Mask - A Stepbrother Romance - Daire, Caitlin

MASK

© 2016 by Caitlin Daire **Warning: This novel contains explicit sexual situations which may be

objectionable to some readers. Not recommended for anyone under the age of 18.**

Want to keep updated on Caitlin’s new releases? Sign up for her newsletter to be the first to know about new books, specials and promotions! Copy and paste this link into your web

browser: http://eepurl.com/blFf9X

COPYRIGHT Please respect the work of this author. No part of this book may be reproduced or copied without permission. This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely

coincidental. Any similarities to events or situations is also coincidental.

© 2016 Caitlin Daire All Rights Reserved

Chapter 1 Rayna “Wanna drink?” My friend Liana held up a beer as she returned to her bedroom, and I grinned at her. “We haven’t even gone to the party yet!” I said. “Don’t they have pre-drinking over in the States?” she asked. “Oh wait, I forgot…back home, you aren’t even legally allowed to drink yet, are you?” I nodded. “Yeah. Feels so weird knowing that I can just walk into a bar here.”

“Pub,” she replied, sticking her tongue out. “That’s what we call it here most of the time. Now that you’re gonna be living here, I’ll have to teach you all the lingo.” I smiled again and smoothed my dress down as I considered her words. I’d been in London for a week now, and it had still barely hit me that this was my home now; this unfamiliar city, with its comparatively ancient architecture, quaint little shops and far narrower streets than my hometown all the way across the Atlantic in good old California. But this was it—England was where I lived now, after I’d moved over here with my Mom.

After spending my entire life up to this point in the States, it was safe to say that this recent move had been a bit of a shock to the system. One of the first things I’d noticed as I stepped off the plane was how cold it was. Compared to the balmy Californian summers I was accustomed to, London was friggin’ freezing! I wasn’t entirely convinced that this new lifestyle was going to suit me at all, because I’d always been such a beach bum, and my usual wardrobe of shorts and casual tank tops was going to have to change dramatically. Luckily, I’d been shopping just before I came, and I’d purchased a myriad of oversized sweaters, coats and jeans. I

wouldn’t

have

come

here

permanently if I’d been given the choice, but I wasn’t an idiot—I knew I wasn’t ready to face the world without my Mom around just yet. Yes, I was nineteen years old; at an age where I could’ve remained behind, living by myself, and I wouldn’t have minded doing so if she’d simply been moving down the street… but she’d moved to a different continent entirely. I knew I wasn’t ready to be that far away from her just yet—especially seeing as she was the only biological parent I had in my life—so here I was. She was about to marry Gerald Wilde; a wealthy English businessman who she was certain was the love of her life after a whirlwind romance. They’d met online, and after I’d finally met the

guy in person, I half-wondered how certain she really was, but that wasn’t something I would ever say out loud. I didn’t really know a lot about Gerald, apart from the fact that he had a huge manor on an estate on the outskirts of London, a very profitable corporate finance business, an enormous luxury car collection, and a son who was about the same age as me. Mom had shown me a photo of the pair of them together when she first met Gerald, but I hadn’t taken much notice at the time, because I hadn’t expected it to go this far. I’d honestly thought it would fizzle out long before it got to this stage. I wasn’t aware that people actually moved across to the other side of the world to be with

someone they met online; it sounded more like something from a rom-com movie than real life. I could see what she saw in Gerald, though. He was successful and goodlooking—and speaking of good-looking, so was his son, from what I vaguely recalled of the photo I’d been shown— but I still wasn’t totally convinced that this was the best decision for any of us. As a result, I’d only been to Gerald’s manor house once since I’d arrived in London. I’d let Mom go on ahead to settle in before I joined her, assuming she might want some ‘alone time’ for a few days with her new fiancé before I moved in with them. That way the two of them could figure out if this was really

the best choice for them. So, instead of living in the manor house, I was staying with my friend Liana for the time being. I’d met her online in a chat room years before, and we’d stayed in touch our entire teenage lives. We’d always promised that we’d meet up at some point in our lives, so I’d been absolutely over the moon to learn that I would be living near her when we moved to England. As soon as she’d heard about it, she’d invited me to stay in her spare room whenever I wanted, and I’d jumped at the opportunity when I’d first arrived and realized that Mom and Gerald might want some private time together. Tonight, Liana and I were heading to

what sounded like an amazing masquerade party that a friend of hers was hosting. I hadn’t been prepared for such a lavish affair, so yesterday we’d gone out shopping so I could buy something suitable to wear, and I was now clad in a silver sequined kneelength dress which showed just a hint of cleavage and hugged my curves well. The color of the material made my skin look even more tanned than usual, and a black lace mask sat snugly around my deep hazel eyes. I wasn’t normally one to think highly of myself, but as I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t help but be pleased at what I saw. My first proper night out in the UK, and I’d scrubbed up pretty well!

“Ooh, I think I hear the cab outside. Come on, let’s go!” Liana said a moment later. She was the complete opposite of me in terms of appearance. She was tall, slim and leggy with the palest blonde hair I’d ever seen, which she’d had cropped into a pixie cut. Her choice of a pastel pink dress and matching mask made her look almost ethereal, and while she was completely and utterly gorgeous, I didn’t feel intimidated in the way that I usually would in the presence of a girl like her. Liana was a great friend who’d never try to make me or anyone else feel bad, and I was feeling rather confident in myself, which was a sure sign that tonight was going to be an

amazing night. “Okay, let’s do it,” I said. I smiled back at her as she grabbed my hand and dragged me out the door into the black cab waiting outside. She chatted away excitedly as we drove to our destination. “We’re going to have so much fun,” she said. “There are normally loads of people at Tom’s parties.” I sat there, trying not to be too nervous. Now that we were actually on our way to the party, the whole concept of socializing with a bunch of strangers was starting to creep up on me a bit. I’d always been quite sociable in America, but I didn’t know anyone here aside from

Liana, and I didn’t want to be clingy and hang off her like a mollusk all night. “Not just my friends,” she continued. “There’s always random people he knows from his classes at uni, and others too. What I’m trying to say is…there’ll be heaps of hot guys there! Maybe you can meet someone, huh?” I giggled at this. Liana had always struck me as boy-crazy. In the time that I’d known her, she’d confided many crushes, boyfriends, and hook-ups to me, and she always seemed to fall hard before getting bored and moving onto the next. She was nowhere near settling down, but then again, at my relatively tender age, neither was I.

“I don’t know about that,” I said. “I’ve only just moved here, so I’m not sure that complicating my life with a guy is such a good idea.” “What are you on about? You’re still a teenager…but only for a few more months. You need to act like a teen and have some fun before you hit the big two-zero! Besides, guys here will go nuts for your American accent— probably even more so if they know you aren’t looking for something serious.” “Mm…maybe.” Before I had time to decide once and for all whether I wanted to meet a sexy guy tonight, we pulled up outside the house the party was being held at.

To be honest, I wouldn’t really call it a house. It was more like a freaking mansion; nearly as big as Gerald’s manor, and the main party room we entered a few minutes later was almost as grand as a palace ballroom. It was decorated in shades of gold and deep purple, and everywhere I looked, there was something fancy in my line of sight. Liana’s friend Tom was either rich as hell, or English parties were far different to the beachside barbeques that I was used to. “Let’s get a drink!” Liana said, clearly unfazed by her surroundings. It took an hour and four drinks for me to start to relax and enjoy myself. By this point, Liana had introduced me to about

a dozen people, and now she was voraciously making out with one of them on the dance floor. At first this had been fine because I’d been talking to a group of people she knew from her high school days, but then I’d gone to the bathroom, and I hadn’t been able to find them upon my return, so now I was alone and feeling quite awkward. I finally spotted someone I’d been introduced to earlier across the dancefloor, but my thoughts of going over to her were interrupted by a husky masculine voice speaking directly into my ear. “Not dancing like everyone else?” the guy asked, his voice tinged with amusement.

I turned to see a tall, muscular man standing beside me, and I looked him up and down as my mouth dried up out of sheer nervousness. I couldn’t see all of his face because of the black mask he had covering some of it, but I could tell from the rest of his features that he was handsome as hell, and his hard physique alone was enough to make me feel rather hot and bothered. He was rocking a tuxedo like no one I’d ever seen before; it seemed to fit his sculpted body perfectly. In the dim light of the room, I could just make out his grey-blue eyes behind the mask, and the way he was looking at me sent a bolt of electrified desire racing through my body. I had a brief

thought of him pulling me closer, bending me over the nearby drinks table and taking me right there in front of the rest of the partygoers, and while the thought was gone in seconds, I was left with a treacherous blush on my face. When I didn’t reply immediately, he took a step closer, and I almost shivered with desire under his gaze. “Sorry, it’s loud in here. Didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” he said. “I…uhh…that’s okay,” I said, feeling my cheeks heat up. I wasn’t normally a big flirt, but I was usually at least capable of forming a coherent sentence around members of the opposite sex. But not tonight, apparently…at least not around this guy.

“Ah! You’re American,” he said. He gave me a smug smile, as if my nationality answered his earlier question, and I didn’t know what to make of this response. Was he insulting me because of where I came from, or was it some sort of odd English flirting technique? Either way, it didn’t matter—I still found him to be hot as hell. The effect he was having on me was bizarre, and I decided to put it down to the booze. I just couldn’t find any other rational explanation for the way my body was already seeming to crave him despite the fact that I couldn’t even see his entire face. As I watched him lift his

drink to his lips, I noticed a glimpse of a black tattoo twining around his right arm that had me wanting to see more, and as he ran his fingers through his thick dark hair, I wished that it was my hand there instead. Yup…it was definitely the alcohol making me this man-crazy. At least that’s what I was going to tell myself for now. “Um, yeah, it’s my first time in England,” I finally said, seemingly able to speak normally again. “I only arrived a few days ago.” “On holidays?” “No, I’ve actually moved here from California with my Mom. Transferred

my college course and everything. When the next term starts, I’ll be at the University of London.” “Nice. I’ve got some friends who go there. I went to Manchester Uni myself. Well, up until a year ago, anyway. So what are you studying?” “I’m pre-law,” I replied. He raised his eyebrows. “So you’re beautiful and smart, huh?” I shyly cast my eyes down at the floor before looking back up at him. “Thanks,” I said softly. He must have sensed my awkwardness, because he grinned and smoothly went on without adding to my

embarrassment. “So you’re gonna be a big legal eagle one day, huh?” “Maybe,” I said with a smile. “I’m not sure exactly what I’ll be specializing in, but I think entertainment law would be really cool. Although that’s more applicable back in America in my home state, where the big movie industry is.” “True.” “But while I’m here, I’ll study as much as I can and figure out if there are any other things I’d like to specialize in. I was actually driving past somewhere with my Mom yesterday, and there was a sign saying there was some sort of archaeological dig-site nearby. It reminded me of a class I took once on

heritage law, and that was always really cool to learn about.” “So maybe you’ll end up doing that, then,” he said with a nod. “That’d be awesome. There’s a lot of archaeological stuff that goes on in this country. Like up in York, there’s a lot of cool ancient stuff from when it was first established in Roman times. And in Leicester, they recently found King Richard III buried under a carpark. Crazy, right?” I nodded. It was amazing how much this guy knew about such random subjects, and he made me feel totally at ease talking about it. Liana’s earlier words suddenly flooded my mind, and I considered them. Why not have a little

fun while I’m here? Especially with a guy that’s so damn hot. There was nothing wrong with a few kisses and some groping on the dancefloor, and after all, like Liana had alluded to, I’d only be nineteen once, right? Pretty soon I’d be out of my teens and well on my way to adulthood, and there’d be less chances to throw caution to the wind and make out with hot guys at parties. “So aside from that dig-site you drove by, have you seen any of the major sights around here yet?” he asked, eyes still twinkling under the mask. Something about the way he spoke had me thinking about seeing all of him, rather than London Bridge or Big Ben. “No, not yet,” I said. I smiled,

feeling a warm blush fill my cheeks. “But I certainly want to.” I ran my eyes slowly up and down his body, knowing that I was suddenly being far more forward than I’d normally be, but no longer caring. Liana was totally right about what she’d said earlier, and if I didn’t have some fun now, I might end up regretting it one day. The masked stranger leaned even closer to me, allowing me to soak in his scent. It was musky, manly, and dear god, it turned me on like crazy. “Will you need a tour guide for that?” he asked. The conversation still sounded innocent enough, but the sexually-

charged undertones were definitely there. There was no mistaking that, not even for a second. “Sure. I’ve always wanted a tour guide in a mask,” I said. “Makes me feel like I’m with the Phantom of the Opera or something. Always had a crush on him when I was a kid.” His handsome features twisted into a smirk. “So you’d even be okay with your tour guide being a complete stranger in a mask?” he asked. “Especially a stranger in a mask. That’s actually always been a fantasy of mine,” I said with a coy smile. On the outside, I might’ve appeared confident and seductive, but on the

inside, my heart was hammering like mad, and my brain was screaming, oh god…oh god…what the hell are you saying? I couldn’t believe these words were coming out of my mouth, but somehow they felt perfectly natural to speak. Whoever he was, this sexy stranger was bringing something out in me that I hadn’t even known was there till now. “I can make that happen,” he replied. “Why don’t we start with a tour of this grand old house?” “I’d love that.” He grabbed my left hand and started to lead me up the double staircase on the right-hand side of the elegant party

room, and suddenly I was certain that it wasn’t just the booze that was causing my head to swim and my panties to practically melt. It was him; the sexy masked stranger, and the lust that was consuming me with every step I took as I followed him. We were moving through the party in a haze, as if everyone else there had vanished and it was just me and this stranger left. The desire that was pulsing through me was driving me wild, and for the first time in my life, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this man. Sure, I’d dated and been attracted to other guys before, but it had never been quite like this. I’d never felt like I might actually shrivel up and die if I didn’t have them

right at this second, but that was how I felt about Mr. Mask. The room he led me into moments later was cold and dark, and I could only make out vague outlines of the furniture, but I still felt his presence; hot, sexy, and oh-so delicious. His hand wrapped around mine and I gasped out loud as he pulled me in. “You’re so fucking hot,” he growled in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “It’s actually a bit chilly in here….oh,” I stupidly said, only realizing what he really meant at the last possible second. I felt his lips curl into a grin against

my neck as he lowered his mouth to the sensitive skin there. “You’re funny,” he murmured. I gasped, unable to utter another word as his mouth descended on my throat. It was so dirty, being here in complete darkness with a total stranger….and yet it was the sexiest thing I’d ever experienced. He nibbled on my neck, gently at first, then harder and harder, and then he drew back. I heard his footsteps heading a few feet away, then the clicking sound of a switch being turned on, and a split-second later, the room was bathed in light. “I wanted to see that body of yours properly,” he said by way of explanation, his gaze roaming over my

curves. I looked around. We were in a large bedroom, which was just as ornatelydecorated as the rest of the house that I’d seen so far. It even had a four-poster bed, like I always saw in movies about old-fashioned English places, and I sucked in a discreet gasp as I took it all in, amazed by everything that the owner of this house had. Mom and I had moved around a lot when I was younger as work in her field was hard to come by, which meant I’d never been able to have lots of stuff, and it had never bothered me before. But now that I’d seen Gerald’s manor along with the house I was currently in, it made me wonder for the first time about all the things I’d

missed out on by growing up in a lower middle class environment. Before I could think anything else, I was sucked into my ‘stranger’ fantasy once more. The guy I’d secretly nicknamed Mr. Mask was directly in front of me again, looking down at me as if he could see right into my soul now that the darkness in the room had dissipated, and he traced his hand around the back of my neck, the touch of his fingertips making me shiver with bliss as his lips moved slowly to meet mine. He kissed me gently at first, but it wasn’t long before our embrace turned wilder and frenzied. An involuntary moan escaped my lips as our tongues clashed and warred in a bid for

domination, and he grabbed me even tighter. I felt him hitch my dress up, and a fire ignited in my stomach, completely taking over me. This wasn’t like me at all. I’d never gone so far as to have sex with someone I’d literally only just met moments ago, but I was more turned on than ever before, and I needed to get it out of my system...and soon. I grabbed hold of his shirt and dragged him backwards until I felt my back hit a cold wall, and I reached my hand down a second later. I was thrilled to find that he was already hard for me; his cock throbbing against his black pants, and his fingers traced the edge of my panties, sending me crazy with

desire. I tossed my head back as he peppered kisses along my neck, earlobes and collarbone, and he let out a low groan as he moved his fingers under the lacy material, feeling the wet warmth that lay below. It was almost as if he hadn’t expected me to be that turned on by him so quickly, which made me feel strangely powerful. He clearly wanted to explore further, and my panties were in the way, so he tugged them off. I let him. As I stepped out of them, I yanked at his belt, needing it gone as well. I was no longer thinking about what I was doing or pre-emptively regretting my

wanton actions like I usually did every time I went further than chaste kissing with a guy. I was just allowing my body to do what it wanted—probably for the first time in my life. And damn, it felt good. I’d never been this turned on in my entire life; intense pleasure bubbling just under the surface as he kissed my throat and my collarbone, slowly descending to my cleavage. As I fumbled with his zipper, he stepped back to take a look at me. I was being scrutinized under his intense gaze….and suddenly it didn’t feel so great anymore. My body might’ve been begging for me to have this guy, and my mind might

not have cared about how I might feel about my actions in the morning, but my heart did. My heart always cared, and it wouldn’t let me do this with a guy whose face I’d never even seen, no matter how hot the fantasy. I dropped my hand from his zipper and looked up at him. “Let me see you,” I whispered. “You can see me already,” he said, and then his mouth was on mine again. He wasn’t patient, sliding his tongue inside my mouth and pulling on my bottom lip gently with his teeth. I could feel the heat building up between my thighs, but I pushed aside the sensation and broke away from his embrace.

“Please,” I said. “Take off the mask. I want to see all of you.” He stared at me for a few seconds, seemingly considering my statement, and I held my breath, feeling a stark tension suddenly flowing between us; something other than the sexual tension of a few moments ago. Then he finally lifted his hand and tugged away the dark mask, revealing his face. His perfect face. His familiar face. And that was when every fantasy I’d had about this guy went straight out the window. “Oh, shit!” I said with a gasp,

throwing my hands over my mouth. He wrinkled his nose. “What’s wrong?” “I….uh….” Suddenly I was back to my earlier stage of not being able to form a coherent sentence. I recognized the guy before me from the photograph I’d seen of him all those weeks ago, and now that I was seeing his whole face, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t realized before now. Those grey-blue eyes, the chiseled jaw, the perfect ski-jump shaped nose—I knew who he was, and I could scarcely believe it. Surely it couldn’t actually be true… And yet it was true. He was Jace

Wilde, my soon-to-be stepbrother…and I’d almost slept with him. Oh, crap. “I…I’m sorry. I have to go,” I mumbled, thanking the lord that I hadn’t taken my mask off at any point in this brief encounter. My mask barely covered anything with its flimsy lace, but hopefully it was enough that Jace wouldn’t recognize me in future when we were properly introduced to each other as brand new family members. “What? Don’t go,” he said, reaching out and wrapping his arms around my waist. I pushed him away, the raw need to have him inside me still pulsing between

my legs. He reached out for me again, probably thinking I was playing some coy little game, but even though my body was on fire from his touch, I knew I couldn’t do it. “Sorry,” I said, not meeting his eyes. “I really need to go.” “Are you serious?” His voice was incredulous, almost offended, and his British accent somehow made him sound even more annoyed than if he were an American like me. “You’re leaving?” I nodded and headed for the door without another word and without another glance in his direction. Then I did the only thing I could at a time like this.

I stepped out into the long hallway and ran as fast as I could.

Chapter 2 Jace Shit. It was daytime already? I woke up as the warm morning light streamed through the curtains, causing my hungover head to throb like hell, and I sat up in the ridiculously oversized four-poster bed, wondering what the fuck I was doing there by myself. I was far more accustomed to waking up after a party with some random chick beside me, so waking up alone was just weird. Had I finally lost my touch with the

ladies? I fucking well hoped not. I’d returned to London from Scotland a week ago, and I’d been staying here at my buddy Tom Ballanger’s place for two reasons. Firstly, Tom always threw kickass parties when his parents were away on business trips, and they were away quite frequently. Secondly, I couldn’t face going home to meet my father’s new fiancée just yet—the fourth damn fiancée in nine years—so it had been a good excuse to avoid it for just a little bit longer. With Dad, there was always some woman, always some crazy bullshit situation that ended it, and then it was onto the next. I hated it. It was a terrible vicious cycle that drove me insane, and I was fucking sick of being a

part of any of it. In fact, if I hadn’t been forced to leave Edinburgh, I would’ve never come back, and I would’ve avoided this new fiancée forever. And probably the next one too. The face of the girl who’d run away from me the night before suddenly flashed in my mind, and I groaned as I realized I had no way of finding her. In my aroused state, it hadn’t occurred for me to ask her name….I’d just wanted to have her then and there. Names could come later. Of course, that wasn’t the way it had all worked out. Goddamn, she’d been beautiful. Even thought she’d been wearing a

flimsy little mask, I could still see her sparkling hazel eyes and perfect button nose, and her plump lips drove me insane. The very first second I’d seen her, all I could imagine was those lips wrapped around my cock. On top of that, there was that shimmery dress, those sexy curves, and that amazing hair that I wanted to thread my fingers through. But it hadn’t just been her appearance that I’d been attracted to. There were goodlooking girls everywhere, but this girl— there was just something special about her. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on; something that I’d never experienced before…and I wanted more of it. Despite the mask, her eyes had given

her away. She’d wanted it as much as I did, and I’d known that by the end of the night, I’d have her on her knees. I was Jace Wilde, and I could have any woman I wanted. Until I couldn’t. Just as I’d gotten her knickers off, she’d done a runner, and I’d been left high and dry, wondering where the hell it all went so wrong. Was I that fucking unappealing to her once the mask had come off? Surely not. It had to be something else. Either way, she’d immediately gone from hot to cold and left me here in this very room with a boner the size of Wales and the most severe case of blue balls ever known to man. All I’d been able to do was return

to the party and smash back another few drinks until I finally stumbled upstairs in an exhausted, drunken haze, but even the resulting case of whiskey dick wasn’t enough to stop me from wondering why my mystery girl had left. What the hell was it about me that caused such an extreme reaction in her? She was American and she’d apparently only just arrived in London, so it wasn’t as if she could know anything about my reputation here. I hadn’t even told her my name, for fuck’s sake, so even if she’d heard things about me from the person who’d invited her to Tom’s party, she wouldn’t have realized that I was the Jace she’d heard about. It just wasn’t possible that she knew a single damn

thing about me. So where the hell could she have seen my face before, and what about it put her off so much? I’d certainly never had any complaints from anyone else before. In fact, girls always went crazy for my face and body. Wild for Wilde. I wasn’t trying to sound arrogant in thinking this way about myself; I worked hard to make myself look good by eating well and rarely skipping the gym, and people told me that all the time. So all in all, I didn’t want to accept that the attraction hadn’t been mutual between me and mystery girl. It just didn’t seem right. Okay, yeah, maybe I was being a little arrogant…but I had the goods to

back it up. The unexpected rejection was, of course, the main thing that’d caused me to go so silly with the booze after she left, even though I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t. I didn’t normally drink until I passed out anymore, but that blatant rejection when I was so damn raring to go just threw me for a loop. I had no idea what the hell was wrong with me—I should’ve just moved onto the next chick. There wasn’t exactly a shortage of hot, willing chicks at the party, but I didn’t have it in me to even pretend to care about approaching one of them. Apparently, mystery girl had taken all my mojo with her when she left.

As I glanced around the room, working up the energy to move, a pink lacy garment sitting in the corner of the room caught my eye. Her panties. I remembered tugging them from her rocking body, grazing her silky soft skin as I went, and I almost got a hard-on all over again. Goddammit, why the fuck had she run away? It was driving me bat-shit insane. She’d honestly been acting like she wanted it as much as I did, and then something—fuck knows what—had made her leave. I’d probably never find out what it was. Or maybe I would…. An idea suddenly struck me. I could track her down! Surely someone else at

the party would remember her if I described her, and they’d be able to tell me who she came with, where she was staying, and various other details that might aid in my search. I jumped up and snatched the panties from the ground before stuffing them into my pocket. I felt like a bit of a creep doing so, but I figured it would surely be worse to leave them behind in one of Tom’s spare rooms for someone else to stumble across. I would hand them back to her when I found her anyway, and I would find her. I was absolutely determined to do so, and when I set my mind to something, I always got it. When I found her, I wouldn’t let her go until I’d finally fucked her brains out.

I wasn’t some sort of soppy, sentimental guy, but there’d been something there between us. She wouldn’t be able to deny that, so I’d find out her reasoning for leaving me high and dry, and then I’d find a way to put her mind at ease…and then I’d finally get to taste that sweet body of hers. Unfortunately, I couldn’t set about my plan just yet. Right now, it was time to face the music, because I couldn’t avoid going home forever. Dad didn’t know exactly when I was heading back to the manor, but he knew I was coming to stay with him for a while, and I was expected to show up at some point today to meet his millionth fiancée. Apparently she had a kid, but I couldn’t remember

how old she was. I was pretty sure Dad had said nine, though. I grunted from the headache as I went into the bathroom and splashed my face, but the freezing cold water did nothing to wake me up any further. Perhaps my body was trying to tell me to sleep through the meeting with Dad and his new fiancée, because it might go better that way. Ha. I wish. Let’s just say that Dad and I hadn’t spent my life being on the best of terms. Tom was still passed out when I left, but that was cool—I’d see him again soon. We’d gone to school together, and he was one of the only real friends I had these days. Somehow, despite all the partying and girl craziness, he’d

managed to stay stable and avoid developing any sort of problems or addictions. Too bad I couldn’t say the same for myself, but I was getting better. This year was gonna be different for me. As I drove, I thought about what my father’s fiancée might be like. All I’d heard about her was that she’d moved into the manor already, and that she’d been living somewhere in the U.S. with her daughter before she met my father. I hoped that I didn’t like either her or her daughter—that would make it that much easier when the relationship inevitably went tits up. I’d actually liked one of Dad’s

partners before. She was wife number two, and we’d gotten along very well, but Dad had treated her like shit until she’d stormed out one day. I was only eleven years old at the time, and it had crushed me. I’d even tried to keep in touch with her, but she said that she couldn’t face seeing me because I reminded her too much of him and how much she’d loved him. So at the tender age of eleven I’d decided I wouldn’t ever let myself get hurt like that. Love was bullshit, anyway—it was all a sham, for pussies and pathetic daydreamers. As I reached the sprawling estate that I’d once called home, I took in a few deep breaths, trying to prepare myself

for the inevitable barrage of questions, none of which I wanted to answer. ‘Why are you back?’ ‘Why are you such a fucking failure?’ ‘What the hell are you doing with your life?’ I was just going to have to go inside and get this over with; like ripping off a Band-Aid. As soon as the initial meeting with my Dad was done, I was certain we could return to the ‘barely communicating’ relationship that I was used to, and in this moment, I was actually looking forward to it being like that.

I pushed the front door open and stepped inside. “Oh…hello,” a feminine voice said from somewhere to my left. A nervous-looking woman stepped out of the main dining room and moved towards me with her hand outstretched. She was older than Dad’s usual type, but beautiful all the same with her lovely caramel-colored skin, dark eyes and wavy black hair. I couldn’t focus on any of that, though. All I could see was the hope in her eyes that I knew was going to be crushed sooner or later. It wouldn’t be long before tears filled those eyes instead, and we’d be seeing the last of her.

“Jace, right?” she said. I nodded curtly. “I’m—” “Dad’s next victim, I know.” I knew I was being rude, but I wanted to make my position clear. I wouldn’t get close to this one. I was absolutely determined to keep my distance, and the sooner she could see that, the better. “Elena Silva.” She gave me a strained smile as her hand limply dropped down by her side. “I was just making some lunch, if you’d like some.” Just as I was about to refuse, Dad burst out into the main foyer. “Jace! It’s great to see you, son,” he said.

He pulled me in for a big bear hug, which was fucking weird as hell for a man who’d never once showed even a hint of affection towards me. Was he putting on an act, or had he actually somehow changed in the several months since I’d seen him last? A flicker of hope burst into my chest, and I wondered if maybe, just maybe, Elena might be the woman who would change him; the one who could make him the man he was capable of being deep down. “Now,” he stepped backwards, getting a better look at me. “Am I to assume this is a fleeting visit, or are you back home for good?” “I’m here to stay. The rest of my stuff from Mom’s is being shipped…”

“Great!” He cut me off, as if he didn’t want me to say any more in case I made Elena feel awkward. He must’ve spoken to my mother, and he knew exactly why I was really here. “You must join us for lunch. Elena has been whipping up something wonderful. She’s quite the whiz in the kitchen, you know.” He grinned at Elena, and for once, he actually looked like a man in love. I’d never seen this side of him before, and it was rather unnerving. “I wanted to sleep for a few hours, actually. Rough night last night.” “Nonsense. You need to meet your new family. Elena’s daughter is about your age, so you two should get along

well. She’ll be here any minute.” “I thought you said she was nine?” “No. Nineteen.” This statement stunned me a little. Elena may have been older than Dad’s usual conquests, but she didn’t look old enough to have a daughter who was almost the same age as me. “Oh. Right,” I finally muttered. “So you’ll have lunch with us,” Dad repeated, his tone slightly cooler now. This time, it wasn’t so much of a question as a command. “Fine,” I said, following them both into the dining room. It would’ve been nice if I’d had a

chance to shower and get changed first, because I was still in the damn suit I’d had on last night at the masquerade party. I looked ridiculous, and I was certain that I still stank of booze. Some first impression this was… As Elena dished up some sort of pasta dish for us, my father made a great effort to act as if we were the best of friends. If I hadn’t known better, even I would have been hard pressed to believe that he’d torn my family apart when I was eight years old, when Mom caught him screwing the nanny. She’d immediately moved out and started the divorce proceedings when that happened, and I’d stayed living here at the manor until sixth form was over, as it

was closer to the school they both wanted me to attend. Eventually Mom moved to Scotland with her new partner, but that hadn’t been till later in my teens, so I’d still been able to spend enough time with her growing up. Still, it was shit having my family broken like that and having to go to a separate house every weekend just to see my mother, and if Dad had been capable of keeping his fucking cock in his trousers, then it wouldn’t have happened. I sighed and put my elbows on the table, listening to Dad drone on. He asked me about absolutely everything, from current girlfriends to future plans, completely avoiding the one topic that I’d been expecting and dreading all at

once. I was barely answering, being more than a little childish, but this was all far too strange for me to know what the hell to say. I wasn’t sure what kind of impression I was giving Elena, but I just didn’t care. Whether my Dad seemed different or not, I still wasn’t getting involved with his new ‘family’ until I knew whether or not he’d really changed, or if this was all the bullshit act I’d initially assumed it was. Elena excused herself to the kitchen, then returned and set a wooden board with garlic bread down on the table. She glanced at me a second later, a bright smile beaming across her face, and I found myself smiling back, even though I hadn’t planned on it. She just had such a

kind and friendly face; it was difficult to ignore her. “All right, it’s all dished up, and I think I hear Rayna’s cab outside. I’ll just go and get her.” As she stepped out of the room, I waited for the other shoe to drop, but my father kept up the pretense of being a born-again family man. At least I thought it was a pretense—honestly, it had to be. This change was just too dramatic to be real. “So, are you glad to be back?” he asked. “Sure.” “How is your…” It seemed as if he

was actually going to ask how Mom was —something he’d never done before— but we were interrupted by Elena and her daughter coming back into the room. I didn’t turn around to look at them, and I kept my eyes firmly focused on the garlic bread in front of me. I was determined to stick to my guns and to make zero effort to get close to the two women. “So, Jace…” Elena sounded nervous now. “This is Rayna.” Dad arched a brow at me, silently commanding me to turn around and say hi, and I rolled my eyes. “Hi,” I said, shooting a brief glance at her. The girl had long dark hair and a

rocking body, but that was about all I noticed, and even that felt like too much. I’d prefer to know nothing at all. “Hi, Jace,” she replied quietly. “I’m Rayna.” The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly stood up. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it still stunned me to my core. She sounded exactly like my American mystery girl from last night. Shit, could this mean…? Nah, of course it didn’t. It was just a coincidence that they sounded the same, and there was no way this Rayna chick was the girl from Tom’s party. American people came to England all the bloody time, and London was a huge city. Just to

make sure, I looked up at the girl, expecting to see a totally unfamiliar person looking back at me, but instead I felt like I’d been hit in the guts by a sledgehammer and had the wind knocked right out of me. It was her—the girl from last night. Oh, fuck. Even without the black lace mask on, I’d recognize her sparkling eyes anywhere, and I had to say, she was even more beautiful than I remembered now that she was barefaced and standing here in the light of day. Rayna Silva. So that was my mystery girl’s name. It suited her; feminine, sweet, and decidedly unique. Part of me

was glad that I knew it now, but the rest of me was thunderstruck. Shit, shit, shit. I’d almost fucked the girl who was soon to be my stepsister…and judging by the look on her face, she felt awkward as fuck. No wonder she’d taken off like a bat out of hell when she saw my face last night. As soon as she caught my eye, I flashed her a smug smile, and a violent red blush filled her cheeks, just confirming even further what I already knew. A-ha. I still had it. She hadn’t left last night because she didn’t want me… she’d left because she knew I was going to be related to her soon, in a technical sense. Rayna quickly averted her gaze from

me and started eating, and I watched her carefully. I could sense the coldness emanating from her now, and she was clearly trying to pretend she had no idea who I was, but that didn’t matter. She could ignore me all she wanted—it didn’t change the fact that I had her panties in my pocket. And I was going to have a lot of fun with that little fact…

Chapter 3 Rayna Crap. He knows. As soon as I saw the flicker of recognition cross Jace’s face, I knew my life was never going to be the same again—as long as I was in England, anyway. If Jace hadn’t known who I was, I could’ve slowly forgotten about the night before and let it pass. I could’ve pushed it to the back of my mind and locked it in a little memory box labeled ‘Do not open…ever.’

But no, he knew exactly who I was. It was obvious in the way that he was staring at me. I fixed my eyes on the expensive china plate in front of me and began to stuff food into my mouth as quickly as possible in an attempt to get all of this over right away. As much as I was desperate to look up to see if Jace was still staring at me, I refused, because I couldn’t let him know I was affected by his presence. It would be far too embarrassing, especially if anyone else at the table caught on. I couldn’t let our parents suspect a single thing, because that would be horrendous, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine the humiliating problems it would cause.

“So Rayna, are you ready to move your things in here, or are you going to remain at your friend’s house for a little while longer?” Gerald asked, flashing a smile in my direction. I stared at him, unable to comprehend anything other than Jace’s presence right now, let alone speak. “Are you all right?” Mom asked, frowning when I didn’t reply. “I think she’s just got a mouthful of food,” Jace said with a genial smile. He leaned forward so that only I could hear him, pretending to grab the pepper grinder as he whispered something to me. “And you nearly had a mouthful of me last night, huh?”

What? What the hell was his problem? I shook my head and gulped, trying to ignore him. “Sorry, Gerald. I was just a bit spaced out for a sec. Anyway, I think I’ll just stay with Liana for a while lon —” “No, you’ve gotta move in here so we can all be a real family,” Jace interrupted, smug smile still fixed on his handsome face. I stared at him with horror, silently asking ‘why?’ with my eyes. Surely he must find this at least somewhat awkward, and yet he was insisting I move into the manor. What the hell was he playing at? If he thought he was going to get a repeat of last night’s show, he was sorely mistaken. Now that

I knew who he was, there was no way I was ever going to touch him again, let alone anything else. “I think Jace is right,” Mom said. “Gerald and I are all settled in together now, and you’ve had enough time to hang out with Liana. Besides, you can see her anytime. You need to be here with us, so we can get used to being a family.” “I…um…” My voice trailed off as I tried to think of an excuse—any excuse —to not move in, but my mind was blank. I didn’t really have a choice. I had to be here for my Mom, and I didn’t want to make things awkward for her new relationship by refusing to participate in our new family, so I had to say yes.

I finally nodded and forced a smile. “Sure,” I said. “I’ll get my stuff from Liana’s place soon.” “Wonderful,” Gerald boomed as Mom gave me a relieved smile. I dropped my gaze back to my plate, but I could feel Jace’s eyes practically burning a hole in me. What a creep. Why couldn’t he just let me eat in peace? My mind drifted back to last night, and I remembered the way he’d touched me…the way he’d kissed me…the way he’d made me feel…no, I had to stop thinking about it. What was done was done, and we couldn’t take it back, but that didn’t mean it had to stay on my mind. The further back I could push the

incident in my head, the better. “…oh, and one thing I need to mention to you two kids is the fourth floor.” I could hear Gerald talking again now, and I had no idea just how long my mind had been elsewhere, but it must’ve been a while, because everyone else had almost finished eating. I glanced up and smiled quickly, just to let Gerald know that I was actually listening to him, and he continued. “It’s being renovated, but the workers are currently on a hiatus. Something to do with some big union strike at their company. Anyway, it’s just a mess up there, and thick with dust seeing as the workers haven’t been up there for a couple of months now. It’s pretty

dangerous while it’s only half-finished, so it’s best to keep out. The main stairwell that leads up there is right next to where your new room will be, Rayna —in the east wing of the third floor. Anyway, it’ll all be okay once it’s done, but for now I ask that you both just keep away from the fourth floor.” “Sure,” I said. I couldn’t help but wonder just how big this damn house was. “Okay.” I watched Gerald slide back in his chair, scraping it along the ground. “Elena, we need to go and meet the wedding caterer at three o’clock, and we also need to see my lawyer about getting all those cars transferred over to your name.”

“What cars?” I asked. Gerald looked over at me with wide eyes, like he’d already forgotten I was here within the last five seconds. “I… er…it’s nothing, dear,” he said hurriedly. “I’m just giving your mother one of the sports cars from my collection, that’s all. Something to drive around in, right, darling?” Mom nodded, and I arched an eyebrow. Gerald was sure acting weird about his cars, but then again, I hadn’t been around many rich people before. Maybe they were all this weird about their stuff. Gerald turned back to Mom. “So did you want to head out now? Thank you

for lunch, by the way. It was divine.” “Yes, that sounds lovely,” she replied. “Let me just clear the table and get the dishes done first.” Gerald waved his hand. “Nonsense. Leave that to the maids.” “All right. Let me just touch up my lipstick and grab my coat.” I snapped my head up, my body suddenly flooding with panic. They couldn’t go out and leave me and Jace alone in the manor—what the hell was I meant to do? I didn’t even know exactly where my new room was yet, so it wasn’t like I could escape to it. As if he could read my mind, Jace

smirked in my general direction, then turned his attention to his father. “I’ll show Rayna to her new room while you’re out and help her get settled in. I’m sure she’ll need some help taking her clothes off….taking her clothes out, I mean, of her suitcases and such.” “Thanks, son. That’s very nice of you,” Gerald replied. I narrowed my eyes. Jace hadn’t misspoken just then. He was just trying to get a rise out of me by talking about taking my clothes off, the prick. Why the hell was he making things so damn awkward between us? Also, when the hell had my Mom become such a Stepford wife? I’d never

seen her so keen to wear lipstick and do housework before. I’d always known her as a free spirit; the kind of woman that other mothers referred to as a ‘hippie’. She’d gotten pregnant with me at twentytwo, despite her very traditional parent’s wishes for her to be married to some Harvard-educated lawyer and put off having children till she was thirty-five, and after my father had left her for her best friend—something she rarely spoke of—she’d focused only on me. For as long as I’d been alive, she’d never gotten into another serious relationship, claiming she didn’t want to be tied down, and that was what made all of this so bizarre. She was almost too smitten with Gerald, wanting to be perfect for

him, and I wondered how long the charade would last before she finally snapped and started to act like her usual self. I allowed my horrified eyes to skate around the room until they met Jace’s, completely shaking all thoughts of my Mom’s odd behavior right out of my mind. He was still staring at me as if our situation was the funniest thing in the world; as if he had no reservations whatsoever about us being left alone. This sent a burst of rage coursing through my veins. How dare he find this funny? None of this was even slightly amusing. In fact…

Something had just occurred to me. This was entirely his fault! His mask covered half his face last night, meaning that I was unlikely to recognize him until he took it off, whereas my face was almost completely exposed in my flimsy lace mask. There was no way he didn’t know who I was; Gerald was bound to have shown him my photograph before Mom and I moved over here. So he’d kissed me, felt me up, turned me on and stripped me, all while knowing we were going to have to live together as brother and sister. What kind of sick game was he playing? Suddenly I didn’t want to hide away. I wanted to have it out with him. There

was so much that I needed to say, and I was going to do it as soon as our parents left, while I was still feeling so damn pissed. He had it coming, and I had no intention of holding back. “Will you be all right with Jace showing you around?” My mother fixed me with an intense gaze, almost as if she could tell that something was wrong. “We won’t be too long. I can help you unpack as well, once we’re done.” “I’ll be fine, Mom,” I said. “Take your time.” “All right. Don’t get up to too much mischief, kids!” she replied. “We’ll try not to, but I can’t make any promises,” Jace said. Gerald and

Mom chuckled, not realizing that Jace probably wasn’t kidding, and I rolled my eyes. I stared directly at him as I heard our parent’s fading footfall in the hallway a moment later. He grinned at me again and began to speak, but I jumped in immediately, not allowing him to continue with whatever bullshit line he wanted to give me. “What the hell kind of game are you playing at?” I said, putting my hands on my hips. “How could you do what you did, while knowing? Did you think it’d be funny or something? Because let me tell you, it’s not funny at all.” “What are you—?”

I cut him off with a wave of my hand. “Don’t play dumb. You knew. You knew exactly who I was, and you knew I was about to be your stepsister. So you tried to seduce me when you saw me last night, and now you’re making all these sleazy comments just to be a dick and make things awkward for me. God knows why, but that’s clearly what’s happening.” He cocked a brow. “Ever heard the saying ‘it takes two to tango’? Because I didn’t try to seduce you last night…you were all over me from the minute I started talking to you.” My cheeks flushed with warmth. “That’s beside the point.”

His lips twitched, as if he still found this whole debacle to be entirely amusing. “Well, you’re completely wrong, anyway. I didn’t know who you were; I hadn’t even seen a picture of you. I haven’t been here with my father for a long time. Until last week, I was living at my mother’s place in Edinburgh.” “I thought you said were from Manchester when we talked at the party,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Actually, if you recall our conversation properly, I said I used to go to uni in Manchester, up until a year ago. I dropped out of my course, and I’ve been up in Scotland with my Mom ever since. I definitely haven’t been here

at my Dad’s, looking at photos of you. Today is the first day I’ve come back to the house and spoken to Dad properly.” “Sure. How convenient.” “No….this is convenient. For me, anyway.” I watched him reach into his pocket and tug something out. As he opened up his hand, showing me what it was, I felt my heart drop into my stomach. I’d recognize that pink lace anywhere—it was my panties from last night. I’d completely forgotten them as I’d run out of the bedroom at the party house, and he’d obviously picked them up and brought them here to torture me. “Oh my god…give that back!” I said,

trying to snatch the panties from his hand. As I did so, he yanked them back and shoved them in his pocket again. “As I was saying, it’s pretty convenient for me that you left these last night,” he said, looking smugger than a cat in a bowl of cream. “Because I’m not going to give them back until you’ve learned to behave. And if you don’t behave, I can always show them to our parents and tell them what happened between us…” I scoffed. Was he twelve? “Go ahead and show them. I’ll just say you stole the panties from my drawer or something, and that you made up the rest of the story.”

I could also say they simply weren’t my panties, but my Mom would recognize them from whenever she’d hung out our washing back home. They were pink lace, but they had a distinctive keyhole cut-out near the top with a purple bow, and she’d always remarked on what cute undies they were. He pulled out his cell phone and held it up. “What if I call them right now and make them come back? They’ve only just left, so they aren’t too far away… and how could I have possibly gotten my hands on your underwear drawer in the last five minutes when your stuff hasn’t even arrived from your friend’s house yet? I think they’ll believe my side of the story over yours, and you wouldn’t want

Mommy dearest to find out what her only daughter’s been up to, would you? Hooking up with her new stepbrother… naughty, naughty.” I folded my arms. “You aren’t actually my stepbrother yet, and you wouldn’t actually call them.” “Wouldn’t I?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. “You’re not being very friendly to me, so maybe I should call them. But if you start being nice to me, I’ll be nice to you in return.” My heart began to thump loudly in my chest as angry adrenaline coursed through my veins. “Sure you will,” I said sarcastically. “God, I can’t believe I thought you were hot last night. You’re

just an ass.” “I’m an ass who’s still got your panties, though.” I folded my arms across my chest. “Why are you being such a prick? You don’t even know me!” “Funny, because a second ago you were flying off the handle and accusing me of definitely knowing you, and saying that was the only reason I hooked up with you last night. I think you’re kind of the ‘prick’ in this scenario, wouldn’t you say?” “Wow, you found the world’s thinnest argument, well done,” I said, my voice tinged with sarcasm.

He smirked. “So am I calling them or not?” I gritted my teeth before letting out an embarrassed sigh of defeat. “No. I’ll be….nice.” Jace grinned widely. “Good. Now let me show you to your new room.” I narrowed my eyes and followed him up the main staircase, wondering what would happen if my Mom actually found out about what happened last night, and the thought left me ice-cold. She would be freaking pissed. It could ruin her upcoming wedding, and I didn’t want to be responsible for that. We’d always had an amazing relationship, and I didn’t want to mess that up—along

with her relationship with Gerald—over one drunken night of passion with Jace. “Here’s your room,” he said once we’d reached a doorway on the third floor, right near the stairwell. “Thanks,” I mumbled. “Thank my Dad. He’s the one who put you right next to my room,” Jace replied with a wink. “Anyway, I’ve gotta take a shower. Your stuff isn’t here yet, is it?” I shook my head, and my heart sank as I pictured myself trying to sleep every night, knowing that Jace was only a few feet away. Even though he was clearly a sociopathic asshole, he still had the exact same effect he’d had on me last

night…that crazy, panty-melting feeling, like I wanted to strip down right in front of him just like I’d started to do last night, whether he was my soon-to-be stepbrother or not. As I went to open the door to my new room, he leaned closer to me, and for a second, I thought he was going to kiss me. I drew back, but then I felt him sliding something into my hand instead, his fingers brushing ever-so-gently against mine; so gently that I wondered if it had even happened. My hot, tingling skin, wildly thumping heart and the pink panties in my hand were proof that it had, however. “I was only kidding before, to get a rise out of you,” he said. “I wasn’t really

going to use these as some sort of stupid blackmail device. Your secret is safe with me.” Hmm…maybe he wasn’t such a sociopath after all. Twisted sense of humor, but not a future serial killer. “Oh, um….thanks,” I said. He turned to leave, and I called out to him, making him look back over his shoulder. “Wait. Isn’t it our secret? Like you said earlier, it takes two to tango.” He grinned and winked at me. “Touché.” For the first time today, I felt a real smile quirking my lips up. Jace was a bit of a jerk, but he was still quite amusing. So maybe living here with him wouldn’t

be so bad after all…

Chapter 4 Jace I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I walked away from Rayna. She was witty; I had to give her credit for that. I hadn’t planned on playing games with her when I’d first grabbed those panties off the floor this morning—hell, all I’d wanted to do was find her—but the minute I did find her and comprehended the fact that she was about to be my stepsister, I hadn’t been able to resist playing with her. Her reddened face as she tried not to remember me over lunch was just far too

adorable, and she’d made it so easy for me. There was no way I couldn’t have messed her around a little. It was too funny. I glanced around my bedroom, surprised to see that everything was still exactly where I’d left it since I’d last visited around eight months ago to catch up with friends. I suppose I couldn’t be too surprised that Dad had ignored the room and left it as it was. It wasn’t like he cared about clearing out my junk and converting it into yet another guest bedroom when the manor already had two entire floors of guest bedrooms. The place had an insane number of rooms, and the whole estate reeked of someone with far too much money and no idea

what to do with it all. Yup, that was my Dad. There’d been a point where I’d been a bit like that—eager to flash the cash from my trust fund with no consideration of where it had come from, just to impress people and make them think I was fucking ‘cool’ or whatever. But I wasn’t like that anymore. I couldn’t be that shallow after all that’d happened in the last year or so. I let out a deep sigh and wished once more that I hadn’t had to leave my Mom’s place last week. I’d always felt far more welcome there than I did here at Dad’s, and it was a shame that everything else was so fucked up for me

in that city. I’d been determined to change things for myself while I was there, but my plan hadn’t quite worked out, and there was nothing I could do about that now, so it was time to unpack and to accept that I was back in London for good. It may not have been what I wanted, but I could still make the best of it and start over. I showered and began to unpack, and just as I’d finished hanging the last of my clothes in my wardrobe, I heard my phone vibrating on one of the bedside tables where I’d left it earlier. As I picked it up, I noticed a familiar face flashing on the screen—the face of a friend I hadn’t seen in quite some time. I only hesitated for a split-second

before answering. “Hello?” “Jacey boy!” came the overlyexcited reply from the other end. “It’s Roy. I heard you were back in London. Please tell me this is true, because I’m back in the city too!” Roy sounded so happy to speak to me that I couldn’t help but smile. “Well, well, well….if it isn’t Roy Cummings. You heard right, I’m in London now. Scotland was a proper washout.” Roy and I had been friends all throughout school, and we’d gone on to have some very wild parties as we’d grown older and gone off to our first year at university in Manchester, where

we’d both elected to study in order to put some distance between us and our parents. There’d been lots of booze and other illegal substances involved—too much, in fact—but it had been a lot of fun. We’d had some damn good times and made some amazing memories together. We’d drifted apart in the last year when I dropped out of my course and moved to Edinburgh to stay at my Mom’s, because I’d wanted to separate myself from all of the temptations that uni life held for me. It had just become too much, and I actually wanted to make something of my life…but that hadn’t exactly happened. Edinburgh had been ten times worse. I’d managed to find a

job, but I’d fallen in with the wrong people almost right away, and my uni days had suddenly seemed tame in comparison. I’d always had trouble with retaining self-control. Maybe that was the real reason I was playing these stupid games with Rayna—if I didn’t, I’d have no distractions, and I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from trying to have her. And that wouldn’t exactly go down well with Dad… “What are you up to? We need to hang out, it’s been far too long,” Roy said. I was grateful for the way he was totally skating over any awkwardness

there might have been after the way I’d abruptly left uni a year ago. He was simply acting like it’d never happened, allowing us to pick up where we’d left off. “Not much. What do you wanna do?” “How about a drink?” “I don’t know, man. I went to a party at Tom’s last night, and I got totally hammered. I’m still pretty hungover from that.” “I don’t mean ‘let’s get fucked up’,” he said. “Let’s just go for a nice quiet beer at our old favorite pub down on Faversham Road. Catch up and whatever.”

“Yeah, all right,” I replied. “How about we meet at two?” There was nothing wrong with that plan. One beer in the afternoon was pretty standard behavior. “Yep, cool. See you in an hour, then,” he said. I hung up and stared at the screen on my phone, wondering what my old friend was up to these days, as he hadn’t said much over the phone. If he was back in London now, then there had to be a reason for that. He hadn’t said anything about dropping out of his course like I had, so perhaps he’d transferred his course to somewhere here in London. Or perhaps he had dropped out, and hadn’t

wanted to say anything. That’d be understandable. I hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone about why I’d dropped out when I’d done it last year, out of pride. There was no point wondering about it now, anyway. I’d be seeing him in an hour, and he could tell me all about what he’d been up to then. I put my shoes on and went back into the still-steamy bathroom to spritz on some cologne, and through the vent near the ceiling, I could make out the sound of Rayna talking on the phone in her room next door. “Okay, I didn’t tell you this part of the story this morning because I was almost convinced that I dreamed it all

last night. Honestly, it’s so insane, and I was so embarrassed,” she was saying. “But remember how I told you that I sort of hooked up with a guy last night? Well….he’s Gerald’s son, and he’s about to be my stepbrother. Can you believe it?” A moment went by where her friend was obviously talking on the other end of the line, and then I heard Rayna’s voice again. “He’s called Jace…yes, Jace Wilde! I didn’t know you knew him. Oh my god, you could have warned me last night!” Another pause. “Are you serious? No freaking way! He’s going to be related to me, Liana. It

doesn’t matter how sexy he is.” Oh, so she thought I was sexy, huh? Not that I didn’t already know that, but still, it was nice to hear her say it out loud. “I’d never do that to my Mom,” Rayna continued. She paused for another moment, then went on. “Yes, I know, but that was different. I didn’t know who he was last night, but now I do, so it’s not going to happen. I’ll never, ever sleep with him.” I grinned at my reflection in the mirror and then mouthed two words towards the vent. Challenge accepted.

*** The second I saw Roy nursing a beer at the corner table of our favorite pub, which we’d long ago claimed as ours, I felt my spirits lift. It was just so damn good to see him. He looked rather tired, although I was certain that I did too after the party at Tom’s last night, but apart from that he was still the same old Roy. I quickly ordered myself a beer and joined him before he’d even looked up from his phone to notice my arrival. Luckily the place was dead, so it looked like we were going to have some privacy for our reunion. “How you doi…?” I started to ask

before being wrapped up into a tight bear hug. “Oh man, it’s just so great to see you,” he said. I was happy too, of course, but Roy just seemed over the moon. “Uni really wasn’t the same without you, when you dropped out and all,” he added, finally allowing me to sit down. “What do you mean?” “Oh, you know, it just wasn’t the same. It got boring, even the parties weren’t the same.” I had no idea what to say. When I’d left, I hadn’t considered everyone I was leaving behind, and now I felt a little bad about it. I’d just been focused on

myself, and it was fair to say that I’d acted a little selfishly. “Well, I still love parties. Just not those kinda parties.” My concern must have been etched into my features, because Roy grinned. “Sorry, man, I didn’t mean to make you feel like shit. It was just different once you left, that’s all. Anyway, how’s things?” I shrugged. “All right, I guess. My Dad’s getting married again, so I’m having to deal with getting to know yet another fiancée.” He snorted. “Seriously? He’s getting married again? Jesus, who is it this time?”

“Some American woman he met online. She’s actually quite nice.” “Any kids you have to play nice with?” “Err…” I hadn’t planned on bringing up Rayna, but I couldn’t exactly lie to my friend and tell him Elena had no children. “Yeah, a daughter called Rayna,” I finally added. “Young?” “Nineteen.” Roy arched his eyebrows, and his eyes glimmered with amusement. “Is she hot?” “She’s all right, I guess.” He laughed. “Bullshit, man. I can tell

by your expression…she’s fucking fit, isn’t she?” I grinned. “Fine. You got me. Yeah, she is.” “So are you gonna try to get in there?” Roy asked, and then his expression changed. “Oh, shit. You already did, didn’t you? You dog!” “Nah, I didn’t.” Well, it was half true. Rayna and I had been interrupted mid-hookup by her realizing who I was, so I hadn’t actually slept with her, even though we’d definitely been about to fuck each other’s brains out. “You totally should.”

“Nah. That’d just be awkward,” I said. I was still lying. Fuck the awkwardness; I still wanted her. I just didn’t need everyone else to know that. “Like that’s ever stopped you in the past. You fucked Lyndon Turner’s sister in his own bedroom when we were seventeen, remember? That was awkward.” “True,” I said, nodding and grinning. “But this is different. Rayna’s gonna be my sister.” “I guess. But you clearly like her, at least enough to keep trying to change the subject away from you wanting to screw her.” “Well,

she

is

pretty cool,”

I

admitted, before trying to make a joke to get off the subject. “She’s got that special ‘didn’t pepper-spray me’ quality I’ve been looking for all these years.” Roy chuckled. “Sure, like you’ve ever had any issues getting chicks to like you. She’s probably already in love with you. Anyway, speaking of chicks, I totally forgot to tell you, Kristy dropped out of uni too. She got married to some lawyer.” “Kristy Miles?” I said, remembering the hot leggy blonde that Roy and I had always fought over in a silly banter type of way. I’d actually hooked up with her a few times, but I’d never told my friend that. I’d always allowed him to believe that he was still in the running for her

affections. Unfortunately for Roy, he’d been in my shadow the whole time we’d known each other; since sixth form. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Kristy didn’t even know who he was. Where I was charismatic and took care of my body, he’d always been shyer and a little tubby —though that had changed. Now he was erring on the side of too skinny. “Yeah, her. Fucking hottest girl around, right?” “Mm,” I said in a noncommittal voice. Truth be told, the thought of Kristy didn’t make me feel the same twinge in my cock that it used to. Even though I’d

only met Rayna yesterday, she was already cemented in my mind as the hottest chick I’d ever laid eyes on, and some bleached-blonde girl with zero aspirations—like Kristy—couldn’t hold a candle to her. It didn’t surprise me at all that she’d married a lawyer and dropped out of her course—she’d always struck me as the type of girl who was only at uni to find a husband. Rayna, on the other hand…she was different. In our brief conversation at Tom’s party, she’d mentioned that she was studying law, and she’d actually sounded passionate about it. “Hey, do you remember that night she dared me to jump in the pool at that party, but because I was so fucked off

my face, I thought it would still impress her if I pushed you in instead?” We both chuckled at this memory. What I didn’t tell him was this actually did work as a seduction technique….only not in the way he’d intended. It’d worked for me after he’d passed out on one of the sun lounges. Apparently Kristy liked the ‘drowned rat’ look on me, because she’d dragged me into one of the bathrooms at the party house and practically begged me to do her over the sink. “Oh, and do you remember when we went to that rave at the Armstrong’s farm?” Roy continued, obviously excited to be reminiscing with me. As much as I’d rather talk about where he was with

his life now, this subject was still fun to think about all the same. “Yeah, that farmer went apeshit when he found us in the barn with his daughters,” I said with a nod and a snort of laughter. “You know, we should do it all again!” Roy said. “There’s a rave over in Whitechapel tonight, actually. I know the rest of the boys would be up for it, if you could just sort out some cash for the stuff…” And there it was—the real reason he’d invited me to catch up. He just wanted money. My stomach felt hollow as I considered this. Roy had never had as

much money as me, so back in high school and during our year at uni in Manchester, I’d bankrolled most of our shenanigans. So maybe that was the real reason uni apparently hadn’t been the same without me after I’d left—because he didn’t have anyone to pay for his pills, coke and weed anymore. How wonderful….I’d come here to catch up with an old friend, but it had turned into this instead. I shook my head. “Nah, man. I’m happy to have a drink with you and hang out, and hell, I still like to party. But no raves or pills or anything like that. Just a regular old party; not like what we used to do.”

He nodded. “Sure, you can just drink. Me and the other boys will still do a few lines or whatever, but you don’t need to join in.” My stomach felt even worse now. I’d left both Manchester and Edinburgh to get away from the drug-fueled craziness that seemed to follow me around, and while I had no problem going to a normal party and catching up with friends, I really didn’t want to be around people who’d be snorting coke, dropping pills and smoking god knows what. It was too easy to slip back into old habits, and I needed to keep away from that now. “I don’t know, man. I’m trying my best to change, you know. That’s why I

left Manchester last year.” Roy’s face darkened slightly. “Really? Because I heard you were even worse in Edinburgh.” Ah, the old rumor mill. No matter where or how far I went, it seemed I couldn’t escape it. There was no point denying this particular rumor, though, because it was true. I nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. I was. I thought being there would be better for me than Manchester, but it wasn’t. That’s why I finally came home to London. Another fresh start, seeing as my last fresh start didn’t really work out for me.” “Surely you can still lend me some

cash for stuff tonight, though, aye?” I shook my head. “I don’t mind paying for some drinks, but nothing else. And I don’t want you or the other guys doing any shit in front of me, either. Like I said, I’m trying to change and get away from all that.” Roy slammed his fist down on the table. “Jesus, Jace. You’re so fucking boring now. You’re right, you have changed—but not for the better. You’re just a fucking sanctimonious asshole. Can’t even shell out for a few lines of coke.” “Are you fucking kid—” I started to reply, but he was already getting up and heading for the door. I closed my mouth

and watched him storm out of the pub only seconds later, leaving me sitting alone. Boring. Was that all I was now? A boring old man at the not-so-ripe old age of twenty? All I’d wanted to do was grow up and stop fucking myself over by getting high every night. I hadn’t wanted to alienate anyone, and surely Roy could see that I was doing my best. I wasn’t sure why he had to be such a dick about it, just because I refused to give him money to pay for pills and blow. Then again, maybe Roy had a vague point. Just because I’d sobered up and stopped snorting shit at parties didn’t

mean I was suddenly a good person. Take my new family, for example. I’d been pretty rude to Elena when I’d first met her, and I’d been even worse to Rayna, although I’d just been kidding. She obviously hadn’t thought any of it was funny, but I’d still kept going with it for my own amusement. Maybe I really was just a giant fucking asshole. On top of that, why the fuck was I so hung up on Rayna? I’d only just met her, yet every time I thought of any subject at all in the last day, my brain found some way to involve her. Sure, she’d had an effect on me when we’d met, but that didn’t mean she needed to be on my mind twenty-four-seven, especially

seeing as she was about to be my stepsister. No, I needed to push her from my mind, and that shouldn’t be too hard. After all, I might very well have changed, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t still Jace fucking Wilde. I still knew a ton of people in London who were decent non-users—like the people I’d been at the party with last night—and I still had a ton of chicks available to me for a hookup if that’s what I felt like. That was what I needed right now. A distraction in the form of a hot body to look at and a warm pussy to slide into. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts list as I finished the beer in front of me, trying to put Rayna out of my mind and concentrate on other

girls instead. I almost dialed one number —a girl I’d met only hours before Rayna at the party yesterday—but instead I pressed ‘delete’, then slid my phone back into my pocket without a single call made. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, not when the sweet taste of Rayna’s full lips was still lingering on my mouth. I guess as long as Rayna was in my life, driving me crazy the way she did, the closest thing I’d be getting to any action would be sitting across from her at the breakfast table every morning with a stiff cock. Great. Just fucking great.

Chapter 5 Rayna After I heard Jace leaving the house, I headed out as well. Liana and I had chatted for a while earlier when I’d called her to tell her I’d be moving into the manor, and after we hung up, I headed to her place to get my stuff. It didn’t take long; all we had to do was pack up my things into the four giant suitcases I’d brought with me and shove them into her car to take back to my new home. “Thanks for your help with this,” I

said as we stashed the last case in the trunk of her car. “And thanks for having me for the last week.” She grinned. “No worries, you can stay anytime. I’m so jealous, though. You get to move into that giant place!” “Don’t worry, it’s not that great,” I said with a shrug. “My new room is right next to Jace’s. Out of the billion or so rooms in that huge place, that’s where they put me!” Her smile grew even wider. “Ooh la la!” she said in a silly voice. “It’s like your parents actually want you two to hook up.” “He wishes.”

“More like you wish.” I put my hands on my hips. “I told you earlier, that’s not going to happen! He’s so freaking annoying. You should’ve heard what he said at lunch.” I was more or less trying to convince myself that nothing was going to happen, rather than convince Liana. She winked. “Well, you know what they say…men are like babies. If you want them to shut up, just shove your boobs in their mouth.” “Liana! I’m not shoving my boobs in Jace’s mouth, let alone anything else.” She raised her eyebrows. “Uh-huh,” she said, clearly not believing that I had

zero interest in Jace anymore. Truthfully, she was right. The thought of last night’s encounter still made me tingle in the best kind of way, but I knew it couldn’t happen again. Not now, not ever. “I still can’t believe he’s actually your stepbrother,” she continued. “When you first told me your Mom’s fiancé was named Gerald Wilde, it didn’t occur to me that he might actually be related to the one Wilde guy I know.” “Doesn’t matter,” I said with a rueful smile. “We both know now, anyway.” “Yeah,” she replied. “Anyway, before we haul all this crap back to the manor, do you wanna grab some tea or

coffee somewhere?” “Sure,” I said with a smile. We headed towards the nearest café for some much-needed caffeine, and Liana filled me in on more details of the guy she’d hooked up with last night. “…thing is,” Liana continued, after giving me far too many details of her sex life. “I really like him. I have for a while. I think I told you about him ages ago; he works in the accounting department at the office next door to where I work, so we run into each other a fair bit. We’ve had this flirtation thing going on forever, so it felt like last night had been coming for a very long time.” “Yeah?”

“I know what you’re thinking; I always fall for guys and then lose interest. But this time it really is different. I’ve liked him for ages, and when I heard that Tom actually knows him too and was inviting him to the masquerade party, it was like…well, basically, last night just made it even worse. I actually want to be with this guy, like proper boyfriend and girlfriend.” I smiled as I sipped on my latte, and Liana’s expression turned dreamy as she continued. “So what did you think of him? Cute, right?” “I didn’t actually get to see his face because you were kissing it all night,” I said. “Plus he had that Zorro mask on.”

She laughed and nodded. “True.” “Anyway, how did you leave things this morning? I was already asleep when you got back with him last night, and I was still asleep this morning when he left, I think.” “Yeah, you were dead to the world,” she said. ”Anyway, he said he wanted to see me again, but he would have to call me to organize a date. Do you think that’s bad? Like, why couldn’t we have just figured something out this morning before he left?” “Well, did you actually exchange numbers? And have you heard anything from him today?”

“Yeah, he sent me one text, but that’s it.” “Okay, well, even just one text is a good sign.” I wasn’t sure if the UK dating rules were the same as what I was used to back home, and I didn’t exactly have much experience with guys either way, so I really wasn’t the best person to ask for advice, but Liana needed to talk, so I decided that being upbeat was my best option. She obviously already had a seed of doubt in her mind, and I didn’t need to be negative and make it worse. “I’m sure it’ll all work out. I bet you’ll be on a date with him by next week!” I added with a grin.

