Drown in You, page 6
As long as they’re still in Wakefield, I won’t survive a return trip home.
On our way to the airport, Dad asks me a million questions. He wants to know everything—my major, my hobbies, my future plans. Juliet would say he’s had years to learn this information about me, but I’m glad he’s actually trying. In the passenger seat, Deb searches through her carry-on for the millionth time. Miraculously, neither of them has picked up on the tangible tension between me and Luke.
Beside me, my new stepbrother is impossibly relaxed. Like he’s not at all terrified about our parents discovering we hooked up last night. Not at all bothered by the fact that we both unknowingly fucked our new step-sibling.
This morning, he’s in gray sweatpants that bring a lump to my throat. He’s gone from sophisticated man in a suit to college athlete in less than twelve hours, and his personality seems to have shifted with the wardrobe change.
Last night, the crease between his brows and the dip to his mouth told me he had the world weighing on his shoulders. Now, he’s got a spark in his gorgeous—no, not gorgeous, average, painfully average—gray eyes and a pep in his step. I guess getting laid really turned his mood around. Learning he fucked his new stepsister should’ve soured it, but he somehow seems happier than our just-married parents who are literally in the honeymoon phase.
Overhead, static voices announce delays and gate changes. When we reach the escalator that will take our parents up to security and off to their gate, Deb turns to Luke with glassy eyes. She throws her arms around him, blubbering into his shoulder. “Stay out of trouble, and keep an eye on Sienna.”
He flashes me a smirk and winks. “Don’t worry. I will.”
My stomach drops. What the hell is he doing? What if my dad saw him?
But a quick glance at my father confirms he’s entirely oblivious, busy reviewing his gate information with his glasses resting on the tip of his nose. Even if my father saw him, he probably wouldn’t think anything of a friendly wink. Except I’m fully aware that that wink was anything but friendly.
My father looks so different from what I remember. Brown hair lined with wide gray streaks, glasses with thick frames, and a hunch to his shoulders. Like gravity has been weighing him down more than the rest of us. Part of me can’t help but hope that’s the physical manifestation of his guilt.
But he’s trying now. And despite the disappointment I’ve held onto for years, I want to mend our relationship too.
“Have a safe flight!” I squeak, partially wishing they could take me with them so I can get away from Luke and his lingering gaze.
“Thank you so much, sweetie!” Deb throws her arms around me with a big smile. She’s sweet. Genuinely kind and warm. The type of woman I’m lucky to have as a stepmother.
Another reason why I don’t want her to know what happened between me and her son last night. I just met her—I don’t want her already thinking less of me. Already thinking I’m some succubus who lured her son away from her wedding reception to get laid.
Since Mom announced the news that I was moving in with my father, I’ve been playing out all the worst-case scenarios in my head, and none of them were this bad.
None of them involved fucking my new stepbrother before I even learned his name.
God, that was so fucking stupid. I’d blame it on the alcohol, but I was only buzzed. I knew exactly what I wanted last night: a distraction from the shitshow of the day, my life. Living away from my mom, moving in with my estranged father, joining a brand-new family, and being ignored by my best friend since I was fifteen—I needed something to help me forget.
I got what I wanted. At a steep price. Especially if our parents find out what we did and send me packing.
I can’t let them find out.
Deb cups my face, the floral scent of her lotion wafting up my nose. “You call us if there’s anything you need while we’re gone. And Luke will be around if you need a ride anywhere or you want to come home for a weekend. Okay? Our home is your home.”
She’s so nice, my eyes almost sting. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“Of course, honey! You’re family now!” She hugs me one last time, squeezing harder than I’d expect of a woman her size.
“My turn.” Dad steps forward and wraps me in a hug. It’s still uncomfortable, but I can tell he was sincere last night when he said how much he missed me.
Maybe I’ll never understand how he could’ve left me behind after the divorce, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make up for lost time now.
When he pulls back, he hangs onto one of my shoulders while squeezing Deb’s hand with a smile. “A lot of reunions happening lately. I’m a lucky man.”
I smile politely at them. “What do you mean?”
“We dated a few years ago,” Deb explains. “Way back when you kids were still in high school.”
I had no idea. I glance at Luke. Did he know? His face doesn’t give anything away. “That’s so sweet.”
“Why’d you break up?” Luke’s voice is flat. For some reason, he acts like he doesn’t want our parents to be together.
Deb waves her hand at him. “That’s water under the bridge.”
But Dad gives a sheepish smile. “I had a lot of growing up to do.” He nods to me. “And I still wasn’t really over Sienna’s mom. I wasn’t ready to love again.”
Not over Mom? How can he say that when he left us? She’s the one who’s spent the past decade pining for him. But I keep my mouth shut. He’s remarried and about to go on his honeymoon with his new wife. Now isn’t the time to interrogate him about his previous marriage.
Deb opens her arms wide. “Last hugs so we can get through security.”
Dad pulls me into a tight embrace again. “We’ll see you as soon as we get back. Call if you need anything.”
