Dirty Little Secrets: A Stepbrother Romance (11 page)

“Now,” Kade grunted, speeding up more. Released of his command, I clutched at him, my body crashing as my orgasm swept me away. Kade’s cock plunged into me one last time, his mouth claiming me as his while at the same time I could feel his cock twitching inside me. I held him tight, both of us pulling on the other until the moment ended and we collapsed.

I kept my arms around Kade, holding him inside me as long as possible. “Kade, my Kade,” I whispered over and over again into his ear as he lay his head against the hollow of my shoulder and shuddered in the aftermath of our lovemaking. It wasn’t sex, that was for sure. It was truly making love. For the first time in my life, I realized what that term meant, and that I would never be the same again.

I
woke
up the next morning to find Kade not in bed like I’d expected, but instead in the kitchen of his condo. I padded out, wearing the shirt he had dropped on the floor last night, wiping sleep from my eyes. “Good morning, Kade.”

He turned, his eyes taking me in and causing another ripple of warmth to go through me as he looked on me with such approval. “Well, well, well. What they say is true. Nothing can make a man’s shirt look better than a beautiful woman wearing it.”

“Thank you. What time is it?”

“Seven thirty. I was just going to wake you up in a few minutes with breakfast. What do you like on top of your waffles?”

“You made me waffles?” I asked in semi-shock, looking around at the collection of bowls and ingredients on the counter. “From scratch?”

“Yep. So, what do you want, maple syrup? Blueberries? I think I have some raspberries in the freezer, but I’d need about five minutes to turn them into a quick compote topping if you want them,” he replied, deftly opening what I now recognized as a waffle iron and pulling a large waffle out before pouring more batter. “Hurry up now, I don’t want our waffles to get cold.”

“Maple would be great,” I answered. “Butter too, if you have any.”

“Only organic grass fed,” he said. “You can find it in the fridge if you don’t mind. I slept late myself and need to hurry just a bit if I want to get into the office this morning.”

I found the butter and took it out. “Wow, your fridge looks like it was stocked at a total organic food store or something.”

Kade nodded. “It was. I’m not into a crazy diet of any one type, so I eat gluten, meat, eggs, all that. But I do figure on using whole organic ingredients as much as I can. As a model, do you have any special diet?”

I shook my head. “I think I’m going to be taking a sabbatical from modeling,” I said, smiling as I cut pats of butter from the stick and set them on a small white china plate I found in the glass-fronted cupboards. “Maybe I’ll go to college, like my stepbrother thinks I can do.”

“I think admissions for PSU are closed for the fall semester, but the winter term might be an option,” Kade said, taking it in stride. “Is your agent going to be pissed?”

“Probably, but they’ll understand. We models are supposed to be mentally irregular anyway. If I tell them that I’m only open for limited shoots, they’ll be happy enough. Besides, I don’t have a dedicated contract with them, they just represent me. But Kade, why the fresh breakfast?”

“It’s something I do,” he replied. “I guess afterwards, when you give yourself to me, I try and give myself to you in return.”

“So I can expect waffles every time?” I joked lightly. “You know I don’t need it.”

Kade turned off the waffle iron and got the last waffle out. Setting it on a serving platter, he came over and pulled me into his arms. “You may not need it, but I enjoy it. Isn’t that all we need?”

“Well, that and some new clothes,” I replied, snuggling against his chest. “You said we’d talk about shopping today, but you have work. I understand.”

Kade shook his head. “I didn’t forget. This evening, after work. I’m going to talk to Vince and Monica, set up some stuff on the cases we’re working on, and then be home by six to take you out for the evening. It won’t be the best shops in Portland, but we can definitely hit up the Lloyd Center tonight, it’ll get you started. It has a Macy’s, but sadly the Nordstrom’s is closed.”

I chuckled and snuggled tighter against him. “I don’t need expensive clothes. I have everything I need right here.”

Kade chuckled and whispered in my ear. “Lloyd Center also has a Victoria’s Secret. Not all of the shopping is going to be just for you. Now, let’s have some breakfast. I have a few requests for you for while I’m at work.”

A
fter a busy but
relaxed day at the office, where Monica spent the first half hour having me sign paperwork, I was surprised when Dad gave me a call. I closed my office door and put him on speakerphone while I looked over the transcript of the deposition Vince had sat in on. “Hey, Dad, how’s it going back at work?”

“I wish I was back in Catalina,” Dad said with a laugh. “But considering the talk that Layla and Alix had last night, I wouldn’t have it any other way. What magic happened to have Alix call Layla like that?”

