“Hold on, pretty girl,” he says before pealing down the road toward the academy.14HERTHE PASTThe brightness of the day shimmers in the clear, blue sky, and I bask in the warmth. Laughter and chatter surround me, but I keep my eyes closed. Knowing I’ll be able to see him soon keeps me calm. It’s stupid to crush on him, but I know he’ll want me when he realizes I’m better for him than she is. I would never do the things to him that she does, and all he has to do is see it.
My skin prickles suddenly, and it’s as if he’s right here, touching me, running those long fingers over my bared skin. The bikini is sexy, with bright red strings that hold up the scraps of material covering my important bits.
When I glance to the side, I see him. He’s dressed in a pair of blue shorts that hug tapered hips, and I lick my lips when I notice the chiseled V that’s cut deep into his waistband. For an older man, he’s deliciously tempting, so consider me Eve in the Garden of Eden and him the apple.
They settle onto their blankets as they laugh at something. A picnic basket I’m guessing holds tasty treats along with drinks that bubble beside them. One thing I have noticed is that he doesn’t spare any expense when it comes to food. Even in his own home, while he’s cooking dinner, there are items of only organic quality.
It’s only been two months since I first laid eyes on him. The party pops into mind, and I recall just how his gaze burned into me. It was purely by accident, but the times after were on purpose.
He couldn’t resist the pull of the forbidden, and now neither can I. Desire flits through me at the memory and how the warmth of his body against mine sent me spiraling out of control. I spun around in his arms, and when the music stopped, he didn’t let go. He held on until it was the final moment.
But he had no idea who I was. Even that night, when he tried to call my name, he couldn’t, because I’d vanished like Cinderella on the night of the ball. I didn’t leave a shoe behind, and I most certainly didn’t think I’d be the one to find him.
But here we are.
He grins at her. But he doesn’t lean in to kiss her, which I’m grateful for. They sit back, and I notice how his gaze is on the ocean instead of the woman beside him. She picks up a book, a romance novel I’ve already devoured on my Kindle, and she flips the pages open until she settles back.
They seem like the loving couple most times. But there are those moments I pick up on the animosity that lingers between them. I’m not sure why they may feel like that about each other, but it’s there, thick and heavy.
I smile as I lie back on my towel and close my eyes. Time to catch some rays before I’m meeting a friend. Well, a friend with a multitude of benefits. But he knows, the moment he sinks into my body, it’s a stranger I’m thinking of.
And it’s him I’ll get someday soon.15ElianThe familiar rumble gets louder with every passing second, and when it reaches the academy, everyone turns to see my brother pulling into a parking space. His passenger is holding onto him as if he were her lifeline. Annoyance grips me, its fingers cloying at my insides, but it’s only when the passenger pulls the helmet off that my body grows cold with jealousy.
It’s never happened to me before. Ahren and I have had our fun. We’ve also had our agreements, and no other woman has caused me to simmer with the need to possess her like Arabella does. And I don’t know how I’m going to share her with him.
Perhaps it’s time I spoke to Ahren and pulled out of this arrangement. Because if I had to be brutally honest with myself, with my brother, I don’t think I can allow him to have her.
She climbs off the bike as if it’s no bother her being with him. A smile lights up her face, making my chest ache with the need to see her smile like that at me. She hands him back the helmet before planting a kiss on his cheek, which only causes my hands to fist at my sides.
Ahren glances my way, tipping his head in greeting with his smile telling me he’s doing this to rile me up. My decision is made—I don’t want her with my brother. She can’t be with him because he’s bad for her. But then, what does that make me?
Arabella sashays her ass toward me, her eyes sparking with challenge when she reaches me. Her lips are once again glossy and shiny, and I’m tempted to swipe that sticky shit off and give her something to grin about.