Expecting my Billionaire Stepbrother's Baby (a Stepbrother Romance Novel) (3 page)

I
t was
a wonder I survived the night. It was as if Leah knew the moment Drake left the building. As if she could sense she’d been left with an inexperienced carer, and she wanted to see how far she could push me. She wanted to test me to my limit.

Her cries echoed around the apartment, filling the double-high ceilings with shrieks I was sure neighbouring cats would be able to hear.

After her feed, hoping that would calm her down - no such luck - I held her in my arms and did loops about the apartment, praying the motion would soothe her.

“What is it, baby girl? You’re not wet, and you’ve got a full tummy…” I cooed at her, wishing she could tell me what was wrong.

“Do you miss your daddy?
I’m
starting to miss your daddy – he’d know what to do.”

I glanced at my phone on the table.
No, you will not call him. Don’t you dare!

I felt like a fool, what had I got myself into? I knew almost nothing about babies except that they ate, slept and pooped. What was I missing? Was she teething? Was she old enough to be teething? No, she couldn’t be, but with a clean finger I explored her gums just to make sure. Nope, nothing.

Then it hit me, and I hoisted her up onto my chest. “Oh baby, I’m so sorry, I forgot to burp you.”

Gently patting her back soon got to the problem, and a few gurgles later, her cries diminished.

“Is that better?” I asked.

As if in answer, Leah barfed out one final loud burp, and the smell of sour milk filled the room. I could feel the sick in my hair and down my bare shoulders. I closed my eyes. I’d forgotten the burping cloth – rookie mistake.

“Well, I hope you’re happy now, little one,” I said. Leah looked pleased with herself and the mess she’d made. “Let’s get you cleaned up and in bed, shall we? Then I can do the same.”

L
eah was already
half asleep while I gathered everything I needed to give her a bath. Once in, the warm water did the trick, soothing her tired little body and making her even more sleepy and content. I dried her, put her in clean pyjamas and settled her down in her crib.

I pulled out my phone and looked at the time. I had to blink twice to register the numbers on the bright display. 3:16am. I couldn’t believe it. Had it really been that long since Drake had left?

If I was going to give this job a real go, I’d have to get better at my time management. I supposed it would come with practice, but still it had taken me over five hours to feed, burp, bathe and put Leah to bed. Where had the time gone?

Exhausted, I padded into the adjoining room and skipped switching on the light, using the glowing screen coming from my phone to guide my way to the ensuite. My hair was crusted with dried baby sick, and I didn’t want to even think about the mess Leah had made down my back. At least it hadn’t been projectile poop, I thought.

Half asleep, I stripped off my dress and jumped into the shower. The water was delicious on my tired skin, and I let it wash over me for an age. Using the first bottles of shampoo and shower gel my hand found, I soon was soaped up and squeaky clean. I still couldn’t believe I’d actually agreed to be Drake’s nanny, the help, one of his minions he could boss around.

The image of Drake and his daughter tonight played over and over in my mind; he would do anything for her. When she gets older, she’s going to have him wrapped around her little finger, that’s for sure.

I don’t know why but the thought of his protectiveness began to turn me on. It may also have had something to do with the lingering glance he’d given me before stepping into the elevator. No, he was my step-brother, I thought. We couldn’t go there.

A pulse deep down within me began to beat as I thought of him. I still remembered the smell of his breath, sweet and tangy from beer, when he’d kissed me in that closet all those years ago, and the sharp odour of his sensual aftershave as it filled the elevator’s enclosure tonight.

Shame he hadn’t kissed me again while we were in the elevator…

Stop it!
I turned the shower’s temperature knob all the way to the blue strip on the dial.

I shook my head, trying to scramble the naughty images that plagued me. My wet strawberry locks whipped around and sent hundreds of tiny droplets of water flying away.

After enough freezing cold punishment that did nothing to calm the heat between my legs, I stepped out and grabbed the nearest towel. Fluffy and huge, it wrapped around my body a couple of times. I dried off, desperately trying to think of anything other than Drake’s Greek god-like body.

Like the towel, the bed was huge, and I couldn’t wait to sink down under the covers. I was too tired to go collect my belongings from the foyer. The concierge had kindly brought them up earlier, but I would leave them until the morning.

My head sank into a cloud-like pillow, and I struggled to keep my hands by my sides. All I could think about was running my hands over my body, pretending they were Drake’s. I imagined him skimming my nipples, giving them a gentle pinch as my back arched and my bum nestled into his lap, his hard cock advancing forward, searching for my slick entrance.

