“She’s quite the temptress. I can’t deny she’s gorgeous,” Ahren says as he joins me on the porch. The tiki torches light up the expanse of the garden. With the blue illumination coming from the swimming pool, it allows the mock dance floor to shine, giving me the perfect view of Arabella.
“I want to know about her. But you’re going to do it for me,” I tell him as she spins on her heel, her eyes finding mine like a magnet drawn to its polar. I hold her gaze for a moment before tilting my glass in a cheers toward her before taking another long swallow. The burn trickles down my throat, warming my stomach, and I know I need to leave soon. The longer I stay, the more I watch her, the more I’m entranced. She isn’t going to be easy to walk away from.
“Date night?” Ahren asks, his voice dropping to a whisper, but the excitement in his tone is obvious. He enjoys playing games, just like I do, but this one is different.
“Yeah. Just test the waters. I need to know if she’s easily swayed,” I tell him. Even though I shouldn’t do this, because the last time Ahren and I took a girl, it turned out to be a mistake. But I have a feeling Arabella is different. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I tell him. Now that he knows what to do, I can go home. Silence is something I need right now, to figure out how this could even work. I want her, there’s no denying it, and when I want something, I always get it.
The only question is—would she want the darkness I crave?
“Are you leaving so soon, teach?” Ahren questions when I set the glass down, my focus tugged away from my dancing temptress to my foster brother. The grin on his face is evidence enough just how much he’d like me to linger. And I must be honest with myself. I want to be near her. It’s ridiculous, but the more I watch her dancing, the harder I want to fuck her and make her scream my name. I chalk it up to lust. Pure and simple.
She’s too young for me. And this will be a fling for her.
Time to break some rules.
“Yeah, you’ve got this.” I don’t look at him when I tell him this.
Even though it would be nice to stay, to act as if I’m one of them, I’m not. I know Ahren will look out for her, so I’m not worried about leaving. But what does bother me is if she ended up with some college kid who wanted the same thing I do—to get into her panties.
But it’s not my place to stop her. I’m not a parent, and I’m certainly not her boyfriend. When Arabella walked out of the bathroom, her eyes wide on mine, I almost lost my shit. The phone call had put me in a foul mood, and this pretty little thing isn’t helping one bit.
“Keep an eye on them, and don’t do anything stupid,” I warn as I walk by him and catch the slow, predatory grin spreading on his face. He nods. I move into the house, making my way to the exit. There are so many people in every corner of the mansion I’m sure when morning comes, it’s going to look like a bomb hit the place.
I slide into the driver’s seat of my sleek, black Maserati and turn the key in the ignition. I’m pulling out of the parking spot when I see her. She’s walking away from the party, alone, and I know I should leave her to it, but deep down, my gut churns.
I come to a stop right in her path, causing her to stumble backward. Her gray gaze locks on mine, and her face twists in shock. I unlock the passenger door and lean over to push it open.
“What are you doing?” she bites out, attempting to look more grown up than her nineteen years. But she’s had too many drinks, and I’m not allowing her to walk alone. Even though Black Mountain is safe.
“Taking you home,” I snap while waiting for Arabella to set her pert little ass in the seat. I realize I’m angry because she’s tipsy. She shouldn’t be drinking if she can’t handle her liquor. And even though I know why she’s doing it, I still want to spank her pert ass.
She crosses her arms over her chest, and I can’t help my gaze trailing there where I get a glimpse of her cleavage peeking over the neckline of her too-short dress. “I’m not your responsibility.”
“Well, you should be someone’s fucking responsibility. Now get your ass in the car before I get out and put you in myself.” My words leave no room for argument. And for a moment, I expect her to refuse me. She looks pissed enough to tell me to go to hell, but after a long moment, she sighs before slipping into the passenger seat beside me.
“I don’t like being treated like a child,” she tells me, but she’s looking straight ahead.
I lock the doors before speeding out of Alistor’s driveway. “If you don’t act like a child, you won’t be treated like one,” I grit out. Frustration has taken a hold of me, and even though I know I’m being a dick to her, I can’t help it.
My teeth are clenched so hard my jaw ticks, but I grind down to calm myself. It’s not the frustration that she’s tipsy; it’s the fact that I notice just how
