Page 3 of The Unwanted Love

Ben looks up from his phone and gives me a once over. "You look beautiful." His eyebrows knit. "Are you wearing makeup? Since when did you start wearing make-up?"

"Since I was sixteen?" I roll my eyes.

I had laid on the eyeliner thicker than usual and used a different shade of lipstick I bought for today. And yes, I'm wearing foundation, in an attempt to look more mature.

"You look great, Skye; though, isn’t that dress too short?"

I throw up my hands. "It’s meant to be above my knees. That’s the latest trend.” I might not have too many friends but I’m up to date on what girls my age are wearing thanks to my being on social media sites.

"Hmm." He doesn’t look very convinced.

Thankfully, the doorbell rings. Ben’s features light up, "I better go let Nathan in; he’s at the door."

Ben pivots and leaves.

Instantly, I turn and rush to my mirror. I refresh my lipstick, dab some perfume at my wrists, then square my shoulders. "Watch out, Nathan Davenport. I’m not letting you evade me today."

With a last glance, I head to the door. I pull it open, then walk down the stairs. I hear the sound of male voices and, reaching the landing, cross it toward the living room. My steps slow. I come to a stop just inside the room and see him.

2

Nathan

I turn and take in the woman standing in the doorway. It’s as if the breath is punched out of me. The dress she’s wearing is frilly white and ends over her knees. The neckline of her dress dips enough to reveal the shadowed cleavage between her breasts. The dress shows off her curvy figure. A very womanly figure.

She’s teamed it with pink over-the-knees socks, and black Mary Janes. Her thick blonde hair flows about her shoulders. A pin holds up one side of her hair. A pin with Hello Kitty on it. Jesus.The effect is that of a sexy schoolgirl. She’s both womanly and at the same time innocent. An effect that’s so forbidden... and yet so alluring, it drains the blood to my groin.

Her big green eyes are fringed with the darkest, thickest eyelashes I’ve seen on any woman. Lush lips are outlined in a sultry red that makes my mind imagine so many possibilities. All of them not to be outlined in polite company. Sweat breaks out on my brow. My pants feel uncomfortably tight. Then there are her highcheekbones… That upturned nose… I frown. She seems familiar. Hold on a second.Do I know her?

Ben, who’s been droning on about our next mission, turns in her direction. His face lights up with a smile. "Skylar, why are you standing there? Come on in."[LH1]

My head reels. It feels like I’ve taken another blow to my chest. This time, from a freight train. "Skylar?” I cough. “That’s your sister?"

Ben takes in the expression on my face, which must surely reflect my shock and surprise, for he bursts out laughing. "I forgot that the two of you haven’t seen one another in a while. She’s grown up, hasn’t she?"

That’s putting it lightly. The last time I saw Ben’s sister, she wore a ponytail and was reading a book in the living room. When Ben and I walked in, she mumbled a few words of greeting and made herself scarce. I put her behavior down to being a teenager and the mood swings that go with that.She’s still a teenager. She’s only eighteen. And I’m fifteen years older than her. Fuck, I feel like a creep, unable to take my gaze off of her.

Ben puts an arm around her shoulders and guides her into the room.

She senses my perusal and her cheeks pinken, but her gaze is steady. She reaches me and extends her hand in a confident gesture. "Nathan, how lovely to see you." Her voice is husky—like chocolate poured over whiskey—and sends a bolt of lust to my groin.Jesus. This is Ben’s sister. Have some restraint, will ya?

I shake her hand, and the bolt of lust turns into a lightning storm of desire that crowds my chest and goes straight to my head. Our gazes catch and hold. Her green eyes turn into jade pools reflecting a turbulent sky, alive with flecks of gold that dance in the light.And now, I’m waxing poetic?Her hand is soft and gentle, her fingers slender and fragile. I release my hold.

She dips her head, tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear.

"Skylar—" I clear my throat. "You’ve changed."

She tips up her chin. "For the better, I hope?" The stubborn jut of her lower lip draws my attention back to her mouth. Her very red,glistening mouth. It’s the mouth of a woman who could bring a man to his knees if she were to use it on him. Yet, when I raise my gaze to her eyes there’s an innocence lurking there, which is at odds with the rest of her. It reminds me that she’s only eighteen. And that she hasn’t seen much of the world. Not like me.

She might be taller than I remember, with burnished gold in her hair and a body with curves that rival that of Venus, but she’s still my best friend’s little sister, and completely out of bounds.

I take a step back, then nod. "Definitely for the better. I almost didn’t recognize you. Strike that—" I cut the air with the palm of my hand. "I didn’t recognize you. If Ben hadn’t introduced you, I’d have thought—" I stop, knowing I can’t share what went through my mind when I saw her.

Skylar shoots me a sharp glance. "You’d have thought—?" She inclines her head, curiosity and, perhaps, a glint of satisfaction in her eyes. One that tells me she has a very good idea what I was thinking. Perhaps, that was her intention, in fact, dressing up like this today?

The doorbell rings, and Ben looks between us. "Excuse me, that must be one of Skylar’s friends."

He walks over to open it, and the sound of voices reaches us.

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