Broken In Pieces: Billionaire Stepbrother Romance (Wounded Hearts Book 1) Read online

  “Shhhh….none of that. It’s over and done with and that’s how we’re going to leave it.” He walks over to the sound system and a few moments later I hear Percy Sledge crooning about ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’.

  Blade comes to the couch and stretches out his hand, “Dance with me.”

  “You know I’m not good at this,” I protest as I take his hand. We begin and it only takes moments before his movements take me over. I feel so safe and free in his arms. He has the body of a god and it feels so good against mine. His scent is delectable, so fresh and clean. He leans down and I feel his hot breath on my neck as he begins a trail of the most feather-like kisses. I feel my entire body heat up. His hands begin their journey down my back until he has two hands full of ass. I feel warmth down below that I’ve never felt before.

  “We shouldn’t do this,” I whisper but I don’t resist. I feel his erection growing against me.

  “Why not,” he asks between kisses as one hand slides up to my breast. “You’re my boss,” I tilt my head back to make it easier for him to play.

  “Okay, you’re fired.” His kisses move down past my collar bone, “What else?”

  “You’re my step brother,” I whisper breathlessly.

  “No blood relation,” he answers. “What else?” His hand leaves my breast and moves to the thin strap of my sundress.

  “I don’t want to be just another flavor of the week to you,” I whisper as his other hand leaves my ass and glides to the other strap of my dress.

  “You’re the flavor of a lifetime, baby girl,” he slides the straps down my arms. I feel my dress ease down my body until it is a pile of material around my feet. His mouth is up by my ear now. “What else?” he asks as his hands begin moving over my body and caressing every inch of me. I feel a surge shoot through me and my panties are dripping wet.

  “I got nothing. Abso-fucking-lutely nothing,” I whisper as I bury my hands in his amazing raven hair. It feels so soft between my fingers. He reaches down and picks me up, “Wrap your legs around me baby girl.” I do as I’m told and his eyes come up to meet mine. As he’s carrying me to the bedroom, I’m lost in the most beautiful pools of cyan and it feels like he’s delving into my soul again. He gently places me on the bed, his eyes never leaving mine, and pulls off my panties. He stands and begins to undress. He’s so fucking gorgeous; I can’t help but stare at his perfectly sculpted body.

  His lips come down to meet mine, his tongue slides into my mouth and we try to devour one another. His taste is addicting and I have to have more. He begins to trail along my neck again and his hand goes to pull down my lacy, strapless bra. “No. Not the bra, please,” I whisper and he retracts his hand and slides it down my stomach. I feel his fingers slowly ease between the lips of my pussy.

  “You’re so fucking wet,” I feel his smile against my skin as he continues his kissing down my stomach and his fingers find my clit. His touch is so divine it makes me tingle all over. He moves down between my legs but never stops kissing me. When he reaches the bottom of my stomach, his tongue takes over for his lips. A second later, I feel his hot breath on my pussy as he begins to torture my clit with his tongue. The feeling is sensational and when his finger finds its way inside me, I’m breathless again.

  “You taste so fucking good, baby girl.” His words, combined with the magic of his fingers, are almost too much. When his tongue replaces his finger and dips deep inside me, I feel like I might explode. I don’t know if I can handle this. He stops, almost instantly, and raises his head just enough for our eyes to meet.

  “You’re trembling,” he slides an arm under each of my thighs and wraps them around my hips until his hands are on my stomach. “Hold my hands,” he says with so much caring in his voice. I take his hands and our fingers interlock. “Let me take you on this journey, baby girl. You’re safe. You’re my lady and I’d never hurt you.” He makes me feel so secure and I nod yes, to let him know to continue.

  He lowers his head and begins teasing my clit again. The heat is building even faster this time. I trust him. I feel safe with him. I want him more than I have ever wanted anything in my life. The teasing becomes a merciless, clit taunting and I feel it building. Oh God, I feel like I am going to spontaneously combust when I find my release. “Oh my God! Oh God, please!” I scream as I squeeze his hands tight. When I’m finished, it feels that every ounce of energy in my body has left me.

