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“Besides, he’s way out of your league.”
Natalie stilled and looked at her twin, hurt shining in her eyes. “Thanks for that, bro,” she said, stiffly, feeling his words all the way to her soft, slightly sensitive, inner core. The one frequently disguised by her fun-loving nature, but which existed and could occasionally be fragile, nonetheless.
She dragged her eyes away from the stage and stared at the hands folded in her lap, thankful for the dim light that masked her heated cheeks. It wasn’t in Nathan’s nature to be deliberately mean, so perhaps she really was making a fool of herself.
Nathan huffed out a breath. “That’s not what I meant,” he sighed, looping his arm around her, and hugging her to his side. “Any guy would be lucky to have you, and most of them still won’t be good enough. I just meant you’re his polar opposite. He’s all dark and brooding and you’re this bubbly little ray of sunlight. Never mind that he’s almost as old as our parents.”
Natalie smiled, her feelings soothed, and tipped her head to his shoulder so Nathan knew he was forgiven his unfortunate word choice. “I’ve got nothing against older men. I figure he’s about Luca’s age.”
Nathan quirked an eyebrow. “And since Luca is our pseudo father, I rest my case.”
Luca had been a surprise introduction into their family, five years ago, when their openly kinky parents had celebrated their nineteenth wedding anniversary with another man, and what should have been a holiday fling had led to something deeper.
“That’s not a good reason, Nathan,” Natalie retorted. “Luca’s nowhere near old enough to be our actual father. Hell, even our parents are barely old enough!”
Ryan and Zoe Moore had been high school sweethearts who got caught out by an unexpected pregnancy at the tender age of seventeen. But they had both stepped up and become the best parents anyone could ask for.
“Anyway, maybe I could light up Jared’s world?” Natalie suggested lightly, tilting her head to toss a mischievous look at him.
The stare Nathan threw back at her was intent. Her brother was far too serious sometimes. He had all the makings of maturing into a darkly brooding man just like Jared, he just didn’t recognise it.
“I’m more worried that he’ll darken yours and put out your fire,” Nathan said softly, but Natalie knew he was completely serious.
She gave him a light shoulder bump. “Chill bro, I’m thinking about climbing him like a spider monkey and licking him all over, not proposing. But I have no aversion to calling him Daddy.”
Nathan clenched his jaw. “I did not need that image in my mind, sis. And neither do I wish to see the reality.”
“That’s okay, ‘cos you’re not invited.” God, he was so easy to tease, she just couldn’t help herself. “But you do need to loosen up and go find your own friends to play with, ’cos if you insist on hanging with me, I can’t guarantee the consequences.”
She winked at him, and Nathan groaned before they both turned back to the demonstration.
So far there was no ’other woman’ gracing the stage, and Natalie wondered if it might be the type of demo that didn’t require one. She knew that shouldn’t please her, but it did.
Tonight’s demonstration will be spanking and impact play,” Jared announced, his deep tones resonating around the room.
Natalie felt her heart drop, even though it made no sense at all for her to feel quite so possessive over a man she’d only just met. But the thought of watching him spank some other lucky woman left a sour taste in her mouth.
Jared continued to speak, but Natalie was only half listening, the unreasonably jealous voices in her head far too loud as they asked if she really wanted to sit here and watch after all.
“For this, I’ll need a volunteer from the audience…”
The words penetrated her internal monologue, and Natalie glanced around the room, noting with a sinking heart the many hands that had shot up. She didn’t even bother to compete. As outgoing and happy as she was, there was nothing worse than the knowledge of failure; of not being chosen.
Far better not to put herself out there.
She could feel Nathan’s eyes on her, deceptively speculative. “Shit,” she heard him mutter under his breath. Because he knew.
Knew her well enough to read between the lines and understand her actions… or lack of them. Knew just how much it mattered.
But when she tipped her head up, determined to put on her ‘brave face’, it was Jared’s dark eyed piercing stare that held her captive. And as the murmur of voices quieted his own rang out clearly and speared her. “How about you, Natalie? Are you game?”
For a moment she sat, shocked into an unusual silence, but then Nathan elbowed her in the ribs, and she nodded her head and stood, approaching the stage as if she was tethered and Jared was drawing her to him with invisible ropes that prevented her doing anything but his bidding.
Behind her she heard Nathan muttering. “What did I do to deserve this?”
It was never going to stop her though, and when she finally managed to pull herself away from the magnetism of Jared’s eyes and look behind her, her brother was gone.
CHAPTER FOUR
