003: SHE WAS ALWAYS MEANT FOR ME.

CAIN POV

From the distance where I'm sitting, I watch Ciara tug a stray red lock behind her ears— the same nervous habit she had seven years ago. Some things about her never changed, not even after marrying my brother.

She forces a fake smile as she bends to greet the guests, offering me an exclusive view of her perfectly round ass.

My cock twitches hard. I sit straighter, casually dropping both hands over my lap to hide the thickening bulge already straining my trousers.

Those full tits, barely contained by the deep neckline, rise and fall with every breath. I can picture them free, hard and flushed pink nipples begging for my mouth. I’d suck them brutally, with my teeth grazing until she cried out, begging me to stop even as her fingers tangled in my hair to pull me closer. Fuck.

She’s the first thing Simon has that I actually crave, not just want, but need to claim.

I had first seen her seven years ago. She was too polished for a man like me, too well-bred... Too close to the kind of life I’d already abandoned.

So I watched her from at far, watched her meet and get married to my ego maniac hypocrite of a twin four years ago.

Then, I had to kill the obsession by burying myself deeper into my motorcycle brand.

I actually thought I had killed that lustful obsession until two weeks ago, when I saw her again after discreetly returning here to manage Redford's partners promotion.

She and Simon were on the promotion row for Hale Enterprise. Turns out our family business is one of the affiliates of Redford's partners.

No one here knows I quietly control the majority stake in Redford’s external affiliates. Least of all, Simon.

Tonight, though… I saw how lonely she is. How tight her body stays after four years of whatever half-assed touches Simon bothers with. When I kissed her in that storage room she looked at me like I was more than the bad twin and fuck, I knew I was done hiding.

"How is your gritty motorcycle brand holding up?" Simon's voice draws me out of the sex-induced trance with his wife. "Bold of you to come here, the cops could be waiting outside to take you with them for involvement in underground investment networks."

"Wasn't it the same equal capital father settled us with you? I flipped mine into billions. What did you do with your own shares? You squandered it." I shook my head in disdain. "I can't let you own the remaining Hale Enterprise shares else you'll completely ruin our legacy."

"You must be fucking nuts, Cain, to think you can just waltz back into our lives after ten years and demand the remaining family shares."

I always have a way of bringing out the beast in him. "Let father be the judge of that one."

I don’t care about money. All I want is control and leverage over Simon.

"I'm married. I'm the more stable twin. I've climbed the social ranks in society, a place you could never be accepted in."

I laugh but it lacks humor. "If I wanted to be an ass-licking hypocrite like you, I wouldn't have cut ties years ago or built my wealth outside the family empire."

I caught sight of the radiant red-haired beauty and I let a smile slip out as I watched her.

"Don't even think about it," Simon snaps, when I glance back at him. His watching me with a tight jaw.

"Since when did you start caring about women?"

"She's mine. On paper, in public, mine."

I smirk. "On paper doesn't make her happy."

"You think you're better because you're rougher? She's still my wife."

"She's trapped in a sham marriage. When was the last time you even touched her?" I’ve watched the way she stiffens under his polite little kisses, like she’s bracing for disappointment.

"You have no right to inquire about my sexual life. I care about her," he says quietly. "More than you ever could."

"Care about her? You're using her to please father and fool the elite society." I lean forward and whisper. "You know, I still remember your drunken confession that night. His face and the way you looked at him too."

Blood drains from his face as his jaw tightens. "That was a mistake." He lowers his voice.

I shrugged and leaned back, suddenly tensed as Ciara approached us.

"What do you really want? You've always succeeded in taking everything from me. Can't you let me have just this one?" He spits out. "What would it pay you to destroy my reputation, our dear family bonds."

What fucking family bond?

Ciara leans in and whispers something about being tired to his ears.

He says some reassuring words in her ears before patting her arm and dropping a forehead kiss.

A fucking arm pat and forehead kiss. What is she one of his bros? He makes them cringe more by adding a very brief kiss on her lips.

"Oh, Ciara!" A loud familiar voice drifts into my ear. "There you are looking as radiant as ever." The bearer of the voice comes into view dripping in enough gold to sink a small country and hair sculpted into some cartoonish updo that looks like it belongs in a circus ring. Aunt Linda.

She pulls Ciara into a suffocating hug. "You should come around and greet the guest."

Ciara breaks the hug. "I'm not feeling very well." She smiles tightly.

"Oh, nonsense. It won't late long," Linda insists, tugging at her arm.

"I'm exhausted. Please some other time. I'm not well." Ciara's shoulder slumped as she stood there helplessly, staring at her non-observant husband to save her from Linda's manipulation. Her husband doesn't even notice.

"Oh silly honey, not feeling well is evidence of being at a good party." She touches her cheek. "Your host now, smile and come join me to greet the guests."

In her last futile attempt, Ciara turns to me.

I quickly step in, not because I’m noble, but because no one gets to pull her around like that, especially while I’m watching. "The lady says she's not feeling well let her go!"

It draws the attention of everyone at the table. I don’t care, or maybe I'm just trying to provoke Simon openly.

Linda jerks but doesn't let go.

"Now." I add.

Linda drops Ciara's hands quickly and glares up at me. "Cain." She finally acknowledges. "No respect for family, huh?"

I chuckle. "I didn’t come back for respect. I came back for what’s mine." I don't look at Aunt Linda when I say it. I look at Ciara.