Chapter 1: Unwanted Encounter
The lavender scent was supposed to be calming, but the scalding water was doing jack shit for my nerves. I scrubbed harder, trying to drown out the echo of my stepsister's laughter from the other side of the door. Fucking Jake. Always the center of attention, even when I just wanted a goddamn shower in peace.
The shower door swung open with a jarring screech. My head snapped up, hands flying to cover myself, but it was too late. Not Jake. Tyrone. Tall, dark, and unfairly handsome, he filled the doorway like a goddamn redwood. His eyes were dark, predatory, and fixed on me.
"Well, well, well," he drawled, that cocky smirk plastered across his face. "What do we have here?" My heart hammered against my ribs. I stammered, "Tyrone? What the fuck are you doing?"
He didn't answer, just stepped inside, the bathroom shrinking with every inch he closed the distance. The water turned even hotter, stinging my skin. I flinched, backing away until my spine hit the cold tile of the shower wall.
"You lost, baby girl?" he said, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through me. I hated how it made my skin prickle. "Or were you waiting for me?"
"Get out," I managed, my voice shaking despite my best efforts. "Jake will be back any minute."
He chuckled, a deep, throaty sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "Jake doesn't need to know everything." He reached out, his fingers tracing the line of my jaw. I recoiled, but he just gripped my chin, holding me in place.
"You're just as naughty as I thought you were," he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. "Wonder what else you're hiding." His eyes flicked downwards, and I instinctively crossed my arms over my chest.
"I'm not hiding anything," I spat, trying to sound braver than I felt. "Now get the fuck out."
He ignored me, his gaze still fixed on my body. "You know, Jake talks about you all the time. Says you're a good girl. But I see right through that shit." His hand dropped to my hip, his thumb circling slowly.
"Don't touch me," I hissed, trying to pull away, but he was too strong. He leaned in close, his lips brushing my ear. "Why not? You want me to, don't you?"
My breath hitched. I hated that he could see through me so easily. That he knew how much I wanted him, even though I shouldn't. "You're disgusting," I said, but the words lacked conviction.
He smirked again, that infuriating, arrogant smirk. "Maybe. But you're still wet." He reached behind me, turning the water up even hotter. I gasped, the scalding water burning my skin.
"What the hell are you doing?" I cried, trying to escape the stream, but he held me in place. "Just getting you ready," he whispered, his voice thick with lust. "Ready for what's coming next."
The bathroom door creaked open. "Tyrone, baby, you in here?" Jake's voice cut through the steam. Tyrone's eyes glinted with a mixture of amusement and challenge as he looked down at me. "Looks like the show's about to start," he murmured, just as Jake walked in.