Dirty Little Secret

I didn’t expect my summer to start with a slap in the face from reality—and definitely not in the form of Jace Carter, my brand-new stepbrother, standing shirtless in the kitchen like he owned the place.He turned as I walked in, a lazy smirk spreading across his face as he took in my crop top and high-waisted shorts. His eyes dragged down, slow and cocky, like he already knew I hated it… and loved it.“Morning, Princess,” he said, leaning against the counter. “Nice shorts.”“They’re called clothes. You should try them sometime,” I shot back, walking past him to get coffee. But my skin prickled where his eyes had been, like he’d left fingerprints without even touching me.He chuckled—low, dark, dangerous. “That mouth’s gonna get you in trouble.”“It’s not my mouth I’m worried about,” I muttered under my breath.Jace Carter was exactly the kind of boy I spent my whole life avoiding. Tattooed arms, cocky smile, bedroom eyes that promised bad decisions. He was the kind of boy who didn’t

I woke up tangled in sheets that smelled like him.My legs ached. My lips were swollen. My body was humming, still soaked in the memory of what Jace had done to me just hours ago.But his side of the bed was empty.Panic rose for a second—until the door creaked open and he slipped back in, shirtless, with messy hair and that smug, post-sex smirk he wore far too well.“I brought coffee,” he whispered, holding up two mugs.“You snuck downstairs like that?” I hissed, sitting up and hugging the sheets to my chest.“Relax. Mom’s already gone to yoga. Dad’s out for a run. We’ve got time.”Time.I didn’t know if that was comforting or dangerous.Jace placed the mugs on my nightstand, then leaned down to kiss me. His lips were soft, warm, lazy—like he wasn’t in a rush to leave my bed again.“You look wrecked,” he said, fingers tracing my jaw. “I like it.”I shoved him gently. “You’re trouble.”He leaned in, his voice low and smug. “You love it.”Before I could answer, we heard it—footsteps do

I avoided him all morning.Not because I didn’t want him.Because I did. Too much.But Avery’s name on his phone screen had ripped through me like a cold slap.It didn’t matter that he ignored her.It didn’t matter that he was in my bed hours earlier, moaning into my mouth and spilling inside me like I was the only girl who existed.It still made me feel… small.Replaceable.Like I was just the latest secret.I was halfway through wiping down the kitchen counter when I felt him behind me—close, warm, dangerous.“You mad?” Jace asked.I didn’t turn around. “No.”“You don’t lie well.”He stepped closer, chest brushing my back. I gripped the counter harder.“I told you she means nothing,” he said into my ear.“But you didn’t tell her that.”Silence.Then: “Because I don’t want to say anything until I know what *we* are.”I turned.My heart was in my throat. “You don’t know?”His jaw clenched. “We’re messy. We’re secret. We’re…”He trailed off, his eyes dropping to my lips.“We’re dangero

It had been four days since the pantry.Four days since Jace bent me over a shelf with my dad steps away.Four days since he told me he’d burn the world down just to taste me again.And four days of silence.No texts. No knocks on my door. No secret smiles across the table. Just space.Too much space.I didn’t know if he was trying to protect me—or punish me.But the ache in my chest had replaced the one between my thighs.I thought I could handle it. Thought I could pretend that what we had was just sex—just heat and hormones and bad timing.I was wrong.Because I missed him.I missed the way his fingers tangled in my hair, the way he whispered “mine” when no one could hear. I missed how we never needed words to understand what the other wanted.I missed being reckless.But today was different. Today we had company.My mom’s friends were over. The house was filled with the clink of wine glasses, the scent of overcooked pasta, and the sound of too-loud laughter.I tried to stay upstai

It happened on a Sunday.The kind of Sunday where nothing felt real. The sun was too bright. The house too quiet. And my stomach twisted with the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong.Jace was in the garage again. Avoiding everyone. Avoiding me.Since the night he told me someone might know, things had shifted. We still snuck kisses. He still whispered “mine” when no one was around. But the fire had changed.It wasn’t burning.It was smoldering.Hidden under the surface, ready to explode.I was curled up on the couch with my phone, trying to ignore it all, when a text came in.Unknown NumberI know what you’re doing.My heart stopped.Another ping.Unknown NumberTell your stepbrother I’m not blind. Or maybe I’ll tell your mom instead.I stared at the screen, hands trembling.Who the hell…?Another text followed—this time with a photo.My breath caught.It was blurry… but unmistakable.Me. In my room.Jace standing over me.His hand in my hair.My shirt off.Not full