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.’