Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

pillows weren?t shaped like hourglasses. His head jerked up and he

looked around, alert for a fight.

?Oh, yeah,? he said to Helen as he remembered. His eyes relaxed

back into a sleepy daze. He smiled up at his family and stretched

until he winced, then rubbed at his sore chest, no longer in a good

mood. ?Little privacy?? he asked.

His mother, sister, and cousin all either crossed their arms or put

their hands on their hips. Humiliated, Helen tried to untangle herself

from the sheets and roll out of bed without attracting too much

attention. Cassandra spun on her heel and stomped out of the

room.

?Ari, help Helen,? Noel said gently as she saw Helen?s difficulty.

Then she turned and bellowed angrily down the hall. ?Hector! Get

in here and help your cousin!?

?I?m okay,? Helen protested as she stood up on tender legs, only

using Ariadne?s helping hand to maintain her balance. She realized

she was wearing that ridiculous scrap of silk Ariadne had the nerve

to call a nightgown, although that detail had escaped her notice the

night before when she decided to take her little stroll.

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?Whoa! That?s . . . interesting,? said Hector as he arrived and saw

Helen.

?What?s interesting?? Jason asked as he passed in the hallway.

He poked his head in the door and saw what his brother was looking

at. ?Aw, damn!?

They both stared at Helen, half naked and totally busted as she

got out of Lucas?s bed. Then they looked at each other, threw back

their heads in unison and laughed.

?Okay, okay. Enough,? Lucas said defensively. ?She was worried

and came to check on me, but by the time she made it here she was