Prologue
The heart has reasons which reason cannot understand… and lust is as easy to stop as a raging hurricane.
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His gray eyes looked at her with open love as he handed her his gift. Jennifer could care less about the gift as long as he kept on looking at her that way. She didn't hesitate to unwrap it though, and was soon gasping in delighted pleasure as she saw the bracelet he had offered her. She tipped her head back a little so as not to cry and ruin her make-up, and he just chuckled at that.
He didn't know the effect his chuckle had on her already-weakened-by-his-eyes knees, or else he wouldn't have indulged. She had to straighten up and suck in a deep breath to keep herself from falling in a heap at his feet. Everything about him made her swoon really. From his height to his built, not to forget his eyes, his smiles, his voice, his chuckles… she loved everything about him. He was simply her dream man – the one and only that haunted her every thought.
“I love it,” she whispered, not trusting her voice, blinking the tears from her light brown eyes.
“I'm glad you do, sweets,” even his pet name for her made her swoon.
How much in love could she be with this man?
Sizing the moment to make good on her promise to herself, she closed the small gap separating them, rose on her tiptoes and softly kissed his lips.
“What the hell do you think you're doing?” He thundered as he freed his face from her hands and his lips from hers.
“Making my first kiss special,” was her simple and innocent reply, as if it should be obvious. “I wanted to have it with someone I loved.”
She had been reckless, she knew that, but she didn't regret it one bit.
“I'm your brother!” He put some distance between them, not bearing to be near her.
“Stepbrother,” she corrected fiercely, “and that doesn't change my feelings for you, Lucas.” Despite her natural timidity, her voice had come out strong. She was proud of herself for finally speaking her mind.
“You barely turned 15 today. You're just a child,” he bit out, exasperated, rearranging his hair ever so slightly when it needed no fuss. “What do you know about love?”
Her breath was knocked out of her at his words. Had he punched her, it'd have hurt less. She wasn't a child and she damn well knew what love was. Just because he was twenty-four didn't mean he could make fun of her feelings like that. He was being cruel, and Lucas had never acted this way towards her – it hurt. It hurt her so deeply, she couldn't utter a single word in response.
“Since it's your birthday, I'm gonna forget this ever happened,” were his chillingly calm parting words before he slipped out of her late father's study, leaving her in agony.
“Whatever,” She muttered bitterly after a while into the silence, tears blurring her vision, throat constricted. Lucas was her first love, and she had gotten her first kiss and her first heartbreak from him. She was only 15 though and she would, without a doubt, move on.