I groaned in frustration and disgust and kicked at the covers in a child-like tantrum. I shouldn’t have taken this job – what the hell was I thinking? All my old feelings were resurfacing again. Just like I knew, deep down, that they would. It was clear my obsession with Drake, which had blossomed in high school, was becoming a tainted fixation. It had never truly gone away and was only getting worse the more I spent time with him. No wonder I’d stayed away for so long, I thought. He was always going to be the one I could never have, now more so than ever.

U
rgent
, ear-splitting cries startled me awake. Confused, I bolted upright and peered about the dark room. The sun had yet to make an appearance, and it took me a few seconds to remember where the hell I was and why I was in a strange bed. I frowned at the white plastic housing where the screaming was coming from and tried to figure out why it would be making such a noise. I hadn’t set an alarm for the morning… I had no job to go to.

The wails continued, and my heart pounded as it all came back to me.

“Leah! Sweetie, I’m coming,” I said, pulling back the covers and sprinting to her crib in the nursery. Halfway there, I realised I was butt naked and headed back into the bedroom to look for a dressing gown or something to cover me up. Leah continued to wail, her little lungs working hard to get my attention.

Sod it, I thought and abandoned my search.

“You’re OK, little one,” I said as I made shh-ing noises. In the soft glow of a night light, I could tell she’d spat her dummy out. It had somehow made it down near her kicking feet, and I reached to grab it. “Did you lose your dummy, huh?”

“Well, that’s something you don’t see every day,” came a husky, deep voice from behind me.

I turned, the dummy flew out of my hand, and I screamed as dark figure leant against the doorframe. Leah cried with me in unison, but as my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I knew who it was. His tall body and broad shoulders were unmistakeable.

Oh, shit!

My hands flew around my bare parts in a futile attempt to cover them up, but he’d already had an eye-full.

The diffused light from the hallway fell across his face; a soft dusting of stubble lined his pulsing jaw. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“I’m so sorry, she was crying, and I couldn’t find a dressing gown…” I rambled on all the while Leah was still wailing. What else could I say?

Drake remained silent, just staring at me from the doorway. No doubt he was about to fire me.

Leah gave out another pitiful cry that pushed me into action. Knowing full well his eyes were on me, I scrambled downwards quickly to pick up the dummy I’d dropped, with one hand covering my mound and the other arm held close up against my chest, because I knew my breasts would be visible if I moved to collect the pacifier.

I hesitated and bit my lip. And did it anyway. My breasts bounced freely for a moment as I scooped up my prize. The thrill of letting him see me like this sparked my need for him all over again.

Drake entered the room and closed the distance between us in a matter of seconds. Conflicting thoughts clouded my head. I wanted to run away, to flee from him, to cover myself up, and yet I longed to stay. Either way, his commanding presence and his purposeful movements kept me motionless. His eyes burned a trail up and down my skin, making my knees tremble in weakness.

He reached out a hand. Was he going to touch me while I was naked? Take me in his arms?
Oh, god. Would I let him?

I held my breath, and my chest pulsed in response; my heart pounded in fear, in excitement. This was what I’d always wanted, even if I knew it was wrong. My dry lips parted in anticipation.

Drake’s fingers clutched my hand, the arm that I’d repositioned over my breasts, and for a hopeful moment I believed he was going to peel it away, to reveal me.

“Drake?” I whispered and tilted my head to gaze at him. The heady scent of him, musk, vanilla and spice, made my head spin as I waited for him to make his move. His long fingers stroked over the back of my hand, like he had earlier, sending shivers up my arm. His fingers dug into my clasped fist, and he pried it open, taking Leah’s dummy out of it.

“This needs rinsing off,” he said, his voice low and close to my ear. The ripples of his drawl caused my nipples to tighten painfully. Drake smirked, let go of my hand and it fell to my side. He backed away a step, leaving me disappointed and utterly humiliated.

“You look cold,” he said, his eyebrows twitched as his eyes dipped to my chest. Leah had quieted, and the room was silent.

The excited, optimistic ball that had been spinning in my chest dropped hard into my stomach. A flush of embarrassment washed over my face, and I hoped he couldn’t see the sudden colour change of my cheeks.

I came out of my daze, now completely aware of the fucked-up position I was in. I sprinted for the adjoining room, shame bubbling up to the surface, not even bothering to cover my behind as I fled from Drake’s neutral stare.

I
slammed
the door behind me and threw myself onto the bed.

This wasn’t happening. No fucking way did I let that happen!
He saw me bare, raw, and he hadn’t blinked an eye.

