Stepbrother Romance 2 - Consumed: A New Adult Alpha Billionaire Romance Read Online Free PDF

only married but connected by the child they shared. Surely that would strengthen their marriage. As if to prove my theory true, John dragged his barely-conscious self over to her bedside and hugged them both, tears streaming from his eyes.
    “It’s a girl. A baby girl.” Ransom cried.
    I cried.
    John cried.
    The baby, who was supposed to be John Jr., wasn’t crying. Dark eyes wide open, she took in the new sights around her, content and safe in her mother’s loving arms.
    Birth was beautiful.
    Maybe I would have a child someday.
    Maybe. If I ever let myself fall in love again, which was something I hadn’t even wanted to think about since I’d left Kent’s house.
    My cellphone rang and I checked it. Mom. One glance at the happy family and I knew they wouldn’t miss me if I stepped outside to talk to her. Shaking out the stiffness from my aching hand, I walked to the family waiting room and took the call.
    “Hi honey, it’s Mom.”
    Like I didn’t know that already. Her name displayed on my phone screen. “Hi Mom. What’s up?”
    “You know Dirk and I have been planning a big party for the Fourth of July next week. It’s kind of our farewell party before we head to Alaska. I want to make sure you’ll come.”
    My still-summersaulting insides did a triple flip. There could be no doubt. That man would be at the party. And maybe his wife, too. That was why Mom was calling.
    Did I want to see him? No.
    Did I want to see his wife? Ohmygod, no.
    But could I miss it? Not a chance. It would break Mom’s heart.
    “Yes, of course I’ll come,” I told her. The muscle in my temple squeezed. I pressed a finger against it, trying to stop the spasm.
    “Thank you, dear. It’ll be so nice to spend some time with you. I miss you.”
    “You know I’m always here for you, Mom. No matter how far away I’m living.”
    “Yes, I know. And I love you for that. Well, I’d better get going. We’re finalizing the guest list and menu. I’ll see you next weekend.”
    “I’ll see you then. Love you, Mom.”
    “Love you too, Shayne. Bye.”
    Well that was a quick call.
    The week after I left Plymouth, Mom’s calls weren’t so brief. Or so infrequent. In fact, she called me every single day and tried for at least an hour to convince me it was perfectly okay to accept a house from a “member of the family”, despite his marital status. After all, the gift was an act of generosity, one family member helping another, not meant as any kind of payment or attempt at manipulation.
    I wanted to believe her. I really did. Because owning my own home, that home, was a dream-come-true.
    But Mom didn’t know the whole story. She didn’t know that I’d surrendered my virginity to the man who was offering the gift. And I wasn’t about to tell her, not knowing it might ruin her marriage with Dirk or snuff out the happiness she’d finally found for herself.
    And so I continued to stay with Ransom and John the past few weeks, closed up in the sweltering hot attic room between shifts at Romeo’s Pizza Palace, the gnarly little hole-in-the-wall pizzeria down the street. Making a whopping eight bucks an hour, I wasn’t moving out anytime soon. I just hoped our living arrangement could hold up.
    That wasn’t exactly a given.
    Despite my attempts to stay out of the way, lately, the physical and emotional strain of her pregnancy had gotten to Ransom. She wasn’t the most patient person anyway. With the added aches, pains, and discomforts of late pregnancy, she’d become a little bipolar. I was suffering from her angry out-lashes and hysterical bawling sessions. And I could tell they were taking their toll on her relationship with John as well. He didn’t say anything to me. Or to Ransom. He didn’t need to. His forlorn expression and frequent late nights at work said it all.
    But that was over, thank God. John Junior had been born. And Pregnant Ransom was a mere (unpleasant) memory.
    But what was next? I wasn’t sure any of us were