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His nose brushed my ear, and his minty breath fanned across my cheek as he wrapped his fingers around my throat, cutting off my oxygen. I dragged my fake nails across the back of his hand while I gasped for air. Cole had a reputation for a short temper, but he’d never pushed me this far.
Cruel and sadistic flashes appeared and disappeared in his eyes. “Keep your fucking hands to yourself. And a word of advice. End it, princess, or I’ll show good ol’ Dad every second of the recording.”
Our gazes locked as I fought against him, clawing at his arm and leaving red angry marks on his skin. Suddenly, images flashed through my mind of Cole thrusting into me from behind while he choked me.Dammit. What the hell was wrong with me? My stepbrother?
My sight began to fade as he squeezed harder. Jesus. He was going to fucking kill me, and I was aroused.
Cole dropped his hand, and I collapsed. My knees smacked the hard floor as my purse slipped from my shoulder. I peered up at him, coughing and gasping. He sneered at me as he adjusted himself, chuckled, and walked away.
I pulled myself up, dazed and confused about how the limo situation and arguing with Cole had taken a sharp turn. Cole Parker, my asshole stepbrother, had just choked me, and from the looks of him adjusting his dick in his pants … enjoyed it. More than that, my core throbbed with longing as I recalled his touch and the proximity of his mouth to my sensitive neck and ear. His confidence and domineering attitude rolled off him in waves, intoxicating me. He wasn’t the same boy who had left for college. Not mentally and not physically. Instead, he’d returned a goddamned man, and my hormones were the first to notice.
Wobbling on my black Louboutin heels, I placed a palm against the desk to steady myself as I removed my shoes and darted across the hall to my room. I’d disliked Cole before, but after he had just threatened to blackmail me, I hated him now. At the same time, I needed my head checked because his touch had lit me on fire. If he stormed in here, flipped my skirt up, and fucked me senseless, I still didn’t think my body would be satisfied. Maybe a night with him.Jesus, stop! He’s your stepbrother, for God’s sake.
Quietly, I closed and locked the door, then rested my forehead against the frame, scrambling for clarity. I had a huge-ass problem I had to stay focused on. One thing was for certain; no one, not even family, fucked with me and got away with it. I was a Wessex. I wasn’t a princess. I was a fucking queen. It was time to put Cole in his place once and for all.
ChapterThree
My favorite room in the house was my bedroom. For some reason, it felt safe and secluded from the rest of the mansion. I’m sure it had something to do with the calming light blue, white, and navy color scheme. The bedding, the chair, the rug—everything weaved together with a delicate balance.
Fiery anger ripped through me as I tossed my heels near my desk. Rummaging through my handbag, I located my phone, then dropped my purse on my king-size bed and stomped to the bathroom. If that bastard left marks on my neck, I would destroy him. How dare he film my extracurricular activities with Ibrahim and Matt, then have the audacity to put his hands on me.
Discarding my leather skirt, polo shirt, and lace bra, and thong, I stood in front of my full-length lighted mirror. I tilted my head up and to the left. Red welts glared against my pale skin, but I didn’t think it would bruise.
My mind whirled faster than an F5 tornado as I turned on the shower. Within seconds, steam billowed over the top of the glass wall. In my opinion, I had the best bathroom, other than Daddy and Julia’s. The vanity counter was the same white and black marble that ran through the sprawling mansion and provided tons of space for my makeup and hair tools.
My favorite feature, other than the double sinks, was the claw foot soaker bathtub near the window that overlooked the neighborhood. In the fall, every tree leaf turned a bright orange, red, or yellow. If I had time, I would soak for hours, sip a good glass of wine, and read a naughty romance novel. I hadn’t had that leisure since I’d started at the university last September, though.
Locating a fresh towel, I placed it on the heated holder before I walked under the hot water. Not only did I reek of sex, but this was also the best place for me to relax.
Fear knotted my stomach. Cole had made it clear he would show Daddy the recording, but why would he even care? What was in it for him? It wouldn’t mean more money when Daddy died, so what was the fucking problem? Who I fucked was none of his business.
I lathered my long strands of hair, the rose petal scent reminding me of Matt. Unable to stop my smile, my mind returned to my afternoon threesome. My body was sore, but it didn’t sway me from wanting Ibrahim and Matt. Next time, I would have to make sure there weren’t any cameras around.
Annoyed all over again, I sifted through the possible reasons for Cole’s blackmail attempt, but I continued to come up blank.
Once I was clean, I turned off the water before I reached for the warm towel. My cell buzzed with a text. I quickly dried off, moisturized, then collected my phone from the counter. I grinned as I read the message from my bestie, Zoe.
Bitch, don’t be late tonight. I know where you live. I’ll drag your ass out the door by your hair.
I rolled my eyes at the message, laughing as I texted her back.
I just showered. I’ll be ready in plenty of time. Come on over, though. Need to chat.
The little black dots flickered on my screen as I waited for her response.
Let me grab my shit for tonight. Be there in twenty. Btw, this better be something delish to pull me away from Emily in Paris.
I sure as hell wouldn’t call Cole choking me delish, but I needed to tell someone about it in case he ever killed me.
You’ll survive. See you in a few.
Locking the screen on my cell, I left the bathroom and headed to my closet. My bare feet landed on the plush cream carpet, the silk fibers tickling my soles.
When Daddy proposed to Julia, we moved to this house. Mine and Daddy’s previous home was gorgeous, but we didn’t need a lot of space. However, with the addition of two more people, Daddy thought it would be best to start fresh. At first, I objected. Loudly. I’d lived in Cherrywood Place since I’d been born. More than that, Mom loved it there. But she was gone, so living in our old house together was just a faded and agonizing memory.
Choking on the painful memories, I busied myself searching for what I wanted to wear to the party. Harrison lived in a mansion on the outskirts of town where the elevation was a bit higher. The ten acres had an abundance of trees and the evenings always cooled off quickly. A dress wasn’t the best choice. I ran my finger along the drawers that held my jewelry, lingerie, shoes, and handbags.
The second I’d seen the bedroom with the large bay windows and window seat, I was leaning toward choosing it, but when I saw the closet, it was a done deal. The built-ins included white shelves and dressers, several rows of hanger space, and two full-length mirrors, but the best part was the sitting area with a pink chaise lounge.
