I let myself look at her for just five seconds, I know I shouldn’t but my eyes refuse to follow my orders and skim over her gorgeous figure.
She left her dark brown hair down in soft waves that frame the perfect oval of her face. Her make up is minimal and enhances her huge green eyes and the perfect heart shape of her lips.
My eyes continue to punish me as they caress her soft body for a few torturous seconds, taking in how the simple, short little black dress she’s wearing highlights her soft, perfect body.
Kaya isn’t a skinny girl by any means but I’ve always thought that she has curves in all the right places. As I complete my perusal and my eyes are back on hers, I make myself walk away, before I utter the compliments that are right on the tip of my tongue.
“Right everyone, see you all at the marina, I’m going to pick up Jasmine!”
I bolt before I can see her reaction to my statement, I know she doesn’t like Jasmine. Truth be told, neither do I. Or at least, not the way Kaya believes I do.
I met Jasmine the night of the party we threw when we arrived in Star Cove a couple of weeks ago. She started talking to me, asking me questions about Dad’s office, since she just got a job there. I hadn’t been back in town for five minutes that I’d heard all the gossip about her, but you know, it didn’t make any difference to me who Jasmine fucked. The whole town had been shunning her since she cheated on her husband the year before and while I don’t condone cheating in any way, I found the way people talked about her very cruel. So I was talking to her about the fact that I’d be working in the same office too for the whole summer, when I saw Kaya coming into the room and stricken by the panic I feel every time I look at my stepsister, I dragged Jasmine down to sit on my lap.
Jasmine hasn’t made a mystery of being more than interested in a summer fling or whatever else I’d be willing to offer, but the reality is that I fucking can’t.
I thought about hooking up with her, I seriously did, the idea was to fuck Kaya out of my system but when push came to shove, I couldn’t. I couldn’t even kiss her. The one time she touched her lips to mine, I recoiled back as if I’d been burned. I told her that I was in love with someone who didn’t feel the same way about me and that it wouldn’t be right to get involved with her if I couldn’t get over my feelings for my crush.
And you know what? If I were using that line to pick up girls, I’d probably be able to fuck every girl in Star Cove. Because Jasmine ate that shit up. I think that when I told her that, she kinda got her own little crush on me but I’ve been very careful not to cross the line and keep our hanging out strictly platonic. I told her that I could use a friend and she didn’t mind having someone well respected in town on her arm, to help her reputation recover.
So hanging out with her has been mutually beneficial. I never revealed who my crush was because I can’t afford for any of it to reach Dad’s ear. As far as he’s concerned, Kaya is our little sister and since we had that talk three years ago, we’ve been just her step siblings, distant ones as such.
Little does he know that both Chase and I have been living in our own personal hell, unable to forget the only girl we’ve ever loved.
It’s so bad that we don’t even talk about it but we both know the truth, after all we might not be identical twins but we do everything together and words aren’t always necessary between us.
Chase has a more violent reaction to Kaya, like always he’s the impulsive one between us. He clashes with her every time they cross paths and I guess that in his own fucked up way, that’s his way of being close to her.
If love isn’t an option, hate is just as good in my twin’s mind. I just can’t. I can’t even look at her or talk to her, I have to stay away. Like a drug addict, I know that the moment I have any contact with her, the pain is gonna be unbearable. I’m so terrified of having her on campus in a couple of months, that I’ve been thinking about applying for a year in Europe or even transferring schools to avoid having to see her everywhere.
Especially if my traitor besties don’t quit being all chummy with her. She’s already latched onto them and follows them everywhere like the cutest little puppy. I have to talk to Parker and Bryce before this gets out of hand.
My only hope is that their misguided attempt at friendship with my stepsister is just that. And I’ve got my hopes up because Kaya’s date tonight is that douche Marc. I hate the guy but at least if she hangs with him, I don’t have to have her around all the fucking time.