  Blade eases his tongue down and enters me one last time, “Damn, you taste so good. I can’t get enough of you.”

  He raises his head slightly, “I want to be inside you.” I nod and give him a look of pure pleasure. He moves up and kisses me again. I taste myself on him and it excites me. “See, I told you that you taste good,” he smiles at me. “Are you ready, baby girl,” he whispers and I nod yes. “Spread your legs further and raise your knees a little,” he says gently.

  I feel the head of his dick as he begins to enter me, “You’re fucking huge,” I mutter with some anxiety.

  “It’s okay, baby girl. Just relax and let me in,” he whispers. I take a deep breath and consciously relax my body, letting all my inhibitions go. He feels me relax, then slams deep inside me and stops. “Your pussy belongs to me. No one else. It’s mine,” he looks deep into my eyes.

  “Yes,” I say, as I exhale.

  “Tell me baby girl. Say it,” he pleads as though his life depends on it.

  “My pussy belongs to you,” I whisper.

  He begins to move slowly, in and out of me. His huge dick is stretching the walls of my pussy so tight that it’s almost painful. But this pain is full of ecstasy beyond my wildest dreams. He’s moving faster and I find his rhythm. My hips thrust to meet his every stroke and I tighten my pussy against his shaft. His tongue invades my mouth again and we devour each other from both ends.

  “You’re so fucking tight, baby girl. Come for me. Show me that your pussy belongs to me. Come for me,” and the desire to show him consumes me. I explode, exhaling a loud groan that is his undoing and I feel his warm release inside me. He lays his head on my chest and we are both a panting pile of flesh.

  He rolls off me and lies on his side with his head propped on his hand. With his other hand, he begins to stoke my cheek. “Are you okay, baby girl?” I’m so exhausted that all I can manage is a small grunt. He chuckles. “I’ve wanted to do that since the first time I laid eyes on you,” he whispers.

  “Liar,” I manage with a giggle.

  “What do you mean?” he sounds confused and almost hurt.

  “I remember the first time we met. You gave me the once over with such a disappointed expression on your face. As a matter of fact, when I came into work that next Monday, you didn’t even realize it was me,” I say as I turn on my side to face him.

  A huge grin grows on his face and in his eyes, “The disappointed look was because you had such oversized clothes on. All I could think was ‘damn, I wish I could see more of her’. And as for not knowing it was you, I most definitely did but I needed a reason to stand there and drink in the sight before me, without the other employees realizing what was happening.”

  “You’re so full of shit,” I laugh as he pulls me closer and wraps his body around mine. Damn girl. Don’t fuck up a good thing. Let it go, my inner witch protests.

  “Nope. You just don’t realize how beautiful you are,” he say.

  Being in his arms is like heaven. I have never felt this warm and safe. I take a deep breath and the very aroma of him brings me peace. A peace I have longed for all my life. He is my glue, holding together all my broken pieces. With him by my side, I have a chance of becoming whole again.

  CHAPTER 8

  Demons

  The morning sun, streaming through the window, makes me squint as I’m trying to open my eyes. Blade’s still asleep so I slip out from under him to go to the bathroom. Holy hell, I’m so fucking sore but damn it was worth it. I jump in for a quick shower, hoping it will help. Nope, no help there. Giving into my soreness,
I waddle back into the bedroom. Blade’s sitting up in the bed with a shit eating grin on his face, “A little sore, are we?”

  I straighten my walk immediately. “Why, whatever do you mean, sir?” I giggle as I climb back in beside him.

  He pulls me close and kisses me on the forehead, “You’re amazing baby girl.”

  I snuggle into him, “You must have me confused with someone else. Nothing amazing about me.” Shut the hell up, dumbass. Don’t burst the delusional bubble he’s in when it comes to you…my inner witch screams.

  He squeezes me tight, “The most amazing thing is that you don’t have a clue how special you are. And, I could never confuse you with anyone, not another one in the world like you.”

  He starts nibbling my ear, “How sore are you baby girl?”

  I know where this is heading, “Sore enough that there is no way my cookie can handle that mass you’re packing around.”

