The rules were simple, and Damon had barked them out like Bethany was a three-year-old.

No drama.

No lies.

No complaints.

In all dealings with him, those were the standards he set, and she was to follow the rules like everyone else did.

They sat across from one another at the upscale restaurant, Bethany watching Damon as he ordered their food and pulled a black napkin into his lap.

"You didn't even ask me what I wanted to eat."

"Did you want to change the order?" He leaned forward, his gaze heavy and intimidating.

"No, I love crab and could eat cheese until I'm blue in the face."

"Then, hush. You've broken two rules—no drama and no complaints." He winked at her, and she sat back, her hands fiddling uselessly in her lap. The fact that someone could be so handsome and have so much handed to him in life and yet be domineering in a master-slave sense was sickening. He wanted power, and he took it in each and every situation from what she could see.

"Don't overanalyze me, Bethany. I'm too complex for you to figure me out during the first week of your employment." He leaned back, picking up the glass of white wine that sat before him and taking a long drink. "I want to talk with you about the interns."

"What about them?"

"Ben is running the program for me, but he has no stamina or courage. They run all over him, and he often falls short of pushing our initiatives through to the younger generation such as yourself." He set the wine down, lifting up his finger to tell her to wait a moment.

She bit her lip, anxiety pressing against her at why he had to play the ass and do it so well.

"There are several of the girls in the group that plague me and, I'm sure, hope to catch my eye and then my heart. It's not happening. I would never date someone your age, and I'd most certainly not be interested in being anything less than completely professional with someone that works for McKenzie and Bryant."

Her heart sank, much to her dismay. What had she hoped for? That her stepbrother would see something in her and show her how a real man takes a woman? Bend her over the long sleek top of his desk and give her reason to use his name profanely?

"What does this have to do with me, Damon?"

"Glad you asked." He paused as the waiter placed the food before them, the smell causing Bethany to groan softly.

She loved good food more than anything in the world.

Damon’s eyes moved from his plate to hers, his lips parting as he studied her. "I assume your sensual sound of pleasure is toward the food?"

She laughed and picked up her fork, picking at the crab before taking a tentative bite and letting it melt on her tongue. She groaned softly again, nothing too loud, but the flare in his gaze told her quickly—he liked sounds.

"Stop concerning yourself with my food addiction, and tell me what you want of me where the interns are concerned. I am one myself, so keep that in mind."

He waved her off, picking up his fork and starting to eat, his head bowed slightly but his eyes focused on her. The long slope of his nose was beautiful, his eyelashes long and almost resting on his strong cheekbones. He was both masculine and yet breathtaking by anyone’s standard.

"I need you to ensure that the message is clear. I'm not interested in anyone within the office. One silly girl keeps trying to visit me daily, as if I'd ever find anything in her interesting. It would only take one moment alone with her, and she could file a sexual harassment suit against me. That's where you come in. Make sure they know. Simple, really."

"And why would I know that you're not interested? They don't know we're soon-to-be siblings. It wouldn't be believable that you just put me in charge of spouting out information, as if you and I were intimate."

"Don't tell them that you're soon to be my sister. They would treat you quite unfairly, and then I'd be forced to step in and save you."

"I don't need saving." She stiffened as her past caused her to feel small before him all of a sudden.

He looked up, leaning back as realization crossed his features. "Everyone needs saving, Bethany. Don't deny yourself when the opportunity arises."

She had no clue what he was talking about, and it was easier to continue down a linear path for their discussion.

"I'll figure out what to tell the interns, but being ambiguous will just make it seem as if I have my own agenda to get into your pants."

She looked up as he chuckled, his face softening with the action. Her heart ached in her chest at what would never be. She swallowed the desire to be whatever he wanted, to do whatever he demanded, to force him to want her as much as she wanted him. The realization of her feelings caused her stomach to turn.

"You think far too much on things. No drama, no lies, and no complaining. Rules to live by, I promise."

They spoke very little on the way back to the office, Damon inviting her to stop by the next day and fill him in on her conversation with the other girls. She awarded him with a deadpan stare and walked back to her office, her fantasies leaving her heart beating fast and her palms sweaty.

She needed a stiff drink.

The rest of the afternoon, Bethany tried to work through her conflicting emotions. Ben stopped by and gave her a testing file for one of their large clients, and she was grateful for something to take her mind off of the lunch with Damon.

Damon hadn't been inappropriate, but it wasn't beyond him to make her feel much more with the way he watched her versus anything he might say.

She worked hard on the file until shortly after six. Her phone buzzed to remind her to get up and head home. She would be working late hours during the abhorred busy season, which was January through April, so most accountants tried to have normal ten-hour days the rest of the year.

"Are you going to Masquerade with the other interns tomorrow?"

