“Where did she go?”

“Ten years ago, where were your parents vacationing?” I frowned when I realized Keiran knew more about my parents disappearance than I thought. I wasn’t from here so no one knew my parents, and I didn’t exactly make it public information.

“They said they wanted to see the world but always talked about seeing Niagara Falls. It was the last known place they went when we had contact.”

“Your aunt never left Canada, Monroe. For the first week, she went to a few events I imagine had to do with her books, and then after that, she met up with some guy.”

“She met a guy?”

“A private investigator. An excellent one, too.”

“She was looking for my parents.”

“I know.” He watched me carefully, but his eyes held no warmth or sympathy in them for someone who had just found out about their dead parents. “Why don’t you want to know?”

“Because my parents have been dead in my mind for a long time now, but I always thought maybe I was wrong. Hearing it will just make it irreversible.”

“We’ll just have to help you forget.”

I didn’t miss the sexual shift that took place. If having sex with my enemy meant forgetting about my parents for a little while, then I would give in... just this once.

His hands removed my sparse clothing and dropped them carelessly to the floor. I wanted to undress him too, but there was no way in hell I would give him the satisfaction of appearing overly eager.

I was naked and feeling even more vulnerable in no time. He started to undress, first removing his shirt, and I nearly salivated at the sight of his chest once it was bare. Did all eighteen year old’s look like that? His body was unreal. It also made me embarrassingly self-conscious of my own.

Was I too thin? Was my chest too flat? Was my ass too flabby? Oh, God… What if my ankles were ashy?

I discreetly did a quick check of my ankles. All seems to be properly moisturized.

Frustrated, I ran my hand through hair and stared down at the floor. I was acting like a complete nitwit. This wasn’t our first time together. Not even close.

With a light push of his hand, I was flat on my back, looking up at his smirking face. The sound of his belt unbuckling and his zipper lowering made my core clench with need. His gray eyes were glowing with a possession, and from the predatory look on his face, I knew he was going to eat me alive… and I wouldn’t have the good sense to stop him.

“Wait.”

His eyebrow rose at my hesitation. “Do you think you’re really able to tell me no?” he asked as he crawled over my body that had already gone lax in submission.

“I thought you didn’t ask questions you already know the answer to?” His hands ran up my thighs while he sat on his haunches above me causing me to lose the rest of my words, but I still managed to hold his gaze.

“You’ve become a hard person to read these days,” he admitted and looked none too pleased about it.

“I don’t want to want you. Is that clear enough for you?” We glared at each other in our typical fashion of foreplay, and I would be damned if it didn’t get me hotter than the dirtiest words or the softest touches.

“Spread your legs for me,” he ordered, breaking the silence. “You can still hate me now and pretend again in the morning.”

“What would I be pretending?”

“That you aren’t mine.” He lifted my leg around his waist and slid inside me in a single, smooth motion that drew out a gasp of pleasure and pain. I’d forgotten how big he was…

“Quiet now,” he mocked to cover up his low groan. “You wouldn’t want your dear aunt to hear.”

I pressed my hand against his chest to stop him, and even though I wasn’t strong enough to actually stop him, he paused and waited anyway. “Before this goes any further, I want you to agree to two things.”

“My cock is already inside you, Monroe,” he rolled his eyes, appearing annoyed. “This is hardly the time to make demands.”

“You either hear them and agree or get off me, get out, and never speak to me again. I will only agree to one night. Take it or leave it.”

“Is that one of your demands?”

“Call it a prelude.”

“Go on,” he answered warily.

“First, I want you to stay away from my aunt and stay away from Willow. You don’t use them against me, at all.”

“What—”

“It’s non-negotiable.”

“Fine. Agreed. You drive a hard bargain.” His voice oozed sarcasm.

“I’m not finished.”

“What is your heart’s desire?” he sneered.

I lifted my upper body enough to bite into his chin and whispered as seductively as I could manage, “I want you to make love to me.”

That was a mistake.

He reared back as if I’d slapped him and stared down at me with an unreadable expression. “Come again?”

A little of my confidence dissolved at the sudden chilly vibe I was getting from him. His body had gone rigid, and his jaw clenched and unclenched as the silence stretched between us.

“For once, I want to have sex and not be treated as an object.”

Some unnamed emotion changed his features, and then he was gone. My body mourned the loss of his, as I suddenly felt cold and just a little foolish. I closed my eyes and reminded myself that this is what I wanted.