Wow, that’s some good stuff right there.

“Burn baby burn,” I whisper.

Simone is crunching away on chips and salsa and she’s begun to tell Justin about the time we went to San Diego for her to play a club. “My band drove all the way over there with us. It was so fun. And oh my God,” she breathes, staring off into the memory. “The beach at midnight! Have you ever been?”

“No.” He’s smiling from behind his glass, studying her as she sways with the invisible breeze. “But I’m guessing there were palm trees.”

“So many palm trees! And the sand was cool on my toes. Wasn’t it, Sarah?”

I blink away from Jason to her. “Yep. It was cool.”

“Sooooo cool. And the night air was warm. Not like here where it’s humid, but just this beautiful light wind blowing all over our bodies.” She slides her hands down her breasts as if she’s alone. And she’s not meaning to do that – she’s just getting really lubed up like I am.

We are in trouble.

Otis Redding’s These Arms of Mine comes on and Simone moans in happiness.

Equally a fan, I start laughing with my own brand of much quieter joy. Just a tiny, under my breath laugh.

Justin reaches over and takes the glass from my hand. He sets it on the counter and starts to dance with me. His warm hand slides around my lower back while his other cups mine, old school-style. Surprised but secretly happy to be swept away, I look into Justin’s eyes, my chin tilted way up.

He whispers, “Hey Sarah,” to me in a voice I’ve never heard this devil use before. It’s very sexy.

In a more hushed tone that no one can hear over the music, I whisper, “What are you doing, Justin?”

He glances over to his twin. I follow his lingering gaze and see Jason approached by Simone. But his eyes are on me and they are narrowed with fury. I’ve seen him pissed off before, and at my doing, so I know his rage when I see it.

Simone comes up behind him and slides her arms around his torso. He flickers and turns to take her to where Justin and I are dancing.

Frowning back up to the devilish half of this pair I see a glint of triumph in Justin’s eyes as he fixates on me. He’s got something up his sleeve, but what I don’t know.

Then it occurs to me for the first time…he’s going to make a move!

And Jason knows Justin will use me up and toss me aside…so he’s feeling protective.

That’s why Jason was angry.

He knows his twin is a bad guy.

I have to get out of these arms.

But Otis isn’t making it easy.

I challenge Justin with a hushed, “I’m not falling for this crap, just so we’re clear.”

He smirks and whirls me far enough away that Jason and Simone can’t hear us. I glance over to them and see she’s whispering in Jason’s ear. From the look on his face, she said something very hot and dirty. Pain twists my gut.

Justin cups my chin and brings my attention back to him. “What crap, Sarah?”

Swallowing against the sadness I’m feeling at being in the wrong twin’s embrace, I whisper, “I’m not interested.”

“In what? My brother? Because that would surprise me very much.”

My eyes widen with surprise as Justin’s hands slide lower to rest on the top of my tailbone. “Why are you fondling me if you think I like your brother?”

My eyelids go heavy under the heat of his breath as he leans down to whisper against my sensitive earlobe, “That’s a really good question. Now why do you think I’m doing it?”

He hovers there, tightening his grip on my body and pressing into me. He’s not hard, so what the hell is he doing?

Suddenly he’s yanked off of me and there stands Jason like he’s about to punch his twin in the face. “May I cut in?”

My lips part and I glance to Simone who is so shocked her mouth could hold a whole Granny Smith apple.

“Of course,” Justin murmurs with a smile of pure satisfaction. He heads for Simone. “May I?”

She is speechless, totally flabbergasted and a little drunk, so she nods, holding up her arms for him to come in.

I’m scared to look at Jason. I know Simone is going to explode any minute when her intoxicated mind clicks into what just happened.

My head turns and I lock eyes with the object of my desire. His face is tight, his gorgeous eyes, darker than I’ve ever seen them.

He steps close and my breath hitches as he whispers his hands down and around my shaking sides until his thick fingers press into the small of my back. I shiver as he pulls me against his body. We slow dance in silence, and I feel like I might faint. I’m so terrified of the imminent explosion, but I don’t want to push him away.

“Jason,” I whisper, voice trembling.

“Shhh,” he rasps in the shell of my ear. “She’s about to blow. Just give me this one moment to enjoy.”

To enjoy?

What does he mean?

Oh my god.

He’s basking in the fun of making her jealous.

Agony rips into me as I shove him away. “Enough!” I shout. “God, just stop! It’s cruel! Stop!”

Turns out Simone wasn’t the one to lose it.

Jason stares at me, speechless, eyes flitting in confusion. Or more likely embarrassment. Justin and Simone stop moving, too.

Three sets of gorgeous eyes rest on mediocre little me.

“I’m not a fucking pawn in your games!” I shakily tell Jason before locking eyes with his twin to direct my accusation at him, too. “You can stop using me to make Simone jealous. I have a heart! I have feelings! Although I’m sure you wouldn’t think a bitchy little shrimp like me could have them. But I do!”

Jason’s eyes narrow.

Simone struts over to stand up for me, but I see the relief barely hidden behind her protective expression. She couldn’t understand how she’d been abandoned just now, and it finally all makes sense.

“That’s really not nice, Jason,” she says with firm annoyance.

I’m far more than annoyed.

I’m absolutely crushed.

Jason is about to say something but Justin interrupts him with, “There’s someone at the door, Jase.”

We all look. Over the music and my explosion, most of us didn’t hear the light, slow tapping. But there it is again. Jason holds my look as he passes me to answer.

He opens the door and a very thin blonde woman falls inside. “Jason,” she hoarsely whispers.

“No fucking way,” his brother growls. Simone and I turn to him and he is seething. “Bernie. His ex.”

Our heads whip back to see Jason tenderly picking the woman up. “There now. I’ve got you,” he rasps to her, voice filled with pain.

Her eyelids are heavy. She looks used up, but she was very beautiful at one time. She’s high and there are track marks on her arms with blood dripping down them.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Justin mutters.

Cradling the limp woman Jason kicks the door shut with his foot, his eyes meeting mine. He blinks to his brother, “Run some hot water. And get my First Aid kit.”

Justin turns on his heel for the kitchen, mumbling cuss words under his breath that I’ve never heard of.