“Yeah, I hope so…” Liana trailed off, and then her face brightened. “Anyway, back to what we were talking about earlier—don’t worry about it being awkward living with Jace. He’ll probably annoy you for a while and then move on to the next girl he feels like screwing with. He’s a bit like that.” I felt a twinge of sadness at that news, but I didn’t let it show. “Oh?” I said, putting on my best ‘I don’t really care’ voice. “Yeah, I think so. I mean, I don’t actually know him all that well. I’ve only met him a few times over the years. I mostly just know about him from stuff Tom’s told me.”

“Oh, I see.” “Yeah. Tom went to high school with him, and apparently he was a really nice guy for most of their time there. Studious and helpful. He was the guy who was friends with everyone. But something must have changed around about the time they were in sixth form, because he suddenly became this massive douchebag man-whore, shagging just about everyone, and throwing these crazy parties.” After today’s encounter with Jace, I could definitely picture the ‘douchebag’ part of that story being true, but the rest? I couldn’t believe people had once described Jace as ‘studious and helpful’, and I couldn’t picture that earlier high

school version of him at all. “Anyway, after sixth form he apparently moved to Manchester for uni, then….I don’t know. All I know is he’s back in London now.” “Yeah, he told me he dropped out of uni and moved to Edinburgh for a while, and only came back to London a week ago.” “I wonder why he dropped out of uni. He might’ve been a party animal, but he was still a really smart guy.” “Hmm…yeah.” Who the hell was Jace Wilde? To me, he’d gone from sexy stranger to douchebag soon-to-be stepbrother in the

short time I’d known him, and to others, he’d gone from a good guy to man-whore party animal within the last couple of years. So who was the real Jace? Asshole or nice guy? And why did I even care? *** By the time I was home at the manor and finally finished unpacking most of my clothes, I was still confused as all hell about Jace and any feelings I might have towards him, and it suddenly hit me just how tired I was. I was pretty sure that I was still a little bit hungover from

the night before, and the only way to deal with that was going to be to sleep it off, even though it was still very early in the evening. I climbed into my new king-sized bed, luxuriating in the soft Egyptian cotton sheets beneath me. I wasn’t used to sleeping in this kind of luxury, and I was enjoying it far more than I cared to admit. I’d never wanted to be one of ‘those’ people who cared too much about money, but I finally understood why people were willing to pay extra for high thread counts and huge beds with memory foam mattresses. It was like sleeping on a cloud. I flicked the TV on the other side of the room on, switching to a random

chick flick which I intended to watch for a while as I rested, but before the opening sequence had even finished, I was already fast asleep. I knew I was dreaming as soon as I pictured Jace and I locked in a passionate embrace, and it was nice to be able to act on my feelings without any worries about consequences, because it wasn’t real. I was perfectly aware that it was still wrong, but at the same time, it was fine for me to fantasize over in my own little dream world. The kissing quickly turned into something more and we began to run our hands over each other’s bodies, slowly at first, then frantically as we stripped each other. His stubble rubbed my chin,

sending little frissons of excitement through me as goose bumps broke out on my bare arms, and I moaned into his mouth as he suddenly picked me up and carried me to an enormous bed. Before I knew it, we were both naked and he’d slipped inside of me, hard and fast. He slid out and grabbed my arms a moment later, rolling me over, and the next minute, I was riding him like there was no tomorrow, losing myself in all of the sensations coursing through me. I held my hands steady on his hard chest as I straddled him, building up to a crescendo as moans spilled from my lips. For a moment all I could hear was the slapping sound of skin against skin as I bounced up and

down on him, and I bit my lip as heat rushed to my core. Just as I was on the brink of having the most intense orgasm ever, the door burst open, and Mom and Gerald came in, screaming and shouting at us, telling us that we’d ruined their wedding with our antics. Their yelling became louder and louder until I had to cover my ears to stop my head from exploding out of sheer shame. I sat up in my bed, suddenly more wide awake than I’d ever been in my life. All of the confusing and conflicting emotions from my dream were still whirling around inside of me, and I was horny and ashamed of myself all at once. It almost felt like the dream had actually

happened. I glanced down at the bedside clock to see that it was only a quarter past two in the morning, and I groaned. Why was I awake so early? It was then that I remembered that I’d actually fallen asleep at about six P.M., so it made sense for me to be waking up around this time. Dammit. I tossed and turned in my bed for a while, trying desperately to get back to sleep before giving up and deciding to go and get a glass of water. I stepped down onto the warm floor— Gerald actually had floor heating installed under the floorboards in the bedrooms, something I’d always assumed was a myth before moving here —and shuffled across my room. Now

that I was standing, I realized that I was still foggy-headed and very tired, so I figured that once I’d had some water, I’d probably be able to fall right back to sleep. I quietly pushed open my bedroom door and crept towards the stairwell, rubbing my weary eyes, and when I eventually opened them, I spotted a strange shadow on the ground. My heart practically leapt into my throat at the sight, and I allowed my eyes to travel up the shadow to find out what it was attached to. Then I saw it. Or rather…I saw her. A ghostly-pale woman clad in a flimsy white gown stood under the

moonlight, staring at me with wide dark eyes. It wasn’t my Mom, and it definitely wasn’t one of the manor maids, seeing as none of the staff lived on site. So who— or what—the hell was she? As I stared back at the woman, my mind instantly reflected on every single horror movie I’d watched at all the girly sleepovers I used to have with my friends back home, and my mouth went dry as I recalled the few movies we’d seen that were about haunted old English manors. My heart seemed to stop beating for a few seconds, my limbs started to tremble and I felt my body collapse from underneath me, hitting the floor hard. I was shaking with horror, my chest constricting under the weight of it.

I knew it was probably all a dream, because there was no such thing as creepy manor ghosts, but it was a dream I couldn’t wake up from. I could hear a horrible shrieking noise, a shrill sound that painfully burst through my eardrums, and I clamped my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut, willing it all to be over. Then I realized that the screaming was coming from me, and I opened my eyes again, only to see that the woman was gone and the hallway was totally empty. So that was that, then. One day of living under the same roof as Jace Wilde, and I’d officially lost my damn mind.

Chapter 6 Jace I didn’t arrive home until about seven, not because I’d changed my mind and taken Roy up on his offer to get high and hammered, but because I’d needed some time to do some thinking. First, I’d gone for a walk around the streets near the pub, still trying to shake Rayna and Roy from my mind, and when that failed to work, I headed to the closest gym to do some weights and cardio. Working up a sweat always made me feel better and

helped me think clearly, and as I’d been pumping weights, it became obvious to me that Roy had just been lashing out at me. This wasn’t our first argument, and it was unlikely that it would be our last. I would just have to speak to him when we’d both calmed down; try to discuss his party-hard drug habits when he wasn’t in such a bad mood. After this revelation, I’d headed to my favorite place in the whole damn city —24 Hour Books, a bookshop that really was open twenty-four hours a day. It had everything and anything you could ever want. Despite what everyone thought about me, I loved reading. This had been obvious to everyone when I was growing up—I’d been pretty

studious in school—but when some of the other guys started to tease me for being a nerd, I started to hide it, as if it was something that I should be ashamed of. I soon found alcohol and got distracted by girls, and ever since then, I’d kept my reading habits hidden, like it was some sort of shameful vice. One of my tattoos was actually a quote from one of my favorite dystopian books—a quote which said ‘Be only you’. I always told people it was a line from a rock song, and no one ever questioned that, but really it was said by the most badass character of all time, Billy-Joe from World’s Over. All of my tattoos meant something important to me, but this was one of my favorites. It was

on my wrist, and I looked at it every time I needed to smile. The fact that no one knew what it meant apart from me made it even better. There was just something relaxing about losing myself in an epic plot line when real life became too annoying to deal with, and this was certainly one of those times. I wasn’t finding it easy, knowing that some of my oldest friends were still lost in the vicious cycle of drugs; a fact that I could do absolutely nothing about. It was as if they didn’t yet realize the devastation that their addiction could cause. I didn’t want them to have to go through the lifechanging shock that I’d had back in Edinburgh, but I wasn’t sure what else

could cause them to change. Time and growing up certainly didn’t seem to have helped. After buying a few books, I headed home and trudged up to my room before sitting back on my bed and losing myself in a story. Because I’d slept in so late this morning, I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to get to sleep till quite late, and before I knew it, it was past two in the morning. “Aarrghhh!” A feminine scream suddenly burst through the wall from somewhere out in the hall, shocking me to my core, and I dropped the novel that I’d been reading and jumped up, my heart pounding.

What the fuck? The scream sounded like it came from Rayna, and I dashed out of my bedroom and headed out into the hallway, my mind concocting a million different reasons as to why she would be shrieking at this ungodly hour. Giant spiders in her room. Thieves breaking into the manor. A fucking serial killer breaking into the manor. The only thing I ended up finding was Rayna curled up in a ball outside her bedroom door, and I could hear frightened sobs escaping from her. “What’s wrong?” I asked before

realizing that I was going to have to be much closer to get her attention. She was in far too much of a bad state to be able to hear me from all the way over where I was. I tentatively stepped up right next to her, my eyes scanning the hallway, desperate to find out what was wrong. “Rayna?” I whispered, reaching my hand out to touch her. As my hand grazed her shoulder, she jumped backwards as if she’d been electrocuted. Her eyes were wild and panicked, and she gulped. “Oh god, it’s just you,” she said. “Always nice to see you too, Rayna.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” she replied, grabbing my hand and clinging to it. “When you touched me just then, I thought you were the….god, Jace, it…it was horrible. I…I don’t even…I think I’ve totally lost my mind!” “Shh, try to calm down. I’m here.” I crouched down next to her, rubbing a comforting hand along her back and making sure my voice sounded as calm and soothing as possible. “Tell me what happened.” “I woke up a few minutes ago, and I was thirsty, so I went to get a drink. And I saw….I saw…” “You saw what?” “A ghost. I saw a ghost.”

Seriously? She actually thought she’d seen a fucking ghost? I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh. Even though she’d obviously just had some sort of sleepwalking nightmare, she was still freaked out, so I didn’t want to be an asshole and laugh my head off right in front of her. “Either this place is haunted, or I’ve lost my mind and started seeing things,” she continued. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I ended up awkwardly patting her hand for a moment before speaking up again. “Do you wanna come hang out in my room for a while to calm down? Might make you feel better if there’s someone with you.”

I half-expected her to assume that I was trying to use her fear as a way of getting into her pants, but instead she nodded. “Okay. Thanks.” Jesus. She really thought she’d seen something. Why else would she be too scared to be alone right now? The fact that she was actually choosing to join me in my bedroom showed just how petrified she was. I helped her get up, and as I grabbed her hand, I swore I could feel a spark shooting up my arm. My cock stirred in my pants, and I tried to will the feeling to go away. I couldn’t be getting turned on right now; it wasn’t the right moment. In fact, it would never be the right moment for that with Rayna, because she

was about to be my sister. So tonight I would be polite and I’d help her out, but that would be it. If only I could stop thinking about her gorgeous legs and pert tits. If only her hazel eyes and curvaceous body didn’t filter into my every thought and every fantasy. If only I could stop wanting to touch myself over the thought of what it would be like to actually be with her; if our encounter the other night had occurred under different circumstances and we hadn’t stopped. Looking at her frightened face right now, I realized it was going to take all of my willpower to make that happen. There was a deep, primal tug inside of me, begging me to rescue her, to make

her feel better, to claim her for good and make her mine. Shit. Life with Rayna as my stepsister was going to be fucking hard….and it wasn’t the only thing that was fucking hard.

Chapter 7 Rayna Jace’s room was nothing like I expected. I wasn’t sure what I’d thought, really—maybe pictures of scantily-clad women plastered all over his walls, dirty plates everywhere and a whiskey bottle sitting in the corner somewhere. I thought it would really scream ‘Jace’, and from what I’d been told about him, partying and sex was all he was about. Instead, the room was smartlydesigned and clean. Granted, he’d only just moved back to the manor, so maybe he simply hadn’t had time to trash the

place yet, but still, it was refreshing to see a young guy with such a nice room. The first thing I spotted was a seriously cool record collection. I’d never thought of him as a Beatles or Rolling Stones fan, and vinyl and oldschool rock didn’t fit with the image that I had of him in my mind. He seemed more of a hardcore raver type like every other young guy these days, but there was obviously more to him than met the eye, and I really needed to stop trusting my assumptions, as they were so clearly wrong more often than not these days. I wandered over to the record collection and scanned the albums for some of my favorites. I could see him watching me curiously from the corner

of my eye, so I started to hum Octopus’ Garden, just to show him that I was cool with his tastes. I wasn’t sure why that was important, but despite everything, I still wanted him to like me. “I know, I know,” he said with a grin. “My taste in music isn’t exactly cool.” “What?” I replied. “What do you mean? I love all of these bands, especially the Beatles. Octopus’ Garden is actually one of my favorite songs. I heard this orchestral version of it once, and it was amazing. Honestly, I can actually picture myself walking down the aisle to that version of it one day, if I ever get married.”

Even though I was babbling—about getting married, no less—it was nice to talk about something else other than what I’d just seen out in the hallway. My heart was still pounding but my legs were no longer trembling, and I felt warm and safe in Jace’s presence, and while we hadn’t exactly been friends since our first few encounters with each other, that seemed to be quickly changing. I was glad for that. “Really?” he replied, arching a brow. “I’ve spent half my life being teased by my mates because I don’t only like the trance music that we used to listen to when…” His voice trailed off, as if he couldn’t bear to finish that sentence.

“When you went out?” I asked. I already knew that he had a wild history, so that news wasn’t exactly going to bother me. “You know, sometimes I used to go out and act stupidly with my friends too. You should’ve seen the number of cocktails we got through on Spring Break a few months ago.” “Yeah?” he replied with a grin. “I can just imagine you on Girls Gone Wild.” A warm blush crept over my cheeks. Did that mean he was picturing me dancing on tables and flashing my breasts at random guys? I’d never gone that far with my vacation antics. “Very funny, Jace,” I mumbled. For

some reason, his comment had also made me imagine all the girls he was used to hanging around at parties—the girls who liked to get wild and flash their bodies for the cameras. He’d probably had sex with hundreds of them, considering how hot and desirable he was, and the thought drove me insane. Sensing that he might’ve gone too far, Jace changed the subject. “Would you like a cup of tea? It’s supposed to be good for shock, and you looked pretty damn shocked out there.” I couldn’t help but smile at this. “I swear you English people use tea as the answer to everything. We hardly ever drink it in America. I mean, some people do, but coffee is way more popular.”

“Yeah, but you’re not there now, are you?” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “You’re here.” “True. Well, if you’re offering, then yes, I’d love some tea,” I said. “Thanks.” “Sure. I’ll be back in a moment. Try not to get attacked by any poltergeists.” “Not funny!” I said, but a smile was still creeping over my face anyway. As he left the room, I took the opportunity to have a better look around. I wasn’t exactly snooping, it was more like investigating. I was trying to get a fuller picture of who Jace really was, and it was damn near impossible

because he kept on surprising me. My eyes kept fixating on the massive bookshelf sitting on one side of the room. From the looks of it, he was an avid reader across almost every major genre, which once again seemed so out of character for the guy I’d heard so much about. Seeing this other side to him made me wonder if we actually had a lot more in common than first met the eye. We both liked things that made us a little different to most other people our age. We both liked old-school music and reading, and from the look of his film collection, we both liked cheesy eighties movies as well. I quickly turned away from the shelf as I heard Jace walking back up the

stairs a few minutes later. For some reason, books felt more personal than music, and I didn’t want to look like I’d been going through them, so instead I sat on the bed and pretended to look at my fingernails. As Jace stepped back through the door, confused emotions began to swirl around in my mind. If I’d hoped that finding out more about Jace would put me off him, then I’d been terribly wrong, because everything I learned about him just made the feelings that I was trying desperately to ignore stronger and stronger. I could feel my body heating up as my core throbbed with need, and I watched him set the cup of tea down on

one of the bedside tables before stretching and yawning. As he stretched his arms above his head, his T-shirt lifted slightly, and I could barely even choke out the words ‘thanks for the drink’ as my gaze went straight to his hard muscles. God…we’d only had one brief hookup the other night, and he was already like a drug that I couldn’t quit. As I picked up the teacup, I tried my best to push my feelings aside for what felt like the hundredth time, and I reminded myself how my Mom would react if she knew how I was lusting over the guy who was about to be her stepson. But then my eyes connected with Jace’s again, and all of that just flew right out of the window…

“Do your tattoos mean something?” I blurted out, desperately trying to find a safe topic to talk about. I wasn’t convinced that anything involving me looking at his body was a good idea, but it was too late now. I’d already spoken. “Yeah, most of them,” he replied. “Can you tell me about them?” He eyed me suspiciously for a moment. “Rayna Silva, are you trying to get me naked?” he said in a teasing tone, before lifting his shirt and pointing to a tattoo on his chest. “Just kidding. Anyway, I got this one first. It’s the worst one I have, but I was eighteen and stupid and all of my friends were getting them. It was the only one I got out of a

book.” “Where did the rest of them come from?” I asked. My own skin was a blank canvas, completely untouched by ink, and I’d never been tempted to get any, but looking at all of the artwork drawn on Jace, I could see why some people liked to have tattoos. “I designed them myself,” he said, as if this was the most innocuous statement on earth. I was completely blown away by that—his work was fantastic. The designs covering his chest and arms were amazing, like nothing I’d ever seen before. “This rose here, I drew for my Mom. And this little thing here, I

designed when I finished my first term at uni.” “Wow, you’re really talented.” I shuffled closer to him to get a better look. “You should totally be an artist or something.” “Thanks. I do like drawing and designing the tatts, but it’s more of a hobby. On the creative front, I’ve actually always been more interested in writing. Even did an elective class on creative writing and publishing while I was still at uni.” I still didn’t know why he’d dropped out of college, but now didn’t seem like the right time to ask, so I asked another question instead.

“Is that what you’re going to do, then? Become an author?” He stiffened at this. “No. That’s just a pipe dream. I know I’m not doing much at the moment, but I need to figure something out soon, and it has to be serious. A real job. I’m interviewing at some of my Dad’s friend’s finance companies soon. If all else fails, I’ll just work at his company.” “Well, that’s good, but being an author isn’t a pipe dream if you’re seriously talented, and I bet you are. I mean, look at all these books,” I said, gesturing at his shelf. “People who read a lot are usually pretty good at writing.” “Mm. I guess.”

I was about to mention some good online creative writing courses I’d heard of, but Jace’s expression suggested that the subject was already closed. “Okay, so what does ‘Be only you’ mean? Is that an inspirational quote of yours?” I added hurriedly, pointing at another one of his tattoos. I smiled as I spoke, trying to bring back the light atmosphere that had been surrounding us before I’d mentioned the publishing career thing. “It’s from my favorite book.” He said this hesitantly, as if he wasn’t sure how I would react. “World’s Over. Have you ever read it?” I shook my head. “Never heard of

it.” He walked over to the bookshelf. “Would you like to borrow it? I think you’d like it.” “Sure.” He returned to the bed and handed it to me, and I took it from him, touched by the kind gesture. Books were a personal thing; at least for me, and I’d only ever lend ones I owned to people I liked and trusted. “Thanks,” I said softly. We fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments, before Jace brought up what had happened earlier again. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, and I swear I’m not calling you a liar or anything, but could you tell me again

what you saw in the hallway?” I could understand him asking this question. I sounded completely insane, claiming to have seen a ghost, but I knew the woman I’d seen in the hall hadn’t been my Mom. On top of that, the manor’s housekeeper and maids didn’t live at the manor, so none of them would’ve been sleeping here. “I woke up needing a drink, so I left my room to get one, but as I got out into the hallway, I saw a woman standing near the stairwell. She was just staring at me, and she had this long white gown on. Look, I know it sounds crazy.” “Just a bit. Anyway, go on.” “I was so scared, and I barely even

knew what I was doing, but I crouched down on the floor—I guess as some sort of reflex action. Then I shut my eyes and screamed, and when I looked up, she was gone.” “Is it possible you were sleepwalking? Maybe you just had a really bad dream where you were seeing things in the hall, and then when you screamed, you woke yourself up and actually found yourself out in the hall because you’d sleepwalked out there.” I shook my head. “No. I know I was awake. I know what I saw, and I’ve never sleepwalked before.” He didn’t have to believe me—of course, it’d make it much easier if he did

—but I knew the truth regardless. Someone or something had definitely been out in the hallway. I wasn’t exactly a massive believer in the supernatural, but now I was questioning everything. “Okay, okay.” Jace lifted his hands up in defeat, but I could still see the small smile playing on his lips. “Before Dad leaves for that trip tomorrow, we’ll ask and see if he knows anything. This place is bloody old, so who knows? Maybe we have a friendly manor ghost.” “She didn’t exactly seem friendly from the way she was staring at me. Anyway, where’s your Dad going?” “He and your Mom are going away for a few days, remember?”

“No?” Jace’s forehead wrinkled. “What time did you go to sleep tonight?” “Six.” “Ah. That explains it. Dad called me while I was out earlier to tell me what was going on. Apparently your Mom left just after six. He said she got a call from an American friend of hers who also lives in London now, and they were going to have dinner. Anyway, her friend ended up inviting her to stay for a few nights at the new bed and breakfast place she owns, as a sort of pre-wedding gift. She invited Dad too, but he had too much work to do in his office, so he told your Mom to go on ahead and spend the night

there tonight, and he’s joining her tomorrow. They’ll be gone for three days.” “Wow, okay. I thought she’d wake me up to tell me something like that.” He shrugged. “She probably figured she should let you sleep and then just call you and let you know tomorrow. Anyway, like I said, go and ask Dad about the history of this place tomorrow, before he leaves. I’m sure he’ll help get this ghost situation of yours sorted out in no time.” I nodded. “Thanks, I’ll do that. I feel like such an idiot, but I swear I saw something.” He patted me on the shoulder. “I

know. Anyway, you’re clearly exhausted, so why don’t you try to get some rest?” “Um….I don’t know if I can.” I was tired, but I wasn’t exactly keen on returning to my room and being alone right now. “If it makes you feel safer, you can sleep in my bed. Don’t worry, I’ll take the sofa,” he said, gesturing towards the black leather couch on the eastern wall of his room. “Are you sure?” I asked, embarrassed at how childish I was being. Next I’d probably be asking to have a night-light installed in my room.

“Of course,” he said. “And I’ll protect you from any other ghosts or monsters that might come in,” he added with a wink. “Ha. You’re so funny,” I said, voice tinged with sarcasm. He grinned. “Sorry. Couldn’t resist.” A half-smile curled my lips up at the corners. “Well…thanks for letting me have your bed. I know you think I’m an idiot, but the idea of sleeping alone right now really sucks,” I admitted. “I don’t think you’re an idiot. I think you just had a weird experience, and until we’ve come up with a rational explanation for it, it’s only natural that you might be a bit freaked out.”

“I guess. I still feel dumb, though,” I said before stifling a yawn. “Anyway, goodnight.” “Night.” Before I got the opportunity to lie down, Jace pulled me in for a deep and comforting hug, and I leaned into him, allowing my body to rest against his. I inhaled his familiar musky scent, which dragged my thoughts right back to the night of the party. His lips on mine… His hands roaming over every inch of my curves… His hard body pressed up against mine…

A tingling sensation started to form in the pit of my stomach, and I squirmed as wetness exploded between my legs. This was no innocent hug between two people who were about to be related. It felt as if we were back in that room with the massive four-poster bed, masks still covering our identities and hands still exploring each other’s bodies with wild abandon. I wanted desperately to be back there before the masks came off, only this time I’d keep my mouth shut and allow our hot and heavy encounter to continue. If I hadn’t known it was wrong that night, I might very well have let Jace take me then and there, and while he was embracing me in this way, I wished that

he had, just so I’d know what it felt like. Just so I’d know how good it could get. Jace started to rub my back, and he pulled me in closer, our bodies meshing together perfectly. I could feel his hardness pressing up against me, and wild shivers went down my spine as I pictured him thrusting inside me. God, I wanted that so badly… With only this thought in my mind now, and everything else completely forgotten, I leaned back and pressed my lips firmly against his.

Chapter 8 Jace I hadn’t been able to resist. I had to hug Rayna before she went to sleep—she looked so tired and worried. I convinced myself that I was doing it as a brotherly act, but I knew it was a bad idea; knew I probably wouldn’t be able to stop my cock from stiffening as she pressed up against me in the hug. When she suddenly kissed me, I was powerless to stop her….not that I wanted her to stop.

Hell no. We kissed hard and fast, and her hands began to work their way up my body, slowly tugging my T-shirt over my head. She broke away from my lips as I helped her get the shirt all the way off, and there was a hungry look in her eyes, one that was desperate to devour me. Seeing her need this just as much as I did turned me on more than anything else ever had, and I pressed my lips back to hers. I’d seen a similar look on girls before—usually they were gagging for it by the time we got down and dirty—but it’d never affected me as much as this. Deep down I knew it was because my feelings for Rayna already ran much

deeper than anything I’d ever experienced before, but I wasn’t quite ready to admit that to myself just yet. This was far more than just a lust-filled hookup, but if I accepted that, then I knew I was heading right into trouble… and trouble was what I was trying to avoid. That wasn’t going to stop it from happening right here in my bedroom, though. I usually kept my torrid sex life as far away from my home life as possible, because I didn’t like people judging me for my stuff; I almost always took the girls back to their houses or did it somewhere more public—cars, bathrooms, even cold alleyways. However, Rayna made me feel awesome

about my taste in things, and she didn’t judge me at all. I almost felt as if she belonged here already…and to be fair, she kinda did. After all, this was her home now, right here in the manor with me and the rest of the family. Somehow that thought made this entire experience even hotter; the forbidden nature igniting a brightly-burning fire within me. She moaned against my mouth, and I pulled away for a second. “Tell me to stop,” I murmured against her lips, my hand cupping her ass cheeks. “Tell me this is a bad idea, and I’ll stop.” “No. Don’t stop,” she said, flashing me a bold stare. I grinned. That was exactly what I wanted to hear.

I broke away from her and slid out of my pants, and Rayna bit her lower lip as I stood before her in only my boxers. I could tell she was nervous by her slightly-trembling hands, but the lusty look in her eyes made it clear she was ready. I hurriedly stripped off her top and pajama pants, leaving her in only her panties, and I sat down on the end of the bed and pulled her onto my lap. “God…you’re so fucking beautiful,” I said, taking a second to look her over. She really was. She was perfect in every way; every curve, every inch…all of her. She straddled me and lowered her lips to mine again, and the tips of my

fingers roamed over her soft skin, caressing every sensational curve before cupping her breasts and pinching her nipples with one hand. She gasped, and I grinned and used my free hand to steady her on top of me. “You sure about this?” I asked, voice gravelly with need. “I’m sure,” she replied, not taking her eyes off me for a second. In one quick movement I threw her onto the bed, eliciting another surprised gasp from her. My hands went to her shoulders and coasted down over her perfect figure, and her warm breath caressed me as I gently nipped at her earlobes. She moaned loudly, and with

that, I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers again, kissing her with an animallike urgency, and she parted her lips, allowing me to deepen the kiss and explore her mouth with my tongue. Heat from her mouth began to trickle into mine, and my groin flooded with a pulsing warmth that only added to the burning desire I already felt deep inside. The kiss seemed to last forever, and my mind clouded as my tongue glided past her lips to entwine with hers. I knew this was wrong; of course I did. But fuck, nothing had ever felt so right. I blocked out the thoughts telling me this was wrong and pulled away from

the kiss, gazing down at Rayna. She wanted me to fuck her—I knew she did, it was written all over her damn face— but I wasn’t going to. Not yet, anyway. I needed to make her come, to make her lose herself before I could. I wanted to see her face contorted in ecstasy, I wanted to learn what got her going, and I was desperate to see her fall apart at my touch. I moved my mouth down her body, and I could smell the sweet desire radiating off her. At first, she looked like she wasn’t quite sure what I was doing, but as soon as she clicked, she tossed her head back and tightly gripped the sheets beneath her. Her curvy body writhing on my bed was the sexiest

fucking thing I’d ever seen in my entire life. I eventually reached her lower belly and began flicking my tongue over her soft skin, just teasing her. Her arched back and bucking body was clearly desperate to be played with, but I wanted to make her beg for it first. “Oh, god,” she moaned. “Oh fuck, Jace.” With that, I pulled her panties down and slid them over her ankles, and she lay before me, completely naked and quivering with anticipation. She gasped again as I moved my body further down between her thighs, lapping at her delicate skin and inhaling deeply. I could

see her pussy glistening with slick desire, and I could feel the heat emanating from her center. It wouldn’t be long before she started begging, and as if on cue, she gave me exactly what I needed. Moaning, she raised her head and watched me over the curves of her breasts and belly. “Jace…please…I need you.” I feigned a confused expression, teasing her even more. “Need me to what?” “You know what…so do it!” she said. I grinned and moved my mouth over her folds, tasting her juices and running

my tongue up and down in long, fluid motions, and I groaned with delight as Rayna reached down and stroked my hair in encouragement, threading her fingers through to hold my head steady. Christ, she was demanding when she was horny. I fucking loved that about her. My tongue soon located the sensitive, throbbing nub of her clit, and I licked and gently sucked over and around it. Rayna’s body began to shake even more, and I drew my head back a second later and stared up at her. Her eyes seemingly bored right into my soul, and then I leaned back down. Once again my tongue raked across her most sensitive spot, making her writhe and

moan as she thrust her hips. My swirling tongue was relentless as it lapped over her swollen pussy, and seconds later I carefully slid a thick finger inside her, letting out a deep groan of approval as I felt just how wet and ready she was for me. “Oh…Jace.” She began to pant hard, as if she was struggling to breathe through all of the pleasure, and I knew she was about to come. I kept licking and gently nibbling at her clit, keeping my head at an angle so that I could look up at her at the same time, just so I could see her losing it. She was going wild and loving every damn second of it, and I needed to see that because it made me hornier than

anything. “Oh…shit.” Suddenly something seemed to snap within her, just as I was making the decision to fuck her until she came over and over again. I was desperate to know what her tight pussy felt like around my cock, but it looked like I was never going to get the chance, because she squeezed her legs tighter and sat up to push me backwards. “Shit…no, no, no. Jace, we can’t. We just…we can’t. I’m sorry.” It seemed that she was getting one of those awful stabs of conscience I’d been getting earlier. “We can,” I said. “Our parents aren’t even married yet. You’re not really my

stepsister.” “I know, but I just can’t do this to my Mom, no matter how much we want to. If she ever found out…” She scrambled around for her clothes and started putting them back on, much to my disappointment. “I have to go back to my own room.” The moment was officially over, cut short just like our last heated encounter, but at least I knew why this time. “Okay. Yeah, I get it,” I replied, nodding even though I didn’t really get it. She thought us being with each other was a mistake, and she thought she was doing the right thing by stopping, but

something was telling me that the opposite was actually true. The real mistake was preventing such a wonderful moment and stopping a budding relationship like the one we had. We’d barely known each other for more than a day or so, and yet I could already tell there was something between us; something real. Something incredible. “This can’t happen again. I’m sorry,” Rayna repeated, unable to meet my eyes. Then she rushed to my door and looked over her shoulder, giving my room one last lingering look before opening the door and disappearing into the cold, dark hallway.

Well, at least our failed hookup had managed to cure her fear of the alleged ghost in the hall, right?

Chapter 9 Rayna Leaving Jace’s room that night was one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do. I’d wanted so badly to stay…and yet I hadn’t. The next few weeks passed in a blur, without even a mention of what had happened. Jace and I went out of our way to avoid eye contact with one another whenever we had family breakfasts or dinners, not because we didn’t like each other, but because we both knew what would happen if we let ourselves be alone again….and that

couldn’t happen. I’d known that when we’d been kissing and stripping each other, and yet I’d still let it get that far— I’d literally been on the verge of a powerful orgasm when my conscience had finally forced me out of there, and believe me, nothing had ever been more difficult. Now I knew exactly how it felt when guys said they had blue balls. I couldn’t believe that I’d allowed it to go so far again. Actually, scratch that —I could believe it. I’d been so unbelievably turned on; it was like ninety-nine percent of my brain cells just ceased to function when Jace’s mouth was on me. I’d never felt like that in my life, and I’d kept begging my conscience: please…I know this is wrong, but god,

just one more second. Just one more minute. Just one more….oh, hell, give me a whole millennium of this. Sure, I’d had boyfriends in the past —two to be exact—and with both of those guys, I’d had a decent sex life. But that had been it; just decent. With Jace’s hands and mouth on my body, I felt like I was on top of the world, like I needed him more than life, more than air, and we hadn’t even had sex yet. God, how I wanted to…. Notwithstanding my mission to avoid Jace as much as possible, I hadn’t seen that much of him in the last couple of weeks because he’d gotten a job at one of the finance companies he’d

interviewed at, so he was often away during the day until six or so. The only time we really saw each other was at breakfast and dinner, which we almost always ate with our parents, so there was no chance for any awkward or embarrassing conversation, which was a small blessing. Honestly, though, I was actually feeling more sad than embarrassed over the whole incident. As I’d walked from his room that night, I’d told myself that I was doing the right thing, but as I lay there in my bed afterwards, desperately trying to get to sleep again, I’d felt more alone than ever before. That was when the tears had started falling… As soon as I’d realized just how

upset I was, I’d known I needed to distract myself from all those thoughts before I ended up doing something stupid. So instead of talking to anyone about it, which would likely only serve to make things worse, I’d thrown myself into helping Mom and Gerald with the upcoming wedding preparations, and now that four weeks had passed, the wedding was only two days away. I’d also done my best to finally settle into my new life in England. I’d had my American driver’s license transferred over to an English one so I could officially drive here, and while I wasn’t quite used to driving on the left side of the road yet, the roads meandering around the manor estate were spacious

and empty enough for me to practice on. It really was lovely out here. The city wasn’t too far away, but there was also fresh air and sprawling green fields, and I was very lucky to be staying here. On top of the wedding preparations, I’d also gone and visited a lot of historical and archaeological sites, just like Jace had suggested on the first night we’d met. After our short chat about heritage law, I’d found myself thinking about it more and more, and I really thought it was something I could get into. There were a few relevant classes I could take once the university term started here in six weeks, and I was looking forward to having my studies to distract myself from Jace.

In fact, speaking of distractions and historical things, something had only just occurred to me. With all the tension surrounding me and Jace in the last few weeks, I’d completely forgotten the terrifying incident in the manor that had led to me going into Jace’s room that night. My so-called ghost. Honestly, now that so much time had passed, the whole thing felt a little ridiculous. Jace was right; it was probably just a nightmare, and I’d probably sleepwalked out into the hall. Still, I found myself wanting to ask Gerald about it, like Jace had suggested. Even if there was nothing supernatural about the manor, it’d still be interesting

to hear about the history of the place. Right now, it was early on a Thursday morning, and Jace, Gerald, Mom and I were sitting around the breakfast table. The tension between Jace and me was still thick in the air, and I didn’t dare look at him, in case I was tempted to reach under the table and slide my hand up his leg. “Gerald, can I ask you something?” I said, looking over at our parents. “Hm…okay,” Gerald replied, barely even looking up from his newspaper. “I was just wondering about the history of this manor,” I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jace watching me as he chewed on a piece of

toast. “Um…has anyone ever thought that maybe the place is haunted?” Gerald scoffed and looked up. “Haunted?” I gave him a strained smile, knowing how dumb I sounded. “Well, I got up in the middle of the night a few weeks ago —around about the time you and Mom went to visit her friend’s B&B—and I swear I saw this woman standing in the hallway right near my room. She was wearing a long white gown, and I thought…well, I know how stupid it sounds, but I honestly thought she was a ghost.” Mom smiled at me. “Rayna, honey, I think you might’ve been watching too

many movies.” Gerald nodded. “Yes, you must have been sleepwalking, or simply imagined it after seeing a scary movie.” “Well, when I found her shrieking about it in the hall, she was definitely wide awake,” Jace said, cutting in. “There must be some other rational explanation. Some sort of moonlight mirage, perhaps.” I finally looked directly at him for the first time in what felt like forever, flashing him a grateful glance for stepping in. He smiled back at me, and my core tingled with desire, making me shift uncomfortably in my chair as wet heat flooded my panties.

Gerald raised his eyebrows. “So you really think you saw something?” “I think so, yes. But even if I didn’t, I thought it would be cool to know about the history of this place,” I said. He nodded. “Well, as you know, there’s an extensive library on the second floor, in the east wing. There’s a few books in there that detail the history of this whole area, so that’d be a start. As for your alleged ghost, if you honestly think you saw a woman in here, then I might have to look into upping security around here.” “Security?” He nodded again. “We already have the fences and gates with their security

cameras, and the alarm system in the house—plus the added benefit of being quite far out, so people wouldn’t usually just try to wander onto the estate. But who knows? Perhaps some drunk woman was in the area for some reason, and she somehow managed to get in. Not sure why, as nothing has been taken, but I can’t think of any other reason why you might’ve seen someone.” “Oh. I didn’t even consider the possibility of an intruder. I just assumed…” ‘That this place is safe?” he said. “I would’ve thought so too, considering how bloody much I pay for the security measures, but just to be sure, I’ll call up my security company and have them

check the feed from the cameras near the front gate. If they saw anyone unusual come onto the estate during the last few weeks, then they really should’ve told me, but I’ll call them anyway and make sure, just so we all have some peace of mind.” “That’s very thoughtful of you, darling,” Mom said, squeezing his arm. “I’m sure Rayna was just having a nightmare, though.” Speaking of nightmares…with the way Jace was staring at me now, and the way my body was wantonly responding to that, it looked like I was going to be trapped in one for quite some time. All I wanted to do was touch him, but as long as our parents were together, nothing

like that could happen, so I was trapped in this sexual limbo where I couldn’t even think of another guy. I pictured myself leaping across the table and onto Jace’s lap, where he could kiss me, strip me, and bounce me up and down on his hard cock, and as the images flashed in my mind, I sighed quietly to myself. It was an extremely vivid fantasy…but it was one which could only exist in my head from now on. Dammit…

Chapter 10 Rayna “Rayna, have you seen my hairpin? The one with the turquoise stones set on it.” I turned to my Mom with a smile, holding up her hairpin. “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ve got your ‘something blue’.” Her face sagged with relief, and she took the pin from me and gave it to the hairdresser, who’d just arrived at the manor. The wedding day had finally arrived, and we were getting ready in a large guest bedroom on the second floor.

The ceremony was being held here on the manor estate, and the subsequent reception was to be held at a ritzy hotel in downtown London. Even though it was Gerald’s fourth wedding—or was it his fifth? I couldn’t remember—he’d still gone all out and made sure my Mom had her dream day, which was really sweet of him. A lot of money had been spent, a lot of people had been invited, and it was going to be featured in the wedding section of the country’s biggest paper. Two hours later, we headed out into the extensive gardens, where two hundred guests were gathered. They were sitting in French-style white chairs on either side of a cream runner carpet

that had been set up on the perfectly manicured lawn, and beautiful pink floral arrangements adorned each row. For a place like England, which probably often had grey skies this time of year, it was actually a beautiful day for a wedding—not a cloud in the sky, and the horizon had never seemed brighter. Too bad I couldn’t say the same for my mood. I knew I should be happy for my Mom and Gerald on their special day, and I was, but still, knowing that Jace would officially be my stepbrother soon had made a dark cloud descend on my mood, and I couldn’t shake it, no matter how hard I tried.

A string quartet began to play a classical song, and everyone stood and turned to watch as I headed up the carpet, smiling and holding my little bouquet of pink peonies. I was Mom’s only bridesmaid, and Jace was Gerald’s only groomsman, so when I arrived at the wreathed arch at the end of the runner, he was standing directly opposite me, staring at me. I looked back at him, and he gave me a half-smile; a smile which made me die a little on the inside. He was so close, only a few feet away, and those eyes of his…the way he looked at me… Determined, I looked away. I would not like him like that anymore.

What the hell was wrong with me, anyway? How was I not over our two failed hookups after this long? Not only that, I was being incredibly selfish. This was my Mom’s day, and I was making it all about me and Jace. With that guilty thought, I turned and watched my mother walk down the aisle. Her face was radiant, and I really was happy to see her like this; glowing with joy and anticipation. I hadn’t been sure about Gerald at first, seeing as he’d just been some internet stranger when I’d first heard of him, but the two of them seemed very happy together, and by now I was sure they’d be happy for a long time. While Gerald could be gruff sometimes and had been through previous

relationships like a box of tissues during flu season, he seemed to have his heart in the right place when it came to Mom. When Mom finally reached the altar, the priest smiled and looked at us. “Friends, family…welcome. Today we are gathered here to celebrate the wonderful union of…” He started the whole spiel, and in what felt like just a few seconds, it was done, and my Mom was kissing her brand new husband. I finally dared another glance at Jace, and I saw that the half-smile was gone from his face now. His expression was stony, and I wondered what he was thinking. Was he angry at his father for putting him through yet another wedding ceremony? Or was

he thinking about me and wishing we hadn’t just become legally bound as siblings? Either way, it didn’t matter. Our parents were officially married now, so whatever Jace and I had shared during those brief encounters of ours…it was really over. Over for good. *** Most of the people at the reception were posh, uptight people from the upper class world that Gerald inhabited, and I’d made polite yet awkward conversation with a few of them for as

long as I could handle it. After a while, I needed a break from it all, so when the food had been served and the liquor was flowing, I sat at a table in one corner, sipping champagne and sneakily reading snippets of the book I’d hidden in my bag. It was the book Jace had lent me weeks ago—World’s Over. I’d only just had the chance to start reading it, seeing as I’d been so busy with everything else lately, and so far, I loved it. There was a central mystery along with action, romance and other thrilling moments, and I could see why it was one of Jace’s favorites. Reading it made me feel strangely close to him, even though we hadn’t talked in weeks, and funnily

enough, it was actually the book that made us finally speak to each other after all this time. As I sat there reading, I suddenly had the distinct feeling that I was being watched, and I looked up to see Jace standing in front of me, looking handsome as heck in his tux. “Enjoying the book?” he asked. My cheeks flushed, partly from seeing him, and partly from being caught out hiding in the corner. “Yeah. It’s great.” “Reading at a wedding reception, though…being a bit antisocial, huh?” “Uh, yeah. Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. This party is stiffer than a teenage boy upon seeing his first pair of tits.” “Should you really be talking about teenage boy’s erections at our parent’s wedding?” I asked, arching a brow. He grinned. “Oh, shut up.” I smiled back at him. Despite all the weeks of silence, we’d somehow fallen right back into regular conversation with very little awkwardness. “So what part are you up to?” he asked, gesturing towards the book. “The NASA scientists have just figured out where the supposed extraterrestrial signal was coming from,

and I think Billy-Joe is about to kiss Lola.” Jace laughed. “You reckon?” “Yeah. They end up together, right?” “You’ll see,” he said softly. We looked at each other, charged tension thick in the air between us. We’d only been talking about the characters in the book, but for some reason it felt like we were both referring to us. “Do you want another champagne?” Jace asked, changing the subject. “Yeah, sure. Thanks.” I watched him get up and approach a waiter, and he made polite conversation with him and then headed back over to

me a moment later with two full champagne flutes. “Here.” He handed one to me, and I gratefully accepted it. “Thanks. Hey, do you mind if I ask you something?” I asked. “Sure.” “Well…this is gonna be an awkward question…” I said, my voice trailing off uncertainly. “I think we already passed the point of awkward when we first hooked up and only realized we were going to be siblings after the fact,” he said with a grin. “Doesn’t get more awkward than that.”

“True. Okay, well, I saw you talking to that waiter just now.” “Uh-huh.” “I just noticed that you’re much politer to the wait staff than some of the supposed ‘elite class’ here, who were meant to be raised with all these good manners and so on. That’s who you are —a naturally nice guy. Most of the time, anyway. So why do you feel the need to hide that from certain people?” He stared at me, his expression impassive. “What do you mean?” “I mean…you just seem to have so many sides. My friend Liana told me that you’re meant to be this douchebag party animal sex addict—”

He cut me off with a snort of laughter. “Sex addict, huh?” “Yes. You probably are a sex addict, but you’re not a douchebag. At least not all of the time. When you think no one’s watching, you’re actually pretty cool and nice. So why hide that?” He sighed. ”You really wanna know? Might be a long story.” “Of course.” He shrugged and gestured around us at the rich reception guests, clinking their glasses together as they swanned around in their elegant designer gowns and suits. “See all these people?” he said. “As stiff and annoying as I might find them, I grew up around this posh

crap, so I know how to act around them and fit in. I know how to play the role of the polite trust fund kid, basically. But with some of my friends…well, it’s hard to explain.” “I’ll try to understand.” “Okay. This will probably sound really whiny, like I’m complaining about all the good fortune I’ve had, but that’s not how I mean it. But anyway, you know how wealthy my Dad is. He’s an asshole most of the time—don’t give me that look, you barely know him. Just wait, you’ll see. Anyway, as I was saying, he can be a prick, but he’s still taken care of me and my mother, financially speaking. I’ve never had to worry about money.”

I nodded. “Uh-huh.” “I went to a good school; one of the best in the country. But just because a school is good doesn’t mean all the students are good people.” “Yeah, I get that. Some of the biggest assholes I knew back in the States went to the best schools.” “Exactly. Anyway, I sort of had two main groups of friends back in school. The first group had guys like Tom, who I think you met at the masquerade party— he’s the guy whose house it was at. Nice guy, doesn’t get into trouble. Easy to fit in with as long as you aren’t a serial killer. So yeah, first group was a bunch of guys like him.”

“Uh-huh.” “The second group was more like the ‘cool’ kids. Like some teenagers do, they wanted to grow up too fast, and after a while, I started ditching the first group more often to hang out with the second. I wanted to seem cool; wanted to fit in. So I changed.” “You changed?” He nodded. “Yeah. I started drinking and partying on weekends with them, and by the time we started uni, I was in pretty deep, and a lot of us were starting on more serious shit.” “What do you mean?” “Pills. Weed. Coke. That kinda shit.

And I paid for most of it. A lot of the supposed cool kids came from families who either cut them off financially once their parents figured out what they were doing, or they just didn’t have that much. But my Dad never gave a shit what I did. So yeah, I footed the bill a lot, and bought a metric fuck-ton of drugs over the last two years. I guess you could say we all got a bit addicted.” My eyes widened. “Oh.” I’d known Jace had a wild past, but I had no idea he’d been that wild. I’d known a few people who’d smoked pot back in high school, and even a guy who’d been hooked on his brother’s ADHD meds for a semester during my first year at college, but I’d never known

anyone who was addicted to party drugs. As a result, I wasn’t quite sure what the right thing to say was, but I was glad he was telling me about it. It meant he trusted me with his problems, and the thought made my heart flutter. “I dropped out of uni in Manchester because I wanted to get away from it all. Went to live in my Mom’s city up in Scotland for a fresh start, but I fell right back into all that kinda shit with another crowd of people. It was even worse. I really fucked things up.” Something told me I shouldn’t press him for details on what exactly he’d done to fuck things up. If he wanted to tell me, he’d go ahead and do it, and I wouldn’t gain his trust by being invasive

and nosy. “Oh. I’m sorry. So that’s why you came back to London?” I said instead. “Yeah. Trying to stay out of trouble. Don’t get me wrong, at the time I was more than willing to go along for the ride,” he said. There was no self-pity in his voice at all, just acceptance about what he’d done. “But I lost myself along the way. I guess I started to be a different person to fit into the lifestyle and all, and pretty soon I was like that most of the time. It’s weird; sometimes I think I’m still the normal guy I used to be, but most of the time I think I’ve really become the asshole I started pretending to be when I was eighteen. Like I pretended so much that it became real.

Like the mask I put on became my real face.” I nodded slowly, and Jace arched an eyebrow. “So does that long, boring sob story answer your question?” “Yes. The douchebag party animal thing is like a mask you originally put on to fit in, and it sort of became part of who you are.” “Yeah.” “Well, you don’t have to act like that around me,” I said. “I kinda like the original Jace. The nice one.” “Thanks. And what about you…how are you gonna act around me from now on?”

“Huh?” “You’ve been avoiding me for the last few weeks. But you really don’t need to. I get it; I get why you think we shouldn’t talk. But we can be friends, Rayna. I’m not gonna try and seduce you over the breakfast table every morning,” he said. “Believe it or not, I kinda like the real Rayna too, from what I’ve seen so far, even if we can’t touch each other. So what d’ya say…friends?” I gave him a tentative half-smile. “You really think we can just be friends, without any of the….you know…the hooking up stuff?” “Sure. Friends without benefits,” he said with a teasing smile. “If you even

want to be friends with me, that is.” “Yeah, I do. I’m sorry I haven’t been talking to you. But on the other hand….well, I hate to sound like a broken record, but a guy I know once told me that it takes two to tango.” He grinned at that. “Yeah, I know, I haven’t been talking to you either. Honestly, I just figured you needed some space.” “Well, not anymore. You’re right, we can just be friends,” I said. “After all, we have to live together for god knows how long, so we may as well get along. Just don’t call me ‘sis’.” Jace chuckled. “All right, I’ll call you ‘bro’ instead.”

“Don’t you dare.” He grinned, then held up his champagne. “Well, Rayna,” he said. “To friendship without benefits.” “Friendship without benefits,” I echoed with a smile, holding up my glass to toast his. Jace was right. If we liked hanging out together and generally got along well, then there was no reason we couldn’t just try to be buddies, like normal stepsiblings usually managed to do. We’d be able to keep things platonic and keep our hands off each other—I could totally manage that, and things would be fine. It couldn’t be that hard, could it?

Yeah, I was totally lying to myself…

Chapter 11 Jace I lay in my bed later that night, wondering why it had been so damn easy to open up to Rayna. I never discussed my past, not with anyone, yet with her it had been so simple. I’d basically poured my heart out to her at the reception—not the worst parts, but the general story of what had happened to me in the last two years—and let her know exactly who I was and why I’d become this way. It was the truth, and I’d finally admitted it;

admitted that I’d become a huge douchebag in the last couple of years. But that didn’t mean I had to like who I’d become. With Rayna around, I was beginning to think there was another way through life. If she could like me and accept me for who I really was deep down, then surely others could too. I usually found it difficult, if not impossible, to talk about my feelings and experiences with my friends, and I couldn’t even discuss it with my family. To be honest, that was the reason things had gone so sour with my Mom recently. When I dropped out of uni and moved in with her to try starting afresh a year ago, she couldn’t

understand how much I’d changed; how I’d gone from a normal kid to the trashy idiot I’d become. I didn’t understand it either, and I didn’t know how to stop. I fell in with all the wrong people again, and before I knew it, I’d fucked things up irrevocably. But that was a story for another day. Anyway, Mom just didn’t know how to cope with all of that, and I didn’t know how to explain my reasons for acting the way I was to her—I couldn’t even explain it to myself until now—so although she never expressly told me to leave, I knew it was for the best. Sometimes things just didn’t need to be vocalized for them to be completely obvious. I hadn’t wanted to hurt her any

longer, so I’d left at the first chance I’d gotten and wound up back in London….right here with Rayna. So the move really had been for the best. With someone as cool and understanding as Rayna to talk to and share my concerns with, I could seriously start to move on and get a real fresh start to my life. I yawned and closed my eyes, trying to get some much-needed sleep, but my phone rang, delaying that for the time being. I checked the caller ID to see that it was my friend Tom. “Hey, man,” I said as I answered. “How you doing?” “Good, good. How’s your new job

going?” “Pretty decent. Typical finance stuff, but it’s all right,” I said. Truthfully, the job I’d recently scored at my Dad’s friend’s company bored me to tears, but it was still a job, so it was better than nothing. I wasn’t doing anything I really wanted to in life, but I was still lucky to have the sort of connections that could get me jobs. It was more than some people could boast. “Cool. Oh, and how was the wedding?” “It was pretty good,” I said, my mind instantly snapping back to the conversation I’d had with Rayna at the reception. We’d agreed to be friends

from now on, but deep down, I knew it was simply an excuse to start being around her again without making her feel awkward. There was nothing that could stop me from wanting her, but now that our parents were officially married, there was nothing I could do about that. “Cool. Anyway, I’m having a Halloween party next Friday night. You in?” “Sure,” I replied. “Can I bring someone?” There was only one person I wanted to take as a date, even though it wouldn’t be a real date by any means. “Of course, the more the merrier. You bringing a girl?”

“Yeah. Just my new stepsister, though,” I replied. A part of me wanted to claim that Rayna was my girlfriend, just so she would be out of bounds to everyone else at the party, but everyone would soon figure out who she was, so there was no point in doing that. “So you’ll be single and free to pull all the birds, huh?” I coughed. “Er….yeah, you know me,” I said. “I’ll be pulling all the chicks who reject you.” He snorted with laughter. “Yeah, yeah. Sure. Anyway, seeing as it’s a Halloween party, wear a costume.”

“What’s with you and costumes? First you have the mask party last month, and now this. You got some weird sexual fetish we need to talk about?” I asked in a teasing tone. “Nah, man. Just doing it for your benefit. It’s easier for you to pick up girls when you’re masked or in a costume. That way they can’t see your big ugly mug.” I chuckled. “Touché. Anyway, I’ll see you at the party.” “Cheers, man.” I hung up the phone and closed my eyes again, trying to picture what my life would be like now that Rayna and I were nothing more than stepsiblings and

friends. That’s all we’d be from now on; nothing sexual. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but if being friends with Rayna was all I could have, then I’d take it. It was better than nothing. *** I poured myself a glass of orange juice at the breakfast table the next morning, and when Rayna emerged from upstairs, I glanced up at her. “Morning. You look well-rested,” I said, trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably. Truthfully, she looked like an absolute mess. Her hair was wildly

frizzed up, some bridesmaid makeup from the wedding was still smeared around her eyes from where she apparently hadn’t bothered to wash it all off after the reception had finished, and she was wearing a ratty old pair of pajamas. She was still the hottest girl I’d ever seen, messy or not. She rolled her eyes, knowing I was teasing her. “Shut up. Not all of us wake up looking like models, like some people around here.” “Why, thank you.” She yawned and grabbed the bottle of juice. “Where’s my Mom?” she asked as she poured herself a glass.

I quirked a brow at her. “Are you serious?” She rubbed her eyes. “Oh, god…I’m so tired I actually forgot they got married yesterday, and I forgot they stayed at the hotel last night.” “Didn’t get much sleep, huh?” “Yeah. I think I drank too much champagne at the reception. I kept having weird dreams and waking up all night.” “You remember what we talked about at the reception, though, right?” She nodded. “Of course,” she said, sticking her tongue out at me for a brief second. “We decided to be friends.”

Something about the way the word ‘friends’ rolled off her tongue made me think there was another hidden meaning in there somewhere, but I didn’t want to push it. “Yeah. Well, seeing as friends go to parties together, do you wanna go to a party with me?” “That sounds a bit like a date in sheep’s clothing,” she replied, arching a brow. She was right, but I didn’t want to admit that, so I shook my head. “Nah, I just thought you might be interested in going. My friend Tom’s having a Halloween shindig. Anyway, it’s next week if you’re interested.”

“Tom as in the guy Liana is friends with as well? The guy who had the masquerade party where we…um… where we first met?” Her face flushed at the reminder of our first encounter, and I tried to suppress a grin. “Yeah, him,” I replied. “Tom Ballanger.” She chewed on her lower lip for a second, then nodded. “Sure, I’ll go. Liana will probably be going anyway. Do I need a costume?” “Apparently.” “Damn. I don’t have anything.” “That’s okay, we can go shopping for one. Just promise me you won’t go as a

slutty version of a cat or bunny. I won’t be able to tell you apart from all the other girls if you do,” I said with a grin. She giggled. “I’ll go as a slutty aardvark instead.” “Sounds good. Definitely more original. Anyway, wanna go shopping for it after breakfast? I’ve got the day off work today.” “Sure,” she said. Her face suddenly broke into a wide smile. “This’ll actually be really cool. For some reason I always assumed only us Americans celebrated Halloween. I had no idea you guys do as well.” “You probably assumed that all we do in Britain is have tea parties and sit

around with the Queen eating scones, right?” She snorted with laughter. “Something like that. Oh, and you’re also all on horseback polo teams. That seems really British to me for some reason.” I chuckled. “Well, I was actually on the polo team in sixth form, although it was more of a drinking team with a polo problem.” “Eh, still counts,” she said with a grin. After we’d finished eating breakfast, Rayna turned and raced back up the stairs, seemingly as eager as me. I headed back up to my room to get

dressed, and from her bedroom next door, I heard the shower running. Although I was still aware that it was wrong, I couldn’t help but imagine her naked body covered in soap suds, and my cock stirred in my pants. Pushing the sexually frustrated thoughts of her nude body aside, I got dressed and then trudged downstairs to wait for her. When she finally came down, the same old frustration returned, because she looked fucking perfect. She was wearing a casual pale blue top which she’d teamed with black skinny jeans that hugged her curves perfectly, her face was makeup-free, and her hair hung naturally down past her shoulders, still damp. She was effortlessly

beautiful, and my heart ached to look at her like that, knowing I couldn’t hold her or kiss her. “Ready?” I asked, trying to act like she was just any old buddy of mine and not the sexiest damn thing I’d ever laid eyes on. “Uh-huh. Slutty aardvark costumes, here we come.” As we drove to the nearest shops, the conversation flowed easily between us, and it felt completely natural despite the underlying sexual tension. Having Rayna talking to me was like standing in the warm sunshine, and I didn’t want to put myself back in the shadows ever again.

After we arrived at the shops, we located a costume store, and as we wandered around checking out outfits, I listened to Rayna telling me about her life back home in California. The way she described it made it sound wonderful, and I could tell she missed it. I couldn’t blame her. London was a decent place, but it could also be pretty fucking dreary sometimes. Just as Rayna jokingly picked up a ‘slutty nurse’ costume, I heard a familiar voice; one which made me cringe. “Hey, Jace.” Shit. Not him, not here. I spun around to see Roy, and it suddenly hit me how terrible he really

looked. In the dimly-lit pub the other week, it had been easy to miss the telltale signs—the spotty, pale skin, the hollowed cheeks, and the lank, greasy hair. He was so far gone into the world of dodgy shit, and as angry as I still was at him for the other week’s incident, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. That didn’t mean I wanted him around me, however, especially now that I was here with Rayna. “Err…hi, Roy.” I tried to hide Rayna a little bit behind me, wanting to stand in front of her as a protector just in case Roy said or did any shit, but she stepped forward anyway. “How’s it going?” Roy asked. “And

who’s this?” “My stepsister,” I said through gritted teeth. “Anyway, we better get going—” Rayna smiled and cut me off, clearly not noticing my haste to get away from Roy. “I’m Rayna,” she said, offering Roy a friendly hand. “Well, hello there, Rayna,” he said, flashing her a grin. “I’m Roy. I went to school with Jace. He told me all about you; I was wondering when I’d finally meet you. So what are you guys up to right now?" “Oh, we’re just shopping Halloween costumes,” she said.

for

He looked at me for a second before turning his attention back to Rayna. “For Tom Ballanger’s party?” “Yeah.” Roy had never really been good friends with Tom back in school, so I had no idea how he knew about the upcoming party. “Oh, that’s cool. I guess I’ll see you there, then! His sister invited me. Jace, you remember Marie…right?” Shit. I’d forgotten Roy had always been close with Tom’s sister, and he winked at me, clearly trying to get a reaction out of me. I’d hooked up with Marie once, and he knew from our pub conversation that I liked Rayna, so he

was obviously trying to make things as awkward as possible by bringing up my past hookups in front of her, just to be a dick. All because I hadn’t given him money for blow, as if I fucking owed it to him or something. Prick. I forced a half-smile as if I didn’t care, but inside I was seething. If I’d known Roy was going to be at the party, I wouldn’t have invited Rayna. I wouldn’t have even gone myself. I didn’t want her anywhere near a guy like him, but there was no way I could back out now that Rayna was so excited. Besides, I’d really been looking forward to having a fun night with her.

I was just going to have to keep an eye out for her, that was all. “Well, we’d better get going now.” I started to steer Rayna away, wanting to spend as little time in Roy’s presence as possible. I was struggling to understand why we’d ever even been friends, and the more time I spent with him, the more intense this feeling became. “Bye, guys,” Roy said, leering after us. “He seems nice,” Rayna said once we were out of earshot. “Why were you so desperate to get away from him?” I wanted to tell her the truth about him, but I couldn’t bring up the whole depressing drug money story; not out

here in public. Plus, I didn’t want Roy to be responsible for ruining our day out, either. I wanted it to get back to the fun camaraderie we’d had earlier, so I simply shrugged and changed the subject. “How about this bee costume?” I said, pointing at a rack nearby. She snickered, the subject of Roy seemingly forgotten already, and I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “A bee costume? Who makes these things?” she said. “The same people who make the slutty cat costumes, I presume.” “I suppose. What are you going to buy, anyway?” she asked.

“I have my costume already. I’m just gonna wear the same thing I wore last time I got invited to a Halloween party.” “Are you going to tell me what it is?” “It’s a surprise.” She stuck her tongue out at me. “Is the surprise that it’s totally lame?” I held my hands up and grinned. “You got me. I’m going as Maverick from Top Gun.” She raised an eyebrow. “Yup, totally lame.” “Says the girl who wants to go as an aardvark...” “Shut

up,”

she

said,

playfully

elbowing me and giving me a cheeky smile. “Ooh, can you go and have a look at the hats and see if anything gives you any inspiration for me? I’m struggling now. I have to outdo your lameness somehow.” “Of course.” I smiled before sauntering over to the accessories. I looked around for a while and picked up odd bits and pieces, finding nothing that gave me any amazing ideas, but I suddenly spotted something else. It wouldn’t help with Rayna’s costume at all, but I was sure she’d think it was a cool jokey kinda thing all the same. “Rayna, check this out!” I said, holding up the cardboard box I’d picked

up. It was a Hasbro board game called Ouija Board—one of those silly supposedly supernatural things that kids used at slumber parties to pretend to summon spirits. I knew some people who were actually scared of the boards and thought they really worked, but if they did, then why on earth would Hasbro market it as a game? It was total bullshit, but it might be a fun thing to try out as a joke with Halloween coming up and all. Rayna sidled up to me a moment later. “What is it?” “It’s a Ouija board.” “One of those spirit summoning things where they spell things out?” she

asked, her eyebrows arched curiously. “Yeah. Why don’t we get it for a laugh? Get in the spirit of Halloween and so on. Pun not intended.” “I don’t know, those things kinda freak me out, Jace.” “It’s not real. It’s just a massproduced game. Anyway, even if it actually is real, we can use it to find that hallway ghost of yours back home.” She smiled and playfully elbowed me again. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” she said. “Fine, fine, we’ll get your silly board game. Maybe I can summon up a ghost to punch you for making fun of me.”

I grinned. “Fine by me.” I went and paid for the game up at one of the counters, and when I returned to Rayna, I spotted a big red plastic shopping bag emblazoned with the store’s logo dangling from her arm. “Oh, you already found a costume? That was quick. What is it?” I asked. She grinned and arched an eyebrow before echoing my earlier words. “It’s a surprise...”

Chapter 12 Rayna Jace and I burst through the main door to the manor, laughing and chattering excitedly about our day out shopping. There was a completely different vibe between us compared to how things had been only days before, and I was glad for that—no more silence and awkward tiptoeing around. As much as I knew I wanted more than friendship from him, I had to say, I actually liked

being friends with him. The fun-loving, easygoing atmosphere was much easier to deal with than the way I’d completely ignored him out of guilt and shame. Even though paranormal stuff had been creeping me out lately—my manor ghost mystery was still unsolved—and I’d never been into the whole Ouija board thing, I was actually glad Jace had picked up that silly game, because it was a good excuse for us to spend more time together. It was pretty safe to assume that we were never going to be getting close enough to cross the line again—there were only so many times you could make that mistake—and as much as that was a hard pill to swallow, I was grateful that we could at least hang out.

I knew it couldn’t last forever, but I’d vowed to enjoy it while I could. We may have only known each other for a few weeks, but Jace had already had a deep impact on my life, and there would be a massive crater in my heart if he ever decided he no longer wanted my friendship. I guess I really had a serious crush on him, but that would be over soon. As much as I felt for him now, crushes never lasted longer than a few months. “Okay, it says on the back of the box that we need candles, so I’ll go and grab some, and you can set up the board on the table,” Jace said, turning to me as we entered the dining room.

“Sure.” As I watched him leave, I felt a pang of guilt for lying to him. I’d told him I could handle the platonic friendship, and like I said earlier, I loved being friends with him, but I knew I was misleading him by acting as if it was all I wanted. I began to set the game up, and as I did so, I tried to straighten out my head. This was the exact reason I hadn’t wanted to get emotionally involved with Jace. If this all somehow went to hell, it was going to be very difficult to deal with, and I only had myself to blame. I needed to shut these romantic feelings off. They were only going to get me hurt, and the sooner I accepted that, the better, but thinking those words and actually

putting them into action were two very different things. Jace returned and placed a few tealight candles around the board, and when he lit them and drew the curtains, the whole room took on a decidedly creepy vibe. “God, now I feel as if we’re in a horror movie,” I said, my gaze nervously shooting around. “Old manor? Check. Candles and scary spirit game? Check.” “And a big scary monster named Jace? Check,” he said with a wink. I laughed, and then I took on a more serious expression. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to mess around with this stuff?” I asked, my voice tinged with

trepidation. His face softened as he looked at me. “Look, to me this is all just a game. I think it’s fun, but if it’s really freaking you out, we can stop,” he said. I chewed on my lip as I considered his words. The rational part of me was telling me that things like Ouija boards were total bullcrap; nothing more than a party trick to amuse kids going through their experimental phases and rebelling against their god-fearing parents, but at the same time, another part of me was telling me that it was a bad idea. What if ghosts were actually real? I’d never believed in them up until a few weeks ago, but after seeing that woman in the hallway the other month, I was no longer

sure. It would be arrogant of me to say that I was so smart that I knew for an absolute fact there was no such thing as a spirit world. After all, no one could possibly know that. I almost wanted to back out, but I was afraid that I’d look stupid. “No, never mind, I’m just being paranoid,” I said before taking a seat at the table. Jace joined me. I was concentrating hard on trying to seem calm, but my body was betraying me, and my knees were trembling under the table. I hoped to god that Jace couldn’t feel my shaking legs, otherwise he’d probably think I was the biggest wimp in the history of the universe. It’s just a game! I reminded myself.

