My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 99

“You’re very expressive,” he said lightly.

I reached for the laptop, but his hand came down over mine first, not hard, just enough to stop me. Enough to remind me whose space this was.

“Don’t,” he murmured.

The sound kept playing. My chest felt tight, like I couldn’t get enough air in.

“That’s not—” I swallowed hard, “That’s not funny.”

“No?” his head tilted slightly, studying me like I was the confusing one, “I think it’s very educational.”

I yanked my hand back like I’d been burned.

“Stop it.”

He let the audio play for one more second. Then finally he tapped a key. Silence dropped back into the room but it didn’t feel quiet. It felt worse. Because now it was in my head.

Looping.

Stuck.

I couldn’t even look at him. My face burned. My hands shook. My stomach twisted so tight it made me feel sick.

And he just watched like he had just confirmed something, “Good,” he said after a moment, almost to himself.

I forced myself to look up, “Good?”

His gaze met mine, “Now you know what’s at stake if you decide to test me again.”

My throat tightened, “That’s blackmail.”

A small smile touched his mouth, “No,” he said quietly. “That’s motivation.”

A sharp knock made me flinch.

“Come in,” Raphael said.

The door opened and Aileen stepped in, composed as always, a fresh suit draped neatly over her arm. Her heels clicked softly against the floor as she walked in, her gaze flicking briefly between us.

If she noticed anything off, she didn’t show it.

“Your suit, Mr. Capone.”

“Thank you, Aileen.”

His tone shifted so easily it made my stomach twist, smooth and polite, like he wasn’t the same man who had just...

She nodded once, placed the suit carefully on the chair, and turned to leave.

“The meeting room is ready,” she added.

Heat rushed to my face, “I wasn’t—”

“You were.”

My jaw tightened. He didn’t push it further. He stepped out of his trousers next, like I wasn’t standing three feet away, like I wasn’t hyper-aware of every movement, every shift of muscle, every second stretching too long. I turned my head slightly, focusing on the edge of his desk, on anything that wasn’t... him.

Fabric shifted, a belt unclasped and my stomach flipped.

God.

“Stay,” he said again, softer this time.

Against my will, my gaze flicked back. He was standing there in nothing but his boxers, completely unbothered. As if this was his space, his rules, his air to breathe and I was just… in it.

My throat went dry, annoyance flared instantly after. I tore my gaze away again.

“Before we go,” he said, heading toward the private restroom, “I’m going to test you.”

I frowned. “Test me?”

“I don’t walk into a meeting blind,” he replied, not even looking back. “And I don’t take dead weight with me,” the door to the restroom opened, “If you freeze in there, you won’t get a second chance.”

The door shut behind him. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. My hands were shaking again. This was insane. All of it.

I dragged a hand through my hair, trying to steady myself, trying to push everything down... him, the video, the way my chest still felt too tight.