Page 11 of Rival Hearts

“Yeah, my brother wanted me to party the night away with him since I’m in town now for good—”

“Charlie?” Alex asked, his eyes wide.

I frowned. “Yeah…” Only my brother ever called me that.

“You’re… you’re fucking Charlie? Oh… shit.”

I shook my head. “Charlotte. My friends call me Lottie but Gabe has called me Charlie since we were kids and it stuck.”

“You’re Gabe’s sister.”

I blinked at him. “Why is this a thing?”

“I’m Alexander Blackwood.”

I stared at him, the words finally making sense. The car, the clothes, the penthouse… how could I have missed it?

“You’rethe Blackwood my brother keeps talking about? You’re… his best friend.”

“This was a mistake,” Alex said. “If he finds out—”

“Why didn’t you tell me who you were?” I tucked the sheets against my chest. “You didn’t say you weretheBlackwood.”

“I didn’t want you to know.”

The illusion was starting to crumble. There it was, the fatal flaw. Alex wasn’t as perfect as I’d thought he was.

“You didn’t tell me who you were so you could fuck me,” I said.

“What? No. Well, yes.” He groaned. “But not like that. I mean, you weresogreat. And I was scared that if you knew who I was—”

“My brother’s best friend—”

“You wouldn’t want to—”

“Get in your bed?”

“Get to know me,” Alex corrected.

“You’re damn right about that.” I got out of bed, dragging the sheets with me. “I would have stayed clear. I’ve read all about you and your brothers in the paper. You do whatever it takes to stay on top.”

“I recall you liking me on top.”

I scowled. “I can’t believe this.”

I walked out of the room in search of my clothes in the living room, which was a lot more spectacular in the daytime, but now I knew where his money came from—manufacturing yachts that pretty much ruined the ocean life with the waste they produced—it wasn’t nearly as attractive.

Hell, money had never been attractive. It had been my dad’s only driving force, too. I knew all about how dangerous money could be.

I got dressed, putting on the items of clothing as I found them.

Alex came out wearing boxers, and despite knowing who he was and that he’d lied to me about it, he was still a treat to look at.

I forced myself to look away.

“I can’t believe you did this,” I said.

“Me? It takes two to tango, sweetheart.”