“We need to put our hands on top of the planchette,” Jace said, concentrating on the game instructions. He rested his hands on top of mine on the little triangular piece, and he smiled at me. I tried to return the smile, but my face was frozen so much that I felt like my head had been dipped in a vat of Botox. “Okay, so what do you want to say first?” Jace asked. “Um…maybe just ask if there are any spirits out there?” I said. I was feeling incredibly stupid now, as if we were actually in some sort of lame eighties horror movie.

“Right.” Jace quickly changed his voice into a creepy silly tone. “Hello… is there anyone out there?” We sat there for a few minutes, just staring at the board with nothing happening, and my heart was thumping so hard I wouldn’t have been surprised if it exploded right out of my chest and bounced off the walls. Then the planchette started to slip under my hand, and I watched it slowly move to the box on the board which said ‘Yes’. I knew I hadn’t been moving the piece; my fingers were barely touching it. “Was that you?” I asked. “That’s not funny if it was.”

“No!” Jace insisted, looking so sincere that I almost believed him. “But the window over there is open. This planchette is quite light, maybe a breeze came through and sort of moved it a bit.” “Um…okay, I guess it could’ve been that,” I mumbled, though I knew how unlikely it was. I slumped back into my seat and tentatively put my hand back on the piece, waiting to start again. “Okay, is there a reason you’re here? Is there something you want from us?” Jace asked, looking up at the ceiling before returning his eyes to the board. I really hoped he didn’t start asking for physical proof that there was someone or something here with us,

because I’d probably pass out if chairs starting flying around the room. Again, the pointer moved to ‘Yes’, then spelled out ‘Rayna’, and I gulped. “You want Rayna to do something?” Jace asked. Yes again. “So what is it you want Rayna to do?” Jace continued. The planchette started to move once more. It hit the B and I began to feel a bit sick. I’d known this was a bad idea, and yet I’d stupidly gone along with it, just to try and impress Jace and make him think I was cool, rather than the wuss I so

clearly was. Then the pointer hit the letters L, O and W, and I narrowed my eyes. Surely it wasn’t actually saying…. Seconds later, my suspicions were confirmed, and the pointer moved to the letters J, A, C and E. I jumped up from my seat, anger coursing through my veins. Jace was just fucking with me and I’d allowed myself to get sucked in. “Screw you, Jace. That’s not funny. Not at all!” I said, my voice heated. “I can’t believe how immature you are!” I abruptly stood up and stalked out of the room, and I could hear him calling out from behind me as I headed up the staircase.

“It was just a joke! Oh come on, Rayna, I thought you’d think it was funny!” Funny? No, he’d known I was a bit creeped out by the whole idea, but he’d gone along with it anyway. On top of that, he’d pushed the piece around and made the board spell out ‘BLOW JACE’ as if reminding me of our sexual history was a good idea. The more I thought about it, the more confused I got over the whole thing. I didn’t know what made me angrier; the fact that he’d played such a stupid, immature prank on me, or the fact that it reminded me I could never have him. I entered my room, flopped down on

my bed and stared at the ceiling, and as my heart raced, I pictured Jace in the forefront of my mind, and I started to become far more annoyed at myself than him. It was my fault. I was the one who’d gone along with it—I could’ve just said ‘no’ to the whole Ouija game idea, but instead I’d basically walked right into Jace’s prank. Besides, he’d given me the chance to back out, and I’d said no because I wanted to impress him. It was just a silly prank, and I’d massively overreacted by storming out. As I pictured his bright blue eyes, hungry gaze and powerful arms, my anger toward him melted away, and the true underlying reason for the storm of emotions I was feeling become

abundantly clear. Whatever I felt for Jace, it was more than just a silly little crush. I was actually falling for him.

Chapter 13 Jace Shit. That wasn’t what I’d intended to happen at all. I thought Rayna would find my little prank funny, but now that I was actually thinking about it, it wasn’t that funny. She probably thought I’d been faking the friendship with her just so I could tell her to ‘blow me’ in an elaborate way, but that hadn’t been it at all. My true intention had been to make her feel better about living in the manor. Judging by the questions she’d been asking my Dad at breakfast the other

morning, she obviously still thought there was something creepy about the place, so I’d figured that if I could show her just how silly all the supposedly ‘supernatural’ stuff in the world was, she’d realize there were no ghosts or anything in the manor, and she’d feel more capable of settling in properly. Well, it had majorly backfired on me, and now I looked like a fucking asshole. I headed up the stairs, desperate to make it better before she decided to go another few weeks of zero contact with me. We’d only just gotten over the hideous awkwardness of our second failed hookup, so the last thing I’d needed to do was fuck things up again…

and yet I had. In all of my excitement to have fun with Rayna and stop her from being afraid of the house, I hadn’t noticed just how afraid she truly was. I burst into Rayna’s bedroom, quickly spotting her lying flat on her bed. Her face was a little scrunched up but her eyes were closed, so I wasn’t sure whether she was crying or not, and the idea that she might be made me feel about a million times worse. “Rayna, I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to upset you.” “Don’t worry about it. It’s okay,” she muttered, almost under her breath. Her tone was flat, showing me just how upset she really was. At least she

was a little calmer, though. Downstairs a moment ago, she’d been like a hurricane of rage. “No, no it isn’t.” I sat down next to her on the bed. “I just wanted to make light of a crappy situation. I thought you might still be a bit freaked out about the house and I wanted to make you laugh. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m fucking terrible at making jokes. I think I proved that with the panty incident when you first arrived.” She looked up at me, her expression starting to soften. “No, really, Jace. It’s fine. I overreacted.” A slow smile spread across my face as the surprise sank in. I couldn’t

believe it; she was actually conceding to me. On the other hand, while I was glad that she was happier, it somehow didn’t feel quite right. There was a heavy feeling in my stomach, as if my subconscious had detected that there was something more to the story than whatever Rayna was letting on. “It was pretty funny,” she added. She laughed a little, but it was still halfhearted, so I knew I definitely wasn’t one hundred percent forgiven. “Would a hug make you feel better?” I asked. “I’ll even throw in a free foot massage to make up for being a dumbass.” She smiled. “Sure.”

I embraced her, knowing full well that there was nothing even remotely sexual about this hug, and she leaned into me. Her body was tense and stiff, so I knew that her heart wasn’t in it, and I thought for a few seconds, wondering what else I could do to make her feel better. An idea suddenly struck me. “Hey, you said you saw your ghost near the main third floor stairwell, right?” I asked, pulling away. She looked at me curiously. “Jace, there was never a ghost. Everyone else is right; I was just sleepwalking. I’m just an idiot for being freaked out.” I shook my head. “Nah, like I said

the other day at breakfast, I think there’s another explanation. Remember how Dad said it’s possible an intruder got in? I was just thinking, if there was an actual intruder of some kind here, maybe she ran upstairs to hide after she saw you. Why don’t we go and take a look and see if there’s any footprints? Remember, he said there’s tons of dust up there because of all the renovations, so even though it was a few weeks ago, if the woman you saw in the hallway ran up there, we’ll know.” “But your Dad said that the fourth floor was out of bounds, didn’t he?” I stood up, holding out my hand to her. “As long as we’re careful, we’ll be fine. The worst thing that can happen is

we’ll get a little dirty from all the dust.” I wouldn’t have minded getting dirty with her in other ways, but now was definitely not the time to be cracking sleazy jokes, considering how my sleazy Ouija prank had turned out. She nodded, obviously intrigued by my idea. “Okay, let’s do it,” she said, taking my hand and letting me help her up. “But even if there was an intruder, wouldn’t they have run downstairs, not up? You know, to get out of the place before being caught.” “Yeah, but maybe not. Worth a shot to take a look anyway,” I replied smoothly. She was right; I didn’t actually think

we were going to find anything up there on the fourth floor, but if it made her feel better to explore the place and see that nothing was out of the ordinary, then I would do it happily. As we walked up the stairs, I tried to remember what the exact layout had been up here before the renovations had started. It’d been such a long time since I’d ventured up to the fourth floor that it was difficult to think. “What’s actually up there?” Rayna asked. “Just more bedrooms?” “Yeah, mostly just another load of guest bedrooms, but there was also a sort of play area. I think it used to be a sitting room of some sort, but when my

parents were still together, it was like my little kid’s retreat. While Dad was at work and the staff were cleaning everything downstairs, I’d hang out up here and read or play with Mom.” “That’s cute. What’s it all being renovated for?” “I think Dad’s having it renovated so that the guest rooms are all bigger with their own bathrooms. Kinda like what we have in our rooms on the third floor.” “Oh, cool. Any particular reason why?” I shrugged. “Because he can, I guess. It’s not like this bloody place doesn’t already have enough rooms.”

I coughed from all the dust as we finally reached the top of the stairs, and I glanced around, spotting an old bookshelf in the hall which must’ve been moved by the team who’d been up here starting on the renovations. The sight of the old shelf sent my mind whizzing back to a time I’d assumed was long gone. I remembered how that very shelf had sat in my play area, filled with books, and when we were up here, Mom would sit on the sofa and read to me. We’d been so happy then, like a real family. Thinking back to that, it was difficult to remember how or why it had all gone so terribly wrong. “Oh shit, Jace. Look!”

I turned to see Rayna pointing towards the ground, and I followed her gaze to see a set of footprints in the thick dust that overlaid the wooden floorboards. “That’s probably just from the workers before they left,” I said. “Either that or Dad.” On closer inspection, I could see I was wrong about that. These footprints had been made with bare feet, and they weren’t men’s at all. They were small and delicate; they had definitely come from a woman. They also didn’t look completely fresh; they had a thin coating of dust on them, meaning they’d probably been there for a few weeks.

Jesus… Rayna hadn’t been sleepwalking after all. Someone had actually been in the house that night; at least that’s what it looked like. My mind spun around, trying to figure out what the hell all of this meant. Who the hell would break into our house at two in the morning, only to take nothing at all? Could my Dad’s theory be correct—could some drunk woman have somehow wandered onto the property and made her way inside the manor, only to run and hide when she encountered Rayna in the hall? Or was it something more sinister? I’d once heard a nightmarish story of a woman who had somehow attracted a crazed stalker, and

the stalker had ended up living in her house for months and hiding out in the attic, only coming out at night to watch her as she slept. She’d discovered the horrifying truth after putting a nanny cam in her room to keep an eye on things around the house when she’d noticed food and other miscellaneous items had been mysteriously vanishing. I leaned in closer to get a better look at the prints, my heart thumping wildly at the same time. If there was some sort of insane stalker coming in and out of the manor—or worse, living here and hiding out in nooks and crannies—then I wanted to protect Rayna. “Look,” I said, pointing at the trail of footprints. “They go right along the hall.

I should follow them to make sure there isn’t someone still up here somehow. But let’s get you back downstairs first.” “I don’t know,” she replied hesitantly. “I think I should come with you.” “You sure?” She nodded. “Yeah. I feel safe with you.” My heart swelled at her words. I’d never thought I’d hear those sentiments from a girl, and I definitely never thought it’d feel so great to hear. “All right. Come on.” We tiptoed alongside the prints, not wanting to tread on them in case we

wanted to show anyone later—Dad, Elena or the police if necessary. We were also careful to make as little sound as possible, and I was so busy focusing on the task at hand that I didn’t notice any of our surroundings until Rayna forced me to. “Who’s that?” she whispered, pointing to a framed photo on the wall. It was a picture of the whole family —Mom, Dad and me when I was a child. It had always hung here on the wall in the fourth floor hallway, and Dad must’ve just left it here to gather dust when he’d begun the renovations. “That’s me, back when I was cute,” I said with a grin, trying to distract Rayna

from the image of my mother. I figured that seeing relics from one of Dad’s relationship from so long ago might make her feel uneasy for her own mother’s sake, and I didn’t want that to be her problem. “And your Mom?” she said, not missing a beat as usual. I sighed. “Yeah.” “It looks like your Mom liked books too.” Rayna indicated to a massive stack of novels that had been callously discarded under a pile of rubble from where the work team had knocked out one of the guest bedroom walls. “While we’re here, you should have a quick look and see if there are any you want to

keep.” “Yeah, good idea. Do you think it’s weird that my father’s just letting this stuff sit here, and not getting rid of it properly?” “Well, you know him better than I do. Do you think it’s weird?” she asked. She purposely avoided eye contact with me and started to shuffle through the pile of books. “Do you think she was the love of his life, and he’s never gotten over her or something?” I joined her on the floor. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t think so, because their relationship ended so badly, but maybe he went on to realize his mistake. Or maybe he just misses having that whole

family unit. I don’t know. Maybe that’s why he’s been so nice to me since I got back. He never used to be like that with me, you know. Almost always ignored me, never gave a fuck what I did unless I was somehow embarrassing him.” “Sorry. I didn’t know he was like that in the past. But maybe my Mom is the one to finally help him move on and want to be a real family man,” she replied. Her tone sounded as uneasy as I felt. I couldn’t exactly reassure her that Elena was the one, because until recently, I’d always assumed that my Dad didn’t have a ‘one’. I’d just thought that even when he was in his eighties, he’d still be running around with much younger

women—women pumped full of Botox and silicone. Then again, Elena wasn’t like that. Just like Rayna, she was a natural beauty, and she was friendly and smart. “Yeah, maybe. I don’t know,” I finally said. “Maybe you’re onto something with the family unit thing. Like you said, he seems to be making more of an effort with you now.” “Yeah.” That was definitely true, but then again, he still hadn’t asked me anything about my return to London. Perhaps he’d spoken to my Mom and knew exactly what I’d done in Edinburgh, and he

simply thought it was too awful to discuss and chose to sweep it under the rug instead. “Oh, check this out!” I said a moment later, grabbing a particularly old-looking book of stories from the pile. “Mom used to read this to me when I was little. It belonged to her when she was a child too.” “Take it. It’s yours, after all.” Rayna smiled, and I tucked the book under my arm, just as we heard a loud banging sound echoing through the hall. “Oh, shit. What the hell was that?” Rayna asked, her eyes wide. Her knuckles turned white as they gripped another book she’d picked up, and I saw

her legs tensing, like she was getting ready to run. “I’m sure it was just something falling down,” I said. “I don’t know, Jace. Let’s get out of here,” she said. Her voice had turned shrill. I nodded, knowing she was truly scared right now. “Okay, let’s go.” She turned and bolted back down the hall and then the stairs, with me only a few steps behind her. She didn’t stop running until we reached the main dining room all the way down on the first floor, and we almost bumped right into our parents who had apparently just returned from the hotel they’d stayed at the night

before, after the wedding reception. The echoing bang we’d heard a minute ago must’ve just been from the front door slamming behind them when they came inside. “Did you guys seriously miss us that much?” Elena said with a cheeky smile as she noticed Rayna trying to catch her breath. “We were only gone for one night; you didn’t need to run all the way down here!” Before we could respond, Dad spotted the book tucked under my arm and gave me a sharp look. “Where the hell have you two been?” “On the fourth floor.” He sighed and ran a hand through his

thinning hair in exasperation. “I thought I told you two not to go up there. There’s still piles of rubble from where the workers knocked out some walls. You could trip over or something.” “We’re not idiots, Dad, and we have eyes. We could see the piles and walk around them with these new inventions called legs.” He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t get smart with me, son. What were you doing up there, anyway?” “Well, I remembered Rayna saying how she thought she saw that woman near the stairwell, and you said you thought it could be an intruder. So I figured if there really was one here that

night, then maybe they ran up there to hide when Rayna came out. That’d mean there’d be footprints in all the dust up there. And guess what?” I paused, and Elena flashed me a curious look. “What?” “There are footprints up there, and they don’t look brand new—more like they’ve been there a few weeks, which is when Rayna saw someone. And they’re not from you or the renovation workers, either. Too small. It’s either a child or a woman, and considering Rayna told you she saw a woman, I think it’s safe to assume it was. So there really was an intruder that night. We should call the police.”

Dad affected a bored expression. “Jace, I’m glad to see you and Rayna getting along so well now, but you’re behaving like overly-excited children. There’s been no one in this house except for us and the staff, and I can assure you of that. We don’t need to contact the police.” “But—“ He held up a hand. “No buts. I’ve already spoken to security like I said I would. They’ve examined all of the CCTV footage from the entirety of the last six months and they saw no one enter the property other than those who were invited or those who work here.” “So how do you explain what Rayna

saw, then? The footprints are there. We can prove it.” “Rayna was obviously just sleepwalking and having a bad dream that night. As for the prints, perhaps one of the maids wandered up there recently.” “Without shoes?” He waved his hand. “Who knows how the bloody maids act when we aren’t around? You can’t trust working class people to follow instructions and act with dignity all the time, can you?” Elena and Rayna exchanged glances at that, and I almost wanted to smugly tell them, I told you so. He’s an arrogant asshole.

“Seriously?” “Christ, Dad.”

I

said

scornfully.

He rubbed his eyes. “Sorry. I’m just tired from all the wedding festivities yesterday,” he said before turning to his brand new wife. “Elena, darling, I didn’t mean that.” She took his hand and squeezed it, and I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. “It’s okay, I understand,” she said quietly, though I could still tell that he’d struck a nerve with his elitist comments. Dad turned back to me and Rayna. “I don’t want to tell you again. There are no ghosts in this house; only two very silly young adults.” With that, he stalked out of the room,

and Elena followed closely behind him. I glanced over at Rayna, wondering if she was thinking the same thing that I was. Dad had made way too big of a deal about this whole thing, and it was strange how vehemently he was denying that there’d been any intruders in the place when someone obviously had been up on the fourth floor within the last few weeks. Why the hell was he not more concerned about the obviously lax security in the manor? Clearly the security company who monitored everything weren’t doing a good enough job, and yet my father was brushing it aside as if our safety meant nothing. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, but I

had a weird feeling about the whole thing; a creeping, lingering suspicion that there was something else going on here. I just knew it. Now all I had to do was find out what the hell it was.

Chapter 14 Jace Everything remained the same for the next few days, although my guard was up high. When I wasn’t at work at the finance firm, I was watching my Dad’s every move, just waiting for him to slip up and reveal what the hell was going on around here, but he seemed to be onto me. He was acting even more like the dedicated family man than ever before, which I was finding really off-putting, because it was all so damn fake. I just had to wait for his mask to slip again, like it had the other day.

I tried to speak to Rayna about it, but it just made her upset at the reminder of Dad’s asshole-ish ‘working class’ comments, so I was forced to let it drop. I assumed she thought my Dad’s weird reaction was really down to seeing me holding my Mom’s book, and the unrequited love that she was convinced was still there, but I wasn’t totally sold on that theory. Dad was up to something else shady, and one way or another, I was going to find out what it was. I was prepared to let it go for one night, though, because we had finally arrived at Halloween and the night of Tom’s party. Gone were any feelings of unease; I was just excited at the prospect of seeing Rayna let her hair down for a

night of silly fun. I had my Maverick costume on, and as I sat in the kitchen waiting for Rayna to arrive, I tried to imagine what she could possibly be wearing. I’d asked her a couple of times, but she’d completely shot me down, saying that I’d have to wait. I was certain it would be something cool, and no matter what it was, she’d look amazing. It would kill me to have to watch all the other guys checking her out, though, knowing full well that there was nothing I could do about it. It fucking sucked that I couldn’t touch her or hold her in public like I so desperately wanted to, but lately I’d been thinking—just because we couldn’t

do it in public didn’t mean we couldn’t in private. What the hell was so wrong about two hormonal young people being attracted to each other and wanting to be with each other? Fuck the platonic friendship attempt…just fuck it. I was going to tell Rayna how I really felt tonight, and maybe—just maybe—she’d stop feeling so guilty about her own feelings, and we’d be able to go back to where we were that night in my room; filled with lust and barely able to stop ourselves from ripping each other’s clothes off. I heard her lilting voice call out from the hallway a moment later. “Are you ready?” I stood up. “Yeah, get out here and

show me this surprise of yours!” “Ta-da!” She stepped into the room a moment later, wearing a totally awesome but also completely geeky Battlestar Galactica Cylon costume, complete with chrome-tinted body armor and a helmet. “Oh my god….you nerd,” I said, chuckling as I took it all in. “I can barely even tell it’s you under there!” “Yep,” she said, her voice sounding slightly metallic under the helmet. “You were totally expecting some sort of sexy surprise instead, weren’t you? Like one of those flimsy Playboy bunny costumes.” “Nope,” I said with a grin, although I certainly wouldn’t have minded a sexy

surprise. I was glad I wouldn’t have to worry about her flashing a lot of skin in some sort of skimpy outfit, though—that meant there’d be less guys perving on her. I loved how confident she was in herself; there weren’t many girls out there who were okay with dressing up in a decidedly un-sexy costume on Halloween. Somehow, that actually served to make Rayna sexier, and my heart thudded hard in my chest as I suppressed the urge to sweep her up in my arms, throw her over my shoulder and then tear the costume right off her after throwing her on the nearest bed. I needed to get out of the house now, because being this close to Rayna while

we were alone was making my head spin. “Come on, let’s go, the car is outside.” I’d ordered an exclusive town car to take us to Tom’s party and to pick us up later on, so we could both have a couple of drinks. I knew Rayna wasn’t the type of girl who cared about a guy flashing the cash by ordering a car like that, but I figured it was safer and more efficient than getting a regular cab, and keeping her safe on a night out was a top priority for me. The car soon arrived, and I helped Rayna in before climbing in after her. The driver introduced himself to us, confirmed the address and then took off, and as we drove, Rayna turned to me in

her seat. “Is this party going to be as fancy as the mask party the other week, or more like the raves you guys used to have?” “Well, considering the size of Tom’s place, any party will look fancy, but don’t worry, it’ll be more of a casual thing.” She hesitated, and I finally understood what she really meant by her question. “Don’t worry,” I said. “Tom is a decent, clean guy. He doesn’t let people in who do drugs or anything like that.” That was true for the most part. I hoped the second he saw Roy show up at the party thanks to Marie’s invitation,

he’d kick him out or at least make sure he wasn’t trying to do anything seedy. Rayna nodded, and our conversation drifted into different territory for the rest of the drive. When we arrived at Tom’s, the party was already in full swing, and the place had been decorated with typical Halloween decorations—faux spider webs, skeletons and ghosts. There was even a cauldron in the middle of the main party room, filled with a green liquid I could only assume was some sort of punch, seeing as there was a group of girls currently ladling some of it out into cups. “Ooh, there’s Liana!” Rayna said, pointing out a tall, svelte blonde girl who I’d been introduced to by Tom a

few times. She was dressed as Elsa from Frozen with a long blonde wig done up in an intricate braid and a blue cape swinging from her matching dress. When Rayna pulled off her helmet, she finally noticed us and dashed over to us. “Hey, Jace,” she said to me with a smile before turning to Rayna and hugging her. “Oh my god…I thought you were kidding when you said you were coming as a Cylon!” she added as she pulled away. Rayna grinned. “Nope.” “Well, it looks awesome. Want a drink? Tom has a bar set up over there,” she said, pointing over to the left of the room. “By the way, stay away from the

punch—someone poured way too much tequila in it. It’s so gross.” “Will do. Where’s your date?” Rayna asked. Liana pointed at a tall brown-haired guy wearing a wizard costume. “Over there. And yes, you can say ‘I told you so’ if you want.” I must’ve looked puzzled, because Liana smiled and explained. “I met this guy at the masquerade party a few weeks ago, and I was worried he’d never call me again. But Miss Positive here said he totally would, and she was right. We’re dating now.” “Cool,” I said, smiling at Rayna.

“Anyway, Jace, do you mind if I steal Rayna for a while?” Liana asked. “Sure.” The two girls headed off to the bar to grab some drinks, and I smiled as I watched them go. I was glad Rayna already had other friends here in London. The more people she had around her, the more fun she’d have, and she deserved to have some fun. After chatting to a group of people whom I hadn’t seen in a while, I decided to try some of the green punch to see if it was as bad as Liana said it was, and I headed over to the cauldron. As I stood by the table which had been set up next to it, I didn’t notice the presence

looming over my shoulder until it was too late and the person was tapping on my shoulder. Expecting to see Tom or another old friend behind me, I turned around with a smile, but that smile quickly faded as I saw Roy standing behind me, a Halloween monster mask dangling from one hand. “Hey, Jace. Was wondering when you’d turn up. Been looking forward to seeing you again,” he said. “Can’t say I thought the same about you,” I replied. There was no sense in even pretending we were friends anymore, considering how he’d spoken to me at the pub the other week, and now that Rayna wasn’t around, I didn’t have to play nice to avoid awkward

conversations. Even in the dim light of the party room, I could see that Roy looked dreadful; even worse than before. His skin was pale and spotty, and his whole body was twitching. “I guess I deserve that for what I said to you in the pub the other week,” he said. “Yeah, you do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go and—” He cut me off by placing a hand on my arm. “Jace, mate, I’m really sorry, okay? I need you to be my friend again right now. I need you to help me.” “With what?” I asked, my eyebrows

furrowing. Perhaps he was trying to quit the drugs, and he actually needed my advice and help. I would never say no to someone who genuinely needed help, so I leaned in and waited for his response. “I can’t stand it. I need something, man. I can’t cope. You have to help me. You went through it; you know what it’s like.” I didn’t correct him by saying I hadn’t really gone through any of this. Sure, it hadn’t been easy to keep away from the rough crowds and that whole dodgy party atmosphere once I’d decided to leave, but I hadn’t had any real withdrawal symptoms when I’d stopped taking stuff. I hadn’t been in deep enough, and I hadn’t done anything

as serious as Roy apparently had in the last year, judging by the look of him. “So you want my help with the withdrawal stuff? Look, I know of some decent centers you could go to. They have programs and therapists who—” He cut me off again. “Man, I don’t need fucking therapy. I just need to borrow some cash from you.” I sighed. “Roy, you can’t keep behaving like this. You know I’m not going to buy you anything. You need rehab.” “Fuck, man, you seriously won’t help me out even when I fucking need it? A few thousand quid, that’s all I need.”

I took a step backwards, losing all patience with him. “You don’t need coke or pills. You never needed it, so just leave me out of this shit. I can’t do anything to help you if you won’t help yourself, so you can call me if you ever decide to get some real help, but until then, don’t bother.” “You’re supposed to be my friend!” he pleaded, pulling me back towards him by my shirt. “Have some heart. Don’t you give a shit about any of us anymore? Why won’t you fucking help me, when you know for a fact that you can?” “Of course I care about you!” I snapped back. “That’s exactly why I won’t pay for your shit anymore. You

need to get away from that life, like I did. I don’t want to be involved in any of it anymore. Not in any way. And you shouldn’t either.” Roy pushed me, but it barely affected me—he was so scrawny compared to me that it was like being attacked by a fourth grader. “You were always a shitty friend. You always thought you were so much better than the rest of us just because your Dad’s so fucking rich.” “Right.” It wasn’t true, but there was no point arguing with an addict when they were angry. “You’ll fucking regret treating me like this,” he continued, voice shaking with anger.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure I will.” “Better watch your back, cunt,” he spat out before turning and disappearing into the crowd of costumed revelers. I watched him go, not even bothering to come up with any sort of retort. What the hell was the point? He was fucked; he wouldn’t see reason or care about anything I had to say, unless I was offering him cash to support his habit. It was sad to see how far down the rabbit hole he’d gone, but at the same time, I couldn’t help him unless he wanted to be helped. I needed to take a leak, so I grabbed my drink, cut through the crowd and

headed for the stairs so I could use the bathroom. As I reached the top of the stairs and headed down the hall, I overheard familiar feminine voices and turned to see Rayna and Liana standing in the doorway to one of the bathrooms, where they must’ve gone to have some sort of private girly chat. I was about to go over and see how they were going when I heard my name being said. I froze and turned away so that I could still hear, but they couldn’t see me. Eavesdropping might have been the wrong thing to do, but I was curious to see what kind of stuff Rayna said about me to her friends when I wasn’t around. “….couldn’t happen anyway, now that your parents are actually married,”

Liana was saying. “Exactly. Anyway, in the last week or so, he’s just been like a brother to me. And it’s great. We get along really well, so I’m happy with it,” Rayna replied. “I don’t want anything more from him.” “Okay, well, if that’s really the case, then you have to meet my friend Eric. Hot blond guy, lots of muscles…” A raucously-giggling couple suddenly came up the stairs and headed for a nearby bedroom, drowning out the girls’ conversation, and I stepped away and headed for another bathroom down the hall so I could splash my face as everything I’d just heard sank in. So much for my plan to tell Rayna

that I wanted to be more than friends with her tonight…not only did she actually see me as a friend, she apparently already saw me as some sort of brotherly figure, and in her words, she ‘didn’t want anything more from me’ than that. That hadn’t taken long, but then again, I was the one who’d had the bright idea of telling her we should have a platonic relationship the other week. She’d obviously taken it to heart and really committed to the idea, and she’d started to seriously view me as nothing more than a platonic stepbrother. Shit. I’d missed my chance with her. I couldn’t reveal anything to her tonight and tell her that I was sick of acting like I was okay with only friendship from

her; not when she was obviously perfectly content with the way things were….not to mention the fact that her friends were already scouting out other ‘hot’ guys for her. So that was it. Whatever spark we’d once had had been dimmed, and it was my own damned fault for being so stupid and letting her slip through my fingers. Now I had to start seeing Rayna for what she really was to me. My stepsister, and nothing more.

Chapter 15 Rayna “So,” Liana said, polishing off the last of her cocktail. “Now that you’ve heard everything about Rick, you have to tell me everything about your love life.” We were still standing near the bar, and she’d just spent the last few minutes updating me on every detail of her fledgling romance with the guy from her office building whom she’d hooked up with at the masquerade party. I shrugged at her statement and put down my own empty glass. I’d had to take my Cylon

headpiece off earlier, so it was currently dangling from my other hand. “Nothing much to tell. I’ve been so busy the last few weeks with all the wedding stuff, not to mention I’ve still been settling in here.” She regarded me with a suspicious gaze, then looked past me at Jace, who was chatting to a group of people near the spot where we’d left him. “You know what? That drink went right through me. Join me in the bathroom?” she said in a sweet, singsong voice which I knew meant only one thing: ‘I know you have a secret, and we’re going to have a little private chat.’

We headed upstairs and found the first bathroom where we could have a private conversation, and she cornered me near the door and stared at me with a gleeful expression on her face. “I know there’s still something going on with you and Jace.” “Hmm?” I managed to choke out, affecting my most innocent expression and wishing I could put my Cylon helmet back on so that she couldn’t see the guilt in my eyes. What she was saying wasn’t true—Jace and I had been nothing more than friends for a week or so now. Still, it felt like a lie to say it, because I knew I still wanted him. Liana put her hands on her hips. “Oh, come on. You could’ve come to the party

with me, but you came with him instead.” “It just made more sense. I live with him, so it made sense for us to share a car to get here, and I also knew you’d be coming with Rick, so I figured you’d want some alone time with him.” I completely left out the part where I still had strong feelings for Jace, because what was the point in discussing it? He’d made it quite clear to me that he thought we should stick to being friendly and nothing else, and I was trying to move past that. It was damn hard, considering how sexy he was, but I knew I’d get there eventually. At least I hoped so.

Liana was silent for a moment, and then her shoulders slumped. “Damn. I was totally hoping for some gossip about you and Jace sneaking around and doing the dirty.” “Well, there were the times when we almost…you know…but that’s it. Since the wedding, nothing’s happened.” She sighed. “I guess it couldn’t happen anyway, now that your parents are actually married.” “Exactly. Anyway, in the last week or so, he’s just been like a brother to me. And it’s great. We get along really well, so I’m happy with it,” I replied. “I don’t want anything more from him.” “Okay, well, if that’s really the case,

then you have to meet my friend Eric. Hot blond guy, lots of muscles, and has an awesome job at…” Her voice trailed off as she saw the look on my face, and she practically crowed in triumph. “A-ha! I knew it!” “Knew what?” “You don’t want any other guys. You might just be ‘friends’ with Jace, but you still totally want him, you liar!” I felt my cheeks turning hot, and I knew I was caught. “Okay, fine,” I admitted. “I still like him.” “Tell him!” “I can’t. It was his idea for us to be friends. I’d just look like some

obsessive love-struck puppy.” “He was probably just saying that, you know, trying to do the right thing and all, to make it less awkward. But that guy looks at you like you’re a supermodel, even when you’re wearing a bloody Cylon outfit!” she said. “I’ve never seen or heard about him being like this—he’s usually such a man-whore— but he so obviously still wants you just as much as you want him. Guaranteed.” “You really think so?” She rolled her eyes. “Yes. God, you two are like characters in rom-coms. I just want to shake you both and say ‘communicate!’” I hesitated for a second before

speaking up again. “You really think we should go for it? I mean, you just said nothing can happen now that our parents are married, and—” She cut me off with a wave of her hand. “Oh, please. I was just saying that. Who gives a crap if your parents are married? It’s not like he’s legitimately your brother.” “I think the law might see it another way.” “Screw the law. That just makes it even hotter…all the sneaking around, the forbidden aspect of it, and so on. Don’t you think so?” “I guess,” I said. Truthfully, I was all kinds of confused. Yes, the idea of doing

something naughty and taboo was hot as hell, but on the other hand, I still felt a crushing sense of guilt over my feelings for Jace, and on top of that, if I was going to be with him, I wanted it to be real. I wanted us to be able to show our feelings to the world, not hide it all behind closed doors and veiled comments. Liana was right about one thing, though—I should at least talk to Jace about it and communicate my true feelings for once. “You know what? You’re right. I’m going to find him,” I said. Liana grinned. “Good. Talk to him about all of this, and I’ll go spend some

more time with Rick.” We were about to head out of the bathroom when my phone began to vibrate in my handbag. “Oh, hold on, it’s my Mom, so I better take it,” I said after pulling it out and checking the caller ID. “You go on ahead.” Liana nodded and headed out of the bathroom, and I answered the call. “Hi, Mom. What’s up?” “Hey, sweetie. I was just wondering where you were.” “Oh, sorry, didn’t you get my note? Jace and I are at a Halloween party. I stuck a note on the fridge to tell you, just like we used to do back home.”

“I didn’t even think to check the kitchen for a note, silly old me,” she said. “That’s fine, I was just wondering where you were. Anyway, I’m about to go out for dinner and drinks as well, so have fun! I’ll see you later.” “You have fun too, Mom!” I said. I was glad to hear that Gerald was spoiling her a bit and taking her out on a date; at least I assumed that was what was happening. “Anyway, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” After we hung up, I checked my reflection in the bathroom mirror, and I decided to keep the helmet off for a while longer. The cocktail Liana had ordered me earlier was starting to warm me up, and it was bound to get sweaty if

I left the helmet on for hours. I headed back downstairs alone, keeping my eyes peeled for Jace, but I couldn’t spot him anywhere. Just as I decided to head back upstairs to see if he’d gone up there for some reason, I bumped right into someone wearing a monster mask. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” I said, looking up. “That’s okay. Hey, wait a minute….Rayna, right?” the monster replied. “Yeah?” He pulled the mask off and grinned. “Roy. We met the other day when you

were costume shopping with Jace.” “Oh, sure, I remember. How are you?” “Good, good. And you?” “Not bad, just been busy trying to settle in,” I replied. I wasn’t sure why Jace had acted weirdly around this guy in the costume shop the other day, because he seemed perfectly normal— maybe a bit nerdy with his spotty face and skinny body, but hey, I was a bit of a nerd myself, so there was nothing wrong with that. “I can imagine. This place is quite a bit different than what you’re probably used to back in the States. Anyway, were you looking for Jace?”

I nodded. “Uh-huh.” “I was just with him a second ago, and he was looking for you too. He went to the bathroom, though, so how about we grab a drink and wait for him?” I smiled. “Sure, sounds good.” I followed him across the room, and with his long legs and stride, he reached the bar before I did, so by the time I got there, he was already ordering our drinks. “Hope you like rum,” he said, handing me a glass before gesturing towards some seats in a little nook a few yards away from the bar. I didn’t usually like rum, but I also

didn’t want to be rude, so I gratefully accepted the drink and took a swig as I headed over to the nook to sit down. The drink actually wasn’t that bad at all; it seemed to have a hint of cinnamon and cloves along with some other similar spices, which gave it quite a nice flavor if I ignored how strong the alcohol was. Roy saw my expression and grinned. “It’s a new type of spiced rum. Nice, right?” “Yeah, not bad,” I said with a smile. “Well, cheers,” he said, raising his own glass. I raised mine to his after taking my second sip, but just as I did so, Roy looked over my shoulder. “Wait, is that Jace there?”

He pointed over at the other side of the spacious room, and I turned my head over my shoulder, looking around for Jace in the crowd of partygoers. “Where? I don’t see him.” “Never mind, it was just someone else,” Roy replied as I turned back to face him. “Looked a bit like him. Anyway, how are you enjoying England so far overall?” “It’s cool. Literally. I’ve never been so cold in my life when I step outside,” I said with a grin. “I’m from California, so I’m used to much warmer weather.” “Wait till it’s actually winter here,” he said. “You’ll probably be wishing you could jump into a hot tub every

minute of the day. Or a volcano, more like it.” I laughed, and we continued to chat for several minutes. Roy was obviously well-educated, and he had been nothing but polite so far, albeit a little twitchy, but I guess talking to girls made him nervous. I really couldn’t imagine why Jace had been so keen on losing him at the store the other day. Perhaps it was because of me…maybe he didn’t want me talking to his friends in case I became closer to them than him. The idea of Jace possibly being jealous over me talking to other guys made me want to smile, but as I tried to, I realized that I couldn’t. Every muscle in my body seemed to be momentarily

paralyzed, and my head had suddenly begun to spin like mad. “God…that rum is really hitting me,” I said, finally summoning the strength to rub my eyes as I tried to keep them open. “Sorry, it’s pretty strong. Are you okay?” Roy asked, holding out an arm to steady me. It occurred to me that Jace still hadn’t met up with us, and I managed to mumble something else. “I don’t know. Where’s Jace? Wasn’t he coming to find us?” “Yeah. Maybe he forgot and went outside. You look like you could use some fresh air, anyway. Let’s go out into the courtyard and look for him.”

“Okay,” I whispered in response, barely able to speak now. The alcohol was seriously hitting me hard; I’d never felt this way before, even when I’d gone on Spring Break back in the States and had six cocktails in a row one night. My limbs and eyelids were heavy, and I felt like I needed to sleep for a thousand years. Roy held me with both arms as I stumbled, preventing me from hitting the ground. “Come on, you’ll be okay. Let’s just get you outside.” Alarm bells finally began to ring in my woozy head as he led me out of the party, but by the time we got outside and the fresh night air hit my face, those bells were too faint for me to hear. In fact,

every thought in my head was too faint to register, and everything around me was too fuzzy to see. By the time my exhausted brain had figured out what was going on, it was too late. Everything was black.

Chapter 16 Jace “So did you talk to her?” A feminine voice interrupted my train of thought, and I turned to see Liana standing behind me upstairs. “Oh, hey. Did I talk to who?” I asked, my eyebrows furrowing in a puzzled expression. “By the way, where’s Rayna?” After leaving the bathroom earlier, I’d run into some more people I knew, and we’d had a nice long chat before

one of them had checked his phone and realized his girlfriend was waiting for him, and he’d headed back downstairs. After that, the group had dispersed, and I’d taken the few minutes alone to check through my emails on my phone. I hadn’t worried about where Rayna was in the time I’d been upstairs chatting, because I’d assumed she was still with Liana, but Liana was definitely alone as she stood before me now, and she looked even more confused than I was. “I meant ‘did you talk to Rayna’,” she said. “But apparently you don’t even know where she is. So she didn’t even come to find you?”

“No, I’ve been in the same spot up here for the last twenty minutes or so, and I haven’t seen her come up. I thought she was with you.” Liana rolled her eyes. “I bet she chickened out.” I raised an eyebrow. “Chickened out of what?” “Never mind. She was just…” She trailed off, and from that and the look in her eyes, I could tell she thought she’d said too much. “Just what?” “Erm…just talk to her, okay? I shouldn’t have said anything. Sorry, I just assumed you guys would have

chatted by now.” “Did I do something to upset her?” She shook her head. “No. Look, I really shouldn’t say this, but she seems so bloody bad at communicating with men that I may as well give you a hint. She likes you, Jace. She was coming to find you to tell you that she thinks your whole idea of being platonic friends is rubbish.” My eyes widened. That wasn’t at all what I’d overheard earlier. Perhaps I’d heard incorrectly or somehow misinterpreted things. “What? You serious?” “Don’t act surprised. From what I hear, you’re used to girls falling all over

themselves just to get a chance to drop their panties for you.” I had to grin at that. “Maybe, but Rayna’s not like other girls,” I said. Liana smiled. “That’s what I like to hear. Now go find her!” I nodded and headed downstairs, keeping my eyes out for Rayna. I couldn’t see her anywhere, but I didn’t panic—the place was huge and filled with partygoers, so she was probably just blending in with the crowds. I kept looking, and after ten minutes, I started to get concerned. I’d been around the party five times now and asked a lot of people about her, and I’d even checked all the bathrooms and

knocked on every door I could think of. She was nowhere to be seen, and even Liana didn’t seem to have any idea where she’d gone. I wondered if maybe she’d simply gone home, but I figured she would’ve sent me a text if that were the case, just to let me know. Rayna wasn’t the sort of person who would just rudely leave like that. My heart raced as I did another lap of the main party room, and guilt seeped through every inch of my body. I’d promised myself I’d keep an eye on her tonight, but I’d let her out of my sight for too long, and now she was nowhere to be found. Simply assuming she’d been with Liana wasn’t good enough—I’d fucked up, and if anything bad happened

to her tonight, it’d be my fault. When she didn’t respond to my third text, I tried calling her, but it rang out. I stepped outside where it was quiet to call her again, praying that she’d pick up this time, but she didn’t, and just when I was about to go back inside and tell Liana that I thought something had really gone wrong, my phone began to vibrate in my hand. Shoulders slumping with relief, I answered it, only to realize it wasn’t Rayna. “Jacey boy, still at the party?” I rolled my eyes. “What do you want, Roy? I think I made myself pretty fucking clear to you earlier. Don’t call me unless

you really want help.” “You might wanna change your tone with me, man.” “Roy, I don’t have time for this shit right—” He cut me off midsentence. “Why? Because Rayna’s gone missing from the party?” His words sent an icy chill through me, and I fell silent. How the fuck did he know that? Was he still at the party, following me around and watching me search for her? “Yeah, now you’re listening,” he said before laughing; a short, sharp bark. “Well, you won’t find her at the party,

man.” “Why?” I asked through gritted teeth. “Because she’s with me.” My heart leapt into my throat, and I was acutely aware of the fact that I no longer knew a thing about Roy. The old friend I’d once had was no longer here —he’d been replaced by this psychopath addict. There was no way Rayna would have left with him willingly, which left only one option. He’d forcibly taken her. “What the fuck, Roy? Where are you?” I could practically hear him smirking over the phone. “I told you earlier, man,

you should watch your back.” “That doesn’t answer my question, and Rayna has nothing to do with any of the shit between us. This isn’t fucking funny, so tell me where she is.” “Actually, she has everything to do with the shit between us. I remember the way you talked about her when we caught up the other week, and I know she’s more to you than just a stepsister. So you’d do anything to get her home safely, right?” “Of course I would,” I replied, my hands balling into fists by my side. “Now tell me what the fuck is going on. If you’ve done anything to her…” “Relax, she’s fine. She’s here with

me at the old furniture warehouse in Brixton. I’m sure you remember the place.” He’d obviously picked our old dealer’s usual place of business on purpose to try and drag up all those old memories, reminding me that I’d once been like him. He wanted to put me on the same footing as him, but I wasn’t. Not anymore. Before I could say another word, he continued. “Don’t call the cops. I’ll know if you do. Just come here alone.” “Fine.” “And bring thirty thousand quid in cash with you.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I said. Surely he was just drunk and this was all some kind of sick joke, because what he was saying was utterly absurd. “This isn’t a fucking Liam Neeson gangster movie, Roy, this is real life, and what you’re claiming to be doing is kidnapping for ransom. Besides, do you think I have thirty grand just sitting around?” “You’ve got it in your bank account, I know that for sure.” “Yeah, but I can’t just go to an ATM and withdraw that much. There’s a limit, you fucking idiot.” “I don’t care. You’ll figure something out, I’m sure…if you want

Rayna to be okay, that is. She looks like she’s got a nice little body under this stupid costume of hers. Anyway, you’ve got four hours.” He was actually serious. The threat in his voice was clear, and before I could say anything else, he’d hung up. I stared into space for a moment as a horrifying sickness swirled around within me, knowing that this was all my fault. My shitty past had come back to haunt me, as it always did, and now Rayna could get hurt, all because of me. I quickly dialed the number for the car service to come and get me again, and I told them if they hurried the hell up and got me home as quick as possible, there’d be a hefty tip in it for them. Fuck,

I should’ve just driven tonight, so I’d be able to get to my car right away, but either way, it didn’t matter, because I needed to get back to the manor before I could try to get Rayna back anyway. There was only person I knew who had piles of cash as big as thirty grand sitting around in safes, and that was my father. I hated to ask him for help in a situation I’d created through my own stupidity, but this was a possible life or death situation, and I had no other choice. I’d do anything to get Rayna back and hold her safe in my arms. ***

“Dad?” I was sprinting down the hallway of the third floor, towards the western end where my father and Elena’s master bedroom was. I’d just arrived home, and while all the lights downstairs were off, I’d seen a yellow glow from the third floor, so I knew someone was home. I knocked on the door, and just was I was about to go ahead and open it, I heard low, panicked voices from inside. I guess I’d caught Elena and Dad doing the nasty, but I didn’t give a shit. Rayna was in trouble, so being forced to see my father caught with his pants down really didn’t register as anything too bad right now. “Dad, I don’t care what you guys are

doing, we need to talk, and it’s important,” I said before pushing the door open. I figured Elena being there would make this conversation even easier, because there was no way Dad could refuse to help Rayna with her mother lying right there. Only the pale-skinned, dark-haired woman lying on the king-sized bed wasn’t Elena. “Oh, shit. Seriously, Dad…again?” I said, narrowing my eyes as he struggled into a shirt and pants, guilt etched into his features. Of course this wasn’t the first time he’d cheated on someone, but given his usual behavior around Elena and the

way he’d made such a big deal about being a ‘good father and family man’ lately, I’d thought he might have been able to keep his dick to himself for once. But no, the lithe brunette lying on the bed was proof that he’d never change. He was still the same old lying, cheating asshole. “Jace…outside!” he snapped, as if I was the one who’d done something wrong here. I stalked from the room, knowing he would follow. “What on earth is so important you had to disturb me with my…er… friend?” he asked, crossing his arms. “Dad, I realize this will sound like

total bullshit, but it’s not. It’s serious.” “Well, out with it,” he said, waving his hand impatiently. “Rayna’s been kidnapped.” He stared at me with nothing but a blank expression on his face, and I repeated myself in case he simply hadn’t heard me properly. “Dad, Rayna’s been kidnapped!” “Go on,” he said, still seemingly not understanding the seriousness of the situation. “This drug-fucked guy I went to school with took her from the party we were at. She’s in a lot of trouble, and I need to help her.”

“Right,” he replied, affecting a bored tone. “What has all this got to do with me?” I stared at him, unable to believe that he could be so callous. Although this was the side of him that I was far more used to seeing, I’d actually gotten used to the fake nice display that he’d been putting on for the benefit of everyone else recently. “Are you kidding me? She’s your stepdaughter and she’s been kidnapped by some psycho guy, that’s what it has to do with you. Where the hell is Elena, anyway? We need to tell her!” “She’s at dinner with some friends. I really don’t think she wants her evening

ruined with your silly little shenanigans, so please just go back to whatever party you were at and play your pranks on someone else,” he said, looking at my Halloween costume with disdain. “These aren’t ‘silly shenanigans’ or pranks; Rayna is seriously in trouble. The guy wants a load of cold hard cash, which I don’t have. He’s demanding thirty grand from me.” He sneered at me. “How do I know this isn’t just money for one of your little dealer friends? You think I don’t know what you’ve been spending that trust fund of yours on for the last two years? Your mother and I do speak occasionally, you know.”

“It’s not that, I swear. I’ll pay you back; take it directly out of my trust fund account. I just need real cash now, that’s all.” He rolled his eyes, still clearly not believing me. “Fine. We actually do have kidnapping insurance, but I don’t believe for a second that anything’s really happened to Rayna, so I’ll just take it out of my safe, and I’ll have my accountants withdraw it back out of your trust fund for myself later. So I’m getting that money back either way, no matter what you do with it tonight.” My shoulders sagged with relief. “Okay. Thank you.” He held up one hand, and a smirk

crossed his face. “I have one condition.” I’d agree to anything right now, even though he really shouldn’t have been putting conditions on saving the daughter of his brand new wife. “What?” He indicated towards the bedroom. “I need you to keep quiet about what you saw in there.” I stared at him in shock. Was he fucking serious? Whether he believed it or not, Rayna’s life was seriously in danger, and all he cared about was not getting caught for his seedy little affair? That’s when something finally hit me.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. That mistress of yours…it’s been going on for a while, hasn’t it? She’s Rayna’s ‘ghost’, isn’t she? He chuckled, and the fact that he wasn’t fazed at all about being an absolute prick made me want to throttle him. “Yes. She was here with me that night and went to get a drink, then came back up the stairs and almost bumped into Rayna. She didn’t know who Rayna was, so she got scared and ran up to the fourth floor to hide for a while.” “So you let Rayna be terrified and think she was either sleepwalking or losing her mind,” I said through gritted teeth. “You even told her she was just seeing things and lied about calling

security. Way to go, Dad. And what about Elena? How did she fail to notice you had another fucking woman here in her house while she slept?” “It’s not her house. It’s my house; she just lives in it with me. And she was away that night, at her friend’s B&B. I took the opportunity to have some… well, let’s just say some extracurricular fun.” I shook my head. “How the fuck can you keep doing this to all these women? Elena doesn’t deserve this shit.” He snorted. “Elena was nothing back in America. Now, because of me, she has everything a woman could ever want —money, a big house, a name in the

social circles. So what she doesn’t know can’t hurt her.” “Fuck, whatever,” I said, my voice tinged with disgust. His attitude was appalling; he seriously believed that all women wanted was money and a mansion, and love wasn’t important at all. He was like a relic from some misogynistic film from the 1940’s. “I don’t want to hear any more of this bullshit. Just help me get Rayna back.” “So you agree to keep this quiet?” he said, gesturing to the bedroom again. “Sure,” I said with a curt nod, although I was lying through my teeth. I was gonna tell Elena about all of this at the first opportunity, and I was

also going to tell her how coldly Dad had acted upon hearing that Rayna was in trouble, whether he’d believed it or not. He wasn’t going to get away with screwing up another woman’s life, not this time. Elena didn’t deserve to fall for his bullshit. She’d given up so much for him—even moved halfway across the world to be here—and I wouldn’t let him stay married to her, knowing what a fucking scumbag he was. My father didn’t deserve any woman, really, but he especially didn’t deserve one as nice as her. He briskly led me into one of his home offices and fiddled with a safe in the back, and a moment later, he handed me a briefcase. “Here,” he said. “I trust

this will be enough. It’ll come out of your account first thing on Monday.” “Thanks,” I muttered. Giving me what I needed to save Rayna was probably one of the only decent things he’d ever done, despite the bullshit ‘condition’ he’d put on it. Then again, thirty grand in cash wasn’t exactly a big deal to him—it was all in a day’s work to him, really. I hopped into my car and took off, not even caring that I was slightly over the speed limit. Now that I’d had a few minutes to think things through, I knew I needed to do something more than just show up at the warehouse with the money. Roy was unstable, and I had no idea what could happen if it was just me

there tonight. As I drove, a new idea slowly formed in my head, and I pulled my phone out of my pocket before taking a deep breath and dialing as I hit a red light. This call could make or break everything.

Chapter 17 Rayna “Jace? Liana?” I mumbled. I forced my eyes open, wondering why Tom’s house was suddenly so cold. What happened to all the party people, and why was the music off? My head felt sluggish, my eyes were blurry, and every inch of me ached as I turned my head and took a proper look around. Shit, this wasn’t Tom’s house, or even my house. I had no idea where I was, and no idea

how I got here. None at all. I forced my head upright, wanting to get a better look at my surroundings. I didn’t feel like I was lying down, so it was pretty safe to assume that I wasn’t in my bed, but I had no idea where that left me. So what was the last thing I could clearly remember? The party at Tom’s house. Talking to Liana. My phone call with Mom. Going to find Jace to tell him how I felt… That was about it. As I glanced around, I quickly realized I was in some sort of factory. It

didn’t look like it had been used in quite some time; there were dust-coated workbenches, some rusty broken-down machinery to the left of me, and a ratty old sign nearly falling off a big corrugated sliding door ahead of me. Jeez….how the hell did I get here? Was this some sort of Halloween prank everyone had decided to play on me? If so, it wasn’t funny. Small sparks of memory began to flash in my mind, but there was nothing solid I could run with. A taste of cinnamon. A Halloween monster mask. Stepping outside and breathing in the cool air before…before what? As proper feeling started to return to my body, I noticed that my wrists were

stinging, and as I tried to move them to find out what was wrong, it became abundantly clear that they were stuck. I twisted my body around and looked down to see that I was tied to a pole in the middle of the room I was in. Who the hell would do this? “Hey!” I called out, my voice weak as I tried to cling onto the desperate fantasy that this was all some sort of sick prank, and the perpetrators were right here filming me and laughing. “This isn’t funny!” I started trying to move, kicking my legs out and pulling my back away from the pole in the hopes that the rope on my arms would break or come loose, but it

achieved nothing. I was stuck. Then a shadow appeared in my peripheral vision, telling me that I definitely wasn’t alone, and my heart pounded painfully in my chest as I tried to turn my head further around to see who it was. “I think it’s pretty funny,” a soft masculine voice said from somewhere in the darkness. “What?” I managed to choke out as I gulped down my fear. “You said it’s not funny. But I think it is.” The speaker stepped out of the darkness and into the moonlight where I could finally get a good look at his face.

It was Roy, Jace’s friend. I suddenly remembered our conversation at the party, the strong drink, and the promise of help when I started to feel sleepy, but after that, it was all blank. Roy must’ve slipped something in my drink to make me pass out. I thought back and realized I’d turned my back on him for a few seconds when he’d pointed across the room and said he could see Jace, and I mentally kicked myself for being such an idiot. I should’ve never kept my eyes off my drink; not even for a second. Then again, it hadn’t occurred to me that one of Jace’s old school friends might be some sort of date-rapist. “Please don’t touch me,” I said, my

voice barely above a whisper now. “I’ll do anything.” He grinned. “Relax, sweetheart. Jace’s cast-offs aren’t exactly my cup of tea. I didn’t bring you here for any of that.” “Then why am I here? Is this some sort of joke you and Jace are playing? Because it’s not funny, and you’re hurting me.” “It’s no joke. Jace has something I need, and he hasn’t been willing to give it to me so far. So you’re going to help me get it from him. Just my luck I ran into you tonight.” “Huh? What is it you need from Jace?” I asked, becoming increasingly

convinced by the second that I was trapped in some sort of nightmare. Surely this wasn’t real. I felt like I was starring in some sort of early nineties slasher film. “You’ll see,” Roy replied softly. He turned around for a second, and I saw him get something out of his pocket before sniffing loudly. I wasn’t exactly an expert on illicit substances, but I immediately knew what he was doing— he was snorting something, probably cocaine or speed. God, how the hell had I not put two and two together earlier? I’d thought he was just naturally skinny, and it hadn’t even occurred to me that he might be one of Jace’s old drug addict friends from school. No wonder he’d

just been conveniently carrying around pills to slip in my drink to knock me out; he probably always had all kinds of things on him. “Roy,” I said, hoping I could reason with him before he got too high on whatever it was he was currently snorting. “Let me go, and I’ll talk to Jace for you. Whatever he has that you want, I can help. Just untie me.” He turned back to me. “Why? You think he’ll listen to you because you’re fucking him?” he spat out. I winced at the ugly way he’d worded that sentence. “I’m not sleeping with Jace.” “Bullshit. You know, you’re nothing

to him, whether you’re his stepsister or not. He’s a fucking dickhead. He’ll fuck you and then toss you aside, just like he does with every single skank that jumps into bed with him. He’s a shitty person and a shitty friend. You might think that he’s there for you, but he isn’t. He only cares about himself.” “I’m not sleeping with him,” I repeated. It was true; Jace and I had done other sexual things, but we’d never gone so far as full-on sex. He smirked. “Actually, that makes sense. If you had fucked him already, he wouldn’t give a shit about you—he’d have already moved on to the next slut. So the fact that he’s on his way here to get you shows that he’s obviously still

trying to get you into bed. Lucky you….but mark my words, when he’s done with you, it’ll be like you never existed to him.” I felt a stinging pain in my heart as the darker parts of my mind wondered if that was even remotely true, but I didn’t let it show. “Okay, Roy, I get why you think that about him. I’ve heard all about his past. I have no idea what’s gone on between you and him, though, and I assure you, it has nothing to do with me.” He rolled his eyes, and I pressed on. “Please, you must be able to see that what you’re doing is crazy. If this spirals, you’ll get in so much trouble.

You’ll end up in prison. Is that what you want?” “That won’t happen. I told him not to involve the cops. And on the off chance something goes wrong, well, I guess that’s just fucking life. Not all of us are rich fuckers with daddies who can buy us out of trouble.” “What do you mean?” “Why don’t you ask your precious Jace when he gets here with my money?” Of course…this was about money. Roy was obviously desperate for it to fuel his drug habit, so he’d taken me in the hopes that Jace would give him anything to rescue me. I hoped to god he was right about that.

“I thought Jace was your friend,” I said, trying to keep Roy talking for the time being. That was probably a mistake, because he came right up in my face and practically screamed, spittle flying out of his mouth and hitting me on the cheeks. “Shut the fuck up! You don’t know shit, so stop talking!” I swallowed hard and kept going, knowing I needed to push through this. “Then please enlighten me, because this all seems totally crazy to me.” “Jace is a fucking bastard. That’s all you need to know.” “No, it isn’t. I want to know what he did to you that was so bad. If I’m getting

dragged into it all, then I deserve to know why. Tell me.” “Okay, fine. You really want to know?” “Yes. The more you tell me, the more I can try to help,” I said, trying to keep my face as calm and neutral as possible. I wasn’t really going to help this asshole with anything, but if he believed I was going to, then it might keep me out of any immediate danger. “Jace fucking abandoned me when I needed him the most. He just left. I had some serious drug debts, and where was he when I tried to ask him for help? He’d dropped out of uni and fucked off to live in Scotland. I got two ribs broken

and my leg was fucked up for ages because he wasn’t there to lend me the cash I needed. So he used to help me, and then bam, he fucking vanished and left me to fend for myself.” I didn’t want to say that I had no sympathy for him at all and that it was his own fault, because I knew that’d make him even angrier, but how could he not see it for himself? Did he really expect his friends to pay off his debts? That was ridiculous. I kept my lips sealed firmly shut and let him carry on. “Do you know what it feels like, to be left on your own like that? Can you even begin to imagine how that is?” he

asked. Okay, silence clearly wasn’t going to work. I had to say something. “Roy, I’m really sorry that happened to you, but Jace was trying to better himself by moving away from Manchester. I don’t think he meant to hurt you.” “Really?” Roy’s eyes snapped up to meet mine, a fire blazing behind his expression. “Was he really trying to better himself up there in Scotland? Because from what I heard, he got a lot worse up there.” “What do you mean?” I asked. I remembered a conversation I’d had with Jace weeks ago, one in which he told me he’d ‘totally fucked something up’ in

Edinburgh. I hadn’t pressed him about it at the time because it seemed like it was none of my business, but now I was more curious than ever. Just what was it that he’d done? It looked like I was about to find out. “You know he killed two people, right?” Roy said, a smug smile turning his lips up now. What? What the hell was he talking about? He saw my eyes widen with horror, and the smile turned into a full-on grin. “Aww…you really didn’t know. How adorable.” My mouth turned cotton-dry. “I…I

don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Your precious Jace was driving around stoned off his face in Edinburgh, just a few months ago, and he crashed right into another car and killed two people. I can’t believe he didn’t tell you…that’s kind of a big thing to leave out of your sibling ‘getting to know each other’ chats, isn’t it?” I shook my head. “That’s not true. He’d be in prison for manslaughter if it was.” Roy snorted with derision. “Or maybe Daddy’s money got him off the hook when Mommy called to beg him for help,” he said. “Why do you think he came back here? He didn’t want to stay

in Edinburgh anymore, because then he might have to face what he did.” His earlier words suddenly made more sense. Not all of us are rich fuckers with daddies who can buy us out of trouble. But still, it couldn’t be true. Jace was a decent guy; if he’d actually killed people while under the influence of something, he wouldn’t have accepted his father paying off the authorities to keep him out of jail. Or would he? “It’s not true,” I said, although my voice was shaking now. Roy was slowly getting to me, and he knew it. “Jace couldn’t do that. He’s a good guy.” “Why would I make this up?” he

replied. “I told you, I’m not interested in you. I’m not trying to get in your pants by turning you against him.” He had a point, but I still knew what he’d told me was a lie. “What I’m saying is true,” he continued. “Ask him yourself when he gets here. Just ask him about his accident. You’ll see.” “You’re making this up; he never caused any sort of car accident, and he never hurt anyone. It’s not true!” I insisted, tears streaming down my face now. Jace’s voice suddenly pierced the air from somewhere behind me.

“Rayna…it is true.”

Chapter 18 Jace I stepped into the abandoned furniture warehouse, and as I got closer to the main work floor, I heard Rayna’s voice. She was sobbing and saying, ‘Jace is a good guy, it isn’t true,’ so clearly, Roy was filling her head with bullshit and trying to poison her against me. Then I heard Roy’s reply, and my heart sank. “What I’m saying is true. Ask him yourself when he gets here. Just ask him about his accident. You’ll see,” he said.

“You’re making this up; he never caused any sort of car accident, and he never hurt anyone. It’s not true!” Rayna replied. Shit. I had no idea how Roy had even heard about the accident I’d had up in Scotland, but rumors had obviously spread far and wide. I loved that Rayna was defending me so much, despite all the shit I’d gotten her into, but she needed to know the truth. “Rayna,” I said as I stepped into the room, my voice tinged with shame. “It is true.” Roy smirked triumphantly, and Rayna’s face fell. It was then that I saw what Roy had done to her; he’d tied her

to a fucking pole like some sort of hostage in a thriller flick. Jesus, he was seriously messed up. “You…you seriously killed two people and let your Dad pay the cops off?” Rayna said, seemingly not even caring about the ropes holding her wrists anymore as she stared at me with wide eyes. “Wait, what? What the hell are you talking about?” I asked. I hadn’t killed anyone, and my father certainly hadn’t paid anyone off, so I had no idea where she’d gotten that from. I’d definitely caused an accident with my own sheer stupidity, and I had hurt someone, though not seriously at all, and

that’s what I’d assumed they were talking about when I walked in here only seconds ago. Clearly Roy was just making shit up to try and make Rayna hate me. “You just said it was true about the accident,” she said. “I—” “Boo-fucking-hoo,” Roy cut in. “You guys can discuss this shit later. Just give me my cash, Jace.” I was shaking with rage, and I wanted to knock his fucking teeth out for spreading lies about me, but I had to keep myself controlled. One wrong move and Rayna could be hurt. I put the briefcase down on the dirty concrete

floor and kicked it over to him, and then I held my hands up so he knew I wasn’t a threat. “It’s all there. Thirty grand. Count it.” He leaned down and opened the case, and I rushed over to Rayna. As I undid the ropes binding her to the pole and pulled her into the safety of my arms, I felt just how cold and scared she was as she trembled against me, and I gently rubbed her head and made soothing sounds. “I’m so sorry, Rayna. This is all my fault. I’m so sorry.” She pulled back and slapped me, hard, and I rubbed my cheek and looked at her. “I guess I deserved that for getting you into this,” I said.

