Free Billionaire Stepbrother - Secret Lives by Madeline Du Bois Page A

attend events that went into the wee hours of the morning, but she didn’t really think Dante needed a companion. It must really be serious.
     
    Be there in a few.
     
    She texted him back and climbed out of bed to pull on the first thing she could find. Hopefully Essential Steel afterhours didn’t have a dress code because she was not about to do her face up again or get dressed in a business suit. Jeans and a tee shirt would have to do.
     
    She ran her fingers through her hair, leaving it down and hoping it would behave long enough for her to take care of whatever it was Dante needed. At least Essential Steel was only twenty minutes away from her apartment.
     
    When she got there, she parked out front and gave her name to the security officers. One of them escorted her up to the fourth floor where Dante’s office was. It felt like she was in prison or something, unable to move anywhere without an officer next to her. She knocked on his office door, and he came to open it. He had the shade pulled down, and she couldn’t help but notice the bottle of Jack on his desk. He smelled a little boozy for sure, but he didn’t look falling-over drunk, just tipsy.
     
    “Hi Dante, what’s going on?” He was wearing his street clothes instead of his suit and she was becoming increasingly curious as to why he'd asked her there.
     
    “Saw the MC tonight, and they really seem against me. I just didn’t know who else to call. I’m sorry if I woke you up in the middle of the night for something non work related.”
     
    She looked at him sympathetically and saw that he was really vulnerable, more so than she thought him possible of being. But she wasn’t sure why he wanted her there. Did he just want to vent or did he want her to help in some way? She wasn’t sure what help she could give him, but it was a part of her job to keep his secret and assist him. Even if it wasn't, she wouldn't turn her back on him.
     
    “What happened?” she asked, hoping he’d get to the bottom of it quickly. Despite their relationship becoming closer lately, he was still her bad boy, motorcycle riding stepbrother boss, and quite possibly very drunk. There were many ways this situation might go wrong. Although, she could think of a few that might end in them going pretty right, as well. Despite everything, even in the darkness and his drunken, vulnerable state, Dante was still incredibly handsome.
     
    * * *
     
    Dante almost forgot what he was supposed to be talking to Cynthia about because she was so sexy in her tight jeans. He had only seen her in her normal clothes once, and he hadn’t really looked at her then the way he was looking at her now. She had come to his rescue without a question, and even if she thought it was for work it was a pretty big deal considering the time. And once she arrived, she hadn’t run away despite the fact that he was pretty sure he reeked of booze.
     
    Her hair was down, which was a rare sight, and he had the strong urge to reach out and feel some of it. It looked like it would be so soft. He wasn’t sure what was going on with him, but he didn’t think he’d really texted her to talk about the motorcycle club anymore. He was sure he just wanted her company.
     
    “We had a meeting, and I threatened them, basically demanded that it was my way or the highway. They all seemed to be against me, Cynthia. I’m not sure who is my friend and who is my enemy anymore.”
     
    He felt himself being pulled to her, and he ignored all reason as he just went with it.
     
    “I’m sorry, Dante. I know how important the club is to you.” Her eyes seemed to say something that she didn’t, and her breath picked up as if his closeness made her nervous.
     
    “It is, but sometimes I wonder if I still belong there. I don’t feel like I belong anywhere else, though, either.” It was the first time he had admitted such a thing to himself much less to anyone else. Cynthia seemed to put him in the mood to spill his