I was tempted to tell Dad the truth, but decided against it. It would lead to too many questions that I wasn’t prepared to answer. “I don’t really know, Dad. I was surprised when Alix asked to come with me to Portland, actually. If we didn’t spend most of the night talking, I would be worried, but I think she’s just moving on to a new stage in her life. Can you guess what she wants to do now?”

“What? Please don’t tell me she’s fallen in love with someone and wants to get married. Layla hated her last boyfriend. I can’t say I liked the guy either.”

How close you are, yet how far, Dad.
“No, but she was saying she wants to take a sabbatical from modeling, and look at going to college. It was part of why she wanted to come up here, she’s looking at maybe going to PSU.”

“Really? That’s great,” Dad said, genuine happiness in his voice. “I mean, Alix is beautiful, and I was always happy for her modeling career, but she’s always had more brains than she gives herself credit for. Any idea what she wants to study?”

“Not yet. I think she really got fired up from all the investing and real estate work you’ve been helping her with, and she might be looking at something like that.”

“Well I’m glad to hear it. You know, Kade, Alix impresses me more and more every day. Why don’t you settle down and find a nice girl like her? I’m fifty-eight, and I’d like to be young enough to play with grandkids some day.”

I laughed, leaning back and setting my deposition transcript aside. “Dad, you and I both know there’s only one Alix Nova. Besides, you can’t rush love. Sometimes it just comes out of nowhere and smacks you in the face.”

“I know, son. Sorry about that. Listen, I just wanted to make sure everything is okay with you and Alix. I assume she’s staying at your condo?”

“Sure is. She says she’ll be comfortable in the guest bedroom for a while. We’ll play it by ear from there.”

“That sounds fine. Son, I’d love to talk more, but I know you’re at work. When you have some time this weekend, think the two of you could do a group call with me and Layla? I have some big news for you guys, and I’d like your opinion on some things.”

“Of course. Let’s set something up for Saturday.”

After finishing with Dad, I wrapped up my transcript reading and talked the case over with Vince and Monica, knowing there was little on our plate for the rest of the day. It was both the blessing and the curse of being an attorney who spent most of his work representing athletes. I got a monthly cut of their paychecks directly from their teams, which was nice. On the other hand, there was little to do at times when they were keeping themselves out of trouble and focused on their jobs. I certainly handled a few other cases. I enjoyed trial litigation, but at the moment we were in the long pause in between initial filings and actually going to trial. Things were quiet, which I suppose was a benefit to me.

As I was getting my bag to head out, Vince stuck his head in the door. “Hey Kade, can I bend your ear for a minute?”

“Go ahead,” I said, setting my bag down on my desk. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted you to know I got in contact with a towing service in Los Angeles that did what you asked. Alix’s car is at her house now, they took the credit card no problem. Also, I started a background check on that guy you two mentioned. Besides what I already know, he’s one sick puppy. Seriously, Alix was lucky to get away from that asshole.”

“Thanks, Vince. Like I said, keep this off the books, it’s a personal family deal. But I’ll comp you for your time.”

Vince laughed and nodded. “Sure. Hey, if you get a chance, think Alix could introduce me to that girl I talked to on the phone? That Aussie accent, man . . . ”

I shook my head, laughing. “We’ll see. I just wanted to say thanks, and that tomorrow I should have that sound file for you. Alix is editing it down right now, she knows not to cut out anything but the end portion after I knock him the fuck out.”

“I’d have her chop off anything if you threaten him,” Vince commented. “I take it you nailed him pretty hard, you don’t want to be copping to threatening his life too. Even if he deserved it.”

“I don’t think I did, but if so, I’ll make sure that’s clean too. Thanks, Vince.”

“No problem.”

A
fter a quick stop
on the way home for a little gift for Alix, I parked in front of my condo at exactly five fifty-six in the evening. Holding the package in my hands, I walked up the single flight of stairs to the upper floor where my condo was. “Alix, I’m home!”

What greeted me at the door was arousing, touching, and humorous at the same time. To start with, my condo was spotless. I’m not a dirty man by any means, but there’s a difference between when a single bachelor cleans for living and when a woman cleans with intent. I could see my face in the marble tiles of my entryway, but I barely noticed.

Instead, my eyes were filled with the sight of Alix, wearing her other t-shirt and jeans, on her knees, her hands folded in her lap and her hair pulled back out of her face, looking up at me. “Welcome home, Kade.”

I knelt down and helped her to her feet, touched as she winced from her numb calves and feet. “How long have you been kneeling there, waiting for me?”

“A few minutes. When you said you’d be home by six, I wanted to be ready in case you were early.”