Kaya
I’M NOT IN A GOOD MOOD. I hate that tonight I have to hang out with Marc, under the watchful eye of Mom and Dustin.
Mom and I can’t seem to talk about the matter without it turning into a fight. She said that I don’t have to date him again or be his girlfriend but that he is my date tonight, since I got caught up in this misunderstanding and now the families are involved.
I kept trying to explain that there’s no misunderstandings and that Marc is simply pretending that I said yes when he asked me to be boyfriend and girlfriend.
“It doesn’t matter, Kaya. Either way he told his parents that you’re going to the party together, so what’s done is done. And you can’t make a scene and ruin Dustin’s launch of the new yacht. So maybe, wait until tomorrow to speak to him. But you need to sort this out and clarify things with Marc.”
I walked away, frustrated with the fact that she doesn’t seem to get the point that I have been clear with Marc and that he keeps ignoring me every time I remind him that we aren’t dating.
Thankfully Bryce and Parker will be there tonight and they promised me to be by my side at all times to prevent Marc from getting any ideas.
I make my way down the stairs in my little black dress with a smile on my face: my boyfriends.
Every time I think about yesterday afternoon, I get a delicious shiver down my spine and my knees feel week at the memory of how Bryce and Parker made me feel. I would’ve thought that I should feel dirty for being with both guys at the same time but I don’t. In fact, I’ve never felt so adored and safe in my whole life.
Maybe it’s not the case that no one had ever been able to make me feel a certain way with just a kiss aside from my mystery guy and that the only other two guys who did, were able to give me the most mind blowing orgasm of my entire life.
This thought crosses my mind as I’m almost at the bottom of the stairs and the sight of Reid in his tuxedo is such a surprise in my already heightened state of mind, that when I meet his gaze I have to hold onto the polished wood of the handrail to avoid falling off the last three steps.
Reid normally doesn’t even look at me, it’s as if I didn’t even exist but this time, I can feel his eyes skimming from my face down my body.
His ice blue eyes are almost transparent, the pocket square of his tux matches their unique color so closely that it makes it stand out and having his gaze fixed on me is wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time.
Maybe I should say something but he doesn’t give me the time, because the fleeting moment between us is over too soon and his eyes skim behind me toward the first floor as he calls out:
“Right everyone, see you all at the marina, I’m going to pick up Jasmine!”
Right, Jasmine.
I know that he can do whatever the hell he wants, I know that I have no right to be jealous and that he and I aren’t even friends but his words hurt more than I care to admit.
Maybe he’s right not to want anything to do with me, because I’m a selfish, immature little girl. I have two boys who want me and are so smart and handsome that I know Nic will die of jealousy when she hears about them and yet I can’t let go of my childish crush for my stepbrothers.
“Hey K, are you riding with me and Bryce?”
Parker arrives in a dark grey tux and for the umpteenth time, I thank all the gods that I met him and Bryce.
Kaya
HAVE YOU EVER FELT like you’re suffocating? Like the oxygen is being sucked out of your lungs and no matter ho
w much you inhale, how hard you gasp, you can’t breathe?
That’s the way I’ve been feeling since we got to the docks at the marina.
I can’t even list the reasons why; everything feels stifling even if on the surface it shouldn’t.
The first people who greet us as we arrive on the dock are Marc and his parents. I’ve only seen Marc’s dad once before, last summer but we haven’t really been officially introduced.
Marc’s parents look surprisingly youthful, they’re supposed to be in their late forties, as Marc is the youngest of three children, but I’d easily place Jackie and her husband Richard in their mid-thirties if I didn’t know better.
Richard is tall and athletic and dresses exactly like Marc, formal-chic. He looks like he should be on the cover of a Polo magazine. Not the garment, the sport with horses and mallets. The one really posh or really pretentious people normally play.