Luke tries to shake his hand like they’re business partners, but Dad wraps him in an awkward hug before Deb throws her arms around him. Luke eventually has to extract himself from her hold and Dad guides her to the escalator. Neither of them stops waving and shouting they’ll miss us until they reach the top.
A heavy palm lands on the small of my back.
I jump, gaze darting to Luke as I step out of his grasp. “What are you doing?”
His grin is wolfish. “We have the whole house to ourselves now.”
My mouth falls open. He can’t be serious. Our parents are literally still in sight, we just found out we’re step-siblings, and he’s implying we should go back to his house to fuck?
Maybe this is his demented sense of humor. This is what happens when you hook up with a guy you barely know while buzzed. You think he’s this Greek god in bed, playing your body like you’re a piano and he’s a maestro, but when you wake up sober the next day and he opens his mouth, you realize what a giant fucking mistake that was.
Except I can’t get that version of Luke Valentine out of my head. The version where he was the mystery man in my hotel room, not my new stepbrother. I’m still fantasizing about that version of him, still playing out last night in my head, even if I shouldn’t be.
For that hour, he was kind of the man of my dreams. He definitely was.
But then the universe tossed a bucket of ice water on me and woke me the fuck up.
“Did you miss that whole conversation last night where we found out we’re related now?” I wave to our parents as they disappear to the security gate.
My stomach twists. Aside from the strangers flittering past, I’m now completely alone with Luke.
He rolls his eyes, and I hate that every move he makes is sexy. No, he’s not sexy. He’s not. “We weren’t raised together.”
Oh my god. Seriously? That’s where he draws the line? I turn on my heel and head for the exit, ready to get to Diamond University, move my stuff into the dorm, and stay as far away from my stepbrother as I can get. “It’s still wrong.”
“Barely.” He’s right beside me, his stride casual while I’m beelining for the exit. “A date then. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
The moronic part of my brain softens at his proposition. But I shake it off.
It unnerves me how easily he can keep up with me. Like if I tried to run from him, he’d catch me in a heartbeat. “Even if it wasn’t wrong, I’m not doing anything to risk being sent back to Wakefield.”
That makes the cocky grin slip from his face. “Why? I thought you said you were safe now.”
I’m not sure how much our parents have told him. Clearly, if he’s asking, he must not know much, and I don’t really feel like rehashing it. I’d rather not think about it at all, actually. The bruises on my body are reminders enough. “Let’s just move my stuff into my dorm and then you don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
He’ll be busy with his own classes and schedule, and we can avoid each other. Pretend last night never happened. That we didn’t make the worst, best mistake of our lives.
Once we’re out of the airport and under the bright January sun, Luke tugs me to a stop, the hard edges of his face still unfairly beautiful in the stark light of day. “I’ll always worry about you.”
The intensity in his gaze makes my heart stutter. “Why? You barely even know me.”
“Because I’m your big brother now.”
In the car, my tight muscles relax slightly when Luke keeps his giant, veiny hands to himself. One rests on the stick shift the entire ride, mere inches from my thigh. Luckily, winter weather means I’m layered up in jeans, a sweater, and a thick coat. No exposed skin to tempt him.
Not that he should be tempted by his stepsister. We agreed to a one-night stand. Don’t most college guys get bored with a girl after fucking her? Especially gorgeous guys like him who are used to getting any girl they want. Maybe he’s flirting just to mess with me.
I text Mom to distract my mind from my stepbrother’s suffocating presence. She has a ten a.m. shift today, and who knows if she remembered to set her alarm.
Sienna
Are you up?
Dropped Dad and his wife off at the airport. Heading to campus now.
Even though my father’s new relationship is beyond my control, guilt gnaws at me for mentioning his new wife to Mom. A painful reminder that not only did he leave her—he found someone else. And she’s still alone.
While I wait, I type out a text to Ten.
Sienna
My life is officially a shitstorm.
After I hit Send, I stare at the messages waiting for his reply. Luke’s phone buzzes in his pocket, but he doesn’t bother checking it. At least he doesn’t text and drive. He’s retained some morals.
Despite not getting a response from Ten in days—the longest he’s gone without texting me since we met online—I’m holding out hope that there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. He was on a trip somewhere and didn’t have service. His phone died and he hasn’t gotten a new one yet. Soon, I’ll get a text from him explaining his silence, and I’ll feel like an idiot for worrying and jumping to conclusions.
We’ve talked almost every day for five years. He wouldn’t stop now. Not when I need him most.
When my phone chimes, my heart leaps with hope. But the text is from Mom.
Mom
I’m already showered and dressed. How are they? Nice?
My cheeks flush at the prospect of texting my mother anything about Luke.
Sienna
Yep!
When the Diamond University campus comes into view, I can’t help gasping. The sprawling brick campus is gorgeous, like a quaint town pulled straight from historic London. Dorm buildings, dining halls, class buildings, gyms. Fountains and quads and benches and ponds. I bet this campus is stunning in the spring when everything is in bloom.
“You like the campus, sis?” Luke’s deep, sultry drawl shouldn’t turn me on as much as it did last night.
My nose scrunches. “Ew, don’t call me that.”
“Why not? You said that’s the reason you wouldn’t let me take you out.”
