Prologue
My name is Blane Castillo, and I’ve messed up badly.
I’ve been in love with my stepsister for years.
The fact is a problem on its own, but add an enraged twin to the mix, you have a party.
You see, Aiden and I had a plan. It was a good one. We wanted to take what was rightfully ours, and reclaim what never should have been lost. But I never, not once, thought I would become lost in those soft green eyes, the curve of her breasts, her hair falling down her naked back like a waterfall.
I hated her.
I wanted revenge.
I was sure it would work.
She would pay, and we would triumph.
But as I look at her form under the duvet, her chest rising and falling softly with each breath she takes, I realize I care for this girl … I want to protect her from all of the bad things – but what do I do when I’m the biggest danger she’s facing?
I’m torn between loyalty to my real sibling and a budding love for this girl – no, woman, because I just made her that – and this decision is going to tear me apart – I already know it.
I stroke her silky soft hair; my lips lightly brush her porcelain skin. She breathes a sigh of pleasure and I realize I’m completely,
Utterly,
Royally
Screwed.
Chapter 1
“Well well well, would you look what the cat dragged in,” Aiden smirks as I make it into the kitchen, rubbing my bleary eyes and grumbling something in response. He’s standing at the kitchen counter, wearing an apron that says Fuck the cook. Classy.
“Fun night?” Aiden asks.
Oh, the joys of living with your twin brother when you’re 25 years old.
“Hey,” someone says timidly from behind my back and I turn around to see a girl.
Redhead. Tiny, but curvy. Not my type at all.
What the hell did I do last night? I wonder.
“Um,” I say intelligently and Red looks at me meaningfully as I scramble for her name, coming up blank. Sarah? Sloane? Something with an S. Or a B. Maybe a K?
Her bottom lip pushes out slightly and clearly I’ve upset her, but since that isn’t enough in the Castillo household, my brother stars grinning like a mad man.
“Who is this now?” he asks, his eyebrows waggling. “Can I have a go?”
I wish he would shut that mouth. Being the older/more responsible brother, I have this sentiment often.
Red looks utterly confused and glances from me to Aiden, and her eyes stop on his muscled arms. Of course they do.
“You should probably go,” I offer lamely, feeling like a total douchebag.
She doesn’t object but disappears into my bedroom as Aiden manages to calm down and flip a burnt looking piece of dough, all the while shooting me meaningful glances.
The girl comes out of the bedroom in time to catch him sniffing a very blackened and inedible looking pancake, and then shrugging as he throws it at my head. The pancake lands on my forehead and I peel it off with a tired sigh.
Red looks at us and shakes her head. “You guys are weird,” she declares.
I really want her to go, because I’m not about to relive last night, which I’m sure involved a lot of drinking and even sloppier kissing. I have a moment of brilliance.
“Bye, Serah,” I say sweetly.
“It’s Kara,” she says with venom in her voice. Oops.
She looks over my shoulder at Aiden and winks at him. “I should’ve at least chosen the hotter brother.”
Aiden cracks up again as she finally leaves.
“Your face!” he manages to say. “When she said that!”
I roll my eyes and make my way to the fridge to get some milk.
The worst part is this is just a standard morning for us.
Chapter 2
After Serah – sorry, Kara – leaves, we sit down to breakfast. Like we’re a normal family, and not the sad remains of what we used to be, I think sadly.
Aiden proudly presents me with some lopsided pancakes and I fake enthusiasm as I dig in. Honestly, they’re not as bad as they look and I desperately need some food in me to fight the incoming hangover.
I only remember last night vaguely, and that’s been happening too often. Aiden doesn’t hesitate to tell me so, either.
“You’ve been out every day this week,” Aiden complains. “I watched TV without you. No one made popcorn.” He glares accusingly at me, which I choose to ignore.
“And then you drag that back home with you,” he continues, jerking his head towards the door which the redhead left through earlier. I keep my head down and eat my pancakes, not saying a word. To fight with him means to let him win, because he won’t stop until he has the last word.
“I wonder where you go every night,” Aiden wonders out loud. “A whore house?” he guesses excitedly as I give off a loud sigh, finally having enough of his speculations.
“I went to a bar,” I offer the smallest fact possible to hopefully make him shut up, but of course, I should’ve known better. He’s like a hyena.
“What do you order at a bar?” he wonders out loud, flicking a stray cereal flake at my head.
One of these days, I swear.