Sweet Billionaire Stepbrother(19)

Born and bred on the Gold Coast, she had a natural tan all year round and the type of natural beach blonde hair that just couldn’t be faked or paid for in a salon. Add to that her fit physique, and Sloane was a knockout. She could wear a damn sack and still be gorgeous.

It had never bothered me before that guys always went for her first. She loved the attention and I was glad to skip it. Any man would be a fool not to trip over himself to get to her.

Including Grayson.

My life just went to shit.

I didn’t want to share Grayson with anyone, not even my best friend. But if Grayson, like every other man, chose Sloane over me, I was screwed.

Devastation hit me like a thunderbolt.

My heart squeezed, aching in a way it had only ever done when Daddy died.

I can’t lose Grayson.

The thought startled me.

What the hell did it mean? Grayson wasn’t mine. Not in that way. Friends, yes. I’d even venture in saying we were extremely good friends. But now I wanted more and it scared the shit out of me. It was a path to heartache and I didn’t do the broken-heart drama.

“We better get back out there. The guys will be wondering why we’ve taken so long. And I can’t wait to dance with Grayson again. Getting up close to him does funny things to my lady parts,” Sloane said as she checked her perfect ass in the mirror and made her way to the door.

I followed closely behind, my heart thumping in my throat.

As we approached our table, Grayson pushed to his feet and stood waiting with an approving smile on his face. I had to tear my attention away from him as I nearly stumbled over my own feet. Damn these bloody heels. They were killing my feet already.

“Whatever you girls did in there worked. You smell lovely,” he said sniffing the air as he held the chair for Sloane. She blushed and fluttered her lashes at him as she sat down beside him and he pushed her chair in.

“Thanks,” Sloane cooed, clearly pleased that he’d noticed. Grayson gave her his megawatt smile and a light kiss on the forehead.

My world turned upside down. I didn’t want his lips on her.

And why couldn’t Seth have the same gentlemanly manners? Flustered, I scraped my chair closer to the table, wishing I’d develop some third world virus that would force me to go home early so I didn’t have to witness any more of Sloane and Grayson together.

Confused and uncertain, the night was turning into a damn nightmare. I’d rather be in my bedroom, chatting to my little sister and avoiding the way Grayson made me feel.

Seth leaned closer and whispered into my ear. “Can’t wait till we get to be alone, babe.”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “Anywhere but here.”

I couldn’t watch Sloane drape herself around Grayson any longer.

“Let’s get out of here then,” Seth rasped. “You ready?”

“Yeah. Works for me,” I said as I pushed myself to my feet. He grabbed hold of my hand and I followed him blindly, not really caring where he was taking me or what he had planned for us.

Anywhere but there simply had to be a better option.





15: Grayson


Where the f*ck had Matthews dragged Layla too? I was losing my f*cking mind thinking about his filthy paws all over her. When I found the prick I was going to hang him by the balls. Layla deserved so much better. I had to find her before something happened that she’d regret for the rest of her life.

Frantic, my eyes darted around in the dark. All I could see in the few seconds of strobe flashes of colored light was a multitude of gyrating bodies and hordes of arms flung in the air as the music pumped at eardrum-bursting volume.

Certain that Layla wasn’t in the crowd, I directed my attention to the exit doors. Matthews must have taken her out through one of those. The question was, which one? Still trying to decipher the information I’d overheard, I forced myself to remain calm even though I wanted to scream her name at the top of my lungs.

Layla!

Where was she? He could have taken her to any number of places. The balcony. The empty offices. His car. Somewhere off campus. Fuck. Every second counted. Paralyzed by fear of making the wrong choice, I tried to put myself in his shoes. If I wanted to f*ck a girl quick and fast to win a bet, I’d have to prove I’d done the deed. So where would I take my prey?

Somewhere that the most people would witness it.

Of course.

The unisex bathrooms. There were lines of people waiting to get inside. Witnesses. It was pretty obvious if a guy and girl went in together what was going to happen in there.

Christ.

I pushed through the crowd toward the line of bodies leaning against the wall. Couples in various states of making out blocked my way. I squinted as I tried to see better in the dimly lit passage. My gaze rested on a woman in a tight embrace wearing a dress the same color as Layla’s, and in the dim light I could just make out a man’s hands on her breasts and his tongue down her throat. Shit. Could Matthews not wait until he had her inside? I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him off her with a strength I didn’t know I possessed.

“What the f*ck, man?” The angry eyes glaring at me weren’t those of Matthews. I didn’t know if I should be relieved or pissed that I hadn’t found them. The woman gave me a death stare before throwing her arms back around her man and pulling him to her.

I cursed under my breath as I pushed my way through more sweaty bodies. Where the f*ck were they?