Dirk: A Stepbrother Romance
Leela Ash
Chapter 1
Katherine checked her watch and sighed. The plane was going to be leaving in ten minutes, and she still couldn't find the right gate. She squinted up at the large sign above her head, wishing she could dig her reading glasses out of her luggage. She hadn't anticipated needing them so soon. Finally, through a stroke of luck, she saw the number she needed out of the corner of her eye and rushed just in time to make her flight.
In all honesty, it wouldn't have broken her heart to miss it. She was heading out of the country to attend her mother's wedding to some hoity-toity billionaire. As she settled into the first-class seat that her mother had set up for her, she leaned her head back and sighed. Her mother had a very specific taste in men, and she was sure, whether he was a billionaire or not, that he would match the same profile as the other *s her mother had always gone for.
A flight attendant whisked by, asking everybody if they were comfortable and reminding them to fasten their seatbelts before takeoff. Katherine pulled the strap over her waist and smoothed the cardigan her mother had insisted she wear.
“You should wear something slimming,” she had said on the phone. “I really want you to make a good impression.”
It had made Katherine bristle. There was nothing wrong with her body. In fact, the men she had dated were all very pleased with her every curve. What did she care if her new stepfather thought she was fat? And so what if she was? She was also stunning, intelligent, and artistic. The opinion of her mother's latest boy-toy was the least of her concerns.
Still, she humored her mother and wore the cardigan, putting extra care into her makeup and jewelry. Even if the woman had always cared more about the next man in her bed than she did about her daughter, she still had a deep love and loyalty for her mother. And looking nice was more for herself, anyway. She would be meeting a lot of new people, and dressing up was just one way to boost her confidence so that her personality could shine through.
Dirk glanced from his father to his soon-to-be stepmother and sneered inwardly. They were taking this wedding really seriously, even though Dirk suspected that it was going to be a very short-lived relationship. The rehearsal dinner was scheduled to begin in the next hour, and they were deeply engaged in conversation with the priest. His future stepsister would be arriving soon, just in time to be introduced to the chaos of their parent's unholy union . He had no interest in meeting her, and the whole fiasco was really getting on his nerves. He had better things to do with his time than pretend to care who his dad was f*cking.
He rose abruptly from the round, neatly decorated table where he had been lounging. He loosened his tie and undid the top button of his tight shirt, revealing the dark marks of his neck and chest tattoos. Dirk caught his father's eye and stared at him challengingly as he pulled his hair tie out, letting his neat ponytail fall into a cascade of brown hair. His father opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it and let him go.
There was no reason for him to be there. Not when he could be working on Sally, his antique motorcycle. A few of the parts had just arrived, and now that he had escaped the rehearsal dinner, he would be able to work on her in peace. He rolled up his shirtsleeves in anticipation, grinning to himself as the caterer for the rehearsal dinner stared at his bulging, inked up forearms. He winked at her and turned away, chuckling to himself about her reddened cheeks. Most women found him irresistible. And why wouldn't they? He worked hard to look this good. Not only that, but the appeal of his money seemed to seep right into his aura.
Dirk was feeling restless. He decided to take a walk around the island. There was a spot he liked to go to think when he was agitated. Sometimes it helped to calm him down; other times it just made him more angry. When that happened, he would work on Sally or go cause some trouble. There was nothing quite like picking a fight to make a man feel alive, especially when he knew he was always going to win. One thing Dirk never did was lose. Whether it was in business or a brawl, he came out on top.
He sat quietly on the large rock that overlooked the ocean, resting his chin in his hands. It was getting a little stubbly, and the short, bristly hairs scratched the skin on his palm. He briefly considered whether to shave for the wedding or not. Thoughts of the wedding filled him with a new bout of irritation, so he stood. He needed a drink.
Chapter 2
A limo had promptly picked Katherine up and whisked her away. Before she knew it, she was stepping out onto the enormous estate, where her mother and stepfather were waiting patiently to begin the rehearsal dinner. Katherine's bags were tugged away from her, and she watched as they disappeared in a blur of maroon-colored uniforms. Suddenly, she was being embraced tightly by her mother, who smelled strongly of wine, and pushed in the direction of her reserved-looking future stepfather, who nodded politely.
“You look great, mom,” Katherine said, smiling tightly. Her mother was in a black sequined dress, and her chest boasted a round, 24-karat gold locket.
“Thank you, dear,” she said. She had never called Katherine “dear” in all her life. Katherine could tell she was putting on airs, and it made her feel a little sick. However, they hadn't seen each other in a long time and she didn't want to succumb to her negative feelings toward her mother.
“This place is beautiful,” she said, a little begrudgingly.