Excerpt of Five Steps To The Harem by A.M. Helen

I open the door . . .

Redthorn looks down at me, his stare cutting right
through to my optic nerve, it feels like. He’s dressed in
a black three-piece suit and sapphire blue shirt. The tie
is a ribbed grey. He looks colossal in my small doorway.
‘Who is the man with you here in your apartment?’

‘Man? I don’t—’

‘Tell me, Catherine.’

My stomach flips over at the pressure of his demand.
‘It’s my brother.’ Why did I cave!

He blinks and the knot of a frown between his thick brows
disintegrates. Those indigo eyes are softening. ‘Which
brother?’

I’ve been naïve. How stupid to think this man wouldn’t do
his homework on me. ‘My baby brother, Brandon.’

He exhales and I can see his whole body relax, like a
coiled spring inside him has lost its tension. ‘I want to
meet him.’

‘What!’ He takes a step over the threshold. I back away.
He presses the advantage and walks right into my home,
closing the front door, making his invasion absolute.
‘You shouldn’t be here.’

‘Yes I should. Because you are here.’

In my private space Redthorn is a dominating force, makes
my long hallway seem minuscule as he draws closer to me
by the second. My survival instinct kicks in and I
withdraw until my bum hits the phone table. I can’t go
any further now but he is still stalking towards me like
a hunting lion.

Reaching me, he dissolves the whisper of space left
between us in two small steps. Redthorn looms over me, a
swallowing shadow. This close I can smell the mint on his
breath and another scent. It caresses me like a lover’s
embrace. It is the alluring masculine scent of his skin.

My nipples pucker up tight and mortification explodes in
my soul. My heart screams in my chest. I can’t seem to
find a semblance of calm. What is wrong with me?

‘You are mine, Catherine,’ he tells me, but I sense the
warning in the words. His eyes are scorching pools of
liquid indigo. ‘Now let me meet your brother.’

‘Cathy?’

I hear Brandon’s footsteps barrelling towards us down the
hallway and my panic blazes. Redthorn is going to f**k up
everything I’ve just spent the last ten minutes laying
down as the truth!

Damn this to shit!

I grasp Redthorn’s face. A slight rub of coming stubble
brushes my palms as I yank him towards me, squeezing my
eyes shut as I smash my lips against his. They are firm
and warm. The tip of his tongue touches the seam between
my pushing lips and I pull back, letting go of him. His
eyes are huge, shock etching every plane of his face.

Brandon’s footsteps halt just as I register Redthorn
leaning in. Shit, he’s going to kiss me! I turn away,
facing my brother. ‘Bran,’ I’m breathing so fast I am
almost panting, ‘this is . . . Michael.’ My eyes meet
Redthorn’s. The shock has gone, replaced by sudden
confusion. ‘Michael,’ I tell him, ‘this is my brother,
Brandon.’ I tilt my head towards my brother.

Their eyes meet. Redthorn steps back from me and I
capture a strained breath. His perfect smile lights up
his face and he walks towards Brandon with his hand
outstretched. ‘Hi, Brandon, I’ve heard a lot about you.’

Brandon shakes his hand. My stress level doesn’t lower.
This is a f**king disaster!

‘I’d like to say I’ve heard a lot about you, but my
sister has been . . . a bit secretive for some reason.’

Redthorn glances back at me, smiling. ‘This is new for
both of us.’