She looked up at Damon, his arms across his chest, the thick muscles of his pecs pressing through the soft material. Her breath caught in her chest for a minute, the vision of undressing him rapidly sweeping her away.

"Yes. You?" She stood and stretched, clasping her hands behind her back and pulling. His eyes moved from her face toward her chest, the lightness of his expression darkening slightly. She crossed her arms over her breasts and moved out from behind her desk to stand before him.

"No. I'm not interested in dance clubs."

"Don't dance?"

"Only when I have to."

"And when is someone forced to dance? Seems odd."

"At weddings, which you and I will be attending for our parents soon, it would seem, and when you want to seduce someone." His eyes rolled over her, and once again she felt bare, stripped before him. The power of his seduction was something she'd fall over herself to see, but that was a pipe dream, something she'd not get the chance to witness, most likely.

"Are we going to be able to get away for the weekend in Jamaica?"

He nodded and moved from his position, running his fingers through his hair before looking over his shoulder out toward the hall. A scowl touched his face as someone called his name, the high timbre of the girl’s voice leaving no doubt who it was—Sadie.

He walked into Bethany's office and moved to stand just behind her, pulling her hair to the side and fiddling with the clasp of her necklace. Bethany stiffened at his nearness as Sadie poked her head into Bethany's office, her smile falling.

"Oh … sorry. Am I interrupting something?"

Damon spoke over Bethany’s shoulder, his chest brushing across her back as he dropped his hands and slid his fingers around Bethany's fingers.

"Actually, yes. If you need something, talk to Linda."

He turned toward Bethany, as she sat, frozen with shock. He looked down at her with something like hunger and control in his gaze. "It looks great on you. I love the way it teases me to want to see more of your skin. His fingers brushed by the heart-shaped locket, and she shivered, her eyes locked on him, unable to help herself.

Sadie huffed loudly and left as Damon moved back slowly, his gaze still holding Bethany still. She took a slow breath, realizing a desperate need for air.

"I thought you were going to kiss me. What a mess that would create." She sat down in the chair beside her. "If they knew I was your sister and then you planted the seed that we were somehow interested in each other …"

"No one will know you're my soon-to-be stepsister, and I think planting that seed is the best way to remind everyone else that I'm unavailable. I was thinking about it this afternoon. I'll inform my father, and I'm sure he'll be all for it. I promise not to push you past your comfort zone. Least not yet." He turned and walked from the office, his movements smooth, his butt fitting in his slacks far too well.

Bethany sank back in her chair and touched the necklace around her throat, her eyes closing. He'd been so close. Just a bit more, and his lips would have brushed hers. She swallowed hard, wanting to know what it would feel like, what he tasted like.

She exhaled loudly, standing and gathering her things before she made a bad decision. Going to see him again would only cloud her conscience. He seemed to be perfectly fine playing any part he deemed appropriate. Too bad his ethics weren't in line with hers.

Matthew greeted Bethany at the door, his famous bear hug her reward for a long day at work. He sat her down and took her bags, walking with her excitedly toward the kitchen. His voice was soft, and he kept glancing around, as if trying to ensure that no one was involved in his business but her.

"I had something really cool happen today," he whispered, hanging her handbag on the inside of the closet door. "An art dealer in Seattle called, and they want to see one of my paintings in a few weeks."

"Matt, that's great. Are you going up there by yourself?"

"It's right after your mom and my dad get married. I wanted to see if you would go with me? We could totally get two rooms, no problem. I just don't let too many people know about my talents, so this would be great for us to grow closer as siblings."

"I don't see why I can't go, as long as it's not during class and Damon lets me take off from the firm."

"Oh yeah. I called him earlier about it."

"You did?" She followed Matt outside, sticking her head into the kitchen to wave at her mom and Kent before joining her almost stepbrother.

"Yeah. It was his idea that you go with me." He smiled and walked toward the edge of the balcony, the air muggy and less than ideal for her business outfit.

"He told you that you and I should go to Seattle?" Was he trying to throw her off on Matthew? Seemed odd. Damon wasn't the family-type guy, from what she could tell. Why he would try and build her relationship with Matthew was concerning. Unless he hoped they might find something more in each other. Damon wanted her to fall in love with Matt?

"No, silly. He's going with me for sure, and he told me to invite you. He wants to get to know you better and thought this would be perfect."

Lust rolled over her as she reached up and touched the small heart necklace her mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday.

"What time did he call you?"

"Just now. Well, actually, just before you walked in the door. He's great, isn't he?"

"Yeah … great."

She turned and looked toward the long stretch of green grass, her thoughts scattered. What was Damon up to? He wanted her in Seattle with him, and something told her it wasn't for business or familial reasons at all.

Could she be so cursed?