I never meant to kiss him. It was a stupid mistake—a reckless moment fueled by too much adrenaline and the thrill of a party I should never have been at. But when my lips brushed against his, the world stopped. His hands gripped my waist, his breath tangled with mine, and for a fleeting second, I forgot who he was. Liam Blackwood. My stepbrother. The guy who had tormented me since the day our parents married. The brooding, tattooed bad boy with a reputation that made girls weak in the knees. I should have pulled away. I should have screamed. Instead, I let him deepen the kiss, let his touch set my skin on fire. Now, we’re trapped in a dangerous game of stolen glances, whispered threats, and undeniable chemistry. Every moment alone is a ticking bomb. Every brush of his fingers makes me crave something I can’t have. He’s forbidden. Off-limits. But the way he looks at me? The way he makes me feel? It’s only a matter of time before we cross the line again. And this time, there will be no turning back.
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”Mhmm arghh mmm yes ” I just have imagined it Aurora Calloway sighed as she stepped into the dimly lit mansion, her heels clicking against the polished marble floor. The air smelled of expensive wine and something else—something smoky and indulgent, like sin itself. She shifted the wedding decorations in her arms, exhaustion settling deep in her bones after hours of dealing with her mother’s over-the-top demands. The Blackwood estate was massive, cold, and eerily quiet. It felt more like a museum than a home. She had barely taken a few steps into the grand hallway when a sound made her pause. A moan. Aurora froze. Her breath hitched. It wasn’t a mistake. It came again, low and sultry, echoing down the corridor. Another moan. Then another. Her stomach turned. The sound of breathy sighs and muffled whispers filled the space, thickening the air with something filthy. She swallowed hard, heat creeping up her neck. She shouldn’t care. She shouldn’t be curious. But there was something about the rawness of the noises—so unapologetic, so brazen—that made it impossible to ignore. Slowly, she followed the sounds. As she neared the open doorway at the end of the hall, the moans became clearer, sharper. Soft feminine gasps. Low masculine groans. The unmistakable wet sound of kisses, of bodies pressing together. Aurora gritted her teeth. Disgusting. Who the hell had the audacity to treat this place like their personal s*x dungeon? Then she saw them. Three women, sprawled across the black leather couch, their bodies tangled in a mess of limbs, lips, and hands. Dresses hiked up, fingers tangled in hair, skin glowing under the dim lighting. The air was thick with heat, with s*x. And right in the middle of it, completely at ease, was him. Liam Blackwood. Her brand-new stepbrother. He sat there like he was the king of sin itself, long legs spread lazily, arms draped over the back of the couch. His shirt was undone, revealing a sculpted chest, tanned skin covered in tattoos, and that infuriatingly cocky smirk. Aurora’s fingers tightened around the decorations. She barely knew Liam. Had only seen glimpses of him before today. But this? This was the first real image of him seared into her brain? One girl was straddling his lap, her dress pushed dangerously high, moaning against his lips. Another ran her tongue down his throat, fingers tangled in his dark hair. The third was on her knees, mouth at his wrist, sucking gently at his skin like he was something delicious. Liam let out a deep chuckle, voice thick with amusement as if this was nothing more than a lazy Friday night. Aurora’s stomach churned. This was what her mother dragged her into? This was the man she was supposed to “get along with” because their parents were now married? Her jaw clenched, a sour taste coating her tongue. She should turn around. She should leave. But then, as if sensing her presence, Liam’s gaze lazily lifted. Their eyes met. The smirk on his lips spread. “Well, well,” he murmured, his voice dripping with amusement. “What do we have here?” Aurora’s blood boiled. He wasn’t embarrassed. He wasn’t even slightly ashamed. He just stared at her, completely at ease, like he had been expecting her to find him like this. One of the girls turned, following his gaze. “Who’s she?” Liam didn’t even blink. “The new stepsister.” The blonde in his lap giggled, trailing her fingers down his chest. “Cute. Does that mean you’re gonna behave now?” Aurora nearly snorted. As if this man had a single drop of self-control in his d*mn body. Liam exhaled