Wicked Game: a Billionaire Stepbrother Romance Read Online Free PDF Page B

you for sleeping around because it ‘hurts public image’?  How many women did Bernard fuck behind Mom’s back?”  I nearly gagged.  “He’s the last person on earth to be whining about being a playboy.”
    “I know.”  Damien paused, studying me.  “That’s why he hated you, you know.  Not because you outed him to your mother, but because you outed him to the public.  He hated being seen like that.  He hated people knowing the truth.  You embarrassed him.”
    “He’s a hypocrite.”
    “Trust me, Cleo.  I know.”  He shrugged.  A very this is my life, I didn’t make the rules shrug.  “Regardless, his problem isn’t with me dating—”
    “Dating,” I repeated sarcastically, using my fingers to make air quotes.  Judging by the number of names I had seen in that column, Damien’s relationships seemed to last exactly three hours and half a bottle of vodka.  
    Damien rolled his eyes, but nodded.
    “Yes, that.  Point is, Dad doesn’t like the way it looks.  Keeping it private is what’s expected.  It’s polite.  Genteel, or whatever.  It’s the fact that I’ve been public that’s the problem.”
    “Oh, great,” I seethed.  “It’s fine to cheat on your wife, just don’t do it in public where it can come back to bite you.  Glad to know he had such a great code of ethics.”
    Damien shrugged.  “You know my dad, Cleo.  We both know he was shit person.  Problem is, he’s a shit person with total control over his company.  And in order to inherit that company, well, I have to play his game.  I’ve got to follow his rules.  And one of Dad’s rules was that I have to get married within....”  He glanced at the calendar on the wall.  “Six months.”
    Oh God.
    I was starting to see where this was going.
    And it wasn’t good.
    “Please don’t say what I think you’re about to say,” I moaned.
    “Dad said that it was time I start thinking of settling down.”
    “No.”
    “He thinks, in order to prove myself capable of building a company, I’ve got to build a family first.  Starting with making an honest man out of myself.”
    “Please, God, no.”
    “And to do that, I’ve got to get a blushing bride.”
    “Damien, I swear to God.”
    “Congrats on being that blushing bride, Cleo,” he said, grinning ear to ear.  That cocky look was back in his eyes, and I could practically feel his smug poking me in the forehead.  Teasing me.  “Trust me, you’ll love it.  I’ll be the best husband you could ask for.  Dependable, loyal, great at taking out the trash when it’s my turn.”
    Loyal.  Right.
    I guess both Blackwood men had a problem with short memory.
    “Not to mention my expertise when it comes to the wedding night,” he said, waggling his eyebrows at me.  Ellison snorted from his seat beside me.
    “Please stop talking,” I moaned.  “I think I’m going to throw up.”
    “You’ve always been so overdramatic, Cleo.”
    “Yes!” I snarled, throwing my hands up.  “My rich psychopath stepbrother sends a calling card out of the blue, bribes me to attend my ex-stepfather’s funeral, and then randomly announces to every tabloid in the country that we’re getting married.  Without asking me.  At all.  You’re right, that’s totally fine, and I’m completely overreacting.”
    “Glad we agree!” he said, clapping his hands together.  “Now let’s get to the nitty gritty legal stuff.”
    “ Damien .”
    “Sign this,” he said, pushing a thick contract toward me, “and it should cover most of it.  You’ll need to make a certain number of public appearances with me, we’ll need to make wedding plans, and … hm, we’ll have to officially announce the engagement at some point.  How about at that charity gala next month?  Yes, that’ll do perfectly—”
    “Why me?” I groaned.  “Since you’re not going to be reasonable about this, just answer that.  You’ve got actresses and models following you around like lost