Chapter4

What a filthy suggestion. But I'd promised Mom I would listen to Miles while I was living away from home. This time I didn't talk back.

Miles then decided to demonstrate how a man should handle a relationship. His own girlfriend had just broken things off after finding signs that another woman had been staying at his place. She suspected him of cheating. Those signs were mine.

Miles's girlfriend was Jade Ellis, a fairly well-known stylist. They'd met at a charity gala, fallen for each other, and begun dating soon afterward. According to Mom, Miles was serious this time. Then again, she said that every time he fell in love.

Jade opened the door. Miles went straight into his act. “Baby, you don't love me anymore? Are you tired of me?”

Why did his words sound so familiar? Whatever their source, they worked. Jade's lashes trembled. The coldness in her face began to ease. Miles didn't waste the opportunity. He dropped to his knees, shuffled across the floor to the couch, and clung to her calf.

“I've brought her with me. If you still don't believe me, she and I might as well bash our heads into this couch right now.”

I put down my flowers and jumped between him and the couch. “Uncle Miles, am I supposed to bash my head too?”

He shot me a look. “You can't make one sacrifice for your uncle's happiness?”

My life might be cheap, but it was the only one I had. We were still arguing when Jade laughed behind us.

“Enough. I've known all along.” She opened a video on her phone. It showed Adrian and me kissing at the concert. More than a hundred thousand likes. When had we gone viral?

“Hey, niece,” she said, “I totally ship you two.”

After that performance, I saw the value of having a thick skin. I made up my mind to stop being the one constantly on the defensive. Miles lifted his head from Jade's arms. He'd caught my expression.

“So you've found yourself a sweet romance too,” he said. “Enjoy it.”

That evening Jade did my makeup, giving me a look that was both innocent and a little daring. Then she dug a fitted dress out of her closet, tight at the waist and hips, and helped me into it. Miles watched from the couch and gave her a thumbs-up.

“My baby can turn even an ugly duckling into a swan.”

I rolled my eyes and decided, for Jade's sake, to take it as praise. At just that moment Adrian called. He wanted to take me to that new Italian place everyone was raving about.

I put on a coaxing voice. “I don't want to wait in line. I want to eat you...”

Your creamy mushroom pasta. That was what I meant to say. But the call ended in a beep. I'd apparently hit the button by mistake. Miles bent over laughing, one hand against his side.

“My friend isn't going to survive tonight!”

I wanted to crawl into a hole. Then a text came in from Adrian. “Um. I'll be at home waiting for you. All washed and ready.”

Half an hour later I stood outside Adrian's door. I'd barely pressed the first number of the entry code when the door opened. He stood in the dark inside, leaning against the frame with his arms folded.

“Baby,” he asked lazily, “how do you want to eat me?”

I stared. He was clean and smelled wonderful. Damp hair fell across his forehead; water still dripped from it. The drops ran along his chest and disappeared beneath the towel loosely wrapped at his waist. I swallowed and couldn't get my eyes to move.

“You misunderstood...”

Before I could finish explaining, he pressed my hand against his abs and guided it slowly downward. How was I supposed to argue while touching him? Then I realized his towel was coming loose. I tried to pull my hand away. He held on.

“I'm new to this, baby. Not like other guys. Try me. I won't bite.”

He'd made me curious. Trying him proved exhausting. It was almost dawn before Adrian finally stopped. I was sore all over. He lay against me, breathing hard. Surely this was the perfect moment to confess.

“Actually, Miles is my—”

Adrian put a finger to my lips. His eyes were damp, and he looked hurt. “Was I not good enough? Let's try again.”

My heart went soft. I opened my mouth, then closed it again. The words wouldn’t come.