a slow breath, dragging his fingers through the blonde’s hair before giving Aurora a look so slow, so deliberate, that she wanted to punch him. “Not a chance, baby,” he muttered. Aurora’s skin crawled. It was a warning. A taunt. He was doing this on purpose. The way he leaned back, the way he spread his legs wider, as if to dare her to keep looking. Her chest tightened with irritation. Filthy, arrogant *ssh*l*. Slowly, she forced herself to straighten, to look unimpressed. “Wow,” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “I didn’t know being a walking cliché was your full-time job.” Liam chuckled, low and infuriatingly amused. “And I didn’t know my little stepsister was such a voyeur.” Aurora’s jaw clenched. *ssh*l*. The blonde pouted, twisting to glare at Aurora. “Do you mind? You’re ruining the mood.” Aurora’s lips curled in disgust. “Oh, don’t mind me. Carry on. Maybe I’ll call Daddy dearest and let him know how his perfect son spends his nights.” That got Liam’s attention. His smirk vanished, replaced by something colder. His grip on the girl’s waist tightened slightly before he lifted her off his lap and stood. Aurora immediately stepped back. But he was already there. In seconds, he was in front of her. Too close. His presence suffocating. Up close, he was even worse. Sharp jaw, dark eyes, lips curved into something dangerous. He smelled like leather, whiskey, and trouble. Aurora refused to back down. “Here’s the thing, princess,” Liam murmured, his voice dangerously soft. “You don’t threaten me in my own house.” Her heart pounded, but she forced herself to scoff. “Your house?” she echoed. “Last I checked, my mother’s name is also on the papers. So I guess that makes this my house too.” His gaze darkened. “Cute,” he said, tilting his head. “You’ve got claws. I wonder if you’ll still have them once you realize what kind of place you’ve walked into.” Aurora narrowed her eyes. “I know exactly what kind of place this is. It’s just a bigger, more expensive version of hell.” Liam chuckled, but it wasn’t friendly. “Oh, baby,” he said, voice thick with amusement. “Hell is fun. You might even like it here.” Before she could snap back, his fingers brushed the side of her chin. A ghost of a touch. A tease. A test. Aurora’s stomach turned. Not because of him, but because he expected her to react. He was waiting for it, watching her closely, expecting her to shrink, to blush, to stutter. She refused to give him the satisfaction. Instead, she tilted her head, let her eyes flick down to the lipstick smeared on his skin, then back up with a slow smirk. “Should I grab a towel?” she murmured. “Or do you want me to let you marinate in your own filth?” Liam’s smirk twitched. And for the first time, she saw something flicker in his eyes. It wasn’t amusement. It was interest. And that terrified her more than anything. Aurora turned on her heel, storming out before he could say another word. As she reached the grand staircase, she heard Liam chuckle behind her. And then, just before she disappeared up the stairs, his voice followed her. Soft. Low. Too close. “You’re gonna be fun, stepsister.” Aurora’s stomach clenched. Because for some reason, she knew he meant it.Chapter 58Aurora still shook from the revelation in the command tent. Damien Cross—Elena’s own father—had been behind the poisoning. But as the camp returned to tense normality, another shadow darkened her mind: what if this was only the beginning?She found Liam at the helipad that evening, the sky a bruised purple. The wind off the hills tugged at his flight jacket. He was on edge—she could tell by the way he stared into the gathering dusk.“Aurora,” he said as she approached, voice low. “There’s something I need to show you.”She followed him to the nearest supply crate. He lifted a folded piece of paper from inside a pocket of his jacket.“I found this in Damien’s safe,” he explained. “He’d taken it from my father’s private files. I thought it was just blackmail material… until I read it.”Aurora felt her heart thump. “What is it?”He unfolded the paper carefully. It was a single page of official Blackwood Station documents: passenger manifests, water testing logs, and a receipt
