I lean over the counter and peer at the sky. The stars are out, and it’s a clear night. So pretty. Maybe I should wish upon one. Am I too old to wish for things?
I spoon a heap of cake into my mouth and moan again. God, this is amazing, and I don’t care what people think. Cake shouldn’t be for dessert. It’s a main meal in my eyes. All that’s missing is milk. That would make this the perfect meal. I pull out a tall glass and grab the milk.
It’s cool and refreshing. I pour another glass and go back to eating.
I see a message light up on my phone. It’s Hunter.
Hunter: I love you, babe.
Me: I love you. Come visit me tomorrow during the day. I will be here and waiting for you both.
Hunter: Babe, you know I will. Be ready for us.
I smile at that and turn my phone over, so I’m back in the dark. I hum a little tune I heard on TikTok earlier and shuffle my feet to the music playing in my head as I try to remember the dance moves.
Kate might be letting me stay home tomorrow on the promise I won’t go running off after my boyfriends, but I don’t need to run off. They can run here.Loopholes.
I dance in a circle. The tile is cold on my bare feet, but I smile and twirl with my eyes closed. I might’ve disappointed my dad, and the cops might be onto me. Roman still has the Amato Family after him. Hunter’s dad is making him transfer schools. Jace is waiting for me to kiss him, and Asher wants to be my friend.
But in this moment, all I care about is dancing.
I spin again and open my eyes. I’m smiling until I see a figure in the doorway. My heart stutters, and I freeze.
“Asher?” My chest rises and falls rapidly from his figure standing there in the dark. Fuck, even his silhouette is attractive. I swallow the thought away.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m thirsty,” he says.
My heart’s pounding. I place my hand to my breastbone as if I can stop it from bursting out of my chest. “You scared me,” I whisper into the dark.
He drifts into the kitchen, and I follow every move. I didn’t think anyone was awake, it’s so late. He pauses at the fridge as he looks over at me. I can just make out his facial features in the dark room. His eyes roam my body, and I take a step back.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” he says as he pulls open the drawer and takes out a glass, moving to fill it with cold water from the fridge. The light from it casts him in half shadow, and I can see the outline of his body as he shifts. I swallow and nod.
He’s wearing nothing but a cotton pair of boxer shorts, and even those are tight. My eyes roam down over his chest, abs, the outline of his cock…fuck.I keep looking down, past his thighs and calf muscles. He knows he’s got a hot body. Is he doing this to distract me? Make me see what I’m missing?
My nipples peak as he turns his head and looks over at me again. Fuck, this is why it's so complicated. He moved the line from being friends to the possibility of something more. He hasn’t crossed it, but if we’re living under the same roof, it feels inevitable.
“Huh?” He’s watching me. What did he say?
He gives me a cocky grin. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Huh? Oh, oh shit. He gives me that Asher smirk, which means he knows that he’s messing with my head now. Coming in here looking like that. It’s working. Stupid hormones. He’s going to be my stepbrother. Now Dad’s moved in, and Kate loves him…and me. I can’t. I just—
“You want some more milk?”
I look to my empty glass. It’s so dark in here I didn’t even realize it was empty.
Wait. How did he? “You were watching me?” I narrow my eyes at him.
He closes the fridge door, the milk in one hand and his glass of water in the other. The room grows small and dark again. He stands there watching me, unspeaking, and I do the same, feeling the fabric rub against my nipples at every breath I take. His eyes roam to where they peak, and he tilts his head. I arch my back a little to show him what he’s doing to me as I look down his body to see what I’m doing to him. I smile.
“I didn’t want to disturb your dancing.” He smirks and I raise my brows. “Your ass swinging…I wanted to take abiteof it.”
My mouth drops open just slightly. My pulse speeds up. He knows this was our game—flirt and nothing can come of it. But now he’s playing dirty.
I can’t do this right now, but the butterflies in my tummy tell me to run my fingers down his chest, to rub my palm over his cock. Fuck, this isfucked. I have two of the most amazing boyfriends in the world. And my body is going crazy for him, and my mind is throwing up warning signals at the same time. The one guy I shouldn’t want, and I want him to touch me. I want to show him how wet he’s making me by just standing there.
“I want—” I start, but I cut myself off as he moves closer. I take a step back, the counter pressing into my back as he draws so close. I can feel his breath fan over my face while he places the milk carton beside my empty cup. I look at it, trying to mentally cool myself down. To force myself to walk away from him.
