StepBrother: New Rules (Stepbrother Romance) Read Free

score by two points for the last test, and that won’t happen again.”
    “That’s my girl.”
    “So will you be home tonight?” Evelyn enjoyed living with her mother most days, but she was hoping for a free night—a night that would be much more exciting if she spent it with William.
    “No. I’d planned to let you know. I’ll be having dinner with Malcolm tonight, and I will not be home until after work tomorrow.”
    “Whoa, Mom! Good for you.”
    Ella’s raised, perfectly shaped eyebrows stopped Evelyn before she could say another word.
    “We are not going to have a personal conversation in our place of business, Evelyn. Malcolm and I have made some decisions, though, and we would like to sit down with both you and William and have a little talk about the future.”
    Evelyn leaned back in her seat. “That sounds kind of serious.”
    “Well, Malcolm and I have been able to see one another more openly since he moved up to manage the Lakeland. We enjoy one another’s company, and we just want to keep our children apprised of our relationship status.” Ella straightened the spoon on the napkin next to her coffee. “Have you seen William lately?”
    Evelyn froze, wishing for the moment that she was anywhere but facing her mother. She wasn’t quite sure why, but she’d never gotten around to telling her mother that she had been seeing William. Their parents had met while working together at the Hillford, but the strict policy against fraternization among employees had meant that Ella and Malcolm had kept one another at arm’s length … until Malcolm had transferred for a promotion at their sister hotel across town. Ella and Malcolm had introduced their children to one another at a hotel party for the staff, and to Evelyn’s surprise, she and William had hit it off right away. When Evelyn and William were together, Evelyn tried hard to keep her thoughts out of what Ella and Malcolm might be doing at the very same time.
    “Um, I saw him at the gym last week, I think.”
    “Oh. I wasn’t sure if you’d be seeing him anytime soon. I’ll just have his father set something up so the four of us can sit down together.”
    “Mom, what’s going on?” The thought of all four of them in the same room made Evelyn feel both panicked and a little excited, all at once.
    “Malcolm and I want to tell you together. I’ll let you know when we’re going to meet.” Ella checked her classic gold watch—the one that coordinated perfectly with the simple gold hoops she wore in her ears. “I need to get back. We’re expecting a large party this afternoon, and I expect I’ll be quite busy.”
    She stood, smoothed the skirt that fit just right and fell at the perfect length, always one inch above her knee. Buttoning her suit jacket, Ella looked down at her daughter. “Good luck on your exam, not that you’ll need it. You’ll manage dinner on your own?”
    Evelyn laughed. “Mom, I’m twenty years old. I’ll manage.” She thought about the blue-eyed man she’d spent part of the afternoon with. “Maybe I’ll hire my own private chef for the evening.”
    Ella favored her with a polite laugh, pecked her on the cheek, and went back to work.

Chapter Two
    Before Evelyn opened the door to the townhouse she and her mother shared, she knew William was inside. She could smell delicious aromas filtering through the door and enticing her to enter. Buoyed by the confidence she’d aced her exam, she bounced through the door.
    “Honey, I’m home,” she called, walking up the stairs toward the kitchen. A saucepan on the stove simmered, and the oven light was on, revealing what looked like stuffed chicken breasts. “Goddamn, that smells good,” Evelyn said to the empty room, wondering where William was.
    Two hands snaked around her from behind, reaching up to cover her breasts.
    “Welcome home. I’ve slaved over dinner all day.”
    Evelyn turned in William’s arms, tilting her head up to press a kiss to his lips. “You