Step by Roxie Rivera Read Free Book Online Page B

dope last night. I did a lot of stupid things, but I wasn't on drugs."
    That was some small consolation. "So that whole mess in there?" I gestured to the master bedroom as he dumped his load of trash into the garbage can attached to my cart. "Are you a binge-drinker?"
    "No, I'm just incredibly dumb." He moved around the cart and took the mop out of my hand. "I enjoy a drink now and then, but last night was the first time in years that I've gotten wasted like that." His jaw hardened. "I'm not my father."
    That got my attention. "What does that mean?"
    "He was an alcoholic."
    "Oh. I'm sorry."
    He shrugged in a nonchalant way that I instantly recognized as a defensive maneuver. "He was weak."
    "He was human," I corrected. "We all make mistakes, Step." I pointed to the bedroom where I had discovered him passed out on the floor. "Even you."
    "And you?" He studied me for an unnerving moment. "What was the last mistake you made?"
    Not liking the intense turn this discussion had taken, I joked, "Taking this room assignment."
    Step stunned me by slipping his arm around my waist and hauling me close. He dipped his head and smiled. "Give me a little more time. I'll change your mind."
    His lips were on mine again, and I clutched at his arms. He didn't need more time to change my mind. In fact, I was thanking my lucky stars that Juanita had given me this suite. I didn't know what was happening between us but I liked it. The illicit thrill of what I was doing rocked me to the very core. This wasn't me. I wasn't the girl who did crazy things like this but I couldn't find a single good reason to stop him, not yet.
    He took his time loving my mouth, flicking his tongue against mine and then sucking gently on the tip. I would have dropped to the floor if Step hadn't been holding me up. Those powerful arms of his easily supported my body. I shivered when his lips moved along my jawline. He pushed aside the lapels of the robe and skimmed his lips down the curve of my throat.
    When he tried to kiss my breast, I gently pushed his head to the side and closed my robe. "No."
    He stopped instantly. Though he seemed to be one of those alpha dominant types who enjoyed running the show, he respected my boundaries. Our gazes clashed as we exchanged heated breaths. "Did I—?"
    "I'm at work," I interjected quickly. "We shouldn't be doing this."
    I could tell he wasn't thrilled with that answer, but he nodded and stood up straight. "I shouldn't have pushed."
    I bravely reached for his hand. "It's just the wrong time."
    Step smiled and lifted my fingers for a sweet kiss. "I can wait for the right one."
    "Well," I gently tugged my hand free, "you may be waiting a long time. I have two more suites and probably a dozen more rooms to clean before the end of my shifts."
    "Jesus, Jem," he said with shock in his voice. "That's a lot of work for one little woman."
    I bristled at that remark. "I'm not that little."
    "What are you? Five flat?"
    "Five-two," I replied. "Thank you very much."
    He crossed his arms and laughed. "No wonder my neck is aching. I'm a full foot and three inches taller than you."
    "Well, yeah, because you've got all that Russian DNA running through your veins."
    He chuckled. "We aren't all big and tall." He paused. "Well, okay, in my family, we are."
    "Do you have a large family here?" I asked as I headed for the bathroom to change back into my hopefully dry uniform.
    "No. It's just me and my brother and our cousin." Step followed me into the neat and tidy bedroom but no farther. "We have a lot of friends here. The Russian community is pretty tight."
    I slipped behind the door but left it cracked so we could talk. "How old were you when you came to this country?"
    "Seven," he said, his voice taking on a faraway quality. "Talk about a culture shock!"
    I didn't know enough about Russian politics or history to really understand what that meant. I had a vague idea of what it would have been like. "Did you speak English?"
    "Only a very little," he