Page 21

The screeching of the guitar riffs clashes with the aggressive drumming of Shattered Monarchy’s punk rock music blasting from the speakers in the apartment.

Liam’s twenty-fourth birthday party is chaos.

Literally.

My cheeks hurt from the social smile etched on my face as I do my required mingling with his hacker friends, most of whom I don’t recognize.

Neon strobe lights ricochet around the room and somewhere near the corner, a machine is churning out a scentless fog, swathing the place in a blanket of white.

The fucker—or one of his buddies—rented a smoke machine.

Soda cans, half eaten snacks, empty shot glasses, and hard liquor bottles litter our normally immaculate living room.

Liam currently has a girl with pink hair on his lap as he drinks a Jell-O shot from her mouth.

Fuck. I can barely hear myself think here.

The doorbell sounds.

I wonder how many more people we can cram into this place before we get a noise complaint from the neighbors.

Blowing out a breath, I yank open the door without looking into the peephole.

Suddenly, my night turns from dreary to a lot better.

Because my Nova is standing on the other side.

My lips hike up as I take in her appearance—her thick hair tied into a braid, her luscious body poured into a formfitting black tank top and jeans.

She’s holding two large paper bags .

She beams and pulls out a six-pack of beer—Pintzer, of course—and a bottle of lavender and honey iced tea from Estelle’s.

I grab the other heavier bag from her.

“What’s this?” I peer inside.

“Take a guess.” She bites her plump bottom lip, a devious glint in her eyes.

My cock twitches, and I lose my train of thought, immediately reliving the scandalous night we had last week, where I made her come two more times after I took her virginity.

Fuck. I’m the only man who’s been with her.

More heated blood rushes to my groin.

Alexis’s eyes widen at whatever she sees on my face, and she licks those tempting lips again.

The sounds from the party fade away and all I can hear are my rioting heartbeats as I fight the urge to hoist her over my shoulder, caveman style, and have my way with her in the bedroom.

“I swear if you keep looking at me like that, I’ll—”

“Firefly! You made it!” Liam claps my shoulder and I jump.

Shit. I really need to be more careful, but I always lose my mind around her.

She grins at her brother.

“I didn’t think you’d invite me to your ‘precious’ party.”

“Eh. I figured you’re in college and all, so you’re probably partying it up now.”

“I was partying it up in high school.”

Liam shakes his head.

“I don’t want to know about it. So, what have you got there?” He eyes the drinks in her hand.

“They’re for me, Liam. Don’t even think about it.” I close the door behind Alexis.

“Dude, how do you know they’re for you? It’s my birthday.” He grabs the six-pack, looks at the label, and blanches.

“Ugh. Pintzer. Never liked the taste. You have at it.”

He shoves the drinks at me before he slings an arm around Alexis, the way a protective older brother will .

“Seriously, Firefly, don’t you know by now your brother likes whiskey and not beer? And if I had to drink beer, it’d be Colgan’s? Fail, sis. Complete fail. And where’s my birthday present?”

Alexis chuckles.

“Charles and I already took you out for your birthday two nights ago. My presence is your present.”

“Cheapskate.”

“You have your trust fund! I don’t get my trust fund yet. Get your own present!”

The two squabble and I laugh under my breath.

Liam ruffles Alexis’s hair.

My two most favorite people in the world.

A slither of unease curls around my gut.

You can royally fuck this up by sleeping with her.

Fuck, you’ve probably fucked it up already.

He’ll never forgive you if he ever finds out.

The what-ifs chase after the unease like a tidal wave.

What if this thing between Alexis and I don’t work out?

What if I can’t give her the love she deserves?

What if…what if…what if.

Cold sweat forms on my back and a wave of nausea stops me in my tracks.

“Hey, Ethan!” Liam calls after me.

A group of friends pulls him somewhere to do God knows what.

One punk who looks like an extra for some superhero movie is giving Alexis the elevator glance.

I want to punch him in the gut and rip his eyes out.

He grins and extends his hand.

“Hey, Gavin here, I work with—”

Liam shoves his face away.

“Back off, leech. You touch one hair on her head and you’re dead.” He pushes Gavin and their friends toward the living room as he hollers at me, “Take care of my little sister, okay? You have my blessing to be her older bro and boss her around for the night.”

“Hey! I’m almost twenty!” Alexis yells, and Liam flips her off, leaving us standing in the foyer.

“Honorary brother, my ass,” she mutters before sauntering to me, her lips tilting in a teasing smile .

The niggle of guilt makes a reappearance, but it’s quickly quashed when she walks her fingers up my chest.

“Feeling brotherly, Ethan?” Her voice is raw sugar, a sultry rasp sending all my blood rushing south.

I swallow and let the fly of my pants brush her belly.

“What do you think?”

Her eyes widen when she feels my hard on.

“Maybe I should reevaluate my whole ‘sensitive poet’ idea of you.”

“Oh yeah? I’m definitely sensitive… so fucking sensitive for you,” I rasp and watch a blush creeping up her face in fascination.

“Who knew my keeper had this side to him?” The blues of her irises are eclipsed by her dilated pupils.