  He raises his eyes to look at me and chuckles, “Cookie?” I give him a serious, raised eyebrow nod. He moves around until he is kneeling at my feet on the bed. “Well, there’s only one cure for a sore cookie,” he says as he slides my legs apart.

  “Oh yeah. What’s that?”

  “The cookie monster,” he says just before he dives into my pussy and we’re headed for round two.

  We finish before Donna gets home and I’m glad because I’m a bit loud when he’s setting my world on fire. “What have you guys been up to?” Donna says with a shit eating grin.

  “Probably no more than you’ve been up to all night,” Blade answers and I blush fire red.

  They’re chatting and I regain my composure, “We need to get ready for work.”

  “Not happening. You’re mine for the day,” Blade says as he pulls me into his arms.

  “Well how the hell do you argue with that?” I smile and look at Donna.

  “You don’t,” she laughs.

  “I don’t know if you guys have plans for tonight but Styx wanted us all to come to the club. Some producers are supposed to be there and they’ve been asked to be the spotlight band. It’s a great opportunity for them.” When Blade sees how excited I get for them, he agrees that there is no way we’d miss it. Blade trails off to answer the knock on the door while Donna’s telling me how nervous Styx is.

  He returns to the living room with a very dismayed look on his face, “Sheridan, this is Detective Torres. He has some questions for you about Jarrod Davis.”

  “Miss Stollings, I’d like to speak to you alone,” he requests as he shakes my hand.

  Blade starts to open his mouth to blast him but I interrupt, “Detective, with all due respect, they’re my family and I’d rather they stay.”

  Detective Torres looks to be in his mid-fifties, with dark, graying hair and even darker eyes. He has a scar down his left cheek from a cut of some kind and his face is weathered. His demeanor and the way he speaks make me think he’s been a detective for many years.

  He begins by asking about the day at the office. I answer all the questions, to his satisfaction, so he moves on to the incident back home…the rape. It’s hard but I stay focused, trying not to let my emotions take over. Blade and Donna jump in to help, each time I start struggling. “Well, it looks like we’ve covered everything,” he says as he puts his notebook and pen back in his pocket. “Miss Stollings, if you need anything or if you think of any little detail that might help us, please don’t hesitate to contact me.” He hands me a card with his number on it. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Hawthorne, just wish it had been under better circumstances,” he shakes Blade’s hand and Blade shows him to the door. Donna heads into the kitchen as Blade returns to the room.

  “You know Detective Torres?” I ask.

  “Yes, we’ve known each other for several years now.”

  “How’d you meet?” I question further.

  “It was during a dark time in my life and I’d rather not go there right now,” he answers coldly.

  “I don’t think I am the only one with secrets,” I say as I take his hand.

  “We’ll discuss it later. I just don’t want to right now, okay,” he insists. I take a deep breath but agree. There’s so much more to this man and I can’t help but wonder if I know him at all.

  We all get ready to go shopping because I’ve worn the only two club worthy outfits I own. Stepping out of the elevator into the parking garage, I hear Donna catch her breath hard. “What? What’s wrong?” I’m looking around. Then I see it. All the windows in my BMW have been shattered. “What the hell?” I run to my car with Donna and Blade following. “Who would do this?” I begin to cry.

  Blade pulls me into his arms and I bury my head in his chest. This week has been so exhausting and although I feel freer, I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve all the bad things that have happened. “We need to call the police,” Donna insists.

  “No. No, I’ll take care of this,” Blade says as he hands me over to Donna. He goes back toward the elevator and dials a number on his cell. I don’t know who he’s talking to but he’s getting angry, “When did the motherfucker get out? Who put up the money? I want to know where he is twenty-four seven. Put our best men on it,” he orders.

  “What’s going on?” I ask as he hangs up and comes back over to us. His jaw is clenched and there’s fire in his eyes.

  “Nothing for you to worry about baby girl. The boys are coming to get your car so they can get the windows replaced.”

  He wraps his arms around me and I lock eyes with him, “No secrets, remember?”

  He takes a deep breath and hesitates, “Its Jarrod Davis. He’s out of jail.” My head begins to spin and I feel like vomiting.