The other thing I notice straight away is that Marc looks like the carbon copy of his mother but has his father’s coloring; so he has dark hair and brown eyes as opposed to his mom’s blonde locks and blue eyes. I don’t have a problem hugging Marc hello, I do that with all my friends, the problems begin when he intertwines his fingers with mine and refuses to let go, tightening his grip on me when I try to take my hand back.
Bryce and Parker are standing behind Marc and I can see the murderous looks in their eyes and feel the tension radiating from their bodies at Marc’s show of possessiveness but I appreciate that they keep their tempers in check.
They both know that my mom asked me to save appearances for tonight and I’m only doing it because I don’t want to rock the boat, so to speak.
We agreed that it’s early days in our relationship and probably breaking the news that I’m dating two guys and I have no plans to choose between them, isn’t the best course of action.
Dustin has known Parker and Bryce forever but Mom has just met them, so I want to give her time to warm up to them before I decide what to tell her. And I’m thankful that the guys understand my predicament.
Tonight’s party is a relatively small affair: the members of the town council are all in attendance and aside from our family and Marc’s the rest of the guests consist of Dustin’s employees who have all worked on the super yacht in different capacities, and a few journalists from publications that specialize in boats.
I’m still standing near Marc, trying to free my hand from his grip when Reid stops a few feet away from us with Jasmine on his arm.
My stepbrother’s date shoots me a look and a little satisfied smirk appears on her lips when our eyes meet. She snuggles against Reid and I don’t even have the time to feel the usual burning jealousy about it, as Chase arrives with two girls.
If memory serves, they aren’t the same two girls from the party: I recognize one from the souvenir shop on the marina and I’ve seen the other one somewhere but can’t quite remember where. What matters is that they’re both blonde and leggy and they’re dangling from his arms, looking smitten with him. And I don’t blame them: Chase is wearing a dark blue tuxedo that highlights his broad shoulders and perfectly sculpted physique, his golden blond hair has been cut and is styled in a modern faux-hawk that gives him a bad boy look.
Unlike his brother, Chase’s gaze lands on me and he makes no mystery of checking me out, he doesn’t avert his gaze but pins me to him with that deep, endless dark blue.
We stand there in silence, while other people chatter around us and we look at each other.
Or to be exact, he scowls at me and I wish I knew what did I do to deserve it, what made him change from the flirty, affectionate guy I met three years ago, to this stone cold, angry and distant step-sibling.
I’m barely participating in the conversation with Mom, Marc and his parents, unable to stop looking at Chase.
Our stare down contest is interrupted by Dustin, who gets everyone’s attention and welcomes the most notable guests.
“I don’t want to take everyone’s time with a long, boring speech. This yacht is the admiral in Hudson Marina’s new line of luxury yachts and its amenities will be for everyone to see in a few moments as we board and begin the festivities. But before we do, I’d like to officially launch this boat and reveal the name I’ve chosen for it. I’m sure you all know how my life changed completely three years ago, when I met my wonderful wife Karen here in Star Cove. Karen gave me and my boys the loving family that we’d been missing for too long. So without further ado, the name of this new boat is ‘Karen Kaya’ after the two women I love the most in the world. My wife and my daughter.”
I feel tears come to my eyes and do my best not to let them fall as I accept Dustin’s hug. I didn’t know that he was going to name the boat after me but I’m honored and touched by the gesture.
Dustin knows how I feel about him; he’s the father I’ve never had. My dad has always been absent and distracted, he’s always been a total stranger to me. Dustin filled that void not just for me but also for my mom. And the way he loves and cherishes Mom would be enough reason for me to love him but Dustin and I really get one another. We have a lot in common and one of my favorite things in the world is our conversations about philosophy, literature and life in general. He’s always encouraged me to be the best person I can be and to reach for the stars, and I owe him the best education money could buy for sending me to the most exclusive prep school in Manhattan. Without that, I would never have been accepted into Bridgeport U.
When Dustin releases me from his hug, I feel Chase and Reid’s gazes on me even before I turn to look at them. The anger I see in their eyes makes me almost reel back and for once I don’t shy away when Marc wraps his arm around my shoulders to walk onto the boat.
