Confidence (A Stepbrother Romance)

Copyright 2015 Emma Johnson

All Rights Reserved.

Synopsis

Sophia hates her cocky and confident stepbrother Drake. He always did better than her: graduating from college, starting his own business... Their parents were so proud of him.

When Sophia finds herself desperate and penniless, she must go to Drake and beg for a job at his billion-dollar company. After spending more time with him, Sophia realizes that his arrogance and confidence are such a turn on that she can't resist him any longer. Will she cross the forbidden line?

Thank you for trying one of my stepbrother books!

Growing up in my house wasn't easy. Especially when you had a cocky stepbrother who always made fun of you. Teasing me about my looks and the fact that I never had a boyfriend used to bring me to tears. Drake was only a year older than me but it felt like a gigantic difference. My parents were always so proud of him: he got the best grades, won trophies, and always stayed out of trouble. Or at least he was really good at hiding secrets from them.

My mom married Phillip when I was in the second grade. I remember being excited to have a Dad again and a brother that would protect me. They moved into our three-bedroom house and Drake was in the room next to mine. We used to have a lot of fun when we were kids, playing board games on a rainy day, cops and robbers in the backyard, but something changed. After we both went through puberty, Drake started avoiding me. The teasing and pranks began.

When he found out that I had a crush on, Joshua, the pitcher of the high school baseball team, Drake went up to him and told him I had crabs. The rumor spread like wildfire and my classmates never let me forget it. I tried to get him in trouble, pleading with my mom and dad to punish him. They thought I was overreacting. “Boys will be boys,” they said to me.

When Drake graduated a year before me and went off to college, I breathed a sigh of relief. I finally got to relax without the constant threat of him making fun of me. I focused on my studies and graduated high school with a 3.5 GPA.

“Almost as good as Drake's 3.8,” my parents told me. They were always trying to play us against each other. Create competition so we would do better. At the time it made me feel like shit, but I understand now why they did it. It made me work harder, strive to be the best.

When Drake graduated with a business degree at the top of his class, my parents were so proud. They were so proud that they decided to fund his first venture. I couldn't believe they were throwing away tens of thousands of dollars on him. Their “precious prince.”

I wanted him to fail so badly to teach them all a lesson. The problem was, his business actually flourished. During my last year of college, he was already making millions. At that point, my parents could care less about my small accomplishments.

When I graduated college with a degree in History, I was even surprised they showed up to the ceremony. But right after I got my diploma, while we were taking family pictures, they wouldn't shut up about Drake and Atlas. I wanted to throw up all over my nice heels.

My first summer out of college was very difficult. I wanted to land the perfect job that could rival Drake's amazing performance but nobody was hiring. I couldn't even get a job at the gas station. The economy was held together with duct tape and the competition between all the other recent college graduates were fierce.

“I have the perfect idea,” my mom said one morning.

“What?” I asked, scouring job sites on my laptop.

My mom leaned over on the couch. “Drake,” she stated.

I already knew where she was headed. I looked up from the computer screen. “No way, Mom.”

The last place in the world I wanted to work at was Drake's business. Begging my stepbrother for a job would be a huge blow to my ego. It's the equivalent to bending the knee to an enemy king.

“Come on Sophia, you can either waste months and months to just land a crappy job or you can ask your stepbrother for one.” She didn't even think I could get a job.

“I'm not taking anything from him,” I said, slamming my laptop shut and storming upstairs. I'll show them when I get a great job.

It was only a few weeks later when I realized my mom was completely right. I spent so much time applying and searching and I had nothing to show for it. No interview. Not even a callback.

I only had one choice left and I already hated myself for it. I had to do it or else I'd be stuck living with my parents for the rest of my life. It would only be temporary, I told myself. Only until I can get a job somewhere else.

I drove to the city, deciding that a face-to-face with Drake would be a lot better than a phone call. I wanted him to see that I wasn't broken down yet, show him that I'm still strong and can fend for myself.

I got out of the car, lifted my head, put my hand up to block the sun, and took in the view of the tall skyscraper. Atlas in big letters dominated the top of the building. It was more impressive in person than in the pictures in magazines. I had never visited Drake at his work before and he never asked me.

