Page 1 of Tempt Me

Chapter One

Bella

The second I slip out of my car at my brothers’ house, I see him–Dominic Wood. All 6’, tattoo-covered, pierced nipples, 5 o’clock shadow wearing, brown-haired, cocky dimpled, devil may care attitude, 2” of him. It should be criminal that he’s this good-looking.

Dominic is the guy I’ve had a crush on for as long as I can remember. Fourth grade? Fifth? It was before I hit the sixth grade. But the pining is just as pointless now as it was ten years ago. I’m Samuel and Benjamin’s pesky little sister. The one their friends ignored, made fun of, or flat-out bossed around.

But that doesn’t seem to matter to my stupid heart and brain.

Xavier tosses a football into a group of shirt-covered and shirtless guys who collide for the catch with Sam, my second oldest brother, catching it and re-igniting the endless smack talk they do on Sunday afternoons.

The sun beams down on my head, heating my skin with its warm rays. My brothers share a place with their three best friends: Dominic, Xavier, and Isaac.

“Hey, Bella, lookin’ good.” Xavier winks at me as he slaps Dominic on the back.

“Shit,” Dominic growls at him as he eyes me up and down, but not in a good way. The frown on his face would be evident tothe neighbors down the street if they bothered to look. He jerks his attention back to Xavier. “Asshole.”

“Back at ya.” Xavier gives him a cocky grin.

Dominic wraps his arm around Xavier’s neck and pulls him into a headlock. “Don’t slap me when I’m not paying attention.”

“Dude….” Xavier chuckles and says something that only Dominic can hear as they mumble to each other while scuffling on the lawn. Even though Dominic is on the ‘shirts’ team, he’s still the best-looking guy on their makeshift field.

“Why do you feel the need to dress like a tramp?” Sam crosses his arms over his chest. “You should go home and put some clothes on.”

“Fuck off. I don’t need your approval for what I wear.” The heat from the sun is nothing compared to the embarrassment of my brother putting me on blast. “And that’s no way to talk to someone doing you a favor.”

“Whatever.” Sam shakes his head as he rolls his eyes. “Just put on some more clothes.”

Okay, I’m over or underdressed, depending on how you look at it, for small-town living with a pale pink crop top and white shorts. But the shirt compliments my tan and shows off a couple of inches of skin as the loose sleeves flutter in the breeze.

And the shorts stop at my fingertips.

Fine…. They stop five inches above my fingertips if I’m standing straight with my shoulders back, but my brothers live with their three best friends and have a bunch of other friends over on Sunday afternoons. Single friends. I’m not passing upthe opportunity to turn some heads. Maybe someday that head will be Dominic’s.

Not to mention, it’s freaking hot, and I’m not going to show up at their place in 90-degree weather wearing a parka.

Jake, another of their friends, slips a shirt over his head and nods at me. “Hey, Bella.”

“Jake.” I return his greeting. “When did you get back into town?”

“A few days ago.” One of my two best friends, Emily, has had a crush on Jake since she was in junior high. Jake moved away for college and never came back. Until now. Does Emily know he’s back in town?

My other best friend, Ruby, has been in love with Xavier just as long. Or maybe it’s lust. It’s hard to imagine someone loving Xavier and thinking it’ll work out. We’re all pathetic in the romance department, wishing for guys who’ll never notice us.

“I took the open position at the police department after Nolan Reed retired.” Nolan was a staple of our small-town police department.

I purse my lips together. “You’ll look good in uniform.”

“Thanks.” He winks and slaps my oldest brother, Ben, on the back as they converse.

Xavier saunters over to me and tosses his arm over my shoulders. “How’s school going?”

“Fine.” I cringe as my back stiffens. “Everything’s fine.”

His eyes narrow into slits. “What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing.” I glance away from him as Dominic spins on his heel and marches into the house, letting the door slam behind him.

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