“And I deserve to know the truth!” she said, her eyes blazing. “What the hell happened in Scotland? I really thought you were different, Jace.” “Look, I got in some trouble up there like I told you the other week, but it’s not what you think.” Roy snickered from over by the case as he held up a banknote against the light of his cell phone to make sure it was real, but I forced myself to ignore him and went on with my story. “I moved up there to get away from the whole drug scene, like I told you. I was okay for a while, got a decent job and everything. But then I met some new guys through work, and some of them

were a lot like my old friends—they loved getting fucked up. I resisted at first, but it was hard to get out of the habit when there was nothing truly stopping me. So I gave in, and pretty soon I was in the same place as I’d been in Manchester. Getting fucked up all the time.” Rayna kept her eyes on me, her gaze never wavering. “And?” “One night I went out, and I was smashed off my head. I know it was fucking stupid, but at the time, I just didn’t care. Roy’s right; I did get into an accident. I crashed right into a parked truck, and another car swerved off the road to avoid me, and the woman driving that car ended up with a few cuts

and bruises. But I didn’t kill anyone. I know I could have, driving around high like that, and I’ll regret that forever. But I didn’t kill anyone, I promise. The only person who got badly hurt that night was me.” I lifted up my shirt and angled my back towards Rayna so she could see the long, thin scar that ran down it. I’d kept this scar away from her eyes in the past by only ever showing her the front of my torso, but there was no point in hiding it anymore. “I was in hospital for a week, but aside from the deep cut on my back and some other bruising, I was fine. But I knew I couldn’t do it anymore. I had to stop acting so fucking crazy and

reckless, and it was the push I needed to sober up and start doing the right thing.” I recalled my Mom’s heartbroken face by my hospital bed when I finally came around after the crash. It was just another thing to add to the long list of shit I’d given her. “So once I was mostly healed up and able to get out of bed properly, I packed up and moved back here. As much as I loved being close to my Mom, all I did was hurt her. So I came back here to sort my shit out and straighten up. It needed to be done.” Rayna’s face crumpled, and she began to cry again. “I knew it,” she said softly. “I knew you could never do what

he said you did. I’m sorry if I thought…” Her voice trailed off, and I took her in my arms again. I knew what she’d thought for a few seconds there. When I’d walked into the warehouse and told her it was all true, I hadn’t known the exact story she’d been told only moments before, so what choice did she have than to think I really had killed someone? I looked over her head at Roy, who’d just finished counting the cash in the case. He stared at me with a sullen expression before speaking. “Well, it’s real, and it’s all here,” he said. “I fucking told you it was.” He gave me a long, hard look. “You

know, for what it’s worth, I really thought you’d killed someone up there. That’s what I heard. You know what the rumor mill is like with the old crowd.” “I don’t give a shit what you heard. Take the fucking money and get the hell out of here.” He grinned. “All right. Nice doing business with you, old pal,” he said sarcastically. I tried to keep the smirk off my face as I looked at him. Roy thought he was getting away scot-free, but he wasn’t going to have that money for too long. My plan was still in motion, and he’d be in lockup within an hour. He closed the case, picked it up and

headed out the main door, and as he walked away, I could hear him on the phone to his dealer already. Christ, he was well and truly fucked, but at least tonight hadn’t become even more of a nightmare with him descending into some sort of drug-fueled violent rage. “Come on, let’s get the hell out of here,” I murmured into Rayna’s ear. She nodded gratefully against me. As we stepped outside through the side entrance, the cold late-night air hit me like a slap in the face. Rayna fell into my arms, and she began to sob all over again. The incident had terrified her—as it would anyone—and her legs were shaking like mad. Hell, her whole body was shaking, and her hot tears were

making wet patches all over my shirt, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was her. “Rayna…I’m so sorry,” I said, repeating my earlier words. She kept crying, but it was softer now; almost all out of her system. Finally she pulled away and looked up at me. “It’s not your fault. I let him trick me,” she said quietly. “I took a drink from him. How freaking stupid is that?” “Still wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t let it. I should’ve taken better care of you. I should’ve told you to avoid him, and I should’ve watched you at the party.”

She sniffed and wiped her face, “Jace, you can’t watch me every second of the day and night. I’m not your responsibility, and you thought I was with Liana, anyway, right? So how is it your fault? It’s Roy’s fault. He’s the one who did this to me.” “I guess. But still, I’m never letting anything happen to you again. I promise.” “I know.” She looked deep into my eyes, and I knew she knew exactly how I felt about her. Even better…I knew she felt the same way about me, without a single word spoken about it. I held her steady, and we walked

towards the spot where I’d parked my car in silence. A moment later, she stopped in the street and gave me a funny look before finally speaking again. “You’re not really letting him get away with that money, are you?” she asked. “I mean, I know you’re rich, but still…” Her voice trailed off, and I smiled for the first time in hours. “Of course not.” “What did you do?” “He said not to involve the cops,” I said. “But I figured a guy as drug-fucked as him wasn’t gonna be too smart about things. So I called the cops on my way here and told them what was going on anyway. They were right outside the

warehouse on the other side, waiting for me to go in with the money, and they were watching you the whole time to make sure nothing happened to you. I only gave the money to Roy to make him think it was all good so that you’d get away safely, but the cops were there to jump in as soon as he walked out. They’ve probably already arrested him, and he’ll be on his way into custody now.” She nodded, and I squeezed her hand and continued. “Listen, I don’t want you to think I put you at any major risk. If I’d thought involving the cops would actually get you hurt, then I wouldn’t have called them.” “I know. You did the right thing,” she

said. “He was snorting something right in front of me while I was in there. I don’t think he’d have even noticed if there were policemen dangling from the rafters of that old building.” “Probably, yeah. We’ll have to go in and give them an official statement tomorrow, but Roy will go to jail for this, and he won’t be able to hurt you or anyone else. At least he might get rehabilitated while he’s in there.” She shivered. “You’re a better person than me. After what he did, I honestly can’t picture myself caring about what happens to him at all.” “I understand. I wouldn’t either, if I hadn’t grown up with the guy. He used to

be decent, believe it or not. So even though I want to fucking kill him for what he did to you, a tiny shred of my conscience still hopes he gets the help he needs.” She nodded slowly. “I get it,” she replied. I knew she would. Even after everything she’d just gone through, Rayna would always be able to put herself in other people’s shoes and see their perspectives. That was just one of the many things I loved about her. Yeah, I said it. I fucking loved her. We finally reached the car, and as she buckled herself in, Rayna turned to me. “Did you tell our parents what

happened?” she asked, her expression anxious. “I told my Dad. He gave me the cash. But your Mom…er…she wasn’t home,” I said. “Why wasn’t she home? She told me they were having dinner and drinks tonight, so if your Dad was home, then she should’ve been too.” “She was having dinner with some friends of hers. Dad didn’t go.” There was an edge to my voice, and I hoped she hadn’t picked up on it, because after what she’d just gone through, the last thing she needed to hear about was all the shit my father had been up to behind her mother’s back.

Unfortunately, she picked up on it immediately, and her eyebrows furrowed. “Jace…what aren’t you telling me? I can tell by your voice; you’re hiding something.” I rubbed my chin with one hand, the other firmly on the steering wheel as I looked ahead at the road. “Shit, Rayna, can this wait until tomorrow? You’ve been through so much tonight.” She shot me a determined glance. “I’m American. I’m tough. Just tell me.” I sighed. “Well, you can’t say I didn’t warn you. But my Dad…he’s been cheating on your Mom.” She gasped. “What?”

“Yep.” “That fucking prick! How could he? How did you even find out?” “When I went to find him to get the cash from him—because obviously I couldn’t just withdraw that much in one go from my own account, and I needed real cash so Roy wouldn’t get suspicious —I walked in on him screwing some woman. And guess fucking what?” “What?” she asked, her little hands balling up by her side in fury. “She’s your manor ‘ghost’. Apparently that night, she was sneakily staying over while your Mom was checking out her friend’s B&B, and she did the same thing as you in the middle

of the night—she woke up and went to get a drink. When she was coming back up the stairs, she saw you, freaked out, and ran upstairs to the fourth floor to hide.” “Holy crap. So I wasn’t just sleepwalking or hallucinating.” “Nope. And Dad just let you think that so he’d get away with it. Fucking prick. I knew he hadn’t changed, and I fucking knew he was up to something.” Rayna slumped back in her seat. “What are we going to tell my Mom?” she asked, her voice shaking again. “She’s been through so much with guys in the past…my father cheated on her too, you know. I don’t know how she

always manages to pick the worst ones.” “It gets worse, Rayna.” “How’s that possible?” “When I told him what was happening with you and Roy, he didn’t even care. He just assumed I was full of shit, even though I said I was telling the truth multiple times. He just didn’t seem to give a fuck. Then he said he wouldn’t give me the cash to help you unless I promised to not tell your Mom about the cheating.” “Wow. So he was willing to let god knows what happen to me, just so he wouldn’t get caught with his pants down?” she replied, rage etched into her features.

“Yep.” “Jesus….how are you related to him again?” “Fuck knows. But don’t worry. We’re going to get all this shit sorted as soon as we figure out the best way to do it.” “Damn right we are,” she said, her voice steely with resolve. “You need to rest right now, though,” I said, reaching over and squeezing her thigh. “Go to bed as soon as we get home, and we’ll figure all of this out tomorrow when you’ve had a nice long sleep.” Rayna

was

silent

for

several

minutes, and then she looked over at me as her hand crept onto my lap. “Jace, I will be going to bed as soon as we get home, but…” Her voice trailed off for a second, and I raised my eyebrows. “But what?” She smiled. “I don’t intend on getting much sleep.”

Chapter 19 Rayna Now that I’d said the words, there was no going back. I’d set something in motion that couldn’t be stopped, and I knew I didn’t even want it to stop. This was our moment. Our night. Jace and I could finally be together without any guilt, because after what he’d told me about Gerald, I knew that his marriage to my mother was a sham. It was awful for her, and it broke my heart to think about how hurt she’d be when we told her the truth about her husband, but at the same time I

felt a strong sense of relief as the crushing weight of the guilt I’d been experiencing lately lifted from my shoulders like a cloud. No more guilt, and no more holding back. Jace and I belonged to each other from this moment onward. As we headed through the front door and rushed upstairs, we paused outside his bedroom. Jace stared down at me, searching for confirmation in my eyes, and I knew it was there. It had been burning brightly inside me since the moment we met that night at Tom’s masquerade party, as much as I’d tried to push it aside and try to be friends with him, I knew I couldn’t anymore. I knew he wanted me just as much—that much

had been obvious in the look he’d given me after he saved me from Roy—and now I was more ready than ever…ready to become his and his alone. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait?” he murmured, grabbing one of my hands and raising it to his chest. “Why wait any longer?” I replied. He grinned, then shrugged. “Why indeed?” He lowered his mouth to mine to kiss me, and I tilted my head up in response. Our lips grazed together softly at first, but we were both impatient from the weeks of sexual tension and frustration that had been building up between the two of us. He pulled me in closer, our

bodies tangling in a tight embrace, and I moaned softly into his mouth as his tongue explored mine in a kiss so hot it could’ve melted a glacier. I could feel Jace’s erection digging into my belly, and it sent wild shivers down my spine as I pictured it finally thrusting inside me. “Come on,” I whispered, breaking away a moment later. “Let’s get inside your room before anyone sees us.” He grinned and pushed the door open before walking over to his bed and flashing me that sexy smirk he was so well-known for. “I changed my mind about your costume,” he said, motioning towards

the silver Cylon costume I still had on. “I don’t like it on you anymore. Take it off.” I smiled back at him. It was finally time to put my money where my mouth was…and my mouth on him. I slid out of the costume, and Jace groaned under his breath as I stood before him in only my bra and panties. Then I hurriedly stripped him of his shirt, leaving him in only his pants and boxer shorts, and he sat down on the end of the bed and pulled me onto his lap. He kissed me hard, holding my face in his hands, and then he pulled away and just looked at me, his eyes burning with desire. I licked my lips, desperate for him to kiss me again, and then he did;

lips crushing mine, tongue sliding into my mouth and entwining with my own. His hands slid up my back at the same time, stroking softly and slowly before finally unclasping my bra at the back. It was so intimate; everything I wanted and needed, and I reached down and worked at his belt, frantically trying to get his pants off. His bulge was already obvious, and the mere thought of it practically made me salivate. He let me slide the shorts off, and I cupped him, curling my hand around his cock and stroking it as he watched me with an intense gaze. His cock was beautiful, and I wasn’t the sort of person who’d thought to describe a penis as beautiful before. But it really was. It

was long, thick and smooth…and just crying out for me to take it in my mouth. Before I could move down and do that, Jace squeezed my breasts and maneuvered my body so that I was lying back on the bed, drawing a gasp from my mouth as he did so. He slid a hand down my belly and inside my panties, and when he let out a groan under his breath, I knew what he was feeling. He was exploring just how wet I was; just how hot I was for him, and he leaned down and crushed his mouth against mine again. While our tongues feverishly danced, I moved my own hands back down to his cock, and I stroked up and down along his shaft as his fingers deftly played with

my clit, making me squirm up and down on the bed. Then he pushed a finger inside me, and I gasped against his lips, still gripping his cock and jerking it up and down as his finger began to slide in and out of me. The pad of his thumb danced over my clit as he fingered me, playing me like a musical instrument, and I could feel myself getting wetter and wetter around him. He claimed my lips with his again before I could let out another moan, and then he pulled his hand out of my panties and moved my own hand away from his cock. “Mm…no,” I groaned, not wanting to be teased anymore. “Don’t stop!”

He smirked and leaned back, pulling my panties all the way off before quickly rifling around in a drawer, and it was then that I realized he wasn’t teasing me at all, and he definitely wasn’t stopping. This was the real deal. He was just finding a condom, and now he was about to….oh! The tip of his cock was at my entrance now, and then he drove himself inside me, lifting me further up the bed as I let out a cry of bliss. He fucked me hard and fast, and I moved my hips to meet his every thrust. One hand rested between us, gently stroking my clit as his cock slid in and out of me, and Jace leaned down and growled into my ear. “Fuck…you’re so hot and wet,” he

said, his words immediately sending another frisson of pleasure down my spine. I moaned an incoherent answer at him, and I could tell that the sounds of our sex were driving him wild. I could see it in his eyes, feel it in his movements as he sped up and fucked me mercilessly, and a big ball of pressure was quickly growing in my core, threatening to explode out of me at any moment. “God, yes…” I gasped, arching my back to meet another thrust. “Like that….god, don’t stop…” Jace’s fingers pressed harder against my clit, and his deep voice issued a

command. “Come for me.” And just like that, I was finally coming all over his cock, just like he wanted. He kissed me to keep me from screaming the house down as my muscles tightened and contracted around him, and I dug my nails into his back, riding out the waves of my climax as he drove me through it. He kept screwing me, even when I could barely see straight, and I kept shaking and shuddering as he kissed me and licked the side of my neck, moving down along the edges of my collarbone. I was struck with a new purpose; a need to make him come. He’d already brought me so much pleasure, and it was my turn to do the same for him. I pushed

against his chest, making him roll onto his back while he was still inside me, and then I straddled him, running my hands up and down his abdomen, arms and chest, feeling the hard outlines of every muscle. God, his body was incredible, and I was so lucky to be the one and only girl who got to touch it now. I lifted my hips for a moment, so that only the very tip of him was inside me, and then I lowered myself back down on his cock again, holding myself steady with my hands on his chest. Jace groaned at the sensation of my tightness swallowing him up again, and I repeated the motion, faster and faster each time. He grabbed my hips, trying to

control my movements, but I smiled and pushed his arms back down, letting him know that I was in control now. To tease him, I started riding him slower, letting my hair fall around my face before looking into his eyes. I saw lust mixed with pure emotion in them, and that spurred me on again; speeding up, bouncing up and down, moaning the loudest I’d ever moaned in my life. I was wild, throwing my head back and digging my nails into his arms and chest as I rode him, and a loud groan escaped Jace’s mouth a moment later. “Fuck, Rayna…..I’m gonna…” “Do it,” I panted as I felt another rush of pleasure shooting from my core. “Come.”

I tightened around him as I slipped over the edge again, and he dug his fingers into my hips and growled. “Fuck, fuck, fuck….” And then a guttural groan of pleasure escaped his mouth, and white-hot bliss swept through me as we climaxed together. I collapsed against his chest, panting, and he rolled me over onto my side so that we were spooning, his heavy arms wrapping around me as we tried to catch our breath. He held me for a long time, and as sleep finally claimed me, I knew for certain that I never wanted him to let me go. Never.

Chapter 20 Rayna “Liar.” I woke up to Jace whispering in my ear, and I rolled over and grumbled. “Huh? What did I lie about?” He grinned. “You said you weren’t going to get much sleep. But you’ve slept for hours. Look at the time.” I tried and failed to stretch; I was simply too exhausted from the crazy time I’d had last night. “Just tell me what it is,” I murmured, closing my eyes again. “It’s ten A.M.”

That was enough to make me sit bolt upright in bed and open my eyes wide. “Crap! I have to get to my own room!” “In case our parents see us?” he said, one eyebrow arched. Everything he’d told me about his father last night suddenly came flooding back to me in a deluge of bad memories, and my shoulders slumped. “Oh. Right. We’re not going to be family for much longer…but still, we should keep this to ourselves until we at least tell my Mom about your Dad, right?” He nodded. “Good call. We don’t want to upset her even more. But don’t worry, I got up earlier and checked, and she’s not even home. Apparently she

went out shopping for a few hours.” The window was open, and a cold morning breeze blew through it, causing goose bumps to pepper my skin. I pulled the blankets up around myself, and I looked over at Jace as he walked over and shut the window before turning a heater on. He was only wearing a pair of shorts, and as I watched him fumble with the heater switch, my eyes traced the long pink scar on his back. It wasn’t ugly; it was simply part of who he was, and I was glad he’d finally told me all about how he’d obtained it. It’d been a nasty story, but apparently it had inspired him to be a better person, and I was proud of him. Maybe he’d done bad things in the past, but he’d learned from

his mistakes, and every day he was taking steps towards being a good man. “Jace,” I called out. He turned around, and I smiled. “Thank you. For everything. Especially last night. I don’t know what would’ve happened without you there.” Jace walked back over to the bed, a deliberate nature to his step. Then he took my face in his hands and stared deep into my eyes, his brooding expression almost causing me to fall apart there and then. “You never need to thank me for stuff like that. I’ll always be there for you, no matter what.” “Well, I wanted to thank you anyway,” I said. “I…um…I…”

I didn’t know how to say the words I so desperately wanted to, even though it should’ve been simple. Three words, eight letters. Not that hard. Jace must’ve sensed my nervousness, because he kissed the tip of my nose and then whispered in my ear. “I don’t mind going first, babe. I love you.” My heart leapt, and I thought I’d never be able to wipe the grin off my face. “I love you too.” “Good,” he replied with a gentle smile. “After last night, I was kinda worried you’d hate me.” “The sex wasn’t that bad,” I joked, and he chuckled.

“Very funny. You know that’s not what I was talking about.” I nodded, the smile finally slipping from my face. “I know. You meant the Roy thing, and the stuff you told me about your Dad. So what are we going to do about it?” “Well, first things first. We need to go to the police to give our statements about Roy—I called the nearest station and set up interview times for us while you were sleeping, so we need to be there in two hours—and after that, when your Mom gets home, we need to figure out how to tell her about Dad and sort out that whole situation. I already have a vague idea, but you might not be keen on it.”

“Why wouldn’t I? What is it?” I asked, my forehead wrinkling with concern. “Well, it sorta involves me telling your Mom everything, then telling my Dad to go fuck himself and also telling him to cut me off and never speak to me again. Maybe losing his only son will be enough to make him realize he can’t keep fucking around with people the way he does.” My hand flew to my mouth. “Jace… you can’t. It’s really sweet that you’d defend my Mom so much, but you can’t just end your relationship with your father over an affair he had.” He shrugged. “Why not? He’s never

given a fuck about me. All he’s ever done is throw money at me, like my whole life could just be bought. I know the money’s been good, and it’s given me opportunities most people don’t have. I’m still grateful for that, but I don’t want it anymore. It’s brought me so much trouble, and I‘m sick of drifting through life like a fucking trust fund baby idiot.” “You’re not an idiot,” I said. “You’ve been trying to sort yourself out, and you’ve even started working at one of those finance companies. And you’re doing well at it!” “The only reason I got the job is because it’s my Dad’s friend’s company. It’s just a copout; yet another thing Dad’s practically handed to me to keep me

from doing something ‘lower class’ by his standards. But I want to earn my own money—not the same amount as him, just enough to be comfortable. I want to finally stand on my own two feet without his connections.” “Doing what?” I asked. “You already know. You’re the only one who’s ever said anything encouraging about it,” he replied, his gaze flickering over to his bookshelf. “You want to write?” “Yeah. I’d actually also like to run a publishing house one day. Not just print books, but e-books as well. I brought it up to Dad once, and he actually said he’d disown me if I tried such a thing,

because apparently it’s not an ‘acceptable’ enough career, so there you have it. Either way, looks like he won’t be in my life much longer.” “So what made you suddenly want to finally do this? Just this whole thing with your Dad cheating?” “Nope. You,” he replied. My heart skipped a beat, and he continued. “You came into my life and made me see that I can be something more than what I was, and you showed me that I should go for all I want. There’s no point in life if I don’t at least try, and you know, you’ve been more like family to me than Dad ever has. So if and when you and your Mom leave the manor, I’ll be with you, and I’ll be leading the way.”

“I…” I started to speak, but before I could get a word out, Jace softly pressed his lips against mine, and the magic started all over again. I grabbed him and pulled him back towards me, and we fell onto the sheets together. Jace was on top of me in a second, and I could see the desire in his eyes; he was starving for me. “We have time, right?” I whispered, and he nodded before kissing me hard and roughly. I lost myself in his touch, and any thought of what we needed to do later was completely lost as I began to give myself over to him again. His mouth moved down and kissed my collarbone

and chest, and I twined my fingers through his thick hair, gasping as he pushed my legs open. “I’ve been dying to taste you again,” he murmured as he moved even farther down, and I felt his lips kiss my clit ever-so-gently. I gripped the sheets on either side of me as he began to slowly lick and suck me, rolling his tongue over and around my clit and entrance, and waves of pleasure built through my body, threatening to engulf me already. I tried not to moan too loudly, in case any of the morning household staff heard, but it was practically impossible with the way Jace was playing with me. I felt two fingers slide inside me as he worked his magic on my pussy with his

mouth, and then he pulled away for a second, looking up at me from between my thighs. “Fuck, you taste so good,” he said, sliding the fingers in and out of me. Then his mouth returned to my clit, and he was absolutely ravenous, licking at me like a starved man. His fingers pressed deep inside, sliding in and out and occasionally hitting the sweet spot on my front wall, and I let go of the sheets and let my hands trail over his body, loving the way his hard muscles tensed and moved under my hands. His fingers pressed even deeper, and I tipped my head back, almost losing myself as I moaned again and again, and I began to move my hips back and forth,

feeling the blissful pressure building deep within. “Come for me,” Jace murmured against me, and the vibrations of his voice were just enough to send me over the edge. The orgasm rolled throughout my whole body, warm and wonderful, and I gasped and cried out, still unable to believe just how much pleasure one man could bring me within the space of twelve hours. As the pleasure began to fade and my legs stopped shaking, I got up and pushed Jace onto his back before sliding down between his legs and trailing my hair across his groin. I looked up at him for just a second, and he grinned down at me, knowing exactly what I had in store

for him. I smiled back at him and grabbed the base of his cock, stroking him as I licked the palm of my other hand, getting it nice and wet, and then I switched hands and stroked him with the wet hand in long and slow movements. “Shit…” he groaned. “You’re good at that.” He hadn’t seen anything yet… I lowered my head and slowly licked him from tip to base, and Jace groaned his approval. Beads of pre-cum were leaking out of the tip, salty yet somewhat sweet at the same time, and I licked it up, keeping my eyes up so I could watch his reaction. “Christ,” he muttered, his face

contorting with pleasure as he reached down and laced his fingers through my hair. I slowly slipped my lips around his tip and sucked it hard, and then I took him deep into my mouth and really began to work his cock. I bobbed my head up and down, using my tongue and lips, sucking back and forth. His hands pressed down on my head, sliding his cock into my throat, and I worked hard to take as much of it as I could. He murmured dirty things as I worked away between his legs, and his words spurred me into action, making me move faster and harder. When I felt his legs beginning to twitch slightly, I stopped moving so

much and let him take over, letting him fuck my mouth. His hips slid up, thrusting into my face, and I kept one hand wrapped around the base of his cock, alternating between letting him fuck my mouth and doing all the work. “Fuck…I’m so close,” he grunted only moments later, and then I tasted him as he stiffened, groaning loudly. His cum filled my mouth and throat, and I swallowed every drop before looking up at him with a smile. “You’re so dirty,” he said with a grin as he watched my lick my lips. “Only for you.” “Well, there’s only one thing to do with a dirty girl,” he said, quickly

getting up and scooping me into his arms. I squealed as he carried me into the bathroom and deposited me in the shower before turning the water on, and he joined me a second later, wrapping his arms around me and chuckling as I tried to flick water at him. I knew we had things to do; knew we were needed down at the police station to give our statements soon. On top of that, we needed to tell my Mom what Jace had discovered last night, but she wasn’t home right now, so it could all wait a few more minutes. Just five more minutes…

Chapter 21 Jace I sat in the small office I’d been allocated at work, staring at my screen as I thought about the events of the day before. Rayna and I had told Elena everything, right after we’d returned from giving our statements about Roy to the police. It’d been heartbreaking to watch. Elena’s face had crumpled, and she’d almost looked like she was about to have a heart attack, even though Rayna had told her about everything as gently

as possible. I even thought Elena might slap me, seeing as I hadn’t told her what I’d seen right away, but after a long silence, she sniffed, regained her composure and looked at me. “Thank you,” she said, her voice barely audible. “You did the right thing in telling Rayna first. There’s no one else I’d have rather heard it from, because if my own daughter is telling me to leave, then I know I have to. Otherwise I might’ve….I wouldn’t have wanted to believe it.” And with that, she’d crumpled into a ball on the sofa and cried for three hours. Rayna had sat there and gently rubbed her back as she cried, and I’d thought about the best way to reveal to

Dad that he’d been caught out. Elena and Rayna had given up their lives in California and moved all the way here to live with him, and he’d completely fucked them over within the space of two months, so when Elena finally told him the marriage was over because of what he’d done, I wanted it to sting for him. A lot. I didn’t think revenge was a particularly mature response in most cases, but fuck…he couldn’t keep treating women like this. Something needed to be done. Something that’d make him think twice before he screwed over yet another decent person. After a few hours, I’d finally come up with a plan. Luckily, Elena and Rayna

had agreed with me about it, and while it had taken more time than we’d hoped to sort it out—five days—we were finally ready, and it was all happening today at lunch. I’d invited my father to a restaurant in the city under the guise of a ‘business’ lunch to discuss where my career was heading at his friend’s firm, knowing that was probably the only way to get him to meet up with me without seeming suspicious. After all, it wasn’t like I’d ever invited him to lunch before, and vice versa. He hadn’t even asked what had happened the other night with the Roy incident, and I knew it was because he simply didn’t care. He probably didn’t even remember that I’d told him Rayna

had been kidnapped, and why would he? All he cared about was money and getting laid by younger women. Everything else had just been an act; a weak attempt to paint himself as a perfect family man to the rest of London’s so-called elite. I remembered my old attitude a couple of years ago, and a chill shot up my spine as I realized just how close I’d come to turning out exactly like him—nothing more than a sleazy liar. I wasn’t him, though. I was me, and even if I’d done some fucked up shit in my life, at least I was trying to better myself nowadays. That was enough for me to know I’d never be like him; not even close.

“Jace?” I looked up to see him standing at the entrance to my cubicle, and I forced a smile. “Hey, thanks for picking me up, Dad.” He looked at his watch and then back at me. “I don’t see why you couldn’t just take your own car today and meet me there. I don’t exactly have time to be driving you around everywhere. But we can always cut this lunch short, I suppose.” I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. “Well, thanks for making some time for me,” I said, keeping any hint of sarcasm out of my voice. “Like I said earlier, my car’s been making weird sounds lately. I

was a bit worried about driving it this far into the city from the manor without having it looked at first.” “You should’ve taken one of my other cars. Would’ve saved me the bother.” I could barely hold back a smirk at that. Oh, how he’d regret those words in about half an hour. “Really? Didn’t even think of that.” “I’d be surprised if you ever did think,” he muttered. Ah, good old Dad. Ever the charmer. “Anyway, let’s head out.” My heart started to pound as we parked up fifteen minutes later and walked towards the restaurant. This was

where it was all going to go down, and I had no idea what was going to happen. I’d planned out every single detail, but there was no telling how Dad was going to react. “Table for Wilde?” I said to the restaurant hostess. She smiled and directed us towards an outdoor table, and Dad was too busy looking at his phone to even notice who was sitting there until the hostess spoke. “Here we are. Table for five.” His head jerked up. “Five? What the…?” The sight that greeted him drained all the color from his face, and he looked at the three women in turn—Elena, Rayna

and most importantly, his mistress. “Hello, Gerald,” Elena said coolly, her face stony as she looked up at him. Shit was about to go down. Knowing my Dad, I’d wondered if his mistress even knew he was married, so phase one of my plan had involved tracking her down and finding out. It hadn’t been all that hard for me to do so. I’d gone to one of the manor security guys and acted like I knew all about Dad’s affair and approved—like father, like son or some other such bullshit— and I’d told them that she’d left something at our place and I’d lost her number. He’d been suspicious at first and asked why I didn’t just ask my Dad

to call her to come pick it up, but I’d told him Dad was busy and stressed with work, so I wanted to sort this out for him, and if Elena saw the item the mistress had left behind anytime soon, Dad would be in trouble, so I needed to contact her immediately. He finally relented and gave me her contact details, which I’d known would be there seeing as anyone who regularly had contact with my father had to be cleared with security, and then I’d made the call. She hung up on me the first time, but I kept trying, and then I finally got the full story from her. Her name was Milly, and it turns out I was right—she didn’t even know they were having an affair. They’d met two

months ago, and from what I’d gathered, it was around three days after Elena and Rayna had moved here. Dad had told her he was single. Surprise, surprise. Apparently he’d been sneaking away from the office almost every day on his lunch break to see her, and he’d told her that he had a ‘mentally disturbed’ son living with him, which was why they normally spent their time together at her house rather than the manor. That was also why she’d hung up on me the first time I called; he’d convinced her that I was completely deranged and might scream at her if I ever found out about her and got in contact. Also, on the one night she’d stayed over while Elena was away, Dad had told her that Rayna was

just a live-in maid when she’d run into her in the hallway and been scared by the sight of the unfamiliar girl. All in all, Milly hadn’t had any idea that Dad had a wife, let alone a stepdaughter, and she’d been horrified when I told her the truth. I’d put her in contact with Elena, and the plan had evolved from there. “What the fuck have you done?” Dad said, turning to face me with his eyes blazing. “You useless little bastard.” He could obviously tell that I’d orchestrated everything, and this time I couldn’t keep the smirk off my face. Elena interrupted before things could get too out of control. “This isn’t about

Jace. It’s about you and your lies. Now sit down with us, please. We have lots that we need to discuss.” Dad stood still for a moment, just staring at everyone, and then he finally sat down, his face practically twitching with anger. “What exactly is the meaning of all this?” “Well, firstly,” Elena said. “I’m leaving you. I’ve already packed all my things while you’ve been at the office this morning, and so has Rayna. Those things are being moved out as we speak. Secondly, I think you owe Milly an apology. She’s a nice woman and you’ve told her all sorts of lies. You even told her you’d marry her one day and managed to keep the fact that you were

already married from her. She didn’t deserve any of that…” “You’re actually sticking up for this whore?” Dad scoffed, not even bothering to deny anything. He clearly thought he was so untouchable that it didn’t even matter. “If she had half a brain, she would’ve read the society pages and known I was married. Not my fault no one reads the papers these days.” Seriously? Milly didn’t read the society pages in the newspaper, and therefore it was somehow her fault that the affair had happened? My father really would stoop to any excuse to justify himself.

“Screw you,” Milly hissed. “How dare you call me a whore? I’m worth more than you are. I thought I was dating a sweet, respectable and mature man. But now I know the truth. You’re just a sad, pathetic old loser. I doubt you’ll ever find a real woman who’ll stay with you longer than five seconds, not with all your bullshit.” Dad actually had the audacity to smile at that. “Women are always attracted to money, dear. Say what you want, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re replaceable.” “So that’s what I was?” Elena interjected. “Replaceable? You made me move all the way over here for this? I gave up my whole life for you, Gerald!”

“I didn’t say that. I said she was replaceable. But you’re my wife, darling,” Dad said, switching tactics and reaching across the table for her hand. “Surely you can forgive a few indiscretions here and there. I do care about you, and that’s why I got you to move here. I’ve given you everything to show how much I care. A wonderful house, a name in the social circles, a perfect—” Elena slapped his hand away. “How dare you?” she said. “I thought I was marrying for real love, not some cushy position in high society. You knew that, you bastard. You deceived me. Not to mention how you behaved when my daughter was essentially kidnapped by a

drug addict. Jace and Rayna told me everything, and you acted like it was nothing!” “Oh, please,” Dad replied. “She was fine. She and Jace were just playing some silly little prank, and I—” I cut him off by slamming my fist down on the table. “It wasn’t a fucking prank! I told you that so many times, but you were so desperate to get back to screwing your mistress that you couldn’t even begin to take it seriously. Rayna was kidnapped, and you barely did a thing about it.” “I gave you the money you asked for, didn’t I?” “Yeah, under the bullshit condition

that I keep my mouth shut about your affair,” I said. “Your stepdaughter’s life was on the line and all you thought to do was defend yourself from being caught.” “Well, it all worked out fine,” he said, sniffing. “Rayna’s clearly unhurt.” Rayna hadn’t said a word so far, and I could tell it was because she was trying to keep a firm grip on herself. If she opened her mouth, she’d probably explode and then jump across the table to strangle my father after what he’d done to hurt her mother. She’d been like a ticking time bomb these last few days, barely able to hold in her anger and keep a straight face around Dad as we waited for the perfect moment.

When no one else said anything for a moment, a victorious gleam appeared in Dad’s eye. “So what was this little gathering meant to be? For you to tell me how awful I am? Quite frankly, I don’t care, and none of this changes a thing. Leave me if you want, Elena, but you won’t get a cent. That’s the good thing about being wealthy…fantastic lawyers and ironclad pre-nups.” He leaned back and smiled, and Rayna finally spoke up, matching his expression with her own wide smile. “You may have a lot of money, Gerald,” she said. “But your precious luxury cars now belong to charity…and I know how much you love them.” The smile faded from Dad’s face.

“What did you just say?” “Oh, did you think Mom forgot about your little tax scheme?” she said, her eyes widening in a faux-innocent expression. “No, she told us everything.” Dad had a huge collection of luxury sports cars, but he didn’t keep them on the estate because they were too precious. He had his own driving track nearby for using them, and Elena had told us that in order to avoid paying so many luxury taxes on them—and to hide the fact that he had so many of them from Revenue—he’d put them in her name as soon as she’d arrived from the States. That was probably the dumbest thing he’d ever done, because it meant the cars belonged to Elena on paper, and she

could do what she wanted with them. “What the hell do you mean?” Dad hissed. “We donated all your supercars to a charity auction,” I said. “Those cars are worth millions!” “Yes, and they’ll go a long way to helping the less fortunate,” Elena said. She glanced down at her watch. “They’re being picked up from the track as we speak. Technically, they belong to me, so there’s nothing you can do about it.” Dad’s eyes narrowed. “Technically, you’re still my wife, so with anything you donate to charity, I can still have that

claimed as a tax deduction. I guess you didn’t think your little plan through very well. I’ll still get some of that money back, written off my taxes.” “Ah, but we did think it through,” I said proudly. “We didn’t donate the cars in the proper sense of the word. We actually sold them to the charity organization for one pound each. So legally, it wasn’t a donation, it was a sale, and you aren’t eligible for the charity tax deduction.” His face turned white, and I grinned. “Working in finance these last few weeks has actually taught me a thing or two,” I added. “Guess I’m not as useless as you always said I was.”

“You ungrateful little bastard. You’ll never work at my friend’s firm ever again, or at any other firm in this city.” “Fine by me. Finance is boring as fuck, and I’ve got my own shit to do, anyway.” “I’ll be freezing your trust fund, too. You won’t get another cent from me.” “Also fine by me. I don’t want your money anymore. Oh, and speaking of money…that thirty grand you gave me to give to the guy who took Rayna? I got it back from the police. But you aren’t getting it back. I’ve given it to Elena to help pay for the move back to California, seeing as you made her uproot her entire life to move here for

you.” “You can’t do that.” “Oh? Try and stop me. I grew up with you, and I know of quite a few other dodgy tax evasion schemes you’ve cooked up over the years; not just for yourself, but for your company’s clients too. I’d really hate to have to get Revenue to audit you…” I let those words hang in the air for a moment. There was nothing more terrifying to a corporate finance guy than a threat to have him and his company audited by the government taxation department, and Dad sat in silence for a moment before abruptly standing up, knocking his chair over in the process.

“You’re all done,” he said. “I’ll make you all pay for this rubbish. Especially you, Jace, you little shit. I should’ve just let your mother take you in the divorce all those years ago.” With that, he stormed out of the restaurant, and I watched him go with my lips pressed into a thin line. I knew he wouldn’t follow through on his threats; he was just saying them out of anger. When he calmed down, he would realize that it was in his best interests to do absolutely nothing, and maybe he’d realize exactly why we’d done this—to show him how awful he was, and to give him back a bit of the shit he’d dished out to other people over the years. I’d lost my trust fund money, but that

was fine. I had a small amount of savings from the job I’d had for the last month, plus the job I’d had up in Edinburgh, and it’d be enough to get me by until I figured things out. I honestly didn’t care that I’d lost the trust fund anyway, even though it was millions of pounds. I had Rayna, and I now knew that love was far more important than any amount of money. I wish I’d known that sooner. Milly stood up. “I better go.” “Are you sure you won’t stay for lunch?” Elena asked. “It’s on me.” She smiled. “No, I have to get to an appointment. But thank you for telling me the truth about Gerald and helping me

confront him. I hope the bastard rots in hell.” “You’re welcome, and thanks for coming today and helping with this,” Elena replied, standing up and giving Milly a hug. I could still barely believe how gracious she was being. A lot of other women would’ve slapped their husband’s mistress and blamed her for everything, but Elena wasn’t like that. She understood that Milly hadn’t even known Dad was married, and she hadn’t held anything against her at all. She was a good, kind person, just like her daughter. I looked over at Rayna, and she

smiled and put her hand on mine as Elena walked Milly out of the restaurant. We stayed like that for what felt like forever, staring into each other’s eyes, and it was only when we heard the sound of someone clearing their throat that we looked up to see that Elena had returned. Shit. In all the hectic mess of the last few days, it had totally slipped our minds that no one knew about our relationship yet. There was a very pregnant pause, and Rayna and I slowly moved our hands apart on the table. That fooled no one, and Elena finally spoke, her eyes wide.

“You two…you’re together?” she asked. Rayna leapt to her feet. “Mom, I’m so sorry, this isn’t how we wanted you to find out. I—” “How long?” Elena interrupted sharply. “How long has this been going on for?” I stood up too. “Since we first met,” I said. “Listen, Elena, I know this might seem wrong, and it’s such a bad time to tell you, but I love Rayna. I love her more than anything.” Elena was silent for a long time, staring us down. “You’re in love?” she finally said in a small voice.

I nodded. “Yes. But I understand if you don’t want me anywhere near you after what my father did to you. I can try to stay—” She cut me off. “No…it’s fine. It’s actually more than fine.” Rayna’s eyebrows shot up. “It’s fine? Just like that?” Elena nodded, then sat down and sighed. “Honestly, honey, I can’t imagine a better guy for you after what Jace has helped us with over the last few days. And if you love each other…well, who the hell would I be to stand in the way of that? Just because I got screwed over by the wrong man doesn’t mean Jace isn’t the right man for you.”

“Elena…are you sure?” I asked. “Yes,” she said, looking back at me. “You’re nothing like your father, Jace. Nothing at all. I’m glad at least one good thing could come out of my marriage to your father. It’s just…” Her voice trailed off for a second, and tears filled her eyes. “Mom?” Rayna said softly, gently stroking her back. “Just what?” “I feel like I’ve lost a lot in these last few days, and I don’t want to lose my daughter too.” “What do you mean?” Rayna asked. “You aren’t losing me. I’m not going anywhere.”

“But I am. I’m going back to California. And if you and Jace are really in love, then I can’t make you come with me. You’re nineteen, Rayna. Still young, but old enough to make your own choices and live where you want.” A hint of a smile flickered over Rayna’s perfect face, and she reached over and grabbed Elena’s hand before taking a deep breath. “Mom…we discussed this for a long time the other day, and we’ve decided that we’re coming with you. Both of us.” Elena’s “What?”

head

jerked

up

again.

I grinned brightly. “I’m coming with you. If you’ll have me, of course,” I said,

echoing Rayna’s words. Tears of joy began to spill down Elena’s cheeks. “Oh my…this is just….of course it’s okay, Jace. Although I should warn you now—our old house isn’t exactly a mansion. Our lifestyle back in California isn’t at all what you’re used to here in England.” “I don’t care, as long as I’m with Rayna,” I said. I meant every word. Elena smiled. “Well, we’re leaving from Heathrow at eight o’clock next Tuesday night,” she said. “We’ll be staying at my friend’s B&B till then.” “I’ll be there on Tuesday, and I’ll be on the same flight,” I replied. “There’s just one more thing I have to do first...”

*** The drive to Edinburgh the next day was seven hours long and nervewracking as hell, but I needed to do it. There was no way I could leave the country without sorting all of this out first; I couldn’t leave this stone unturned. As I pulled up outside the familiar house, my heart was pounding, but as much in excitement as it was nerves. For the first time ever, I knocked on the door, rather than letting myself in with my key, and I tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for it to be answered.

The door finally opened a crack, and a short blonde woman poked her head around. “Jace?” she gasped as she looked up at me. I smiled weakly at her. “Hi, Mom.” “Come on, come in.” She opened the door wide and pulled me in for a massive hug. Over the last few months, I’d almost convinced myself that she didn’t want me around anymore, but somewhere deep down, I’d always known she could never stop loving me. She was a real parent, unlike Dad. After breaking away from the hug, I stepped inside and followed my mother through the house, breathing in the familiar scents of the sitting room as we

entered it. Mom loved scented candles, and the vanilla variety were her favorite, so the house always smelled like that. She took a seat on the black leather lounge across from me. “So are you back to stay?” she asked. “No. I’m actually just here to apologize to you.” She raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” “Yeah. I know I put you through hell when I lived up here, and you didn’t deserve that.” Her eyes widened. “Wow. Thank you, Jace. I honestly wasn’t expecting that. But I appreciate it.” “I know you wouldn’t have been

expecting it. I’ve been a selfish asshole these last few years. But I’m trying to change. I haven’t touched any drugs in months now, and I don’t intend to ever again. I’m done with that shit.” She nodded, and her face relaxed. “I’m glad. I always knew you had it in you. You just needed the right push.” “Yeah. I got that push from you after the accident…just seeing how much I upset you. I didn’t want to do that ever again. And then I got another push from Rayna.” “Rayna?” “Elena’s daughter.” “Oh, of course. So you two are

already good friends, then?” I shook my head and took a deep breath. “No, Mom, we’re together.” Mom’s eyebrows shot up. “I don’t understand…she’s your stepsister.” “Not for much longer. Dad cheated on Elena.” She scoffed. “Oh, heavens, of course he did. That man just isn’t capable of keeping it in his pants, is he?” “Apparently not. I caught him doing it and told her, so she’s left him now, and he’s cut me off.” Mom narrowed her eyes, and her whole body tensed up. “He did what? I’ll call him and—”

I held up a hand to interrupt what was about to be a tirade. “No, don’t call him, Mom. I don’t want his money, and I don’t even want to associate myself with him until he can learn to be a decent person. I want to do things entirely on my own for once.” Her shoulders relaxed a little. “Oh. I see.” “Which brings me to my news. This might be hard for you to hear, but I’m moving to America to be with Rayna.” She was silent for a long time, just letting the news sink in, and I waited patiently, knowing it was a lot to take in. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” she finally said. “I’m sure she’s lovely,

but you’ve barely known this girl more than two months.” “I know. But I am sure. I’ve never been more certain of anything.” Mom smiled. “Well, in that case, I’m glad to hear it. But you have to come back and visit me as often as you can, and I expect you to call me once a week to chat.” I grinned back at her. “I will.” “And if anything goes wrong, you know you’re always welcome back here.” “I know. Thanks.” “I’d also like to at least meet this girl before you go.”

“You will,” I said. “In fact, she’s waiting right outside in the car.” “You left the poor girl just sitting out there?” Mom said. “It’s freezing!” “Only for a minute while I broke the news to you, and the car is toasty warm. No need to be clutching your pearls and reaching for the smelling salts just yet.” Mom smiled and playfully slapped me on the arm. “Very funny, son. Now go get her!” I got up and headed outside before tapping on the passenger side window of my car. Rayna had been playing a game on her phone while she waited, and she looked up and smiled at me before getting out.

“So did she have a heart attack when you told her about America?” she asked, rubbing her hands together as the frosty air hit her. “No, she’s okay,” I said with a grin. “She wants to meet you.” “I want to meet her too,” she replied. “You can in a minute. There’s just something I need to do first.” With that, I leaned down and brought my mouth down on hers, wrapping my arms around her back. It was like one of those kisses from the movies; her back curving as I leaned over her, her hands gripping my shirt, her warm lips closing over mine…For a magical moment we were off in our own private world. I

was hers, she was mine, and nothing could get in the way of that ever again. We finally broke apart and looked over at the house, and Rayna grabbed my hand. “Ready?” I nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.” I was more than ready to take her inside to meet my Mom. For the first time in a long time, I was ready to move forward in every single aspect of my life. I smiled down at Rayna as we headed up the garden-lined path toward the front door, and I knew I’d made the right choice in being with her. Moving to the States was going to change a lot of things in my life, and it would challenge

me and give me responsibilities I’d never even dreamed of before. But with Rayna at my side, I was ready to deal with anything. I was with her for good, and I was never going to look back.

Chapter 22 Jace Three years later I never ended up going through with any of my auditing threats against my father. After I’d left for California three years ago, he’d stayed quiet and stayed out of our lives; a far cry from the hellfire he’d promised when he left the restaurant that day, threatening revenge on all of us. I still could’ve told

Revenue to audit him and his company, just to be a dick, but I hadn’t. It seemed too harsh, even for him. Besides, from what I’d heard from my friends back in the UK, his life had gone to shit since we all left anyway. Apparently Milly hadn’t been the only woman he’d been having an affair with during his brief marriage to Elena —surprise, surprise—and not long after Elena left him, this other woman published a tell-all piece in the newspaper gossip columns detailing her sordid affair with him, right down to the fact that Dad had apparently sneaked out of his hotel suite on the night of his and Elena’s wedding night to have anal sex with her in the room right next door.

So classy. According to my friend Tom, whose parents were part of the so-called social elite in London, Dad’s reputation was shot now, and he was very rarely welcome at any of the usual high-class events. Everyone in that posh world had always known about his womanizing ways in the past, but the way the upper class worked was this: it’s okay to have affairs and generally act like a manwhore, but only in private. If it goes public, then you’re finished. In a way, Dad had dug his own social grave without me having to lift a finger. Maybe one day he’d finally come crawling back to me with his tail between his legs, telling me he’d messed

up and been a shitty father, a shitty husband to all his wives over the years, and a shitty person in general. If that ever happened, then I’d welcome him with open arms and try to make amends —I didn’t hate him, I just hated who he’d become over the years, and until he accepted that, I wouldn’t accept him in my life any longer. Another person who wouldn’t accept him in her life any longer was Elena, and I was happy to say that she’d finally met a decent man about six months after her return to California. He was a doctor named Brian Kenneth, and he’d just moved into the house Rayna and I had been sharing with Elena in San Diego. As much as we liked him, and as much

as we liked living with Elena, Rayna and I knew it was finally time to move on and get our own place, so we were currently packing all our things. We’d found an apartment closer to the city center, and we were hoping to have all our stuff moved in within the next week. Rayna was still in college and making me proud with her awesome grades after having transferred her course back to the States, and just like I’d suggested to her a long time ago, she was minoring in archaeology and heritage studies in the hopes of getting into the area of heritage law one day. She’d been a little miffed that she never ended up having the chance to see what it was like to study at an English

university and work on ancient English heritage sites, but in the end she’d been more than happy to study all the interesting Native American heritage sites and get back to her old campus where she could see all of her old friends—and not just them, some new ones from the UK too. Liana had decided to take a year off from her English job and work in L.A. recently, so we often made the drive up there to visit her and her boyfriend, Rick, whom she’d apparently hooked up with at the fateful masquerade party Rayna and I had first met at. As for myself, I was doing well. It’d been a rough transition settling into San Diego at first, seeing as I hadn’t exactly

had much money to live on, but Rayna had helped me find a job and also a position in a decent writer’s group, and I’d started working on a few projects. I hadn’t screwed around like a lot of the wannabe writers in the group did; I’d put my nose to the grindstone and worked my ass off, writing, editing, picking up new skills and storytelling methods. After a year, the leader of the group had noticed my efforts and come up with a proposition for me. He wanted to start an online e-book publishing agency, but he simply didn’t have the time to run it, so while he was happy to invest the capital that it would need to get off the ground, he needed someone doing most of the day-to-day work that came with it.

I’d knocked my usual work hours down to part-time to give me time to work on the publishing site, and within six months, it had been well and truly up and running, with lots of promising authors featured. It’d done so well so far that I’d even been able to quit my other job, and at night, I was working on my own novel that could hopefully be published one day too. It was a mystery thriller story with elements based on my own experiences. For example, there was a storyline based on my old friend Roy—who was currently still in prison but being rehabilitated from what I’d heard—and also a highly dramatized scene similar to what had happened with Rayna’s ‘ghost’ back at Dad’s manor in

the UK. Elena and I still teased her about that ghost sometimes, and being the good-natured girl she was, she always took it in her stride and found things to tease us about too. I loved that about Rayna. She was so witty yet laidback at the same time, and waking up next to her every day made me feel like I was falling in love with her all over again. Right now, I was cleaning out a closet and organizing our things into boxes to take to the new apartment, and I heard Rayna snort with laughter from the other side of the room. “What’s so funny?” I asked, looking over my shoulder.

She held up a rectangular cardboard box. “Remember this?” she said, one eyebrow arched. I grinned. It was the old Hasbro Ouija game. I hadn’t brought all that much stuff over from the UK, but somehow the game had ended up in my things and made it all the way over to San Diego. “Yeah, I remember it,” I replied. Rayna dropped it on the bed and stepped towards me before putting her hands on her hips. God, she looked so fucking sexy, even though she was dripping with sweat from all her packing efforts. I thought about throwing her over my shoulder and carrying her back to the

bed before bending her over it, but it seemed like she had something to say, so I cocked an eyebrow and waited. “It’s been a long time since you pranked me with that, but I’m still mad about it,” she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she drew ever-closer. I rose to my full height and put my hands on the sides of her waist before leaning down and nuzzling her neck. “Really? Are you just saying that because you want me to apologize again, so we can have wild makeup sex?” “Maybe…” I couldn’t take it anymore; couldn’t wait any longer. Rayna was mine, she’d always been mine, and I had to have her

again and again. Our packing could wait. I picked her up and threw her down on the bed, and she lay back and stared up at me with her sparkling hazel eyes as she bit her lower lip. I felt my groin seize with lust, and my cock stiffened in my pants. “God, you’re so fucking hot,” I murmured. She blushed, and for a second I saw the same girl I’d first seen three years ago; the seemingly shy girl I’d met at the masquerade party who’d secretly been hiding a firecracker of a personality under her black lace mask. She could blush all she wanted, but we both knew she was a dirty girl in the bedroom—not

to mention any other room we were in— and that would never change. She was my dirty girl, and mine only. I kept my eyes trained on her body as she stripped her shirt, shorts and underwear off, and then I cupped her perky breasts in my hands. Her own hands ran down her body and slipped between her legs, and she groaned softly and opened her thighs wide, allowing me to see her touching herself. Fuck, it was one of the hottest things I’d ever seen her do, and I felt like my cock was about to burst out of my pants as I watched her play. With a fierce growl, I pounced on her, pinning her right back on the bed, my lips pressed hard against hers until she moaned into my mouth.

She was so sweet, so delicious, and I could smell the arousal wafting off her in huge waves. Closing my eyes, I tangled my hands in her dark wavy hair and pressed my lips to hers over and over. Her soft hands slipped up my shirt, giving me goose bumps, and as she finally tugged the shirt over my head, she flushed again. I had the urge to yank her head back and suck on her neck until she was begging me to fuck her, but instead I moved my head down and took one of her stiff nipples in my mouth. Her skin tasted sweet, just like her mouth, and I wanted to run my tongue over her whole body until we were both spent and panting for breath.

As I stroked and caressed her tits, she writhed on the bed and tangled her hands in my hair. I shivered as she tugged gently at it; it felt so good that my dick ached to be inside her. But that’d have to wait. I wanted to pleasure her first. She smelled so good, and I wanted to lick her pussy for hours, until her juices were running down my face. She’d always loved it when I went down on her; she’d practically lose all control of her body as she twisted and writhed all over the place. Crawling close between her legs, I buried my face in her perfect pussy. Her clit bumped up against my nose and lips and I inhaled her heavenly scent, and she gasped and ground her hips against my

face. As I began to suck her clit, she let out a moan and dug her hands into my shoulders, and her nails sent shivers of pain and pleasure through my body. I slid a finger downwards and wriggled it into her pussy, and as I licked at her swollen clit, I curled my finger against her inner walls until she was shrieking with desire. I always knew Rayna’s body, always knew what she wanted. I always would. I drew back for a second and inhaled her musk before plunging my tongue inside her pussy and licking her with reckless abandon. She went wild. She thrashed and moaned and called out my name as I sucked on her clit, and just when I thought she couldn’t go any

crazier, I slipped a second finger inside her. Her tight wet muscles clamped down on the fingers, and I felt a gush of her moisture against my hand. Her juices were soaking into my face, dripping down my chin and neck, and she cried out. “Oh, god…Jace, I’m gonna come… just keep going…” I grinned wickedly into her crotch and kept licking and sucking, and in only a matter of seconds, I felt her muscles clamp down again and then release, over and over, in a series of spasms accompanied by squeals and cries of pleasure. I looked up to see her pink face, shiny with sweat, straining as her whole body bucked and convulsed, and

before I could move, I felt her hands on me. I was almost a foot taller than her and about ten times stronger, but in moments like this, she always showed surprising strength, and the bossy side of her really turned me on. She tugged me up and threw me onto my back, and I grinned and let her. Then she pinned me down and got on top of me, straddling me. I could feel the wet heat from her core warming my cock through my shorts, and I groaned, arching up and grinding my hips against her. Rayna moaned softly and reached down, pulling my cock out of its confines, and then with one quick movement, she was impaling herself on me, hazel eyes flashing with wanton need as she moved

up and down. Lust coursed through my body like a wildfire as she did so, and I moved my hips back and forth, getting into a heady rhythm with her body. Reaching up a moment later, I grabbed her and gently moved her off me, and she shuddered as I flipped her over onto her belly. The rounded curves of her ass quivered as I slipped a hand around and stroked at her clit, and she moaned. Her cries were mostly muffled by the sheets, but I could feel her whole body shaking as I gently teased her, and then she arched her spine. I couldn’t hold back any longer. I rubbed my cock up against her entrance and then slammed inside her in one hard thrust, and she cried out, her whole body

tensing as I filled her tight pussy with every inch of me. “Oh, fuck, Jace…that feels so good…” Every time I pulled back and then entered her again, spasms of pleasure shook my legs, and even though I couldn’t see Rayna’s face, I could tell she felt the same bliss I did. I could feel her bucking against me, and I could see her hand rubbing between her legs, taking over from where my fingers had just been. Her cries were loud, and if anyone else was home right now, they’d probably think she was being hurt by something. But I knew better; knew she craved me with every inch of her body. No matter what happened between us,

she’d always be mine. My Rayna. “Fuck...I’m gonna come,” I groaned, my legs tensing. “But not before you. Come on my cock, baby.” That was enough to send her gasping and careening over the edge of another climax, and her pussy felt so amazingly good contracting around my cock that I could barely move anymore. Watching her writhe and moan with the force of her orgasm sent my level of arousal to a new height, and before I knew it, I was gasping and coming as well. My cock pumped hot ropes of cum inside her, and every muscle in my body clenched and released as waves of pleasure swept over me.

Finally we collapsed on the bed together, drenched in sweat. “God,” she murmured, rolling onto her back a moment later. “That was a nice little afternoon surprise.” “Hardly a surprise when you instigated it, you tease,” I said, and she grinned and planted her lips on mine. Rayna might think an impromptu sex session was a nice surprise for the both of us, but she had no idea what a real surprise was. Not yet. I had something big planned for a few months from now, and she didn’t suspect it at all. She’d just have to wait and see…

Chapter 23 Rayna Four months later Bzzt, Bzzt. Bzzt. I groaned at the sound of my alarm going off, and I threw a pillow at it before closing my eyes and trying to settle back in to sleep some more. No such luck. Once I‘d been woken, I was awake for the whole day, so I had no choice but to get up. Groaning again, I reached over to cuddle Jace before I sat up, but my hand only hit the bedsheets and nothing more.

“Jace?” I called out, opening my eyes and finally sitting up. I couldn’t hear him showering or making breakfast, so I figured he’d simply gone to work already. He was always putting in so much effort at the online publishing agency he’d helped his friend start up, and I was so proud of how hard he worked. It just went to show that he’d been a good person all along, and he’d always been capable of doing great things in life all on his own, unlike the spoiled trust fund fuck-up he’d once thought he was destined to be. Yawning, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and got out, only to almost trip on an enormous basket that was sitting on the floor. It was filled

with pink peonies, and there was also a card. Smiling, I leaned down and picked up the card. ‘Rayna—you are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I love the life we’ve created. I have a special surprise for you today, but in order for you to find out what it is, you’ll need to follow the scavenger hunt clues I’ve created. Look on the back for your first clue. I can’t wait till you reach the end of the hunt, and I hope you won’t be too mad at me for going behind your back so much ;) I smiled and turned the card over to find my clue. Put a ‘v’ on room.

The thing you seek can zoom. Seek not anything higher. I’m hiding behind the tire. Easy. There was obviously something hidden behind one of the tires of my car, or at least near there, so I grabbed my keys, raced downstairs and headed into the parking garage before searching under my car. I finally found something taped behind the front right tire, and I pulled it out to see that it was another note. Check the glove compartment ;) After unlocking the car, I reached into the glove compartment and found a large velveteen jewelry box. I opened it, and I gasped as I saw a sparkling

diamond bracelet, matching earrings, and best of all, a beautiful necklace with inlaid diamonds and a sapphire pendant. God, it was all so beautiful! It wasn’t even my birthday or any other sort of major occasion, and yet he’d given me such a wonderful surprise just because he loved me. And speaking of love…every day I spent with Jace was even better than the last, and I knew that’d never change. He was perfect, and I wished I could just marry him right this second so I could officially lock him down for good. I noticed that there was another note taped to the back of the jewelry box, and I pulled it off and chewed my lower lip as I read it.

Stiff is my spine, and my body is pale, but I’m always ready to tell a tale. Okay, that was obviously a book, but which book? I suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Of course I knew which book; it had to be the one that had brought us back together and made us start talking again after weeks of silence, back when our parents had still been married. I headed back into the apartment, raced over to the bookshelf and found World’s Over, and as I opened it, a brochure for a local hairdresser and beautician fell out. It had today’s date and a time scrawled on it, with a note saying ‘Put on your new

jewelry and enjoy feeling like a princess for the day!’ Today was shaping up to be a lovely pampering day, and it was just what I needed after several harrowing months of papers and final exams which had resulted in me finally graduating from my undergraduate degree two weeks ago. Maybe that’s why Jace had done this; as a belated graduation surprise. I showered, dressed and put on the jewelry from the previous clue before heading out to make the appointment on time, and as I walked into the salon, a petite redheaded lady smiled at me as if she recognized me. “Rayna, right?” she said.

“Uh-huh.” “I’m meant to give you this to think about while we get your hair and makeup done.” She handed me a slip of paper, then directed me to a chair, and I read the next clue as she fussed over my hair. Where you can watch shows and movies too, check near the ticket booth to find your next clue. I immediately knew what it meant. Jace wanted me to go to the Astor Theater, where we often went to watch plays or movies before taking a walk in the botanic gardens across the street from it. He must’ve booked me a ticket to a daytime show, and I smiled to

myself as the hairdresser kept working on me. Half an hour later, she was done, and she called another two women over; one to do my makeup, and the other to do my nails. It was really nice, having a whole luxurious day to be pampered and fawned over, and I could definitely get used to it. I texted Liana while one of the women buffed my toenails. OMG, Jace is doing the sweetest thing for me right now! He’s organized this whole day for me, with all these clues. Getting my hair and makeup professionally done at the moment, and then it looks like I’m heading to a show—how cool is that? By the time my hair and beauty appointment was up, she still hadn’t

replied, which I thought was strange. Liana was obsessed with texting, and she almost always messaged back within five minutes. Shrugging, I assumed she was too busy to reply, and I thanked the ladies at the salon and got back in my car before heading to the Astor. As I stepped up to the ticket booth, I smiled at the man behind it. “Hi, my name is Rayna Silva,” I said. “I think there’s some tickets for me?” He shook his head. “No tickets, sorry, but you’re wanted backstage in Theater Room A.” “Backstage? What do you mean?”

He simply gave me a genial smile. “I’ll have someone show you where to go.” He motioned to a woman nearby, and she approached me. “This way, Ms. Silva,” she said. What the hell was going on? Surely Jace hadn’t somehow put me in a play… god, I’d be so embarrassed if he did. I followed the woman to a backstage area behind one of the theater rooms, and she gestured towards a small fitting room with a full-length mirror on one side of it. “There’s something in there for you to put on before I give you your next clue,” she said. “Leave your bag out

here, please.” “Um…okay,” I said, handing her my bag before heading into the fitting room and closing the door. Hanging on a hook on the back of the door was a mid-length cream-colored dress with intricate beading on the neckline—not too elaborate, but pretty all the same. Just my kind of style, and the light color would contrast well with my caramel-colored skin and dark hair. There was also a pair of low-heeled shoes in my size; a nice strappy pair in a shade that matched the dress. I could hear the woman who’d led me in here talking in a low voice as I assessed the shoes, and it sounded like she was on the phone to someone, but the only words I

could make out were: she’s here….hit send on message. Strange. I slid into the dress and zipped myself up before putting on the shoes, and as I caught a glance of myself in the mirror, my eyes narrowed suspiciously. I was wearing a cream dress, had my hair and makeup properly done, and I had beautiful diamonds hanging from my ears, neck and wrists. There was even something blue on the necklace; the gleaming sapphire. Surely Jace hadn’t actually….no, of course not. What was happening in my head right now was ridiculous. I shook my head to clear my mind of

my silly suspicions, and then I headed out of the dressing room. The woman who’d led me into the backstage area a few minutes ago smiled at me and gave my handbag back. “You look great. Just leave your other clothes here. They’ll be sent back to your place soon.” With that, she handed me a card, and I thanked her again and read the clue. What has a ring but no finger? I furrowed my brows. A ring but no finger….oh, of course, a phone. I pulled my cell phone out of my handbag to see that I had a new text message. Leave; go across the street, Someone has something to ask.

Go quickly on your feet, And find the man in the mask. I headed out of the theater and crossed the street, heading to the botanic park across from it, and in front of a small gazebo to the left of the main gates, I spotted Jace immediately. It was impossible to miss him; he was wearing a suit and tie along with that same black mask he’d worn so long ago when we’d first met. It made me remember each and every moment we’d had since we met that night; the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. Each one was totally worth it, just to be with him today. I smiled and headed towards him, and he grinned back at me and pulled the

mask off and hung it from his left arm by the string. “About time you showed up,” he said, quirking an eyebrow in good humor. “I’ve got a clue for you.” “Another one?” I said, shaking my head and giggling. “This is the wildest scavenger hunt ever. I‘ve been running all over town, and it just doesn’t end.” He gave me a good-natured smirk. “Oh, you’ll see about that…” “So what’s my clue?” I asked. “Well, you obviously figured out the earlier one: What has a ring but no finger?” “Uh-huh. The phone.” “So let’s try the opposite…what has

a finger, but no ring?” I wrinkled my brows. “Huh? I don’t know….oh!” Before I could even finish my sentence, Jace was sinking to one knee, and my lips fell open in an O-shape of surprise as he pulled out a small red jewelry box. He opened the box, displaying a princess-cut diamond ring set in a gold band, and he looked up at me. “In case, you hadn’t figured it out yet, the answer to that last riddle is ‘you’,” he said as tears of joy filled my eyes. “Rayna, you’re the only woman I’ve ever loved. I didn’t even believe romantic love was real until I met you,

but you showed me how wrong I was. So will you make me the happiest man on earth by agreeing to keep loving me forever?” “Oh my god, Jace…yes! Yes, yes, yes!” I cried. He slid the finger onto my left hand, and I wiped a tear from my cheek before throwing my arms around him. He reached down and gently tilted my chin up to kiss him, and he cradled the back of my head in one hand and placed the other at the small of my back, pulling me hard against him as our lips met again and again. For a second I forgot we were outside a public park; nothing else mattered except the electric connection we shared.

Finally, I drew back, and I saw Jace’s eyes shining with emotion as we stared at each other, sharing the magical moment together. “You know, it’s like our minds are totally in sync or something,” I said, breaking the passion-filled silence. “I was just thinking earlier how I wished I could marry you right this second…and now you’ve actually gone and proposed!” He arched an eyebrow. “You really wished you could marry me right this second?” I wiped another tear from my cheek. “Yes.”

“And you still wish that?” “God yes!” “Well, it’s lucky I planned all this, then,” he replied with a wide grin. “Wait….what?” “Follow me,” he said, taking one of my hands. I trailed behind him and headed through the park gates, and in the distance, I could hear faint strains of music as we got closer and closer to a small white marquee that had been set up on a grassy area in between two beautiful gardens filled with purple, pink and white flowers. My ears perked up at the sound of

the music as we got closer, and I turned to Jace and gasped. “That sounds like All You Need Is Love!” I said as it finally dawned on me that my earlier suspicions hadn’t been wrong at all. “Oh my god….Jace…you actually…” He grinned. “Yup, it’s a string quartet playing Beatles songs. I remembered you saying ages ago that you wanted to walk down the aisle to an orchestral version of Octopus’ Garden one day. A string quartet was the closest to an entire symphony orchestra I could get to play at a wedding. Our wedding.” Tears of joy filled my eyes all over again, and my hand flew to my mouth. “A surprise wedding…god, Jace, this is crazy!”