My cheeks burn with shame when my thighs clench. As soon as Luke pulls up in front of Nohren Hall, I fling the door open before the car has even fully come to a stop. I don’t have much—Juliet is bringing most of our dorm supplies since she’s the one with wealthy parents who can afford to buy her basically whatever she wants. So moving my stuff in shouldn’t take long. Then Luke and I can part ways and hopefully not have to see each other again for a long time.
I grab as many bags as I can and beeline for Nohren Hall to get my room key. Luke takes his time grabbing a few boxes from the car, chuckling at my rush to get away from him. Glad one of us finds this situation amusing.
When we finally reach the dorm, I hold my breath, hoping Juliet is already inside. But the room is completely bare.
Damn it. I need her to run interference between us.
“Which bed is yours?” Luke asks, and I hate the way a shiver races down my spine at the seductive way those words leave his lips.
“This one.” I toss my bags onto the mattress before he can get any bright ideas about this empty room with two available beds.
Inside my purse, the disposable camera rattles, bringing back a rush of memories from last night. Sitting beside him at the bar, squeezing his thigh, moaning with his head between my legs.
He smirks, perching on the edge of my mattress. “I’m getting flashbacks to your hotel room.”
I fold my arms. He clearly doesn’t understand the magnitude of this situation, and I need to make the boundaries of our new relationship crystal clear to him. “What happened last night was a mistake. It can never happen again. Like your mom said, we’re family now. So no one can ever know what we did, and we’re going to pretend it didn’t happen. Okay?”
His brows furrow now, and I gulp. He’s back to that commanding, looming man he was in my hotel room. Except this time, I’m nervous about what he might do next.
I’m finally realizing there’s a lot about Luke Valentine I don’t know.
He closes the space between us in two slow steps. My pulse echoes in my ears. “I’ll never pretend it didn’t happen. And I won’t let you pretend either.”
His hand brushes behind my ear, tender . . . until he slides it around my neck and tugs me closer.
I whimper.
“It will happen again, Sienna. That wasn’t the only taste of you I’m getting. I know you want me, just as much as I want you.”
Jesus. If he was anyone else, if he wasn’t my stepbrother, I would let him get another taste. I would let him fuck me right here.
But this is our new reality, and we need to stay away from each other, no matter what he thinks he wants.
A thunderous knock on the door makes us jump apart.
When Luke swings it open, four giant men and a tiny girl hover in the doorway. They’re all grinning at Luke, one of the giants barrelling into him for a hug and clapping him on the back. “Missed you, man!”
The one with his arm around the girl’s shoulders nods to me. “You must be the new sister.”
All six pairs of eyes fall on me.
The giant who hugged Luke brushes past him, a wide smile on his face as he extends a hand to me. “I’m Knox.”
He’s equal parts sexy and boyish with his green eyes, wavy hair, towering height, and a sprinkling of freckles across his nose.
“Sienna,” I tell him.
His fingertips trail over the bruise at my temple. “What happened here?”
Behind him, Luke’s temper flares.
“I fell.”
“Hands off, Rockefeller.” Luke’s command makes Knox drop his hand with a chuckle.
Heat crawls up to my cheeks. How can he be this possessive of me? We had sex one time. His friends will get suspicious if he keeps up the jealous-boyfriend act.
“Sienna, this is Wes, Violet, Damien, and Finn.” Knox points to each of them. “We play hockey together. Except for Violet. She’s a puck bunny.”
Violet sticks out her tongue at him and Wes scowls, squeezing her shoulders. “The hell she is.”
Wes is definitely the kind of guy you don’t fuck with. His dark brown hair is mussed and blue eyes glazed, like maybe the reason they didn’t meet us by the front desk like we planned is because he and Violet were . . . preoccupied.
Violet is adorable with her shoulder-length brown hair and librarian-chic wardrobe. Her smile is warm and kind, and her eyes brighten when they land on the partially open box at the foot of my bed. “Oh my god, she’s a book girl! I already love her!”
“Hell yeah.” I’m a hundred percent sure we’re going to be instant friends. As long as she doesn’t spend too much time with Luke.
“You a puck bunny?” Knox asks. His eyes eat me up, his Cheshire grin warming my belly.
Behind him, Damien and Finn can’t take their eyes off me either. They’re both freakishly tall—all of them are—but Damien has the widest arms and shoulders, his eyes so dark they’re almost black. Finn is leaner than the others, but he could be a model with those devastating blue eyes, sharp cheekbones, and midnight-black hair.
Luke glowers like he wants to kill all three of them for staring at me like I’m the next puck bunny in their lineup.
Maybe this is how I get Luke to stay away from me. Flirt with his friends right in front of him, convince him I’m not interested. Then he’ll get the hint and find some other girl. A girl who isn’t related to him by law. A girl who wouldn’t get sent back home to face the dangers awaiting her if she were to get caught in Luke Valentine’s bed.
So I bat my lashes at Knox. He’s gorgeous, so flirting with him won’t be hard. “I am now.”
Impossibly, his grin widens, green eyes lighting up. But behind him, Luke’s brows sink.
I’m going to pay for that later.
