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A bad one.
The fireworks begin so I angle my face to the sky to take in the colourful bursts that light up the night sky. Entranced by the light show, I don’t react as quickly as I should when my shoulders are gripped in an unforgiving embrace, and I find myself trapped between the wall at my back and the strong man at my front.
As I raise my knee up to incapacitate my captor, I open my mouth to pull in enough air to scream. Alex’s cologne fills my senses. Without waiting for permission, he presses his lips to mine, kissing me softly then with harsh intent. The lack of desire that flares through my body strips me of my indecision. I feel nothing but annoyance for Alex.
Turns out that Nadia was right.
Alex really is a prick who deserves to be taken down a peg..
And since he’s brazen enough to steal a kiss in the dark, I’m sure he’s tough enough to handle a little rejection. My conscience can deal with denting a rich boy's ego if it helps me gain the attention of the man I love.
Alex pulls away to whisper, “Happy New Year, Anna.
I return his sentiment with a felicitation of my own, “Happy New Year, Alex.”
When he resumes kissing me, his hands begin to roam. Although my body stiffens and my mind revolts, I allow him unfettered access as the lights come back on. I can see Everett and Luke watching from across the yard, and their scandalised expressions are enough to spur me on. I kiss Alex back, slowly experimenting as I work to determine what he likes, Luke has to stop Everett from coming over to separate me from Alex.
As we make out, Sander’s comment about my inexperience echoes in my skull.
It taunts me with my lack of sophistication. Reminds me that Zeke has screwed his way through most of Perth’s female population. Shatters my pride as the difference between my reaction to Zeke’s kiss and Alex’s becomes too much to ignore.
I’m pulled out of my pity party when Alex bites my shoulder. The gasp of shock that leaves my lips is genuine. My fingers curl into fists and I’m about to tell him to fuck off when he compounds this illogical interaction with a threat wrapped in compliment.
“You’re so beautiful, and you’re going to be all mine. I’m going to make sure of it.”
Alex doesn’t wait for me to respond to his irrational declaration. He spins on his heel, all the arrogance he tried to hide from me during our contrived encounter earlier evident, then strides off with assurance in his haughty gait. I blink to clear my vision, my mind spinning from the whiplash Alex has inflicted, and I press my palm to my throbbing shoulder.
He bit me.
Who bites someone like that?
Nadia emerges from the shadows.
“Holy crap,” she crows. “I didn’t think you had it in you, but, whew, was I wrong. You’re a freakin’ femme fatale in the making. Alex and Zeke won’t know what’s hit them.”
My best friend’s enthusiasm goes unanswered for two reasons. The first is my inability to speak. A lump of regret has wedged in my throat. A physical manifestation of my regret. It chokes me. The pulse point at the edge of my jaw twitches noticeably. A nervous tic. My heart pleads with me to stop this game right now while my logical side fights to remind me that this plan has the potential to work.
Because the way Everett reacted is nothing on how Zeke will respond.
I press my fingertips to my bruised lips.
They’re swollen and a little numb.
Foreign.
Traitorous?
The second reason I’m unable to tell Nadia how I really feel about what I just did is Everett. My younger brother—mine and Sander’s Irish twin since he turned seventeen on Christmas day—takes hold of my wrist and drags me out of the yard. I stumble over the uneven ground as I struggle to keep up with him.
Unrelenting, he shoves me toward Sander, who swings around to tell him off for his rough handling. “Oi, Ev… take it easy.”
“Take it easy?” Everett repeats Sander’s command like it’s a question. “Doubt you’ll say that when you hear what our dumbarse sister just did.”
“What did you do?”
Everett answers the question my twin poses before I can. “She just kissed Alex bloody Kingsley.”
The fury that darkens Sander’s gaze is frightening. He draws himself up to his full height, and a look that I’ve seen a million times on our father’s face covers his usually jovial features. My brother is beyond angry—he feels betrayed.
