Page 71 of All the Forbidden Things

“You’ll soon be the princess of this place. Sorry, but the role of queen has already been taken by moi. And, yes, considering the genes you and your brother were obviously blessed with, I’m sure I would totally have gone for your dad had I met him. So, on that score, while I’m very sorry for your loss, I’m also sorry for mine.”

I liked his forwardness and honesty. After the bullshit I’d just had to deal with, I appreciated the fact he’d been upfront about knowing exactly who I was.

“I’m short, chubby, and I have red hair, a face full of freckles, and a mouth full of metal.” I gave him a toothy smile, flashing him my braces.“I most definitely was not blessed with the same genes as my dad and brother.”

“Pffft, princess, we shall see. All of this”—he flapped his hands around in my general direction—“is the duckling, the caterpillar. Give it a couple of years, and the swan, the butterfly will emerge, mark my words.”

Daniel Milliano remains, to this day, outside of my family, my very best friend.

I shake my head before I disappear inside it again, smile down at the wriggling bundle lying on my bed, and decide to text Daniel.

Me: Fancy a retail adventure on Saturday?

It takes only seconds before I get a reply.

Glam Dan: Fuck yeah! It’s been forever.

Me: It has. We’ll make a day of it. Liquid lunch on me.

Glam Dan: I’m there with pretty pink bows on, baby girl.

Me: Coolio. I’ll message you Friday with all the deets. I have soooooo much to tell you!

Glam Dan: ?????????????

Me: Saturday, Dude. All will be revealed. Love you xoxo

Glam Dan: Bish! Love you way MORE than you deserve right now! Xoxo

Leaving him hanging like that will be driving him mad. Daniel loves to knowallthe gossip.

I find the whole celebrity thing exhausting, and I’m eternally grateful my brother met Mel, early on in his career and chose to settle down andnotto live their lives in the public eye.

Jay is the same. He flies so far under the radar that even hard-core fans of the band often forget he’s a member. Max and Jake, not so much.

Layla’s cry interrupts my thoughts.

“And just wait till Daniel meets you, Miss Layla! He’s gonna wanna squish that gorgeous little face of yours and kiss it all over before dressing you inallof the pink and sparkly things.”

I lean in and blow a raspberry on the side of her neck. She tenses but then smiles as she grabs a fistful of my hair. I pry it from her tight little grip, and she gives another small cry of protest before shoving her fist into her mouth, legs still pumping in sync with the music. Etta James is belting out “At Last,” one of my all-time favourite songs.

I lift Layla from the bed and sing along with Etta as I dance around the room with her, losing myself in the meaning of the lyrics. One day,I think, it’ll be my turn. Because it is something I want. Iwantto fall in love. I want tobeloved. I want marriage and kids. Something real. But, for now, I’ll just have to make do with the horny schoolgirl crush I continue to have on Max Young.

Etta is replaced by Whitney, and I join her, singing loudly about the greatest love of all but come to a halt when I hear someone clear their throat behind me.

I turn, really slowly, and find Max leaning on the frame of my bedroom door. A plain white T-shirt with a checked flannel shirt left unbuttoned over the top and jeans have never looked so good on anyone. Not a single person to walk this earth, male or female, has ever, couldever,look as good as Max Young does right now.

His arms are folded across his chest, legs crossed at the ankle, shoulder leaning against the doorframe, eyes on me.

Holding Layla against my chest, I remain motionless. He unfolds his right arm and moves his hand to his mouth, and I stare as he strokes his bottom lip between his index finger and thumb before saying, “Didn’t know you could sing like that, Bamm.”

The inside of my mouth is so dry that my lips are sticking to my teeth, so I don’t even attempt to speak. I simply stand there, taking in the view while becoming acutely aware of what feels like a pulse thrumming between my legs, making it apparent exactly where all of the moisture from my mouth has travelled to.

My internal muscles pull tight and release as I fight to contain the shudder that ripples through me. Fucking hell. He is such a fine specimen of everything a male should be, everything about a male that appeals to me, anyway.

Thoughts turn to the vibrator I unpacked earlier and placed in the top drawer of the small chest next to my bed. My eyes slide in that direction, making sure the drawer’s closed properly and nothing’s been left on show. Heat travels up my neck and smothers my cheeks. When my gaze slices back towards Max, his eyes are also on the drawers. Does he know what I have stashed in there?

No.