“Yeah, well, I’m crazy about you, and you make me want to do crazy things,” he said, halting and looking deep into my eyes. “So what do you say? Wanna be crazy with me and walk down that aisle together?” I knew a lot of other women in this situation would be pissed; they’d wish they could’ve planned their own wedding down to the last detail, rather than just having it sprung on them like this. But I loved it. It was the best surprise I could’ve ever imagined, and I didn’t even need to hesitate to give Jace my answer. “Of course!” We linked arms and headed towards

the marquee entrance, and when we appeared at the end of the carpet runner that had been laid down on the ground, all the guests Jace had invited turned to look at us. “She said yes!” Jace called out, and everyone stood up and cheered. The band started playing an instrumental version of Octopus’ Garden, just like I’d always dreamed of, and I nearly cried tears of joy again as everyone I knew and cared about smiled at me. Mom and her new partner Brian were standing up at the front with Jace’s Mom, and all my friends and other various family members were scattered throughout the seats on the left side. On the right, a group of Jace’s friends from

England grinned at us, having obviously made the trip just to attend this wedding, and I wondered if it had even occurred to Jace what a big risk it could be, having people fly all the way out from the UK to attend an event that I might say no to. Then again….after everything we’d been through, he definitely had to have known that I’d say yes. I’d always say yes to Jace. He began to walk me down the runner, and my pulse raced as I looked up to the flower-covered white arch at the end, where an officiant stood. Once we reached the arch, everyone else in the marquee seemed to fade away for a moment as we stared at each other, and I honestly felt like I was about to burst

from excitement. “Thank god you agreed to this,” Jace murmured as everyone sat down. “I would’ve looked pretty silly in front of all our friends and family if you’d said no.” “It’s okay,” I whispered back, a mischievous spark lighting my eyes. “You’re used to looking silly anyway, right?” “Harsh. Remind me why I’m about to marry you?” “Because you love me.” “Damn right I do.” As the officiant began his whole speech, I noticed the black mask still

dangling from Jace’s left arm, and I remembered how a long time ago, he’d told me how he thought he was a bad person because of the way he’d acted around other people for so long, and how he thought it had become a part of who he was. I’d proved him wrong, though. Once the masks had come off, he’d shown himself to be a good man— the greatest—and best of all, he was my man. A few minutes later, we were finally saying the two words that meant the most today. I do. And with that, we were officially married. I melted into his arms as we shared our first kiss as husband and wife, and when we finally broke away and turned to look at all our guests,

I was unable to stop the jaw-breaking grin that crossed my face. We’d made it. Jace was mine, I was his, and we’d never been happier. We headed back down the aisle, grinning as guests showered us in white confetti and rose petals, and I thought about what an incredible story the surprise wedding would make to tell our future kids. Every love story was beautiful…but ours was definitely my favorite. THE END

Thank you so much for reading my book! I hope you enjoyed Mask, and I hope it made your day a little brighter :) If it did, I’d love it if you could leave me a review on Amazon – it helps my books reach more readers. Keep reading onwards for your bonus book! Thanks again <3 Love, Caitlin

Want to keep updated on my new releases? Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to know about new books, specials and

promotions! Copy and paste this link into your web browser: http://eepurl.com/blFf9X

MATCH Chapter 1 Sasha “Have you thought about calling Jack back?” My friend Robin gave me a meaningful look to go with her question,

and I stared at the table in the campus coffee shop a little too intently, wondering if there was any way I could change the subject without her noticing. Nope. I didn’t want to talk about guys, but I knew she wouldn’t let it go, either. It had been over a month since I’d broken up with my cheating ex-bastard —er, I mean ex-boyfriend—Travis. I’d found out he was sleeping with another girl in the best way possible…by walking into a room and seeing them sucking each other’s faces off in various states of undress. Best of all, the ‘other woman’ was one of my former best friends, Becca. What a bitch.

Robin, Becca and I had once been a package deal. Robin and I were still adjusting to the loss of our friend, but after finding Travis with Becca, I couldn’t forgive her. She’d done something truly horrible, and as the truth came out, I’d discovered more and more things she’d hidden from me, like a secret coke problem. I couldn’t ever trust her again, so I wanted some distance from her. Permanently. Thankfully, Robin was on my side, so at least I hadn’t lost all of my friends in one go. “Jack...which Jack?” I asked, pretending not to remember as the waitress deposited our orders on the table—croissant and a mocha latte for

Robin, Greek yogurt with fruit and a glass of orange juice for me. Truth was, I knew who Jack was—I knew a little too well. I’d gone out on a date with him the previous week; my first official date since the Travis debacle. I’d gotten all dolled up, actually excited about spending some time with him, and I’d been hopeful that our date would help pep up my mood, which had been rather sour since I’d caught Travis and Becca. Jack was in some of my classes at college, and he’d seemed really nice in our initial encounters. He was hot as hell too, so that didn’t hurt, but unfortunately, it turned out that was about it. He’d responded with one-liners at our dinner

and tried to feel me up in his car afterwards. What a night. “Don’t play dumb,” Robin said, narrowing her eyes as she took a sip of her latte. “You know well enough. You can’t just pretend nothing ever happened between you two!” I raised my eyebrows. “It was exactly that…nothing. I’m just not interested in him anymore. Trying to have a conversation with him on our date was like extracting teeth.” She pouted for a moment, and we dug into our breakfasts as an uncomfortable silence lingered in the air. I was waiting for her next question,

already knowing what it would be. She would undoubtedly ask about Travis and whether I’d heard from him recently, carefully trying to discern what the situation was there. I knew she’d support me in any case, but it must’ve been hard for her to cut Becca off. They’d been best friends since high school, and I’d only joined the gang in college. Sometimes I’d felt like the third wheel, even though we’d all become the best of friends early on in our freshman year. The decision to stick with me and not Becca after what she’d done to me had come from Robin, though. I’d never tried to influence her, but I still appreciated it so much. After everything that had happened, I’d felt so miserable

and alone, and her support meant the world to me. “Go on, then,” I said, arching a brow as the corners of my lips turned up in a small smile. “I know you’re gonna ask me anyway. Just come right out and say it.” “I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.” Robin was faking it, and we both knew it. “Sure…” I replied, one eyebrow still arched. Good lord, when did I become so cynical? I guess I was still angry at the whole world even though a whole month had passed since I’d been cheated on. Travis and I hadn’t even been together

for all that long in the grand scheme of things—only eight months—so I knew I was probably being overly dramatic. More so than losing him, I felt the loss of my best friend. Becca had been a key person in my life for so long, and I missed the connection we’d had, despite what an awful person she’d turned out to be. “But anyway, have you heard from Travis at all?” Robin finally asked me in an innocent tone, nibbling on the edge of her croissant. I grinned at her, glad that she’d finally come out and said it. “He still calls me every so often,” I responded, an edge to my voice. I’d figured out a while ago that

Travis had given up on trying to win me back. His incessant, wheedling calls— over five per hour after I’d caught him with Becca—had dwindled down to a booty call or a drunk dial on Friday and Saturday nights. I’d stopped picking up the phone ages ago. “I’m just done with him. I don’t want to deal with his crap anymore,” I said. “I get it.” Robin patted my hand sympathetically and I giggled inanely. She gave me a quizzical look and I shook my head, a sigh escaping my lips. “I think I’m going nuts. We’re like a couple of old ladies,” I explained. “We need some more excitement in our lives

before we both go off the deep end.” Robin nodded vigorously, a spark of mischief appearing in her eyes. “I thought you’d never say it,” she said with a grin. I raised my eyebrows at her. She was up to something, and I was intrigued. She scooted closer to me with her chair before leaning down and grabbing her cell phone from her bag. Then she started talking and swiping across her screen so fast that I could barely keep up. “I know you don’t really like going to parties and stuff,” she said. “So I thought of the perfect way for you to

meet guys.” I looked at her expectantly and she looked so excited that I had to return her smile. “On Matcher!” she continued. I just stared at her blankly, having no idea what she was on about. “Huh?” I finally asked. What was this Matcher thing? “Oh, you’ll love it,” Robin said with a grin before showing me her phone. She opened an app and showed me the screen. There was a photo of her; a great one from a night when we’d gone out with Becca. It had been Halloween that night, and we’d all dressed up as flappers.

“So, this is my profile,” Robin went on to explain. “Basically, you fill in details about yourself, and you put a list of your interests, too. Then it shows you people who are close by, prioritized by your common interests, and you decide whether you like them or not by swiping either left or right. Left means no, right means yes!” She demonstrated it all for me with her swift fingers, and several profiles of nearby guys popped up. Robin scrolled through everything so fast I could barely keep up. Truth be told, I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of online dating or whatever this app thing was, but then again, I didn’t love the traditional way either—I was

quite shy and I had a tough time getting to know people. Maybe this app was just what I needed, although to be fair, I wasn’t sure I was even ready to meet anyone new right now. I was still partially into my ‘man-hating’ phase after what Travis had done. “You think you want to give it a try?” Robin asked me, her eyes sparkling with excitement after her demonstration was over. Sensing my hesitation, she gushed about the app some more. “It really is so much fun. I’ve met some cool guys on there recently. I think you would love it, and it’s perfect for meeting new people on campus, even just as friends!” I hesitated a while longer, but my friend was so excited that I didn’t have

the heart to say no to her. Finally, I gave her a brief nod and she beamed. “I knew you’d love it!” she said, and I gave her a restrained smile. I didn’t want to get too hyped up about the whole thing. I’d rather be careful and contain my excitement—pleasant surprises were better than negative ones, after all. “Just give me your phone and we’ll set something up,” she continued, giving me her best puppy-dog eyes. How could I resist those? I handed over my phone and with a few strokes, the app was installed on it. Robin guided me through the sign-up process, and within a few minutes, I had my own profile with my name stamped

on it—Sasha V. in big bold letters on top, and a small description box below. “What do you want to put here?” Robin asked me, pointing at the little box. “Something about me…” I read from the app, taking a moment to think about it. “Umm...say I’m nineteen, and I like...cats? Wait, no, that’s too boring, right?” “It’s fine.” Robin grinned at me. “Might put a little spin on it, though.” I watched in wonder as her fingers flew over the screen, and a short description popped up. Sasha, 19. Not your average cat

lady. She added an emoticon of a cat. “What do you think?” she asked, waiting for my approval. “Cute,” I said with a nod. “Cool, let’s pick a photo next.” Robin scrolled through the photos on my phone, and my expression soured as she found some pictures of me and Travis. Nothing embarrassing, but just seeing his face flash next to mine still stung. Badly. Robin swiftly moved away from those photos, picking a selfie instead. “How about this one?” she asked, glancing up at me. I actually looked pretty decent in the picture. I’d taken the photo a year ago in front of a pretty cherry tree in the

springtime; one that grew in my childhood home’s backyard. My Dad had planted it when I was a baby, and by time I turned six, it had grown to be a beautiful tree. It had been affected by some sort of blight a few months ago, so it wasn’t there anymore, and neither was my Dad. He’d died in a car accident when I was only nine. “Mm…yeah, that works,” I said, nodding again. With a few more swipes and clicks, my profile was done. It looked just like everyone else’s profile on the app—not some sad, disappointed girl. I actually looked normal. “Now for the fun part,” Robin grinned at me. “Let’s look at some guys.”

I didn’t think I’d get excited, but I found myself moving my chair just a little bit closer to Robin as she swiped through the photos. She waited for my approval on each guy, and I was shocked to find that not all of them were awful. Sure, there were some guys whose profiles were about as appealing as a shower drain clogged with pubes, but there were a lot of hotties as well. The ‘interests’ thing was pretty cool too, showing me exactly what I had in common with all of them. “Look at this dude,” Robin said, pointing to the screen. “It says he’s really close by. Isn’t he in our sociology class?” “Oh god, Jason Lowry,” I said,

practically moaning at the mere thought of him. Another photo of him flashed on the screen as Robin clicked through his profile. He was a super sexy, ripped guy with a grin which could melt the panties of any woman within a hundred yards. He was in our sociology class indeed, and he was also smoking hot. I hesitated for a moment before deciding what to do. Jason was a nice guy, but he was also in a frat, and I’d learned my lesson about frat boys with Travis. He’d seemed okay at first, but all he’d really wanted was a piece of ass, and that was all I’d ever been to him, which hurt more than I liked to admit. “Well, I guess you can swipe right,” I said slowly, and Robin gave me a grin

as she did just that. What the heck, I thought to myself. Better not judge every guy on the example of just one douchebag. Maybe Jason is a perfectly cool guy. “Oh wait! Who’s this?” I interrupted Robin, who was just about to swipe again. My eyes were suddenly glued to the screen of my phone. I was sure I’d never seen this guy before, yet he looked familiar for some reason. The picture of him was blurry; obviously taken by a shaky hand in bad lighting on a beach somewhere, and he was wearing a silly hat, which was something I would’ve laughed at any other day. This time around, though, something about the guy intrigued me. I

found my eyes glued to his profile, unable to look away from his abs and muscular arms, which were the clearest part of the photo. “I’ve got no idea, I’ve never seen him before. Although to be fair, his picture isn’t very clear. I can barely even see his face,” Robin replied. “I guess he goes to college here since he appears to be nearby. Just look at the location down at the bottom here…he seems to be only a few hundred feet away. Maybe you’ll run into him on campus.” She winked, and I laughed nervously, not knowing whether I wanted that to happen or not, and before I could react further, Robin had already swiped right.

I playfully elbowed her, flashing her a horrified look. “I guess I just had to decide for you this time around,” she said before poking her tongue out. She closed the app, which displayed the home screen of my phone, and when I saw the time flashing across it, I gasped. “We’re going to be late for class!” I said. “We better get going.” Robin nodded her approval, and we both put some cash on the table, getting ready to leave for our lecture. My mind was still stuck on the guy in that photo. I had no idea why, but I felt strangely drawn to him. I could barely even see him in his profile picture, but

nonetheless, I was secretly glad Robin had swiped right on him. We left the café in a hurry, rushing to get to the building where our next class was starting in mere minutes. Robin had already changed the topic, her mind on something else, but I was still stuck on the dating app. Matcher. Maybe this idea wasn’t so bad after all…

Chapter 2 Sasha Our class was a social psychology one, and I’d been looking forward to taking it all of last year. The professor was a woman who’d held a class I took when I was a freshman, and I’d enjoyed it so much that I’d decided to sign up for another one this year. Robin and I shuffled into the lecture theatre, slightly late. The room was packed, but we managed to find some seats in the back of the room and sat down just in time. The professor walked in just as we got our notebooks and pens

out of our bags, and after some brief introductory words, she explained how the class would work. From my experience, every first lecture of Professor MacDonald’s was more relaxed than the ones that followed during the semester. It was meant for us to get to know one another, express our opinions, and discuss current situations in the world, so it was no wonder that when the current migrant situation in Europe came up, it seemed like a lot of us had a firm opinion on it. We eventually got to talking about all the young children who had been displaced from their home countries by war and other clashes, and the discussion was soon centered on what was being done

to help those kids. After a few of my classmates had expressed their opinions, I raised my hand, desperately wanting to speak up as well. However, the professor overlooked me and picked a guy in the front instead. I slumped back in my seat to wait for my turn, a little disappointed that she hadn’t chosen me yet, but then I relaxed and eagerly waited for the guy to speak. Who knows? Maybe he had something far more perceptive to say than anything I could come up with. “I know there are quite a few places online that are collecting donations for the migrant families,” the guy said. “To help out the young kids and so on.”

He had a deep and booming voice; one that made me feel all hot and bothered. It was strange, since I didn’t usually have such heady reactions to people, especially those I’d never met. I craned my neck, trying to get a good look at him, but my view was blocked by people sitting in front of me. Robin and I exchanged glances, and she nodded her approval. “He has a sexy voice,” she whispered. I nodded back at her, and we all waited for the guy to go on. There was a long pause, after which he finally spoke up again. “Personally, I think it’s total bullshit,” he said.

The classroom immediately descended into dead silence. I didn’t think anyone could actually comprehend that he’d just spoken those words out loud. Did he just hate kids or something? What a jackass. Typical privileged guy, totally ignorant of the struggles of others. My hands shook as I waited for him to say something else, but he kept quiet instead. Thankfully, the professor wasn’t going to allow him to get away with it. “Why do you say that? Any specific reason?” she asked in a voice that was much calmer than what my own would be if I spoke right now. The guy sighed and then actually laughed, and it made me so angry that I

clutched my notebook as hard as I could, coloring my knuckles white as I considered throwing it at his head. Finally, he spoke up again. “I just don’t think we can know for sure if the donated things are getting into the right hands,” he said. “There are all these Facebook groups where people are gathering things like blankets for them, but mostly, they’re asking for monetary donations.” “And what’s wrong with that?” I said. Every head in the lecture theatre turned towards me. I hadn’t even realized I’d actually spoken until the words were already out there. Even

Robin was looking at me strangely, not used to this bold new side of me, but I guess I just hadn’t been able to hold back. I really wanted to know whether this guy had a valid reason for saying what he had. “Huh?” I could hear the guy’s amused voice, but I still couldn’t see him. The professor cast an interested glance at me and then looked back at the guy before repeating my question to him. “Look…I just don’t think it’s worth it,” the guy said. “The authorities are the best people to donate money to in order to help the children out. We shouldn’t personally intervene, because we don’t know if we’re actually even helping matters at all.”

“You’re saying we shouldn’t even bother? You’re saying we should totally ignore the situation, just because you don’t think the donated money will actually get into the right hands? You don’t even have to donate cash to the kids, you know. You could give them clothes, toys, or something to eat. You don’t have to give up your earnings.” “I’m not talking about me personally,” the guy said, his tone quickly becoming defensive. I rolled my eyes. Obviously. I’d meant my comment in a general sense, and he knew it. “Besides, what makes you think I haven’t donated millions in cash

already?” he continued. I laughed at his bullshit comeback, shaking my head. Just then, someone in front of me moved their head to the side, giving me a perfect view of the guy I was arguing with. Holy crap. He was hot as hell. Light brown hair, striking blue eyes and chiseled features. He looked like someone out of a damned Abercrombie commercial. “Holy mother of wet panties,” Robin murmured next to me, echoing my thoughts. My knuckles tightened around my notebook again, and I could feel the

spiral binding cutting into my hand as I stared, my mouth almost hanging open. Suddenly, I could feel every pair of eyes in the lecture theatre on me, waiting for my response. I’d always hated being the center of attention, yet I’d successfully managed to get everyone to look at me—including the guy in question, who was staring right at me now. Dammit. I could see his eyes growing narrower as he glared at me, and then his expression changed from anger to something that looked a little too much like lust. I sighed inwardly, already certain that this would change his tune entirely. I knew I wasn’t amazing, but I wasn’t terrible-looking either. I

definitely wasn’t like most girls; not like the tall and slim ones who always seemed to be the popular girls on campus, anyway. My skin was a few shades darker, and my hair was quite out of the ordinary with its wild, frizzy curls. I was also short, but I had some curves, too, and this combination of features made a lot of people look at me differently. The guys who hit on me usually only seemed to like me because I was out of the norm and exotic. I guess it totally figured that this douchebag was just like the rest of them. “Have you donated millions in cash?” I asked sarcastically, arching one eyebrow.

The guy fidgeted in his seat, making the whole room laugh out loud. Even the professor was chuckling. I shot him a triumphant smile, thinking I had bested him, but apparently, he wasn’t done just yet. “Have you?” he challenged me. I could feel myself blushing, a deep red color seeping into my cheeks. The rest of the class was quiet as everyone waited to see how our little battle would play out. “See, that’s exactly what I’m saying. No one wants to donate if they don’t know whether their money is going to end up in the right hands.” “Or maybe not everyone has a lot of money to donate,” I shot back. That was certainly the case with me. Things had

been difficult for my family since my Dad died. “And with those who do, maybe if people weren’t as pessimistic as you are, they would actually try to help out and at least do something to make things better.” I could feel myself getting flushed as I spoke. He was getting to me, and judging by the triumphant gleam in his eyes, he knew it. “Even so, what’s to say that these things would actually get to the poor children? Don’t you think there are people who just stuff their pockets with the cash we’re donating?” he asked. He just wasn’t giving up. It was driving me crazy, but luckily, I had a lot

more to say on the topic. “Why not donate items then?” I interrupted him. “Like I said earlier, you could give them toys, clothes, sleeping bags, food in cans—anything to make their journey easier.” “Yes, because that would be so easy to get to Europe all the way from America,” he said. Some of the people in class followed suit, giggling like he’d just told some hilarious joke. By now I wasn’t just angry, I was furious. This guy was totally ignorant of other people’s struggles, and worse than that, he was making people think the same way as him. I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t let him get away with his

bullshit opinions; not if it meant he was going to infect others with his terrible attitude. “Maybe if you weren’t such a pessimistic douchebag, you could actually be proactive and do something about the problems in the world. You could actually do some good instead of sitting around arguing with people you don’t even know in class!” I said, my voice heated. The whole room went silent again, and I regretted my words as soon as they left my mouth. They were too harsh, fueled by negative emotions. I could feel a stark tension in the air, and I knew I’d made everyone uncomfortable.

“You’re the one who started arguing with me in the first place, sweetheart,” he replied. “And you could be out there being proactive as well…yet here you are in class with me—the pessimistic douchebag, as you so eloquently stated.” My cheeks flushed even more. He was right, but I didn’t want to admit that out loud. Dammit, dammit, dammit. Why didn’t I actually think before I opened my stupid mouth? “Er…perhaps it would be best if we return to the lecture slides now,” the professor said, trying to defuse the tension in the room. The guy in the front row and I were still staring at each other, and I hated

seeing that sparkle of mischief in his eyes. He totally thought this was just a game. I was willing to bet a million bucks that he was some spoiled kid with a trust fund. There was no shortage of them on this campus, and I could easily picture him at some frat party at three in the morning with some gorgeous willowy girl wrapped around his shoulders. He was the exact kind of guy I hated…and yet, my body was telling me otherwise. “Wait… um, I have something else I’d like to say,” I said, trying to ignore the tingling in my belly. I wasn’t usually one to stand up for

myself, let alone in class, and I knew I’d already shocked everyone who knew me even a little bit, but this guy had really gotten to me. I didn’t know what I hated more—the rush of adrenaline when I argued with him, or the treacherous heat and wetness building between my legs. Just in case, I pressed my knees tightly together, afraid of someone seeing what was happening to me. If anyone knew the way this douchey-yet-sexy prick was making me feel, I’d be embarrassed as hell. “I think it might be best if you kept it to yourself for now,” the professor said, fixing her cool gaze on me. I narrowed my eyes at her, a small battle raging between us. She was the one to back

away, her eyes floating to the rest of the classroom, and I was left fuming that we hadn’t finished our discussion. My eyes found my debate partner, and the prick was already deep in conversation with a pretty blonde girl who was sitting next to him in the front row. For some reason, that made me even angrier, although I had no idea why. I guess I just didn’t like it when people took things so lightly. My opinion was that everyone should try to contribute something to the world, even if it was just something small. Perhaps I was naïve for thinking others were the same as me. Our professor went on with her

lecture and everyone listened closely, our heated discussion already forgotten. I could feel Robin nudging me with her elbow, but I waved my hand at her to get her off my case, not wanting to talk and draw any more attention to myself than I already had. Thankfully, she stopped elbowing me, and we silently took notes for the rest of the lecture. Just as I’d finally managed to calm down a little bit, my phone vibrated with a notification, and I discreetly pulled it out of my bag and turned the screen on. Hmm. Apparently I had some activity on Matcher. I looked around, feeling a little selfconscious about checking the dating app during class. Everyone was immersed in

the lecture, though, so I quickly looked at the notification. You have a match! My cheeks flushed again, and I clicked on the message. The app loaded up, and my eyes grew wider as I saw who my match was. During our time at the café earlier, Robin had explained that to get a match, both users had to swipe right on each other’s profiles, and it looked like the blurry guy I’d been intrigued by earlier had swiped right on me too. A small smile appeared on my lips, and my mood lifted. Since we were a match now, more photos of the guy had been unlocked. I was just about to go through them when

my phone started vibrating with incoming messages. I quickly set my phone to silent so the vibrations wouldn’t annoy anyone, and then I started scrolling through the incoming texts. They were from the mystery man I’d just matched with! I was so nervous that I had to look away for a second, and my gaze floated towards the guy I’d been arguing with only moments ago. His attention wasn’t on the blonde girl anymore; instead he was messing around with his cell phone. I wished the professor would call him out on it, but she was deep into her lecture and didn’t seem to notice anything that was going on in the room.

Besides, I was on my phone as well, so I was being a total hypocrite…but then again, when it comes to someone you don’t like, you’re allowed to be a little bit of a hypocrite, right? Finally, I gathered up enough courage to check my messages on Matcher. Hey, you look like you have a lot of firm opinions on things. Any thoughts on the gender wage gap? Huh? What kind of opening line was that? I furrowed my brows, not understanding what this guy was on about at all. Before I could give it any more thought, new messages had started popping up.

Can I talk to you about our Lord and Savior Cthulhu? Cthulhu? As in the giant Lovecraftian octopus creature? I was even more confused now. What kind of game was this guy playing? I sure as hell didn’t like it. It felt like he was making fun of me or something…and he didn’t seem to be done yet. Not biting? Okay…would you like to get together and talk about the Ebola crisis in Africa instead? You seem like the kind of person who would whip my ass for having the wrong opinion…not that I would mind having my ass whipped by you… ;)

By now I was blushing furiously, and I decided to check out the guy’s photos to find a clearer one so I could figure out who he actually was. All it said under the name section was ‘L.R.’—his initials, I presumed. I scrolled through his profile, clicking on the pictures. The first one was the unclear one I’d seen before, of him wearing a hat on the beach. Immediately, my eyes went to his rock-hard abs. I blushed even harder, but I still enlarged the photo to get a better look. “Already addicted?” Robin whispered. I looked up, embarrassed about getting caught, and she nudged me playfully, her eyes on the screen of my

phone. Obviously she’d seen me gawking at the guy, and I felt like an immature kid who’d just noticed the opposite sex for the first time. “I knew I’d get you onto it. It’s so much fun, right?” she asked. I gave her a weak nod, unable to get any words out of my mouth, and thankfully, she started paying attention to the professor again. I, however, was still stuck on the guy on Matcher. Finally, I managed to scroll past his first photo. As soon as I saw the other photos, I gasped out loud, drawing puzzled glances from a few people around me, including Robin. “What is it?” she whispered.

I shook my head. “Er…nothing. Just had a leg spasm,” I muttered, turning my attention back to the pictures on my screen. There was a smirk firmly plastered on the guy’s lips in each photo, along with the same mischievous sparkle in his eyes that I’d seen only moments ago in class. It was a look that said ‘I own the world, deal with it’. No, no, no, this couldn’t be happening….but apparently, it was. Just my freaking luck! The guy on Matcher was the same person I’d spent several horrible minutes arguing with. Ugh. I looked up from my phone again, my

gaze drawn towards the front of the lecture theatre. The guy whom I’d privately nicknamed Lecture Douche was looking right at me with a stupid grin on his face as he mouthed something to me, pointing at his phone. My phone buzzed again, and I checked out the new message. I’m totally not opposed to sending nudes. But you already look like you’re about to pass out, so maybe another time? P. S. You’re a shade away from a live lobster. If you want, I’ll drop you back into the sea after class. Maybe you can swim to Europe and help out with the migrant crisis.

Bastard! Furious, I stashed my phone back in my bag, and just then, the professor announced that the lecture was over. I was so hot and enraged that someone could’ve probably fried an egg on my face as I put the rest of my things away. Robin was talking about something she’d heard in the lecture, but I didn’t have the energy to listen to anything related to class right now. I was way too angry. She gave me a questioning look, but I figured I’d just explain everything later. We said our goodbyes, and she rushed outside to get to her next lecture. I had a break for the next couple of

hours, so I took my time getting ready to leave. The last thing I wanted was to bump into my new nemesis from Matcher on my way out. Unfortunately, he had other plans. I was just on my way out of the room when someone bumped into me, hard. My books went flying, and I nearly toppled over. A pair of strong arms caught me just in time, holding me in place. “We keep meeting in the weirdest of ways!” An amused voice sounded in my ears…one that I immediately recognized as him—Lecture Douche, who was now hassling me on Matcher. I refused to

look up, and instead I jerked away from his arms and bent down to pick up my books along with everything else that had fallen onto the floor. He wasn’t about to give up that easily. “Anyway, sorry about that. Walked right into you. Maybe it’s a sign?” he said. A sign that I should kick you down the steps, perhaps, I thought, still ignoring him as I picked up my books and searched for my favorite pen, which had rolled under a chair. “So…maybe we should get together and discuss some other world situations sometime,” he suggested, pressing on

despite the fact that I’d ignored literally every other word he’d said to me so far. I could just about imagine the shiteating grin on his face as he said those last words. I still didn’t want to respond, though, let alone look up at him. To engage would be to lose, because you can’t win with idiots. Instead, I murmured something non-committal and made a point of looking at my watch as I stood up, not meeting his gaze even for a second. “I like arguing with pretty girls. It usually leads to other fun stuff,” he said. God, he just didn’t give up, did he? If I hadn’t known what my breaking point was earlier, I was fairly certain that this

was it now. I jerked my head up, finally looking at the guy’s face. Shit, he really was handsome; even more so than I’d initially assessed from a distance. But I wasn’t about to let that chiseled face cloud my vision. He was a total prick, and I wasn’t going to let him get away with it. “I don’t have the time nor the crayons to explain to you just how wrong you are. So maybe you should just step aside and let me leave,” I said in a clipped voice. He took one step to the side, the grin still firmly plastered on his face. He was driving me absolutely bat-shit insane.

Everything about him annoyed me, but I was mostly angry because of my conflicting feelings. Sure, I wanted to slap the shit out of him, but there was also a part of me that actually wanted to keep arguing with him. Whether that was for the sake of the migrant kids or for the way it made me feel down below, I couldn’t be sure. “All right,” he said, raising his hands in defeat. “Just wanted to say, if you ever want to discuss something else, I’m here. I enjoy a heated discussion. Most people are too afraid to argue anything because they don’t want to rock the boat.” “Only it’s not just a discussion, you know,” I said, my eyebrows drawing

together in a frown. “With what we were talking about earlier—there are real kid’s lives on the line. Those children are suffering. They’ve been forced to leave their home country to escape horrible things, and you basically just convinced an entire classroom of people not to help them.” I looked at his face again, and I was surprised to find regret etched into his features. He actually looked like he was thinking about what I’d said, as if he was finally considering my opinion as well as his own. He let out a sigh. “Look,” he said. “I didn’t want to get into a whole argument about this in front

of everyone, but I’m not as big of an ass as you think. It’s not that I think the kids don’t deserve help. It’s just that I know one of the girls who runs a Facebook page for the migrants. She’s raising money for all the migrant kids and babies, or so she says. I know her personally and I can tell you for sure that the migrants aren’t going to see a cent of that money. She’s actually going to use it to sue her baby-daddy. That’s why I think people should donate their money to official causes instead, so they know people who actually need the money will get it in the end. That’s all I really meant.” My eyes widened as he kept on talking, explaining everything that was

wrong with soliciting donations on Facebook. He actually had a solid point, and after some time had passed, I started to feel like a total bitch for yelling at him in front of everyone in our class. I’d misinterpreted what he originally meant, and I was a damned fool. “So as you said earlier, the best thing to do would be to gather actual resources instead of money,” he said. “I just don’t think we have the right solution yet. We’d need regular, inexpensive transportation to Europe to get those goods to them, but right now it’s expensive as hell to ship things overseas, and the average person doesn’t want to do that. So until someone sets that up, our hands are

basically tied. You know what I mean?” “Yeah, I guess.” Like most people, I usually didn’t like admitting I was wrong, but the guy was right. “Still think I’m a douchebag?” he asked, grinning at me. I rolled my eyes in response, a hint of a smile on my lips. “Anyway, I was serious about the discussion thing. You actually might be a good fit for the debate club.” “You’re in the debate club?” I asked, barely able to suppress a giggle. This guy did not look like he frequented any clubs other than nightclubs, or perhaps the occasional strip club with his frat buddies. “Yeah, yeah, laugh away.” It was his

turn to roll his eyes now. “I have to be in it for my degree.” We looked at each other one more time, this time with tentative smiles on our faces. I could feel myself blushing again, but this time it wasn’t because I was angry. Maybe he was a nice guy after all. “What’s your name, then?” he asked, sounding genuinely interested. “I know it says Sasha on your Matcher profile, but who knows—people always use fake names on those kinda things.” “It really is Sasha.” I pushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear, feeling self-conscious. “What about you? It just says L.R. on yours.”

“I’m Logan.” He stuck his hand out and we shook awkwardly. His eyes were glued to mine, and once again, I was hot in places which I’d rather not have been aware of while I was on campus. “Well, Sasha. I guess I’ll see you around, then.” “Not if I see you first,” I said cheekily. The words just spilled out; something my Dad and I used to say to jokingly insult each other. Embarrassed, I bit my lower lip, expecting to see a confused expression cloud Logan’s face, but instead, he grinned at me. I guess he had a sense of humor too. He waved at me, and I couldn’t help but stare at his powerful biceps as he left, opening and closing my mouth like a

fish out of water. God, I was practically drooling like one of Pavlov’s dogs. Only seconds later, I realized I was all alone in the lecture theatre, and I hurried outside, my eyes glued to the floor of the hallway. If anyone looked closer, they wouldn’t be able to miss the smile on my lips, although I’d never admit I was grinning because of Matcher Guy-slash-Lecture Douche, who I now knew was named Logan. A few minutes later, an intuitive feeling told me I should check my phone again, so I pulled it out of my bag. Sure enough, there was another message from Logan. Sasha – good thing this app is all

about matching, because I have a feeling you and I could be a ‘match’ made in heaven ;) Urgh. Total cliché. Unless he was trying to be ironic and funny, maybe Logan wasn’t as cool as I’d started to think he was in the last few minutes. But if that were the case, why did I desperately hope his last message was right?

Chapter 3 Logan Well, that was probably the most fun I’d ever had at college. As I left the campus after my first lecture of the year, my thoughts were still filled with the hot-as-fuck girl I’d argued with barely even half an hour ago. She’d said her name was Sasha. She was honestly the most gorgeous girl in my class; fuck, maybe even the most gorgeous girl I’d ever seen, and I’d noticed her as soon as she walked in. She’d been with a friend, a tall redhead whom I might’ve been all over had it not

been for Sasha. There was something about her…maybe those crazy corkscrew curls. Or maybe it was her warm chocolate eyes that drove me wild. Oh, who the hell was I kidding? I was all about those curves too. I sure as hell wouldn’t mind having her on top of me, gyrating on my cock while I ran my hands all over the luscious hills and valleys of her body. Professor MacDonald’s lecture had been the only one on my schedule today, so I was on my way home already. My house was pretty close by; only a few blocks away from college, so I didn’t need to drive unless it was pissing down with rain. I was still living at home with

my father, despite the fact that I spent most of my time on campus or out with friends. I could’ve easily joined a frat or moved out on my own, but I guess I was just kinda worried about Dad…and feeling guilty about myself, too. Ever since my Mom passed away when I was a kid, Dad and I had been drifting apart. Our relationship, which was once honest, loving and caring, had turned into something else entirely. He was always too busy with work and other commitments, because when Mom died, he’d finally decided to go after his dream career in politics. For the last few years, he’d been on the Texas State Senate, and six months ago, he’d assumed the office of Lieutenant

Governor of Texas. There was an old political rumor that the Lieutenant Governor of Texas was more powerful than the actual State Governor, and let’s just say that the rumor was quite accurate. My Dad was a very powerful and important figure these days. Before his foray into the political world, he’d been a moderately successful actor, but politics had always held a special place in his heart. However, Mom had never liked the idea of any of us entering that world, especially Dad. She’d always said he was too honest, too good. Nowadays, I questioned whether she was right about that, considering the way he ignored me most of the time.

I also questioned whether Mom would be alive if it weren’t for me. I pulled my backpack higher on my shoulders, rubbing my eyes as I walked towards my house. As soon as I turned onto the street, I felt like I didn’t belong; a feeling I always experienced when I came home. No one really belonged here. All the houses were huge; way too big for the amount of people that actually lived in them, and everything was hidden away behind gates, fences and security screens. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but the girl from class suddenly popped into my mind again. I could almost hear her voice, telling me to do something about the situation we’d been arguing about in

class. I used my keycard to get through the security gates, unlocking the door and letting myself inside, and I was greeted by Martha, the housekeeper who’d worked for us since Mom passed away. “My boy,” she gushed as soon as she saw me. She flicked off a piece of invisible fluff from my shoulder, fussing over my appearance. “Have you had anything to eat? I have lunch almost ready.” “Cool. What’s for lunch?” I asked, flashing her a wide grin. “I’m hungry as hell.” Martha tsk-ed in disapproval, and I knew what she would say next before

she even opened her mouth. “None of that language in this house, please,” she huffed and puffed. “Your mother wouldn’t have liked you talking like that.” Martha was the only person who I talked to about Mom. As far as Dad was concerned, she was a taboo subject. Soon after her death, he’d gotten rid of every photo of her and every other trace of evidence that she’d ever been around…not that there was much left after what had happened the night she died. The whole thing left me thinking that Dad didn’t want to remember her at all, and it fucking stung.

I smiled weakly at Martha, unable to give her a response. As per usual when we spoke about my mother, her eyes became slightly watery, and she softly patted my shoulder. She knew how alone I felt at times. I went up to my room, trying to ignore the sadness clawing at me from inside. Some days, it was easy to ignore the fact that Mom had been gone for so long. Other times, it stung badly, and the guilt almost drove me insane. Today was one of the bad days. Once I was in my room, I plopped down on my bed. I didn’t mean to, but I found myself opening the Matcher app one more time, and I saw that Sasha was online. She hadn’t yet responded to my

last message, and unable to help myself, I sent a new message to her. Fun meeting you today. Last message was just a dumb joke, by the way. Don’t worry, I’m not some crazy stalker who thinks we belong together just because we matched on an app. Haha :p Her reply came through immediately. ??? Her message made me grin. What? I texted back. What’s with the ??? Are you the same person? she asked. I chuckled at her response. Yeah.

Just worried I upset you, I replied. It’s okay. I don’t let idiots like you get to me :) We’ll see about that! I’ll prove you wrong, if you let me… I put my phone down on one of the pillows when I heard my father calling my name. With a sigh, I got up from the bed and followed his voice outside. He was waiting in the hallway, looking all kinds of awkward. “What’s up?” I asked, wanting to get back to my phone so I could chat to Sasha some more. Dad usually only called me out when he needed something. “Can I talk to you for a moment,

son?” he asked, clearing his throat. He was always like this around me; formal as fuck. It had been going on ever since Mom passed—he’d been acting like he didn’t even know me; like I wasn’t his son. Like I was just some stranger randomly living in his house. Sometimes I wondered why I even bothered worrying about him. He was clearly fine without me. “I guess.” I shrugged, following him into his study. Even the fact that we were about to speak in the room where he always talked business made me feel uncomfortable. I barely even knew him anymore.

I sat down on the chair opposite the desk, fidgeting with the leather. Dad sighed and asked me to look at him, and that only served to worsen my mood. He always treated me like I didn’t even exist, and then he expected respect from me. Totally hypocritical. “I have to tell you something,” he said, his voice rigid. “Okay.” “I...” He looked nervous for a moment. “I got married last weekend.” I stared at him blankly, waiting for someone to yell ‘surprise!’ and jump from behind the filing cabinet with a camera. This was just a bad prank, right?

“Er…what?” I asked. Surely I’d misheard him. I could have sworn he said he’d gotten married, but there was no way that could be right. “Yes.” He coughed nervously. “I would have told you sooner, but you know...you’re always off in your own world. I didn’t think you’d have any interest in attending. It was also a rather spur of the moment decision.” Yeah, I’m off in my own world… that’s because you constantly ignore me, you prick, I thought, but I just pursed my lips in response, not wanting to make things even worse. He looked at me expectantly, waiting for my response, and my heart sank.

Fuck. Apparently he was serious. He’d actually gone and ahead and gotten married without telling his only son what he was planning on doing. What the hell? I hadn’t even known he was seeing anyone, let alone engaged. I guess that showed what I knew. Nothing. And to think that all this time, I’d stayed living at home and putting up with his bullshit because I’d felt guilty and worried about leaving him on his own. Clearly, I wasn’t needed. He had other people to care about him now, and I was just some sort of afterthought. Great. Fucking great. “Where?” I asked robotically,

realizing I still hadn’t responded yet. “Just a small ceremony at Memorial Park with a couple of my closest friends,” Dad replied, waving a hand. “It was a spur of the moment decision, like I said. All planned in just a matter of days.” I stared at him blankly. His closest friends had attended, huh? And yet he didn’t invite his own son. What a jackass. “So why are you telling me this now?” I asked, the bitter edge in my voice all too obvious. “Isn’t it a bit late to fill me in on your life, since you’ve already gotten hitched?” He frowned at me, as if he were

actually unsure as to why I was reacting so poorly to his news. “I wanted to let you know that we’d be having dinner tomorrow at Café du Monet. I hope you can make it. My new wife, Kari, will be there, along with her daughter—your new stepsister. I’d like you to get acquainted before they move in.” Jesus fucking Christ. A new stepsister as well as a stepmother? Who the hell just decided to spring news like this on their children? My Dad, apparently. Asshole. I decided I didn’t give a shit about who this new stepfamily was, especially the stepsister. It was probably some

eight year old girl with a My Little Pony obsession, or whatever it was kids were into these days. It didn’t matter. I didn’t have to have anything to do with her; this house was big enough to hold all of us without me having to interact with anyone else aside from Martha. Clearly, I wasn’t wanted anyway. Otherwise I might have received an invitation to the damn ceremony, right? “I’ll see if my schedule opens up,” I said. I got up, getting ready to walk out. Right now, I truly despised my father, and I didn’t want to look at him for a second longer. “Logan?” Dad called out after me as

I walked towards the door. I turned around, pure rage burning in my eyes. “What do you want?” I asked, trying to not let my vulnerability show. His news had shocked me beyond belief, and at the same time, it somehow felt like he’d betrayed my Mom, even though it had been years since she’d died. The only way I knew how to mask my feelings was with anger. He looked at me for a long moment. “Nothing,” he said quietly. “Please, get back to your studies or whatever else it was you were doing.” I glared for a moment longer, hoping he would go on, but he didn’t. Instead he cleared his throat and shuffled the

papers on his desk one more time, and it only made the void between us grow larger. I left, closing the door firmly behind me. Fuck him. *** When I got back to my room, a pair of cold hands covered my eyes as soon as I shut the door. “Surprise,” a feminine voice purred in my ear. Ugh. Chelsea. Usually I would’ve been excited, but today, I was too beat. I didn’t have the energy to deal with this today.

“I’m tired,” I groaned, moving out of her reach and letting her hands slip away. “What are you doing here?” I could tell she was already sulking by the awful silence in the room, but I didn’t give a fuck. My day had just slid into the toilet, and I didn’t want to deal with Chelsea Bennett, of all people… otherwise known as the Blonde Devil. I suppose some people would refer to her as my on-and-off girlfriend; not that I really considered a girl I screwed occasionally to be a girlfriend. She was more like a fuck-buddy, but when she wasn’t pissed at me for one reason or another, she told people we were dating, no matter how many times I told everyone we weren’t. It drove me crazy.

She was hot, but her IQ was about the same as the room temperature, and she was the shallowest girl I’d ever met. There was no way I’d get into a serious relationship with her; not unless she got a frontal lobotomy and drastically changed her personality as a result. I wasn’t one of those douchebag guys who let women believe they were dating, either. I must have told her a hundred times now. I don’t want a serious relationship. You are free to see whoever else you want, and I am not your boyfriend. I’d forever regret the day I told her my address, because she’d made a habit of dropping by unannounced whenever she damn well pleased.

She stepped over to the bed and lay down next to me, her fingers trailing down my chest until she reached my abs. I groaned out loud, thinking I’d been pretty clear about wanting to be left alone, but she apparently misunderstood my grumbling for sounds of lust. As-fucking-if. My mind was still stuck on the gorgeous, opinionated girl in my elective social psychology class. Sasha. Jesus, even her name was beautiful. I was struck by the urge to text her again on Matcher, but my phone was out of reach. Chelsea kept trying, but none of her charms seemed to be working, even as she unzipped my jeans and moved her

hand south, trailing her fingers over my cock. Unfortunately for her, when I wasn’t mentally preoccupied with Sasha, I was thinking about my Dad’s marriage announcement, and there wasn’t space in my mind for anything else. The whole thing was driving me crazy, and a childish desire to rebel against my father awoke inside me. Chelsea was sulking now, moving away from the bed. I could smell another fight brewing. “I see I’m not wanted here,” she said angrily, gesturing towards my stillflaccid cock. “I’m just gonna leave. You can use your hand to have some fun. Won’t be too big of a change for you, will it, Logan?”

I gritted my teeth, swallowing a nasty reply. We fought so often that it had become second nature. All of a sudden, a brilliant idea struck me. My Dad had always hated Chelsea with a passion. I wasn’t exaggerating about that; he straight-up despised her, to the point where he’d actually asked her to leave a couple of times when he’d seen her in the house, as rude as that was. He thought she was snooty, prejudiced and annoying, and he also thought it was bad for his public image if she was seen hanging around our house, although that was mostly because of who her parents were. She came from an

important political family who vehemently opposed my Dad, and not only that, her father had run against him and the State Governor in their gubernatorial campaign. A lot of nasty things had been said in the media from both sides, so there was a fair amount of bad blood. Dad also worried that Chelsea would tell her parents things about him that they could use in future smear campaigns against him. The Bennetts were good at that; good at twisting the most mundane shit to make their opposition look bad. So what better way to get back at Dad for hiding an entire wedding from me than to cook up some trouble involving my lovely friend?

“Chelsea,” I said in a faux-nice tone. She turned at the sound of my voice, a hungry smile on her lips. No matter what she said or however much she insulted me, Chelsea always wanted me. Now I was going to use that to my advantage. “What are you doing tomorrow evening?” “What do you want me to do?” she purred. She clearly thought she was being seductive, but honestly, she was about as seductive as a drunken otter. I grinned at her, a vague plan still forming in my mind. “My Dad just got married again. How about you come to dinner with me and my new family?” I asked.

She rolled her eyes. “Your Dad hates me, doesn’t he? Because of my parents.” I waved my hand. “No, he’s just always been stressed whenever you’ve seen him. He’s like that with almost everyone. But he’d love for you to be there to celebrate his new marriage with us. Oh, and wear something tight and revealing. I wanna show you off to everyone.” She took the bait, gushing about what to wear, but my mind was already too far gone to hear exactly what she was saying. Dad would have kittens when he saw who I’d invited to dinner, but he deserved it. Normally he’d want Chelsea to leave, especially at a private family event that he didn’t want splashed

all over the media—and it might very well be if Chelsea happened to mention it to her parents—but he wouldn’t want to look like a dick in front of his brand new wife and stepchild, so he’d have to grit his teeth and put up with her all night. That’d show him for keeping shit from me. It was totally childish and probably the pettiest shit I’d ever done, but I needed to do something to make me feel a little better, even if it was petty as fuck. “Perfect,” I murmured, my lips quirking up as Chelsea outlined her plans to wear a brand new black designer dress she’d just bought; one with a side slit and a plunging neckline

that would apparently make even Jennifer Lopez jealous. I almost couldn’t wait for the dinner. My Dad wasn’t going to get away with his shitty behavior for much longer; not if I had anything to do with it. I was tempted to message Sasha again and tell her all about what was happening in my life, but there was no point doing that, because I knew exactly what she’d say. Don’t be a dick to your father; try to see things from his point of view. He must have his reasons, and you don’t want to make things awful and awkward for your new stepfamily, blah blah blah. Ha. I’d barely even known the girl

for a day, and I was already letting an imaginary version of her mentally lecture me. I had to say, though—I didn’t mind it at all. Not one bit.

Chapter 4 Sasha There was something wrong with me. I hadn’t been able to get my mind off Logan all day, no matter what I did. It was ridiculous; I barely even knew the guy! I usually didn’t make it a habit to think about frat-boy jerks I’d met in class, but there was something about him which had held my interest, even before he’d approached me after class and explained his side of things after our argument. And the way he’d messaged me after, making sure he hadn’t offended

me—that had been super sweet. It had also definitely been more than a little flirtatious…right? Gah! Stop thinking about him, I told myself for what felt like the billionth time. When I finally got home after a long day of classes, I was exhausted and couldn’t wait to have a moment to myself. However, as soon as I walked in, I sensed something wasn’t quite right about the scene that awaited me. I could smell something coming from the kitchen, and it wasn’t a delicious baking smell like one might expect. Instead, there was a smoky, rancid scent in the air, as if something had just been

burned to a crisp. My Mom stepped out of the kitchen a second later, wearing a silly novelty apron and an apologetic smile. She grinned at me, pretending like nothing was weird at all; like it wasn’t totally unusual for me to come home to her making dinner. Honestly, I couldn’t remember the last time she’d cooked. Probably when my Dad had still been alive, I guess. “Oh, you’re home already, sweetie?” she asked, a nervous tinge in her voice. “Yep. All done for the day.” She giggled like a teenager, wiping her hands on her apron. “I wasn’t expecting you so soon. I had something

planned for us, but you showed up too early, silly!” “Well, sorry if I messed up your plans,” I said, barely unable to hide my annoyance at the stench permeating the house as I covered my nose with one hand. “And by the smell of it, I’d say it’s too late rather than too early.” She blushed a deep shade of pink, and I immediately felt embarrassed for having insulted her cooking attempts. I was really on a roll with being a bitch today, wasn’t I? First Logan in class, and now my Mom. It was difficult dealing with my mother some of the time, though. She’d been behaving weirdly for a long time

now, and it was hard to always have to be the responsible one out of the two of us. At times, I honestly felt like I was her mother, and not the other way around. “Anyway,” I said. “What’s the special occasion?” She smiled, clearly glad for the change in topic. “Well, I thought you’d never ask,” she said, clasping her hands together. “Why don’t we sit down at the table together?” I nodded my approval, leaving my purse on the couch and moving towards the dining table. We lived in a small house, but it was still big enough for the two of us. Last year, we’d decided that we didn’t need a lot of space anymore—

mostly because Mom had lost her old job and we no longer had much money— so we’d decided to move from my childhood home to a smaller place. Honestly, I didn’t mind it too much. It was perfectly cozy, and as long as we had a roof over our head, I knew we were luckier than most people in this world. Thinking about that reminded me of the migrant argument I’d had with Logan in class earlier, and I cringed internally as I remembered how awful I’d been, calling him a douchebag in front of the entire class. No wonder the professor had shut me down. I needed a set of brakes installed on my mouth, pronto. Mom and I sat down at the table

together, and a sentimental expression flashed in her eyes. Clearly something was going on, but I had no idea what it could be. Ever since Dad died, Mom had gone quite far off the rails. She’d always been a little wild and flighty, but after he’d gone, she’d become downright careless and irresponsible. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for me to come out of my bedroom in the mornings to find a stranger in the kitchen; usually some guy Mom had dragged home with her from a bar the night before. I’d mostly gotten used to it, as sad as that was, although I still felt a little stab of guilt whenever I saw a new guy perched up on the chair at the head of the table,

which used to be Dad’s seat. I guess it was hard for Mom to handle things after Dad died. They’d been childhood sweethearts, and she didn’t really know how to face life without him. “I have some news for you,” she said, inspecting a fingernail as she averted her eyes from mine. I raised my eyebrows slightly, wondering what she had to say. Had she gotten a promotion at her new job? That would be great, because it would mean we wouldn’t have to skimp as much on our grocery shopping. We weren’t living in abject poverty like some people were, but we had to scrimp and save in order

to make things work. I’d worked an after-school job all throughout high school to help save and contribute, and I’d studied hard at the same time, which had paid off after graduation when I’d been offered a full-ride scholarship to my current college, Murdoch University. I’d always figured that if I tried my best at college and got a good job upon graduation, I could help my Mom even more, financially speaking. Maybe if I did that, she’d feel more secure in life, and she wouldn’t feel the need to jump from bed to bed with a host of different guys. “Go ahead,” I said. She took a deep breath, and a long silence followed, making me wonder what it was that she

wanted to tell me even more. Surely it couldn’t be bad news? She looked excited, but kind of worried at the same time. “Well, you were away over the break, before the semester started…” she began, her voice a little shaky. I nodded—that was true. Just before classes had started this semester, I’d spent two months away from home helping for a charity organization in Mexico. My Mom had wanted me to take a paid internship here instead, but it was something I’d wanted to do very badly, so she’d finally caved. Besides, the internship program paid for my travel expenses, and also food and accommodation. All I’d needed to do

was show up and work, and it had been a great experience. “I was very lonely when you weren’t here,” she continued. Was I imagining it, or was there a slight accusatory tone to her voice? She couldn’t really blame me for leaving for the break. It wasn’t exactly easy for me to see the memory of my dead father being disrespected so often, and that’s exactly what she was doing by drunkenly bringing home different guys every few nights. I loved her, but seeing the path she was taking at the moment really got to me sometimes. “I understand,” I said, trying not to let my hurt feelings show. “But what’s

that got to do with your news?” “Well…I met a man while you were gone,” she replied. My eyes widened. Sure, I knew she dated. She dated so many guys that they could reach around the block if you put them in a row in front of our house, but she’d never had a conversation with me about any of them. Not even once. “He’s lovely, a true gentleman...I never thought someone like him would be interested in me,” she said, a rapturous smile on her face. I leaned forward, my eyes flashing with concern. “Mom, you’re beautiful,” I

said. “Don’t put yourself down like that. I’ve always known you deserved to be treated well by a ‘true gentleman’, like you said.” She really was beautiful. As much as I disliked her raucous behavior sometimes, I couldn’t deny the fact that she was a gorgeous woman. Sometimes she got mistaken for my older sister, because even at forty-two, her skin looked perfectly smooth and radiant. Her lithe figure and long, shiny hair didn’t hurt, either. She shook her head, my words going in one ear and straight out the other. “I wanted to tell you about this sooner, but it was getting more and more serious and it was harder to tell you with each day

that passed...and then I couldn’t get hold of you, anyway.” “What are you trying to say?” I asked, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. Had she gotten engaged to this guy or something? If only… “We got married!” she finally blurted out, a cheesy grin taking over her face. “I’m so sorry, honey, but you were down in Mexico, and I couldn’t call because you had no cell signal where you were, and we just…we sort of just did it on an impulse. The only people who came were two close friends of his, for legal reasons. You know, to witness it and all. But I took photos for you!”

She kept going on about it, and I just sat there, opening and closing my mouth like a deranged goldfish. What the hell? I thought she might have gotten engaged, but she’d gotten married. She had a new husband, and she hadn’t even told me she’d been dating anyone! Typical. This was so freakin’ typical of her. Mom was still talking, all happy and chirpy, while I continued to fight an internal battle inside my head. The fact that she hadn’t told me what she’d done until after the event really sealed the deal on how I felt about the whole thing. It felt horrible being excluded from such a big event in her

life, and it made me feel even more alienated from her than usual. “Anyway, like I said, we just needed two friends to be there to witness it, and that was it,” Mom finished in a small voice. “In hindsight, I really wish you could’ve been there, honey. But you weren’t even in the country.” I nodded slowly, robotically. It felt weird to think of Mom being married to another man, because in my head, I still pictured her with my Dad. I suppose having a husband meant she couldn’t sleep around as much as she used to, and we’d have more peace in the house. That was something, at least. Speaking of our house—what was

happening with that? “Are we moving out?” I asked, finally looking up into Mom’s eyes. “Are we selling this house and moving to your new husband’s place?” “Yes,” she nodded shyly, as if she were afraid I’d bite her head off. Honestly, I was more than a little tempted. “I already put it on the market and got a few good offers. By the way, his name is George.” She smiled like some silly teenager when she told me that, and I involuntarily repeated the name in my head. George. I guess it was a nice name. Now that I’d had a minute to mull

things over, I had to admit, it was actually quite nice seeing her this happy. Since Dad’s death, it seemed like every smile of hers was totally fake. Now her smile seemed genuine, and I couldn’t help but smile a little in return, as mad as I still was at her for not inviting me to the wedding. My initial anger slowly diminished as I listened to her rave on about George, and I finally figured that as long as she was happy, I was happy too. I wouldn’t be living at home for that much longer, anyway, so I might as well suck it up for the few years I had left. “Oh, and you’re going to meet them tomorrow evening,” Mom added.

“Them?” I asked, a skeptical tone in my voice. “Yes, them. George has a son,” Mom said, still beaming. “He’s your age. I’m sure you’ll get along mighty fine.” I nodded, feeling a little numb, and I continued to repeat my new little mantra in my head. As long as she’s happy, I’m happy. I thought about messaging a friend to talk about this strange news, and for some reason, Robin wasn’t the first person I thought about texting. Strangely enough, Logan’s name was the first one that popped into my head. I couldn’t message him, though. We

weren’t friends; we barely knew each other, and I was sure that as far as he was concerned, I was just some random girl who he knew from class and a stupid dating app. Sure, he may have been flirting with me earlier, but he had no reason to give a flying rat’s ass about all of my problems. And yet, I still wanted to reach out to him…

Chapter 5 Sasha The next day came all too soon, and now, it was nearly time to head to dinner to meet my new stepfamily. I’d still barely had the chance to comprehend that all this was really happening, but as they say, time waits for no man—or woman, in my case. I got ready in my cramped bathroom, making a concerted effort with my makeup, which included mascara, a touch of eyeshadow, and a crimsontinted lip gloss. I wanted to look nice and make a good impression. The man I

was meeting would be my stepfather, after all, and we’d be moving into his house in a matter of days. A soft knock interrupted me, and my Mom peeked inside the room. “Are you ready to go, sweetheart?” she asked, an encouraging smile lighting her delicate features. I nodded, ignoring the thumping of my heart as it beat frantically in my ribcage. I figured that the sooner the meeting was over, the better, because it was better to face things head on and get them out of the way rather than stress about them. I grabbed my purse, and a moment later, Mom and I left the house in her old

car, which made clunking sounds all the way to the fancy French restaurant where we were supposed to have dinner. We were the first to arrive. We walked inside, and the hostess showed us to our table with a smile. I felt awkward and way too underdressed in my outfit, and all of a sudden, I wasn’t so sure if I’d make a good impression on Mom’s new husband. I almost considered making a mad dash outside so I could hide in the car, but I knew it was important to Mom that this dinner went off without a hitch, so I sat fidgeting in my seat and hoping for the best. She patted my hand to reassure me, whispering a few comforting words to

make sure I wouldn’t be too nervous as we waited. We didn’t have to wait for too long. As soon as I saw a tall, grey-haired man walk into the room, I knew he was the one we were there to meet. His eyes landed on us and he smiled widely, his whole face brightening as he saw my Mom sitting at the table with me. That smile alone made me like him, because it made it abundantly clear that he was excited to see her. I was sure it wasn’t easy to start a new life when he had a kid of his own, let alone with a woman who also had a daughter. The man approached us, a warm smile on his face as he shook my hand.

“Hello, you must be Sasha,” he said. I nodded in response as he continued. "I’m George. It's so nice to meet you. I've been looking forward to this all day." The best I could do was offer him a nervous smile. It seemed like my throat had closed up, but George just gave me a reassuring smile and sat down at our table. “I’m so sorry my son is late. I’m sure he’ll be arriving any minute now,” he said. I thought I detected a hint of frostiness in his voice when he spoke of his son, but I assumed I was just imagining things and quickly pushed the thought aside.

The waitress brought us the menus, and we all started reading. I was so engrossed in the specials that I didn’t even hear the approaching footsteps until it was too late. “Sasha?” an all-too familiar voice said. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked up to see a face I knew very well; if not from real-life interactions, then from my fantasies the previous night. “Logan…?” I replied in a croaky voice before awkwardly clearing my throat. Ugh, of course I sounded like a ninety-year-old smoker right at this second. Just my luck.

He stared back at me without another word, seemingly dumbfounded. Okay, so this probably wasn’t the best way for me to run into him again; stuck at an awkward dinner with my new stepfamily…but why did he look so confused? Surely he couldn’t be my new stepbrother? No, of course not. That would be telenovela-level crazy. A syrupy-sweet voice interrupted my train of thought a split-second later. “Sorry, Logie-Bear, just had to check in my jacket.” I jerked my eyes away from Logan to see that a girl had just approached the table. Gorgeous, blonde and willowy with legs for days, she wrapped herself

around Logan as I stared at them. Oh. Maybe that was why he looked uncomfortable as hell. “Hi,” I said in an icy voice, unable to hide my disappointment. I’d really thought there was a connection between us, even if it was just a small one, but apparently, Logan didn’t share that thought—here he was on a date with another woman, and one who was ten times prettier than me, too. She honestly looked like she’d be right at home strutting down the catwalk at a Victoria’s Secret show. This wasn’t just any old dinner date, either. This was a family event, so obviously she wasn’t just some casual

fling to him. “Oh, hi.” She smiled when she saw me, leaning down like I was a child. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “You must be Logan’s new stepsister! I’m Chelsea, his girlfriend.” What? Her words confirmed my earlier fleeting suspicion. Logan really was my new stepbrother…and he had a girlfriend. Oh God…nope, nope, nope. No way. Once more, I was struck by the urge to run away and hide, and I could only stare at Chelsea in horror as she proceeded to sit down at our table. My mouth dropped so far open that my jaw practically unhinged itself as George

shot Logan a cold stare, and Logan sat down next to me, unable to meet my eyes. What. The. Hell. I looked at my Mom for answers, and she just gave me a sweet smile. “Something the matter, honey?” she asked pleasantly. “By the way, where do you and Logan know each other from?” This was actually happening. The guy I’d been kinda flirting with on Matcher and swooning over mere hours ago was my mother’s new husband’s son —jeez, that was a mouthful to say—and he’d brought a date to meet us at the restaurant, probably knowing all along that I was his new stepsister.

On top of all that, what the hell was he doing with an active profile on Matcher if he already had a girlfriend? I guess he was just a cheating prick, much like Travis had been. I sure knew how to pick ‘em, didn’t I? My lips tightened as I glared at Logan and his girlfriend. “College,” I finally said to my Mom. “We met there.” “That’s right!” George said, clasping his hands together and plastering on a fake smile in what seemed to be an attempt to save our dinner, which was becoming more awkward by the second. I could tell he was pissed that Logan had brought a date, and he inched away from

Chelsea as soon as she sat down next to him. “I forgot you both go to the same school. How wonderful. Do you share any classes?” “Yes, we do,” I said. “Logan has some pretty strong opinions on charity and how it will be the death of us all. We actually got into a bit of an argument about it during our last class.” I offered a fake smile for the table, feeling the awkwardness settle down on us. I guess I might as well embrace it, right? Logan stared at me with an amused smirk, but I chose to ignore it. “I see,” George replied. “Which class is this, exactly?”

“It’s a social psychology one. One of Professor MacDonald’s classes,” I replied. At that moment, I felt something warm touch my bare leg, and I almost jumped out of my skin. It was Logan’s hand. What the effing hell? He had a girlfriend, and he was trying to feel me up right in front of her! Ugh, he was even worse than I thought. As much of a prick as Travis had been, at least he’d saved me the humiliation of trying to cheat right in front of me. Mom peered at me as I twitched in my seat, her eyes wide. “Everything okay?” she asked. “Oh, yes,” I replied, shoving Logan’s

hand away under the table. “Just had a weird shivering feeling in my legs.” So he wanted to play a game with me? Fine, game on…but I played rough when I was angry. For the next hour, we exchanged pleasantries and tried to salvage the evening, but it was difficult with Chelsea’s presence. She was absolutely awful, loudly bragging about her influential family and constantly making both me and my Mom feel horrible, purely because we weren’t loaded or powerful. Logan just stared at his meal, unable to look at any of us, and George spent half his time glaring at Chelsea, who was the only one speaking at this stage, anyway.

What a complete and utter disaster. This family was off to a bad start; that much was clear. I decided to be the good girl once again and tried to save the situation. “Are you in college too, Chelsea?” I asked her in an attempt to make polite conversation. “Oh, no,” she replied, picking at her vegetables with a bored expression on her face. She hadn’t eaten a bite; instead she’d just pushed her food around the plate all night, despite ordering one of the most expensive dishes. I felt bad for George, who was paying for the meal, because he was obviously already annoyed by her presence here.

