I lean in and take the tip of the spoon in my mouth, and my taste buds burst with flavors. “That’s good, Mama Joy,” I tell her with a wink. Moments later, three bodies enter the kitchen, catching Joy’s attention, and I glance over my shoulder to meet her gaze. The golden-brown shimmering eyes that draw me in hold me hostage for a moment, not too long, but long enough.
“And who is this young beauty?” Joy coos, as she races toward Nesrin. “I’m Joy, you can call me Mama, just like the boys do,” she informs our new stepsister, which only irritates me more. She has no right to call her anything because she shouldn’t be here.
I move through the space, pushing open the door and making my way out into the garden. I can’t be in the same space as her. Even though I’m dying to inhale her scent, to delve into her mind and see what secrets she has hidden there, I can’t. I know I can’t because my father will kill me.
“Is there something you’d like to tell me?” Cass’s voice comes from behind me, but I don’t turn to regard my brother. I can’t because, if I do, he’ll notice that I’m affected by the new girl.
“What would there be to tell you?” Even as I ask it, I hear the inflection of frustration in my voice. Normally, I can play it cool, but the irritation that’s got a hold of me has latched its claws in, and I don’t see how I’ll be free of it.
“I don’t know, D,” he says, stepping up beside me. Staring out at the garden, I realize now why my father had that atrocity installed. The greenhouse sits far behind our house, filled with plants and flowers of every color. But most of all, the roses that seem to blossom in their pots.
He chose to get it set up a month ago and had a variety of specialists in to set up the greenery. But it was only when he had those roses brought in that I was fascinated. Now I know why.
Our stepmother has a love of the flower. Naming her daughter Nesrin, which means Wild Rose in Persian, has to be a sign that he was trying to impress her.
“There’s nothing to say,” I tell him, finally facing my brother. “I’m just making sure that I keep my distance like father wanted.” I make a move to go inside, but Cassian is hot on my heels. In the kitchen, we find it empty, but I can hear Joy gushing over Nesrin.
I’m not sure where Finn has disappeared to, but I would hazard a guess that he’s gone into town to meet up with one of his fuck buddies. Even though Thorne Haven is small, my youngest brother has found a way around it by fucking every girl within a ten-mile radius of Thorne Manor.
“You don’t have to lie to me,” Cassian says, causing me to stop dead in my tracks. He’s trying to goad me, taunting me, so I will admit I find Nesrin attractive.
“And what lie would that be?”
“You know you can’t go for her,” he tells me, something that’s glaringly clear to me. Even good old Bradford made sure that I was well aware the girl was off-limits.
“If you haven’t noticed, I’m not averse to fucking beautiful women, but she’s nothing more than a girl. That’s all. And also, I didn’t realize that keeping it in the family meant that she was even on the table.” Tipping my head to the side, I narrow my eyes on Cass, whose mouth has quirked playfully. The fucker always gets to me, no matter how I try to ignore him.
“Just saying, big brother,” he says. “Just saying.” I watch him retreat toward the gym, and I’m tempted to join him, not because I want to work out, but just to focus on something other than the fact that her bedroom is opposite mine.
I head up the stairs, taking them two at a time. When I reach my bedroom door and shove it open, I’m tempted to turn to glance at hers. I wonder if she’s inside, or if she’s decided to shower before dinner.
Shaking my head to clear the images that the thought conjures, I shut my door with a kick so harsh, the wood reverberates sending vibrations through the walls. The first thing I do is flick on the music and strip off my clothes. In my attached bathroom, I turn on the shower and step under the spray, before it has time to heat.
The cold bristles against my skin. My lungs pull in a quick breath before I close my eyes and focus on everything other than the girl who’s merely a few meters away from me.
Back in my bedroom, I pull on a pair of black jeans, my boots, and a navy-blue shirt that I button up, leaving the top four buttons undone. I roll up my cuffs to my elbows and stare at my reflection.