Remembering the package I had in my free hand, I handed it to her. “By the way, this is for you.”

“What is it?” Alix asked, a smile breaking out on her face. She opened the bag and tilted her head, lifting the pot out. “It’s beautiful, Kade.”

They were. Creamy white petals, soft as a baby’s breath, curved elegantly from stems to be rimmed in deep red. They were rare, they were amazing, and they were for Alix. “I learned about them when I first heard you being called an English rose. I thought it was funny at the time, since you’re as American as apple pie, but it gave me some ideas. As I read casually, I learned a bit about English history.”

“I wasn’t much into English history when I was in high school,” Alix murmured. “I did American as my requirement.”

“Starting in 1455, the House of York and the House of Lancaster fought over who would be the King of England,” I said. “In classic tales, the Yorkists were represented by a white rose, the Lancasterians a red rose. The wars went on and off for thirty years, until in 1485, Henry VII put an end to the wars. His symbol was a red rose with a white center. It’s actually still used as one of the royal symbols of England.”

I pulled Alix close, wrapping my arms around her waist, inhaling the soft scent of her hair. “It’s the Tudor Rose, Alix.”

I
watched
, entranced as the figure skaters jumped and twirled across the ice. They weren’t that high a level, nobody there was ready for the Olympics any time soon, but it didn’t matter, they were still graceful while at the same time athletic. “It’s beautiful, but also so intense,” I said, watching the skaters’ faces which were etched with effort as they tried to maintain position. “I’d never noticed that before watching it on TV.”

I was in the Lloyd Center, one of the biggest malls in Portland, big enough that in the center of it there was an ice rink. I don’t know how expensive it was to run an ice rink in the middle of a shopping mall, but it certainly made for some interesting viewing.

“Have you ever gone skating?” the man behind me asked. I turned, and Kade Prescott, my stepbrother, Dom, lover, and love of my life looked back at me with a twinkle in his dark eyes. We were in public, so we couldn’t be as affectionate as I wanted, but still he did little things to show how he felt about me, like leaning in close or making sure our arms were touching when we leaned against the boards surrounding the rink.

“No, except for one or two skate parties when I was a girl,” I admitted. “You know, someone has their birthday party at the rink, and we all cling to the boards desperately while shuffling around the ice, except for the three people who actually can skate their butts off. What about you?”

“Me?” Kade said with a laugh. “No, never. Would you like to try?”

I shook my head. “Not today, Kade. We came for shopping, remember?”

Kade nodded and pointed across the rink. “Well, there’s our first stop. Macy’s, unless you’re interested in Marshall’s and Foot Locker.”

“I was thinking,” I said, before leaning in to whisper in his ear, “that we’d make sure to make a trip to Victoria’s Secret. Would you like that, Kade?”

I made sure when I said Kade’s name, I said it in that special way that I’d developed that said I was being his sub, and not just his stepsister. We’d just had sex for the first time the night before, but it didn’t matter. I was drunk off of Kade, and I wanted more.

Kade’s eyes lit up, and he let his lips twitch in the beginnings of a smile. “Careful, Alix. I think it would be best if we save that for the last store we go to.”

“Yes, Kade,” I replied, happy. It felt like I could go the rest of my life just with that.
Yes, Kade
. I didn’t think any other words would ever mean more, or make me happier to say over and over.

“And one other thing, Alix,” Kade said, leaning in. “You’ll wear some of that tonight when we get home.”

I nodded, grinning. “Yes, Kade.”

Shopping was actually easy. With my cover story being that I was taking an extended sabbatical from full-time modeling, I didn’t have to worry about dressing up in name brand things. Still, I did have an image to uphold, if only because I wanted to look good for Kade as well.

It was actually fun teasing him a bit as we shopped. Since in public he had to be my stepbrother, I could show him a little sass, all the while knowing what we were really doing. My favorite reaction of his was when I tried on a pair of Zella shorts, which were pretty short, and while not quite skin tight, they were very form fitting. They only had a three inch inseam, so coupled with my height, it meant I was showing off a lot of leg.

“So what do you think of these for exercise?” I asked him, pirouetting slowly. With my hip pointed to him, I ran my hands over my ass, supposedly looking at myself in the mirror but actually watching Kade over my shoulder. “I’m worried it might bunch in the back.”

Kade chewed his lip, barely reacting, but I could see in his eyes how I was affecting him. “I think they look fine,” he said after a second, gathering his control. It was a struggle for him, which I knew I would so wonderfully be punished for later. “Are you planning on wearing that for anything else?”

