Page 1 of Kissed in the Dark

HEATHER

“I’m begging you, sis. Please do me this one favor,” he wheedles. I love my brother but I have to put my foot down.

“No! I’m sorry, Christopher. I’m really busy and I’m so far behind on this magazine article. I’ve got to get it done or I’m gonna miss the deadline and I might not get anymore work from this company. I’ve been begging them for months to take a look at my portfolio and they finally agreed. I can’t mess this up.”

“It won’t take long. Just an hour or so. Quick trip to the airport and voila! You’ve done me a favor and I owe you one.”

“You already owe me a bunch since I helped you set this whole thing up. In Vegas! You know that I hate this place! It’s so fake.”

I swear I can feel his eyes rolling from the other side of the phone. “I get it, sis. You hate Vegas. But my bride to be loves it and she’s been looking forward to being married by Elvis since she was a little girl.”

“I cannot believe any grown person really wants to be married by a guy who dresses up in a hairpiece and rhinestone jumpsuit,” I scoff.

“You really need to try and lighten up. I know that you’re a serious journalist and everything but seriously…try and laugh every once in awhile.”

“I laugh,” I huff.

“When? When was the last time you really laughed…full-on belly laugh to where you almost pee yourself.”

“Gimme a break. I have control over my internal organs and you think that’s a bad thing.”

“This conversation is a bad thing. Please, sis. I know it’s asking a lot of you since you hate Jude so much but I can’t go out to get him. His flight was rerouted and it’s going to be later than it was supposed to be and I’ve got to help Jess with the food for the reception tonight. We’re heading out early to make sure it’s all running smoothly. You know how Jess is. She likes to go over everything and double-check.”

I sigh and run my fingers through my long auburn hair. I know exactly how Jess is and I wish my brother would rethink his choice but we love who we love and if I say one word about her that he sees as a criticism, I know he’ll forgive me but I also know that he won’t trust me again.

He loves her and it doesn’t matter if she’s my cup of tea or not…she’s his choice.

I just wish he wasn’t asking this of me. Jude McHenry. I haven’t seen him in years and I was really hoping to have at least a little more time before I had to see him at the wedding.

The man’s a menace. A dark-haired, dark-eyed demon of the worst sort. He made my formative years a hormonal hell of love and hate. I had a huge crush on the man. Well, the boy. But he treated me like his annoying little sister. I swear he even pulled my pigtails at one point, laughing and calling melittle sis.

For a girl who was struggling with a huge crush, that was like being shot directly in the heart. The gorgeous guy that I waswilling to walk across hot coals for thought I was an adorable little girl. Ugh! There’s no way that you can fix that shit.

So I pushed it all down and somehow, when I hit sixteen, it all went to hell in a hand basket.

We couldn’t be in the same room without World War III erupting. I couldn’t stand the sound of him breathing and he thought I was just a huge wench.

I know my problem was sex. I wasn’t getting any and I wanted him…desperately. A bone-deep surge of lust anytime he was near me.

But he’s my brother’s age so he was a full-grown, twenty-six year old man to my sixteen. It was never gonna happen.

“Christopher,” I groan. “You know that Jude and I can’t be close to each other without fighting. I don’t need this right now.”

“Please… I really need your help.”

Grumbling under my breath, I suck in air and breathe it out on a long sigh, “Fine. I’ll pick Jude up. But it’s on your head if we can’t make it here without killing each other.”

He laughs. “You two are adults. Just ignore each other like always and drive. It’s no biggie.”

“Yeah,”I growl when he hangs up. There’s nothing to do about it. I just have to pull up my big girl panties and deal with this.

I can do this. I can.

I mean…he’s only a guy.

But that thought doesn’t comfort me as much as I’d hoped. But my lips stretch into a smile as I pick up the latest book that I’m reading.

I glance at the clock. Half an hour and I’ll have to leave for the airport. So until then I’m just gonna wallow in all the feels that I get from my favorite author, Cassidy Raines, and I’m gonna block out even the thought of Jude McHenry.

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