picked her up and tossed her onto the bed.
William bent over her, leaning to bite her nipple through the negligee, while Evelyn writhed in pleasure on the bed. “How long do you have?” he asked, sliding her panties off.
“About twenty minutes before they miss me on the third floor.”
A wicked smile appeared on William’s face. “How many times can I make you come, I wonder?” He slid a finger inside her. “God, you’re wet.”
“It’s because I’ve been thinking about you all morning.”
William slid his boxers over his hips. “I want you naked,” he said, waiting for Evelyn to follow his instructions.
With a little smile that revealed how much she enjoyed William taking control in the bedroom, Evelyn rose to her knees and slowly lifted the red fabric over her head. She covered her full breasts with her hands, as if she were shy. “I feel so exposed,” she said, batting her eyes, knowing that William couldn’t resist the pull between them when their eyes met. His blue eyes held the same magnetic power over her as her green ones did for him.
“Goddamn, you’re gorgeous,” William said, moving her hands and cupping her breasts. “Tell me what you want.”
“I want you to fuck me, William. I want you to fuck me hard and deep, and I want you to make me come.”
William pushed Evelyn back on the bed and knelt between her legs. “Such nasty talk coming from a prim and proper girl.”
Evelyn’s little half smile made William even harder, and as he pushed his cock inside her, they both gasped at the pleasure. He entered her only partway, pulling out, only to thrust back inside, going a little deeper.
“Harder,” she said, a bit breathless.
William obliged her, pushing his cock deeper still, watching her breasts bounce as he thrust. “You feel so good.”
Evelyn arched her back, spreading her legs a little wider, close to her orgasm, and as she started to come, the squeeze from her muscles started William’s climax as well. He stayed inside her as they both became still, enjoying the release.
“Short, but sweet,” she said.
“You know, one of these days, we’ll have to find time for more than a quickie in the middle of the day.”
Evelyn picked up her phone to check the time. “I guess I really should get back to work.”
“But you only had one orgasm,” William said.
“Don’t turn those blue eyes on me. If the head of housekeeping finds a reason to visit the third floor, I’m dead.”
“Oh, come on, you know they’d never fire you. And besides that, you’re way too freaking smart to be working as a maid. You’re capable of doing more than cleaning toilets.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes. “I’m not doing this again, Will. I know you don’t believe me, but my mother wouldn’t lift a finger to help me keep this job if she thought I’d been shirking my duty.” She picked up her underwear from the chair. “And don’t start on my future.”
“Shirking your duty.” William rolled his eyes. “You sound like her when you say that.”
“I know.” She pulled her panties back on and hooked her bra. “I get so tired of being prim and proper all the time. It’s exhausting.”
“If only she could see you at the gym.”
“Yeah, well, that’s never going to happen.” Evelyn buttoned up her ugly uniform and stuffed the negligee into her purse. “You going to lounge in bed all day?”
William got up and pulled his clothes on. “Of course not. I have to get back to the restaurant.”
“What excuse did you use today?”
“Pomegranates. I’m doing the sauce for one of the specials this afternoon, and it appears that we’re fresh out of pomegranates,” he said with a smile. “I couldn’t say no when you texted me this morning, so I picked a dish I knew I’d need to shop for.”
“Crafty and sexy,” Evelyn said, crossing the room to plant a kiss on his lips.
“When can I see you again?”
“I haven’t talked to Mom yet. Don’t know if she’s going out with your dad tonight or not. Perhaps after I get out of class?”
“Perfect. If she’s going to be out, send me a text, and I’ll cook dinner for you.”
Evelyn quickly neatened up the bed, leaving no trace of their midday rendezvous, and she kissed William one last time before she hurried back to the third floor and resumed cleaning rooms.
By the time she’d finished the two floors she’d been assigned for the day, Evelyn had stuffed enough tip money in her pocket to cover the gym fees for the new class she wanted to take, and she was pleased to note she had just enough time for a cup of coffee with her mother before class. Returning the maid cart to its home in the basement, Evelyn changed into street clothes, tossed her uniform into the hotel laundry, and neatened her hair before heading up to the grand main floor of the Hillford Hotel.
As many times as she stepped onto the polished marble floor and looked up at the intricate plasterwork on the high ceiling, Evelyn was always stunned by the grandeur of the Hillford. Visitors came from all over the world to stay, and they expected exquisite beauty, extraordinary service, and lavish surroundings. Just as memorable as the tall columns that faced the river was the level of personal attention guests received—from the front desk, to the housekeeping, and to the woman who tied it all together, working tirelessly as the link between the hotel and the outside world.
