Page 9

Zoya

" N o sleeping with my daughter while you are here," my dad, Knox, tells Connor, his expression stern as he stares at him across the table after dinner. My little brother, Maxim, has been looking at him the same way all night. I swear, Maxim is going to grow up to be just like Dad.

"Dad!" I groan, my cheeks turning pink as everyone at the table turns to look at us. "Would you stop?"

"Yeah, He-Man ," Mom says, lightly smacking my dad on the chest. "Leave the kids alone."

"Bah," he grumbles, still staring at Connor. "She is never too old to be smart, kisa . I want grandbabies, but not while she is still in college."

"I graduate in a few months," I remind him.

The reminder doesn't mollify him. My dad's worst enemy is the fact that my sisters and I are all growing up and don't need him as much anymore.

He hates that we're no longer home with a fiery passion.

If it were up to him, we'd have stopped growing when we were five, just so he could keep us close forever, and he'd always be our hero.

I don't think he realizes that we'll never be too old to consider him a hero, though. He taught us everything we know about what a good man and a loving home look like.

"Jareth put us in separate rooms, sir," Connor murmurs to my dad.

Naturally, Dad's eyes light up like he just learned he won the lottery. "Jareth is good man. I like him," he says in his deep, rumbling voice. "Very smart."

"Jareth is a…" I trail off when I notice my mom and Nadia both looking at me like they're trying not to crack up. I don't think either of them is buying that Connor is my boyfriend. They know me too well. And Mom caught me staring at Jareth earlier. They aren't asking questions, though. Thank God.

I feel terrible for lying about Connor to them, but if I tell my mom, she'll tell my dad.

And my dad, apparently, loves Jareth. Who knows what he'll do?

Better not to risk it. And Nadia shouldn't be caught in the middle of this…

this…whatever this is, either. She still has to work with Jareth once the wedding is over.

All I have to do is avoid him for two weeks and then, with any luck, I never see him again.

Funny how much that thought stings even though it shouldn't.

The man is driving me nuts! He just had to corner me in the kitchen and work his sexual voodoo on me. I barely slept all night as it was, just waiting for him to sneak into my room and do it again. But he never even tried.

He's so annoying! And hot. And why the hell do I like it when he's in my personal space, making me forget everything but how badly I want to kiss him? Oh, right. Because I've lost it, that's why.

My dad glances across the table at my little sister, Innessa, who is whispering back and forth with Teo's little brother, Maddox. "Jareth would be good man for you."

I manage to slosh wine all over the place.

Of course Nadia and my mom notice. So does Connor.

He chuckles under his breath.

"Which one is Jareth again?" Innessa asks, peering toward the bar where Jareth and a group of his cousins are seated in what can only be described as a hot vintner mecca. Seriously. Every last one of the four is flipping gorgeous.

"Tattoos, dark hair, evil smirk," I mutter.

Everyone within hearing range turns to look at me, except Teo's brother, Maddox, who is scowling at Jareth like he wants to set him on fire.

I don't think my dad realizes that he and Innessa have a thing going on.

They think they're slick, but it's obvious from the way he looks at her that he's wild about her.

Nadia buries her face in Teo's shoulder to keep from laughing. My mom just smiles like she has my number for sure now.

Crap.

Connor nudges me with his foot. "She means he's the one on the left."

"Oh. You mean Nadia's guitarist." Innessa stares at him for a moment and then quickly shakes her head. "No, thanks. Not my type."

Maddox relaxes slightly.

"Good man is not your type?" Dad frowns at her.

"Jareth is interested in someone else, Dad," Nadia quickly says, her eyes dancing with mischief. "He calls her his princess and everything. It's sweet."

"As if she's the only one," I mumble, earning another nudge from Connor.

"Actually, he doesn't date much."

I flick a surprised glance at Nadia and then narrow my eyes. "You don't have to be dating to fu…sleep around."

"He doesn't do that either." My older sister frowns at me, disapproval in her eyes. "It's not like he doesn't get a lot of offers from fans, but he always ignores them. The other guys in the band give him crap for it, but I think it's kind of nice that he isn't jumping into bed with everyone."

My gaze drifts back to Jareth to find him looking in our direction again.

Our eyes meet, and his lips lift into his signature smirk, like he knows something I don't. Like he's trying to get a rise out of me.

I just stare at him blankly, still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that he isn't hopping in and out of bed with everyone that comes his way. That should reassure me, right?

Somehow, it has the opposite effect.

It makes the way he's pursuing me feel a little more…dangerous. Maybe because whatever this is between us feels too big, too real. He's in my head, and I can't get him out. I don't want him in there, dammit. I don't want to fall. I don't want to like him. And yet, I think it's happening anyway.

Connor was right yesterday. Love scares the shit out of me, especially when the possibility of it is staring me right in the face. Smirking.

"That is too bad," my dad says. "He would make good son-in-law."

"Are you serious right now?" Nadia grumbles, slack-jawed. "You spent half of Teo's life giving him hell. And now, you're just giving Jareth your seal of approval just like that?"

"Yes."

Nadia gapes at him, but he just winks at her, which has the whole table laughing.

My dad is a mess, honestly. He's always approved of Teo, but he did not make dating easy for Teo and Nadia when we were all younger.

My mom used to give him a lot of grief about it, but he always said that he was trying to make sure they were ready for everything life would throw at them.

