3: Utterly Speechless

~Samantha Lee~

My eyes fell on Tyler who seemed to be wrestling with the same dread as me. His jaw was tight, his gaze fixed on some invisible spot over my left shoulder, anywhere but at me.

"So, Samantha," Mom chirped, her smile getting wider, completely oblivious to the dread between Tyler and I, "Pierce and I have been thinking, you should move into the mansion with us,” she said and my eyes widened in shock.

“Wait! What mom?! My room at the hostel is absolutely fine.” I replied through gritted teeth.

“Your room at the hostel is fine, sweetie, but Mr. Pierce's house is also close to campus. You don’t have to share a room with anyone.”

I furrowed my brows,"Mom, no. Absolutely not. The hostel is perfect. I like my space, I like my freedom, I like not living with strangers." I tried to make it sound reasonable, but the emphasis on "strangers" was definitely for Tyler's benefit.

Tyler, for his part, finally shifted his gaze to me, a flash of something unreadable in his green eyes. "Yeah, Mrs. Pierce, Sam's got a point. The hostel works."

"Nonsense!" Mr. Pierce boomed, "It's a big house, plenty of space! And you two are practically family now. What better way to strengthen the bond between our new blended family than to live under one roof?" He beamed, completely missing the twin looks of horror exchanged between Tyler and me. “You both are brother and sister.”

The words echoed in my head, mocking me, twisting the memory of last night's activities into something truly horrific. My face felt hot, and I could practically feel the blush creeping up my neck.

"No!" I blurted, simultaneously with Tyler's "No way!"

Mom's smile faltered. Her perfectly manicured eyebrow arched. "Is everything alright, you two?" she asked.

I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole. "Yes, Mom. Everything's... peachy." I lied.

"Good," she announced, "Because that's quite enough. Samantha, you're moving into the house this weekend, it's settled. It's about family, Tyler will drive you to school every day and that's that."

Tyler slumped back in his chair, a defeated sigh escaping him. We said nothing and we left the wedding venue for the Pierce’s mansion. My jaw probably dropped as we stepped into the gate of the mansion.

I literally had to fight the urge to whip my head around and stare at Tyler. This was his house? The guy who never flaunted anything. I mean, sure, he was on the university's elite hockey team, but that didn't scream "mansion dweller" to me. My internal monologue was a series of shocked exclamations. Holy hell! This is... wow.

We stepped inside, and the grand foyer was even more impressive. High ceilings, a sweeping staircase, and art that probably cost more than my entire tuition.

Mr. Pierce, radiating proud papa energy, led the way. "Samantha, your room is just up here!" He gestured grandly up the staircase that felt like it belonged in a movie.

What fresh hell awaited me?

He threw open a door at the end of a very long, very silent hallway. The room was huge, with a king-sized bed, a private bathroom, and a view that overlooked some kind of garden. It was beautiful, undeniably. But then he gestured across the hall, to another door. "And that's Tyler's room! You two will be neighbors!"

Neighbors?! Of course. Because the universe hated me. My eyes locked onto that door, then flitted to Tyler, who was leaning against the doorframe of his room, a faint, unreadable smirk playing on his lips. This was going to be an absolute nightmare.

After the full tour which included a ridiculously large kitchen, a home theatre, and a gym that put our campus one to shame, Mom clapped her hands together. "Well, that's everything! Mr. Pierce and I are off to do some planning. You two catch up!"

And with that, they were gone, leaving me alone in the vast, echoing hallway with the one person I absolutely, positively did not want to be alone with.

As soon as the sound of their footsteps faded, I spun on my heel, ready to bolt into my new, overly luxurious prison. But a hand shot out wrapping around my wrist. My entire body stiffened.

"Don't even think about it, Lee," Tyler's voice rumbled behind me.

I yanked my hand away as if his touch were acid. "Stay away from me, Pierce," I hissed, my voice barely a whisper, laced with a disgust I hoped was convincing. "You disgust me."

He took a slow step closer, a knowing glint in his eyes. "You didn't have that on your mind when you were busy moaning my name last night, did you?"

My eyes went wide, my face flaming. Had he actually just said that? Out loud? In his dad's house? "Don't you dare," I breathed looking mortified. "Don't you ever mention that again! And it's obvious you stay away from me!"

He chuckled, "And what if I have no intention of doing that, Lee?" he teased, his grin widening just enough to show a flash of perfect teeth.

"Because I always knew you liked me, Tyler," I retorted, desperation making me bold. "But I don't like you. You don't... You don't deserve my likeness." The words stumbled out, a desperate attempt to wound him, to put distance between us.

The humor vanished from his face as quickly as it had appeared. His eyes darkened and he took a slow, deliberate step towards me, then another. I took quick, jerky steps back, my heart pounding against my ribs. Each step he took, I retreated, until my back hit the wall with a soft thud.

I was trapped.

He leaned in, his tall, muscular frame caging me against the cool wall, his scent enveloped me. He was so close I could feel the heat radiating off his skin. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he moved his face closer to mine, his lips brushing my cheek, then tracing a path towards my neck.

It wasn't a kiss, it was a torture, a deliberate invasion of my personal space, like he was breathing me in, discovering every scent, every reaction. My breath hitched and my hands, without conscious thought, went up, pressing against his chest.

I was ready to risk it all, to push him away, to demand he stop, or maybe... maybe pull him closer. My eyes fluttered shut, caught in the intoxicating, terrifying moment.

Then, just as the tension was stretched to its absolute breaking point, he pulled away, suddenly and abruptly.

My eyes flew open, blinking rapidly, trying to make sense of the sudden emptiness where his body had been.

His fingers flicked my forehead.

My mouth fell open in shock. What the actual hell just happened?

He grinned, that infuriating, knowing smirk back in place. "See, Lee? It's obvious you're clearly into me. You should stop pretending."

And with that, he turned and walked away leaving me standing there, pressed against the wall, utterly speechless.