I entered the tower and approached the blond receptionist sitting at a large stone desk.

“What can I do for you?” she asked, chewing bubblegum and not making eye contact with me. I watched for a moment as she twirled her hair and typed away on the computer.

“I'm here to see Drake Taylor,” I said softly.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No but he'll want to see me.”

“What's your name?” the girl asked.

“Sophia,” I replied softly.

The receptionist slowly looked up from her computer and made eye contact with me. She realized who she was talking with now. “Let me ask him right away.”

I turned away from her as she began dialing the number. The lobby took up the entire floor and other than a few fake plants, the receptionist was the only thing down here. Classic Drake. They couldn't fit anything else in the lobby because his ego was so big.

The receptionist hung up the phone. “Miss, Drake will see you now.” She pointed over to the elevator that had just opened. “Hit the button for level thirty-two.”

I nodded and entered the elevator. I pushed the button and waited patiently as we climbed and climbed. The doors opened to a 360-degree view of the entire downtown skyline. I stepped off the elevator and marveled at the scenery. A large oak desk stood in one corner of the room and was surrounded with a library of old books.

Drake sat at the desk, sipping a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. “Well this is quite a surprise, Sophia,” he said, folding the newspaper away.

“Yeah I know,” I replied.

“I didn't think you would ever step foot in this building.” Drake motioned for me to sit down in front of the desk.

I sat down in a comfy chair and became instantly relaxed. My body sunk into the cushions and it felt like I was floating. “I needed to talk to you about something.”

Drake put his elbows on the desk and leaned forward. “I have a meeting in ten minutes so cut to the chase.”

He almost always showed no emotion. It was like talking to a robot. I clenched my fists and breathed deeply. “I need a job.”

Drake leaned back in his seat and grinned. “Oh really. And I'm just going to give you one?”

“Come on, Drake. I've never asked you for anything before. You know how hard this is for me to do.”

“I always knew you'd come crawling in here begging for a job.”

“You always were a cocky bastard. Forget this,” I said, seething with anger. It took every ounce of willpower to not slap him in the face. I stood up and walked away.

I pushed the button for the elevator. I could hear it whirling its way upwards. The doors opened and Drake spoke up, “I need an executive assistant. My last one quit.”

I stepped into the elevator and turned towards him. Our eyes met and I stared at him for awhile. “I can start tomorrow.” I pushed the button for the ground floor and the doors closed cutting off our eye contact.

My first day at Atlas as Drake's executive assistant turned out to be nothing like I expected. He wasn't even around. I wasn't too excited to work as a secretary considering I just graduated with a Bachelor's degree but it was my only option.

I had already gone through most of the training with my manager, Isabella. She was really nice but reminded me of a gremlin. I got along with her as long as I didn't stare directly at her face.

Isabella surprised me from behind. “Hey Sophia! How are you settling in?”

“I'm doing surprisingly well!” I exclaimed.

“Great” Isabella replied. “Don't forget you have dinner with Drake tonight.”

“Wait, what?!” I exclaimed.

“Yeah, you didn't you know? He always takes new employees out to dinner on their first day.”

My heart began to race. Dinner alone with him?! I was sure that rule didn't apply to me. There was no way he was going to take his stepsister out for dinner.

“Yeah I doubt it's going to happen,” I muttered.

“You're pretty lucky getting to be Drake's executive assistant. He just doesn't hire any girl to do that.” Isabella's eyes followed down the line of my massive cleavage and I started to blush. I brushed the bangs out of my eyes. She had no clue that Drake was my stepbrother.

“I guess I am pretty lucky,” I replied, hoping she would leave me alone now.

“Anyway, I gotta get back to work. Enjoy dinner! If you have any other questions just come by my office!” Isabella said as she hurried away.

I checked my mirror again to make sure I didn't smudge any of my makeup. Just then, I heard a voice behind me.

“How's your first day going, Sophia?”

