Page 23 of Taeja

Just as he imagined.

Savoring her taste for another second, Zain pulled away, then took a step back. “Let’s head downstairs.”

“Okay…”

He heard a trace of sadness lingering in her tone, and it made him want to be hard on himself. Zain sighed and moved to the door to open it for her. Quietly, Taeja stepped into the house. They were in the hallway where old family pictures lined the walls.

“Taeja, wait,” Zain said. When Taeja paused and looked around at him, he motioned his head toward a nearby bathroom. “Come here.”

She followed him into the bathroom, and he closed the door behind her. A surprised yelp escaped her mouth when he lifted her onto the counter. Taeja quietly watched as he found a new washcloth, then rid all traces of her orgasm from between her legs and his fingers.

He didn’t look at her while he did it. If he had, they probably would’ve ended up doing other things. It was already bothering him that he’d be returning to dinner with a raging hard-on.

After he finished, he helped her off the counter. They exited the bathroom and walked side-by-side down the stairs. Zain was thankful that she didn’t press him to speak. His thoughts were a jumbled mess right now. He wouldn’t have the words to speak to her, despite how much he wanted to.

When they entered the living room where his family had moved to, his eyes met his brother’s first.

Damon moved a glass of something red to his lips, hiding a smirk. Without a doubt, Zain knew his brother heard how beautiful their girl sang.

Their mother didn’t comment, but Andrew always dared to be different.

Andrew scoffed loudly as he watched Taeja sit between Zain and Damon. “Sweetie, do you know that you’re just another woman to him?”

“W-what?” Taeja asked, confusion lacing her tone.

“Andrew,” Kacian warned.

Andrew continued to speak. “Yes, Taeja. You’re better off with Damon. He’ll take care of you. Zain will only hurt you. That’s what he did to their last girlfriend.”

Damon tensed while Zain’s eyes narrowed on Andrew. In a flash, Zain had a fist tightened around the collar of Andrew’s shirt.

“Yes!” Andrew shrieked with a crazed look in his eyes. “Prove to meagainwhy you’re no son of mine!”

Damon grabbed Zain’s arm, trying to pull him free, but Zain tightened his grip around the older man’s neck. The color was draining from Andrew’s face, but he still forced out insults while Kacian begged them to act like men.

The only thing that broke the commotion was the loud slam of the front door. It was almost comical how everyone froze mid-action as if someone clicked pause on a movie.

While Kacian and Andrew looked toward the door, the brothers looked at where Taeja should’ve been.

“Where’d she go?” Damon asked, releasing Zain’s arm.

Sneering, Zain punched Andrew flat, not sparing the man a glance as his body dropped to the floor. Storming toward the door with Damon in tow, Zain vaguely heard his mother sigh before sitting on the sofa before her unconscious husband.

And for the brothers?

When they reached outside, their girl was nowhere to be found.

5

She knew they weretoo good to be true.

The Stark twins were probably her karma for all the marriages she’d unknowingly made rifts in.

When she tumbled out of their house almost an hour ago, she knew she couldn’t return home. Her father would belittle her, and she already felt bad enough. She was thankful Liyah was only a ten-minute drive away on a date with Mason. They picked her up, and Mason dropped them off at Liyah’s house.

“Men are dogs,” Liyah hissed, watching Taeja dry her tears. “I know what you need, girl.”

“What do I need?” Taeja asked. If it wasn’t a way to forget those handsome twins with their sexy smirks and dirty words that made her feel tingles both inside and out, it wasn’t what she needed.

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