Free Step Wilde: A Stepbrother Romance by Vesper Vaughn Page A

"Yeah, Mom, let’s think for a second of why I might be skeptical. Is this engagement number nine? Ten?"
    My mom sighed. "This is different, Livvy."
    "Right," I said, pushing Sprinkles over and sitting down on the floral sofa. I knew that I'd have cat hair all over my clothes but tomorrow was laundry day anyway. "I will believe that it's different when you actually make it to the altar."
    "I don't understand why you have to be such a killjoy over this, Olivia. You should be happy for me."
    I squinted my eyes and leaned my head on the back of the worn sofa. "I am, Mom. I'm happy if you are."
    That seemed to pacify her. I entertained her rambling for ten more minutes before begging off, using work as an excuse. I didn't tell her about Italy. I usually kept my life as close to the vest as possible as my mom had a tendency to steal thunder from everyone around her.
    As for her engagement, I knew that the next time I saw her she’s be on her next boyfriend. There’d be no mention of Garth or Gary or whatever his name was. I’d already forgotten it.
    My excuse for ending the phone call had been true. I had a work-related phone call to make. I hoped that it would be a phone call to change my life.
     

CHAPTER NINE
    WILDER
    I rolled over in bed, sheets tangling between my legs. Sunlight fell through the curtains. I reached my arms out to stretch and felt skin on both sides of me. I looked left and right to see one blonde and one brunette tangled up next to me.
    Welcome to Italy , I thought to myself. I slid down to the foot of the four poster bed, taking the sheets with me. The round, curvaceous, tanned asses of the two women I'd fucked last night teased me. I reached out to touch both of them but then stopped.
    If I started that I'd need to finish it. And today was my first day being somewhat in charge of the production of a movie. I needed to get my act together.
    I tiptoed into the shower and bathed as fast as I possibly could underneath the gold-plated faucet installed in the tile wall of the Four Seasons Milano. When I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in the plush, thick, complimentary robe, one of the women had woken up. She smiled at me. She had perfect tits. I felt myself rising underneath my robe and had to force myself to think of Fox's shining face. There. That did it. Erection interrupted.
    "Morning," I said briefly.
    The woman smiled and sat upright, her round breasts bouncing slightly. "Morning," she replied.
    Shit. She had an American accent. I thought back to the night before. Everything was foggy. I tried to remember whether or not we were working together on the film. I threw caution to the wind and asked her.
    "We don't...work together, do we?" I tried to be nonchalant about it as I paced over to the walk-in closet and pulled down a button down shirt off of a hanger. Harrison had lined up all of my clothes in perfect order, a fingertip's space between each bit of cloth. I wondered for the first time how long that had taken him.
    "No, silly, I work at the hotel next door," the woman replied. She had one of those shrill, baby-talking voices.
    I scurried to pull on a pair of slacks, shoving my shirt hem into them and weaving a leather belt through the loops. I hated dressing like this but I wanted people to take me seriously. Suddenly I realized I had no idea what time it was. I never wore a watch and Harrison was usually carrying my phone for me.
    I am a child , I thought. I really, really, really needed to get my shit together and quick.
    "I said we don't work together," said the woman from the other room. "So you can relax now."
    "Fucking wonderful," I replied gruffly, stepping back out into the bedroom. The other woman still hadn't woken up.
    "You want to go another round before you have to go?" the blonde asked me.
    I really fucking do , I thought. I cleared my throat. "No," I said coldly. "And if you order room service, don't get champagne and lobsters, okay? Be gone by the time the maids get here."
    The