“I’m modeling at the moment. I don’t have time for school,” she continued. “Studying is for uggos anyway.” Uggos, huh? I assumed she meant ‘ugly people’. What a classy girl…or not. “How do you know Logan, then?” The words were out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop them, and she gave me a patronizing smile. “We’ve known each other for ages,” she said in a smug tone, like it was some kind of accomplishment. “We’ve been dating for like, two years.” My face clouded even more, and I felt Logan’s eyes on me again. “Isn’t that absolutely lovely,” I said in the sweetest

voice I could muster, throwing my napkin on the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I just have to use the ladies room.” “Oh, I’ll come with you,” Chelsea replied. I suppressed a strong urge to roll my eyes. I just needed some breathing room, and she was butting in again. “Need to powder my nose.” She grabbed her purse, and I ended up following her to the restroom, my short legs no match for her gazelle-like stride. We finally got to the bathroom, and I awkwardly stood near the basins and gave my face a quick splash, not even caring whether I was smudging the small amount of makeup I was wearing. I

needed a cold slap to knock me back into the real world. Chelsea looked in the mirror and sighed dramatically. Then she opened her handbag and pulled out an enormous makeup bag, and she quickly went to work on her face, reapplying a coat of lipstick and touching up her foundation. Up close, she looked gorgeous, but her makeup was caked on so heavily that I could barely make out her features. “What an adorable little bag,” she cooed, staring over at my handbag for a second. “It looks like one of last season’s Gucci bags; is that what it is?” The way she said ‘last season’ made it sound like it was a federal offence to

not keep up to date on designer accessories. “Er…no. It’s from Target,” I mumbled. She visibly sneered, and I blushed. Bitch. I suddenly had an idea…a very horrible idea. A devious smile took over my face, and I tried to remind myself that I was a good girl. I wasn’t supposed to mess this night up for my Mom—but wasn’t Logan the one who’d started messing it all up by bringing Chelsea to dinner, seemingly just to taunt us? On top of that, Chelsea was such a bitch that I felt more than a little justified. All I needed was for her to provide

me with the perfect opener, and I got it only seconds later. As I dried my hands on a soft towel, Chelsea started chatting again in her high-pitched voice as she looked over at me. “You must be so happy to have Logan as a stepbrother!” she said. Her eyebrows rose, and before I could respond, she gave me a sympathetic smile. “Actually, scratch that. It must be absolutely awful having someone so hot as part of your family. Even if he was single, you could never touch him,” she said. “Oh no,” I replied, the words spilling out of my mouth before I could stop them. “It’s fine, really. I’d never

look at him like that anyway, even if he wasn’t my stepbrother…for obvious reasons.” Chelsea’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Why do you say that? What obvious reasons?” “Oh, you know, because of Logan’s thing,” I replied, affecting an airy tone. I smiled innocently at her, and her stare remained blank, as I knew it would. “You know, you’re really brave, staying with him despite it all.” “Um. Can you elaborate?” she asked. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” “Oh, I thought you knew, because you said you’ve been dating for ages,” I said, still feigning innocence. “But never

mind, I probably just misheard my Mom talking about how serious Logan’s condition is...” Chelsea’s eyes widened, but I wasn’t done just yet. “She said he’s totally fine when he’s on his meds, anyway.” I delivered the punchline, looking at Chelsea with my best poker face. “As long as he takes them, he won’t try to stab anyone while he sleepwalks ever again. Isn’t medicine just amazing?” Chelsea’s mouth opened and closed, and I could barely hold back my laughter as she slowly comprehended what I’d just said. I wiped my hands again, shot her another innocent smile, and then I

walked out of the bathroom as fast as my legs could carry me. I knew I was being immature, and I knew I was being mean, but in that moment, I also knew I was satisfied. Take that, asshole, I thought, wishing Logan was telepathic so he could hear the thoughts I was aiming his way. I joined the others at the dining table, and Mom and George both seemed relieved that I wasn’t wearing a sour expression anymore. Minutes later, Chelsea left the bathroom and hurried straight towards the exit without so much as a glance in our direction. “Where’s your girlfriend going?” I

asked Logan in a sweet voice. You guys totally deserve each other, by the way, I silently added. He turned and looked in the direction I was pointing to, wrinkling his eyebrows as he saw where Chelsea was headed. “I’ll just go and see what’s going on,” he said, getting up and walking over to her. We all watched as they argued, and Chelsea kept shying away from him, as if she was afraid he’d go crazy and pull out a machete or something. Finally, she scurried out of the restaurant, and Logan returned with a confused expression still marring his features. I was trying to stifle my laughter so

much that I almost choked on a piece of salmon as he sat back down. “Careful, wouldn’t want you to choke to death,” he said. We looked into each other’s eyes for the first time tonight, our gazes unwavering. I could tell he’d just figured out what I’d done, and I couldn’t stop a wide grin from spreading across my face. Apparently, he could barely fight his own smile, though I had no idea why he found my actions so amusing. Our parents started chatting about a new building they’d seen downtown, and I was about to join in when Logan mouthed something at me. ‘Game on, sis.’

Game on it is, stepbrother dearest, I thought, meeting his eyes again. Game on, indeed.

Chapter 6 Logan I still couldn’t believe how Sasha had played me in the restaurant. It had been a couple of weeks since that night; in fact, it was the day she and her Mom were supposed to finally move into our house. I’d been awake since five, and I’d been fidgeting all morning, waiting for them to arrive. Not that I was nervous or anything; Sasha had just gotten under my skin in the restaurant with the little prank she’d pulled.

I should’ve been angry, but all I could feel was amusement from how she’d handled the whole situation by sneakily telling Chelsea that I was some sort of serial killer. Truth be told, I’d only realized later what a major dick she must’ve thought I was. I’d had no idea she was my stepsister until I’d seen her sitting with my Dad in the restaurant. That had been pure coincidence, and Chelsea had only been there to piss off my Dad, not Sasha. Unfortunately, Sasha didn’t know that, and I hadn’t had a chance to tell her yet. She must’ve thought Chelsea was actually my girlfriend, so I guess she thought I deserved that prank for flirting with her on Matcher.

I wasn’t about to let her get away with playing me like that, though. Oh no. I’d get her back, and I’d get her back good. I heard a car pull up in front of our house a moment later, and a mischievous smile spread over my face. Poor little Sasha...she had no idea what kind of trouble she was getting into. I heard voices in the hall a moment later, and I waited until everyone had settled down before strolling carelessly into the kitchen. I’d conveniently decided to forgo my shirt, and as soon as I walked in there, I could feel Sasha’s eyes practically burning a hole in my chest.

“Hello, family,” I said cheekily, grinning at her as I walked over to the fridge and helped myself to a glass of orange juice. “Nice to have you here, finally.” “It’s good to see you too, Logan,” Sasha’s mother managed to get out, obviously distracted by the show I was putting on. “Do you erm...do you have a shirt you want to put on?” I guzzled the orange juice, licking my lips once I was finished before grinning at all three of them at the table. “Nope,” I replied. I could tell my Dad was about to murder me, so I just waggled my eyebrows at Sasha and left the room. My

master plan had been put into action—I just had to wait a little while longer. Only moments later, a knock sounded at my door and I opened it to find Sasha’s Mom fidgeting there. “Hi, Logan,” she said, her voice pleasant with a tinge of nervousness. I smiled, a little reserved. She seemed like a nice enough woman, but truth be told, I’d seen plenty like her. They’d catch a whiff of my Dad’s money and that was all the convincing they needed to be with him. “Can I help you, Kari?” I asked in a clipped tone. I knew I was making her nervous, but I didn’t give a shit—my Dad was still

my father, and even though I occasionally hated his guts, I hated the idea of him possibly being taken advantage of. “Do you have any classes today?” she asked me, and I nodded in response. We stared at each other until she finally sighed. “Well, maybe you and Sasha can go together. Her car broke down the other day, and she could use a ride.” I thought about the matter at hand. A drive with my gorgeous, sexy as hell stepsister, who was totally off-limits to me? Sounded a bit too much like torture. “Sure,” I grunted, too polite to turn this woman down. “She couldn’t have asked me herself, though?”

“She’s um... she’s still unpacking,” Kari replied, and I could tell right away that this was some ploy by her and Dad to get us to hang out. I sighed, but I couldn’t be bothered saying no and risking Dad’s wrath. “All right. I’ll go tell her,” I said, brushing past her as I exited my room and walked into the hallway. Sasha’s new room was just next door to mine—something I was sure was going to be absolute hell for me. That perky ass, those full tits of hers, and only a door away? The whole situation screamed trouble. “Thank you, Logan,” her Mom called out from behind me. I turned and gave

her a tight-lipped smile. She seemed disappointed as she walked off, but I didn’t let myself worry about it. Instead, I firmly knocked on Sasha’s door and then stepped inside. “What the hell?” she shouted at the top of her lungs, looking up with a startled expression in her eyes. She was pulling on a pair of jeans, jumping around the room to get them on. “Sexy,” I said with my eyebrows raised as she furiously buttoned the pants up. “You can’t just walk in here like that,” she said, glaring at me. “Can’t you see I’m getting changed?” I couldn’t help but stare at her,

remembering the tiny bit of panties that had been exposed through her zipper a moment earlier. Black lace. I wanted to see more. Or less, preferably. “Just wanted to tell you I’m giving you a ride to class once you’re done,” I said with an angelic smile. “Your Mom asked me to.” “Why?” Sasha crossed her arms defensively, glaring at me as I matched her gaze. It was like we were having a staring contest in the middle of her room. “Probably to get us to bond,” I replied, rolling my eyes. She did the same. At least we’d bonded over that. “Fine, let me just use the bathroom and we can go,” she said.

“It’s just across the hall.” “I know, your Dad showed me,” she said. “But thanks anyway.” She pulled her toothbrush out of her toiletries bag, and I could barely hide my smile as she headed for the bathroom we now shared. “I’ll just be a minute,” she said. “I need to brush my teeth.” “You do that,” I replied, voice dripping with amusement. My plan was already being put into action, and she’d only been in the house for an hour or so. Amazing. I waited in front of the bathroom, mentally replaying the steps I’d taken

before Sasha arrived. The day before, I’d bought some red food dye, and I’d also bought a fancy bottle of mouthwash for our shared bathroom before placing it on her sink. Do the math. Obviously she’d notice that the mouthwash was red when she saw it, but it was raspberry-flavored, so she wouldn’t expect anything less. There were plenty of different flavored mouthwashes in various colors around these days. My favorite was a green spearmint flavored one. Of course, that never stained my teeth green… I just had to hope she didn’t look in the mirror too closely when she was

finished. She came out of the bathroom a moment later and looked at me like she’d just smelled something rotten. I smirked at her, and she rolled her eyes. “What, don’t you ever smile?” I asked her, affecting an innocent tone. She didn’t reply. She headed for the stairs instead, but I stood in her way, giving her a flash of my pearly whites. “Come on, just one smile,” I begged. Sasha glared at me, then stretched her lips into a grimace that could have been a snarl, but was most definitely not a smile. Best thing of all? Her teeth were the color of blood,

and she looked like a vampire. I snorted and barely managed to cover it up as she shot me a suspicious look. My prank had worked—she looked like she’d been drinking blood moments ago. Excellent. “What’s so funny?” she asked. “Life,” I responded in the most serious tone I could muster up. “It’s just amusing how fate has brought us together.” “Right. Whatever.” Sasha rolled her eyes and started walking downstairs. I followed suit, trying to hide the smile that was playing on my lips. I carefully steered Sasha past the kitchen

so no one would tell her she looked like a bloodhound, and then we got into my car. I revved up the engine, still grinning, and started driving towards our college campus. I could feel Sasha’s burning gaze on me, but I didn’t say a word. I wanted her to come out of her shell a little first. “So, what’s your major?” she asked me after several minutes had passed. I grinned to myself. I’d broken her will to be silent, she’d spoken up, and things felt slightly more normal now. “I’m pre-law. Now you know why I tend to argue everything,” I said. She snorted.

“What’s wrong with that?” I asked. “I should’ve known,” she said, shaking her head. “You’re going to be a vicious legal shark in no time.” “I’m going into environmental law,” I told her calmly. It felt so good to mess with her, and I loved seeing her squirm. “Save the planet, that kind of thing.” “Oh,” she replied, sounding surprised; like it was such a huge shock that I wasn’t some sort of stereotypical jock. “That’s...actually nice.” “What’s yours?” I asked, looking at her as we stopped at a red light. “Psychology,” she said a little shyly. “Cool,” I told her, flashing a grin.

“Maybe you can treat me one day. You know, for my severe medical condition where I sleepwalk and shoot people. Or was it stab? I’d have to ask Chelsea, although she probably won’t return my texts ever again.” She snorted, and we shared a conspiratorial look. “Yeah,” she giggled. “Sorry about that. You kind of deserved it, though.” “Well, maybe my Dad should’ve pranked me instead of you,” I replied. Sasha gave me a blank look in return. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Well, I wanted to get back at him that night,” I explained. “He never told me he got married, let alone invited me.

Anyway, he hates Chelsea and her family, seeing as they’re his political opposition, so I brought her along just to piss him off. She’s not really my girlfriend. She’s just kinda crazy and tells everyone we’re dating, but she knows we’re not.” A short silence followed, after which Sasha looked at me, puzzled. “I thought she was your girlfriend, and she was there so you could make fun of me.” “Nope,” I said, giving her a sideeyed glance. “I didn’t even know you’d be there.” “Oh,” she said in a small voice. I could tell realization was dawning on her. She’d initially thought I’d known

she was my stepsister, and she’d thought I was just messing with her at the dinner. Now that she knew the truth, maybe this could change something between us, and we could go back to being tentative friends like we’d been when we’d made up after our class argument the other week. Or maybe we could be something more than friends. “Here we are,” I told her as I parked on campus. “You need me to walk you to class?” “Um…okay, sure,” she said. Oh, so the ice princess had melted a little bit. Good job, me. “That might be nice.” Then she smiled at me, and I nearly

lost it at the sight of her blood-red teeth. I could’ve told her right then and there, but it was so damn funny. She seemed like a good sport, anyway. Stifling my laughter, I got out of the car and opened her door, and then I walked her over to the building where her women’s studies class was. We said our goodbyes and waved at each other, and I stared after her as she left, taking in her perfect curvy figure as my cock twitched in my jeans. She really was a stunner. It was a goddamned shame that I was technically related to her now. She looked over her shoulder once she reached the door to her class, and the smallest of smiles lit up her face as

our gazes connected. It made me feel strangely hot, like I had a fever or something, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. It was just the damned Texas heat, that’s all. At least that’s what I was going to tell myself. *** I was sitting in my last class of the day when my phone started beeping with a load of incoming messages. I discreetly pulled it out to check what was going on, and I nearly lost it as I opened the Matcher app. WHAT THE HELL LOGAN?? I WILL KILL YOU, YOU JACKASS

I could barely hold back my laughter as I started replying to Sasha. It had taken her several hours to notice she had blood-red teeth...a great success in the prank department. She must’ve been furious, but I couldn’t help teasing her some more. I shot back a text: Please don’t suck my blood :( No one even told me all day! Oh my god, I am going to die of embarrassment, she replied. But you’re already dead! Need company in your coffin tonight? I HATE YOU Don’t worry, I threw out all the

garlic…sis. Fine, be like that! Game on…bro I’m no match for a vampire! Actually, you are a match for me, according to this app :) I grinned at her reply, feeling like a fool. “Something you want to share with the class, Logan?” I jerked my head up from my phone. My professor was right next to me, his tone clipped as he stared down at me. I shook my head with a grin and pocketed my phone. It was official. Living with Sasha was going to be fun as hell…

Chapter 7 Sasha I couldn’t believe Logan had pranked me. Actually, no…I could. I did believe he was capable of pulling every nasty prank one could imagine, even if it was as horrible as having me gargle that godawful colored mouthwash. The cunning bastard had obviously sneaked food dye into it. What was strange was the fact that nobody had even told me for the whole damn day. God, what everybody must have been thinking of me! I couldn’t let him get away with this so easily, so it

was time for me to escalate our silly little prank war. As immature as it was, it was honestly kinda fun. I just had to think of something that would not only serve Logan right but also scare the shit out of him. And it totally had to be something more embarrassing, of course. As I walked back to my spacious new home, my mind raced like crazy, trying to think of something, but right now, my mind was officially completely blank. “Hey, you’re back, sis.” Logan’s voice hit my ears as I stepped into the living room, and I looked up to see him sprawled on the couch with a wide grin

on his face. I couldn’t wait to wipe away that smarmy smile from his arrogant—and yet still devastatingly handsome—face. “Should I ask Martha to give you a pint of blood for dinner? Is B-positive all right for you?” he asked me with mock concern. I feigned an angry expression. If he thought I was actually really pissed about the red teeth prank, he might think the prank war was over, and he’d never see my next one coming… “Oh, screw you, Logan. Joke’s over.” I brushed past the sofa and took the stairs two steps at a time to my room. “Sure, sis. What fun that would be

with you…” I heard Logan calling out to me as I left, but I didn’t answer and then shut my bedroom door with more force than usual, still putting up the pretense that I was really mad. I threw my bag on the bed and went over to the dressing table mirror. The furniture in my new room was beautiful; some sort of French antique wooden arrangement, and I couldn’t believe my luck to be living somewhere like this. The whole house was wonderful, and George was incredibly generous for giving us so much and letting us live here with him. Speaking of George, I hadn’t exactly been here long, but I’d already gotten the distinct impression

that he and Logan weren’t on the best terms. I vaguely wondered why as I inspected a chipped fingernail before picking up a wide-toothed comb. As I pulled the comb through my hair, which was now frizzy after the long day I’d had with back-to-back classes, I yawned and noticed from my reflection that there was still a hint of that stupid red liquid on my teeth, even though I’d scrubbed them as best as I could as soon as I’d realized what Logan had done. Oh boy, it would be a long time before I lived that incident down on campus. Practically half the student body had seen me wandering around looking like a vampire. Not wanting to use the bathroom I

shared with Logan just yet in case he’d booby-trapped it with something else, I finger-rubbed the rest of the stains from my teeth. I had to give credit to him for finding such a stubborn food dye—just as stubborn as him—which managed to stick all day long. I decided to go for a walk, figuring some fresh air would clear my head and give me some ideas on how to exact my revenge, and after changing into running shoes, I put on my iPod and stuffed some cash into my jeans pocket just in case I wanted to stop somewhere for a soda or snack. Jogging downstairs, I couldn’t see Logan anywhere, and I felt a slight pang of…wait, no, it was nothing. For a second, I’d actually kinda wished he

was there and missed him, but that was ridiculous. I couldn’t miss someone I barely knew. “Aren’t you going to have dinner with the rest of the family, dear?” Martha—the Ryder’s housekeeper— asked with a kind smile as I walked past her while she fluffed up some cushions. She was a nice lady and I’d liked her almost immediately upon meeting her. “It’ll be ready in half an hour.” “Oh, I’m just going out for a quick walk,” I replied with a smile. “I’ll be back in time for dinner.” “All right. Have a nice walk!” she said. I smiled again and waved before

heading outside, and as the fresh early evening air hit me, I felt as if my mind was beginning to return to its normal state. Moving in with Logan Ryder had been a shock to my system, but now that I was already getting used to living in his house, I was over it. Oh, who was I kidding? I wasn’t over it, and I totally enjoyed this sort of shock to the system. I’d never felt this alive in my life before. Logan’s entry into my life was like a cyclone that had finally stirred things up and brought some excitement to my usually rather dull existence. But that didn’t mean I was letting him get away with that stupidly embarrassing prank he’d pulled this morning. He was going to pay for it.

As I walked down the street towards the nearby commercial area, I looked through the still-open stores until something caught my attention; Winfrey’s Toy Store. It looked like it was about to close, and a devilish smile quirked up my lips as a mischievous plan took shape in my mind. Oh, this will be so much fun! I jogged across the road and pushed open the door. A tall brunette lady greeted me with a generous smile as I breezed inside. ““How can I help you, sweetheart? I’m only open for another ten minutes, but that’s plenty of time for us to find something. Looking for a gift?”

“Great. And yes, I’d like something for my brother,” I said with an innocent flutter of my eyelashes. “Of course. Do you have something in mind? How old is he?” she said. “He’s ten,” I replied. Well, it wasn’t entirely a lie—Logan was mentally ten, right? “What does he like? Trucks? Games? We actually just got some new editions of the Settlers of Catan board game. It’s been very popular lately.” “Actually, I was wondering if you have some rubber animals. Reptiles or snakes,” I asked. “He loves that sort of stuff. God knows why!”

She gave me a rueful smile. “My son is the same. Anyway, I think we have some near the back. I’ll just have a look.” She smiled and headed down one of the small aisles before returning to the counter and placing a range of rubber snakes, crocodiles and lizards before me. “I’ll have this one, please,” I said, pointing to a very genuine-looking green and yellow snake that was as thick as my wrist and almost two feet long. That would definitely do. I mentally clapped my hands with glee as the sales lady wrapped it up and printed off my receipt. Oh, Logan was

totally going to freak out when he found this snake in my planned location… Let’s just say he wasn’t the only one who could booby-trap a bathroom. After I returned from my walk, I hid my secret weapon deep in the new closet which I’d so neatly organized earlier this morning. Had it really only been a few hours ago that I officially moved in to the Ryder house? It felt like days already. Now I had to think of an appropriate time to execute my plan, and for that I needed to keep a tab on Logan’s routines. As I closed my closet door, my phone buzzed, and I picked it up to see a

notification from the Matcher app. You have a match! Good lord, who was it now? Last time I’d received this notification, I’d been matched with my stepbrother of all people. I loaded the app, and to my surprise it was approval from Jason Lowry. Of course…I’d forgotten that I’d only showed interest in two profiles the other day—Logan’s and Jason’s. I opened Jason’s profile and went to his photos. Damn, he was hotness personified, and I eagerly swiped thought his pictures, one after the other. Some of them were from nightclubs, a few were from sports games, and more than a few were shirtless pictures.

In every photo he had his signature panty-dropping grin on his face, and I couldn’t help but compare him with Logan. As much as I hated to admit it, deep inside, I knew that if I had to choose between the two of them, Logan would be the one I picked for sure. Oh, stop it, I admonished myself as I pictured his sexy smirk and sparkling blue eyes in my mind’s eye. Nope, don’t even picture him. Logan was my stepbrother and that meant he was totally off-limits forever. Besides, Jason had only shown interest in my profile. It didn’t mean he’d expressed his undying love for me, so it wasn’t like I even needed to pick between him and anyone else. It was

better if I kept my toes on the ground and my head straight, and didn’t read too much into things that weren’t certain yet. My phone buzzed again, and this time it was a message. Assuming it was from Jason, I opened it, but it was from Logan. I see you’re online….are you hunting for men, sis? Got any willing victims yet, or do you need my services? I can totally drag a few girls out for you if that’s what you’re into. ;) Of course…I was sure he could very easily drag out a few chicks who’d blindly follow him anywhere. I rolled my eyes and typed a quick reply.

Thanks for offering, but I’d rather accept help from a giant squid. Whoa, sounds like someone’s a bit pissed. PMS? I’m sure there’s some chocolate lying around here somewhere. Try the cupboard. Okay, blaming a woman’s apparent bad mood on hormones was one step too far. I was actually starting to get a little annoyed with Logan, even though I’d only been faking my annoyance earlier. I took a deep calming breath. Kill ‘em with your sweetness. I repeated the mantra in my head and then thought of the plan I’d built up in my mind, and my lips tugged up from one corner as I envisioned the scenario. My sexy

stepbrother just didn’t know what I had up my sleeve for him as I typed a sweet, innocent response. Yes, PMS….that must be it. Thanks for telling me about the chocolate :) I closed the app and went down for dinner when I heard my Mom faintly calling my name. “Here she is,” Mom said, flashing a smile at me. She was standing next to George in the dining room, and she was glowing with happiness. I gave her a small smile and took a seat at the table. “How was your day, honey?” Mom asked, sitting down as well. Logan cut in before I could reply as

he strode into the room. “Yeah, Sasha, tell your Mom how your day was. Didn’t you tell me something really funny happened?” I rolled my eyes and ignored him as he took the seat across from me. “It was…um…interesting, Mom,” I replied. It wasn’t a complete lie. My day had been kinda interesting with my snake shopping and revenge planning. “That’s good, Sasha. I hope you’re settling in well with Logan. Is he being good to you?” George asked as he took the chair adjacent to Mom. She gave him a loving look that was so soppy it actually made me cringe and look away…right into Logan’s eyes.

His eyes glimmered with amusement as he stared back at me, and I cocked an eyebrow. You won’t be so amused in a few days, dearest stepbrother. “We’re great friends already,” I finally replied with a smile, looking over at George. “Best friends,” Logan said with a nod, quirking his brow. Damn, even his arrogant smirk was beyond sexy. I squirmed a bit in my seat and tried not to appear affected, but it was too late. I already knew that when it came to Logan, I was in trouble. ***

Logan’s only daily routine was his morning jog. It took me three days to be damn sure about that. He was out for around thirty minutes before getting ready for his classes each day, so that was the perfect time for me to enact my plan. He’d nagged me in the last three days and teased me about being a spoilsport for supposedly ending our silly prank war, and I’d replied to him without saying anything that would hint towards the fact that I was still well and truly planning a dastardly prank on him. The whole thing was helping me discover my hidden talent…I had acting skills. Who would’ve thought? I’d also had a little exchange of messages with Jason Lowry on Matcher,

and he seemed pretty charming and quite flattering so far. He knew me from Sociology class too, and something was vaguely developing between us, much to my surprise. Maybe he wasn’t like my ex Travis after all. Maybe I could give him a chance when the time came. But for the time being, my main objective was scaring the pants off Logan Ryder. On the fourth morning, I stood right behind my slightly ajar bedroom door, biding my time until he left. He finally jogged down the stairs in his sweat pants and black fitted shirt with iPod earbuds in his ears, and when he was safely out of the main door, I hurried into my closet and pulled out the plastic toy store bag

before rushing towards our shared bathroom. I carefully draped the rubber snake in the shower. It wasn’t hanging in an obvious spot, but Logan would eventually find it when he reached for the shower gel. Just the thought of him shrieking like a little girl made an evil smile turn the corners of my lips up, and I couldn’t wait for it to happen. It was going to be—dare I say it— hisssssterical. Okay, my sense of humor was lame sometimes, so sue me. Pleased with my work, I quickly brushed my teeth, avoiding all sorts of mouthwashes, and then I left the bathroom and went down to the main living area, which bordered on the

kitchen. I caught up on some reading for one of my classes before heading into the kitchen to find some fruit and coffee, and half an hour later, Logan returned from his jog. “Morning, Sasha. You’re up early today,” he called out to me from the entrance to the living room. I’d just returned from the kitchen to the couch and was still absentmindedly flicking through my class readings, and I glanced up to reply. “Morning. Yeah, I…” As I looked up, my sentence trailed off and my throat dried up at the sight of him. His light brown hair was dripping with sweat, making it look a shade

darker than usual. His forehead and neck glistened too, and I was overcome with a sudden desire to taste it. “See something you like?” he asked. I had no idea when he’d moved closer and dropped down to my level, but his face was suddenly only inches away from mine. I could smell his musky cologne mixed with the sheen of sweat on his tanned skin, and that messed with my head in a very lascivious and lewd way, sending me into a tailspin of inappropriate desire. “I…no,” I mumbled, and he just grinned. “Tell me the truth, sis. Do you like what you see?” he repeated, bringing his

hand to my face and tracing a finger across my cheekbone. I felt a jolt of electricity in my veins that snapped right down to the area between my legs, and I choked out a vague response. “What…no…I…” “You’re breathless, Sasha,” he whispered into my left ear. “Is something the matter?” Those striking blue eyes of his had seemingly turned a shade darker, just like his hair. “Don’t be an asshole, Logan. I’m just tired. Like you said, it’s early.” “Ah. Playing hard to get?” “No, I just am hard to get—at least

for you,” I replied, my face growing even hotter. “Hilarious,” he replied. “Maybe you can join the comedy club on campus as well as the debate club.” Ignoring him, I got up and stepped away from him, putting an appropriate amount of distance between us. His touch had completely disarmed me for a moment, but I’d snapped back to my senses now. Without looking at him again, I went back into the kitchen and headed to the counter before busying myself with the coffee maker to make another cup of espresso for myself. “I’m going to take a shower. You’re

welcome to join,” Logan called out from back in the living room. I rolled my eyes and didn’t reply, and I heard his footsteps heading upstairs a few seconds later. I gave myself a good mental shake. Don’t let him affect you. Fixing myself the espresso, I sat at a stool on the other side of one of the marble kitchen counters and took a quick sip, letting my mouth warm with the dark, bitter liquid. A few minutes later, a loud yelp made my heart almost tear out of my chest, and I jumped off the stool in surprise. “Fucking Christ! What the hell?” Logan shouted from upstairs. “Sasha!” Oh, lord. I’d almost forgotten about

the snake. I grinned and waited, and he dashed downstairs and into the kitchen only seconds later. His face was ashen and shock was written on his face, and despite his dripping hotness, I couldn’t help but giggle. Only seconds later the giggling had transformed into straight-up hysterical laughter, and Logan narrowed his eyes at me, watching my amusement. “It’s….it’s just a toy!” I choked out, tears of amusement in my eyes. When my hysterics settled and I was finally capable of seeing clearly, what I saw before me ceased not only my laugher but everything else along with my breath…and heartbeat.

Oh, shit. Logan was stark naked, and a very significant part of his anatomy was standing at attention. I swallowed nervously as my eyes traveled up and found him still staring at me intently, and I noticed that the shock and anger from earlier was long gone from his face. Instead there was something else there, something sensual, dare I say it. Oblivious to his nude state, he stepped towards me like a tiger on the hunt, and I backed away until I hit the counter. Logan covered the distance between us and all too soon he was less than an inch away from me, so close that I could feel his breath on my face. His body was still wet from the unfinished

shower, and I gulped and grabbed the cold marble behind me, staring up at him as I tried to push aside the urge to lick the droplets of water right off his muscular chest. “So…I’m funny to you?” he murmured. He pushed himself even closer towards me, and I remained sandwiched between his hot body and the cold marble of the counter. I could feel his arousal close to my pelvic bone, and another bolt of electricity slammed through my system. “Go on…laugh now,” Logan continued in a low, husky voice, pushing himself against me again. By now I knew my panties were dripping wet, and my tongue was cactus dry. “What happened?

Why’d you stop? You succeeded. You got exactly what you planned. You had me freaked out and screaming like a girl. So go on….laugh again.” He pushed against me again and this time it was a little lower, right up against my upper thighs. God, I wanted him so much. I gripped the counter so tightly that my knuckles were probably turning white, and Logan lowered his face ever-closer to mine. “I gotta give you credit, Sasha. I didn’t see that prank coming. And speaking of coming...” He smirked and moved one hand down, and I gasped. His hand was pressing right up against the most

sensitive part of my body, just over my jeans, and I closed my eyes as every muscle inside me contracted and anticipation started to build inside. I wanted him. Badly. I wanted all of him. He leaned his mouth down to my ear again, murmuring something, but I was too turned on; too horny to concentrate on what he was saying. Logan’s hand reached down to the hem of my T-shirt and then further down to the waistband of my jeans. My breathing quickened, and this time I pushed back into him, needing him to touch me again, more and more. He gently caressed my bare skin, and I almost lost it.

“Oh, god…please…” I moaned, begging him for more. All of a sudden, he pulled away, and I was left cold and on my own again. I opened my eyes immediately to see that Logan was already halfway across the kitchen, walking away from me. What the hell? He’d left me unbelievably horny and hanging by a thread against the cold marble. Ugh, of course. The prick had played me. He somehow knew how attracted I was to him despite my general attitude towards him, and he’d used that against me to get me back for planting something terrifying in his shower. A rubber snake was one thing, but using my

own body against me to humiliate me— that was another thing entirely. Anger began to take over, and the next minute I was fuming. How dare he? I headed upstairs and stalked towards his room, my face burning with embarrassed fury. I didn’t know what angered me more; him cornering me and playing me like that, or the fact that I’d fallen for it so easily and wound up begging him for more, like a pathetic groupie. I pushed his door open without knocking to see him in the middle of the room, tugging on a pair of jeans. I was momentarily distracted by the sight of his rippling muscles, but I recovered

quickly. “What the hell was that, Logan?” I asked, folding my arms. He looked at me impassively and then bent down to pick up a shirt which he’d laid out on his bed. “What did I do now?” he said without looking back at me. “Don’t play dumb with me,” I said. “Hmm…still not sure what you’re on about. I guess I need a little reminder.” He stared back at me intently, his shirt now forgotten as he advanced towards me, just like he had in the kitchen only moments ago. Instead of backing away this time, I stood my ground and glared at him.

“You can’t do stuff like this, Logan. It’s not appropriate,” I said, trying hard to keep my voice firm, though my heart was beating like a trapped bird’s frantic wings. “What you did downstairs—I know it was just part of this stupid prank game we’ve been playing, but you took it too far.” He leaned down slightly, his face only a few inches from mine once again. “But I like playing games with you, and I like taking things a little too far. And you seemed to like it too.” “I didn’t,” I lied, my face growing even hotter with indignation. The way he’d so casually admitted that he’d only touched me like that as part of a ‘game’ stung like hell, but I tried to ignore the

feeling. Logan drew back and arched one brow. “Fine. We’ll put this silly little war to an end. I’ll stop my side of it, and you stop playing all your cheap little pranks on me.” My eyebrows shot up at his words, and I gave him a scornful look. “You think I’m pulling cheap tricks on you? What about you, leading me on downstairs and pretending it’s all a big joke? You embarrassed me, and it wasn’t funny.” “It kinda was. Almost as funny as your Mom and my Dad hooking up with each other, out of all the people in the world who they could’ve picked…” he

said, his voice tinged with amusement. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, my eyes narrowing. It sounded like he was trying to make a joke, but at the same time, it was a strange thing to say, even as a joke. “Oh, never mind. I was trying to lighten the mood, seeing as you’re being so grumpy right now. Just a joke—you know, because you and I already knew each other before they got married, and they’re an odd pair and all. It’s kinda weird and funny, right?” I shook my head. “No. That wasn’t a joke; I can tell. You meant it. Do you have a problem with my Mom being married to your Dad?”

He rubbed his chin. “No, I was just —oh, fuck, I don’t know. I meant it as a joke, but honestly, Sasha, don’t you think it’s actually kinda strange that our parents got married so suddenly? Like I said, they’re a really odd pair….kinda makes you wonder, right?” “Why?” I asked in an acid tone. “Because your family has all this money and a big house, and we don’t? My Mom’s not good enough for your Dad, or something like that, and therefore she’s a gold digger? Is that what it makes you wonder?” “Fuck, Sasha, that’s not what I meant, and you damn well know it.” I folded my arms again. “Then

explain, because that’s what it sounded like.” He sighed. “Look, it’s not exactly the fact that your Mom is broke and decided to marry my Dad in five seconds flat. They just don’t seem to have all that much in common, that’s all I’m trying to say.” Bullshit. He was totally implying that my mother was a gold-digger. Why else would she marry a rich guy she supposedly had ‘nothing in common’ with? Yeah, money...that’s why. I honestly couldn’t see any other reason for him to have said that. “You don’t even know what you’re talking about,” I said, my voice stiff.

“Just because you don’t understand love doesn’t mean everyone else is out to hurt anyone they come across. My Mom loves your Dad whether you believe that or not.” “Sasha, you’re overreacting—“ Tears pricked at my eyes, threatening to fall, and I fought hard to keep them at bay. I let fury take over instead of sadness, and squaring my shoulders, I looked him straight in the eyes and pressed a finger to his naked chest, jabbing him hard as I cut him off midsentence. “You’re an egotistical son of a bitch, Logan. I honestly thought we could be friends, but you’re obviously so caught

up in yourself that you don’t realize you hurt others with the crap you come out with. So whatever. We don’t have to be friends.” With that, I turned my back on him and left his room. I didn’t know why it hurt so much to know what he really thought of my Mom’s relationship with his father. Honestly, he probably wasn’t the only person who thought she was a bit of a gold-digger, given her history with men. I likely wouldn’t have cared as much if someone else had said it, but having heard it from Logan of all people, it felt like a punch in the gut, and I couldn’t believe that he had such a low opinion of my family. I’d really thought he liked me before

this, at least somewhat. I guess not. Grabbing my backpack, I headed down the road to college. I had no intention of riding with Logan today...or ever again. Just outside the main entrance, my phone buzzed, and I pulled out my phone to see that it was a notification from Matcher. Jason had messaged me again. Good morning, sunshine :) Dare I ask if I can take you to dinner tomorrow night? I promise to be on my best behavior ;) Jason and I had still been getting along rather well over our recent text conversations on Matcher, and given my most recent encounter with Logan, I

decided to accept his invite. I typed a quick response. I’d love to. I can finally wear the new black dress I bought the other day :) His reply came immediately. Only if you want to make things more difficult for me… Wow. He was keen. Either that or a bit of a sleaze, but he couldn’t possibly be as much of a sleaze as Logan. I stowed the phone back in my pocket and headed towards my first class for the day. Secretly, I had to admit that I’d really accepted this dinner date with Jason to make Logan think that the

incident today had meant nothing to me. If he saw me going out with other guys, he’d think I didn’t actually care about him all that much, and he’d also think I didn’t care that he’d almost brought me orgasm in the kitchen with barely a touch. He’d think it meant nothing, and that was exactly what I wanted him to think. Too bad it wasn’t exactly true…

Chapter 8 Logan I watched Sasha walk into our social psychology lecture theatre, barely even noticing the friend she had with her. Just the sight of her made my cock twitch and I had to adjust my jeans a bit as I shifted in my seat. I’d been in a state of semiarousal ever since I saw her laughing yesterday morning, although there was no fucking way I’d admit that to her, or anyone else for that matter. The girl was a goddess, and she had no idea how her

small involuntary acts affected men. The thought of other guys perving over her made me see red, and honestly, that was a first for me. I wasn’t the jealous kind, but Sasha Vega was affecting me like crazy, as much as I tried to hide that fact. She thought me teasing her yesterday in the kitchen had just been part of our joking games, but that wasn’t true; it was just what I wanted her to think. Touching her was no joke. I’d wanted her so bad, wanted to make her come right on the spot…but I’d finally snapped back to reality and realized I couldn’t before walking away as fast as possible. I kept staring at her, and I saw her taking her usual seat. I knew she’d spotted me, but she ignored me, just like

she’d done for the last three days. I knew she was pissed that I’d inadvertently implied that her Mom a gold-digger, but she’d really gotten the wrong impression of what I’d been trying to say. I’d only been trying to lighten the mood by calling attention to the fact that out of all the people in the world, our parents had married each other, making Sasha and me off-limits to each other despite the obvious sexual tension between us, and also the fact that our parents were quite a strange pair given that Sasha’s Mom seemed like a young-at-heart, fun-loving woman, and my father was a very serious guy. I hadn’t meant it in a bad way, but Sasha had really taken it badly.

Then again….maybe she had a point. Maybe I really did think something was dodgy about her mother, and that had all spilled out in some sort of Freudian slip. After all, I’d seen enough of Dad’s past relationships to give me pause, and I’d been somewhat wary of her mother since day one because of that. I furrowed my brows, trying to remember exactly how our argument had started; exactly why I’d tripped over my tongue and said such awful shit about her Mom. The snake. That’s right, it was that fucking toy snake prank she’d pulled on me. She’d really gotten me good. I’d gone to lather

myself up with some shower gel and suddenly come face to face with a fucking snake in my shower. I’d stayed calm, taken a deep breath and reached out of the shower to grab my phone from the bathroom counter so I could call Animal Control. Okay, so that was a lie. Even a guy like me could be a pussy little bitch when it came to snakes. In reality, I’d shouted my lungs out and made a mad dash out of the bathroom, down the stairs and right into the kitchen, and it was only when I’d come face to face with Sasha that I’d realized I was still stark naked. And I’d forgotten my towel. I’d only been embarrassed about that

for a few seconds, because as soon as I’d seen Sasha laughing her lungs out, I’d immediately forgotten the snake and switched from embarrassment to awe. I‘d never seen anyone more beautiful than her. She had a damn sexy laugh and it could pull any red-blooded man right off his guard. I’d wanted her so much that I’d forgotten all about the stupid, immature prank and cornered her. The way she’d gotten all flustered and blushed at my closeness had made me hard as a rock, and then the way she reacted when I teased her kept me hard. I knew I had it bad for her even though she was offlimits, and fuck, I had since the first moment I’d seen her, before I’d even

known she was going to be my stepsister. But that only made me want her more. When she’d thrust those gorgeous breasts up into my face, moaning and begging me for more, I’d almost picked her up and torn all her clothes off right then and there, but luckily, reality had set in, and I’d managed to tear myself away and leave her there to cool off. But of course, hot-headed that she was, she’d had to follow me, and in my wildly-aroused state, my brain had turned to mush, and I’d said things to her that only came out of my mouth because I wanted to shield myself and not let her

know that how much she affected me. I didn’t want to let her see how deep she had gotten under my skin, so I’d blurted the first thing that came to my mind, and of course, I’d made myself look like a complete fucking tool by accidentally saying shit about her mother. I’d let her ignore me for the last few days, because I totally deserved it, but honestly, I was missing our usual exchange of insults and Matcher messages like crazy. “You’re coming to Rhett’s party tonight, aren’t you?” my friend Ryan asked me as I trudged up the steps that led to the back door of the lecture theatre. My eyes automatically scanned the room, checking to see if Sasha had

left yet. “Maybe,” I replied, finally registering what Ryan had asked. Before I committed to any parties, I wanted to know what Sasha’s plans were for the night. I finally spotted her at the other end of the theatre, talking to some guy. I couldn’t see who he was but I could clearly see Sasha’s face. She was smiling up at the guy and running her fingers through her hair, and I fisted my hands as blood pumped faster than usual in my veins at the sight of her flirting. I could see her blushing even from a distance, and the guy’s hand lifted up a second later. He caressed her cheek before glancing back over his shoulder

to say goodbye to someone who’d just patted him on the back, and I finally saw who he was. Jason Lowry. Now that dude was a player and a half. He’d slept with over half the chicks on campus, and he managed to make even me look like a monk. And there he was, was touching my stepsister. “Fucking prick!” I swore under my breath and almost stormed towards them to beat the pulp out of him for even putting a finger on her, but Ryan’s voice held me back. “What’s stuck up your ass today,

man?” He placed a hand on my shoulder, stopping me from advancing towards the other end of the room. “So you coming out tonight or what?” “Like I said, maybe. Might have plans already.” I stepped away from his hold, but when I turned towards Sasha, she was already walking away from where she’d originally been, heading towards the door. I followed her and caught up with her quickly. It was a good thing Jason wasn’t with her anymore or else I might not have been responsible for my actions. “Was that Jason Lowry you were just with?” I said, touching my hand to her shoulder.

I couldn’t keep the chauvinistic tone out of my voice as I spoke, as much as I tried, and Sasha jumped and looked at me in surprise. A frown appeared on her forehead and I had a sudden urge to kiss her right then and there, just to see how she would feel and taste on my lips. When she didn’t reply right away, I kept speaking to fill the awkward silence. “You know that guy’s an asshole, right?” Sasha finally rolled her eyes and began to walk away without even one word in response. “I asked you something,” I said, following her. “Why are you here, Logan?” she said

without looking at me. “Why do you care which guys I talk to?” “I’m here because I’m in your class, and as for your other question, I’m technically your brother now. I’m allowed to know who you’re talking to, right?” She stopped and looked up at me, tilting her head in an ‘oh-really?’ kind of way. I loved how short she was; so petite and feminine, and the perfect size for me to easily pick up and carry around. If only she’d let me… Judging by the scornful look on her face, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Or ever.

“I don’t have to tell you anything. Just because I live in your house, that doesn’t make you my real brother, and it doesn’t give you any right to question who I meet and who I talk to,” she replied. With that, she turned on her heel and marched away, and I was left staring at her pert round ass as she headed out of the lecture theatre. Shit. I decided to tell Ryan I was going to the party as I walked towards home, and I sent him a quick text. Given the encounter with Sasha just now, it would be stupid to stay in and wait around when she was clearly interested in

another guy. And speaking of that guy… considering my extreme emotional reaction when I’d seen her with him, I was in a terrible need to get my head back on track. This wasn’t like me. I never got jealous or invested too much emotion into girls, and I sure as hell couldn’t start doing so now, especially when the girl in question was my stepsister. I had to prove to myself that I was still Logan Ryder. After texting Ryan, I walked into the house and headed straight towards my room. A feminine voice echoed through the walls a moment later, and my ears pricked up as I realized it was Sasha.

“What the actual hell?” she was saying. Before I knew it, I was peeping into her room through her slightly open door. She had what appeared to be half of her closet emptied over the bed, and I couldn’t resist the temptation of teasing her. I opened the door wider and stood next to the doorframe. “Heading somewhere, sis?” She looked up at me and rolled her eyes. “Please get out of here, Logan. I don’t have time for your crap right now,” she said. Damn…she looked cute when she was annoyed. But I already knew that.

She was wearing an olive-colored tank top and black cut-off jeans, her hair was knotted into a messy bun with tendrils escaping here and there, and she looked sexy as hell. “What’s all the mess for?” I asked, gesturing towards the clothes strewn all over the bed. “None of your business,” she mumbled as she rummaged through the pile, throwing shirts here and there. “Ugh, where the hell are my black jeans?” I spotted her jeans beneath under a faded blue coat, but I didn’t tell her just yet. “Do you have something special planned for tonight?” I asked as I slowly

neared her bed. “Wouldn’t be a date, would it?” I was trying as hard as I could to keep the jealousy out of my voice, but I knew some had crept in. “Have you drafted yourself a new set of responsibilities that include you keeping tabs on my every move?” Sasha replied. She threw a pillow towards my head, and I easily caught it before it could hit me. “Nah. Just doing my brotherly job,” I said before bending down and grabbing the black jeans from where they were poking out. “Is this what you’re looking for?” I continued, waving the jeans at her.

Her face fell with relief. “Yes, that’s them. Thanks.” She reached towards me and I dodged away, grinning as I held the jeans up too high for her to reach. That was one advantage of being a foot taller than her; I could easily tease her. “Logan, what are you doing? Give my jeans back and quit acting like a four year old!” she said, looking at me like I was a known carrier of the Ebola virus. “Tell me first,” I said. I was acting like this was all some childish game, but in reality, I desperately wanted to know if she was actually dating that Jason asshole. “Tell you what?” she asked. I raised

both of my brows, and she finally caught on to what I meant. “I told you, that’s none of your business,” she added. “Okay. In that case, I’m borrowing these jeans. That’s okay, right? Siblings are meant to share everything.” I pretended to make a big deal about inspecting the quality of the jeans, and Sasha folded her arms and sighed. “Jeez, if it’ll get you the hell out of my room, then fine….yes, I am going on a date. Now give my jeans back and get out!” she said. The cheeky smile on my face faded as she spoke. I’d thought she was most likely going somewhere with a friend, but as it turned out, she really did have a

date. “With Jason, I presume?” “Again, that’s none of your business. But yes, Jason Lowry,” Sasha replied. “I met him on Matcher.” Ugh. Was she totally out of her mind? How could she not see what a sleazy prick that guy was? Before I could get over the surprise of her actually going on a date with him, Sasha snatched the jeans out of my hand. “Out,” she said, pointing towards the door. I still couldn’t believe it. Then again, I guess nothing was unexpected when it came to Sasha Vega. “Listen, Sasha, he’s not a nice guy.

He…” I began speaking again, trying to talk her out of it, because I’d known Jason longer than she had, and I knew he was a world class bastard who would use her and throw her away like a piece of trash. I didn’t want that for her. She was too important and special to be treated like that by asshole guys who didn’t know what they had. She cut me off mid-sentence. “No, you listen to me, Logan. You’re not really my brother, so stop pretending as if you’re keeping an eye out for me over some familial duty. I know you’re only doing it to piss me off, and besides, I can date whoever I want.” That was true, but I wished it wasn’t.

“So you’re really going out with him?” “Yes. We’re having dinner.” “Just dinner?” “Uh-huh. But we might come back here and watch a movie afterwards.” She obviously wasn’t going to listen to anything negative I had to say about the guy, and at that moment, a brilliant plan struck me. “All right, have it your way. If you wanna go out with a total jackass, be my guest,” I said, suppressing the grin that was beginning to quirk my lips up at the corners. “And really…feel free to bring him back here tonight. I’m sure he’d love to watch a movie here. We’ve got that new seventy

inch LCD screen in the den.” She gave me a strange look, obviously wondering why I was suddenly so keen on her bringing a guy back to the house. All part of the plan… “He’s not a jackass. I think you’re mistaking him with someone else,” she said, jabbing her little fingers into my chest. “Yourself. You’re the only jackass I know right now.” With that, she pushed harder on my chest until I was all the way out of her room, and then she shut the door on my face. I let her. She was too damn cute to fight it. I grinned like an idiot and went to my own room, my plan still forming in

my mind. All I had to do was wait until she came home from her date… *** “Where the fuck are you, man?” Ryan yelled over the music on his end of the line as soon as I answered my ringing cell phone. “Hey, I’m not gonna make it there tonight after all. Sorry. I’m a little caught up here,” I said as I balanced my phone between my ear and shoulder and sneaked into Sasha’s room. It had been two and a half hours since she’d left for her dinner date with Jason, so she could return any minute. “Caught up with what? Who are you with? Chelsea is here, by the way,” Ryan

said. I hated that he was so inquisitive, especially now that he was connecting me with Chelsea. I really didn’t want to hear that right now. “You know Chelsea and I aren’t together, right?” “Yeah, I know, man. Just sayin’, if you want an easy lay…she’s here.” “Not an easy lay anymore,” I said with a grin. “My stepsister made damn sure of that. She told her I sleepwalk and murder people while doing so.” “Wait…is that why Chelsea looked kinda frightened when I told her you might be dropping by tonight?”

“Probably. Either way, she’s out of the picture for good, so thank fuck for that.” Ryan snorted with laughter. “Your stepsister sounds hilarious. Anyway, who are you hanging out with right now? Her?” “Nah. Just an old friend who’s come into town,” I lied, reclining on Sasha’s bed. The cream-colored bedspread had a gold brocade pattern along the edges, and I felt a twinge of sadness as I remembered where it came from. My Mom had picked it out years ago, back when she and my father had been thinking about having another baby. She’d really wanted a girl, so she’d gone and bought a few girly-looking

bedroom things in case her wish was granted. At least they were being used now. That was some small comfort to me. Plus, I was sure my Mom would’ve liked Sasha, and wherever she was now, she’d be happy that the room she’d started decorating was finally being used by a girl like her. I ended the call with Ryan and switched on the lamp that sat on the bedside table. I didn’t let Ryan’s mention of Chelsea sour my mood, because what I had up my sleeve for tonight was way more thrilling than hanging out at a party which was bound to be the same as every other one; filled with booze, girls and trashy one-night

stands. For once I didn’t want any of those. What I truly wanted was Sasha. The memory of the way her full tits had bounced under her tank top today, and the way her perky ass filled her cutoff jeans so sexily made my dick stir in my pants before standing to attention. I reached down into my pants and began slowly stroking myself, groaning as I closed my eyes and imagined Sasha totally naked, and just as I was picturing her moaning and grinding on my cock, I heard the sound of a car engine outside. They were here. Earlier, Sasha had mentioned the possibility of inviting Jason in to watch

a movie, so I was quite sure they’d both be coming inside. Besides, even if she didn’t ask him in, I knew exactly what Jason was like, and I was willing to bet a million dollars that he’d have wormed his way into Sasha’s affections enough to get inside some other way. After that, he’d try putting the moves on her, and there was no way I wanted her sleeping with a prick like that. I got up and rushed towards the window, peeking through the curtains. Yep, it was Jason’s car. Sasha stepped out a moment later, and in her skintight black jeans and beige jacket, she looked drop-dead gorgeous. Jason got out of the car too, and I heard him saying something along the lines of, ‘You

should’ve let me open the door for you.’ Oh, what a perfect gentleman. I wondered if he also opened the door for girls when he was kicking them out after a one-night stand. Probably not. He walked over to Sasha with a charming smile plastered on his face, and I wondered if he was going to kiss her. My fingers curled into a tight fist and my face hardened. I didn’t like Sasha being so close to him, and I definitely didn’t like the idea of her kissing him. I wondered if she would even want to kiss him if she knew those lips of his had been on almost every sorority girl on campus at one point.

Sasha gave him a shy smile of her own, and then I heard him inviting himself in for ‘a tour of the house’. Wow. Subtle, Jason. Sasha looked nervous for a second but then nodded. “Sure. Maybe we can watch a movie afterwards?” “I’d rather watch you, babe,” he replied. My eyes almost rolled right out of my head at that. And the winner of worst sleazy line of the year is….Jason Lowry! They both headed towards the front door and disappeared from view. Grinning, I pulled off my shirt and pants, grabbed a pair of novelty handcuffs I’d bought as a joke years ago, and then I

reclined on the bed again, clad only in boxer shorts. I heard Jason and Sasha’s voices all the way from downstairs. “Nice kitchen and lounge room. Your stepfather has good taste. By the way, what’s your room like?” Jason said. Again…how subtle. “Oh, you don’t want to see my room,” Sasha said, sounding even more nervous. “It’s really messy.” “Of course I do,” Jason said, his voice as smooth as butter. “I don’t care if it’s messy. I just wanna see that vintage stamp collection you told me about at dinner.”

Stamp collection? Ha. Sasha was so adorably nerdy. “Well, okay. I guess I can show you for a minute,” Sasha said. I heard their footsteps approaching the bedroom door, and then the knob turned. “So, this is your room, huh? I…” Jason began to speak, but his sentence abruptly ended when he saw me on the bed. Sasha’s mouth dropped open, and she gave me such a look of shocked fury that I honestly thought I’d turn into a pillar of salt. I feigned a surprised expression and waved at them with one hand, dangling

the handcuffs from the other. “Hey, Sash, I didn’t know you were bringing Jason over tonight,” I said in the most innocent voice I could muster up. “We said we’d discuss orgies beforehand, remember? But it’s okay, I’ve got enough for everyone. Are we filming this one, by the way?” Speaking of filming, I desperately wished I had a camera right now to capture the expression on Sasha’s face. “Logan, what the…” She was cut off by Jason. “What the fuck, Sasha? You brought me up here for a threesome with your stepbrother?” “I…no! Of course not! I didn’t…”

Jason held his hands up, cutting her off again. “Fuck this, I’m outta here. I had no idea you were into this kinda stuff. I gotta give you credit, though, you played the innocent card really well.” “Jason, it’s not what you think. It’s just Logan being a friggin’ asshole!” Sasha tried to explain, but Jason had already dashed out of the room and was probably running to his car at full speed by now. Sasha ran out of the room as well, and I heard muffled voices coming from downstairs near the front door before Jason’s car started up and took off. Sasha stormed back upstairs a few minutes later, her face like thunder.

“Do you think that was actually funny?” she said. Her face was red with rage. “You ruined my night! He’ll probably never speak to me again!” I picked up my shirt and pulled it back on as she continued her tirade. “How dare you do this to me? What the hell is your problem? God knows what he’ll tell everyone tomorrow...ugh, I’m seriously going to kill you!” “Look, Jason’s a fucking dick, Sasha. He’s not worth your effort and time. Save it for someone better,” I said, trying to excuse my behavior. I was actually starting to feel bad for ruining her night, though. As much as I couldn’t stand Jason, she’d obviously been excited to be with him, and now that I

was thinking about it, I really had taken the prank too far. She narrowed her eyes at me. “You’re way more of a dick than him. Let me decide for myself who’s worth my time and who’s not. And stay the hell out of my way from now on,” she hissed. I stood up and approached her. “I might be a dick, but he’s worse, trust me. That guy is nothing but a sleazeball jerk who would’ve broken your heart,” I said. “And what about you? You wouldn’t do the same to me?” she asked. She clapped a hand over her mouth a second later, as if she knew she’d said something she shouldn’t have. She kept

staring at me, shaking with rage, and then she turned and stormed back out of the room. Fuck. I’d really screwed things up now, and she’d probably never speak to me again. But what had she meant when she said those last words of hers? You wouldn’t do the same to me? Was she saying she thought I’d break her heart? If so, there was only one reason she would’ve ever considered that—she’d actually thought about being with me. Jesus. I knew it wasn’t the right time to go after her, so I watched her walk away as I contemplated my next move to try and get her to be mine.

Absolutely nothing came to mind.

Chapter 9 Sasha Asshole. Asshole. Asshole. I wanted to scream until my head exploded. Logan had driven me crazy tonight…absolutely bitch-crazy. I’d actually had to leave the house and hang out in the backyard near the pool to cool off, because I was so mad that I knew I’d probably kick him to death if I stayed inside. The stunt he’d pulled was beyond any kind of justification. However, what surprised—and embarrassed—me the most was that

when I’d seen him shirtless and lying on my bed, I’d been unbelievably turned on. My first reaction had been a physical sensation of heat and wetness exploding between my legs, and for a few seconds, I’d almost forgotten Jason was with me. It was a sight I’d never forget—Logan Ryder, half-naked and in my bed. Get a grip, Sasha! He humiliated you, I told myself. I’d had a fairly decent time with Jason at dinner. I hadn’t felt much of a spark between us—not like the spark I’d once felt with Logan—but it was early days yet, and I’d been looking forward to spending some more time with him and seeing where things led between

us…before Logan had gone and messed it all up. No. He can’t just walk in and ruin everything in my life. I’d had enough. He’d screwed up whatever chance I had with Jason, and now I wanted a real explanation from him. Earlier, he’d given me some halfassed crap about Jason being a douche, and that wasn’t good enough. Determined, I stormed back into the house and rapped on Logan’s bedroom door. He opened it only seconds later. “Why did you do that?” I asked, barging into his room. He rubbed his chin and looked at me

with a bemused expression on his handsome face. “Look, I’m sorry. Really. I know I went too far. Maybe not as far as a snake in the shower, but definitely too far.” “Well, thanks for the apology, but I asked you why you did it,” I said, narrowing my eyes and ignoring his joke about the snake prank. “I told you already. When I say he’s not good for you, please take my word for it. I know that guy, Sasha. I’ve seen him fuck over dozens of girls. He acts all sweet and loving at first, and then the minute he gets sex...he’s out of there for good. I know I was a dick, but I also know I’m saving you from getting hurt by a person who doesn’t deserve your

feelings,” he said. “Think about it…if he hadn’t tried to get up in your bedroom tonight, I wouldn’t have been able to screw it up for you by being in there, would I?” I absolutely hated to admit it…but he actually had a point. Jason had been pushing hard to get into my bedroom earlier tonight, and deep down, I’d known his excuse about wanting to see my childhood stamp collection had been bullcrap. I’d pushed aside those feelings at the time because I’d wanted so badly to believe he was right for me. I didn’t want to give Logan the satisfaction of knowing that, though. “Then who is good enough for me,

Logan? Does a guy have to be the king of the universe for you to think he’s good enough?” My eyes widened as he grabbed my arms. “No,” he growled. “He just has to be me.” “Y...you?” I choked out. “Yes. I mean, maybe I’m not good enough for you, because in all likelihood no one is. But contrary to what you think, I care about you and that’s why I pulled that stunt. I didn’t want you to get hurt, all right? I’m not saying I‘m better than other guys. But I am saying that I’d never fucking cheat on you or hurt you. Ever.” I stood there in shock, staring up at him. Where the hell had that speech

come from? He actually liked me? He cared about me and thought I was too good for any man in the world? This was the first I was hearing about it. “Logan, I…” I didn’t even know what to say. He must’ve read my mind, because he took a step closer to me and then spoke again. “You don’t need to say anything. You can just walk away if you’d like to, and if you want, we’ll pretend like none of this ever happened. I can respect that. But if you stay, you’re gonna have to deal with the fact that I’m about to kiss you.” My mouth instantly dried up, and my panties did the exact opposite. “So, you have about three seconds to

walk away. Three….two…” Logan inched closer with each word, and by the time he reached the number one, I knew what my decision would be. I was staying. Before I could change my mind, his lips were on mine and he was kissing me with fiery passion as wanton need exploded between my legs. His mouth moved roughly against mine, tongue dancing with my own as it slid between my lips, and I moaned into his mouth. God, this was wrong. Our parents were out at yet another political event, and they could be home any minute. They could catch us doing this any minute. Screw it.

I let go of the thoughts and kept kissing him back like crazy; channeling all my anger towards him into the embrace. His hands slid up, resting on the sides of my face, and his kiss became softer, as if he wanted to savor my mouth —like he was afraid this would be the one and only time we kissed. I let my hands roam over his strong muscular back, and he muttered as I stroked and caressed his warm skin. “Fuck…you taste like heaven,” he muttered as we broke the kiss and tried to catch our breath only moments later. His lips stayed close to my skin, and his hands traced down my back as he

pulled me closer to him. I looked into his eyes, dilated and burning with desire, and I could practically see myself naked in his pupils. Oh god…this was really happening. I was about to sleep with my stepbrother.

Chapter 10 Logan Oh, fuck. What the hell was I thinking? This was insane—I was actually kissing Sasha, and it was better than I could’ve ever imagined. I’d always thought she was hot as hell, but tasting her was on another level entirely. She had sweet, cherry-flavored lips, and fuck, it was amazing. A fire sprang to life in my stomach, and my brain unhelpfully added something that I didn’t want to hear. Your

parents are married. This is so, so wrong. You should stop before it goes too far. I was about to pull back and do what was right, but then Sasha let out an involuntary moan and tossed her head back in a fit of passion, and damn, if that wasn’t the hottest fucking thing I’d ever seen, then I didn’t know what was. My cock stood to attention, desperate to escape the confines of my jeans. In its bid to do so, it completely switched off my brain, only letting one more thought through. This is wrong…but so right. Once those words ran through my head, I was done. There was no turning

back for me. The fact that this was so taboo and so naughty had me running fucking wild. Everything else vanished into nothing—the situation surrounding us, our family, even the room. It was all just me and her; anger turning into something new, something sexy, something wonderful. Something I’d never experienced before. She pushed her body hard up against mine, and a tingling anticipation flooded through my veins. I felt her hands wrap tightly around my neck as my kisses traveled down her throat, showing me that she was just as lost as I was. My hands began to make their way

up and down her body, finally exploring what I’d fantasized about for far too long. My imagination had done her no favors. Her body was mind-blowing; soft and curvaceous in all the right places, and my heart was almost pounding out of my chest at the thought of being inside her. Could it really happen? I hoped to fucking god that it could, because if she stopped me now, I might just die. Her skin was glistening, perspiring with all that was about to come. Mine was the same; covered in a fierce, excited sweat. I watched one small droplet fall down between her plump breasts, and it drove me nuts. Unable to take it anymore, and fully

knowing that there was no turning back now, I slammed her body up against the nearest wall. At first, I thought she was going to go crazy at me for pushing her too far; for making this more real than it had been up until this point, but she simply kissed me again with all the fiery passion of someone who was seriously pissed off and thrilled at the same time. Angry sex with my stepsister— apparently that was where we were at now. Holy fucking shit…I couldn’t have asked for anything better. She tugged on my shirt, and I responded by yanking it over my head, finishing the job for her before meeting her eyes for just a few seconds. There was a real sense of rage there, burning

just beneath the surface, but it was combined with a deeper sensuality; one that was sending prickles of desire all through my body. “I want you so fucking bad,” I murmured, needing her to know how I felt in this moment. There was no room for misunderstanding or error here. There was just too much at stake. She responded by digging her nails into my back and pulling me closer for an even more intense kiss. Taking this as confirmation, I edged my fingers under the hem of her top and stroked her soft curves, then moved down to the waistband of her jeans. I slowly unbuttoned them and pushed them down as her chest rose and fell in heavy,

wanton breaths, and I slid my hand into her panties, needing to feel how much she wanted me. It was all well and good that she was showing me with her actions, but there was no way her body would betray her. The truth lay in her panties, and we both knew it. As I traced my fingers along the lace that I discovered, I felt her tremble just a little under the power of my touch. That made me feel fucking amazing, and I wanted more. I pulled back to look at her, rubbing my other hand over the curves of her ass as I slowly peeled the panties to one side. I locked my eyes with hers and didn’t break contact at all, not even when she started to bite her lip, trying to

keep the passionate moans inside. Not even when I slipped a finger inside of her, and not even when I felt how wet and ready she was. I almost buckled at the knees as I felt just how tight and warm she was, but I kept my eyes trained on her face as my thumb grazed over her swollen clit. I needed to know just how her features looked as she contorted in pleasure. “Oh, fuck,” she gasped. “Oh, god…” I slipped another finger inside her, moving my other hand up to cup her breasts. The silky fabric of her top was still in the way, so I finally moved my hands away from her to pull it off. If we were going to do this, I wanted to see her naked and begging for it. I had no

idea how she really felt about me— especially since she’d just been on that date with that asshole Jason—and I needed to make the absolute most of this, just in case it never happened again. As I tossed her top to the side, I drank in her gorgeous body. Her white lace panties matched her bra, which contrasted perfectly with her tanned skin. She looked virginal and innocent, yet somehow dirty at the same time, because right now she was filled with a confidence that I hadn’t seen in her before. She was owning her body, and that was sexy as fuck. Her dark, hooded eyes were sending me insane, so I did the only thing I wanted to do and fell to my knees,

nudging her legs open with my nose. She gasped loudly as she realized what was about to happen, and I left a quick trail of kisses along her stomach, hips and thighs before grabbing the waistband of her panties with my teeth and yanking them down. I looked up at her with a wicked grin, and then I buried my head between her legs and flicked my tongue up and down her slick lower lips, tasting the sweet desire she had for me. “Oh!” Sasha gasped, jerking above me. She tried to grip the wall, looking for something to hold her upright, but there was nothing there for her to dig her

fingernails into, so I grabbed hold of one of her legs and moved it over my shoulder. This would keep her from collapsing, and it gave me much better access to her sweet center. I ravished her slowly, my tongue stroking and coaxing, and Sasha moaned above me, legs trembling like mad. I groaned, the vibration adding to her sweet suffering, and I lifted my tongue to explore and gently manipulate her perfect pussy. God, she smelled and tasted so fucking good. I pulled my tongue up through her folds, circling around the top of her clit again, and she let out another soft moan. Fuck, I could eat her pussy like this forever.

I wrapped my hands around her, grabbing onto her ass and digging my fingers into her cheeks. I wanted to taste, lick and bite every inch of her wonderful body, and I wanted to make her scream. My cock was already so hard that it ached, and my heart thumped wildly in my chest. I’d never wanted a girl this badly, and while that was strange for me, it also felt better than anything. I couldn’t wait to watch her come, and the thought of seeing her bite her lip in ecstasy made my cock throb impossibly harder. I couldn’t see her from this position, though, so I pulled away, stood up and grabbed her again. She clung to me, and I lifted her up and wrapped her legs around my waist.

