PRINCE CHARMING: A Secret Baby Stepbrother Romance (49 page)

“I can imagine,” Claire said. Still, she pushed each door back as she passed until finally she gave up. They all had basically the same décor and furnishings. The only thing different about them was the number on the door. “I guess this helps make it easier to find your way around.”

“Believe me, you will find them useful,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

“Do you have siblings?” she asked as she tried to take in everything.

“None,” Chance responded.

“So how did you survive in these giant mansions as a kid? That must have been lonely.”

“Yep!” he agreed. “Scary, too. But just think about how much bigger it looked as a child. Look on the bright side—my parents gave me anything I wanted to make up for the lack of company and for not being around as much as they should have been. But it wasn’t so bad. I went to boarding school, where I met many children like myself.”

“Sounds like you didn’t have such a happy childhood,” she said.

“Depends on how you define happiness. Money can’t buy everything,” he said as he kissed her. He stroked her face when their lips parted, and he gazed into her eyes. “It certainly didn’t buy you.”

Claire smiled as she glanced down the hall and moved away from Chance. “You’re going to get me in trouble.”

When she got to the next room, she pushed the door in and stepped inside. There was a large canopied bed that would have used up all the space of a regular room. Instead, it disappeared in the vast space and lay underneath a crystal chandelier overhead. There was an oversized vanity chest to its right and in between a path laid with a plush rug. An ottoman stood at the end of the bed, and there were two doors on either side. One of the doors revealed a large bath with all the amenities she would ever need, and the other was a revolving closet whose sterling silver rails dazzled in the full length mirror in the middle of the far wall. There were about ten shelves on the opposite wall and that was certainly too much for the few pairs of shoes Claire owned.

“I’ve never had this much room for anything in my life,” Claire exclaimed as she spun around the closet. “This is crazy!”

“You’ll get used to it. Along with the room you will probably get your own line of credit charged to my father’s account,” he smiled. “Can’t live here and not be flashy.”

“I suppose not,” she murmured. Chance had just pulled her to him and was about to kiss her again when she heard her mother calling from the hallway.

“Shh,” she whispered to Chance. “Stay here.” She dashed from the closet and into the room just as her mother entered.

“Oh, there you are,” she said. “I saw Mandy, but she wasn’t sure which room you had chosen.” Willow examined the room. “This is a fine choice. Is this yours now?”

“Yes, I think I will keep it,” she declared. Willow attempted to enter the closet, but Claire grabbed her by the hand. “Mom, can we do this a little later? I am a bit tired.”

“Okay. I will see you…eventually,” she said as she turned and looked at the room again.

“Bye, Mom,” Claire said as her mother walked her out. She went back into the closet.

“I think there will be a lot more of that in the future,” he said, grabbing her.

“I think you better go before someone else comes looking and discovers us,” she advised. “We will have plenty of time for this later.”

“Just a quick one,” Chance said and lowered his head to nibble her neck.

“Chance,” Claire giggled, trying to stop him, though not very effectively.

“I love the way my name sounds on your lips,” he said as he pulled her dress to her waist. “I can’t help myself.”

“Chance,” Claire said weakly. “You’re going to get us disowned.”

“Not a chance,” he said as he pushed her underwear down; she casually stepped out of them. He pressed up against her and backed her into the wall. He unzipped his fly and released his hard cock. He held her left leg in his arm and raised it to a ninety-degree angle, just wide enough to give him entry into her pussy, and impatiently pushed his cock inside of her.

Claire muffled her screams as Chance slid in and out of her, filling her with his passion. She held his head and brought him in for a kiss, letting her tongue probe the insides of his mouth, urging him on. He worked her pussy with much pressure and pleasure. He gripped her bottom with his left hand, and Claire trembled and jerked as his girth sent warmth through her.

“The things you do to me,” Chance murmured.

Chance held her full weight in his hands, his cock still buried deep within her. The angle gave him greater depth, and he relished in it. Claire locked her legs behind him as he banged her repeatedly against the wall, ravishing her. Soon, Chance shuddered and bucked, and Claire dug into his shoulder as she felt him stiffen and tremble as he climaxed just as she did. He made one last stroke before exiting her warm body and allowing her to stand.

“Chance, you’re going to so get us in trouble,” Claire said, straightening her hair and replacing her underwear.

“I do believe I have reason to come home more often,” he told her. “But for now, I’ll let you settle in. Welcome to our home, sis.”

“Gosh no,” Claire said, smiling. She playfully pushed him towards the door. “I’ll see you later.”

“Sure,” he said as he leaned in for one last kiss.

After he left, she walked over to the bed and fell face down on it, pleasantly surprised when it rose and fell like the ocean. She opened her eyes and ran her hands over the quilted surface. It was warm and so posh. She’d had a long day, and coupled with the orgasms Chance had given her, her body was ready to sleep. The next time she was aware of herself, she had woken up to darkness but had quickly fallen back to sleep.

Over the next couple of days, she saw Chance regularly; he would sneak into her room late at night and would remain there until she fell asleep. She never woke with him, largely because as soon as the sun came over the horizon, the house staff was present in the hallways. Claire could tell the housekeeping staff took great pride in their work, and although no one was particularly untidy, it seemed they took meticulous care to maintain cleanliness.

It wasn’t until about the third week of living in the mansion that Claire realized Chance’s visits had grown more infrequent. The first week, he came to see her around midnight every night. Now, he was barely around her, and worst of all, she could never catch him during the day to ask him what was going on.

