Page 122 of Heartless Stepbrother
I forced every muscle in my body to stay still, neutral, unreactive.
Riley leaned a fraction closer, enough for me to hear the smile in his voice. “Relax, princess. I’m just saying, if you keep this up, you might actually survive tonight.”
I breathed in slowly.
Strong.
Unflustered.
Untouchable.
“I’ll be fine,” I said.
Something flickered in his eyes. Amusement. Approval. A challenge. Then he jerked his chin toward the bonfire.
“Let’s find out.”
He started walking toward the beach, hands in his pockets, the wind tugging at his shirt.
I hesitated only a second before following.
And even though my stomach churned with nerves, I made sure my steps were steady.
Riley didn’t look back.
But I knew he noticed.
The heat of the bonfire washed over us before we even stepped fully into the circle of light. Sparks drifted upward into the night like tiny fireflies, carried off by the ocean breeze. Music pulsed low from speakers half-buried in the sand, the bass thumping softly under the roar of the waves.
And the moment Riley stepped into view…
Everything shifted.
Heads turned.
Smiles brightened
People called his name.
“Riley!”
“Bro, where’ve you been?”
“Finally showed up!”
“There he is!”
He slipped into the crowd effortlessly, like walking into a room full of friends was as natural as breathing. I followed just behind him, feeling the heat of the fire on one side and the sharp edge of nerves on the other.
Then came the girls.
A whole cluster of them.
Most gave warm smiles, friendly waves, quick greetings. But a few… A few didn’t hide their interest at all.
One girl with glossy black hair and perfect red lips slid her hand along Riley’s arm as she said hi, leaning in incredibly close. Another flicked her hair back and bit her lip like she’d perfected her gestures in a mirror. A third gave him a smile so sweet it could make anyone’s teeth rot.
Riley didn’t flirt back. Not openly.
