“Sharon!” Karen comes gliding up to us looking beautiful in her wedding dress. My dad chose well because not only is his new wife beautiful, but she seems to be crazy about him. I'm glad my old man is finally getting another chance at happiness. He deserves it.
“Oh, you've met Charlie,” she beams, her eyes looking at me. I give her a warm smile, especially when she steps in to sing praises of me. “Isn't he great?”
Sharon's unimpressed gaze flicks over to me and sizes me up before she replies dryly, “Oh yeah, he's really something.”
I smirk at her, but the smile falls from my face at Karen's next words.
“That's great! I'm so glad you're getting along well with your new stepbrother!”
My eyes meet Sharon’s, and I see the same flicker of surprise on her face that’s probably mirrored on my own. My stomach drops as my lips turn down into a frown.
Fuck. Stepsister.
two
Sharon
I groanwhen my alarm sounds, waking me up from the most erotic dream I've ever had. Dark blue eyes and gorgeous blonde hair loomed over me all night. I was wrapped up in muscular arms, and my thighs tingle from the imagined stubble scraping against them.
I frown when reality comes crashing back down on me and I realize I just spent all night dreaming about Charlie Callahan. My new stepbrother.
What the hell is wrong with me? Of course, Charlie being my stepbrother isn't the only reason I shouldn't be dreaming of him. He's also a cocky bastard. I can still see the way he sauntered over to me yesterday with that self-satisfied smirk on his face like he thinks he's God's gift to women. Never mind the fact that hedoeslook like a Herculean God with his perfect blond hair and blue eyes.
Although my eyes are blue, there are a really light blue. Charlie's eyes are a deep blue—like the darkest depths of the ocean and just as turbulent. It looks like it would be easy to drown in them.
I can still feel the way his breath skated over my ear. It caused tingles to rush up my spine. His voice was dark and sensual as it dropped with innuendo. I'm only twenty-one, which is still considered young, but it's kind of old to still be a virgin. Virgin or not, I still got the meaning behind Charlie's words.
I don't know exactly how old the man is, but I would place him in his early thirties. He’s definitely older than me and old enough to have been around the block. And, I mean, come on. A guy that hot can't be celibate for very long. He probably has women throwing themselves at him when he walks down the street.
He's definitely not the type of man I would want to get involved with, even if he wasn't my stepbrother. Never mind the fact that my stomach dropped when my mom spilled the beans about who he really was.
No, I’m thankful that he's my stepbrother actually because that will keep me from doing something really stupid like falling for him. Because even though he's a cocky bastard, that seems to be my kryptonite. I have a weakness for alpha holes, apparently. Every guy I've ever crushed on has been an alpha jerk.
Of course, none of them have ever made my heart race the way Charlie did yesterday.
I groan and shake my head as I force myself to get up out of bed and start getting ready.
I'm irritated with myself for letting Charlie take up so many of my thoughts this morning when I should be focused on the interview I have today. I bragged off to Charlie yesterday that I worked for one of the most influential companies in the city, but that's not entirely true. Not yet anyway, but I like to think positive. While in my mind, I already have this job, I just technically have to go in and interview for it today.
But I already know I'm going to nail it. I know I'm qualified, and if I go in with the confidence I'm known for, I'll get it. I know I will.
I'm a go-getter and always have been. Call me a perfectionist and a bit of an overachiever. I was a straight-A student and the one who would argue with the teacher to prove her premise and get her grade changed if I thought I could prove my point.
Mom always jokes that I should have become a lawyer with my smart mouth and way of talking my way out of anything, but I decided to go into finance instead. I realize that it's going to be a grueling climb to the top, but I'm not above working my way up. In fact, I like the challenge.
That's why I'm interviewing to be a secretary at C Industries. I'll be working right with the CEO, and give me a few years and I'll take his job and become CEO myself.
I smirk to myself at the thought. I’m ambitious if nothing else, and nothing is going to get in my way—especially not thoughts of my overbearing new stepbrother. Best to just forget all about him and focus on my future.
I stand before my mirror and critically assess myself in my black interview dress. It’s sleeveless, which could be seen as a bit racy, but it comes all the way up to my neck and doesn't expose any cleavage. It stops just one inch above my knees, so it's not too short.
I twist around to look at the back. It's not too tight, but it doesn't hang off of me like a shift either.
I lift my curls before I decide to leave them hanging down, knowing that even if I try to twist the mane into some sort of chignon, stubborn curls will only fight their way to freedom. I gave up the battle long ago and decided to just let my wild hair be part of my charm.
I do, however, pump one squirt of smoothing cream onto my hands and rub it together before smoothing it lightly over the locks to give them more bounce and shine and help tame down all the frizzy flyaways.
My makeup is subtle yet enhances my features. I dab on a bit of nude-colored lipstick to finish off the look myself and nod as I do one last glance-over of myself in the mirror.