“No, but I do know I’m going to need to work out more often now, for stress and to make myself stronger. I’d like to have some good gym stuff.”

“Why do you want to get stronger?” Kade asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He was still in his clothes from work, a coordinating suit set by Hugo Boss that looked amazing on him, although he’d ditched the jacket and tie. Too muscular to wear a slim fit, he still filled out the classic cut pants and shirt in a way that had my blood pumping through my body. “You said on the drive up here you were worried about getting too big.”

“That was before,” I answered. “Now, I need to be stronger, in more control of myself. I know that going to college is going to mean testing my limits, and I’d like to see where those are.”

Kade’s smirk sent warm chills down my spine, as he knew exactly what I was saying. “I’m sure you’ll be pushed to your limits often, but you’ll do just fine,” he answered. “So are you going with the shorts or not?”

“Three pairs,” I answered, closing the curtain on the changing booth again and pulling back on the jeans I’d been wearing. “Then we look at skirts.”

The theatrical groan from Kade outside left me grinning from ear to ear. He played his role of tolerant older stepbrother so well. Or perhaps he was being a tolerant boyfriend, I wasn’t sure, but I knew that for the next two hours, I felt for the first time in a long time like a normal woman my age. We even stopped for a Cinnabon before heading upstairs to Victoria’s Secret as promised.

“Two questions,” Kade said as we looked at the window display, dominated by a large poster of Stella Maxwell in a sports bra and shorts. The company was doing a big push for their workout clothes, and I had to admit they were kind of cute. “First, why choose here? The other store had undergarments too.”

“And the second?” I asked, wiping the last of the Cinnabon coating from my lips with a napkin before balling it up. Damn, that was good. If I was to eat those more often, I’d have to exercise.

Kade looked over with a wry little smile. “Why’d they choose that hag bag instead of you for the campaign?”

I couldn’t help but blush at his compliment, and looked at her. She was beautiful, and certainly the VS Angel type. “You’re just flattering me, but I like it,” I said with a smile. “Stella isn’t a hag bag by any measure of the term. She’s quite pretty, I’ve met her twice.”

Kade nodded, keeping his reply to himself. He pointed with his right hand, which held three bags in it, two from Macy’s and one from Foot Locker where I had gotten two pairs of shoes to go with the pair I was already wearing. I needed a new wardrobe, after all.

“And besides, I like them,” I said with a chuckle. “Why are you wearing Hugo Boss with Nikes?”

“Good point. Okay then, well, I’m going to let you do your thing while I go over to the bookstore.”

“Yes, Kade.”

“One other thing,” he said in a low voice. “Pick out two items that you think will be very, very sexy for me. Complete sets. Surprise me. And use my card for this, the PIN is 7794.”

I felt the poke of plastic against my hand and I took the card from Kade. I was only slightly surprised to see it was a Platinum card. “Yes, Kade,” I replied. It wasn’t the money, both of us had more than enough to afford the shopping trip. It was the fact that he was already thinking of me like a girlfriend, and that touched me more than anything else. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“I know you will,” he said, standing back and smiling. “When you’re done, I’ll be in the bookstore.”

I went inside, looking around at the various items. There were a few other customers, but it didn’t take long for one of the clerks to come over. “Welcome to Victoria’s Secret. Is there anything I can help you with today?”

“Hmmm, maybe,” I said, looking around. “I’ve got a good idea on most of it, but I’m kind of looking for something special.”

“Oh?” the clerk replied, seeing a sales opportunity. If she gave good service, she had no idea just how rich an opportunity it would be. “And by special you are looking for?”

“Sexy,” I replied directly. “You know, something that sends all the blood from his brain to somewhere else and leaves him drooling.”

“I don’t think that should be a problem for you,” the clerk replied. She squinted her eyes, then tilted her head to one side. “Say, do I know you? You look familiar for some reason.”

“I doubt it, this is my first time in Portland,” I said. I knew I wasn’t done up like I would be for a modeling shoot, but it wasn’t unexpected that someone would recognize me. I wasn’t a household name on the level of some of the girls, but I’d done a lot of shoots over the past five years, and the clerk was in the exact target age for a lot of my clients, eighteen to twenty-five.

The clerk nodded her head. “Well, if this is for a special guy, I don’t think you could go wrong with this,” she said, showing me a few pieces that were quite beautiful. “What sorts of parts are you thinking of showing off for him?”

“I was thinking demure but still seductive,” I said. “Something easily removed.”

“This would be perfect on you,” she said, holding up one item. “It’s called the Bare Slip, and while it’s not see through, there’s a lot of deep cuts, and could probably be taken off with a warm breath and a shoulder shimmy if you want.”

