Falling for his Step-Sister by Alie Garnett
Chapter Three
The instant he woke up,Jonas knew he was alone—naked and alone. Not that he didn’t expect it, but it was disappointing just the same. More disappointing was that he had no idea who she was, but she sure as hell wasn’t Trixi. And as far as he could tell, she was no longer in his closet. It was the first place his eyes went when she wasn’t in the bed.
Rolling over, he still wanted her back in bed and naked, no matter her name. Finding her in his closet had been straight from a dream. She’d been a hot mess of a redhead with a smug grin and no fear.
His plan to scare her out of the closet had been thrown out the window the moment he had seen her. Once she had walked out of the closet, he was no longer interested in scaring her away. He had wanted to have sex with her instantly.
The woman was exactly his type, from her cocky little grin to her hot mess of a self with red hair. Her body had fit right into his hands, and she’d turned to putty as soon as he’d touched her.
It had pained him to ask if she’d wanted him, knowing that if she’d said no, he would’ve had let her go. Sure, it would have been painful to see her sashay from his life, but he would’ve let it happen. That she had wanted it just as bad had turned him on even more. Watching her orgasm once had been amazing, so much so that he’d made her come over and over again just so he could watch her scream. Even the memory of it made him want her back in his bed.
He had no idea why she had been in his closet. His only conclusion was that she was in the wrong room, and it had turned out well for him—and he hoped it was great for her also.
Sitting up in bed, he looked at the snow-covered city through the window and pushed the redhead from his mind. She was gone, and he had no way to find her. Now that he was thinking clearer, he should have demanded her real name, phone number, address, and anything else he would need today to get her back. He wanted her back.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the outer door. Getting out of bed, he pulled on his underwear and pants to let Harrison in, the only person who should know where he was. Well, Harrison and now the redhead.
His buddy strode through the room and looked around. For what, Jonas didn’t know, but he slid back on his shirt as his friend did his search. The room was semi-clean, after all. Looking down, Jonas saw a condom wrapper on the floor and quickly kicked it under the bed.
“Nice, Jonas. You’re supposed to be lying low, not finding someone to fuck.” Harrison was holding the tank top that the redhead had worn the night before. He has missed the fact that she had forgotten that.
“Can’t help that the ladies love me.” Jonas grabbed the shirt away from him, happy that she wasn’t here when his lawyer showed up. Harrison had never given him any indication that he had ever hooked up with a stranger in a hotel. He had been married for years and now was getting married again. Commitment was what Harrison knew best; Jonas had never been caught in that trap.
“They love the money you have, not the real you,” Harrison stated.
Jonas wondered if it was true. The hotel he was staying at wasn’t just any hotel; it was one of the high-end ones. She could have chosen any room and found someone well-off for the night, but he didn’t like to think about Trixi like that.
“So what? I take every advantage that money affords me,” he argued.
“You need to find yourself a wife.” Harrison walked out of the bedroom part of the suite and into the living room.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to settle down,” he insisted as he tried not to picture the redhead from last night. Not that he would settle down with her but enjoy her a few more times? Yes. After all, he was still coming off an evening with his dad and Judith. After that reminder, he was never getting married.
“I wouldn’t consider it settling down at all. Not this time. I was just like you after my divorce. Now I can’t wait to make her mine.” Harrison sat on the couch with a lopsided grin.
“When is the big day?” As if Harrison didn’t tell him every time they talked. The man was so excited to get hitched again it was scary.
“In four days, so you should be happy I’m here today since I should be getting ready. You couldn’t have timed this any worse, Jonas.”
“Four days of freedom left.” Jonas dismissed the timing quip to razz his friend.
Harrison didn’t take the bait. “It’s not freedom anymore after you’ve met her and then want nothing but to be with her.”
“Why aren’t you with her right now then?” Jonas asked. After all, brunch had been Harrison’s idea, not Jonas’s. He didn’t need a formal introduction to Harrison’s new bride. Harrison had all but insisted on it.
“Because I’m getting your ass out of bed so that you’re ready for brunch with us. Sera and her daughters are having breakfast while I get you cleaned up and ready.”
“Breakfast and brunch? How much does this woman eat?” Jonas teased as he grabbed clothes from his suitcase.
“It’s a big thing with them. It’s the only time they spend together sometimes, and since the wedding is this weekend, there won’t be another time for them to get together. She promised not to eat,” Harrison stated and sat on the couch, pulling out his phone.
“Still seems odd. How many kids does she have?” Jonas asked.
“Seven in total, but only two are mine.” He shrugged as if every woman had half a dozen kids.
“Are you going to turn into an overprotective daddy?” He grinned at his joke.
“No need. They already have an overprotective mama. It would just be redundant if I was too.” He laughed. “Now get yourself put together. Sera demanded that she meet you before we leave since after we get back from the honeymoon, it’ll be a mess around you.”
“Are there bigger girls? Maybe they should be at brunch. Any redheads? You know I love me a redhead,” Jonas suggested, squashing down images of the redhead from the night before.
“They’re off-limits. Even the redhead.” Harrison’s voice was hard, considering he had just said he wasn’t going to be overprotective.
“Overprotective daddy?” He grinned at the man.
“Overprotective mommy. She’d kill you for going after one of her girls. I promised not to set them up with my friends. So, they’re off-limits,” Harrison stated again, not smiling anymore.
“Just make sure you don’t miss the meeting this evening. If you do, Harvey will be on to you. We can’t have you tipping your hand before we’re ready. So far, I haven’t heard that anything is starting,” Harrison said.
“Don’t worry; I’ll be there,” Jonas assured him but had completely forgotten the board meeting that evening. He had always attended, and it would look bad if he didn’t show up. Except it was the last place he wanted to be.
There was no way Harvey thought anything was up; he trusted Jonas with almost everything after a decade of working at the company. Well, everything except the fact that he was stealing ten percent of everything that was coming in the doors—and had been for years.
Jonas had only stumbled on that fact last month, and it had been unbelievable. In fact, he hadn’t believed it for a few weeks until the evidence was just too great. That was when he went to Harrison and the feds.
The company his grandfather had started during WWII had been at the forefront of investing in new technologies and had stayed that way until today. One of their biggest contracts was the government, which meant that his uncle was stealing from the government and had been for years.
He had wanted to talk to his dad about what he had found out but hadn’t had the opportunity with Judith there. He would have to tell him before it hit the news. Maybe he could talk them all into leaving town before it happened, or at least his dad and his sister. Except it was probably too late for that since things would happen at any moment.
“It’s my job to worry, Jonas. Harvey Raiden might be your uncle, but he doesn’t want to go to prison. You could be in danger,” Harrison reminded Jonas what the feds had said.
“Harvey doesn’t suspect anything,” Jonas said with confidence. His uncle has been stealing for years; no way did he think anyone was on to him.
“I hope not. Once I’m back from my honeymoon, we should know where everything is going. Sorry I can’t postpone the trip, but I need time with Sera and the girls. I’m having Tyler Reed as your contact while I’m gone, but I hope you won’t need him.”
“I won’t wreck your wedding.”
“You’re coming, though, right?”
“Of course. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Good. Sera’s been planning this for years. I think she would cry if anyone who was invited didn’t show up,” Harrison stated and waved him off to take a shower.
In reality, he didn’t want to meet this woman, even if she did hold his friend’s heart in her hands. Right now, he had better things to do, like find a redhead that went by the fake name Trixi. He just wished he knew anything that would help him find her. Because he had nothing.