I snapped my compact shut and nearly closed my finger inside it. I looked up and there he was –tall, dark, and smoldering. Drake was just standing there smiling at me. My brain short-circuited and I couldn't get any words out. I was trying to form some sort of logical reply but all that came out was a monotone, “Yes.”

“The day's going okay, Drake.” At least I was able to form a whole sentence that time. We shook hands and enormous bouts of electricity flowed through my body. It felt like having a thousand tiny orgasms all at once. I started to sweat heavily and my cheeks became flushed. I'd never felt that way around him before. What was happening to me?

“I hope Isabella has trained you on everything?”

I found it hard to keep eye contact with him but tried to act normal. “She's been really great. I think I got a handle on it all.”

“Yeah just don't expect any special treatment since your family.”

“Of course. I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Drake.”

Drake ignored my remark. “So are we on for dinner tonight?”

“Really? I didn't think you'd want to take me.”

“Sophia, just because we've been enemies for years doesn't mean we can't go out and share a meal together.”

“Then dinner sounds nice.”

“Great! Meet me outside at five o' clock.”

Drake gave a small wave as he walked away and I barely got my palm up to return the gesture. Drake was being nicer than normal and I couldn't put my finger on why. I checked the clock: 3 pm. Two hours to get myself together.

I hurried to the bathroom and took a couple of deep breaths in front of the mirror. It didn't look like I was sweating before, thankfully. I took a couple more breaths. “You can't like him, Sophia, he's your stepbrother,” I said out loud. Drake was handsome, smart, and sexy. But he was also a cocky asshole. I didn't feel convinced. I left the bathroom and bee-lined it to Isabella's office.

“Hey Isabella! Can I ask you a question abo--”

“Sophia, don't worry you'll be fine. Just be yourself,” Isabella interrupted. I decided not to bring up that fact that Drake was my brother. It was better if the whole office didn't know about my home life.

“Thanks Isabella, I was freaking out a bit but I think I'll be fine.”

“No worries. He's a really down-to-earth guy so I know you'll have a great time.” I don't know who she was referring to but the Drake I knew was anything but down-to-earth.

I left Isabella's office and I took a seat back at my desk. I stared off into space thinking about the dinner ahead when a sweet image of Drake kissing me popped into my mind. I tried to shoo it away with a shake of my head. No, it's wrong. He's forbidden, off limits. I shouldn't be thinking about that stuff.

More images flashed before my eyes –his lips touching mine and his hands caressing my voluptuous breasts. I pictured him undressing me slowly and I could feel a wetness between my thighs. Drake's hand moved slowly up my... The phone at my desk rung loudly and I was jolted out of my fantasy.

Oh god, I needed sex.

I've only “done it” once before and you can barely call what we did “sex”. It was five years ago, right after prom. Johnny Masden asked me to the dance and I was genuinely shocked. He was one of the scrawny nerds so he wasn't the most attractive and we had never really talked beforehand. But I was still surprised he asked. I'd never been asked to a dance before because I was considered one of the “big girls.” The prom itself was alright, we danced and ate food. It felt pretty awkward throughout the night but what happened afterward took the cake. We went back to Johnny's old Mazda which was a sorry excuse for a prom limo. We got in and he started kissing me right away. I didn't really feel a connection with him at all and even when we danced, he barely put his hands on me. Even though I wasn't attracted to him, my body was telling me, “Go for it!”

I grabbed Johnny and practically threw him into the backseat. I could feel his hard but small cock through his pants and I slowly started to unzip them. Johnny grabbed my tits and I got really excited. I forcefully pulled his cock out of his pants and began stroking it.

“Ohhhh my God,” Johnny whispered.

There wasn't much room in the backseat but I made it work. He started to lift up my dress and I took off my thong. He didn't really know where to put his dick so I helped him guide it into my dripping pussy. I felt a little bit of pain at first, but the extreme pleasure made up for it. Unfortunately, before I knew it, it was over. A couple of pumps and Johnny was spent. I swear it was over in ten seconds. I guess I couldn't complain since I hadn't had anything since then.

As I came out of my daydream I realized that it was a quarter to five and I was supposed to meet Drake downstairs in fifteen minutes. I got my bag and ran to the bathroom. I fixed my outfit and double-checked my makeup.