Chapter Sixty One Aurora woke before dawn to the distant wail of sirens. The whole camp seemed to be shuddering awake at once—medics snatching up their kits, radios crackling orders, spotlights sweeping the tents.She scrambled into her scrubs and rushed outside. Within moments she collided with Liam at the edge of the command tent. His face was grim. His uniform clung to him with sweat and dust.“Report,” he snapped.Aurora swallowed. “There’s an outbreak in the pediatric ward. Several children have high fevers and… internal bleeding.”Liam’s jaw tightened. “Show me.”They sprinted across the courtyard, past rows of stretchers and medics rushing wounded. Sirens punctuated the chaos. Aurora’s pulse hammered as they reached the small cluster of tents where the children were housed.Inside, four children lay in a row of cots. Their sheets were soaked dark, their breathing ragged. Nurses hovered, terrified. One child moaned, clutching her stomach.Aurora swallowed bile. “They were fine
Elena slammed the tent flap behind her and burst into the dusty twilight. Tears stung her eyes, hot and relentless. She pressed a hand to her mouth as sobs shook her shoulders. The air was cool, but she felt burned from the inside.She stumbled toward the edge of camp, digging her phone from a pocket. Hands shaking, she typed a quick message to Lucas:I need you. Urgent. Please come get me.She hit send and sank onto a wooden crate, head bowed. Minutes passed like hours. The camp lanterns flickered. A helicopter droned in the distance. But there was no reply.Elena swallowed her fear and rose. She needed to move. With one final glance at the tents where Liam and Aurora worked together, she slipped into the darkening road beyond the perimeter.She walked with purpose, phone in hand, waiting for Lucas’s pickup. She had called him so many times over the years—he was her anchor, her laughter, her safe place. Tonight she needed him more than ever.A rumble of an engine made her look up. Br
Chapter 57Elena sat on her bunk late that evening, scrolling through her phone under the soft glow of a single lantern. The camp had gone quiet after curfew—only distant generators droned, and the olive trees whispered in the cool night breeze. She had hoped to sleep. Instead, she found herself reading a fresh round of gossip.“Sergeant Blackwood still refuses to see Miss Rossi off-duty.”“Liam’s heart belongs to someone else—rumor says a Florence nurse.”“Commander’s daughter is moping around; maybe it’s that Blackwood’s fault!”Elena’s chest tightened with each line. She shut her eyes and let out a soft breath. She had come here seeking purpose, a challenge, and perhaps—just perhaps—a connection with someone who understood the calling that drew her. Liam had been kind, professional, even protective. She had hoped there would be something more.But these rumors stung. She shoved her phone aside and climbed down from the bunk. She needed answers—and maybe one last chance.She stepped
Liam spent the next morning on edge. He arrived early at the helipad, already dressed in his flight suit, heart pounding before the first light glimmered on the rotors. He scanned the tents where Aurora and Elena worked. Aurora was nowhere to be seen—she was on rounds, he had been told—but Elena stood beside the medevac truck, helmet in hand, as if waiting just for him.He squared his shoulders and approached the chopper. “Lieutenant,” he said, voice curt.She lifted her gaze and offered a crisp salute. Her green eyes held something more—warmth? Hope? He couldn’t tell. He swallowed and returned her salute.“Sergeant,” she replied. “Thank you for the briefing yesterday.”He nodded. He had no intention of encouraging small talk. He wanted to keep this strictly professional.Elena tossed her helmet onto the truck’s hood. “I improved the drill plan. I moved the evac routes closer to the tents. I thought it might save time.”Liam looked at her, torn between admiration and caution. She was
Chapter 56Aurora was finishing her afternoon rounds when Captain Rossi called her over. He stood by the edge of the command tent, arms folded, eyes bright with an unusual mixture of pride and nerves.“Miss Calloway,” he said, voice low but firm. “I’d like you to meet someone.”Aurora wiped her hands on her scrub pants and stepped forward. Rossi gestured toward a sleek transport vehicle that had just rolled into the camp. Its side door opened, and a young woman in pilot’s fatigues climbed out.Aurora’s breath caught.The woman was tall and lithe, with sunlit hair pulled into a neat braid. Her uniform fit perfectly. Her eyes were a clear green, curious and confident. Around her neck she wore the same style of dog tag Aurora did. In an instant Aurora recognized a kindred spirit.“This is First Lieutenant Elena Rossi,” the captain announced. “My daughter. She just graduated from flight school and requested an assignment here. Elena, this is Nurse Calloway.”Lieutenant Rossi smiled polite
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