Julian and I were ready for the party early, waiting downstairs for Ella to get into her dress. I felt nervous about seeing her and I didn’t know why; I had seen her in the dress before, how lovely she was, how impossible it was to stop staring at her. I had tried my best to keep my thoughts in line but when I saw her in some of those dresses, the way her body looked, that shy smile as she showed them off to us, I felt a desire so potent that it filled every part of me. I could tell that Julian felt the same way, could sense it even though he hadn’t brought it up. There had been a few times that my brother and I had been interested in the same woman, but this time it was different. This time it was our stepsister, one we barely knew from when we were children.

Ella appeared at the top of the stairs and descended, elegant as a princess in that perfect black dress. Her hair was pinned up but a few curls fell across her forehead, framing her beautiful face in soft tendrils that made her look like an angel. She was wearing her mask, the top half of her face obscured; the black fabric brought out the color of her eyes and accentuated her lips, which were painted scarlet.

“Ella,” Julian said.

“Beautiful,” I breathed at the same time. She gave us a shy look as she came down the stairs, and I didn’t miss the way her eyes flickered between us, taking in both of our bodies and our faces. I couldn’t help but grin at her.

“Are you ready to go?” I asked her. She looked slightly nervous and tense.

“I guess,” she said. Julian led us out of the house and outside to his car. I sat in the back while Ella climbed into the front.

“So what am I supposed to expect at this thing?” she asked.

“Lots of booze,” I said.

“Lots and lots of booze,” Julian agreed. “And rich people.”

“Great,” she said sarcastically, and I could almost picture her rolling her eyes. “Rich people are my favorite.”

I laughed. “There will be dancing.”

“Dancing?” she asked. “I don’t—”

“It’s easy,” I told her. “I’ll show you. All you have to do is move your body with mine.”

“Oh,” she said. I wished then that I could see the look on her face. I wondered if she was blushing.

We pulled up the long driveway and curved around, stopping at the valet booth and passing over the keys. Ella gazed around the room as we went inside, her eyes full of wonder as she drank everything in. I knew how overwhelmed she must feel—Julian and I had grown up wealthy, but this place was lavish even for us. The entire place was decorated in gold and royal purples, the woodwork intricately carved, each piece an individual work of art.

“Do you like it?” I asked her.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, then turned her eyes to me, waiting for me to guide her.

“Let’s get a drink,” I said, only then noticing that Julian had been pulled away by an old friend of ours, a woman who had been interested in him for years. I grinned over my shoulder at Julian, who had always avoided the woman at all costs, and he glared at me over her shoulder as I walked away with Ella.

I led her to the bar and she ordered a glass of wine, which the bartender poured to the very top of the glass so that she had to sip it before she could carry it away. I ordered the same, and we went to find a table to sit at while we drank. I figured that Ella would loosen up after a couple of glasses of wine, that she might be more comfortable at the party even though she was surrounded by a bunch of wealthy strangers. More than that, I wanted her to be comfortable with me. Despite the fact that she was slowly thawing toward us, I still saw wariness in Ella’s eyes when she looked at either me or Julian. She was still thinking about the way we had treated her, about the way our mother treated her, and she didn’t trust that we meant her no harm.

“So what’s your first impression?” I asked her, scooting closer to her at the table so that I could hear her voice. The band was playing loud, bouncy jazz music in the background that, combined with the alcohol, made me feel light and bubbly.

“Of this party?”

“Yes.”

“I think it’s absurd that people spend their time doing this on a regular basis.”

I nodded. “You’re right, it is.”

She scoffed, giving me a dry look. “Isn’t this how you lived your life growing up? Extravagant parties, complete luxury at all times?”

“I guess it is,” I said. “You get used to it. But that doesn’t make it any less ridiculous.”

“I thought you two loved this life,” she said, looking into my eyes as she spoke. Our thighs were pressed together under the table and I had been trying to ignore it, but the sweet look of interest on her face was enough to make it impossible to deny that I was being affected by that small touch alone. I wanted to touch her further and hoped that she would dance with me once she finished her wine. She was halfway through her wine, her lips even redder than before, and I couldn’t help but imagine how sweet her mouth would taste if I kissed her.

I pushed the thought back and took another drink.

“Neither one of us liked it,” I told her. “That’s why we left.”

“You’re lucky,” she said in a soft voice.

“We are.”

“Are you glad to be back?” she asked.

“I’m glad to see you.”

She blushed, chewing on her lip. “You don’t have to say that.”

“I know,” I said, then stood up. “Come here and dance with me. Finish your wine first.”

A small smile spread over her face and she seemed to consider it a moment before she downed the rest of her wine, giving her head a little shake after she swallowed. Her eyes were lively and vivid as I led her over to the dance floor, putting my hand on her waist and taking her other one in my own. We were less than an inch apart; I could feel her heat, could feel even the subtlest movements of her body. I could tell that she was squirming slightly, and all I had to do was look into her eyes to confirm what I suspected—she was affected, too, her lips parted as she looked up at my face.

“What do I do?” she asked as I lead her in a slow dance.

“Just follow my movements,” I said to her, wrapping my arm tighter around her waist to close the gap between our bodies. It wasn’t something I had planned to do but it had happened beyond my control. Her eyes were full of surprise as she stared at my face but she didn’t move away, instead leaning into me as I guided her body in rhythm with mine. I could feel the way her breathing had quickened when her chest pressed against mine, could feel the softness of her breasts against my body.

“Ella,” I said in a soft voice, looking down into those gorgeous eyes. “You really are so beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she breathed. It sounded as though she had trouble getting the words out. I allowed the hand that was on her waist to travel over the curve of her hip, not thinking about what I was doing. My body seemed to be in control, and what my body wanted more than anything in that moment was to be as close to her as possible. I pulled her hips against mine so that we were completely molded together, staring at one another as we moved on the dance floor. Nobody else in the room existed in the long moments I spent dancing with Ella, and I felt distinctly like a spell had been broken when somebody put their hand on my shoulder.

“Eric!” said a voice behind me, and my body broke apart from Ella’s as I turned to see my friend Jared. He looked over my shoulder at Ella then as if he had just noticed her.

“Who is this?” he asked with his eyebrows raised, a lecherous grin on his face. “A new friend?”

“This is my stepsister, Ella,” I said to him.

“Stepsister?” he asked, looking from one of us to the other, and I knew that he had noticed how we were dancing so intimately with each other. “Wow.”

“How are you, Jared?” I asked, changing the subject.

“I’m good, man. Do you want to get a drink?”

I looked over at Ella, who waved me away with an embarrassed look on her face. I was reluctant to part with her but I followed Jared over to the bar and ordered another drink, trying to stay focused on my friend and keep my stepsister out of my mind.