“Don't be a goob tonight, Sophia.” I said aloud to myself. “It's just dinner.” But as I heard myself say it, I knew it wasn't going to be “just dinner.” This was going to be dinner with someone important. I took the elevator down and made it outside to find Drake standing in front of a limo.

“Sophia, your chariot awaits,” Drake mused with a smile. He opened the door for me and followed me into the limo. At this point, I was so nervous my palms were sweating buckets.

“Where are we going to dinner?” I asked.

“Can't it be a surprise?” Drake replied with a smirk.

Around the corner we pulled up to Ryuu, one of the most upscale Japanese restaurants in
the US.

“Oh my god, are we going to Ryuu!?” I screamed at Drake.

Drake laughed at me for a little bit. “Don't you need a reservation months in advance?” I asked incredulously.

Drake smiled at me. “Sophia, I own the place. I don't need a reservation.”

“Mom and Dad never told me you owned a restaurant.”

“They probably didn't want to make you feel any worse about your life than you already did.”

“Oh very funny,” I said, giving him a playful shove.

Drake got out of the car and reached out for my hand to help me out. Again, the electricity flowed through me like a million bolts of lightning. We made eye contact and I could tell Drake was feeling the same thing. Drake took me to his private table which was separated from the rest of the dining room.

“This place looks fantastic!” I told Drake.

Drake chuckled. “I'm glad you like it.”

“So what made you want to buy up a restaurant?” I inquired.

“Actually I didn't plan on it. I came here to eat once and I loved it so much I had to buy the place on the spot.”

I awkwardly laughed at Drake and I had to remind myself again not to be a goob. The waiter arrived but I wasn't sure what to order since the whole menu was in Japanese. I grimaced and tried to make out what things were by looking at the pictures. Drake could tell instantly I was struggling.

“I'll have the Tuna Tataki and the lady will have the Kobe beef filet.” Drake kept eye contact with me as he ordered the food which really turned me on. The man was so confident and charming that I started to wonder why he was spending his evening with me.

“So how do you like being a secretary?” he asked.

“Well I didn't imagine myself doing this right out of college. I couldn't believe how hard it was to find a job.”

Drake smiled at me. “I think it took a lot of guts to come for me to help.” God that smile made me melt like butter.

“Believe me, I tried my best to stay away. But I figured I needed to swallow my pride and accept your help.

“There's lots of ways to move up the ladder, so don't think you have to be my secretary at Atlas for the rest of your life.”

I laughed. “Well I don't know if I'll stay at Atlas but I damn well know I won't be doing your errands for eternity.”

But my laughter was cut short as I felt a soft brush against my ankle. The feeling slowly crept up my leg and I shuddered. I looked under the tablecloth to see Drake's foot gently rubbing against my leg. Drake's bright blue eyes sparkled. I couldn't believe what was happening! But he was with my my stepbrother!

Was I daydreaming again? How could a man like this be attracted to me? Doesn't matter! Just go with the flow, Sophia! I played footsie with him under the table but you wouldn't be able to tell what was going on by the way we acted above the table.

Our food came shortly and it looked absolutely amazing. I was afraid to eat it because it looked so beautiful and I didn't want to tarnish it. I got out my phone and took a picture of the dish. The first bite felt like an orgasm in my mouth. I couldn't help but moan a little with each bite. My eyes were watering because it was the best thing I'd ever tasted. I could tell that my quiet sounds of ecstasy were getting Drake excited.

“The dessert here really is to die for, but I might have to cut our dinner a little short tonight,” Drake said.

My heart skipped a couple beats. I thought everything was going really great. Was it something I said? What did I do wrong?

Before I could dwell on it, Drake's mouth turned up. “Want to go back to my place for a drink?”

I was caught speechless and I couldn't find any words.  All I was able to pull off was a nod of my head.

Drake waved for the waiter to come over and gave him a few one hundred dollar bills. And just like that, we were back in the limo and on our way to Drake's place. I slipped back into my daydream I had earlier in the day and felt my panties getting moist.