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Prologue
Sitting on the soft sand with my long legs in front of me, I close my eyes and breathe in the cool sea breeze that gently flows over me, relaxing my tired mind after a long day.
Today I watched my mother marry Tommy O’Reilly, a guy she met only four months ago. I hadn’t wanted to attend, but Tommy offered to cover the costs for me to travel to Majorca with them and stay in his family villa with its own beach, I couldn’t turn down the chance of sometime in the sun. Might as well get something out of this marriage as I doubt it will last.
Mum’s relationships never seem to last more than a year, not since Dad left when I was eight. He went to work one day and never came back. He sent a few letters saying that he was struggling with Mum’s drinking and spending, and then one day he just sent his wedding ring with a letter saying he wasn’t coming back with a cheque for five thousand pounds with strict instructions for it to be put towards a trust fund for me. I never saw the money, Mum spent it on drink and god knows what else, but I saved each letter and his ring and used to believe that one day he would come back and save me from Mum and her abuse. He never did.
For years Mum went back and forth to drugs and alcohol, occasionally getting sober enough to live a fairly normal life, this is the longest she has been sober for years. Tommy seems to make her happier than I’ve seen her since Dad left, and I hope it works out for her. When she introduced me to Tommy, I’d been dubious, to say the least. It was obvious he has money and isn’t afraid to splash it about. Not only does he come with money, but he also has four sons from his first marriage. Christian is the eldest at twenty-five, Jason’s twenty-two, and the twins Sean and Maximus are two years older than me at twenty. I know I shouldn’t find my new stepbrothers attractive, but I swear they look like four gods.
Tommy made his money by setting up boxing clubs after Christian became a well-known boxer, and his brothers quickly followed in his shoes. All four have an impressive history of competitive fighting, and it shows in their physique. I all but drooled when I first saw them standing together when they arrived this morning. All four of them are well built with dark brown hair and wore perfectly tailored designer clothes, they stood out by miles and every woman in the complex where Mum and Tommy got married couldn’t get enough of them. My body has been on fire since I met them as I’ve soaked up every touch, look and compliment they’ve given me. If only they weren’t just being nice. I learnt to never let anyone in a long time ago, everybody leaves eventually.
“Mind if we join you?”
I open my eyes and look up to find Christian and Jason standing over me. Both are still in their suit trousers, Christian still wearing his suit jacket whilst Jason has lost his and rolled up his shirt sleeves revealing some of his tattooed arms.
“It’s your beach,” I reply with a smile as they both sit on either side of me.
“Why are you hiding out here?” Christian asks. I shrug as I look back out to sea.
“It seemed like a good way to end the day.”
“It was a lovely wedding,” Jason says as he leans back. I nod closing my eyes again and taking a deep breath.
“Yeah, it was. Mum seemed happy anyway.”
“Tommy too, Carol seems good for the old bastard,” Jason chuckles as he stretches his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankle.
“He seems to look after her, which is what she needs,” I add as I sit hugging my knees to my chest making sure my long dress covers my legs as the evening chill starts to sink in.
“Here put this on, sweetheart.” Christian places his suit jacket over my bare shoulders. “You look like you’re getting cold,” he adds with a smile that softens his whole face.
“Thanks,” I reply pushing my arms through the sleeves. The jacket’s huge and smells of his aftershave, and him. I take a deep breath of his masculine scent, hoping he doesn’t notice.
“There you all are!”
We turn to see Maximus and Sean walking towards us grinning, having ditched their suits at the earliest opportunity and settling for jeans that hug their thighs and … other assets, and tight-fitting polo shirts, the material stretching over their broad chest. They aren’t quite identical, but there is no mistaking they’re twins.
“We came to toast the happy couple, again,” Sean announces holding a couple of bottles of champagne they’d stolen from the venue before we came back to the villa, leaving Mum and Tommy to stay in the bridal suite.
“Any reason for a drink, shorty,” Max winks sitting next to Christian and taking a drink out of the bottle before handing it to me. Christian snatches it from my hand and gives it back to his brother.
“She is underage you idiot.”
“Only just, I’m eighteen next month,” I point out as I take the bottle off Maximus who grins broadly.
“I’m sure she can handle a couple of glasses,” Sean laughs holding his bottle out to me. “Cheers, princess.” I tap mine against it before taking a sip.
“Jazzy could probably drink you under the table you lightweight,” Jason laughs taking the bottle from Sean and drinking from it himself. I sip mine again whilst looking at a smirking Sean.
“Will you be moving into Tommy’s when your mum’s house is sold?” Jason asks next to me as he hands the bottle to his brother. I quickly shake my head.
“No, I start Uni in a year, to get my dance degree. So, in the meantime, I’ll find a small flat to rent.”
“That can’t be cheap, how will you afford it?” Christin asks.
Money’s no issue for these guys, they’ve continued to build the business their father started. They now make more money in a month than I could make in years.
“I can teach at the dance school to help with money, and I have some savings from my grandparent’s inheritance,” I explain smiling.
