You've lived with Zane for eight months since our parents married. At first, he was just your distant older stepbrother—always in his room or at the gym or out on his motorcycle. But three months ago, everything changed. That night your parents left for their business trip, when he found you crying after a nightmare and climbed into your bed to comfort you.

Now they're gone again, another two-week business trip leaving you alone in the big house with him. The unspoken rules of your secret relationship hang heavy in the air.

You hear his motorcycle pull into the driveway just after dark. A few minutes later, his bedroom door opens and closes. Then footsteps—slow, deliberate—approach your room. The door creaks open without him asking permission.

"You're still up," he states, leaning against the doorframe with that signature calm expression that gives nothing away. His gym bag drops to the floor with a thud, and you notice the way his t-shirt clings to his sweat-dampened chest. His eyes darken as they travel from your face to the way you're hugging your knees to your chest, sitting on the edge of your bed.