Seducing The Enemy - Shayla Black Page 0,3

up to her. But I’ve dangled the carrot and I’ve cornered her. She’ll come. She’ll submit.

Then I’ll make her pay.

Eight years earlier…

Jett

I shouldn’t put my hands on Whitney Chancellor. Really, I shouldn’t…but the princess is right there, mere feet away by the shimmering pool, wearing a pink bikini and soaking in the sun. Her long, dark waves brush the swells of her pert ass as she sways to the sexy ballad of the summer.

For fuck’s sake, I need to keep my distance. But how, especially today?

Tiptoeing across the back patio, I sneak up behind her, cover her eyes, and whisper in her ear, “Happy sixteenth birthday, Whitney.”

She whirls around and flashes me rosy cheeks and a flirtatious grin. She might still be too young, but nothing about the way I want her is innocent.

I’m twenty-one. I know better. I shouldn’t make a move on my best friend’s little sister, especially before she’s grown. But during the past two months, she’s been just beyond my reach, wearing next to nothing to combat this heatwave and tossing me come-hither glances. My impatience to have her under me chafes. I’m almost beyond caring what I “should” do.

It’s bad, like masturbation-in-the-shower-twice-a-day bad. Still, I can’t not wish her a happy birthday, right?

“Thanks! Is that for me?” Her gaze falls on the fluffy cupcake on the nearby patio table.

“Of course.” I retrieve the pink-frosting confection and hold it out to her.

Unlike Whitney, I didn’t grow up with money. Despite having five dollars left to my name, I used half of it to buy her something I hoped would make her happy.

I watch as she plucks it up. She licks her way through the frosting before taking a delicate bite. “Mmm… So good.”

I swallow back a groan. It doesn’t matter that I jacked off not an hour ago. I’m harder than ever for her.

“Thanks for remembering, Jett,” she murmurs.

I try not to focus on the way her pretty pink tongue peeks out as she licks residual frosting from her plump lips. “Yeah. Sure.”

“It means a lot to me. I’m pretty sure my brother forgot. Tell me again why you’re friends?”

Despite knowing she’s teasing me, I’m still tongue-tied. “We’re, um…going into business together.”

She knows that, dumb shit.

Whitney smiles. “I remember the spiel. You’ve got the brains, Vance has the connections, and you’re both ambitious as hell. You’ll succeed. How’s it going? Almost done?”

“Yeah, almost. We’ve logged in a ton of hours, but I’ve nearly finished the coding, and he’s been writing up the business plan and making lists of people to contact. We should be ready to launch before we go back for our senior year. So just a few weeks now…”

Her smile dims. “I’ll miss you when you’re gone.”

“You will?” She’s always been flirty, but this is the first time she’s stated her feelings outright.

“Sure.” She backs up and gives me a suddenly nervous, nonchalant shrug. “It will be so much quieter when you and my brother are gone. Who will I nag about hogging the TV late at night while you play Xbox and refuse to share your tequila? Who will play Monopoly with me until four a.m. when I can’t sleep?”

Maybe that’s true…and maybe she’s saying that in case she thinks I don’t like her that way. But I have—from the moment I met her eight weeks ago, when I first stepped foot onto the Chancellor estate. Everything around here is ornate, too traditional. Stuffy. Perfect.

Except Whitney. She’s all the beauty, but she’s also a new spring breath of fresh air.

Vance would have my ass if he knew what I wanted to do to his little sister. He’s protective. But the way she’s looking at me proves her thoughts aren’t a little girl’s. They’re a woman’s.

“I hope that’s not all you’ll miss about me.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m sure going to miss more than that about you.”

“Yeah?” She bites her lip and sends me a flirty glance through her dark lashes. “If I wanted something for my birthday, would you give it to me?”

“I’d give you the world if I could afford it.” But I can’t.

I hate that I wasn’t raised rich, like her. I barely have two nickels to rub together. She deserves better.

Whitney sets the rest of the cupcake aside and eases closer. She looks nervous as she shakes her head. “I don’t want you to buy me anything. My parents have already given me tons.”

That’s true, but I admire that she’s not a typical spoiled