“Maybe I should add visiting The Orchid Rose floors to one of my Twenty by Forty lists.”

My dick twitches at the mention of the sex club floors of the crown jewel of my family’s business.

“How do you know about that?”

She doles out a knowing grin.

“I have ears and Liam and Charles aren’t exactly discreet with their ‘activities.’ I wanted to visit, but they always shot me down.”

“You aren’t going to the Rose floors without me.” An unfamiliar wave of possession tightens around my lungs.

I can’t have my Nova on those floors without me protecting her.

The sleazebags will eat her alive.

“Bossy. I should’ve known. You were bossy in your journals. Snarky too. All the red flags.”

“And yet, you’re here with me. So what does that say about you?”

She winks.

“Well, someone once told me I have bad taste in men.”

I chuckle.

My hummingbird—dazzling, awe-inspiring, the perfect balance of impishness with sweetness.

Dipping my head down, I watch her lashes fan over her cheeks as she closes her eyes.

I want to count the freckles on her face, to kiss each of them, to write poetry about how they’re constellations in the skies.

I rake in a deep inhale of her sweet lavender .

Liam laughs in the background, his voice shocking me back to reality.

We spring apart, and I look around, thankful the place is so crowded, no one seems to notice the two of us hovering in a dark corner.

We shouldn’t be doing this, I tell her with my eyes.

I don’t care, she responds with a defiant glare.

The seconds stretch on and I keep Liam in my peripheral vision to make sure he doesn’t see us because that fucker will notice.

It’s a miracle he hasn’t caught on yet.

Alexis is guileless, easy to read, and has desire stamped all over her features.

Suddenly, the blond asshole, Gabriel or whatever, props his arm over Alexis’s head and leans over her.

“Sweetheart, when Liam told me he’s finally bringing his precious little sister around, I never expected he’d be bringing a goddess.” He unleashes a slimy smile.

“How about I show you a good time? A real party, just you and me?”

“Uh, no thanks, Gavin.” Alexis tries to wiggle out from under him but the bastard cages her in again.

Flames lick my insides and I’m gripped with a violent need to wrench him by the collar and hurl him against the wall before pummeling the daylights out of him.

Insane. I’m going insane.

That’s the only thing that can explain any of this.

Calm yourself, Ethan.

This is Liam’s birthday party.

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Gavin murmurs cajolingly, his fingers grazing her face.

I see red.

You fucker.

Screw calmness.

“Hands off, asshole.” I shove him away from her and insert myself in between them.

“Didn’t you hear what Liam said? Touch one hair on her head and you’re dead. She’s a teenager, practically a kid. Back off.”

I hear Alexis’s shocked gasp and I wince.

I’ve hurt her with the last remark.

Gavin arches his brow and looks me over, clearly seizing me up.

“Anderson, right? Does Liam know you have the hots for his sister? ”

“Watch what you’re saying.”

His eyes gleam.

“It’s obvious. This fake brotherly shit is fooling no one. You want a piece of that ass too. Teenager, riiight? See you around the cell block. But I don’t blame you. She’s fucking hot. Maybe we can share.”

Blood.

Violence. Murder. Fury unlike anything I’ve ever felt before thrashes inside me and I grip his collar and snarl, “Shut your mouth before I shut it for you.”

Gavin chuckles, his eyes defiant.

“I’m—”

“Ethan! Ignore him. He’s baiting you.” Alexis yanks my arm, drawing my attention to her.

Her eyes are frantic.

“Let’s go.”

I twist his collar in my grip, watching in sick fascination his face becoming mottled.

God, it’d be so satisfying to smack him across the face and hear the bones crack.

“Come on, Ethan. Please.” Then she turns toward Gavin and narrows her eyes.

“Yo, asshole! I’m an adult and in case I wasn’t clear before, I. Am. Not. Interested. Capisce ?”

Alexis’s sweet voice tethers me to sanity.

Shoving Gavin back, I growl, “Don’t let me catch you looking at her, or Liam will be the least of your problems.”

Spinning around, I place my hand on Alexis’s back and usher her through the partygoers overflowing into the living room, the dining room, to the main hallway where a few couples are making out in darkened corners.

After leading her into my bedroom, I close the door.

The clicking of the lock is loud as we’re finally cordoned off from the riot outside.

I set the drinks and the bags on top of my dresser.

Rage is still burning hot in my veins.

Liam and Gavin’s words hammer inside my brain—brother, trust, teenager.

She’s not even twenty yet.

But I can’t imagine her with anyone else.

My dreamer, the girl with words that touch my soul, the muse to my poet, the one person who’s ever made me feel enough just by being me .

“I got you a steak from Carlisle’s. Rib eye. Medium rare. That’s your favorite, right?” Alexis says.

I can hear the smile in her voice.

Turning around, the oxygen escapes my lungs when I see her staring at me in the dark, the moonlight streaming in from the window behind her, her glorious fiery tresses loosened from her braid.

Even in the dimness, I can make out her chest heaving, the fluttering of her pulse on her neck, her lips parting before curving up into a sweet smile.

Mine.

I don’t think there’ll be anyone else for me.