Page 82 of Oblivion

Sliding gracefully into the driver’s seat, he pulls out of the gates and onto the road.

“Can you tell me where we’re going yet?” I ask, practically vibrating with anticipation. Despite my questions, I actually love surprises, so even though I want to know where we’re going, a part of me hopes he won’t say.

“We have dinner plans,” he says vaguely.

“Must be somewhere fancy, dressed like this.”

“It’s a special occasion.”

When he doesn’t elaborate, we both fall into silence, and I try to figure out where we’re going by looking out the window. Kingsacre University is situated about an hour’s drive from the town of Greenacres, which is where both Starling and all the guys grew up. I’ve never seen the house that Starling lived in with her mom, but she explained that it straddled the border between the good and bad sides of the town.

Evan, Clay, Hunter, and Sebastian grew up on a huge compound that houses four enormous estates owned by their families. Their childhood was fairly unique in that although they all had their own parents, they were all somewhat absent. To combat that, the four sets of parents all took on the roles of parents to all four boys, so the four of them were raised like brothers rather than just friends.

When we pull away from the more populated parts of Greenacres and head toward the beach, I get my first clue to where we’re going. The guys purchased a huge lot of beachfront land after they graduated high school with the intention of each building a house on it so they could live and raise their children in a similar manner to the way they were raised.

But the last I heard about the lot, only Sebastian and Starling’s house was close to being finished, and the other three properties were still in the planning phase. When Evan slows to a stop at a large gate framed on either side by a high brick wall, I glance down at my heeled sandals and question if I’m going to be able to walk through a building site wearing them.

The moment we approach the gate, it starts to swing open, and a path lined with hibiscus trees and palms is revealed. Evan pulls the car forward, and the gates slowly start to close behind us, enclosing us in as we traverse the winding road, past several turnoffs, until we round a corner and a stunning modern glass property is revealed. I gasp in surprise. “Whose house is that?”

“It’s our house,” Evan says.

“I didn’t know you’d even started building it.”

“We pushed up our construction deadline. All four of the houses are pretty much finished and ready to move into.”

“Evan, your house is beautiful. I would never have even known it was here from the road,” I gasp, my eyes taking in the modern masterpiece.

“That’s because there’s nearly three acres of land between the house and the street,” Evan says, a slightly boastful smirk tipping his lips. “And it’sourhouse, not mine.”

“Can we go and look around?” I ask, leaning forward to look up at the mirrored glass that seems to cover the majority of the walls.

“Wait there. I’ll open your door.”

Moments later, the door opens, and Evan offers me his hand. Taking it, I marvel at the architecturally spectacular house and the majestic view of the beach and the sea beyond it. The sun is starting to set, so it’s difficult to see how far away the water is, but I bet it’s a sight to see once the sun is high in the sky.

Entwining his fingers with mine, Evan leads me up the path to the front door, twisting the handle and guiding me over the threshold and into a foyer with white marble floors and a movie star staircase that curves around the inside of the building.

A part of me wants to tug my hand free and go and explore, but when I glance at Evan, his eyes are dark and full of some emotion that I don’t fully recognize.

“This way,” he says, leading me further into the house, then out to a beautiful outdoor dining table that’s set with candles and a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.

“We’re eating here?” I ask, even though it’s blatantly obvious that we are.

Holding out my chair for me, he pushes me into the table, then takes the seat beside me. A woman that I didn’t noticeappears, silently filling our glasses with champagne before she places plates of food in front of us.

Dinner is wonderful, each course more delicious than the last, as the ghost-like server removes empty plates and replaces them with full ones. After she’s taken our dessert plates, she leaves, and I wonder if she lives on the estate or if Evan just employed her for tonight.

“She’s gone,” Evan says, answering the question I hadn’t planned on asking. “There’s staff housing on the other side of the lot.”

“Oh,” I murmur stupidly.

Inhaling, Evan exhales slowly and stands. Reaching for me, he tugs me to my feet, reeling me in until we’re pressed together, his palm cupping my cheek. “Do you want to see the pool?” he asks, his voice soft.

“Sure,” I agree, letting him move me with a hand at the back of my neck, his fingers toying with my necklace.

Following the walls of the house, we round the corner, and I gasp as the huge pool comes into view. Candles in hurricane lamps litter the patio, lighting the darkness and flickering across the water in floating jars.

Tugging me to the center of the circle of candlelight, Evan drops to one knee and pulls a ring from his suit pocket, holding it out to me. “You’re mine, Wild One. You’ll marry me, you’ll let me claim you and bind you to me for the rest of our lives.” His voice is gruff and demanding. He’s not asking, he’s telling me, and the look in his eyes has my core tightening and my nipples pebbling.

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