Free Love All Out - Part 3 (A Stepbrother Romance) by Alice Ward

pictures of me and James, and returned the phone to the table. Seconds later, Bradley reappeared in the dining room.
    “Ready to go?” he asked as he approached me. He grabbed his phone and started tapping the screen.
    I wiped my sweaty palms on a napkin and rose to my feet. “It sounded like the negotiations went well,” I said as we walked to the front door.
    “Uh huh,” Bradley absentmindedly agreed. His eyes remained fixed to his phone as we stepped out into the parking lot. He paused just outside the door and burst into laughter.
    “What’s so funny?” I asked, my eyes narrowed and my nerves frayed. I was afraid I already knew the answer to my question.
    Bradley held up his phone, his upper lip curled in an evil grin. “Did you really think I’d make it that easy for you?”
    “What… what are you talking about?” I asked, trying to sound innocent.
    “I figured you’d delete the pictures if you had the chance. I left my phone on the table on purpose. To be honest, I’d have been a little disappointed in you if you didn’t delete them. I admire your gumption, Willow, but I backed the pictures up on my cloud days ago.”
    My heart sank. Of course he’d backed up the pictures. I’d been naïve to think that Bradley would be easy to deal with. He was a jackass, but he wasn’t stupid.
    I felt my face flush, but I tried to hide my disappointment. I shrugged my shoulders. “You can’t blame a girl for trying. How long do you plan on holding this over my head?”
    “For as long as it amuses me,” he said with a wink. He walked to the Mercedes and slid behind the steering wheel.
    So much for being polite and opening my door…
    I circled the car, opened the passenger door, and settled in for a long, silent ride home.

CHAPTER 5
    “Ladies and gentleman, flight 1542 to Baltimore is now boarding priority ticket holders, rows one through eight,” a perky female voice announced over the airport’s intercom system.
    Matt jumped up from his chair. “That’s us! This is so exciting! I’ve never flown first class before!”
    I grinned at him and pulled my boarding pass from my carryon bag. “It’s not as exciting as it sounds,” I said. “But it’s better than flying coach.”
    We filed into line and, one by one, the ticket agent scanned our passes and allowed us onto the jet bridge.
    “I can’t wait to get to Baltimore,” Matt continued. “I took a virtual tour of our resort last night, and it looks like heaven.”
    “I’m looking forward to the resort myself,” James said under his breath. My pulse raced, but I didn’t comment.
    Nine months earlier, I’d booked two suites at the Excelsior Hotel and Spa: one for Daddy, one for myself and Matt. I tried to reserve another room when our plans started to change, but the resort was booked solid. Matt and Lucas would be in one suite, and James and I would have to share the other.
    “Good morning,” a red headed flight attendant greeted us with a cheerful smile.
    “Good morning,” James replied. He handed her his boarding pass.
    “You’re in row 3, seat B, right here up front,” the woman directed.
    “Thank you,” James told her. He shuffled down the aisle and the flight attendant turned to me.
    “The four of us are together,” I told her, pointing behind me to Matt and Lucas. She nodded and we followed James to the third row.  Matt let out a gasp as we settled into the plush, comfortable seats.
    “This is so spacious!” He lifted his bag into the overhead compartment and took his seat next to the window.
    Each side of the airplane held two wide, overstuffed leather seats. Matt and Lucas were on one side of the aisle. James and I were directly across from them. I struggled to lift my carryon and James took it from my hands.
    “You can have the window if you want,” he offered. He stuffed my bag into the overhead compartment and we settled into our seats.
    “We need to talk,” I whispered. “But I don’t want Lucas and Matt to