Stepbrother's Secrets (A New Adult Forbidden Romance) by Stephanie Brother

CHAPTER ONE
    The bass pounds hard enough my chest vibrates in time. Strobe lights flash and multi-colored beams shoot across the crowd, hit a mirror ball, and burst into an array of light around the darkened room. I have no idea what's playing, just that it's loud.
    Lace says something into my ear but I can't make out the words. I turn to look at her and she's smiling pointing across the room. I follow her finger since words are absolutely useless. Leaning against the wall next to one of the massive speakers he looks the room over like he owns it. I look at Lace and arch an eyebrow, she elbows me in the ribs.
    I give him a closer look. He's hot, I'll give her that. Five o'clock shadow. Sharp, strong jaw line, roguish hair that has that 'I'm too cool to care' messy look that guys spend thirty minutes perfecting. He's wearing a suit jacket and a shirt unbuttoned half way down to show off just enough man chest to draw the eye of any girl with a heartbeat. It's obvious he likes the gym.
    Lace's hand pushes me at the small of my back and I stumble forward, my plastic cup of beer I've been nursing for the past hour sloshes onto the carpet. I frown at her but she just laughs and says something else I can't hear. She motions towards the guy with her hands nodding exaggeratedly. I close my eyes and sigh.
    Lace is my best friend, my roommate, and while I know she means well she's constantly pushing me towards some guy or another. We're both sophomore’s now and while she has had a dozen or more 'boyfriends' I've not. I broke up with Ken, my high school sweetheart, at the end of my first semester. We'd gone to separate colleges but had thrown around the L word. He'd given me a promise ring in lieu of an engagement one and we'd been planning our wedding. I wanted to surprise him so I showed up early at his dorm for spring break and found him with another girl.
    Lace knows my interest in replacing him with any guy is zero. I want to focus on school. Focus on myself, not another guy.
    Why am I even here?
    She pushes me again and I stumble once more spilling more beer on the already sticky carpet of the frat house. I turn and glare at her but as I do I see he's looking right at me. My cheeks burn and I know I'm blushing. I hope in this crazy light it doesn't show.
    A frat boy walks up to him, leans in close saying something in his ear. He doesn't turn to look, his eyes are locked on me as he nods. His hand rises up between them, they shake hands and then the frat boy wanders off smiling. He continues to stare at me and my body responds to his gaze. I wonder what his touch would feel like, wonder what he would taste like, what he would sound like...
    Lace pushes against the small of my back again and this time I move forward with it instead of resisting. I feel drawn to him. I want to know more. I want to pierce the air of mystery he exudes leaning against that wall. His lips part in a half smile as I approach welcoming me, pulling me forward.
    "Hey!" I yell to be heard over the bass.
    His eyes gaze on me with hunger as he looks me up and down. I notice a wad of bills sticking part way out of his pocket just before I see the bulge in his pants. He says something, or at least his lips move, but I can't make out the words. I shake my head to show my lack of comprehension and he frowns. He motions through the door next to us arching an eyebrow. I nod my agreement then he takes my hand and leads the way into the next room. He doesn't stop there going through another door into a large kitchen with a marble island in the middle. As the door closes behind us the throbbing bass drops to a low roar and outside the slight ringing in my ears I can hear again.
    He turns into me, intimately close, our lips inches apart. The heat of him is intense warming my skin through my thin dress. He presses against me whispering in my ear.
    "You look amazing," hot breath across my neck carry the words to me.
    My cheeks burn, he's pressing into my stomach, one hand