Then, I turned around and threw her on the bed, finally unhooking her bra in the process. She raised her eyebrows in surprise but quickly adjusted to her new surroundings and gripped onto the sheets, finally having something solid to hold on to. Her back was arched, still feeling the pleasure from a few seconds ago, and I loved seeing her like that; loved knowing how wild I was making her. I quickly slid down and buried my face between her thighs again, and her hands went to my head, twining in my hair and tugging on it as my tongue circled her clit again. Her legs twitched beneath me, and I looked up at her with a teasing grin again, loving the way she

moaned and pushed her hips forward, sucking in air every chance she got. She wasn’t far off climaxing, but I wasn’t going to let her have it just yet. I wanted to build it slowly, pull another few heady moans from those lush lips of hers. She writhed against me as my tongue returned to her slit, and her body went tight with longing and anticipation. I kept my rhythm steady, working her clit in deft circles, pulling her higher and higher, and every time I felt her getting close to the edge, I pulled away for a second, letting her grow even more desperate. “Logan,” she finally groaned, her voice hoarse with wanton need. “Stop

teasing me.” I jerked my head up at that and feigned an innocent expression. “Sorry, did you tell me to stop what I’m doing?” She narrowed her eyes and pushed down on my head, hard. “No! Keep going!” I ringed her slick entrance with one finger, and her whole body shook and shuddered as I dipped it inside, rubbing her slowly as my tongue kept on working away at her clit. Then I looked up at her again to see that her eyes were closed, and I knew she was about to lose it. I rubbed my finger against her front wall in a beckoning motion, still working her clit rhythmically at the same time, and

soon, I felt her writhing underneath me. She was moaning more and more, and her hands were gripping my hair so tightly that she was almost pulling it out. “Come for me,” I murmured, pausing only to say those three words before diving right back into her folds. She moaned louder and sucked in a sharp breath of air. Her hips bucked forward, her legs tensed up, and then her whole body jolted like mad as her climax crashed over her. “Oh…oh!” she cried out. Her pussy clenched around my finger as she came against my mouth, and I kept going, extending her bliss as her orgasm washed over her. I tasted her sweet

pleasure, greedily lapped it up, and when I finally raised my head to look at her, I could see her eyes shut tight in ecstasy. She was holding her breath now, and her face was scrunched up. She was still the most beautiful girl in the world to me, scrunched face or not. I moved up her body, hovering over her and waiting for her to finally open her eyes. She was lost in the moment and enjoying every second of it, but I needed to see those perfect brown eyes again. As soon as her eyes snapped open and saw me, I moved down and sucked on her hard nipples. I tugged and gently nibbled, wanting to give her a variety of

sensations to see which sent her the craziest, and she responded by voraciously tugging at my jeans, desperate to see what else I had for her. She wanted my cock. She needed it. I couldn’t stop myself from sitting upright to send her a cocky grin. She was finally admitting how much she wanted me, and that felt fucking fantastic. Her gaze drifted down, away from my face, and I pulled my jeans off and tossed them away, showing her the hard bulge in my boxer shorts. “You want more, don’t you?” I asked, arching one brow. I wasn’t quite as confident as I was making myself out to be, because in all honesty, Sasha

made me weak at the knees, but I didn’t want her to see that. She wanted the overly-confident, over-sexed type of guy, so that’s what I was going to give her. She nodded, and I slid out of my boxers and leaned across her to grab a condom from my bedside table. We were being wild and crazy, but we needed to be safe, because I didn’t want this night to have long-term consequences. Not only would that put us in the shit, but our parents would fucking lose it too. Just as I curled my hand around the small foil wrapper, I felt Sasha’s fingers wrap around my length and start to slowly move up and down, and I took in a labored, ragged breath. She was

tentative at first, not really knowing what I’d like, but as I looked down at her and met her eyes, she started to play with more aggression, gripping me firmly and gently teasing my balls with her other hand. What she was doing to me felt fucking good, but if she didn’t stop it soon, I’d never be able get inside her, and that was where I wanted—no, needed—to be. I slowly wrapped my hand around hers and moved it away, and she watched as I tore the condom wrapper open with my teeth and slipped it over my cock. She looked nervous, and I had to admit, I was a bit nervous as well. It was like it was my first time all over again—the anticipation, the

excitement, the tension…it was all there. I leaned back over her, teasing her soaking entrance. She arched and pushed against me, and I finally guided my cock inside her, feeling her body shiver as the warmth in me intensified. Her pussy was tighter than anything, and I almost wanted to cum right away, but I couldn’t; I needed to give her everything I had for as long as I could. She clung to me, her arms and legs wrapped around my back, and I drove into her hard, my thrusts short and insistent. This wasn’t slow lovemaking; it was fast and furious fucking, and every thrust took us both higher and higher. We were both quieter than we probably would’ve been otherwise, too aware of

the possibility of getting caught by our parents if they came home early. The thought of getting caught made it more intense, even more taboo. “Oh, fuck,” I groaned as her fingernails raked down my back. I let her manipulate me, rolling me onto my back as she decided to climb on top, and she raised her hips before impaling herself on my cock again. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she began to ride me, and with every grinding movement, her clit bumped up against my pubic bone, making her bite her lip as she tried to hold the ecstasy in for just a second longer. I gripped her hips tight as she moved

back and forth on me, pulling her with each of her gyrations, and she rode me faster and faster, really getting lost in it all. She leaned down to kiss my neck, and I held her even tighter and took the reins, pumping myself in and out of her as she buried her head in the crook between my neck and shoulder. For a moment, all that could be heard in the room was the slapping sounds of our sex and the occasional groan from either of us, and just as I was sure Sasha was about to come again, I pulled out and stopped, growling a command at her. “Get on your knees.” She obeyed, arching her back like a cat, and I pushed inside her again, inching bit by bit until I bottomed out.

Sasha began to move her hips back and forth, doing the work for me, and I grabbed and slapped her ass as I watched my cock disappearing into her tight little pussy with each movement. Every thrust left my skin buzzing with hot energy, and I took over again, clamping my hands on her curves before slamming my hips back and forth, burying myself inside her over and over. Her whole body was shaking now; the whole bed was rocking, and the headboard was hitting the wall again and again and again. I didn’t care about the sound anymore; didn’t even care if we got caught. I sped up my movements, fucking her with wild abandon, and I coiled my

hands in her hair, yanking her head back for a rough kiss. “Come again. Come for me,” I murmured when I pulled away from her lips, edging her closer to another orgasm as I slid one hand around to her front and furiously rubbed at her clit. The slapping sound of our bodies had become wet, and I knew it was from all of our sweat. It had been cool in here earlier, but now the temperature in the room was hotter than ever before, as if it had tripled within the last fifteen minutes. I continued to drive myself into her, pushing her towards oblivion, and the anticipation I felt tightly coiled inside was about to explode. I was almost at my limit when Sasha came

again, and her moans were enough to push me right over the edge as pressure built in my groin. Ecstasy crashed over my body like waves in the sea, and every muscle tightened as my cock throbbed and swelled inside her. Then it was all over, and I was collapsing onto the bed in a haze, sweating and dizzy. I wrapped Sasha up into my arms, and then I wiped the sweat from my forehead and upper lip. Our bodies were clammy and stuck together, hot with perspiration, and she grabbed both sides of my face and pulled me in for a quick, hard kiss. When she pulled away, I rested my head against her forehead and took in her breathless intensity, and with that, we

kissed again, slower and more sensually this time. It wasn’t because we were exhausted from the sex; it was like we’d suddenly become more in tune with one another, and the mood was more affectionate and caring. Sasha’s earlier anger was no more. All that was left was sweet sensuality. Emotion swirled around inside me, and I knew whatever I felt was more than just lust. With that realization, my heart began to ache. It wasn’t possible, was it? We couldn’t be together. There was no denying that I fit perfectly inside of her; that our bodies entwined in a way that was just right, but that didn’t mean we could go behind everyone’s backs and get seriously involved with each

other. Sasha finally pulled away from the kiss and fell to the side, and we lay there, breathing heavily for a while without a single word spoken. After a moment, she started to giggle nervously at the thought of what we’d just done, and I joined in. It was a great way to overcome the tension between us, because now that the moment of passion was over, all we were left with was questions. What were we supposed to do now? How did we really feel about each other? What if someone found out what we just did?

The unanswered questions hung heavily in the air, but neither of us spoke them aloud. Instead, we gazed into each other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity, just allowing all of the unknowns to flow between us until Sasha’s eyes flickered shut. I planted one kiss on her forehead before turning over onto my back and allowing sleep to consume me as well. There was always tomorrow, so we could talk and figure everything out then….if she even wanted to, that is. I wasn’t going to push her. I would rather let her come to me and tell me how she felt, rather than making her feel forced into anything. I had no idea what she’d say, but I did know one thing for certain.

I wanted her, and only her.

Chapter 11 Sasha “…and this paper will be worth 35% of your overall grade, so I cannot stress to you just how important it is that you find a…” I listened to the teacher droning on, allowing my head to loll slightly forward on the desk. It was a hot, boring Tuesday, and my Cognitive Psychology class was the last place in the world that I wanted to be. I kept daydreaming about the pool at home, and how good it would feel to take my clothes off and slide into the cool water.

“Psst.” Robin nudged me, knocking my arm off the desk. I flashed her an evil look because she’d almost made me hit my head, but this went completely unnoticed by her, and she simply carried on regardless. “Who are you gonna do your case study on?” “I don’t know,” I said, groaning dramatically. Ever since that night with Logan, I’d been finding it difficult to concentrate on my studies. Well, it’d been difficult to concentrate on anything, really. I’d woken up early in the morning after that fateful evening to see Logan spread out next to me, snoring gently. I’d watched him for a while, loving the innocent expression he had when he was

sleeping—it was so different to his usual jaded smirking. I’d even lightly placed my hand on his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat and the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. And that’s when it hit me. Hard. I was falling for him. My heart wanted him, and I was developing real feelings for him. Not just lust-filled feelings—real emotions. Succumbing to his advances the night before had made that fact stand out like a sore thumb, and I had no idea how to feel about it or what to do. If I stayed in bed with him and he

woke up, he would be able to see my feelings written all over my face. I couldn’t have that. Things between us were complicated enough without me turning an insignificant one night stand into a much bigger deal. I had no doubt that he did this sort of thing all the time, and that I was nothing more than another notch on his bedpost. All the words he’d spoken to me last night had been music to my insecure ears, but I was willing to bet that he’d said the exact same words to a hundred other girls to get them into bed as well. If I remained in here, I was opening myself up to all kinds of humiliation. So I stood up quietly and crept naked across his bedroom floor, grabbing my

clothes from where they’d fallen in a fit of passion the night before as I went. Then I retired to my own room, where more than one overly emotional tear had fallen. I wept into my pillow, but not because I regretted any of it—there was no room for that, he’d been amazing— but because I was so damn confused. Normally I wasn’t a crier, but there was something about the mixed bag of emotions that I was feeling right now that made it necessary. I’d cried until I’d fallen asleep once more in the late hours of the morning. After that, I’d acted standoffish with him whenever we bumped into one another in the house or at college, just so

he wouldn’t know my true feelings. He’d caught on, and he barely spoke to me now, choosing to go out of his way to avoid me. Each cold shoulder stung like hell, and every time I caught his eye, I saw a coldness that wasn’t there before, which told me all that I needed to know. He was done with me. He’d had his wicked way with me, and now he was onto the next. Strangely enough, I actually missed the teasing, the pranks, and the constant manipulation. Anything would have been better than nothing. It made me feel so cold, so numb and empty, especially after I’d just been forced to admit to myself how much I liked him.

The regret soon began to creep in. I’d wished more than once for the friendly, flirtatious camaraderie, and now, I even missed the stupid arguments we’d once had. At least they were something. Now I had nothing. I kept telling myself to stop thinking about him; to push him to the back of my mind and move on with my life. If he didn’t want me, then he wasn’t worth it. Plenty more fish in the sea, and so on. But his hot, muscular body kept creeping in when I least wanted it, such as in every single one of my classes… “Sasha? Are you all right?” Robin brought me back into the

present moment, and I instantly felt my cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Uh…yeah, sorry,” I mumbled, fixating my eyes on my feet. “I was just daydreaming.” “Hm, okay.” Clearly she didn’t believe a word out of my mouth, but she was choosing to let it go in the way that only a best friend could. She assumed she’d get it out of me at some point, but I wasn’t going to let her. I couldn’t tell her about all of this; it was just too much, and too damned shameful. After all, Logan was my freaking stepbrother, yet I’d still jumped his bones at practically the first opportunity. It wasn’t exactly incest, but

it was still wrong on some level. “I thought you said you had an idea for your assignment the other day?” Robin asked, still pressing me about the assignment. “Oh. Yeah, that’s right,” I replied. Her comment had just reminded me; I’d been thinking about this assignment only last week, and I’d had a brilliant idea. “I was thinking about doing the case study paper on Lo…er, I mean, my new stepfather, George,” I continued. I’d almost said ‘Logan’s father’ but I didn’t even want to say his name in case Robin somehow gleaned my secret from that alone. “He’s high up in politics, uber-

successful and rich as hell.” “What’s the angle?” “Well, remember when we read that paper which suggested that successful people are more likely to have sociopathic tendencies, and that’s what helps them get ahead? Of course, I don’t actually think George is a sociopath, but it might be cool to do a psychological profile on him from that angle. I could compare and contrast some of the traits he has that have led to his success with traits that actual sociopaths have?” I posed it as a question because I really wanted Robin’s advice. This was a slightly risqué project proposal, which could either do really well or fall flat on

its ass. Only Robin was brutally honest enough to tell me if it was a good idea or not. “Oh. My. God.” She punctuated every word, waving her hands around for dramatic effect. “I love that idea! Oh hell, now I’m going to have to come up with something amazing, just to try and compete.” She was talking quite loudly, but the rest of the class was already filtering out of the lecture theatre, so no one paid us any attention. “Cool. Coffee?” I said, wanting to escape the stifling room too. It was one of our rituals to go and get a tea or coffee after class, no matter how hot it

was, and today I needed it more than ever. “Sure.” She linked her arm through mine. “I think you have some interesting gossip to tell me, anyway.” With that, she smiled coyly before skipping off ahead. “What do you mean?” I shouted behind her, but it was too late, she was already gone. A million and one prospects filtered through my mind, but I couldn’t think of any gossip I’d heard that would be interesting to Robin. She only enjoyed it when it was really juicy. By the time I reached the main campus café, Robin was already seated over by the left window with two

coffees in front of her. “Sorry, I just couldn’t wait!” she said. “What are you so excited about?” I asked, sliding into the seat next to her. She was almost bursting, and I had no idea why. She always got this way when she had some exciting information or gossip to tell me, and it always— without fail—made me feel nervous, even when I knew it had nothing to do with me whatsoever. When she didn’t answer immediately, I raised my eyebrows. “Well?” Robin sat back, folding her arms whilst giving me a peculiar look—the kind that made me feel like she could see

right into my soul. Sometimes I was almost convinced that she could. She seemed to know me better than I knew myself, at any rate. I suddenly realized why she was being so weird. This gossip was about me. Oh, shit. Maybe Logan was going around bragging about how he’d slept with me a week ago. Maybe everyone knew, and Robin was mad that I hadn’t said anything to her about it. I guess it was finally time to come clean, even though I wasn’t ready to talk about it. It’s not like I really had a choice. “Okay, fine, before you say

anything…it’s true. I slept with him,” I said, looking down at my lap as if some sort of answers might be found there. Robin wrinkled her nose. “Wait, what? I thought…well, that’s not what he’s saying.” “Huh?” “Jason Lowry. A couple of hours ago in my criminology lecture, I overheard some girl saying that she’s friends with him, and he told her he went on a date with some girl called Sasha, and something really weird happened with her stepbrother that made him run away as fast as possible. I assumed it was you, because you went on a date with him a week ago, and…well…your name is

Sasha and you have a stepbrother, so duh. I’ve been waiting for you to tell me what on earth happened that night!” My heart sank. Of course. The gossip she’d heard had been about me and Jason, not me and Logan. Robin finally seemed to cotton on to what I’d previously said, and before I could reply, she spoke up again. “Wait, you just said you slept with him. So Jason is lying...you guys did actually sleep together?” My cheeks were practically on fire, and I shook my head. “No. It wasn’t him.” She wrinkled her forehead. “Then who?”

I leaned forward and whispered his name, my voice barely even perceptible over the buzz of the café. “Logan.” “What? Logan as in that Logan? Your stepbrother?” I waved my hand to shush her as a group of girls flashed us strange looks from a nearby table. “Yes. But keep it down, please. Someone might hear.” Robin nodded, but she was still struggling to contain herself. “I knew this would happen. I could just tell. So what happened, and when? What was it like?” “Last weekend. I don’t really know how it happened,” I said. “We were fighting about him ruining my date with Jason, then suddenly we were kissing.

Then we were naked, and well…the rest is history, as they say.” I remembered Logan’s soft tongue trailing all over my body, making me feel things that I never had before. It had never been anything like that with Travis. He’d always made it more about himself, but with Logan, it had felt wonderful to be so desired; so needed. I also remembered the expression he’d had on his face after we’d finished. He’d rested his head against mine so we could look into each other’s eyes, and somehow, that had been even more intimate than the sex itself. But then I remembered the cold shoulders and the turned heads, and an iciness crept up my spine.

“He’s so hot!” Robin exclaimed. She stared off into the distance for a moment before snapping her focus back to me. “What does this mean now? Are you together? Is it gonna happen again?” She winked at me, shimmying her shoulders. I was sure she was trying to make me laugh, but it didn’t feel funny at all. I had unreciprocated feelings for Logan, and there was no denying that it hurt like hell. “No, I think he’s done with me,” I replied. I sounded utterly defeated as I finally said the words out loud. “It’s been weird since it happened. He hasn’t said anything to me.” “Well, of course it’s been weird. It’s

always weird after the first time,” she said, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. “You need to talk about it. You obviously like him, and you really deserve some happiness after what you’ve been through.” Travis’ unwelcome face popped into my mind, making me shiver. Was I acting this way because I was so afraid of getting hurt again? What he’d done to me with Becca was terrible, but Logan wasn’t necessarily the same. In assuming he was, I might’ve thrown out the baby with the bathwater. Then again, it didn’t matter. We were stepsiblings, and it was best that we end whatever dalliance we had, even if that meant nipping something real in the bud.

“There’s no point,” I said with a shrug. “Because of our family. That’s just too huge for us to ignore.” Sure, we probably shouldn’t have done what we did, but sometimes things were too intense to ignore. That’s how it had been that night, but it didn’t mean it had to happen again. I could control myself…right? “I guess,” Robin replied. She didn’t look entirely convinced. “But there has to be a way around that. I mean, he’s not your real brother or anything. Have you tried speaking to your mother about it?” Ha! Yeah, right. Even the mere thought of telling my Mom about this filled me with dread. There was just no

way she’d be cool with it, and as for Logan’s father…well, that was just another level of awfulness entirely. If the media somehow got wind of the fact that his son and stepdaughter had screwed each other’s brains out, then it could have a serious impact on his political career. “No, you know how she is…” I began to speak, but Robin was having none of it. “She wants you to be happy, you know. If you tell her what happened, she might be mad at first, but I think she’ll eventually consider it carefully and put you first. I know you think she wouldn’t, because she can be so flighty and weird sometimes, but I’ve seen how much she

loves you. Sure, she may have not always been a perfect mother, but then who is?” I thought of Robin’s strained relationship with her own mother, which put my life into perspective a little more. Robin’s mother had never put her children first, always choosing alcohol over them. All of the kids had tried to help her at one time or another, but slowly they’d all given up and drifted away when they saw how little she cared. Luckily, Robin had an awesome aunt with whom she now lived, but that didn’t diminish what she’d been through. She’d had it rough, but she was surviving now. No wonder she thought my Mom

wasn’t all bad. But still, the thought of saying the words ‘I slept with your new stepson, and I want to do it again,’ just seemed far too alien to be real. I could never speak to my mother like that. “I guess you’re right,” I said. I smiled, trying to be a little more positive and upbeat about it all. “But it isn’t exactly like we’re in love or anything.” I pointedly ignored the tugging on my heartstrings at those words. “We were just…” “You were just fooling around?” Robin interjected. “Hot, sweaty, hateinduced sex after the big argument?” I couldn’t help but laugh and nod at

this statement. She’d always had such a way with words. “Yeah, I guess you could say that’s what the other night was.” “But you want to do it again, and again, and again…” “Yeah,” I said, my mood sobering as I recalled how that was unlikely to happen. “Then go and get it!” “How can I when he barely even looks at me?” I asked. “Well, are you looking at him? Are you even making an effort to speak to him? Maybe he thinks you’re blowing him off.”

I frowned. Was that possible? I suppose if I really thought about it, I had vanished in the morning after our encounter and not really spoken to him the next day, all because I’d been afraid. I’d been scared of being rebuffed, but his male pride had probably viewed it as outright rejection. “Oh god, do you think it could be my fault?” I asked, my eyes widening. “Well, you can be a little distant when you’re worrying about stuff. He might be taking that completely the wrong way and assuming you regret sleeping with him. Towards the end of your relationship with Travis—when things were really bad—you were a little weird, even with me.”

“Crap. I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize.” She was right; I could see it now. Whenever I got upset or worried, I went into a little protective cocoon, focusing only on myself and what was wrong with me. How had I never noticed this fault in myself before? And how come no one else had pointed it out until now? “Don’t ever let me do that again,” I said, grabbing hold of one of her hands. “Just tell me if I’m being weird. Honestly.” “Oh, I will.” She grinned, and then her tone turned more serious. “But just warm up to Logan. Open up a bit and be friendly to him. You’ll be able to get a

better read of him then.” “I will,” I said. When I got home tonight, I was going to be the friendliest person ever. That way, if his icy demeanor started to thaw, I would be able to do something about it. And if not…well, at least I would finally know where I stood.

Chapter 12 Logan There was no denying that waking up alone after my night of passion with Sasha had felt like a punch to the balls. Could she not bear to see me in the morning out of sheer regret for what we’d done? I’d had a fair few plans for how I was going to wake her up—I’d been having some extra saucy dreams as inspiration—but she was gone, and I was left alone with a raging case of blue balls. I initially thought that maybe she’d just sneaked back to her room to hide

what had happened from our parents, but after that, to add insult to injury, she completely blanked me. I was sitting in the kitchen later that same morning, sipping a cup of coffee, and she sleepily strolled in, looking sexy as hell in her pale pink nightie, and then she just walked right past me without saying a single fucking word. I wondered if she just needed some time to think about things, and like I’d decided earlier, I didn’t want to push her. But now a week had sped by, and she hadn’t said a word or even looked in my direction. So that was that then. She was pretending like nothing had happened between us.

To say I was miffed about that was the biggest fucking understatement of the century, so I’d pointedly ignored her right back to give her what she wanted. It was only a few days later when she started to act friendly with me again that I started to see that it might have all been some sort of miscommunication. Maybe, just maybe, she’d vanished in the morning because she’d been worried about what was to come. After all, there was a lot of pressure and a lot of complications when it came to us, and whatever ‘us’ actually was. There were a hundred possibilities that could explain why she’d been acting strangely, and I had probably been too quick to jump to the wrong conclusion.

After this, my mood thawed throughout the rest of the week, but there were still a lot of unanswered questions about where we stood floating around in my mind, and there was no denying that I was getting lost within them and losing focus on the rest of my life. I had to come up with a tactic to see what Sasha really thought of me, and that was exactly what I’d done—and I’d done it in typical Logan style. Tonight, we were going out as a family to celebrate my father and Kari’s recent union with a big dinner party, seeing as their wedding a few weeks ago had been so small. My father’s political friends and work colleagues were going to be there tonight, so it was going to be

a huge deal. A huge, dull-as-fuck deal. That’s why it was the perfect night for what I had planned… “Sasha?” I called out, knocking on her bedroom door. “You decent?” “Yeah, I’m dressed. You can come in,” she replied from the other side of the wall. I was so glad to be in a place where we could talk again. Those few days of tension had been painful. I pushed the door open, and I couldn’t help but gasp as I drank in her appearance. Her curly hair had been styled into beachy waves that hung down her back, her face was made up in a way

that accentuated her beautiful brown eyes, and she had a red knee-length dress on. The overall effect was elegant and sexy as hell, and she looked fucking amazing. Even in my tuxedo, I looked like a hobo compared to her. “Wow. You look great,” I said. “Thanks. You look great too,” she said, winking at me. “I thought you’d look good in a suit.” In the last couple of days, things had become friendlier between us, but she hadn’t actually been flirtatious with me until this moment. That—combined with the fact that she had apparently been thinking of me—made me feel a lot more confident in my plan for tonight. This

wasn’t about what I thought of myself; it was how Sasha saw me, and from the flashes of desire I was catching in her eyes, things were going my way. “I have something for you,” I said, moving closer to her. “Oh?” Her eyes widened a little, and I saw her stop herself from taking a step back. She had no idea where I was going with this, and from the look on her face I could tell she was expecting another silly prank of some kind. What I had planned for tonight was no prank or trick, although it could certainly be seen that way by some.

I tugged something out of my pocket and placed it in her hands, and she looked down, gasping as she spotted the frilly black panties. Okay, so black panties as a gift didn’t exactly say ‘I have feelings for you’ but it let her know that I still wanted her. On top of that, the panties came with another sneaky surprise, which she’d be discovering soon. “What’s this?” she asked, her expression a perfect mixture of amusement and shock. “You got me… panties?” “Yes.” “Um…why?” I leaned down to her right ear,

making my voice husky. “I want you to wear them for me tonight.” Her body trembled slightly, betraying what she was feeling. She was obviously turned on by the thought of wearing the underwear that I’d given her and excited by the idea of where this might lead, but she wasn’t ready to admit it out loud just yet. “I’m already wearing panties,” she said, trying to sound bold. The blush forming on her cheeks gave her away. I flashed her a smug smile, enjoying the game she was so clearly playing with me. “Then take them off.” Sasha paused for a few seconds, seemingly at a loss of what to say, so I

moved my mouth even closer to her neck and continued. “If you don’t take them off, I will…” I stepped back, half-expecting her to slap me, but she fixed her eyes on me as she defiantly tugged down the panties she was wearing and kicked them to one side. “Fine. Now get out so I can put these on,” she said, dangling the black panties I’d given her in front of me. I smirked and quickly retreated to my room, wondering if I was going to have time for yet another cold shower. Sasha was so fucking hot; she’d almost had me losing myself and kissing her right then and there in her room. That would have

been a terrible idea—we would’ve been caught for sure. Besides, what I had planned for tonight was going to be much more fun. I pictured her pulling on those panties, thinking she was doing something sexy and fun for me to rekindle our little affair after our week of no contact. How little she knew about what was really going on and what was hidden within them… “Logan! Sasha!” I heard my father shout from downstairs. “Come on, the car’s waiting.” I checked I had absolutely everything I was going to need, shot a quick glance at my reflection in the mirror, then

hurried down the stairs. I needed to be in the limo first to get a particular seat, because I needed Sasha to be sitting across from me—by my side would be no good. I raced outside, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, before sliding into the seat next to my father. I probably looked flushed and wild-eyed, but luckily Dad never paid that much attention to me, so he didn’t notice. He was looking through emails on his phone —always putting work first. I sighed, but I was quickly shaken out of this bitter mood by Sasha and her mother arriving at the car. They were chatting away as they stepped inside the limo, and Sasha quickly shot me a knowing look, telling

me that she had the panties on. Good. As we drove, my father began to tell us exactly who was going to be at the dinner party, presumably to try and calm Kari down, seeing as she still wasn’t entirely used to being the wife of a political bigwig. It clearly wasn’t working, because she was looking increasingly overwhelmed by the minute. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to worry about that. I had work to do. I fingered the small device I’d planted in my pocket, watching as Sasha stared dreamily out of the window. I wondered if she was dreading tonight as much as I was, but her face gave nothing away.

My heart started to kick up a notch as I got closer to fulfilling my plan. My mouth began to run dry, and my right hand was even trembling ever-soslightly. Just as my father got to a particularly detailed description of a certain senator’s past, I manned the fuck up and hit the switch. “Oh!” Sasha squealed, jumping up on her seat in shock. Clearly she had no idea that the panties I’d given her were actually vibrating panties, and I had the controller to make them work. She was going to be putty in my hands tonight, and she was going to fucking love it. I grinned at her stunned face as she

wound herself up into a panic. I could almost see the wild thoughts racing through her mind. “What’s wrong?” Kari asked, laying a hand on her leg. The tone these words were spoken with wasn’t entirely concern; it was more of a ‘please don’t fuck this up for me’ kind of tone. Sasha caught my eye and glared, finally realizing that the sensation had come from the panties I’d given her. I flashed her a quick smirk and nodded, indicating to the device I had in my hand, and the exchange was so rapid that neither of our parents caught on. “Erm…it’s nothing, I just had a weird pins and needles feeling in my

right leg,” Sasha finally said, looking at her mother. Luckily our parents were so hellbent on making a good impression tonight that they just accepted this blindly so they could return to their own conversation. Sasha began to stare me down, silently challenging me. It was almost laughable, because I was the one in control here. I could make her crumble any time I wanted with just a flick of my wrist. Just to prove it, I hit the button once more. She was prepared this time, and she simply bit down on her lower lip and crossed her legs to disguise the

effects. “I’m going to kill you,” she mouthed at me, but she was smiling as she said it. Oh, yeah…tonight was going to be a hell of a lot of fun. *** Two hours later, we’d sat through three excruciating courses amongst people who thought it was a good conversation starter to discuss how rich they were, and I was bored out of my skull...save for the remote I had in my pocket. Sasha was sitting opposite me, next to our parents, and I was taking great delight in sending waves of pleasure crashing right through her at random intervals.

She’d shot me warning glances a couple of times, but I hadn’t stopped. I was certain that she didn’t really want it to end; she looked like she was having a hell of a lot of fun. The only downside was that her mother seemed to be growing increasingly annoyed by Sasha’s odd behavior. I understood that she wanted to make a good impression on all these new people, but fuck, she needed to lighten up a bit. She was acting like a stiff trophy wife, and I knew that wasn’t really her. Just as dessert hit the table, I hit the button once more. “Oh my…” Sasha wiggled on her seat once more, clearly not expecting that one.

“Will you just stop it?” I heard Kari hiss at her. “What are you trying to do? Do you want to embarrass me in front of George’s friends?” “No, I just—” Sasha tried to defend herself, but she wasn’t getting anywhere. “Just give it a rest. And don’t wear such a tight dress next time. Maybe that’s why you keep getting pins and needles in your legs.” I watched Sasha’s face fall at the scolding, and I felt bad. The vibrating panties were just supposed to be a bit of fun—a way of sparking things up between us again—and I certainly hadn’t wanted to get her in any trouble.

“I’m going outside for some fresh air,” Sasha mumbled a moment later before scraping her chair backwards. Guilt swept through me as I watched her stalk to the side entrance of the hotel function room in which our dinner was being held at. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. I knew if I stayed sitting with the rest of the assholes at this table, she would end up standing outside alone, upset and angry. I might not have been able to change the way her mother just spoke to her, but I could go outside and make her feel better. No one was paying me any attention now, so I didn’t even make an excuse as I left the table.

The cool night air hit me in the face as I wandered outside, a stark contrast to the warmth of the function room. I couldn’t see Sasha right away, so I had to look around to find her. I was worried that she was going to be crouched down somewhere and sobbing, and I didn’t want that, especially seeing as it was my fault. Luckily, she was pacing in the alleyway next to the hotel, more pissed off than upset. “Are you okay?” I asked, tentatively creeping towards her. She could quite easily turn all of that rage on me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Well, maybe not nothing…

I still had the vibrating remote in my pocket, after all. “Yeah. Just needed to get out of there,” she replied. “Look, I’m sorry. I should’ve stopped with the vibrator thing.” She shook her head. “No, it’s not you. It’s just…why does my Mom have to be like that? She’s trying so hard to get all these fake people to like her, and she’s not even acting like herself. It’s only been a few weeks since she married your father, and he’s great, but she’s changing so much and so fast.” “Yeah. She’s just trying to fit in,” I replied. “The world of politics is a strange one, and she’s just married into

it.” “Yes, but does she have to talk like…” As she continued to rant, I moved closer to her, waiting for the right moment. I knew this was a dangerous move, but I didn’t care anymore. With every step I took forward, she moved backwards to avoid us crashing into each other, and soon she was backed up against the alley wall. Her words trailed off as she realized where this was headed. The night had obviously driven her into a sexual frenzy because she reached out, held my face and kissed me hard without me having to say or do anything else.

I pressed my body against hers in response, and I knew she could feel my hardness pressing through my pants right at her belly. I took her lower lip and gently bit it as our lips and tongues crashed against each other again and again, and then I groaned as Sasha pulled away and kissed across the side of my face towards my ear, then down my neck. Fuck, everything she did felt so good. Her lips continued to tease my skin, encouraging my growing lust, and my hands ran down her side before wrapping around her back, pulling her tighter against me. I could feel heat radiating from her body along with the delicious, flowery scent of her perfume,

and finally I slipped my hand into my pocket and hit the vibration button again. “Oh god, Logan. Not now…” Sasha was trying to sound stubborn, but there was a hoarse tone of arousal in her voice which completely gave her away. I pulled back and stepped away from her, despite the fact that she was trying to cling to me. I hit the button once more, only this time, I didn’t stop. “Logan!” she gasped again. She allowed her entire body to collapse against the wall, unable to hold herself upright anymore. I didn’t want her to climax against a cold brick wall, so I wrapped my arms around her again, holding her upright as the vibrations

continued to send her wild. “Oh…” She panted loudly before pressing her lips against mine once more. Fireworks exploded inside my stomach and my cock throbbed for her, but tonight wasn’t about me and my pleasure. It was all about Sasha. I’d have her sensual expression in my mind’s eye to keep me going through the night, anyway. She shuddered and panted in my arms, and I continued to kiss her with all of the fiery passion that was burning within me. Finally, her body went tense before trembling and twitching like crazy, and I knew she was coming in my

arms. Fuck, yes. “God…what are you trying to do to me?” she said as the spasms finally began to subside. I chuckled. “You liked that little surprise?” “I certainly wasn’t expecting it,” she said, pulling back to look at me. “You know, I thought they were just regular panties when you gave them to me, you sneaky bastard.” “So…?” I pressed on, needing to hear her say it. “So what?” she asked, confused by my insistent questions.

“Was it a pleasant surprise?” She smiled and playfully hit my arm. “I guess you could say that.” “Does that mean we’re good?” “Depends what you mean by that.” “I mean you and me. Us,” I said, awkwardly rubbing my chin as I spoke. I’d never had this kind of conversation with a girl before, because I’d never wanted a relationship, so I wasn’t quite sure what to say. On top of that, I’d never been worried that a girl might actually say no to me before, and my heart pounded as I waited for her response. She nodded, and her shoulders

visibly relaxed. “Yeah. I’d say there’s an ‘us’…if that’s what you want.” “Of course that’s what I want,” I replied with a grin. As I looked at her standing there, eyes shining up at me, I knew I never wanted to walk away. Unfortunately, I had to, and as soon as I stepped back, I already missed the sensation of her body against me. “I guess we should get back to the freak show,” I said, annoyance tainting my tone as I gestured back towards the hotel. “Oh god, yeah. How are we going to explain us being outside for so long?” she said, stepping away from the wall.

“Don’t worry about it. I really don’t think any of them care,” I replied, walking behind her and taking one last lingering glance at the gorgeous outline of her body. When we got back inside, we’d have to go back to acting as if we meant nothing to each other, and that was going to be damn hard. Especially considering she already meant everything to me.

Chapter 13 Sasha The next few weeks were busy as hell with all my college assignments piling up, but I coped with it all well, seeing as I was still riding on the high of being with Logan. Since our chat in the alley, we’d officially been ‘together’, and we’d been sneaking around and stealing hot and steamy moments whenever we could. When our parents and Martha were at home, we knew we couldn’t risk having sex like we did when they were all out, but there were still flirty smiles, winks and even kisses

when we could sneak them in. All in all, we were both getting lucky on a regular basis. Now, on this warm Friday evening, I could enjoy Logan’s company when our parents went out again….if I could just get this damned psychology paper finished first. “Ugh!” I groaned, slamming my fist against my desk as I stared at my laptop screen. This assignment was taking much longer than I’d been expecting it to take, and it was driving me insane. I knew all the material we’d learned in the class so far, so I had no idea what was holding me back from getting it finished. I heard Logan calling out from his

room a second later. “Are you okay?” I hadn’t even realized he was upstairs—I might have kept my temper to myself if I had, so he wouldn’t think I was some sort of insane harpy. “Yeah, it’s just a stupid assignment thing,” I called back, blushing over my outburst. His head quickly peered around my door. “Why don’t you take a break? Come and hang out in my room for a bit. You’ve been studying nonstop for the last few days.” “I…what?” I was stunned by his question. There was no way we could spend time together in his room without getting caught, and I wasn’t sure we

could pretend to be platonic stepsiblings hanging out with each other, either. It was a struggle to keep our hands off each other at the breakfast table with our parents right there, never mind in a room with a door and a bed… “Don’t panic,” he said with a grin. “Our parents left early, and so did Martha. Didn’t you hear them all go?” “Nope, I must’ve been too distracted with the assignment.” “Well, they won’t be home for hours…” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and my heart almost burst with excitement.

“Okay, I’m on my way.” I stood up, my paper forgotten for now, and I trailed along behind him towards his room. “Wanna watch a movie?” he asked in a faux-innocent tone, knowing as well as I did where this evening was really headed. “Sure.” I smiled coyly, playing along. “There’s my DVDs.” He pointed over to a messy rack in the corner of his room, and I pretended to examine them all closely. In reality, I was checking him out from the corner of my eye, and I was elated to see that he was staring at me with a lustful expression on his face. He was dressed casually in a short-

sleeved T-shirt which revealed his taut arm muscles and the sexy ink he had trailing downwards from his left shoulder. His jeans were slung low, giving me a brief glimpse of his six-pack and black boxers when he yawned and stretched. He was just so effortlessly sexy, and for some reason, he wanted me. I was dressed casually too, but somehow I made it look slobby compared to him. I had black sweat pants on with a white tank top, my hair was in a messy bun, and my face was makeup free. That was the only downside to a surprise rendezvous—no time to prepare myself. I finally grabbed hold of one of the

DVDs without even really looking what it was, and I tossed it his way. “This looks good.” “Cool. Are you hungry? Should we order a pizza or something to have while we eat?” he asked as he slotted the disc into his DVD player. “Yeah, sure.” “Shit, I just remembered. My computer is running updates, so I can’t use it right now,” he said. “I might be able to use an app to order it from my cellphone, though.” “Oh, don’t worry about finding the app. My laptop is in my room, so you can order it from there, if you like,” I replied distractedly, not really thinking

about the food. My mind was far more focused on what was underneath his clothes. The nicer he was to me, the more turned on I became, and while pizza would be great, kissing him and running my hands all over his body would be much better. “Cool. Should we get one pepperoni pizza with extra sausage and one Hawaiian?” he asked. “They’re your favorites, right?” I nodded. We’d ordered pizza twice as a family since Mom and I moved in, long before Logan and I started hooking up, and on each occasion I’d had both pepperoni and Hawaiian pizza. Back then, I’d never thought he was paying me any attention; at least enough attention to

know what my favorites were. I guess he really wasn’t the player I’d initially assumed he was, and he’d been paying me this much attention all along. For some reason, that thought turned me on more than anything. “Wait,” I said as he was about to leave the room to get my laptop. Mischief lit my eyes, and I flashed him a devilish grin as he paused. “Before you get the pizza with extra sausage, why don’t you give me another kind of extra sau…oh god, I can’t even say it.” He grinned. “Are you trying to sound like one of those eighties porn stars where the pizza delivery guy shows up with an extra thick hot Italian sausage?”

I laughed. “Yep. Don’t worry, I know I’m not funny at all.” He took a step closer and wrapped his arms around me before leaning down and murmuring against my ear. “Hmm… you’re right, it wasn’t all that funny,” he teased. “I guess you’ll have to do something to make up for offending my comedic sensibilities…” I feigned an innocent gesture. “Oh, really? What could I possibly do?” With that, I ran my tongue across my lips in another porn star parody, and he shook his head and grinned as I sank to my knees in front of him. I looked up at him, and his grin faded until he was just looking at me out of lust-filled eyes, lips

slightly parted. I gripped onto his cock, absolutely loving how hard he was for me, and I positioned it in front of my face. There was a little thought in the back of my mind reminding me what Travis had told me when we broke up. You can’t do anything right…you can’t even suck a dick right. No wonder I had to cheat. For a moment I almost choked, but Logan ran a hand through my hair and spoke, giving me all the confidence I needed to continue. “You look so fucking sexy down there,” he said, lips pulling into a smirk. My eyes lingered on his arms, then traveled down the side of his body. His cock pulsed in my hand, and a droplet of pre-cum formed at the tip. I darted my

tongue out and licked it, and the second my tongue touched Logan, a shiver ran down his body. I looked up into his eyes again, seeing a fiery yearning for me in them. I began to tease him, licking in a long line up the back of his cock, and Logan’s hand moved around to the back of my head, holding me in place. I finally took all of him in my mouth, swirling my tongue around the back of his shaft while I started to bob up and down on him. Logan groaned as I adjusted my pace, making sure I wasn’t going too fast or too slow, and he began to thrust into my mouth, harder and harder. I slowed down as he did that, opening my throat as best I could as I let him take control.

A moment later, he tilted my head up slightly as he shifted, making me look up at him while he fucked my mouth. He started to go faster and harder, and I could feel his legs tensing up. Seeing the pleasure on his face was driving me wild, and the area between my legs was tingling like mad. “Shit…I’m gonna cum,” he said a few seconds later, obviously expecting me to pull away. Instead, I kept him in my mouth and waited, and I felt his cock throb and flex in my mouth before shooting a stream of his hot release down my throat. I felt his cock pulse one more time before the last drop slipped out. Logan was panting, looking down at me, and I

rose to my feet, running my hands up his chiseled abs and chest as I went. I could never get enough of his hard body, and I loved to feel every bump and ridge of his muscled form. He kissed me, hard, and one of my hands slipped down again. I pulled away and gasped as I realized he was still hard. “All for you,” he said by way of explanation, and I smiled. “Condoms still in the second drawer?” He nodded, and I went and grabbed one before handing it to him. I watched as he tore it open and unrolled it down his stiff shaft, and then he was on me

again, pushing me towards the wall. He took my arms and held them over my head, and he kissed down the underside of my left arm before planting his lips on my neck. I shivered as goose bumps cropped up all over me, and I reached down in between us and grasped at his manhood. His cock was throbbing and somehow seemed even thicker in my hand now than it had earlier, and he groaned as I stroked my fingers over his balls. I gasped again as Logan released my arms, picked me up and threw me onto the bed. He climbed between my legs and lowered his hips a little, and then I felt him at my entrance. I nodded at him, desperate to feel him inside me, and he

kissed me hard and sank into me. He went slowly at first, easing into me, and I gritted my teeth as we broke our kiss. God, he was big. We must have had sex over ten times at this point, and I was still barely used to his girth. Logan kept pushing inside me, and I kissed him again, harder this time, pushing my hips up to meet his. I moaned sharply into his ear as he settled into a rhythm, and I felt his muscles tensing with each of his slow thrusts as I ran my hands over his body in slow, gentle strokes. “God…you’re so perfect,” he groaned, and then he started to fuck me harder. His thrusts became more aggressive, and soon his whole bed was

rocking, headboard banging against the wall the same way it had on our first night together. As my climax built in my core, I vaguely wondered if sex was this good for everyone. If it was, then why didn’t everybody just have sex all the time? I certainly wanted to. Logan had well and truly settled into a rhythm now, driving his cock into me hard and fast, and then he moved a hand in between us, steadily rubbing my clit in circular motions. When that happened, I was lost. His fingers were absolute magic, and as they worked my body in combination with his cock inside me, it was too much, and I felt myself peaking; felt that wonderful pressure inside me

again. My whole body tightened up, and I clamped my eyes shut as he moved faster and faster. One more thrust and I’d be there… Pleasure finally crashed over me like ocean waves, and I moaned and cried out as white-hot bliss pulsated through me, making me curl my toes and tremble. I tensed my thighs as my inner muscles clenched around Logan’s cock as he continued to drive it into me, and I could barely breathe through the intensity. My brain was absolute mush. Logan’s thrusts grew shallower, and then he was groaning too as his own pleasure overcame him. His hands squeezed me tight, and he buried himself in me one last time as he came, and a moment later,

I felt him pull out. He fell down on the bed beside me, breathing hard, and I rolled onto my side. He put an arm around me, pulling me closer, and we held each other until we caught our breath. “So…you said something about pizza?” I finally said, and Logan grinned. “Yeah, I’m definitely gonna need to eat after that,” he replied, standing up and slipping back into his clothes. “I’ll go grab your laptop so we can order it.” “Cool.” I got dressed as well, just in case our parents decided to come home early for

some reason, and as Logan went to use my computer, I took the opportunity to glance around at his room. Usually when we were in here, it was for a sneaky rendezvous while Martha and our parents were out, and examining his space in close detail had subsequently been quite low on my list of priorities. It was slightly messy, but not overly so. It was more like organized chaos. There was a lot in the room that screamed ‘Logan’—his rock albums, his dirty white running shoes, his action films… it was like a shrine to him, and I loved it. Suddenly I heard him call out from my bedroom. “Sasha, what the hell is this?”

I jumped up from the bed and rushed out of the room, my entire body pounding with fear and anticipation. I had no idea what he was asking about, but I knew there was no way it was going to be good, because there’d been a distinct angry tone in his voice. “What’s wrong?” I asked as I stepped into my room. “I’m not sure yet. So why don’t you tell me what the hell this is?” he said, waving his hand at my laptop. I was confused, but then I saw it, staring at me in black and white—my cognitive psychology paper. I’d left the document right there on the screen, and it would’ve been the first thing Logan saw

when he got on my laptop. Oh, crap. “Why are you writing all of this bullshit about my Dad? Do you really think he’s a fucking sociopath?” he asked. “What’s this for, anyway? You selling this story to the papers? Making yourself some extra cash on the side while you’re still in school?” Shit, shit, shit. “No, of course not! It’s not a story, and I wasn’t calling him a sociopath at all. I was just comparing and contrasting the traits of successful people like him with the traits of—” I tried to defend myself, but he didn’t

want to hear it and cut me off. “Is that why you’ve been hooking up with me, for extra information on my Dad?” he asked. He threw his hands up, as if something new was just occurring to him. “I actually fell for it. I actually told you some stuff about him that you wouldn’t have known from just living here. What a fucking idiot I am.” “No! Of course not! It’s not like that at all,” I said. All he’d ever really told me about his father was that they didn’t exactly have a close relationship and hadn’t for over a decade now, but there was no way I’d include personal stuff like that in my assignment. “Then what is it ‘like’?” he asked,

narrowing his eyes at me and emphasizing the word ‘like’ with air quotes. “Because right now, this looks pretty fucking bad, Sasha.” “It’s just a paper for one of my psychology classes.” “Just a paper? Oh, sure, I guess that makes it okay to call my father a sociopath, then.” “That’s not what I was saying.” He shook his head, seemingly not even hearing me. “I thought…” he began. He was staring at me now, his eyes hard with anger. “I really thought…” Before he could finish that sentence, he stormed out of the room. I considered

going after him, but it was clear that he needed some time to cool down before he was going to be rational. I closed my eyes and slumped my head into my hands, just waiting… Slam. I heard the front door, and as his car screeched out of the driveway a moment later, a tear slid down my face. Why hadn’t I just told him what I was doing in the first place, before I even started writing the paper, and why hadn’t I asked him if he minded me writing about his father? Better yet, why hadn’t I asked George if he was okay with it? After all, he was a public figure who other students had written about in the past,

but he was still my stepfather. I should’ve asked, but I hadn’t. So what the hell had I been thinking? My lack of communication skills had once again screwed up what could have been an awesome night for me. That was something I really needed to work on. I slid down onto my bed, allowing my body to sink into my mattress. I had no idea what the hell to do now. I picked up my phone, wanting desperately to call him, but I knew I couldn’t until he had cooled off, so I decided to call Robin instead. She was the only other person in the world who could calm me down. She picked up on the second ring.

“Hello?” “Hey, it’s me. I did something really dumb,” I said, more and more tears sliding down my face. “What’s wrong? What happened?” When I didn’t immediately answer her, she started to panic more. “Do you need me to come over?” “No. I just…I screwed up with Logan again. I didn’t tell him the psychology paper I’m writing is about his father, and he found it and freaked out. Then he stormed off.” “What?” she said. “That’s it? I thought it was going to be something really bad. Didn’t you explain to him that it was just some bullshit

coursework?” “He doesn’t care; he’s just pissed that I wrote about his Dad at all. Then he accused me of using him for information.” “Sasha, don’t worry,” she said. “That sounds like the sort of crazy shit that’s said in anger. There’s no way he meant any of it.” I chewed my bottom lip for a moment, just pondering this. “You think?” “I think he’ll be back in an hour or so, apologizing for acting so crazy. You never know what his family have been through before—they might have experienced something like this in the

past. I mean, his father is an important man, so maybe people have tried to get close to Logan before, just so they could get info on his father and sell it to the media, or something like that. Like, for example, he used to see that bitchy Chelsea girl, remember? I bet she tried crap like that occasionally, seeing as her parents are part of George’s opposition.” She was right. Logan had told me in the past that his father absolutely hated Chelsea, and part of the reason for that was because he was worried she would pass on information about him to her parents’ campaign. I wasn’t sure if she ever actually had, but it was obviously still something the Ryder men tended to

worry about. I sighed as I considered this. It was a stupid idea for me to write about George in the first place, even though it had sounded cool when I first thought of it. For all I knew, someone aside from my teacher could get their hands on the paper and misinterpret it in the same way Logan had, and that could negatively affect George in some way. I should’ve just chosen someone else for my case study from the very beginning. “Where’s his mother, anyway? Maybe she’s somehow the issue and that’s why Logan is so freaked out,” Robin continued. “I doubt it,” I said. “I don’t really

know what happened, but I know she passed away when he was a kid.” “Oh.” I heard the obvious awkwardness in her tone. “Sorry, I…” “No, it’s okay, you didn’t know. Like I said, I don’t even know what happened to her.” I sat back up on the bed, angling myself so I could see into the mirror on my dressing table across the room. There I saw a red-faced, tearful and very messy version of myself—a sorry state of affairs, to say the least. “What are you going to do about your paper?” Robin asked. “Keep it, or scrap the idea for another subject? I mean, it seemed like a really cool idea

at first, but if it’s gonna cause problems, maybe it’s best to leave it.” “I don’t know. I guess I could do it on a similar subject and pick someone else as the main focus. That way I’m not causing any issues with my family.” “Yeah, it’s still not due for a week, so you can definitely handle that. Anyway, Logan will come around, there’s no doubt about that. As soon as he realizes how much he overreacted, he’ll come back.” “And if he doesn’t?” “He will,” she said. She sounded so confident that I knew there was no point arguing with her. “Besides, he lives with you. He has to see you and talk to you at

some point, regardless of what’s going on between you.” “I guess. Okay, thanks.” I tried to sound hopeful, even though I didn’t feel it. “I’ll see you in class on Wednesday.” “Yeah, and chin up, okay?” I knew she was trying to reassure me, but it wasn’t working. This glum feeling wouldn’t go anywhere until I’d made up with Logan, and while he was off doing god knows what, there was no chance of that happening. After I ended the call, I stayed on my bed for a while, staring into nothingness and trying to work out what I was going to do, but all I could see was a whole lot of problems and no real answers.

Bzzt. My phone beeped and vibrated with an incoming message a moment later, and I scrambled around to find it. It could’ve been Logan, wanting to sort out this mess as much as I did. But then I clicked on it and opened up the screen, and all I saw was the name I wanted to see least in the world. Becca. My exfriend, the one who’d slept with my old boyfriend behind my back. Great…just freaking great. What the hell did she want?

Chapter 14 Logan “Goddammit.” I muttered to myself as I heard Sasha getting ready in our shared bathroom. I still hadn’t spoken to her since last night, because I’d been way too fucking pissed, and I worried that I’d say something I regretted. Every time I thought about speaking to her and trying to patch things up, I remembered the essay I’d seen on her screen, and a lump of anger would appear in my throat. Okay, so my Dad and I didn’t exactly

see eye to eye ninety-five percent of the time, but that didn’t mean Sasha could come in here and start twisting things around by writing about my father and calling him a psycho of some kind, just because he was successful in politics. Even if it was for a college paper like she’d said, that didn’t make it okay. Someone aside from her professor could get their hands on that paper and use it in order to smear Dad’s reputation; for example, they could release it as an exposé piece—something like ‘Ryder’s Stepdaughter Tells All – What’s it really like living with the Lieutenant Governor?’ It sounded farfetched, but I’d seen more shameless grabs at publicity from the opposition before.

Surely Sasha knew that sort of bullshit happened all the time in our world. I just didn’t know what to do about it. I didn’t feel like I could go to Dad and speak to him about it without being accused of shit-stirring, so after the fight, I’d driven around for hours, all by myself. In the past, I wouldn’t have cared so much about anything a chick said or did to piss me off, and I definitely wouldn’t have driven around alone. The old version of me would’ve immediately made some calls and fallen into the arms of another girl to comfort myself. After all, I had a phone filled with names and numbers of girls who were guaranteed to be good to go at a moment’s notice, but something was

holding me back. As angry as I was right now, I would never do that to Sasha, and she was still the only girl I could think about touching. I’d expected to calm down a little by the end of last night, but here I was a day later and still royally pissed. I still cared about Sasha, but I knew I couldn’t face talking to her about the issue right now; not when I was like this. I headed down into the kitchen to grab something to eat before class, a gloomy black cloud hanging over me. I poked my head into the cupboard, and a soft feminine voice called out to me a moment later. “Logan?”

I turned to see Sasha standing by the kitchen island counter, and as I faced her, I saw sadness and fear shadowing her expression. That, combined with her nervous body language, caused my anger to melt away like ice in the summer sun, and seconds later, it was like I’d never even been mad at her, despite how pissed I’d been for the last eighteen hours or so. Shit, I just couldn’t stay mad at her, not when she was looking at me with those huge puppy-dog eyes. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “I…” She bit her lower lip and cast her eyes down to the tiled floor. “I know I’m the last person in the world that you would want to help right now...”

“Help? In what way?” I didn’t mean to, but I must have still sounded pissed, because she took a step backwards, looking defeated. “Never mind. Just forget it.” “No, no, it’s okay,” I said, stepping closer to her. “Tell me.” She hesitated. “I wouldn’t be asking you if I didn’t really need your help, and if I didn’t think it would affect you too.” She’d really piqued my curiosity now. What would she need help with that could affect me? “Come on, just tell me,” I said. “I promise I’ll help. Forget about our fight yesterday. We’ll talk about that later.”

She nodded and wiped away a stray tear before looking up at me. “I’m being blackmailed,” she said, her voice low and hollow. Her words shot an icicle right through my heart. I didn’t know exactly what I’d expected her to say, but it wasn’t that. She was being blackmailed? Over what? “What? How? By who?” I asked. I had so many questions that I barely knew where to begin. She let out a tired sigh before carrying on, and I finally noticed the purple circles under her eyes. She obviously hadn’t had any sleep last night. “My ex-boyfriend, Travis, cheated

on me with an old friend of mine called Becca. They’re still together now, and Becca is the one who’s blackmailing me.” “Why?” “Because of your father,” she said. “Apparently she recently found out that my Mom married him, and she knows that he’s important, well-known, and has a lot of money.” “Oh. Right.” I wasn’t particularly surprised by the revelation concerning my father, because it was an unfortunately common problem in wealthy families. People always wanted to leech money, and they’d go about doing it in any way they could.

Sasha wrapped her arms tightly around herself, as if she were trying to keep herself from falling apart. “When I was with Travis, I did something really stupid, and Becca found out. God, I can’t even say it.” I reached out and tentatively patted her shoulder. “We’ve all done stupid shit, Sasha. I almost got arrested for drunkenly pissing in a public place last year after a party, so I won’t judge you, I promise. I’m in no position to do that, and neither is anyone else.” Her face went bright red, but she nodded anyway. “Okay,” she said in a small voice. “I…erm…ugh, this is so stupid, but one day while we were dating, I let him take some nude photos

of me with his cell phone. I guess I was totally deluded while I was with him, and he convinced me that we’d be together forever, and it was supposed to be just between us. I didn’t even know he still had them, and I certainly never expected any of this to happen…” I sighed. I heard about stuff like this happening all the time. Some asshole guy would convince his girlfriend that he wanted to marry her and that his love for her was eternal, just so he could get some nudes to jerk off over. “No one ever expects that to happen,” I said. “I get it. It’s not your fault. You trusted him, and now you know better.”

“I know, I know,” she said. Tears were sliding down her cheeks in earnest now. “I’m just…I don’t know what to do now that Becca’s found the pictures. This whole situation is spiraling out of control, and I don’t know how to stop it!” She was on the verge of hysteria now, so I rubbed her back and made soothing sounds. “Shh, it’ll be all right. Just try to calm down. When did this begin, and how exactly is Becca trying to blackmail you?” “Well, I got the first message yesterday, not long after you left.” “And what did it say?” She pulled her phone out of her

pocket and read aloud to me. ‘Hi Sasha, Becca here. I’ve just been looking through Travis’ phone, and I found something very interesting…want to see? Xoxo.’ “And you replied?” “No, I ignored that one. I had no idea what she was talking about. Then she sent me one of the photos.” I almost asked to see the messages, but I stopped myself just in time as I realized what a shitty idea that was. Seeing as Becca had sent one of the nudes, it would be inappropriate for me to ask to see the message exchange. I mean, I’d seen Sasha naked before, but not like this.

“Then I got this one: ‘I doubt you’d like these to be released now, huh? Do you want your Mommy to find out that her precious princess Sasha is really nothing more than a common whore?’ So I replied with, ‘Leave me alone’. I expected that to be it. I wasn’t biting, so I thought she’d vanish. I had no idea what she was actually after at that point.” “But she didn’t vanish.” “No. She sent another really long one. It said: ‘Robin told me that your mother recently married a very rich and very important man. I looked into it. Lieutenant Governor of the state, right? I doubt he’d want his reputation tarnished by your saggy tits, but I

could very easily send these pics to the media and tell them it’s his new stepdaughter acting like a whore. So maybe you should pay up…oh, and by the way, don’t bother involving the police in this to try and stop me. If you do that, I’ll send the pics right away, and you’ll still be in deep shit even if I go down for it. I’ll message you with the details of how much I want soon. Ciao!” I gritted my teeth. “So she definitely wants money.” Of course she did. Everyone always did. “Yeah. She used to have a drug problem—I only found out about that

after we stopped being friends—so I guess she wants more money to fund that, among other things,” she said. “I’m so sorry, Logan. I’m so stupid.” She dropped her head in shame as she spoke, but if anyone should have been ashamed right now, it was me. If I hadn’t been such a dick and ignored her after our fight last night, she wouldn’t have had to go through this alone. Now that I was thinking about it, I’d massively overreacted. Sasha wasn’t a bad person with bad intentions, and she’d probably actually thought it would be a cool idea to write about my Dad for her college paper. She hadn’t meant to hurt anyone with it, and I’d been a fucking asshole to think she had.

“How much does she want?” I asked. “She’s asking for $100,000. Seriously! She also said if I don’t respond by the end of the week, she’s doubling that.” Shit…this Becca bitch was a real piece of work. There was no way she was getting a hundred grand from my family, let alone twice that. “Okay. Have you spoken to Robin?” “No, not yet. I didn’t even realize she was still talking to Becca,” she replied, casting another sad look at her feet. “I kinda thought Robin was on my side after the whole break-up thing, seeing as Becca was the one who did a

shitty thing by sleeping with my boyfriend. I guess I was wrong, though. They must still be friends.” She clapped her hand over her mouth for a second before continuing. “Oh god….Robin knows about you and me. What if she told Becca about that too?” “First things first. Let’s go and confront Robin so we can find out what Becca actually knows before we freak out too much.” I watched her nod at my suggestion, a small weight lifting off her shoulders. It had obviously been killing her going through this by herself, and once again, guilt streaked through my veins. Whoever this crazy Becca chick

was, she was going down. She had no idea who she was messing with. I was going to try my best not to involve my father when I fixed this problem for Sasha, because I didn’t want to have to deal with all of the bullshit that came along with that, but if it came down to it and I had no other choice, I would involve him. He would never pay off some young tramp who was trying her luck with us like this, but he would make sure she never tried it again. Ever. “Okay, let’s get dressed. Call Robin and tell her we’re coming over to see her, and we’ll go from there,” I said. Sasha nodded again and headed

upstairs, and I followed her. I quickly dressed before racing back outside, grabbing my car keys along the way. Sasha wasn’t far behind me, and it was clear from her mismatched clothes that she was too distracted to care about her appearance. She still looked amazing, though. I could ask her to wear an old hessian sack and she’d probably still look better than the average actress or model in designer gear. “Are you ready?” “Yeah. I told Robin we’re coming over. She was a bit confused as to why you’re coming with me, but I couldn’t really explain it over the phone.” “True. She’ll just have to wait.”

We headed off, and we drove in silence for the first five minutes. “Logan…” Sasha began to say something before trailing off, and I turned to look at her for a second. “Yeah?” “I’m really sorry about what I wrote about your Dad.” “I know. I totally overreacted, so I’m sorry too. I was being a fucking asshole. I’m just so used to people trying to screw with my Dad and his reputation. Case in point—this crap with Becca.” “I totally get it. I shouldn’t have written the paper on him. I just thought he’d make a cool subject for a case

study on successful people, and it never occurred to me how it might affect his reputation if someone other than my professor got their hands on my paper and misinterpreted it. The sociopath angle wasn’t actually about him—it was about this other case study we read about in class, where some researchers found that successful people are likely to have similar traits to sociopaths. I was just tying that in and exploring how much that research fits in your Dad’s case, and when it comes to him, it doesn’t fit at all. He doesn’t have any of the same traits as a sociopath.” “Well, I still overreacted. I mean, what are the odds that someone aside from your professor would see your

paper anyway?” “I know…but still, it was a pretty dumb idea to write it about a brand new family member, so I’ve changed my paper. I’m writing it about someone else now, and it’s going well.” “Cool. Glad to hear it. Again, I’m sorry for the massive overreaction. I’m an idiot.” I braked at a stop sign a second later, and while I waited for the other cars to pass, I slid my hand onto Sasha’s left thigh and squeezed. She responded by putting her hand on top of mine and smiling at me, and I grinned back at her. It didn’t matter if we argued sometimes, and it didn’t matter what

kind of ridiculous misunderstandings we had. We’d still always sort things out in the end, and that was normal—all couples fought occasionally. It meant we were just a regular old couple like everyone else, and you know what? It felt amazing. We weren’t perfect, but we were together, and we were us. We drove the rest of the way to Robin’s house in silence, content with just being next to each other. “It’s here,” Sasha said, gesturing to a small red brick house on our right. “Okay. Let’s find out what the fuck is going on,” I said, pulling up in the driveway. Robin must have already seen us pull

in, because she opened the door before we even knocked. “Hey. You sounded freaked out on the phone. Is everything okay?” she asked, a worried expression on her face. Sasha shook her head. “Not really.” I didn’t say anything, because I wasn’t sure about this Robin chick. For all I knew, she was in on Becca’s whole scheme. Why else would she still be talking to her and telling her stuff after what she’d done to Sasha? We wandered through the hallway and into the kitchen before sitting down at the dining table. “What’s going on?” Robin asked, obviously not the sort of person to make small talk.

“It’s Becca. I know you’ve been talking to her about me. What I didn’t know was that you’re still friends with her.” As soon as those words left Sasha’s mouth, Robin went pale. “What? What do you mean? I’m not friends with her at all. She’s a bitchy coke-whore, and after what she did with Travis, do you really think I’d be her friend ever again?” I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes at what appeared to be a blatant lie, and I filled her in on everything that had happened with the text messages from Becca. Robin’s face turned even paler as I spoke, and she twisted her hands in her lap, her eyes wide.

“Oh, shit. I know what you’re talking about now. I know this looks really bad for me, but I’m not friends with her anymore, I swear. I bumped into her the other day, and she was asking about you, Sasha. I didn’t want to talk to her, but she kinda cornered me. She was acting all sweet and concerned, asking how hurt you were by the break-up with Travis. I couldn’t stand seeing her pretend to worry about you when I knew full well that she doesn’t give two shits about anyone except herself, so I told her you were totally fine. I just wanted her to see that you didn’t care, and that you’d moved on with your life. So I told her a bit about your Mom getting married to this great new guy, and how you had

this awesome new mansion for a house, and how you were so happy.” She seemed so genuine that I actually believed her. She hadn’t been going behind Sasha’s back; she’d just been trying to defend Sasha instead. “Shit, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault,” she continued. “No it isn’t,” Sasha said with a sigh. “You aren’t in the naked pictures, I am. You didn’t date that asshole Travis, I did. You just got sucked into one of Becca’s manipulative games. I’ve been there—I know what a clever bitch she can be. I’m sorry I accused you of anything.” “No, I get it. I deserve it. I won’t

ever talk to her again, I promise. Not even to tell her to fuck off,” Robin replied. “What we need to do now,” I said, quickly ending the blame-fest that was getting us nowhere. “Is decide what we’re going to do next.” They both nodded, enthusiastic about this point. “Getting my Dad involved with this is a last resort measure. There’s gotta be something we can do to stop her on our own,” I added. Robin arched an eyebrow. “Okay. So what the hell are we going to do?” Good fucking question…

Chapter 15 Sasha The drive home from Robin’s was filled with a weird, intense silence between Logan and me. Neither of us spoke, not even about the plan we’d spent the last couple of hours concocting. We just sat there, silently staring at the road as we mulled the plan over in our heads—at least that’s what I assumed he was thinking about. As we pulled up outside our house, we saw that none of the lights were on, meaning that we were going to be alone once more. Martha had gone home for

the day already, and our parents must have been out at some function. They’d probably told us about it, but with everything that had been happening, I couldn’t remember. I smiled up at Logan as we headed inside. I knew exactly how lucky I was to have him on my side again. He’d been rightfully mad at me over the psychology paper thing, but that was all sorted out now, and he was doing everything he could to help me out with the Becca situation, which made my blood run cold every time I thought about it. He walked over to the fridge to grab us some Cokes, and I watched him as he poured the soda into tall glasses.