Sometimes, I wonder if he knew that their road would be a rough one. He's smart like that.

"Innessa doesn't need a boyfriend," Maddox growls suddenly. "She's busy with school."

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Maddox Kirby," Innessa huffs at him. "I can date if I want."

My mom and Aunt Miranda share a knowing smile as my sister and Maddox scowl at each other.

My dad finally seems to catch on and sighs heavily. "All of my girls are growing too fast."

"They're never little for long enough," Uncle Jason agrees, glancing at Teo and Maddox's baby sister across the table. She just rolls her eyes and goes back to her phone.

I glance toward the bar again to see Jareth still talking with his cousins. At least, they're talking. He's still staring in my direction. I have the sudden, irrational urge to stick my tongue out at him, but Connor saves me when he nudges me again.

"If you want him to buy this whole story, stop staring at him," he whispers.

Right. I can do that.

I make a show of turning my back on him and rejoining the conversation. But before I can even pick up the threads of it, I feel his eyes burning into me. He's a damn eclipse, too obvious to ignore.

Dammit.

"I'm going to the bathroom," I mutter, shoving my chair back so suddenly that everyone turns to look at me.

I don't wait for a response before hurrying off. I don't look at Jareth again, either. He can stare at my back disappearing into the dang bathroom!

F ive minutes later, I've splashed water on my face, given myself a pep talk, and I'm still no closer to getting the infuriating man off my mind.

"This is impossible," I groan to my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks are flushed the same damn way they have been all day, and I can read the confusion and desire mingling in my eyes. Which means everyone else probably can too. But there's nothing I can do about that now.

I take a breath and spin toward the door, ready to go back out and pretend I don't notice Jareth. I don't even have a chance to take a step before the door pops open. I glance up…right into Jareth's eyes.

The lock clicks as he stares at me.

"What are you…?"

That's as far as I get before he's on top of me, backing me up against the door. His lips come down on mine in a hungry kiss, and I taste the beer on his breath. Part of my mind screams at me to push him away. The other part shouts for me to pull him closer. That traitorous part wins.

I shove my hands into his hair, kissing him back like he's oxygen. He groans against my mouth, pushing me harder against the door.

"You taste like wine," he mutters, flicking his tongue along my bottom lip.

"Then stop kissing me." Finally, something sensible.

"Make me."

I try. Really, I do. Or maybe I don't. I don't even know anymore. But we don't stop kissing. He runs his hands down my body, setting little fires everywhere he touches me. And I'm going to hell for it, but I melt to every damn touch, whimpering.

My dress slides up my legs, his fingers slipping against my skin.

I need to stop this. I need…

"Oh god," I whimper, my head thumping against the door as he presses his palm to my center, sending flows of lava through my veins. I don't mean to do it, but I grind against him, eager for more.

"If you love him, stop me, Zoya."

"I…I…"

His finger slips beneath my panties, tracing a decadent path down my slit, and I forget what I'm supposed to do. Why stop when it feels this damn good? What even is stopping at this point?

I moan against his mouth, sobbing in frustration. I can't think straight. I'm not even sure I'm breathing at this point. He's right where I need him, and it's not nearly enough.

How am I supposed to resist heaven?

His finger traces along my slit again. "Did staring at me all night make you this wet, princess?"

"No. Yes." I whimper in frustration. "Please, Jareth."

"Please, what? Tell me what you want me to do to you."

"T-touch me."

He runs his finger along my slit again, nipping at my bottom lip, before he stops. He. Just. Freaking. Stops. "No."

I gape up at him, turned on, confused, sexually frustrated. And contemplating murder. It's justified right now. "No?"

"No," he repeats. "Not until you tell me that you're mine."

Oh, I am going to kill him. Slowly. Maybe drown him in the sink before I flush his body down the toilet. I doubt anyone would even miss him.

I stare at him for a long moment and then lift up on my toes, pressing my lips to his ear like I'm about to give him what he wants.

"I'm not yours," I growl in his ear instead, right before kneeing him in the thigh. Hard.

He grunts, doubling forward, which allows me to slip past him.

The loss of his heat against my body is devastating. But I'm too damn mad to care about that right now.

"Touch me again, and I'll smother you in your sleep."

"Just so long as it means you're in my room, princess," he calls, chuckling as I stomp out into the hall.

Naturally, Connor is standing right there. His eyes widen when they lock on Jareth standing in the bathroom doorway. He glances between us, clearly not sure how to handle the situation. "Uh…"

"Problem with the plumbing," Jareth lies. "It can be a little prickly at times unless you have the right touch. Luckily, I know just how to handle it."

I think I hate him. He's the literal devil.

He grins at Connor as he steps out into the hall.

"It's all taken care of now." He smirks as he strides past us, probably happy as hell that Connor caught us in the bathroom together.

In his eyes, he probably imagines it ending with a big dramatic fight and Connor dumping me.

I'm sure that's probably how the story is supposed to go.

Except for the fact that Connor and I aren't really dating, and he's more attracted to Jareth than he is to me.

Why did I think any of this was a good idea?

"We're leaving," I growl at Connor, looping my arm through his. "We have something important to take care of. It can't wait."

Jareth tenses, missing a step, and I know he heard me, exactly like I intended. But I don't feel satisfied. I just feel…guilty.

Crap. Am I actually falling for him?

No. No way.

Except…that isn't hatred burning in my chest, is it?