Page 24 of Hold Your Breath

I chuckle. “Willow, I avoid you because you do things to me, and my dick shouldn’t get hard over my stepsister.”

“Have I entered a parallel universe?” she mumbles as she pushes her way past me and places the beers on the counter. I move behind her again and trap her between my arms.

“Hate to break it to you, Willy, but this is the same universe. I’m just sick of trying to please our parents. I want you, Willow, and have for a long time.”

I need to gauge how she will react to finding out we are her masked men. If she is repulsed by me, then it might be best to leave it as her fantasy and never mention it again. I move my hand to her stomach and slide my fingers beneath her pants, waiting for her to tell me to fuck off. When she doesn’t, I lean inand kiss her neck.

“Micah,” she whispers. “We can’t do this.”

“Why not?” I ask, pushing my erection into her ass.

“Because your men are outside, and it’s not fair to them.”

I chuckle against her neck. “They won’t care, but I respect that you do.”

It takes everything in me to push back and give her space. I want her to know it’s us, and I plan to make sure she knows by tomorrow.

“I will be outside in a minute,” she says with a slight hitch in her voice.

She doesn’t turn to face me once she’s spoken, so I take the hint and grab the beers, making my way back outside.

“We need to tell her,” I say as I place the beers down on the table and sit back in my chair. “I knew this would open a can of worms. I wasn’t ready for it, but now that it’s open?—”

Jace cackles like a fucking hyena, and I kick his shin under the table.

“What did you do to her?” Zac growls out, and I follow his line of sight until I see Willow walking toward the glass door. She looks like someone kicked her puppy.

Willow slides the door open and walks outside with the fakest smile I have ever seen.

I don’t reply to Zac, but Jace intercepts Willow and makes her laugh with some dumb story. I almost wish her stupid ex never left her tied to that chair. Then I wouldn’t be here, questioning my fucking morals, wondering if what we are doing is right. Deep down, I know it’s messed up and I feel like a piece of shit.

After we finish eating, Willow asks if we need her help to tidy up. I tell her we will sort it out, so she excuses herself. The second she is out of sight, I take the last sip of my beer while Jace and Zac stare me down.

“What happened inside?” Jace asks.

“I might have made it known I want to fuck her.”

Zac runs his hand down his face and Jace shakes his head. “You’re an idiot. How have you known her so long but still know nothing about her?” Jace snaps. “Did you really think she would fuck you in the kitchen while we were sitting outside? She gets nervous just talking to me while you’re not around.”

“I know I screwed up. I forget she doesn’t fully understand our situation. Most women simply don’t care.”

“What do we do now?” Zac asks. “Do we come clean, or do we give her one more fantasy in case this all goes to shit?”

“I have an idea,” Jace says with a smile. “A way to come clean, but you might not like it.”

If this all blows up in my face, I only hope she realizes I did it for the right reasons. I want her to know how fucking beautiful she is, inside and out. Someone like her deserves the world, and I would do my fucking best to give it to her if I had half a chance.

Chapter Eleven

Willow

After I ate, I had to get away from Micah—my head was all over the place. I don’t understand how their relationship works. I could have sworn Jace was flirting with me, but I put it down to his personality. Then Zac blurted out that I could come and live with them, as if we have all been good friends for years, only to be followed by Micah touching me in ways that I have only dreamed about but never imagined would happen.

I’m still not convinced I’m not in an alternate universe. Maybe the aliens have abducted me, and this is their shitty way of entertainingthemselves. It would just be my luck. Or perhaps I’m in a coma. Could that happen from severe dehydration? If I was left tied to the chair for days without food or water... oh shit, I’m in a coma and living out a fantasy.

I head back toward the house, on a mission to call Bray and ask him point-blank if he wants me to move out. The grounds are huge, and somehow I walked all the way to the other side of the lake. There really is nothing over here besides the property line and some uncleared trees. It’s now night, and the walk back is spooky with shadows falling over the gardens, but deep down I love the thrill of being scared when your heart beats just a little faster.

Scary movies are some of my favorites—well, thrillers. The kind with jump scares. I could do without the gory stuff; instead, I want to be on the edge of my seat knowing something is coming and jump out of my skin when it does. Maybe it’s why I wanted to tie myself to a chair, even though being naked makes me uncomfortable. That thrill while I waited made my heart race. Although the rest was a shit show, I can’t regret it. Since then, I have lived out some of my fantasies and I’m feeling better about myself. Is it possible to love who you are that quickly?

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