Playboy - A Stepbrother Romance by Caitlin Daire Read Free Book Online Page B

arrived at the Queens address, I’d knocked on the door only to be greeted by a middle-aged Russian prostitute…named Anya. I should have known that asshole Dave wouldn’t want to help me after the way I’d technically stolen his ‘date’ and kicked him out of my party.
    After that, I’d all but given up hope. I had no idea why Anya had left, or why she’d written ‘prick’ on my mirror, but there was nothing I could do. She was gone…until now.
    Now she was back, and the feelings that had been racing through my mind last night were even stronger as I recalled that first night together.
    I was going to make her mine, once and for all.
    But first, I needed to find out why the hell she’d left after that first time…
    ***
    After I finally got out of bed, I showered and shaved, and then I checked my phone to see that I had three missed calls from my Dad. I called him back, and he answered on the second ring.
    “Cam, I’ve been trying to reach you all day,” he said, his voice crisp.
    “Sorry. I slept in.”
    “Well, that’s part of the reason I called. Ever since you lost the racing gig, you’ve been staying out at clubs almost every night, sleeping all day and barely doing anything else. I think it’s time you got serious about something.”
    I sighed. “I know, I know. I’ve been trying to think of something else to do for a few weeks now, but I’m still so…fuck, I don’t know how to explain it.”
    “Unmotivated, Cam. That’s the word you’re looking for.”
    “Yeah, I guess.”
    “Son, I’m perfectly aware that you weren’t involved with the drug scandal. We’ve been over that. Obviously the Auto Racing Association don’t see it that way, hence the two-year ban from the sport, but you can’t let that get you down. I told you what happened with my first hotel, didn’t I?”
    “Yes,” I said. “Twice.”
    “Well, let me tell you again, just to refresh your memory,” he replied. “My father set up a trust fund for me at a young age; exactly the same as what I’ve given you.  Anyway, I was lazy when I was young, and I basically lived off that fund without doing much else. I went to college for a while, but I didn’t try hard, and I assumed my father would always bail me out of everything. Then he died suddenly when I was only twenty-three, and I had to try and take over the family business, given that I was the only direct heir. It wasn’t easy. I messed things up so badly that I almost lost the entire fortune, including my trust fund. All over one stupid mistake with a hotel; the first one I ever bought for myself. I felt awful for a long time, but I finally snapped out of it, picked myself up and fixed things in the end.”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “What I’m saying is, I know how it feels to be you right now, but you need to stop lying around feeling sorry for yourself. Bad things happen in life, and we have to roll with the punches and adjust. Now, you know I’ll always be here to support you, but I’m getting tired of watching you dig yourself deeper into this funk. Enough is enough.”
    As usual, he was right. I was being a gloomy loser.
    “So what are you suggesting?” I asked.
    “Well, talking to Anya last night got me thinking. She’s a very smart young woman, isn’t she?”
    “Yeah.”
    “She mentioned that she needs an internship for her management minor. I thought about offering her a position at one of our hotels, but then I had another idea. Your career is stalling at the moment, and she needs work experience, so I figured I could make her your manager for a while.”
    “Are you serious?” I said, trying to hide the glee from my voice. Anya as my manager? Fuck yeah.
    “Yes, I’m quite serious,” he replied. “You two are already friends, so it works out well. It would be a fantastic opportunity for her to get some hands-on work experience for her degree, and it could help you out immensely.”
    “I guess. What exactly would she be managing, though? Like you