  “How the hell did that happen?” Donna barks.

  “His father posted his bail this morning,” he answers.

  “Do you think he did this?” I whisper.

  “I don’t know, baby girl. All I know is he is going to hell and I’m going to be the one to send him there.”

  Even though I don’t feel like shopping, after Blade’s men pick up my car, we continue with our plan. Donna and Blade help me pick an outfit because I can’t seem to concentrate on anything. I can’t believe he’s out after only a couple days. How the hell does that happen? Last night, I felt like life could be good again, even better than it’s ever been but this nightmare is never going to end. Can I ever run far enough away? Will life ever be good or even just alright? I’d take just alright any day over this.

  When we return home, I’m mentally spent. Blade insists that I take a nap. He wraps me in his arms and I snuggle into that place where the world melts away. When we wake, my car is back so Donna goes on ahead to meet up with Styx. Blade and I finish getting ready then head for the club. The car ride is quiet. I have a lot on my mind and Blade seems worried. Or angry. Or something. I can’t quite put my finger on it.

  As we enter the club, he keeps a firm grip on me and is constantly surveying the crowd. I spot Donna standing at the bar and we head that way. “I was getting worried about ya’ll,” she says when she spots us, “I just came out to get Styx a beer. Come on back stage with me. They’ll be glad to see you guys.”

  Backstage, everyone’s so excited so I make sure to put on a happy face. I don’t want to rain on their special night. I notice that Jade seems to be in bad shape already. I hear Styx telling Jax that she could have at least stayed straight until the show was over. A few minutes later, a man comes back to tell the band to take their place at the side of the stage and get ready. “Come on. You guys can watch from the side of the stage,” Styx motions us to follow. Just as they announce the band, Jade starts throwing up in a nearby trash can. “Damn it Jade, get it together,” Styx barks.

  She slumps to the floor, “I ca…I can’t do this tonight.”

  “Jesus Christ, what the hell are we supposed to do,” Styx shouts at her but she’s oblivious to his words. “We’re ruined. We don’t have a singer and the producers are here. They’ll never take us seriously again.”
He runs his hand through his hair in frustration.

  This instantly brings me out of my self-pitying bullshit. “Oh hell no, you’re not going to miss out on this opportunity,” I pipe in before I even realize I’ve opened my mouth. “Styx, you give me a 4/4 time, the rest of you start in B major and follow if you can. Now let’s go.” Everyone’s mouth drops open but Blade just has a big smile on his face, as kisses me on the forehead.

  “Come on, you heard the lady. She hasn’t let us down yet,” Styx says as I’m pulling the ponytail holder out of my hair and shaking it down around my face. We enter the stage and the noise of the crowd rises. What the fuck have you gotten us into now? We’re gonna fall flat on our face, dumbass…my inner witch is barking but I ignore her. I stand at the mic with my head hung down. Styx begins his beat as I raise my head, take in a deep breath and let out the most guttural, growling scream I can manage.

  Everyone stops in their tracks and you could almost hear a pin drop. Then the band chimes in and I belt out my original, “Broken in Pieces”. I put all my heart and soul into this mantra of how we’re all broken pieces trying desperately to find something or someone that will hold us together. When the last note’s played, the crowd goes wild. I look around at the band and everyone’s face is still frozen in amazement as we begin to leave the stage.

  The smile on Blade’s face touches his eyes and he hugs me tight, “Damn baby girl, you never cease to amaze me.”

  Donna is astounded, “Hell Sher, I never knew you could sing.” The band is excited. I hear lots of ‘that was amazing’ and ‘damn good job’.

  Styx grabs me by the waist and swings me around, “Mighty fine, Sis. Mighty fine!” I see the jealousy in Blade’s face immediately. When he puts me down, Blade pulls me close into his side. Men! They have to stake their claim.

  A man walks up and shakes Styx’s hand, “That was awesome. You guys really have something here.” Styx introduces him as the producer, Shane Michaels. “I want you in my office on Monday. We have lots to discuss. I hope you guys are ready to go big time,” he looks around at the band.