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Prologue

WINTER

On the day I turned fifteen, I knew I loved James Blakney There was a look in his eye that told me he'd finally noticed I existed in a realer-off-limits-don't-even-think-about-it-little sister Call it womanly intuition, despite the fact I was barely qualified for being an actual woical sense—but still, I knew s

I shared those feelings with no one

Ja at Blackwater on the island where my family summered and vacationed as often as my father could convince my mother to spend time at the old estate perched on its coast We were in the pool playing chicken fights when it happened Wyatt was carrying me on his shoulders while Lucas carried Janice Thorndike, and the two of us squared off Janice was one of those people ere forced to tolerate because our parents were close She was ao out of her way to hu their birthday celebration no less, was beyond me

But she did

Janice yanked on the tie at my neck that held updistance to have a look at my tits when it fell down I was mortified to the depths offro with ed, I turned away froh hot tears I think my brothers were either too freaked out or oblivious to what had happened, because neither said anything to ured I didn't want any more attention drawn to myself—which I most certainly didn't—but a little compassion would have been nice too Brothers can be stupidly dense

It was James who met me at the steps with a towel and told ood as I did without her bikini top

"You saw?" I asked him on a sob

His striking greeny-brown eyes burned right intoto be asha You can't help that you're beautiful and sweet" The way he looked atbrother/little sister relationship in thatpervy withmy champion when I desperately needed one

"Thank you," I ely aware the incident had given ift of James Blakney's attention at the same time

"Don't let this ruin your special day, Win You are perfectly lovely in every way," he said before grinning at me in a way that could only be described as a tiny bit wicked My skin pebbled along with my nipples, as I stood there like a oing back to his group of friends on the grass as if nothing had ever happened

And just like that I fell in love with him

Not even my twin sister, Willoas privy to the inner James Blakney Within the safety of my dreams he was mine alone, and I didn't have to share hihts far too high on a irl like ht there was the division between us Jairl at fifteen Those eight years spanning between us was gargantuan—far too great of a distance to cross over

Then