Free RANE: A Rockstar Stepbrother Romance by Vivian Lux

herself up. The explosion was a controlled explosion and it had happened because I had asked her to let go. With my help, fuck, with my permission , she had turned into a fucking force of nature. Watching her was like standing at the edge of a volcano and peering in. Or letting the ocean waves pummel you as you gave up all pretense of control. She was wild, but only because I asked her to be. She had given me that power and I was already drunk off it.
    He was right. Everything about Maddie was dangerous.
    That's why I wanted her.
    I dropped Keir at his bungalow three blocks from the beach and ignored the significant look he tried to shoot me before I pulled away. I'd be seeing him over at my place soon enough.
    Turning around the corner and out of sight, I pulled out my phone and dialed.
    My manager answered before the second ring had even finished. It wouldn't do for him to miss a call from me, no matter what time of day it was. "Rane Wilder!" he bellowed, a little too loudly, so anyone who overheard him would hear and be impressed.
    I rolled my eyes. "Keith, yeah hey."
    The background was full of loud conversation and clinking glasses, but Keith still managed to sound like he was soldiering through a national emergency. "Rane! Everything cool, man? I heard the shoot was a little wonky today. You don't need to worry about it, though..."
    I cut him off before he could work himself into an aneurysm. "Not worried. I just needed your help real quick. Favor for your favorite client?"
    "You got it," he answered quickly, hushing someone who tried to interrupt.
    "Madeline's Cole's number. She, uh, she left a bag at the shoot today. Wanted to get it back to her."
    "Sure thing, sure thing, lemme look it up and text it to you." Keith already sounded distracted, which was what I was counting on. He probably wouldn't even remember having this conversation, which is why I was asking him instead of my dad.
    "Thanks, man."
    "Oh, hey, everything cool for the buzz gig Thursday? Lenny's been real worried about the guest list; we're still trying to fill up the A-list...."
    The buzz gig. I had nearly forgotten. "Yeah, whatever Keith, that's your department. I just show up and play while people ignore me."
    "It's business, kid."
    "Uh huh. Listen, don't forget to get me the number. Looks like she's gonna miss this stuff tomorrow morning. "
    "How was she?" Keith interjected. "Mad Maddie."
    The name made me bristle. "She was a real professional. She's a hell of an actress."
    "Huh." Keith sounded disappointed. "Okay, I'll get that number to you." He hung up and after a few seconds, my phone buzzed in my hand.
    I stared down at the number, feeling like I was about to take the lid off a hurricane.
    Friends hang out, right? And this girl is going to be family, so we need to learn to get along together without ripping each other’s clothes off.
    Hell, I need to learn that. That's all I'm doing. Getting to know my new stepsister. Dad would want that.
    Plus, she worked hard these past two days and deserves the chance to kick back and relax.
    Having sufficiently rationalized the huge mistake I was about to make, I took a deep breath and dialed.
    She answered on the second ring, with lots of frantic scrabbling beforehand. "Madeline Cole," she answered, crisp and professional.
    "Maddie. It's Rane."
    "Oh." She sounded disappointed. "I thought you were...never mind."
    I have to say, that deflated me a bit.
    "Listen, I didn't get a chance to tell you before you left. I always have an after party once we're done with a shoot. You should stop by."
    She was silent a second. "Where?"
    "My place."
    "When you say 'we'..."
    I had to chuckle. This chick was smart. "I mean band and crew and friends and entourages and hangers-on. A whole shit-ton of people."
    She exhaled a little. "Okay.  Um...sure."
    "Great. I'll text you the address. Bring your bathing suit."
    "Anything else?"
    Condoms, lube, handcuffs, garters....
    "Nah, just your smile."
    "Rane. As friends,