Painful pricks at my eyes threatened to bring on a wash of salty tears, but I willed myself not to cry. If I started, that would be it. It would be over, and I’d end up in a puddle of my own mess, ready to throw in the towel when I’d just got here. I had to calm myself down, but first I smothered my head with the pillow and screamed.

What had I done? How in holy hell did I think it was going to be OK for me to waltz around naked in a strange apartment when there’d been a remote chance that he could’ve seen me? Had I wanted him to come home and catch me like that?

I groaned into the pillow again.
Yes.
Maybe I had… and there must be some truth to it if that was one of my first thoughts after being caught. Shit, what was I going to do? Act like it was an unfortunate misunderstanding and get on with caring for his child?

No way would he believe me… I’ve screwed up royally this time.

There were a couple of knocks at the bedroom door, and then it swung open. I spun around and sat up, gathering the covers around my still naked body.

“What the hell are you doing? Get out!” I yelled, not knowing why I was so furious at him. He wasn’t the one who’d humiliated himself…

Drake switched on a side light at the wall and closed the door. “Well, if you haven’t noticed,” he said, his arm going wide, “this is my room, and you are in my bed. Naked.”

You have got to be shitting me.

Silenced, I stared at him in shock. He must think I’m the craziest person alive.

“Wait, you said the adjoining room was mine,” I said, my mind reeling with suspicion.
The bastard had tricked me!

The tears were coming now as I saw this whole charade for what it was – a trap. “You wanted to make a fool out of me, didn’t you? You wanted to catch me in here so you’d have an excuse to fire me and get me out of your house!”

I shuffled forward on my knees with the cover wrapped around me. “You never wanted me around in the first place. You only agreed to it because Barbara forced you into it. How could I be so stupid…?” I trailed off, the wind in my sails fading away.

“God, you’re so beautiful when you’re angry,” Drake said.

I blinked. I was losing my mind. The words that had tumbled from his mouth didn’t make any sense; I hadn’t heard him correctly, obviously… There was no way he’d just told me I was beautiful.

“What?”

“You heard me,” he said and moved closer to the edge of the bed. “Did you know your freckles go a shade darker when you’re furious?”

“I… Are you drunk?” I asked stunned. No one had ever noticed that before.

His feet moved as far as they could at the bottom of the bed. Drake swayed a little. “No,” he replied, but the tell-tale whisky vapours swirled in the air all about him.

As long as I’d known Drake, he’d never got drunk. Yes, he’d have a few beers, but nothing like this. Perhaps I didn’t know him very well after all… but I sensed that something was off behind his brooding eyes.

“What is it Drake? What’s happened?”

“Shut up,” he demanded, and in an instant his hot breath, lips and tongue were on me, claiming me. Taking me as I’d always imagined he would.

Everything around me faded away, and I forgot how wrong this was. I kissed him back and was transported back in time to when it had been OK – back in that closet, his saliva mixing with mine as his hands explored my body. Going under my sweater to fondle my breasts through my bra, but here, now, the images and memories melded together as he unwrapped the covers from my naked body and took a large handful of my breast.

I moaned into his mouth, and my eyes rolled back into my head as he kissed me hard again.
Was this really happening?
His hands on my bare flesh told me it was very real. With hands on my hips he urged me closer; his shirt buttons pressed into my skin. God, it was heavenly, and I truly wanted to let it all go, to let it happen, but it wasn’t right. We couldn’t do this.

Drake relinquished my mouth and breathed urgent kisses down my neck and collarbone. My hands found their way through his short messy hair as his lips sucked in a hard nipple.

I gasped. “Drake?” I breathed, struggling to find the air to tell him to stop, to make me understand why.

You don’t need to know why, this is what you want,
my body urged.

“Stop, Drake,” I said and forced my hands under his chin to look at me. “We can’t do this… What’s happened? Tell me!”

“Don’t you fucking tell me you don’t want me. Don’t lie to me, Vi. I know you do.” He waited for me to respond, but I had nothing. Every fibre of my being wanted him to throw me down upon this bed and fuck me like there was no tomorrow, like there were no consequences. I longed to open myself up to him, to allow him to plant his seed within me, to have what I’d always dreamed of, a family of my own… a baby. So why was I resisting?

“I do…” I said quietly, admitting everything I’d been hiding for so long.

“Vi, I need you tonight… I’ve just had the worst news. I need… I just need to fuck you right now. OK?” he said as he held my hips against his bulging crotch. Through the layers of fabric, his cock pressed hard against my bare pussy, causing a sudden rush of electricity to swirl at my centre. “Let me have you this once?”