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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
CHAPTER 1
THE PAST
Tiera
There he stood.
Caleb Fitzgerald.
The only reason Tiera Wright had dressed up for this ridiculous ‘Halloween’ themed Christmas party in the first place. Though the theme was to Christmas up a Halloween costume, Caleb had come dressed in his usual attire: dark pants, dark shirt, with his dark hair slicked back. He was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. When she’d asked him what he’d come as, he’d said Edward Cullen, the vampire.
Though he was too tan to be Edward Cullen, she’d let it slide. When she’d asked what the Christmas aspect of his outfit was, he’d told her vampires didn’t celebrate Christmas. Typical Caleb. Since he looked good as hell, no one complained about his lack of costume. And because he always looked good enough to lick, there was always a woman trying to get his attention.
Right now, two women were vying for his attention and preventing her from approaching him; Rebecca Tate and Jaila Dawson. They weren’t the only people in her way. Next to her crush stood her twin brother, Terrence Wright. If both men had the same skin color, people would think they were the ones who were twins – conjoined twins.
Whenever you saw one, you saw the other. In high school, they’d had a triplet situation going on, with her being the third. That was during her tomboy phase. She’d emerged from that stage in her life already. But had Caleb noticed the beautiful butterfly she’d become? No. He still treated her like an honorary little sister. Some people thought being in the friend zone with their crush was horrible.
Try being in the family zone. It was ten times worse. And twenty times harder to escape. So, what, his mother and hers had been best friends since high school? That didn’t mean she had to be one of his little friends. So, what, both families had lived right next to each other in a duplex their entire lives, almost like one household? That didn’t make them a true family.
So, what, she’d spent more time with him, fishing, playing basketball and video games, than she had with her besties? That didn’t make her one of the guys. That girl had been childish Tiera. She was now grown-ass woman, Tiera. And grown-ass woman Tiera had grown women’s feelings and desires.
She’d traded in her baggy jeans and oversized shirts for skinny jeans that rode low on her waist and showed off her curves. Tonight, she’d decided to drape those curves in an ankle-length skintight red dress with a thigh-high slit. The dress clung to her like a second skin. She’d paired it with purple elbow-length gloves.
Her purple high heels gave her the added height needed to reach Caleb’s chin, bringing her almost eye level with him. Without them, she barely reached his shoulders. The red lingerie she wore underneath her dress was for his eyes only. If only he’d look at her instead of the blonde bombshell and dark-haired vixens in front of him.
Tiera’s gaze roamed over her rivals. They were kind of cute and all. She could see why he enjoyed talking to them. But seriously, who needed breasts that big anyway? Their backs had to be aching. Tiera stared down at her B cups. They were more than a mouthful. Her gaze drifted to Caleb’s lips just as he took a sip of his drink. They were more than enough for his mouth.
A smile spread across her face as she pushed her waist-length box braids over her shoulder. Tonight was not about comparing herself to other women. Tonight was about getting Caleb to notice that she was a woman. It was about making him realize she could no longer be just his best friend’s sister or just the girl next door.
It was time for a shift in their relationship. His gaze drifted her way. A wave of nervousness washed over her as it always did when he looked at her. Like a coward, she looked away, choosing to stare at the wall behind him. Tiera swallowed and prayed she didn’t trip while standing still.
In front of Caleb, she became a klutz at the drop of a dime these days. It had been that way ever since her feelings for him matured. Now, when she stared at him, none of their childhood games came to mind. Instead, she thought of freak nasty stuff, headboard-banging stuff, the stuff she’d read about in her favorite erotic romances.
From the corner of her eye, she saw that he was still looking in her direction. Heart racing, she wondered if she should walk over to him and tell him how she felt. She’d wanted to wait until the end of the night. However, if he was staring at her for this long, that meant he’d finally noticed her attire.
She held in her smile. Since she hadn’t started dressing this way until she moved away for college, Caleb wasn’t used to seeing her like this. Was it finally dawning on him that everything he needed had been right beside him this entire time? Her grip on her champagne glass tightened when she noticed him heading in her direction.
Shoulders back, chin lifted, back arched, breast thrust forward, she waited for him to reach her side. Her heart was beating so fast she was afraid it would beat out of her chest. When she’d chatted with him earlier, he’d barely stared at her. He hadn’t commented on her outfit. He hadn’t noticed it at all.
Now that he had, she couldn’t wait for him to say, “My little Tiera has grown up.” That would be so much better than when he said, “My little Tiera can finish a steak faster than all of us.” Or, “My little Tiera can throw the football further than most boys.” She was ready to hear, “My little Tiera is beautiful.” Or even better, “My little Tiera is mine.”
She’d probably melt to the floor if he said that last one. He was almost to her now. Tiera took a sip of her champagne as her gaze darted to him. He smiled. His lips parted. Here it comes. He’s about to say something that would probably make her swoon.
“Keisha, I thought you couldn’t make it,” his deep voice washed over her.
Wait! What?
Tiera frowned. Keisha? She was pretty sure he’d said Tiera wrong. As a matter of fact, he’d gotten that entire sentence wrong. To her utter dismay, Keisha Lockhart came gliding past her wearing a brown skintight dress almost the same shade as her skin, making her look naked. What the hell was Caleb’s ex doing at the party?
After their horrible breakup, Keisha vowed never to come near him again. Yet, there her ass stood, in a sexy ensemble that didn’t fit the party’s theme. And Caleb’s lame ass was staring down at her like she was a chocolate treat he couldn’t wait to taste. That look was supposed to be cast in her direction.
She was supposed to be his chocolate treat tonight. She took another huge sip of her drink just as Keisha came up on her tiptoes and kissed Caleb on his cheek. Pissed off, Tiera swallowed her beverage but ended up choking on it. Coughing, she lowered the glass and covered her mouth. Her hacking caught the attention of Caleb and his date. Keisha looked her way and rolled her eyes.
“There’s our little Tiera,” the heffa cooed. “I almost didn’t see you there.”
Yeah, right.