“Logan,” I said hesitantly. “I’m sorry to bring this up after we already resolved it, but I’m trying to work on my communication skills, so I just wanted to say thanks again for being so understanding about everything. I really don’t know what I’d do without you right now, so I’m glad you’re with me, and I’m also glad we’ve cleared the air.” “It’s cool.” He took a sip of his soda before continuing. “You know, in the name of clearing the air and communicating, there’s something else I should apologize for other than yesterday’s overreaction. I haven’t always been nice about your Mom, and I’m sorry about that. It’s obvious that she really does love my father, so I’m sorry

if I’ve ever implied otherwise. I know we had an argument about that a while ago, and it sounded like I was calling her a gold-digger. I honestly didn’t mean that,” he said. “I know. And to be fair, she has been acting kinda weirdly lately, trying so hard to fit in.” He let out a deep sigh and looked down at his shoes. “Yeah. I’m just a bit guarded about letting people into this family because of who my Dad is. I guess you kinda figured that out already.” “Yeah,” I said quietly, moving closer to him and gently rubbing his back. I could only imagine what it had been like

for him his whole life, seeing people hounding his father and befriending him just to get things out of him. It had to make it incredibly difficult for him to trust anyone, so I understood perfectly now. “It’s not even just that,” he said, running a hand through his hair. His eyes were still trained on the floor. “There’s some other stuff that I haven’t told you, but I want to.” It meant the world to me that he was willing to open up so much, but I didn’t want to make him feel as if I were forcing him to reveal things to me that he wasn’t comfortable sharing just yet. “Logan, you don’t have to—”

He cut me off. “No, I really want to tell you. Come sit in the lounge room. I’ll tell you there.” I walked behind him, noticing how dejected and resigned his body language had become. Gone was the arrogant know-it-all that used to drive me so crazy, and in its place was a man who needed some support and kindness. I decided to make it my mission to make him feel better about himself tonight. He was going out of his way to help me with the Becca situation, so the least I could do was try to put a smile on his face. He slumped onto the sofa with his head in his hands, and I chose to perch on the edge of the sofa.

He finally spoke without even looking up. ““It’s about my Mom. She died when I was young. I don’t know how much you know about that.” “I don’t know much at all,” I said. “Well, it was all my fault, and that’s why my Dad treats me the way he does. You’ve seen how he barely acknowledges me half the time. I think he hates me.” He finally met my eyes to gauge my reaction, and I wanted to flinch, but I kept my expression poker straight. It was as if he was challenging me to defy him, so he could argue that I didn’t know anything about it—which, to be fair, I didn’t. I didn’t know anything for sure,

so I couldn’t say a single damn word. He took a deep breath and continued. “When I was a little kid, around six years old, I was obsessed with fire, and I was always sneakily playing with matches and candles. Mom would catch me with the matches and tell me to stop because it was dangerous, but I just thought it was fun. I was really young, so it didn’t occur to me how bad it could be, no matter how many times she told me to stop. I was a real little shit as a kid, as I’m sure you can imagine.” He looked as if he was on the verge of tears, but he kept his composure. “I wish I’d listened, but I didn’t. However much she tried to hide them

from me, I always found them in the upper cupboards or wherever else she and the housekeeper hid them. It was like a little game in my mind, one that I always wanted to win.” I watched his fists ball up over and over again, as if he was somehow physically hurting himself with his words. “Then one day I burned the fucking house down. I killed her.” I gasped. I didn’t mean to; I wanted to be totally cool and calm throughout the whole story in order to keep him from getting more upset, but it burst out of me before I could stop it. I clapped my hand to my mouth, wishing I could

force it back in, but it was too late. “I’m sorry, I…” “It didn’t happen right away,” he said, as if I hadn’t even spoken. “She didn’t die in the house, and she wasn’t burned, if that’s what you’re wondering. But when the fire started, she stayed in there for too long, trying to make sure everyone got out—me, Dad, the live-in housekeeper we had at the time, and our pets. She put my safety before her own, even though it was my fault. She ended up suffering from pretty severe smoke inhalation, and then she finally passed away in hospital a few days later. It was my fault. All my fault. You know, I can barely even look at a fucking candle these days, let alone any other kind of

fire. Scares the shit out of me after what happened, as much of a pussy as that makes me sound like.” We sat in silence for a few moments, just absorbing the enormity of his story. It was all starting to make a strange sort of sense to me—he was the way he was because of this crushing guilt weighing down on him, and he’d been carrying it around with him for almost his entire life. “Do you know what the worst part is?” he said. “I can’t really remember much about her now. Her face is all blurry in my mind, and I can’t remember her voice or her laugh. I can’t even remember going to her funeral.”

“You were so young.” “And Dad is no help. He’s hidden everything away from me—photographs, her old stuff…all of it. It’s like she never existed, and he blames me almost as much as I do. I spoke to him about it once, and he said it wasn’t my fault, and that the fire was actually caused by faulty wiring, but he couldn’t even look at me as he said it. He knows it was my fault as well as I do.” “I don’t think that’s what he really —” Again, Logan wasn’t letting me get a word in edgeways. “Of course he does! Like I said, he can’t even look at me. And why would he? I practically killed

his wife.” This sent me into a subdued silence. No wonder he hadn’t wanted me and my Mom around at first. It didn’t really have anything to do with money. He just didn’t want his father to get hurt all over again. My mission to make Logan feel better sank like a lead balloon as I considered his story. How the hell could I help him overcome something like this? It was years and years of bad feelings and emotions that had built up over time, and there was no way I could I could even begin to undo that in one night. I stood up and moved closer to him to hug him. He resisted at first, but soon he sank his body into mine, allowing me

to hold him. He was crying. We both knew it, but neither of us acknowledged it. We just sat there as he shook against me. After about ten minutes, he straightened himself out, pulling back from me whilst coughing awkwardly. I knew this moment could go either way. It could either make us feel uncomfortable around each other for a while, or it could bring us closer together. I decided to make it the latter. I didn’t let him move too far away from me before I leaned forward and kissed him. At first, he seemed surprised by my reaction. I guess it was a little out of the ordinary considering what we’d

just been discussing, but I wanted him to see that I wasn’t going to treat him any differently now that I knew his story. I wanted him to see that he hadn’t been emasculated by opening up and showing his grief. Everyone needed to let their emotions out sometimes; even the most manly of men. There were probably a million and one things I should have said to him after his confession, but I was sure that he’d heard it all before, and that none of it had ever made him feel one iota better. So instead, I just continued to kiss him. There was nothing else I could do right now, and there was nothing else I wanted to do.

Logan was it for me.

Chapter 16 Logan “Are you sure about this?” Sasha asked Robin and me for about the hundredth time. She was panicking about what was going to happen with Becca tonight, and I wished she’d realize that it was all going to be fine—at least it would be if I had anything to do with it. I hated seeing her upset. It had been bad enough seeing her reaction when I told her what had happened to my mother. When I told her the story, I’d practically been able to see her heart breaking for me, and I hated

that I was the reason she was upset. She’d been there to support me, though, and that was all I could ever ask for. She hadn’t judged me one bit; all she’d done was hold me and let me get it all out of my system. I’d never told anyone else that story about my mother, and I probably never would. I had Sasha, and she was the only confidante I needed. She was the only one I’d ever need. “Yes!” Robin said, rolling her eyes. “It’s going to be fine. I’m all ready. I know exactly what I need to do.” Our plan was fairly simple. Robin was going to meet up with Becca and pretend to be friendly with her, citing the

incident where they’d recently bumped into each other as something which had made her want to reach out to Becca and rekindle their friendship. She was also going to pretend that she’d had a big falling out with Sasha, in the hope that Becca would eventually mention what she was doing to blackmail Sasha. Since Becca was clearly such an idiotic, strung-out blabbermouth, this shouldn’t prove too difficult. Robin was going to record their conversation for evidence that could be handed over to the police if necessary, and then Becca would get to experience what it was like to be on the other side of blackmailing. Robin wasn’t going to threaten her or go over the top; she was

just going to make her understand that she couldn’t keep being a bitch to Sasha and get away with it. Hopefully, tonight would be the end of it all. “Where are you going to put the phone? Are you going to hold it in your hand?” I asked, trying to work out just how we were going to pull this off. I didn’t want Becca to get suspicious halfway through. “No, I wore this jacket because of the mesh-fabric pocket.” She indicated towards her chest. “If I just slip the phone in like this, it’ll film and record our conversation, and it’s quite discreet.”

I couldn’t help but be impressed by how prepared she was and how much she’d thought it through. “Okay.” I nodded thoughtfully. “That’s good.” Sasha started to worry all over again. “Maybe I should just tell my Mom, and she can…” “No,” Robin cut in. “This’ll work. Besides, I want to help. I want to make up for my part in this whole shit-storm. Becca probably wouldn’t have even known you had a wealthy stepfather to extort if I hadn’t let it slip to her.” “I don’t…” Sasha started to talk again, but I couldn’t let her continue. She was going to worry herself into a frenzy

at this rate. “It’s too late for changes. Robin already called her and arranged their girly date. It’s time to go,” I said, grabbing my car keys to reinforce my point. “Come on.” We got in the car and drove towards the bar that Robin was meeting Becca in. It was early in the evening, which meant it would be quiet enough for Robin’s phone to pick up the entire conversation, but still busy enough so that Sasha and I could hide amongst the crowd in case we were needed at any time. We weren’t quite sure just how far Becca would go. I had no idea how truly dangerous she could be—although I doubted she was— and there was no way I was going to risk

anyone getting hurt. Once we arrived at the bar, we separated. Sasha and I went inside first to find our hiding place, because the girls were both sure that Becca wouldn’t be early. Apparently she spent her whole life being consistently ‘fashionably late’. I quickly found a fairly discreet booth that we wouldn’t be spotted in. It also gave me a view of the bar and the door, which was a plus. I slid into the seat closest to me, and Sasha sat on the opposite side. She was still on edge, unable to bear the tension. “Calm down,” I whispered, laying one of my hands on top of hers. “It’s

going to be all right.” “You think?” She was practically shaking with nerves. “Robin knows exactly what she’s doing. We’ve got this.” “But Becca—she’s obviously crazy. If she thinks we’re up to anything, she could just press ‘send’ on those pictures of me and email them to the media.” “That’s why we’re here, to intervene if she tries anything. It’s all going to work, don’t you worry. There’s no way this can fail.” I sounded more confident than I felt, which seemed to reassure her. “Just put the menu up so she doesn’t see your face, in case she glances around.”

Sasha complied just as I spotted Robin coming in through the doors. I nodded quickly at Sasha to let her know, and she instantly sat up straighter, ready for action. Unfortunately I had no idea what Becca looked like, so I couldn’t warn her when she arrived. I just hoped that it would be soon. The quicker this was over, the better. We sat in silence, just waiting for everything to kick off. My leg tapped up and down anxiously, and Sasha kept staring at the menu, hiding her face from everyone. Finally I saw a trashy-looking blonde girl join Robin at the bar. “Okay, she’s here; I think that’s her. At least I assume it is.”

Sasha spun around for a splitsecond. “Yeah, that’s her. Just watch and see if you can see anything going on. I’m gonna hide again,” she said, burying her face in the menu once more. “I’m going to go and get a drink.” I moved to stand up, but Sasha grabbed my hand. “Don’t leave me.” She looked utterly panicked. “Don’t worry; I’ll only be a second. She doesn’t know who I am, so it’s fine. We need drinks anyway, or we’ll look suspicious. We look a bit weird just sitting here.” I knew she couldn’t argue with that

logic. “Okay.” She finally slid back into her seat, and I shot her a reassuring smile before sauntering over to the bar. I didn’t stand close enough for Robin and Becca to take notice of me—I didn’t want to blow my cover—but Becca had such a loud, obnoxious voice that I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation anyway, which was exactly what I wanted. “…oh my god, he’s so hot! I don’t even mind having to fuck him for the grade. I might even do it if I had nothing to gain. Seriously, for a professor, he’s sooo sexy. You’ve got to take his class next semester,” she said before lowering her voice to a murmur, which I could

still hear from where I was. “By the way, I’ve got some coke. Wanna go to the bathroom and have a bump?” She giggled—a noise which sounded like fingernails running down a chalkboard to me. How Sasha’s exboyfriend had cheated on her with this nightmare was beyond me. She was nowhere near as beautiful as Sasha… and apparently, she also had a coke problem and a predilection for sleeping with her college professors in exchange for better grades. Even if she hadn’t opened her mouth at all, I could still tell from a mile off that she was one of those crazy chicks that no one should even touch with a barge pole. “No, thanks. So…you’re actually

sleeping with your professor?” I heard Robin say in an overly-exaggerated, gossipy manner. She was only doing it to get more information out of this girl, but Becca was so self-obsessed that she didn’t even realize it was fake. She giggled. “I know, right? I haven’t told Travis yet, but he’ll be fine with it. He’s quite used to me going the extra mile to get what I want…” “What do you mean?” Robin asked. I quickly glanced over to see her adjusting her position to ensure that Becca was on the screen of the phone. She was doing a good job of playing this role whilst keeping her promise to Sasha; in fact, she was totally nailing it,

much better than I could have hoped for. “Promise you won’t say anything?” Becca asked in a dramatic whisper. The bartender picked the worst possible moment to interrupt to take my order. “Can I get you anything?” “Two Cokes please,” I snapped back quickly. As he walked off to get the drinks, I allowed myself to casually move a little closer, and I realized that Becca was saying exactly what we needed her to. Christ, she really was a drug-fucked idiot. “…so obviously she’s not going to want the photos to be leaked. Especially

not with her Mom’s new husband. By the way, thanks so much for telling me about him. I should really give you a cut!” The bartender returned. “That’ll be $5.20, please.” As I tossed the money over, I heard Robin speaking a little louder. “Oh, it’s fine. I’m so sick of Sasha anyway. She’s such an annoying bitch. Anyway, does Travis know about this plan, or is it just you?” Becca waved her hand dismissively. “It was actually his idea. We need the money.” Anger coursed through my veins. That fucker…Sasha’s ex. He was actually a part of this? It was even more

fucked up than I’d previously thought. I’d thought that Becca was doing it behind his back after finding the photos on his phone, and I seethed at the thought of Travis going out of his way to plan something like this. No guy should ever use something they were given out of trust in a relationship for blackmail at a later date. I stormed back to the table where Sasha was sitting, my face like thunder. “What’s wrong? Did you hear something?” she asked. “Yeah. I think you should know that Travis is actually a part of it all. He fucking started it. It was his idea to blackmail you, not Becca’s. She’s just

along for the ride.” She sat in silence for a few seconds, just stewing. I knew I should say some comforting words, but I couldn’t. I was too consumed by my rage. Then I heard her chair scrape back, and she strode across the bar. Oh, shit. “Wait!” I called out to her. There was no point in telling her that this wasn’t part of the plan—she knew that, and she’d still stormed off. Instead, I got up and followed her. Everything had gone out of the window, so there was no point in trying to stick to the plan now, and if things were going down, I needed to be a part of it.

“…you’re totally pathetic,” I heard Sasha saying. She was right up in Becca’s face now, giving her the hell that she deserved. As I watched Sasha shout, I finally got a good look at Becca. She had a smug, defiant expression on her face as she listened to Sasha’s tirade, and she even looked somewhat bored, as if she simply knew for a fact that she was going to get away with her bullshit plan. Bitch. “Are you really this stupid? Do you really think that you’re going to get away with this?” Sasha asked. “Yeah,” Becca replied with a roll of her heavily-mascaraed eyes. “I don’t see

that you have any option. You’re going to have to pay up, or I’m sending those photos to the media.” “Robin, show her the video,” I said as I arrived by Sasha’s side. Becca’s eyes widened. “What video? Who the fuck are you?” “Logan Ryder. Sasha’s stepbrother.” Becca muttered something under her breath about not knowing that Sasha had a stepbrother, and Robin tugged the phone out of her pocket and quickly hit play. I watched Becca silently looking at herself on the screen, discussing her inventive ways to get good grades and

money, and her skin paled and eventually went a little green. “See?” Sasha said as Robin finally turned her phone off and put it down on the bar. “That’s how freaking stupid you are. And you actually thought you’d get away with this crap. So what’s it going to be? Are you going to keep up the blackmailing bullshit, or are we going to have to visit the college Dean to show them this video? I’m sure he’d love to hear how you exchange sex for grades.” “I’m sure the police would also love to see this video and hear about your blackmailing attempts, not to mention your love for nose candy,” I interjected. “And by the way, Robin’s phone is synced to the cloud, so the video has

already been uploaded to her computer at home. There’s no way you can make it disappear.” “I…” Becca’s rat-like eyes were flickering everywhere, desperate for an escape. “Okay, okay. I get it. I’ll leave her alone. It was just a joke, anyway.” “Bullshit. This was no fucking joke. If you ever contact Sasha again, or if we even hear an inkling that you’re shopping around those pictures of her, we’ll go straight to the police. We won’t even think twice about it. You’re fucking lucky we aren’t going to them right now.” We could go to them right now, but I knew that would bring negative attention

to my father if the media caught wind of exactly why we’d gone to the cops. As much as I knew he didn’t like having me around, he’d still taken care of me all these years, so I had to respect his job and try to help keep negative stuff away from his reputation. Judging by what had just happened, Becca and Travis were most likely going to drop this whole thing anyway, so we didn’t need the cops involved. “Fine, whatever. Fuck you guys. I don’t need any of this shit. But you better watch your backs. You never know what could happen,” Becca said, grabbing her bag and stomping away. “Sure. We’re terrified,” I called after her, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Robin began to laugh, and soon we were all in fits of hysterics. “She’s fucking insane,” Sasha managed to get out through peals of laughter. “I can’t believe how dumb she is. And that ‘watch your back’ crap…are we meant to be scared?” “No shit,” I said with a grin. “Come on, let’s grab some dinner. I’m buying.” *** Our night—which had started out as such a horrible, nerve-wracking event— had quickly become fun as hell. Now that Becca was gone and we’d grabbed some food, we were eating, laughing and enjoying ourselves, and I was warming

to Robin in a way that I hadn’t allowed myself to before. Any suspicions I’d been harboring about her before now had completely vanished. We both cared deeply about the same girl, and we would always have that in common. We could actually build a friendship around that, which was weird for me. I’d never really been friends with a girl before, at least not in a purely platonic way. I guess I was really changing. “I’m just going to the bathroom,” Sasha said before getting up and stepping away from the table. I was glad to see how much happier she was now that the blackmailing debacle was

behind us, and I smiled as I watched her walk away. Robin took this moment as an opportunity to jump on me with a very awkward question. “So, Logan…?” “Yes?” I replied. I knew that tone of voice, and it usually wasn’t followed by something I wanted to hear. She leaned her head on her hands and looked at me with an eagle-eyed gaze. “Do you love Sasha?” “Uhh…” I could feel my cheeks heating up as I contemplated her question, and I came to a stark realization. Jesus, of course I loved her. In fact,

part of me had been in love with her from the minute I met her. “Oh my god,” Robin gasped. “You do.” “Erm…” I knew I did, but I hadn’t even told Sasha yet. I didn’t want the first time I admitted it to be to her friend. “Oh, is that my phone vibrating?” Robin asked, glancing down. As she rifled through her bag, I thought about what she’d said some more. I considered the possibility of a future with Sasha and the implications of my feelings for her—the fight that we would have to have with our parents if

and when I told them I loved her, the shit that people might say about us if they found out, and the struggles we would likely cause for my father’s political reputation. I didn’t want any of that, but fuck…I needed Sasha, and I wasn’t going to leave her for anyone or anything. “Hmm, it’s not in my bag. That’s weird.” Robin was patting her pockets now, desperately looking for her phone. “Is it in the car?” I asked. We’d driven from the bar to the restaurant we were at now, so it was very possible that she’d left it there. “Yeah, maybe—” she started to reply, but then Sasha rejoined us at the

table and everything else completely slipped from my mind. All I could think about was her. I had to let her know sooner rather than later. I had to tell her I loved her. All I needed was the perfect moment.

Chapter 17 Sasha The days following the ‘Becca takedown’ were nothing short of amazing. I no longer felt the same fear and trepidation every time my phone bleeped with a message, because I knew it wasn’t going to be her—I had no doubt that deep down she was nothing more than a stupid coward—and on top of that, I could feel myself growing ever closer to Logan. Two days had gone by now, and the whole debacle was already starting to feel like a bad dream. I kept the

blackmail messages from Becca on my phone as evidence, just in case it ever came down to that, but I no longer looked at them. As I was walking home from class— slightly later than usual, because I’d stayed behind to check out a book from the library—my phone pinged with a text message from Robin. ‘Hey, I finally found my phone! Can you meet me at the old Miller dairy farm on Ashby Road at four o’clock? You know the place—we had a picnic there once. Logan and I have a special surprise for you :) Xoxo’ “What?” I muttered to myself before replying. Four o’clock was pretty damn

soon, so she wasn’t giving me much notice. ‘A surprise? All the way out there?’ ‘Trust me…it’s gorgeous!’ she replied. ‘I don’t wanna spoil it too much, but let’s just say it involves your favorite foods and a movie played on a white sheet against the barn wall. Logan got this projector thing and everything! There’s more to the surprise, but you’ll just have to see when you get here…’ ‘Okay. Sounds really sweet. See you both in a while, then.’ It seemed weird for the two of them to have plotted some sort of surprise

behind my back, but I was excited all the same. Logan surprised me in different ways all the time, and he and Robin had probably organized this to cheer me up, seeing as the last few days had been stressful for me. I was glad that they were becoming friends, because it meant that we could all hang out together. Once I arrived at home, I asked Mom if I could borrow her new car seeing as mine had finally given up the ghost, and then I took off, driving as quickly as I could along the route that led to Ashby Road. It was on the outskirts of the city, where a few old ranches still stood. The old Miller property had once been a small dairy farm, and I’d gone on several picnics there over the years with

friends. A small river ran through it, so that and the historical buildings made it a cool little spot to hang out for an afternoon. Part of me wished I’d had more time to prepare for the surprise movie and picnic, but I brushed the thought aside. I was sweaty, underdressed and had just finished back-to-back college lectures, but that wouldn’t keep me away from anything with Logan. I knew he liked me no matter what—he’d seen me at my worst, after all. A shiver ran through me as I finally entered the Miller farm. I couldn’t see either Logan or Robin’s car, and that freaked me out a little. Then I remembered that there was a huge

parking area around the other side of the barn, and I assumed that they’d parked there. I got out of the car and headed towards the barn. It was a rickety old building, but I was trying not to focus on that. I was more interested on what was on the inside, and on seeing what Logan and Robin had in store for me. The door opened with a squeak as I pushed it, and my heart raced with anticipation as I waited to see what exciting things were behind it. I was stunned—and more than a little disappointed—to find it dark, cold, and empty. What the hell?

“Hello?” I called out, feeling dejected. After coming all the way out here, I’d been expecting a little more than this. Had I come to the wrong place? I quickly pulled out my phone to check on the GPS, but the words Miller Dairy Estate were still staring out at me. Could there be another Miller farm near our city that I didn’t know about? No, Robin had mentioned that she was at the place where we’d had picnics before, so I was definitely in the right spot. “Logan? Robin?” Still no answer. Was this somehow supposed to be a part of the surprise? I stepped forward to try and find more in the dim light of the barn, and

suddenly I felt someone’s rough hands grabbing me from behind. “Hey—” I tried to call out, but my mouth was quickly covered by another hand. What the hell was going on? This wasn’t a surprise. This was a horror movie. I was spun around by the strong arms gripping me, and I wound up staring at two faces—faces I’d never wanted to see again. Travis and Becca. “Hi, Sasha.” Becca smiled smugly. “It’s nice to see you on this fine afternoon.”

“What the hell do you want?” I choked out, finally able to breathe again now that Travis’ hand was gone. “What the hell is all of this?” Becca walked around me and grabbed something from one of the dark corners of the barn. When she returned, I saw that she had a length of rope and a roll of grey duct tape in her hands. What the hell was happening? Had I taken a wrong turn and stumbled onto the set of a bad mob movie? She smirked at me as she approached. “I told you to watch your back, didn’t I?” God, she’d actually been serious when she said that. I’d happily pushed it

to one side, just as Robin and Logan had, wanting to believe that she was just angry over being caught out the other night. I hadn’t thought she’d actually do something this stupid. “What’s your problem with me?” I asked, panic creeping into my voice as I tried to struggle free from Travis’ grip. “I never did anything to either of you! You’re the ones who screwed me over!” “We just want the money you promised us for those photos,” Travis said before sniffing and continuing. “We need it.” He sounded crazed, and the sniffing made me wonder if he was on drugs. He had to be. Why else would he be acting

so crazily? I already knew that Becca had somewhat of a cocaine problem, and full-on drug addiction would certainly explain their insane behavior. It also made them that much more dangerous. “You should’ve just gotten it from stepfather dearest and handed it over. But instead you had to get your stupid stepbrother and Robin involved,” Becca cut in. “Why the fuck is that Logan prick so defensive of you, anyway? You’re screwing him, right?” My mind was whirring, trying to find a way out of this, but nothing seemed to spring forth. I wasn’t sure that I could outrun them, I had no way of grabbing

my phone and calling anyone to save me, and I didn’t think I could fight the pair of them. What the hell was I going to do? Before I decided on anything, Travis began pushing me towards an old wooden pen on the side of the barn, where cattle would’ve once been kept. This all happened in a split-second, before I could even think about reacting. I thrashed and struggled against him, but it was no good; he was far too strong, and I was like a toddler trying to fight off an adult during a tantrum. He held me still, and I felt Becca wrapping the tape around my arms, holding them in place against the gate of the pen before adding the rope to secure them even more. After

she’d finished on my arms, they both got to work on securing my legs as well. I was screaming and yelling throughout this, but it was absolutely pointless. No one lived anywhere near this place, and hardly anyone ever came here. Shit. I was completely screwed. Once they were satisfied that I wouldn’t be able to escape their clutches, they stepped backwards to examine their work with pride. They celebrated their achievement by wrapping their bodies around each other and kissing like horny teenagers, and when they finally broke apart, Becca arched an eyebrow at me and giggled. “Don’t worry, Sasha. We’re not that

crazy. We’re not going to hurt you. We’re just going to scare your family into thinking you’ve really been kidnapped. Politician’s kids get kidnapped all the time, and we’re getting that money from you one way or another.” “You’re bat-shit crazy. They’ll know it was you, and they’ll find me. Do you think they won’t call the police as soon as they realize I’m missing?” She ignored me, and I looked at Travis instead. “Travis, can you not see how senseless this plan is? You guys will get caught so fast!” I said. “But if you let me go now, you won’t be in trouble. We can just call it a joke.” There was no way this was a joke,

but I was trying to be calm in the hope that they’d realize how bad this idea was and let me go. “What are you talking about?” Travis said. He lazily pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it up, as if he were bored by the entire situation. “We’re fine. No one will look for you out here.” Now that my eyes had adjusted to the dim light in the barn, I could see that his pupils were pinpricked, which confirmed that he was high on something. “Right. Even if that were true, how exactly are you going to get money from doing all of this?” I asked. I couldn’t even begin to wrap my head around how

utterly stupid and deluded they were. “What, you’re just gonna call up my stepfather and demand ransom money? I mean…come on. You won’t get away with that. As soon as you let me go, I’ll tell the police it was you guys, and they’ll be after you in no time. Have you even thought about this plan at all?” “We’ll figure it out,” he said, rolling his eyes. “The cops in this city are fucking idiots, anyway. We’ll just tell them you lied about who took you to get back at us for cheating with each other while we were dating.” It was almost unfathomable how dumb they were, and I tried a different tactic. If I could get them to turn on each other, then maybe they’d give up and let

me go home. “Well, speaking of cheating, did you know your girlfriend is cheating on you with one of her professors?” I asked. He chuckled. “Nice try, but I already know about that. She told me the other night, and I told her it was a good idea,” he replied. “She always gets what she wants, and so do I. Doesn’t matter how.” Crap. Could they honestly not see how fucked up their relationship was? Becca moved closer to Travis to kiss him again, and in the process she managed to knock the cigarette out of his hand. I saw it tumble from his hand and land in a pile of hay, and my eyes widened as I saw it catch fire almost

instantly. It was only a few orange flames flickering, but it was enough to scare the crap out of me. “Oh, fuck!” Travis said, fear spreading across his face as he tried and failed to stamp the fire out. “What the hell did you do?” “I didn’t mean to, it was an accident! Shit, come on, we all need to get out of here!” “But what about…?” He jerked his thumb towards the rope and tape that was still binding me to the cattle pen gate. “Just untie her from it, you moron!” Becca screeched.

Travis crouched down and yanked at the knots on my legs to no avail, and he shouted back at Becca a second later. “Where’s my pocket knife? You did these knots up way too fucking tight.” “It’s in the car.” “Fuck…” The fire was spreading more by the second, and I stared at them with wide eyes, silently praying that this was all a nightmare. “This was only supposed to scare her for a couple of hours to get back at her! We can’t just leave her here!” Becca said. “There’s no fucking time. The car’s

ages away, so by the time we get the knife, this place will be half gone,” Travis replied, his voice panicked as he saw the flames now licking at the side of the barn. “Sorry, Sasha.” With that, he turned and ran, and Becca gave me one last lingering look before following him. “Are you fucking serious?” I screamed as they dashed out of the barn. “Don’t leave me in here!” My voice fell on deaf ears, and I was on my own. I was going to have to help myself. I pulled, I thrashed, and I struggled, but there was just no way that I could get myself free. They had tied me up too tightly. On top of that, smoke was

rising in the air, and I could feel myself getting woozy. A series of faces flashed through my mind as dizziness overwhelmed me—my friends, my family, even my college professors. I tried to take a breath and choked on acrid smoke, and one face in particular flashed in my mind. Logan. Then everything went black.

Chapter 18 Logan I was trying hard to concentrate on studying for my upcoming exams, but I couldn’t stop myself from repeatedly glancing at the clock. Sasha was usually home on a Thursday well before I got home, because my classes ran slightly later on those days, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, seeing as she hadn’t answered any of my texts or calls, and she wasn’t home yet. I knew she was probably just at the library or out with a friend, but there was a cold sensation sitting in the pit of

my stomach, and it was telling me that something was wrong. Very wrong. Deep down in my core, I knew it. “Logan?” I turned to see Martha standing in my doorway, holding a pink top, and I smiled. “Hey, Martha. Do you know where Sasha is?” “I came to ask you the same thing. I saw your car, so I figured you were already back from whatever you two were doing, but I can’t find her. It’s not important; I just wanted to tell her I couldn’t get this sauce stain out of her blouse, so if you see her, let her know.”

I furrowed my brows. “Sasha and I weren’t doing anything this afternoon. I only just got back from class fifteen minutes ago.” A puzzled expression marred her delicate features. “But she told me she was meeting you and her friend Robin somewhere. She came home about half an hour ago to borrow her mother’s car so she could do so.” “Martha…Sasha and I didn’t have any plans with Robin today. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She shrugged. “Ah, well, maybe she’s off on a date with some boy, and she didn’t want us to know. Although…I thought…” She gave me a funny look,

and I wondered if she knew about me and Sasha. I had no way of knowing, because she regained her composure a second later. “Well, at any rate, I’m sure she’s fine. Perhaps I misheard her.” “Maybe.” I doubt it, though. Something was obviously going on. I watched Martha walk away, and just as I picked up my phone to try and call Sasha again, it began to vibrate. Oh, thank god, I thought, but it wasn’t her; it was a number that I didn’t recognize. “Hello?” I said cautiously. I didn’t trust unknown numbers. If I wasn’t concerned about Sasha, I probably would have just ignored it. “Logan, it’s Robin. I think something

has happened….I’m worried about…I think Bec…” She was speaking so fast that I could only pick up a few words. “Wait, slow down,” I said. “What’s wrong?” I heard her take a deep breath on the other end of the line. “Well, you know how I lost my phone the other night?” “Yes?” “I’ve been trying to find it, but I forgot the password to my ‘Find my Phone’ app thingy, and no one has been answering it.” “Uh-huh.” “I just remembered the password,

and I tracked it to find that it’s at the Miller farm, way out of the city. It’s an old abandoned dairy farm. We all used to have picnics there…including Becca.” “Right.” “So I called it again, and someone finally answered, but I think it was by mistake, like the phone was just in their pocket or something. I could hear what sounded like Becca and Travis talking, and one of them said something like ‘Sasha fell for the text, she’ll be here soon’. I think they’re using my phone to lure her out there for some reason.” I stood up immediately. “Shit. I’m going there now.”

I hung up and threw my phone down, and then I ran to the car without even thinking. I plugged the name of the farm into my GPS, and I thought I heard someone yelling out to me as I screeched down the driveway, but I didn’t even look to see who it was. I sped along the road, my mind racing at a million miles an hour. What the fuck were that pair doing at an old farm with Sasha? And more importantly, why hadn’t I taken Becca’s ‘watch your back’ threat seriously? I should have made absolutely certain that Sasha was never alone, and if anything happened to her, I’d never forgive myself. I was certain that I was speeding, but I didn’t care. Even if the cops tried to

pull me over, I wouldn’t have stopped. They would just have to arrest me at a later date. Sasha needed me, and that was all I cared about. When I reached Ashby Road twenty minutes later, I skidded to a stop on the side of the road and leaped out of the car. My heart was practically in my throat, pounding so heavily that I felt sick, but I didn’t let that stop me. I spotted two people standing by the entrance to the farm by the main gate, screaming and yelling at each other. It was Becca, along with a guy who I assumed must be Travis. He was a tall, skinny guy with dirty blond hair and brown eyes.

“…we have to fucking go, right now!” he was shouting. “Come on, Becca! We have to forget about her, it’s too late!” I wanted to shout at them and ask where the fuck Sasha was, but I needed to be closer. I needed them to not see me until the very last second, so I waited till I was within a few feet of them, and when they finally stopped yelling for long enough to hear the crunching of leaves under my feet as I approached, they whirled around. Becca, quick on her feet—and obviously used to escaping dodgy situations—took one brief look at me and then took off running. I didn’t even bother to watch her race away. I was

angry as fuck at her for whatever the hell she was up to, but she was insignificant compared to Travis. He really deserved to have the shit beaten out of him. After a beat, he went to move as well, but he was too slow, and I roughly grabbed him by the collar. “Where. Is. She?” I asked him. “I…we…it was just a joke, man. We were just trying to scare her to get her back for being such a fucking bitch, and then…then…” He was sniveling now; cowering under my touch. What a fucking pussy. Clearly he thought he was a big man for threatening girls, but the minute someone bigger than him confronted him, he

practically started to shit himself. “I asked you a fucking question,” I hissed, putting my face closer to his. He whimpered, and tears started to form in the corner of his eyes. “The barn,” he finally choked out. He couldn’t meet my gaze. I let him go, and just as he looked up to meet my eyes to confirm that he was free, I swung my fist at his jaw in a bone-crunching punch. The impact hurt my knuckles, but I didn’t give a shit. I heard him cry out in agony and slump to the ground, but I didn’t see it, because I was already on my way to the barn. I was done with him now, and he could rot in hell as far as I was concerned.

As I sprinted over the hill in front of me, an odd warmth began to fill the air. Something felt alien and familiar about it all at once, and my heart began to race again. Fear coursed through my veins, warning me to back off, and it was almost as if my body knew what was happening before my brain did. Then I saw it. Yellow, red and orange flames lighting up the horizon. Fire. My worst enemy and biggest fear. Not again… An image of my mother filled my mind—one that was much clearer than

I’d seen in years. It stopped me dead in my tracks, and for a moment I wasn’t sure if I could ever move again. Then Sasha’s face replaced my mother’s and I felt my legs moving again. “Sasha?” I shouted, shoving the barn door down despite the searing heat that stung every inch of my skin. Smoke crept down into my chest and lungs, making it difficult to breathe, but I pushed forward. I couldn’t let her die. I couldn’t lose her. Luckily the barn wasn’t very big, so I spotted her through the billowing smoke only seconds later. She was standing upright, tied to a gate, but her

shoulders and head were slumped down. I gulped down the terrified thought that she might already be dead, because I couldn’t allow weakness to consume me now. I needed to be a superhero for her. Several burning wooden beams had fallen down around her, but thankfully nothing had hit her. She’d been lucky so far, and I needed to ensure that luck continued. I raced over towards her and quickly tried to untie her, but the knots made it impossible to tear the rope away. Jesus, what the hell had Travis and Becca been thinking? Was this seriously their idea of a fucking joke? This was fucking insane. If I hadn’t shown up, she would’ve died. I couldn’t even think about that right

now, though. She was still alive, and she was going to stay that way no matter what it took. My throat and chest were already racked with coughing from the smoke inhalation—and I knew where that could lead—so instead of continuing to try and free her from her bonds, I kicked the gate until the wood splintered, and once the structure was weakened, I wrenched it off the pen in several hard movements. I dragged her outside, still attached to the small wooden beams of the broken gate, and I barely even felt the scratches and splinters in my hands and arms—I just wanted to free her from this hell, and nothing else mattered. “Don’t worry, Sasha,” I said as I

finally managed to gasp some of the cool, fresh air outside. “I’m here now. You’re safe.” She didn’t reply; her body remained limp and her eyes were still closed, and an icy shard of fear stabbed through my guts. Please wake up, please wake up, I willed her. As I leaned close to her, I could hear that she was still breathing, and she had no sign of external injuries. Thank fuck for that. Adrenaline coursed through me as I tugged at the rope and duct tape, giving me what seemed like superhuman strength, and I finally managed to loosen and free her arms and legs, which meant I could lay her down on the ground to get a better look at her. She was still scarily

limp. I remembered some stuff from a first aid course I’d had to take in high school, so I rolled her into the recovery position and patted down her pockets until I found her phone in the back of her jeans. I didn’t have my phone on me, because in my haste to leave, I’d forgotten it, and I quickly dialed 911 on hers, praying all the while that she’d wake up. She still didn’t stir. Just as I got someone on the line and told them what had happened and where to send the police and ambulance, Sasha began to cough and splutter. Relief flooded through me, and I put the phone down and placed my hands under her head.

“Sasha? Oh, thank god…thank god. Are you okay?” I watched her force herself upright onto her elbows to cough some more. She looked dazed and confused, but she was well and truly alive—and that was all I needed in this moment. “What happened?” she panted, barely able to talk through all the coughing. “We’ll talk about it later,” I said. “Right now we just need to focus on getting you to a hospital. I’ve called 911, and they’re on their way, but if they’re not here in five minutes, I’m carrying you to my car and driving you to the hospital myself.”

She looked around to see the burning barn, and she gasped. I cringed at the look of horror in her eyes—fuck, she wasn’t ready to see this just yet. She’d only just woken up. “Oh god…I remember now. I was in there after Becca and Travis left me. You got me out. You saved me.” “Of course I did.” “But after what happened with your Mom…you said you were scared of fire.” “I was way more scared of losing you,” I replied. “The fire was nothing compared to that.” She gave me a weak smile and

squeezed my hand. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I don’t even know what else to say.” She might not have known what to say in this moment, but I did. “Sasha, I love you,” I said, gripping her hands. “I kept thinking I had to wait for the perfect moment to tell you, but there’s no such thing as a perfect moment. I should’ve just told you ages ago…I love you. I fucking love you.” “Logan, I—” Suddenly sirens burst into the background, distracting us from our intense conversation, and I jumped up in surprise. “They’re here already?”

But Sasha wasn’t listening to me; she was looking at her phone, which I’d dropped on the ground next to her. “It was Robin,” she said. “She’s been messaging me from her aunt’s phone. She called 911.” “She called me too. She’s the reason I knew where to find you,” I said. I needed her to know what a massive part her best friend had played in all of this. After all the betrayal she’d suffered, she needed to know just how many people cared about her. “Wow, thank god for Robin,” she said. “Oh, jeez…it hurts to breathe.” “I know. But it’ll be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you ever again.”

“It wasn’t your fault. Becca and Travis are totally fucked up. No one could’ve seen this coming, not in a million years.” “I still feel partly responsible.” She squeezed my hand. “I know, but you aren’t. And Logan…I love you too.” With that, she pressed her lips to mine. I knew the cops and EMTs were on their way over to us, but I didn’t care if they saw, and I kissed her back. Her lips and tongue tasted smoky, but it was still the sweetest kiss I’d ever had. A feminine voice called out to us a moment later. “Sasha!” Oh, shit. I knew that voice all too

well by now. We broke apart as if we’d been hosed down with ice cold water, and I looked up. In front of us were two paramedics holding a gurney, ready to take Sasha to the hospital, and behind them were two very familiar—and very confused—faces. “Well…I guess Robin called our parents, too,” Sasha murmured. Fuck.

Chapter 19 Sasha Thankfully, we weren’t in the hospital for long. It was all like a whirlwind; doctors, nurses, police officers and even a trauma therapist—all wanting to talk to me or examine me. I’d given the police my statement now, and Becca and Travis had already been tracked down and arrested. They’d had more than one kind of illicit substance on them, so I’d been right in assuming they were high out of their minds. Wherever they were going now, I knew they’d be there for a long time.

I was glad it was all over, because I already wanted the whole debacle to be put behind me. It had been an absolute nightmare, and I never wanted to give it another thought. I’d been lucky to have suffered almost no internal damage at all due to smoke inhalation, and aside from a few bruises on my wrists and legs where Becca and Travis had tied me up, I was fine. I was tired and didn’t exactly feel amazing, but I was alive. That was all that mattered, and I had both Robin and Logan to thank for that. The only problem with my hospital visit being over was that it meant I had to go and deal with another problem— my Mom and George. They’d seen me kissing Logan when they arrived with the

police and ambulance at the farm, but the EMTs had bundled me onto the gurney before Logan or I could even begin to explain. Seeing as Logan had gone into the burning building to rescue me, it was possible that he was suffering from smoke inhalation damage too, so the EMTs had insisted he come with us. We’d had a blissful five hours without having to explain anything about our relationship, but we knew we’d have to face the music eventually, and now here we were in our kitchen at home— about to incur the wrath of our parents. I’d pictured this moment happening in a number of different ways, but in my imagination, I’d always been prepared. I’d always had a speech at hand.

Right now, we were going in blind. “We’ll be okay,” Logan said, reaching over and squeezing my hand. He hadn’t been hurt at all in the fire, but his hair was still ashy and his shirt was filthy. “I hope so.” “As long as you’re around, it’ll always be okay,” he added. Suddenly we were kissing as if our lives depended on it, as inappropriate as the moment seemed. For all we knew, it could be the last time we got to be with each other before our parents did whatever they could to separate us. We heard someone clearing their

throat a moment later, and we looked up to see Martha. “Sorry, Martha,” I mumbled, tearing myself away from Logan. “It’s all right,” she said. “Your parents are in the sitting room. They’ve just finished speaking with the police about the arrest of the pair who took you, Sasha, and they want to see you now. Both of you.” “Okay. You knew about us before now, didn’t you?” Logan asked. “Well, I wasn’t born yesterday. I suspected it, yes.” “But you never said anything.” She smiled. “Wasn’t my place. I

knew everything would be sorted out one way or another. Don’t worry about your parents. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Logan stood up and hugged her, and I smiled. He might’ve grown up without a biological mother from the age of six onwards, but he’d always had a grandmother figure in Martha, and I was glad for that. We walked through the house until we reached the main sitting room, gently brushing our fingers together as we went. George and Mom were sitting on one sofa, and they gestured for us to sit down on the other. We awkwardly did as they asked and waited for one of them to start speaking.

My Mom spoke first. “We’re both very glad that you’re okay. Robin and the police filled us in on the details of what’s been going on with Becca and Travis, and we both want you to know that you can always come to us with any issues you have. We don’t ever want it to get to that stage again. You didn’t need to go through that alone, and we both wish we’d shown you that. It’s our fault for not paying enough attention. I’m sorry. I suppose I’ve just been so nervous about trying to fit in with this new lifestyle that I let everything else fall by the wayside. It won’t happen again.” I hadn’t expected to hear that. So far, so good.

“Now,” she continued, her face taking on a sterner expression. Here we go. “Will you tell us exactly what’s going on with you two?” “I’m sorry you had to find out like that,” I said quickly. “That wasn’t our intention at all. We know we should have told you sooner…” “But,” Logan interrupted, grabbing my hand. He gave it a reassuring squeeze. “We love each other. We’re serious about each other. I know we’re technically part of the same family, but we aren’t really related. We only just met two months ago, for Christ’s sake, and on top of that, we met before we even knew you two were together.”

Mom exchanged glances with George, and they were silent for a few seconds, which somehow felt like an eternity. My heart raced so fast I was certain it was about to explode right out of my ribcage, and I held my breath, unable to do a thing until I heard their response. George finally nodded. “Okay.” My eyes widened. “Okay?” He nodded again, and so did Mom. “If this is serious, and you two are happy, then we have no right to stop you. Like you said, you aren’t really related, and you met before we got married, which isn’t your fault, especially seeing as we surprised you with our wedding,”

he said. He paused and cleared his throat. “Of course, this is something we need to deal with in a sensitive manner. As you know, there’s a lot riding on this for all of us, but I’m pretty sure if we all work together, we can make this public without too much drama. Considering my opposition just had a far worse scandal involving your old friend Chelsea Bennett, I doubt anyone will care that my son is dating his brand new stepsister, especially with the added ‘hero’ aspect of you saving her from a fire.” Logan’s eyebrows shot up. “What did Chelsea do?” “Well, she started seeing a man recently, and she claimed he was her new modeling agent. He turned out to be

a rather well-known porn producer. That little fact is about to break in the media, so believe me…hardly anyone will bat an eyelid at your relationship.” I almost snorted with laughter. Poor, silly Chelsea. She’d been a bitch, but she hadn’t been anywhere near as bad as Becca and Travis, so at least her little sex scandal wouldn’t hold her back for too long. She’d probably be embarrassed for a while, but she’d bounce back. Rich girls with perfect hair tended to do that. “So…you’re really okay with us?” I asked, getting back to the subject at hand. My eyes flicked between everyone

in the room as I spoke. There was still a weird tension hanging in the air. Was I missing something? “Of course. It wasn’t what we expected to happen at all, but we’ll support you. We love you,” Mom said. “Well,” Logan said, his tone bitter. “You love Sasha. But you don’t need to lie to me on my Dad’s behalf, Kari, as much as I appreciate what you’ve both said today.” I sucked in a deep breath. Now didn’t seem like the right time to be bringing up this issue, but Logan was obviously dead-set on airing everything out right here and right now. I tried to catch hold of his hand, but his arms

folded in front of him as he stared at George. “I love you, son,” George said. “I do.” “Really? Because it feels more like you’ve just tolerated me for the last fourteen years. You barely even speak to me or look at me.” “I…” “It’s fine, Dad. I know why, and I deserve it. It’s because of the fire… because I started it.” George rubbed his eyes and sighed. “I don’t blame you for that fire at all. You didn’t start it. I’ve told you this before, it was an electrical fault…”

“No,” Logan cut in, his face like stone. “It was me. I was playing with matches in the backyard earlier on that day, just before the fire started. I know you’ve said it was a wiring fault, but you’ve acted like I don’t even exist since then. Why else would you be like that, if it wasn’t my fault? You won’t even let me look at pictures of her.” George sighed again. “Logan, I wasn’t lying to make you feel better when I told you the fire was started by an electrical fault. Your mother had a curling iron in our bathroom, and even though she’d switched it off after using it, something went wrong with the power outlet, and the fire started. The fire department confirmed it beyond a

shadow of a doubt. I know you used to play with matches, but you did not cause that fire. If anything, it was my fault. I’d been meaning to have the outlets checked for a while, but I kept putting it off.” He took a deep breath and continued. “And if I’ve been distant…well, I know this is no excuse, and I’m very sorry, but I didn’t mean to. It’s just that you look so much like her. Same eyes, same nose… everything. You’re like the male version of her. It hurt me to see you growing up, because every day, you looked more and more like her, and like I said, I blamed myself for her loss, and seeing you just reminded me. After a while, I suppose it became easier for me to stop spending as much time with you. I thought I could

make up for that by sending you to the best schools and giving you the best of everything. But I was wrong.” This seemed to absolutely floor Logan, and he didn’t say a word as George continued. “As for the pictures, I didn’t want you to know how much you looked like her, because I thought it would make you miss her and blame yourself even more, so I hid all the old photos of her. I shouldn’t have done that either,” George continued. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes, Logan, but I don’t want to lose you. I’m sorry. It was never my intention to neglect you, but I suppose I have. I’ve been an awful father.”

“So it really wasn’t my fault,” Logan said, his shoulders slumping. “I didn’t kill Mom.” “You had nothing to do with her death. I really didn’t intend on being such a bad father to you, but I’m only human. I didn’t know what else to do, but I can see that the manner in which I’ve acted around you has been misconstrued. It’s my fault. I hope one day you can start to forgive me.” Logan was silent for a very uncomfortable five minutes, and then he gave his father a curt nod. “Okay. I forgive you.” “Logan, you don’t need to forgive me right away,” George said. I could see his

eyes glistening. “I understand that you’ll need time to think things through and really start to—” Logan cut him off. “No. I don’t need time. We’ve already wasted enough of these years, and I already lost Mom. I don’t need to lose you too.” My eyebrows shot up as Logan stood up and extended a hand to George, and tears of happiness filled my eyes as they shook hands and then pulled each other into a gruff, manly hug. Mom smiled at me and patted my hand, and I smiled back at her. I’d thought it was good enough that our parents were okay with us being together, but this was something else

entirely. With George’s admittance of what he’d done, and Logan’s forgiveness for the years they’d been distant as a result of that, we could finally start to be a real, solid family. Granted, it was a rather strange family we had here—me, George, my Mom, my boyfriend who just so happened to be George’s son, and Martha, but it was ours all the same, and I couldn’t hope for anything more. Being part of a real family meant being loved, no matter what. Forever.

Chapter 20 Logan 2 years later In the last couple of years, some things had remained wonderfully constant. Sasha and I were going steady, our parents were still married, we’d maintained our friendship with Robin— she had a great new boyfriend who we’d also become close with—and I was still in college at Murdoch, with three months to go before I officially started law school. That didn’t mean everything had stayed the same, though; hell no. A lot

had changed. The first major change had been the shift in the dynamic between my father and me. Now that I knew why he’d acted the way he had around me, and now that I knew I hadn’t been responsible for my mother’s death, our relationship had grown much stronger. It was better than I could have ever hoped for in the past, given our rocky history. It was a lot easier for us to talk about Mom now, and he’d even given me all the things he’d hidden from me for so long—photos, jewelry and other memorabilia. The second change was the criminal trial for Becca and Travis, which had happened four months after they’d been arrested. It had given us all a sense of

peace and finality with the issue. Neither of them had bothered trying to plead not guilty, probably due to the overwhelming evidence, and because of that, Sasha hadn’t needed to testify, but it’d been nerve-wracking all the same. They’d been charged with attempted extortion, possession of illicit substances, kidnapping and attempted murder in the second degree, and they’d been put away for a long time. If they ever managed to get out on parole, they weren’t allowed anywhere near us, and besides—if they ever tried to fuck with Sasha again, they’d regret it. I’d make sure of it. The third change was our parents announcing that they were having a baby just after the trial had ended. Sasha and I

now had a little brother called Jack, and while it was kinda weird that we were in a romantic relationship and yet both related to our baby sibling, we’d become accustomed to it. I loved babysitting Jack, and doing so made me realize how much I loved kids. I’d never thought about it all that much in the past, but now I couldn’t wait to have kids— with Sasha, of course. We still weren’t in the right place in life to think about doing that anytime soon, but we’d get there. All in good time. Martha was over the moon about the baby Jack situation, too. She’d moved into our parents’ place permanently to help out with him, and she’d always

make jokes about me having been replaced by Jack as her favorite boy. It was all in good fun, and I’d tease her right back. She was well and truly part of the family, and she always would be. It just showed that sometimes, the best families weren’t the one who were all biologically related. Sometimes, the best families were made up of people that chose to be together as a family. That was exactly what we’d all done. During all of these changes, Sasha and I had started to become publicly known as a couple. We did this slowly, trying to draw as little attention to ourselves as possible. Despite our best efforts, our parents had still been forced

to fend off a lot of awkward questions, but they’d done a brilliant job of supporting us wholeheartedly and making our transition into the public eye as smooth as possible. Because of them, we were increasingly becoming accepted by everyone else. Sasha and I had also eventually decided to get a place of our own, because the more we grew as a couple, the more we wanted our own space, despite how close we were to our family. The apartment we were renting now was pretty small and old, but it was cozy and homely, just like I’d always wanted. I didn’t care if I never got to live in a huge mansion again—I just wanted a comfortable home with my

girl. She’d changed me and made me grow in ways that I’d never expected, and I was ready to take the next step towards moving on with my life. I wanted her to know that…and pretty soon, she would. Strolling through the apartment, I found her curled up on our creamcolored sofa with her head buried in a book. I couldn’t help but smile at how content she looked. “Babe?” I said quietly, not wanting to disturb her if she was really lost in the book’s plot. She looked up and smiled. “Yeah?” “Do you have a few minutes? I have

something I want to show you.” There was a nervous edge to my voice, and I was sure she could hear it. “Of course,” she replied. Whatever I needed, she was willing to give me, every single time. She really was my perfect match. She followed me downstairs and outside to my car, and we drove in silence until we reached the cemetery closest to the house I’d grown up in; the one that had burned down all those years ago. Sasha squeezed my hand as we headed through the main gate, but I couldn’t make eye contact with her. It was taking all that I had just to stay

strong. She would understand once we got there. I knew she would. We wandered along, still holding on to one another until we finally came across a marble headstone, and I stopped dead in my tracks. “Marie Ryder. Your mother,” Sasha murmured, peering at the engravings on the headstone. “Yeah,” I said, sitting down in front of it. Sasha followed suit. “I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted you here with me today. Today would have been her fiftieth birthday.” “Of course I don’t mind,” she replied quietly. “I’m glad you brought me here.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes, lost in our own thoughts until I felt ready to talk again. “The more stuff Dad shows me, the more I remember about her and all the things we did when I was a kid.” “That’s great. What was she like?” Sasha asked. “She was kind, generous, fun… she always had time to play with me. She was just the best. Losing her was the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.” “I know,” she said, squeezing my hand again. “I’m sorry.” “The more photos I see, the more I can understand why Dad found it

difficult to look at me. She really did look so similar to me. It’s getting better now, though. Yesterday I looked at a picture of her, and instead of guilt and sadness, all I felt was happiness, because all I could see when I looked at it was the happy memory of a trip we took to Disneyland when I was really young. That’s when I knew I was finally ready to come and see her here. I haven’t been here since I was a child.” She gently rubbed my arm. “And how is it? Are you okay being here?” I nodded. “Yeah. You’ve helped me get here, you know. You’ve helped me piece myself back together.” “You’ve helped me too,” she said.

“I have?” “Logan, you literally saved me from a burning building two years ago.” I grinned. “Well, aside from that.” She matched my smile, but it faded only seconds later. “I just meant…when our parents got married, I was kinda screwed up. I was so used to it just being me and my Mom, and deep down, I felt like my Dad was being betrayed by her marrying someone else, even though he died more than fifteen years ago. But you—and your Dad, too—made me realize that I could have a big family again, even though we’re a pretty weird family,” she said. “I know I don’t talk about my father much, but he was great.

He was just like you say your mother was; gentle, kind, and loving. But I’ve accepted that he’s gone, and I know Mom and I are allowed to move on and be happy without feeling guilty anymore. I just needed that push, and I got it when I had to move in with you and your father. Believe it or not, all those dumb pranks you used to play on me made me feel at home; like we were just old friends acting like idiots.” “I guess I’ll have to start planning some more practical jokes, then,” I said, my eyes twinkling. She grinned and shook her head, and I leaned over and kissed her. I would never, ever get tired of kissing this woman. She tasted so sweet and her lips

were so soft; the most perfect thing I’d ever had in my life. I could feel a weight lifting from my shoulders as we embraced, as if every problem I’d ever had was evaporating into thin air. Coming here today had been a good choice, and I knew wherever my Mom was now, she was looking down at us, happy to see where we were at with our lives. “We need to go,” I finally said, rising to my feet. “We’ve got that lunch thing with our parents. Can I have a second alone, though?” She nodded. “Sure. I’ll wait in the car.” I waited for her to start walking

away, and then I turned and knelt at my mother’s grave once more. “That was Sasha,” I said. “I wish you could meet her in person. You’d love her. I do, more than anything. Oh, and by the way…Dad gave me your old ring. I’m waiting until a few things are done, and then I’m giving it to her. I hope that’s okay with you. I’ve got this whole plan set up, and she’s going to be so surprised.” I stared at the headstone for another moment, and the sun chose that moment to come out from behind a cloud above me. I widened my eyes with surprise as I looked up at the sky. I wasn’t usually a big believer in signs or anything of the sort, but in this particular moment, I knew it was a sign. My mother approved

of what I was planning to do when the time was right, and I’d made a good choice. I guess that wasn’t really a surprise at all. Sasha would always be the right choice for me.

Chapter 21 Sasha Six months later The way Logan doted on Jack was amazing. He was just over a year old now, and he already had the most devoted older brother that any kid could want. Whenever we went to visit our parents, Logan seemed determined to shower Jack with all the love he possibly could, and it made me see what a good father he would be when we eventually had children ourselves—not that we were anywhere near ready for

that yet. We still had so much to do before we could even think about starting our own family. Logan had recently finished his pre-law undergraduate degree, and he’d started law school. He’d also found a part-time job to help support us about a year and a half ago, and even though law school was hectic for him, he somehow managed to balance it all. As for myself, I’d finished my psychology degree, and I was working as a social worker and counselor for kids who’d lost one or both of their parents. The money wasn’t exactly amazing, but I loved what I did, and it had initially clicked for me because it was something I had experience in.

Logan did too, so he was very proud of the career choice I’d made. Right now, I was at our parents’ house, sitting in the kitchen and talking to Mom and George as we sipped on coffee. I could hear Logan and Martha playing peek-a-boo with Jack in the lounge room. “They’ve been doing that for ages,” I said, nodding towards the other room. “I know. You two and Martha are a godsend, taking care of Jack so often. Gives me some time to relax occasionally,” Mom replied with a smile as she stretched her arms. She was sleep-deprived and exhausted from late-night feedings, but I

knew she was absolutely loving being a mother all over again. Since she’d married George and finally become used to being the wife of a famous politician, she’d really changed for the better. She’d finally settled down for the first time since my father died, and George was the right man for her to do that with. Like Logan had once observed, they didn’t seem to have much in common on the surface, but they loved each other and did everything they could to support each other, and that made them a perfect couple. George was really enjoying his second round of fatherhood, too. I could see that he was determined to do a better job this time around, and at the same

time, he was making a great effort to include Logan as much as possible to make up for all the years they’d spent acting like distant strangers. They were like brand new people with the past finally behind them, and it was like a miracle to see how much their relationship had changed. “Anyway, you should probably head off,” George said, glancing at his watch. “Don’t you and Logan have plans this afternoon?” I shook my head. “No, nothing planned. I assumed we’d stay here for lunch like we did last Saturday.” George gave me a puzzled look, and I saw Mom elbow him under the table.

He coughed and cleared his throat. “Oh, yes, I’m thinking of someone else who said they had plans this afternoon. Never mind,” he said, but I wasn’t convinced. Something was going on, but I had no idea what it could possibly be. Logan appeared at the entrance to the kitchen a moment later. “We should get going,” he said, gently handing Jack over to Mom. “Don’t you want to eat?” I asked. He shook his head. “Nah, not hungry. I can pick something up for you on our way home, though, if you’re hungry.” I narrowed my eyes slightly. There had to be something going on. Logan ate like a horse, and the chances of him

passing up a free lunch at our parents’ house were very slim. I glanced around to everyone in turn, but no one would make eye contact with me—even Martha, who’d just walked in as well. Mom’s lips were twitching, like she was trying her hardest to stop herself from smiling or laughing, and I arched an eyebrow. “What’s going on? Did Logan stick a sign on my back saying ‘kick me’?” I asked. “How immature do you think I am?” Logan replied, feigning a hurt expression. “Do I look like the type of guy to play silly pranks like that?” “Careful, or you might find another

snake in the shower,” I said with a teasing smile as I playfully elbowed him. “Seriously though, what’s going on? You’re all being so weird.” “Nothing’s going on,” Logan replied. “I just really need to get home to work on an assignment for my comparative law class.” My shoulders slumped, and I nodded. I must’ve just been imagining everyone acting suspiciously. Once we’d said our goodbyes and headed off in the car, I spoke up again, just in case. “Are you sure there’s nothing going on?” Logan shifted uncomfortably in the driver’s seat. “Uh-huh. We’re just going

home, that’s all.” I narrowed my eyes at him, knowing for sure that something was going on now. He never looked this nervous about anything. “Logan…” I said in a warning tone. “I’m not lying,” he said. “We’re going home. Really.” “But you missed the turnoff for our apartment,” I said, looking back and watching the sign disappear into the distance. I saw a vague smile quirking up the corners of his lips, and I sat back and kept my mouth shut for the rest of the duration of our drive. He obviously had something planned, but he wasn’t going

to tell me until he was ready. Ten minutes later, we pulled up outside a beautiful two-story house on a large block of land. It was much bigger than our apartment, but nowhere as big as our parents’ place—a happy medium. “What’s this?” I asked as Logan removed his seatbelt. “I’ll tell you in a minute.” He stepped out of the car, and I followed him, still confused. Logan grabbed my hand as we stopped outside the house. “The block of land here is where my old family house was. Dad kept it after the house burned down. He couldn’t bear to sell it, so it’s

just been sitting here.” “I see.” “But about eight months ago, he finally sold it.” “Oh?” “Yeah. He sold it to me in return for me giving half of my trust fund back to him. He said he would’ve just given it to me, but that didn’t seem fair. He’s given me too many free rides in life, with all his money. So we came to that little arrangement instead.” My mind was racing now, and my heart pounded as I stared up at him. What exactly was he saying? “When I haven’t been busy with

study and work, I’ve been organizing the rebuilding and renovation of the house. For us,” he continued. “That’s what I spent the other half of the trust fund on, and also some extra money from my job that I put aside.” My hand flew to my mouth. “Really? For us?” He nodded. “I know you might think it’s strange, seeing as this is the land where the fire that killed my Mom happened, but before that, all I had here were happy memories. It was a great piece of land to raise a child on. When she was still here, I remember Mom always saying that she wanted me to have this place when I grew up, for my own kids. There’s a little pond and river

that run through the back, and there’s even this little grove of trees I used to play in. It’s perfect, really. So if you want it, this is ours. This can be our home. But I’ll understand if you’d rather live elsewhere.” “No, I don’t want to live anywhere else,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “I love it. This is amazing, Logan. I think your Mom would be really happy that you rebuilt it like this. It’s so beautiful.” His shoulders slumped with relief, and I turned back to look at the house again. Despite the tragedy of what happened here when Logan was six, I could easily envision the wonderful future we could have there. Living under

this roof with all the love and laughter in the world was the absolute best way that Logan could pay respects to his mother’s memory, especially seeing as she had told him she wanted him to have this place when he grew up. From everything I’d heard of her, she’d been a wonderful woman, and she deserved to have her wishes honored. “Can we go inside?” I asked. “Sure.” He grabbed hold of my hand and led me through the front door. Once we were inside, I raced from room to room like an excited child. There was still a lot of decorating that needed doing—that was a good thing, because I could help out

and add my own special touches—but everything we could ever need was there. There was a beautifully furnished living room, a fully-equipped kitchen, dining room, laundry room, two bathrooms, an office and three spacious bedrooms—including the master bedroom, which took up the entire top floor and had a cozy little home theater set up on one side. One of the walls in that room was almost entirely glass, meaning we had a fantastic view over the land, including the little river and patch of trees Logan had mentioned earlier. It was like being in our own little world. “I love it so much,” I said as I stood

there, mesmerized by the view. “I can’t believe you’ve been working on this for so long, and I had no idea.” “I’m really glad you love it. I hated hiding something from you for so long, but I wanted to surprise you with it like this, when it was all built,” Logan replied, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. He kissed my neck and whispered in my ear. “By the way, that isn’t everything. I have another surprise for you too.” Another surprise already? “Ooh, are you getting a pool put in? That’d be cool,” I said, peering down at the spacious backyard. “Not a pool, no. But we can discuss

that another time,” he said, pulling away from me. When he didn’t elaborate on what the other surprise was, I turned around to see him down on one knee, holding out a stunning diamond ring. It was classically cut and looked like a vintage setting, and without him saying a word, I knew it was one of his mother’s rings. My heart leapt, and my hand flew to my mouth in shock. “Sasha,” he said. “From the very first moment I met you, you’ve changed my life. You’ve made me grow and become a real man, and when I look at you, I’m home. You’ve been with me through thick and thin, and I don’t know where I’d be without you. I never want

to find out. I want to love you, to hold you, to give you everything you need for the rest of your life. I want to see your smiling face every day, and I want to do everything in my power to keep you happy forever.” Tears of joy were flowing freely down my face now. Of all the things I might have suspected, this hadn’t been it at all. Logan had always been good at surprising me…and let me tell you, this was a far better surprise than a mouthful of bright red teeth. “So, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?” he asked. “Yes!” I replied. I was nodding so

hard that I thought my head might fall right off, and I hadn’t even taken a second to think about my answer, because I didn’t need to. I knew where my heart lay, and it was with Logan forever. He slid the ring onto my hand, then picked me up and spun me around in the air until we were both laughing with joy. Then he slid me down his body until our noses were touching, and he rested his forehead against mine. “I love you, Sasha,” he murmured. “I love you too,” I replied. “Always and forever.” From the moment Logan and I had first met, falling in love had been

inevitable. That much I knew for sure, and when I thought back to the actual manner in which we’d met—through an online dating app—and all that we’d been through since then, it was beyond crazy. The good kind of crazy. The silly arguments, the prank wars, the kissing and making up…everything had always been so right between us, even when we hadn’t been able to recognize that. We were like night and day in our differences sometimes, but as they say, opposites attract, and that silly Matcher app had been right about us. We were a perfect match. THE END

Want to keep updated on Caitlin’s new releases? Sign up for her newsletter to be the first to know about new books, specials and promotions! Copy and paste this link into your web browser: http://eepurl.com/blFf9X