Stepbrother Gigolo (A Stepbrother Romance Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

remember? I stopped worrying about his approval a long, long time ago. Every night I walk away with five thousand dollars in my pocket, I remind myself of how far I've come. I don't need him. I don't need anybody.” For a split-second, Kara looked hurt. "Sorry, I didn't mean…"
    "No, you're right. You've been getting on just fine without me or anybody else, right? So how long do you think you'll be doing this?"
    "As long as I want. If the money flows, I'll keep doing what I do. It's no different for you, is it? You may not fuck people for a living, but you've made compromises. Your stuff is hanging in hotels and boardrooms, not galleries. You've gone where the money is, just like me. Isn't that a form of prostitution in itself?"
    She stared at me, slowly seething. "There it is. There's the Ethan I know so well. Just when we were making a connection, getting to know each other again, you have to revert back to asshole mode, don't you?"
    "I'm not being an asshole. I'm just saying that we’re not that different, that's all."
    "There's a reason my mother left your father. As a misogynistic prick, you should understand."
    In that split second, with that single comment, Kara had flicked a switch in me that sent me completely off the rails. Without even thinking, I threw my champagne glass across the room, smashing it on the wall opposite us.
    "Jesus, what the hell are you doing?"
    I stood over her, my blood boiling. "Don't ever, ever compare me to that son of a bitch again. We are nothing alike. Nothing! I'm not saying he didn't treat your mother terribly, but she was no angel either – just like you."
    Kara stood to face me, looking up slightly at the five inches I still had on her, even when she was wearing heels. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice unwavering. "That was below the belt. But neither of you could stand a strong woman. We've both been through enough to know that I have a right to have a thick skin. Maybe we’re more similar than we realize. We've both been through a lot."
    The seconds that followed with us toe to toe, our bodies almost touching, were agonizing. Our eyes stayed fixed on each other, neither of us knowing what to do next. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, pull her body to mine and kiss her the way I should have years ago. As far as I had known, I was coming to this room to have sex with a woman. But that had changed completely. I didn't want to just have sex with the woman in front of me, though ripping at her clothes and underwear, getting completely primal with her, would have been part of the act. But I wanted more than that. I wanted to make love to her.
    "You should go before we do something stupid," Kara said in a whisper.
    "You're right, I should," I said, contemplating the opposite. "I should. I will."
    I made my way towards the door. "Sorry about the glass," I muttered under my breath.
    "There's an opening of the new-look lobby at the Pacific Hotel tomorrow evening," she said as I opened the door. "Some of my art will be on display. I'd like you to come."
    I paused for a moment. "We rub each other up the wrong way, Kara," I replied, looking back at her. "Plus, if you see me again, will you be able to keep your hands off me?" I joked.
    She bit her lip. "Maybe. Maybe not."
    "Then you have your answer," I said before leaving. "It was nice seeing you again, stepsister. But you don't need me in your life. Go off and do incredible things, like you always have."
     

Chapter 6
     
    Kara
     
    But I did need him in my life. More than he could possibly know.
    A crisp white shirt. No tie. Elegant but simple black slacks...Italian, maybe. Gucci? No. They were smart, not showy. German. Probably Hugo Boss.
    Dark, slightly tousled hair; an impossibly handsome face punctuated with a small amount of stubble - just enough to brush my lips as I kissed him, sending tiny sparks through my already aroused body.
    From the first second I saw Ethan Drake I was smitten. He had me submitting to