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Yeah, right. Let’s see you stick to keeping your dick dry.
Repositioning the six-pack of beer in my arm, I’m thankful for a quiet night in with the guys tonight. No distractions, no women, just the three of us probably watching a movie and talking about our goals for the month. Tristan will probably tell us about his flavor of the week, how he’s desperate to secure a woman before his time runs out. Something about his inheritance clause and the conditions his father and grandfather set in place for him. Unlike Aaron and me, Tristan comes from unfathomable money. But from the stories I’ve heard, they are scoundrels and have been nothing but monsters to Tris since he was a small child. One day, I’m going to make them pay for everything they’ve put him through. Tristan jokes about everything, but it’s a front. Deep down he’s dealing with some heavy shit, and I would bet good money he’s buried a lot of things that should have been dealt with a long time ago.
The elevator chimes, and I push off the mirrored wall, stepping into Aaron’s grand marble foyer. Every detail of this place exudes luxury, an interior designer’s wet dream. When Aaron first took possession, he had a team of designers work on his home. He’s so wealthy that he didn’t have to lift a finger when he moved in. Everything was ordered and in its place before he walked through the door. Even his fucking silk boxers were meticulously folded and tucked into a drawer inside his massive walk-in closet. Closet might be the wrong word. The guy has so much money, he doesn’t know what to do with it.
I stroll past the open-concept living area, now bathed in New York’s skyline. I hear voices and laughter as I walk toward the kitchen. I thought it was supposed to be only us tonight. Just as my frustrations begin to bubble, a smooth, honeyed laughter cuts through the air, and the sound sizzles my skin, causing the hairs on my arms to stand.
I’d know that laughter anywhere.
My heart starts to race erratically in my chest as torturous recognition catches me off guard. I haven’t heard that laugh in six years—six long years since a night I swore I’d take to my grave that turned everything upside down.
That voice belongs to the one girl I’ve always wanted and the only girl I can never have.
The cold, metal beer cans dig into my flesh as I tighten my grip on them.
No, it can’t be her. She’s in Boston. I know this for a fact.
My unsteady legs carry me inside Aaron’s sleek kitchen boasted with top-of-the-line appliances and marble countertops. And before I have a chance to control my thoughts or slow down my racing heart, piercing green eyes lock on mine, releasing a flood of memories and thoughts from the past. Time seems to stand still as it all washes over me like a sudden chilling wave, pulling me under.
Those unforgettable green eyes. Just as bright as the first day I met her at Winchester High.
God, she is as beautiful as ever. So fucking unfair. I take a moment to drink her in, and instantly regret it. Gazing at her, feeling that same desire I’d felt all those years ago, does something to the inner workings of my heart. It pinches the breath out of my lungs, forcing me to tear my eyes away.
How does she still have this power over me?
“Dominik…hi,” Zoe utters, a hesitant smile tugs at her lips.
She stands upright, her relaxed demeanor gone at the sight of me.
“Zoe,” I hear myself mumbling as I glance away to place the beer on the kitchen counter.
I decide to give her the cold shoulder, pretending like she doesn’t exist, just as I did back in high school—those torturous years when I was so near yet worlds apart. The last time I saw her was the night that changed everything, the night I’ve worked tirelessly to forget but can never truly erase, no matter how hard I try or how many other women I sleep with. There’s no forgetting that one night in Boston with Zoe.
Nobody truly knows what happened that night but me. If she ever found out, she’d never forgive me.
A normal person would approach their best friend’s younger sister and give her a hug, but I can’t bring myself to get close to her. Maintaining space and keeping my head down seems like the best course of action.
I can’t afford to lose control, not now, not again.
What the fuck is she doing here? Why didn’t Aaron say something? If I had known she was here tonight, I wouldn’t have come.
“About fucking time, Dom. You good?” Tristan’s voice yanks me out of my thoughts.
I tip my chin down, opening a can of beer and chugging half of it before taking a breath. I might need some hard liquor tonight.
“Nice of you to join us, Dominik. Remember my sister?” Aaron walks in the room, loosening his tie and giving me a relaxed smile. One of his signature I’m-reading-you looks.
My eyes drift to Zoe again.
How could I ever forget her? Her jade eyes lock onto mine, carrying a certain curiosity. I’ll never forget the only girl my heart longed for but could never have. The girl I pushed away simply because I was too afraid to get close. She still haunts my dreams, and now, she’s standing right here, so close, yet still so far from reach.
I can’t lose control, for her sake and mine.
CHAPTER 4
ZOE
Dominik Lewis is staring at me as if he’s seen a ghost. I suppose he has; we haven’t seen each other since high school. And after graduation, he disappeared without even a goodbye. Not that I expected one.
