Page 1 of Tarek

Prologue

Miranda

Many years ago.

There is something about rain on a tin roof that makes you burrow a little deeper beneath your sheets. It makes you cling to the one you love a little tighter. I’ve always loved the rain, the quiet tap of droplets on the window, the soft rumble of thunder, the gentle drip of water on the leaves outside. With a soft sigh, I press my head against the chest of the man I love. My fingers trace a heart on his chest. In this moment, everything around me feels perfect. The rain, the bed, the man, it was all so perfect.

“Did I hurt you, Sticks? I know I am big. Are you okay?” Dereck asks as he lifts my chin to look into his stormy grey eyes.

I give him a small, shy smile. “At first it did, but after, everything was just perfect.”

He reaches for my hand and our fingers clasp together.

“Look at us, chocolate and vanilla.” I giggle, sinking deeper into his side.

He unclasps our fingers, pulls me closer to press a kiss onto my forehead. “I love you Sticks.”

I pull my head back, staring at his plump bottom lip, wanting him to kiss me again. “I love you too, Dereck.”

God, he was a handsome man. I believe I struck gold with this one. Dereck was rich, smart, and unlike his friends, he was kind, especially to me. He played football at Lakeshore High. He was tall, muscular, with a killer smile and thick dark hair that falls over his right eyebrow.

He presses his lips against mine, his tongue slipping past my teeth. My eyes instantly close, welcoming his slow seduction. I moan digging my nails into his chest. Yes, we were about to do it again.

“I’m so happy we came to our senses and made up,” I said, against his lips, my heart swells with relief.

He kisses my forehead and squeezes me tight. “Yeah, me too.”

“Ilyana helped,” I admitted, nestling my face into his chest. “I was crying on her shoulder, and she was so sweet to reassure me that it would be all right.”

He lifts my chin and kisses me softly.

As I rub his neck, I noticed for the first time, his chain is missing. He never takes that chain off. But as he deepens the kiss, the concern about the chain began to slip from my mind.

“I love you so much, D.”

With a groan, he gently unwraps my arms from around him. My eyes flutter open as he pulls away.

“Sticks, I, um.” He looks up to the ceiling like he was trying to find the words there.

I chuckle, trying to lighten the mood that’s invading my room. “What’s wrong? Having sex with a virgin doesn’t conjure up evil spirits and render you speechless.”

He gnaws on his bottom lip. “I can’t do this lying down. We need to talk.”

My heart skips a beat as I pull my robe from the side of the table. Wrapping it around my body, I braced myself for whatever Dereck was about to tell me. He drags his pants on.

“Are you breaking up with me?” I throw my shoulders back, waiting for him to confirm my thoughts. God, there was still blood and his stickiness between my legs, and he was about to break up with me.

“Breaking up with you? Why the fuck would I do that? I love you.” He pulls his pants higher, leaving the zipper open.

I walk up to him, touching his cheek, feeling his scratchy five o’clock shadow under my palm. “What is it? Anything thrown at us we can face together.”

He presses a kiss to my palm and drags it down his face, letting go as he steps away and begins to put his shirt on.

I’ve known this man for eighteen years, ever since his family arrived from France, bringing their wealth and titles with them. The people of Lakeshore revere them, even fear them, but Ilyana and I were the first to befriend him. After all these years of friendship, I can tell when something is wrong, when something is weighing on his mind. “Where is your chain, Dereck? You never take that off.” I pull the neck of the robe together.

His eyes sadden when he looks at me. It’s like he has a million things to say, but he doesn’t know where to start.

“What is it?” I whisper.

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