Chapter 6 Adeline
Adeline POV
I regretted the words as soon as I said them, but the damage was done. Percy closed the distance between us so I could smell his cologne, the same cologne that left me yearning for him days after I left him.
"You think I don't feel it?" he murmurs, his voice rough. "I spent three weeks jerking off to your moans, unable to get you out of my head, and then you step out of that car…" He shakes his head. "Fate sure has a sick sense of humor."
"It’s not fate," I whisper. "It’s a mistake."
"Was it?" He lifts his hand to rub my lips before pushing his thumb in. My body betrays me when I subconsciously suck his finger. "Does this feel like a mistake?"
"We are going to be step-siblings, Percy," I say, forcing myself to step back. "This cannot happen."
He stares at me for a while before stepping back, too, to go back into the house. "Fine."
The next morning, I wake up to the sound of birds chirping, and I envy them. For a blissful second, I forget where I am. I forget that I’m in a mansion on a private island. I forget that my mother is marrying a billionaire. And I forget that the man sleeping somewhere down the hall is the same man whose name I moaned in a cheap motel room three weeks ago.
Then the memory hits me like a hangover, and the dread settles back into my chest. I check my phone to see that it's well past 8.
If I’m lucky, I can sneak down to the kitchen, grab a coffee, and disappear to the beach before anyone notices I’m awake. If I'm lucky, no one will notice that I'm missing.
I drag myself out of bed and throw on a pair of denim shorts and a loose white linen shirt. I leave my hair down, messy from sleep. I don't bother with makeup because I just want to be invisible.
I opened my door carefully and heard nothing but silence.
I tiptoe down the massive marble staircase, feeling like an intruder in the huge mansion.
I follow the smell of coffee to the kitchen, a big modern space with enough equipment to service a small restaurant.
My plan to be invisible dies instantly when I see Percy leaning against the kitchen island with a mug in hand. He looks relaxed and casual in swim trunks and a white t-shirt.
He looks up as I enter, his eyes sweeping over my whole body, and I see his grip on the mug tighten.
"Morning," he says in a rough voice.
"Morning." I walk to the coffee machine, keeping as much distance between us as possible. "Where are the parents?"
"Gone."
"What do you mean, gone?"
"Richard took Melissa on a helicopter tour of the neighboring islands to scout potential wedding venues."
"Oh."
"They left a note for us because we were sleeping so peacefully and they didn't want to wake us." The sarcasm was heavy in his voice.
"Great, so we're trapped?"
"It’s a private island, Adeline. We were already trapped."
I turn to face him and mimic his pose. "So what’s the plan? We ignore each other until they get back?"
"That was the agreement, wasn't it?"
"Works for me."
"Good."
"Great."
We stood there in the silence as we both sipped our coffee. Being in the same room with him felt like standing next to a live wire. I could literally feel the heat coming off him.
"I’m going to the library," I announce, grabbing my coffee. "Don't follow me."
"Wasn't planning on it."
"Don't worry. I won't disturb your solitude."
I turn on my heel and march out. I find the library twenty minutes later in the east wing, a two-story room filled with leather-bound books that look like they’ve never been opened. I curl up in an armchair with a view of the ocean, determined to read.
I stare at the same page for forty-five minutes without reading a single word. The only thing I could think about was him and the way he looked at me in the kitchen.
"Stop it," I scold myself. "He is your future stepbrother, and you hate him."
My phone buzzes with a text from Mom.
Hope you two are having fun! Richard says Percy should show you the estate. There’s a beautiful cliffside view on the north side. Take pictures for us! Love you!
I groan out loud. "You have got to be kidding me."
"Problem?"
I jump. Percy is standing in the doorway of the library, holding a laptop.
"Do you make a habit of creeping up on people?" I snap.
"It's not my fault you were too caught up in yourself." He shrugged. "Let me guess, the parents?"
"They want us to bond. You're supposed to give me a tour."
Percy sighs, running a hand through his drying hair. "Richard sent me the same text, and he wants a picture, meaning we have to, or they will spend all dinner interrogating us about why we didn't hang out."
I weigh my options, and I decide it's better to just hang out with him and keep the peace.
"Fine," I say, slamming my book shut. "Let’s get it over with and make it quick. One hour, tops."
"Of course, I don't want to spend more time with you than necessary, either." He mutters. "Let’s meet at the Jeep."
Five minutes later, we are bouncing down a dirt path in his jeep with the roof open. Because he's driving or because he's familiar with the path, he's graceful in his seat while I hang on for dear life in the passenger seat.
His driving is aggressive, as the path is rough, but he's confident about it. Must be because he rises so well. Thinking about him riding gets me hot, so I look to him and try to start a conversation.
"So, how long have you been his son?"
"Since I was ten."
"Ten," I repeat. "That’s old for adoption. People, usually babies."
"Richard isn't most people." He shifts gears as the hill goes up. "He was my father's friend, so he took me in when my father died."
I stare at his profile. "I didn't know."
"You didn't ask." He glances at me coldly. "Let me guess, you assumed I was just a spoiled brat?"
"Aren't you?" I counter. "You’re a partner at a top law firm before thirty. You drive a custom bike. You’re vacationing on a private island. Doesn't look like a hard life to me."
He laughs without humor. a sharp "And you? You’re so quick to judge. You sit there with your chip on your shoulder, looking down on everyone because we have money. Has it ever occurred to you that money doesn't fix everything?"
"It fixes a hell of a lot," I say bitterly. "It fixes hunger and evictions, and you certainly don't have to worry about light and water bills."
He stops the Jeep suddenly at the edge of a cliff where the view is spectacular, but neither of us looks at it.
Percy turns in his seat to face me, taking off his sunglasses to reveal angry eyes. "You think you’re the only one who’s struggled, Adeline? You think because I wear a suit now, I don't know what it’s like to worry about money?"