Page 2 of Her Stepbrother Master (Master Me #7)

“And you know my father’s health isn’t good.

The doctor told him to take a vacation before he has another heart attack.

He will go ape over this. Do you really want to worry him?

” Her father was owner of a chain of appliance stores across New England.

While the business had made him wealthy, it required long hours and constant supervision.

Brad raised an eyebrow. “You should’ve thought of that before you got yourself kicked out.”

“I agree. I really messed up. I’m sorry. But please... please reconsider taking me home. We only have a month left of classes. I could stay here, finish out the year, and head home when my parents return.”

“Stay here, where?”

She winced and lifted her shoulders. “May I stay with you?”

Brad gestured impatiently toward the passenger side door. “Get in.”

His adorable little sister probably thought living with him would give her a free pass to continue the partying and bad behavior.

Her memories of him in high school must include his numerous missed curfews and long lectures from their parents about leaving fast girls, fast cars and motorcycles behind and getting serious about a career.

Still, her concern over her father’s health was legitimate.

And there was only a month left until she graduated.

But if she thought he’d let her get away with drinking, smoking and cutting classes while staying with him, she’d be sorely disappointed.

He could wield a paddle just as readily as her father.

In fact, he was rather fond of spanking a girl when she acted up.

Not that this would be the same. LuAnn may be drop-dead gorgeous, but she was a sister, not a girlfriend.

Too bad his cock couldn’t remember that.

He’d been avoiding his sweet sis for years because she provided too much of a temptation.

Her rather obvious crush on him hadn’t helped matters.

She picked her nails as she sat in the passenger seat. “I’m really sorry you had to come and get me,” she said in a small voice.

Brad regretted being gruff. Despite all her efforts at acting cool and joining the fast girls, her underlying nature was cherry-sweet. Reaching over, he cupped her face.

Her full, berry lips parted. Sensual lips that made his pulse quicken. He realized he was stroking her cheek with his thumb in a rather un-brotherly way, and he dropped his hand, starting the car. “So who were these boys you invited into your room?” he asked, in a voice tinged with authority.

LuAnn drew in her breath. “They’re from Battleton College. My friend Mary invited them.”

“Are you seeing one of them?” The thought of little mouse being sexually active made him want to take her home and lock her up for the next five years.

“No.”

He frowned. “Then why were they in your room?”

She turned to gaze out the window. “It was a mistake, okay?” Her voice cracked on the words.

“Hey,” Brad murmured. Had something happened? His blood began to heat on her behalf. “Look at me.” He glanced back and forth from the road to her face as he drove. “Did something happen?”

She blinked rapidly and her hand slid to her breast, as if she remembered someone pawing at it. “No,” she said, her voice tight.

Brad pulled over and switched off the ignition. When she didn’t turn to face him, he cupped her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. “Something happened, didn’t it? Were you...violated?”

More tears spilled, but she shook her head quickly. “No...no. One of the boys was getting handsy with Mary and she didn’t like it so I—I kicked up a fuss. That’s why we got caught.” She dragged in a stuttered breath as the sobs broke free.

“I see,” he said. “So it was trouble with the boys or eviction from the dormitories.”

“Well, I didn’t know we’d be kicked out.”

“I know, mouse.” Brad handed her a handkerchief, wanting to kill the boys from Battleton. “You made the right choice.”

“Did I? I’m not so sure. I got all three of my friends kicked out, too, and Mary may never be able to return to Sarah Wharton. She had another year to go for her Associate’s Degree. Maybe I should’ve just let things happen.”

His jaw tightened. “No,” he cut in. “Your mistake was inviting them in to begin with. After that, you made the best choice you had.”

She pulled her face away and buried it in her hands.

Brad watched LuAnn cry for a moment, his fingers flexing into fists. “What are their names?”

“W-what are you going to do?”

He shrugged. “Have a little talk with them about their manners.”

“I, um, I’m not sure.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Honest. One was called Derek and the other John. I never heard the other two guys’ name and I didn’t get any last names.”

“Hmm.” He didn’t fully believe her. Starting the car, he drove to his place.

