“Thanks for walking me up. I guess they must have gone home.”

Even so, Sean glances behind a bush and makes a funny face to make light of reporters stalking us. Us. Wow. I’m an ‘us’ now…

“You’re all good.”

I laugh and glance behind him to the car waiting on the street with my less kind brother in it. “Not with him gunning for me, I’m not.”

A cloud passes over Sean’s blue eyes and he says, quietly. “He needs some time. Let me work on it.”

“Why are you being so nice to me? You have every reason to hate me.” I search him for an answer, truly astonished. He’s got the kind of trustworthy quality that can’t be denied.

“It’s not your fault you were born, Rue. We all come with a cross to bear, but this whole thing, you didn’t know. It’s not like you made my dad, our dad, write that will, or…”

“Have an affair with my mom,” I finish for him. His lips tighten and we stand in my doorway, silent for a moment. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But still. I appreciate it very much. Thank you.”

His long eyelashes fall to the ground as he thinks of how to take the gratitude. Looking at him now, sweet and without his brother next to him, he looks almost feminine. Before I have time to look any closer, he raises his head and abruptly knocks on the door. “Well, if you need anything. Just call. We’re going out again, but we’ll be in Hollywood, so it’s not that far.”

“You’re going back out now?” Mashing my mouth together, I consider asking to come with them. But they dropped me off for a reason. “Oh wow. Yeah, I’m pretty tired.”

“I figured,” he says, politely.

Are they trying to get rid of me? Suddenly, I’m feeling very, very left out. “Yeah, long day.”

“Yeah. We’ll catch up with you later.” He smiles slightly and turns to go.

“Sean?”

He turns around, a couple steps down the cement path. “Yeah?”

Biting down my feelings, I mutter, “Nothing. Goodnight.”

He gives a short low wave then flips around, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “G’night.”

Inside, I stand with my forehead pressed against my front door, wondering if I was too much trouble for them, what with the crying and the Alec thing. I guess they wanted to be rid of me so they could go have fun. Shit, why couldn’t I have been easier to get along with? Did I ruin things already?

“Please don’t let me have lost them already. I just found them!” I say into the silence of my messy living room. Sighing, I head for the bedroom, beating myself up for all the stupid things I did today and tonight. Did I thank him for the makeover? For dinner? For any of it? I thanked him for being so cool, but when was I cool?

A knock surprises me and I run back in to answer it, unlocking and swinging the door open wide. “I’m so sorry I was…Oh!”

Alec glances to the street quickly and cuts his eyes back to me. “Can I come in?” He brushes past me before getting an answer.

“Of course!” I close the door after sneaking a very quick peek to see if my brothers are still out there. The car is gone. My heart is slamming in my chest as I lock the door and turn to look at Alec Gabriel. We stare at each other, and I can feel my breathing change. The way he’s staring at me is so fucking hot, it takes me a second to realize what’s going on. “They don’t know you’re here, do they?”

A thick lock of hair falls over his forehead as he shakes his head. He pushes it impatiently back, but it falls again as he strides to me quickly with a look in his eyes that makes my body scream. He pins me against the door, bringing my arms above my head before I even know what is happening. We’re only a few inches apart again and I can feel the heat of his body. His breath has the faintest tinge of beer and his eyes are filled with pain.

He brings his mouth just short of touching my lips.

My breath is coming in short bursts and I tilt my head instinctively.

We’re breathing each other’s air and his lips brush mine ever so slightly, sending a shiver down my rising breasts as I crush them into him.

With force he releases me and propels himself across the room, holding his hand to his forehead, his back bent and his eyes on the ground.

“I can’t. I can’t,” he mutters under his breath.

Staring at him, stunned, I push myself off the door and run at him. He rises in surprise and his arms open. I fall into them, taking his face into my hands and kissing him hard as his arms encircle me.

We kiss like we’ve never in our lives kissed anyone before now. It’s so fiercely beautiful that my heart aches as our mouths explore each other. We’re grabbing at our bodies, pulling each other tighter, mashing as close as we can get and it’s never close enough.

“Rue?!” Sean says through the door, knocking loudly.

Panicked, I push off Alec and he stares at the door, panting. I try to sound normal. “Yeah?”

“Open the door.”