“Excellent. Let’s get a few other things, and try them all on,” I said. The girl stayed with me for the next few minutes, helping me select two other potential items including what they called a V-string t-back that looked slightly larger than a postage stamp, but not much more.

“If you need any help, I’ll be outside, but you probably know more about sizes and stuff than I do.”

I thanked her and started trying on the items. Following the rules, I didn’t put the panties on directly but only over the granny panties I was already wearing, just to check size and get an idea. The slip, however, I tried on fully, letting the nylon and clingy fabric slide over my skin. The cool friction made my nipples get painfully tight, and I thought again of Kade. Looking at myself in the mirror, I thought he’d be more than pleased. My nipples were highlighted against the fabric, while the thin spaghetti straps allowed everything from my cleavage up to be seen. The idea of him taking it off of me made me flush with arousal, and I fought the urge to pinch my nipples through the slip. “Later,” I promised myself. “If he wants.”

Quickly taking off the lingerie before I lost control, I came out to find the girl with a hopeful expression on her face. “How were they?”

“Perfect,” I said. “So how much of a commission do you get for this stuff?”

“A flat amount for certain items the company highlights on a monthly basis,” she admitted shyly. “Sorry. But I’m not trying to push items on you, honest.”

“That’s okay, I was just curious,” I said, surprised. The girl was looking at me with deference, which I didn’t have happen to me often. Envy, jealousy, desire, sure. Deference? Not often.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m actually not supposed to talk about that part, but I guessed you’d understand, you having inside knowledge and all.”

I actually didn’t; that was the business side while I was just a model, but I nodded anyway. “What items are on your list for this month?”

She told me, and I grinned. “Tell you what, let’s get you a nice check for the night.”

In the end, it wasn’t all that much. By selectively shopping, I was able to get her an extra sixty dollars while only spending about three hundred myself. Almost all of it was practical too, like panties, bath lotions, and other everyday things. The girl, who I learned was named Jenny, was beaming as I handed over the credit card. “Thank you, Miss . . . Prescott?”

“Nova,” I corrected. “That’s a company card.”

“As long as your PINs good, I’m fine with it,” Jenny replied. “You just made my weekend. Mom’s going to be so happy about the paycheck, that’s for sure.”

“You’re living at home?” I asked as she swiped the card. Jenny nodded and handed it back.

“Yeah, I’m in college, taking classes at Oregon Health and Science,” she said. “I’m going to be a nurse.”

“Congratulations,” I said earnestly. “Good luck with it.”

“Thanks,” Jenny replied. “You too, have fun with your purchases.”

I grinned and nodded. “Oh, you know it.”

I left the store and turned right, walking toward the bookstore. As I did, I heard the chimes warning everyone that it was nearly nine at night, and that the mall would be closing soon. Surprised, not realizing I’d spent so much time inside Victoria’s Secret, I broke into a light jog the rest of the way and to the bookstore.

“I’m sorry, we’re closing,” an employee said as I went in. “Please, no more purchases.”

“I’m not, I’m meeting someone here,” I said. I looked around, and saw Kade in the back. I pointed. “Him.”

I understood, it must suck to try and check people out after the store is officially closed. It delayed getting home after a long day.

“What did you find?” Kade asked, putting a book on art and philosophy back on the shelf. He had a shopping basket of his own, which had what looked like eight or ten books inside. “Anything good?”

“Lots,” I answered. “I’ll be happy to show you when we get home, but here’s something I can show you now.” I pulled out a tube of orange scented body scrub and popped the top for him. “Do you like it?”

“It’s certainly you,” Kade replied. “Vibrant, youthful, and very clean. The rest?”

“You’ll see. So what about you? That’s a lot of books for a working lawyer.”

Kade grinned and shook his head. “Only one’s for me,” he said, showing me the cover, a mystery novel it looked like. “The rest are for you.”

I knelt down and looked in the basket, growling and groaning at the same time. “
The New ACT Prep Book
?
The Dummy’s Guide to College Mathematics
?
Beginner’s French?
What’s this for?”

Kade knelt down and took my hands in his. “You’re here to become a university student, right? But you said it yourself, you’ve been out of the academic game for a few years now, so you’re going to be rusty at least. If anything, you need to take the SAT or ACT test again, and re-learn how to be a student. So, that’s going to be your day job.”

I looked into his eyes, and knew that while he was using a gentle voice, there was a command in his words. “Yes, Kade,” I said softly, looking down. “Could you help me with them, though?”