It’s obvious that my stepbrothers don’t share their dad’s feelings about me but I was completely unprepared for how much that hurts when I saw it plain and clear on their handsome faces. I know that we didn’t grow up together but I’ve never really understood why they dislike me so much.
The sky-lounge of the boat, the main indoors living area is all sumptuous dark wood, glass and highly polished metal. There’s a glass dome in the center of the room that would offer an amazing view of the stars if the space wasn’t illuminated by several chandeliers.
There are waiters dressed in nautical whites serving champagne and cocktails.
Normally my parents don’t mind me having the occasional glass of champagne but as a waiter offers me one from a shiny silver tray, I catch my mom’s gaze and the barely perceptible shake of her head and nod in confirmation that I won’t make a giant faux-pas. Drinking champagne at home is one thing, but since I’m still underage, drinking in front of the mayor and several journalists isn’t the smartest move.
So I smile at Jackie and Richard and excuse myself with the pretext of getting a mock-tail from the bar at the opposite end of the room. Unfortunately I’m not lucky enough to get rid of Marc because he follows me, putting a hand on the small of my back to guide me away from his parents.
We order Shirley Temples and as soon as we get served Marc seems in a hurry to push me away from the bar, until we’re practically standing behind a potted palm tree. I’m about to ask him what the hell does he think he’s doing, when he surreptitiously extracts a silver flask from the inside pocket of his tux and pours some clear liquid in both of our drinks.
“What did you just—”
He silences me by placing his index finger on my lips and a smirk appears on his lips. “Just a dash of vodka. Being underage doesn’t mean that we can’t have some fun too or be treated like morons, like my Dad keeps treating me,” I don’t have the time to say anything as Reid’s voice comes from behind us.
“Well shit, if your dad treats you like a moron, he must have his own reasons and seeing what you’ve just done, I don’t fucking blame him. There’s the mayor and the sheriff just ten feet away from you. This party is organized by my father’s company and if they saw underage drinking, there could be serious consequences
,” that part is directed to Marc but soon after, Reid’s ice blue gaze turns to me. “I get that your boyfriend doesn’t give a shit about our family company but you, Kaya? I thought you were smarter than that, but then again, maybe I shouldn’t be this surprised, seeing your choice of date.”
He says the last part with blatant disdain contorting his features and I see red. “Really, Reid? Wow,” I retort shocked by the vehemence in his tone, by the fact that these must be the first words he has voluntarily said to me in three years and by the fact that in all honesty, I would’ve expected such an outburst more from Chase. “First off, Marc isn’t my boyfriend, second you should be one to talk about my choice of dates!”
His eyes darken with a fury that turns the almost transparent ice blue a stormy, darker hue and this is how fucked up I am, I know his next words are going to be scathing, but there’s a part of me that’s looking forward to them.
I hadn’t realized how much I craved his attention this whole time. I thought that Chase’s attitude was the one that hurt me the most but I was wrong. I would take fury over indifference any day.
And as if summoned by my thoughts, Chase’s voice is the one that responds to my verbal attack toward Reid. “What’s going on here?” Reid is about to answer but Chase cuts him off. “I don’t care what you and the princess here are disagreeing about, this isn’t the time or place. You’re both raising your voices and people are starting to look. Come on, they’re about to serve dinner on the main deck. Out you all go.”
I don’t miss the hardness in his tone and the blatant aversion toward me in his dark blue gaze.
But he’s right, we don’t want to attract attention by fighting in the middle of a party, so I begin to walk away but Chase shakes his blond head. “Aren’t you two forgetting something?” He gestures toward our glasses and when Marc doesn’t immediately surrender his drink, he threatens to tell Dustin and Mom. And I’ve had enough issues with my mom lately so I grab Marc’s drink and shove it into Chase’s hand, walking away without a word.
Forbidden (Perfect for them Book 1) Page 15