She sat in the drawing room one afternoon when she saw him come in. She opened her mouth to call to him when she heard laughing and talking. He hadn’t seen her, so she kept herself hidden. She saw him enter, and right on his heels were two girls. One of them seemed more forward, standing directly in front of him as she spoke, as if she wanted to kiss him. They shared an intimacy Claire found unnerving. He laughed with her and moved a wisp of hair from her face, just like he had Claire’s countless times. Claire stared at them, unable to figure out what was happening. The other girl got on her tip toes and whispered something in his ear, and she pinched his ass and giggled. Chance smiled and held her hand, whispering to her as well, before they moved on.

She sat in the drawing room long after they were gone, her heart beating like crazy. She tried to focus and make sense of what was going on, but all her mind could do was conjure images of Trent with that woman in the hallway. Chance was no different than Trent, and she had been stupid again, falling for a man who didn’t want anything more than sex from her. Enough was enough. She couldn’t torture herself any longer over men like Trent and Chance.

She clutched her chest and raced up the stairs, barely feeling the ground beneath her feet. She got to her room and pushed the door open, closing it so she could fall against it as her chest heaved and tightened. She felt like she was suffocating, and thoughts of what Chance might be doing with the girls brought on extreme rage and jealousy. She had been a fool to think Chance would stay with her, and she cursed herself for her blind stupidity. She did the one thing she knew how to; she stripped, filled her bath with water, and sank deep into it in an attempt to drown the pain. She was really stupid! Chance was a billionaire’s son, an heir to so much money he could buy all the women on the planet. Why did she think she was any different than other girls? Yes, she was his stepsister but that was where it ended. Chance was never going to see her as much more than a girl he could fuck whenever he wanted.

Being alone did nothing for her confused mind and spirit in turmoil, and she cried as she sat there. The pain she felt was raw, and she felt utterly useless in trying to escape it. A half an hour later, and in just her robe, she lay on the bed and waited to fall asleep. It was slow in coming, but soon she fell into a troubled sleep. When she woke again, it was night. She lay there in the dark for a considerable time, not feeling the urge for food or company. At midnight, as with every other night, she was awake, waiting to see if Chance would stop by and tell her what was going on. And like so many nights of late, Chance didn’t come to her.

***

She didn’t see Chance on the property for a couple days until he showed up at her door at midnight.

“Chance, what is going on?” she asked him casually, trying to hide her hurt and betrayal. She couldn’t let him see how much he’d hurt her.

“What do you mean?” he asked, trying to nuzzle her neck.

“You know what I mean. I’ve seen you with the women,” she told him.

“What women?” he asked innocently.

“Don’t play coy with me. I’ve seen you, on more than one occasion, with girls.”

“Oh, the other day?” he asked, looking at her. “Are you jealous?”

“Should I be?” she said.

“No, Claire. You shouldn’t be. Word got around that I was back, and I’ve had to socialize with old friends.”

“You mean fuck old friends?” Claire let the rage that had been consuming her enter her voice. She almost yelled at him except she remembered their parents might hear her and come to make sure she was okay. She didn’t want them to catch her and Chance in her room.

“No one’s fucking anyone, Claire. The only people fucking are in this room,” he said, grinning. “I’ve not been with any other woman since I met you. You have to trust me on this.”

“That’s what they all say,” Claire said. “You know what, Chance? Do whatever you want.”

Chance walked to her and held her hands. She wanted to push him away, but he persisted. “I’m sorry. It was inconsiderate of me to bring friends home, but please understand that nothing is going on with any of those girls. I didn’t know you had seen me with those girls or I’d have introduced them to you.”

Claire looked at him. She wanted to believe so badly; in fact, she almost believed him until Trent and his girl flashed in her mind. “My ex called me. He said the girl he was with means nothing to him,” Claire said. “He was ready to leave her for me. Chance, is that what you’re doing?”

“Claire, no. I’m not trying to leave you for anyone. I had friends before you got here, and I have to break things off smoothly. And you know I can’t tell people I have a girlfriend, but she’s my sister.”

“Stepsister,” Claire clarified. “Don’t mix things up, Chance.”

“Sure, stepsister,” Chance replied. “What I’m saying is that I can’t tell them the only girl I want is my stepsister.”

Claire looked at him and sighed. She understood he had a life before she came into his and that he couldn’t tell people what she meant to him. “I hate this secrecy. I miss our days in St. Lucia when we could run around and do things and go places and no one cared. Now we can’t even look at each other in public because our parents can’t keep their hands off each other.”

“Just for now,” Chance said, kissing her palm. “We’ll find a way.”

“How? Make them get a divorce?”

“Maybe,” Chance said. “Maybe.”

“It’s never going to happen,” she murmured. “Have you seen the way they look at each other?”

“I have, which is probably the same way we look at each other.” He reached out to stroke her face. “I’ve missed you so much. I’ve been travelling so much for work, but I’m glad I’m taking a break.”

“Oh. I thought you got tired of me.”

“Me, tired of you? That would never happen, Claire,” he said, smiling at her. He pulled her closer to him. “Claire, let’s just live in the moment and enjoy what we have right now.”

***

The next morning, Claire approached Bryan while he sat in his study. Her mother was in the garden lounging as she had every morning since they moved into Bryan’s house.

“Bryan?” Claire called as she knocked on the door.

“Come on in, Claire,” he said. He removed his glasses and closed the book he held. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Well, no. I’ve been here for over a month, and I’m ready to go back to work. Would you…make a call and get me an interview with one of the companies you recommended?”

“Of course,” he said to her, smiling. “I was waiting for the green light from you.”

“Oh great,” she told him. “Thank you.”

“So, what do you want to do?” he asked, looking at her. “I think I know practically every CEO of any company you might want to work for, so don’t hesitate to ask.”

Claire paused for a second as if she were thinking of her response. “Well, I always did like interior design, but I just couldn’t make any progress in the field because no one was willing to take a chance on me.”