The banging on a door wakes me, but I’m too comfortable in Alexander’s arms to move and check out who it is.

“Is that your room?” Alex mumbles, tightening his arms around me.

I bury my nose in the hollow of his throat. “Mmm.”

The noise doesn’t stop then we hear, “Rachel,” hissed loudly.

Groaning, I snuggle deeper against Alex. “I really don’t want to talk to her tonight, especially now.”

“I’m not sure she’s going to go away until she’s talked to you.”

Bang. Bang. Bang.

“Rachel, I know you’re in there,” Paige shouts.

Annoyed, I realize, “I need to shut her up before security come up here, and maybe open my door to check on me.”

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Quickly moving from the bed, my eyes land on a naked Alexander—a very aroused, naked Alexander. He smirks and tosses a white toweling robe at me.

“Put that on, and,” he tugs me into his arms, “come straight back to me the minute she leaves.” He kisses me quickly on the lips, but I still have time to tease him by pressing my palm along his hard erection.

He catches his breath, his hips straining toward me.

“So smooth and silky, yet to hard and thick,” I whisper, my hand wrapping around him and squeezing.

“If you don’t release me right now, Paige is going to cause even more of a scene.”

Bang. Bang. Bang.

“We’ll carry on soon.” I kiss him on the nose and run for my room.

I quickly lock the connecting door and hear Alexander do the same on his side. My bed looks too neat and tidy for me to have slept in it, so I quickly dive on top of it and roll around, knocking the pillows loose.

Standing up, I glance at the now messy bed and decide it will do. I make sure the robe is tightly fastened and after a glance through the peephole, I quickly open the door to my angry sister.

Paige shoves her way into my room while I shut the door behind her. She isn’t the only one angry especially as I see the time is two-thirty in the morning.

“What is wrong with you?” I fume. “Do you have any idea of the time? I was sleeping?”

“I couldn’t sleep so I thought I’d come and talk to you.”

I narrow my gaze. “You thought because you couldn’t sleep, so why should I, and you came to wake me up?”

“Why are you so angry?” Paige asks.

My sister is an idiot. “How can you ask that when you woke me up? Of course I’m angry. Why couldn’t whatever you had to say wait until morning.” I run my hands through my messy hair, and correct, “A more reasonable time in the morning.”

Paige stares at me. “I don’t like the way Alexander looks at you, or the way you look at him.”

“You’ve already told me that.”

“You didn’t listen.”

“I have no intention of listening to anything that involves me staying away from Alex,” I admit and notice the widening of her eyes.

“He’s our cousin,” she says quietly. “It’s not right.”

I’m so tired of everything and everyone being against Alex and I being together that I could cry, instead I stay silent.

“Don’t you have anything to say?”

“I’m not having this discussion with you or anyone. What I choose to do doesn’t have anything to do with you or anyone else. It’s my business.”

“I’m not just your sister, Rachel, I’m your twin. That’s supposed to mean something,” Paige says.

I sigh and just want her to leave. “Look, I love you, but you interfere too much in my life, and were Alexander is concerned, it’s none of your business.”

“He’s my cousin as well. We’re family.” She moves to stand in front of me, angry.

“I love him, Paige. My feelings for him are not going to change because you say they should.”

“You’re being stupid and stubborn,” she hisses. “Why can’t you see what this will do to the family?”

I stride to the door and opening it, say, “Not once have I ever heard you show concern for Alex and I. It’s always about you and everyone else. Doesn’t it matter to you that it hurts me beyond explanation when I’m not with him? Or that it hurts him?”

She blinks and stares, probably not listening to a word I’ve said.

“Please leave.” I stand by the door and wait.

“I can’t sleep. I want to stay in here with you,” she says, dropping her ass to the bed.

No way is that going to happen.

“I’ll see you at breakfast Paige. I want you to leave.”

“You’re seriously kicking me out?”

“You have your own room. I have mine. I want my space especially after all of this.” I wave my arms in a wide arc.

She shows no sign of leaving, which angers me all the more. “I’ll call security if you don’t leave because I’ve really had enough.”

“You wouldn’t dare?”

“Try me!”

She opens her mouth but nothing comes out. “I can’t believe you’re kicking me out.”

“Stop wasting time. I’m tired and want to get to bed.”

“Promise me that you won’t spend time alone with Alexander and I will leave,” she smirks, and right now I want to smack it off her face.

I close my eyes and count to ten—it doesn’t help.

I grab her arm and lead her outside into the hallway before she knows what’s going on, and then I slam the door in her face, and put the security chain on.

I sag against the door feeling raw and heartsick.

Moving slowly, I unlock the connecting door and fall into Alexander’s waiting arms.

He kisses my face and lips before he wraps me tightly against his warm chest in an embrace I don’t ever want to leave. “I was tempted to join you in there. I’m also sorry that I’ve caused this argument between you both.”

“No! Please don’t apologize. Neither of us have anything to apologize for. Our hearts chose each other a long time ago.” I smile and glance up at him. “I’m just so glad that you return my feelings. It would have hurt worse if you hadn’t.”

“You’re mine Rachel, and we’ll get through this, but only if we stay together.”

“I’m all for staying together.”

He kisses me on the forehead and picks me up in his strong arms. “We need to stay very, very, close together,” he mumbles against my neck as he lowers us both to his bed. “Very close.” He strips me of the robe, spreads my legs and immediately joins our bodies.

A shudder ripples through me at the feeling of him stretching me in the most delicious way. But when he captures one of my nipples in his warm mouth, I forget everything but the man I love.