Page 9 of Claimed By my Stepbrother
“You wanna bet?” He has the audacity to wink at me. “You can try me, but you better be prepared for the consequences.”
“Ugh, you’re so infuriating! Just drop it. I’ve never even…” I stop myself and immediately regret opening my mouth. I just want to crawl into a dark hole somewhere and never come out.
“You’ve never…what?” he prompts. I wish he would drop it already. His questions are getting increasingly more intimate, and I’ve had enough.
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”Please, just let it go. Please.
“Are you a virgin?” Knox asks as he stops at the next red light, turning to look at me, studying my face like I'm something new he’s never seen before. I feel the burn of a bright red blush sweeping across my face. I’ve never spoken about my virginity with anyone other than Ivy before. “You are. Aren’t you?”
“Ugh.” I throw my hands up before crossing my arms defensively again. “Fine. Yes, I am. You were right. Are you happy now?” I ask bitterly.
A wicked expression appears on his handsome face. “Very.” His admission is punctuated by his tongue running slowly along his bottom lip as his eyes feast on me. It feels so intimate that I can almost feel it moving on me like a caress.
“I can’t freaking stand you!”
“That’s unfortunate, babygirl. Because I’m becoming exceedingly fond of you,” he says, flashing a flirtatious wink. I can’t help but roll my eyes, which only seems to amuse him.
To not encourage him any further, I turn my attention to the window, admiring the city lights.
“Just take me home, please,” I sigh in defeat, leaning my head against the cool glass window.
“Thought you’d never ask. Your wish is my command.” His acquiescence came disturbingly easy, so I look up at him and see that he’s wearing a wolfish grin.
“I meantmyhome, you lunatic,” I grit out, taking several deep breaths to collect myself as he brays with laughter. This is a battle I’m not prepared to fight, but I’m not sure—if it comes down to it—that I’d totally hate losing.
A few minutes later, Knox pulls up to the front of the Olympus Casino, waiting for a valet to take the car. He steps out and rounds the hood, coming to open my door.
I’m caught off guard, and for some reason, I find myself thanking him.
We walk inside. Knox puts his hand on my lower back, and I hate to admit how good it feels to have him touching me. He guides me toward a central bank of elevators I haven’t seen before since Giuseppe always uses the underground parking.
When the elevator arrives, Knox motions for me to enter before following me inside. He scans his watch over a hidden panel and presses a discrete button, presumably for the penthouse.
We ride up in a wildly uncomfortable, tension-soaked silence. I want to talk to him, rage at him—something—anything—to break the awkwardness, but when I look up to do so, I see his jaw is clenched painfully tight. His head is thrown backward, and his eyes are focused on the ornate ceiling.
Deciding to remain silent, I focus on the many buttons embossed with numbers, wondering what I would find on each floor of the casino.
When the doors finally open, I hurry to make my way to the relative safety of Rowan’s penthouse. But before I get the chance, Knox’s hand wraps around my bicep, and he pulls me firmly to his side.
“No one’s home, and you shouldn’t be alone. Let me keep you company. We should get to know each other, anyway,” he tells me smoothly, guiding me across the vestibule to his own door.
“I don’t know,” I hedge, only part of me wanting to resist his invitation. “It’s late.” With the end of the school year—and graduation—just around the corner, I really should be studying for finals. But, the prospect of being at Rowan’s place, alone, when he could come back at any minute, makes me really uncomfortable. Mom should be back soon, though.Oh, shit! Mom!She must be freaking out.
“Oh, no! My phone! It’s still at school sincesomeoneabducted me.” I pin him with a pointed glare. “I bet my mom has been trying to reach me to see if I’m okay. She’s probably so worried,” I say.
“Emilia is fine. She knows you’re with me. Just come in for a little while. You can text her from my phone, so she knows you’re alright,” he says, a confidently charming smile lighting his face, and I can’t help but relent.
“I—um… okay, but I really can’t stay long.”
Knox slides his watch over a disk on the door causing it to click. I’m not sure what to expect from his place, but I’m curious to explore it. He opens the door, and we step into the foyer.
From just inside the door, I can tell that it’s just as massive as Rowan’s, but the decor is completely different. Where Rowan’s white and gold theme is gaudy and austere, Knox’s space is dark and masculine.
Pearly marble floors, the same I’ve seen throughout the casino, contrast the intricate black brick herringbone pattern on the walls. Rich, mahogany stairs lead to a sunken living room with a fire pit crackling in the center, surrounded by a circular, cream suede couch. A circular stainless steel chandelier hangs dramatically from the ceiling, the chain tassels catching and reflecting the fire.
Knox pulls his phone from his pocket and hands it to me with a warm smile. I take it gently, careful to avoid touching him as much as possible. I look down at the phone, seeing it’s already unlocked, and wonder what I’m going to say to Mom.
Hey, Mom, I’m just hanging out with my psycho stepbrother. You know the one that just basically kidnapped me. So, yeah, I’ll be here until you get home, so I don’t run into your creepy fiancé.Somehow, that just doesn’t seem appropriate.