LuAnn looked out the window when they arrived. “Where are we?”

“My abode.” He stepped out of the car and grabbed two of her suitcases, leading her up the stairs to his little apartment, which sat over the garage of his landlady’s house.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said in a small voice.

She seemed so diminished, he wanted to wrap her up in his arms and make her forget her rough night. But if he was going to let her stay with him, he needed to play stern.

She’d been right. He couldn’t very well drop her off in Connecticut and leave her unattended for several weeks until her parents returned.

His brother Brian would make a far better chaperone than he, but Brian was so wrapped up in his big case, he might not see the outside of his office for weeks.

Besides, after what had happened with the Battleton boys, Brad needed to know she was safe.

“Just because I’m not telling our parents doesn’t mean you’re getting off scot-free.

” He brought her suitcases to his bedroom.

He would sleep on the couch—it was the gentlemanly thing to do.

He walked back out to where she was standing, looking rumpled and contrite.

“Mrs. McCormick said this wasn’t the first time you’ve broken the dormitory rules. ”

“No.” Her face flushed and she lowered her eyes. “That’s true.”

“So you love college because it’s one big party, right? Boys and cigarettes and liquor?”

“I like my classes.”

He almost laughed. “You’re lying.” He watched as fresh color bloomed across her cheeks. Before he could stop himself, he said, “I will punish you for lies, little girl.”

Her eyes widened and she swallowed, but something made him think his words excited her. The quickened breath perhaps, or the way her plump lips parted.

“Do you have a brush in your purse?”

“Yes, why—?” She rummaged in her handbag for it. Before he could answer, understanding dawned on LuAnn’s face and she drew the hairbrush she’d retrieved tight against her ribs.

“Because I intend to spank you for breaking the dorm rules.” He pried the brush from her fingers and led her by the elbow to the couch, where he sat down and pulled her over his thighs.

“You can’t spank me,” she insisted, struggling to get up.

He wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her in place. “No? Would you rather I let your father do the job when he gets home?”

She went still. “No. Does this mean you won’t tell him?”

“I won’t tell him, mouse. Just like you never told on me all those times you watched me climbing in and out my bedroom window late nights in high school.”

“Doesn’t that mean you should skip this spanking now? Because you owe me?”

He chuckled. “Probably. But I’m not going to.

” His cock gave a surge of interest at the enticing sight she made.

Spanking naughty girls was a pleasure he’d been indulging in since high school, when he’d given his first spanking to Angela Jamison, who had literally thrown herself at him afterward.

But he shouldn’t think about those kinds of spankings now.

This was LuAnn, his little sister, and this was real discipline, not something sexual.

Or at least he’d keep telling himself that.

He pulled her skirt up and let it drape over her back, exposing her white lace-trimmed panties. She froze, lifting her head as if to listen for what he would do next. He picked up the wooden hairbrush and aimed it for the lower part of her right cheek, smacking her sit spot.

She jerked, tightening her buttocks. She had a lush bottom, he realized, as he smacked the other sit spot.

Curvy but muscular, her twin globes had a perkiness that made his blood heat.

He’d bet she did wonders for a swimsuit.

He picked up his pace, spanking one side then the other in a steady rhythm, wondering idly whether her breasts were as magnificent as her ass.

But it was wrong to think of little LuAnn that way.

She was his stepsister, not a girl he intended to put the moves on.

Except the lovely young woman did not resemble the skinny thirteen-year-old he’d lived with for a year and called mouse.

And the way his body reacted to spanking her was definitely not brotherly.

LuAnn cried out, writhing over his knees. He yanked her waist in close, pinning her down as he continued to paddle her bottom.

“Ouch, stop!” She reached back to cover up.

“Remove your hand or I will pull down your panties and spank you on your bare bottom, little girl.” He wasn’t sure where that came from—it certainly wasn’t appropriate.

She tucked her arm back under her chest, but a few minutes later it came flying back again, her hips rolling and listing to dodge his punishing blows.

He grabbed her wrist and pinned it behind her back. “I warned you.” He peeled her panties down to her thighs.

LuAnn gasped, squeezing her legs together.