Fuck.
No one seemed to notice my shock as Gentry clapped a hand around his stepson’s shoulder, jolting me back into the room. The eldest Stone-Prince flinched, and I saw the tension between them. Felt it descend over the room. We all did. It radiated from Maverick like a wall of blistering heat. Then his eyes narrowed on me, and I saw the realisation flash across his face. His glare turned icy cold … unresponsive, and I balked. I wanted the floor to open and swallow me whole and if that failed, I’d settle for spontaneous combustion. Anything to escape this nightmare.
How could this be happening?
How?
“Hi.” His voice turned my blood cold. He shirked out of his stepfather's hold and folded his arms over his chest, standing to his full height. Uncle Gentry wasn't wrong, he was a giant. Easily six two—and about three inches taller than last summer—there was nothing boy about him. My eyes scanned the length of his body, lean muscle stacked on more lean muscle. When I reached his face, his lips twitched as if he knew I'd been checking him out.
Shit.
What the hell was I doing?
Maverick Prince might not have been my blood cousin, but he was family. He was also the boy I almost gave myself to on a warm summer’s eve at a beach party last summer.
Double fuck.
I risked peeking up at him through my lashes. His hardened gaze was still trained on me, but his smirk slid away replaced with a look of disgust. My stomach clenched violently as my grip on the stool tightened until the blood drained from my knuckles.
How on earth had this happened? How had I spent hours talking to a boy on a beach and not known who he was?
How had I not realised? And how had he not put two and two together?
He remembered, and from the looks of it, he wasn’t too happy about it either.
This wasn’t good—not good at all.
The chink of metal against glass broke our stand-off, and I focused on Uncle Gentry as he cleared his throat. “Now everyone’s present, I’d just like to say how happy we are to have you both here.” He smiled warmly at me and moved to Dad, squeezing his shoulder. “Our home is yours for as long as you need it. Robert, Eloise, welcome to the family.”
My eyes shuttered, and I inhaled a sharp breath. When I plucked up the courage to open them again, Maverick was gone.
I’d thought moving to Wicked Bay was the worst thing that could happen to me, but I was about to find out, it was only the beginning.
2
“Are you nervous, kiddo?”
I shot Dad a terse glare. With no sunglasses to protect him from my 'are you for real' face this time, his head shook with laughter. “Too much?”
“Just a little.” I helped myself to another bagel, picking off a tiny chunk with my fingers. “And I'm not sure nervous sums up how I feel about all of this.”
Since realising just who Maverick Prince was, I’d felt nothing but a tight knot in my stomach. I popped the pastry flakes into my mouth and glanced around the kitchen. It was almost seven-thirty and no one else had surfaced yet. I'd wanted to eat in the pool house, but after a strained weekend Dad insisted we eat with the rest of the family.
“It'll get easier. It's just new, for all of us.” He gave me a pointed look, one that told me he'd also picked up on the serious vibes between Uncle Gentry and Maverick.
After the less than stellar introductions on Friday, Macey disappeared after her brother. It was clear he wasn’t the boy I’d gotten to know that night last summer, but then maybe he was. Maybe the Maverick I’d spent hours talking to was an illusion? An attempt to seduce the awkward, shy girl. But that made no sense either.
Whatever.
It was done. And everything that had happened since then put that night into perspective.
Maverick Prince was no one to me. He might have been family, but that didn’t mean I had to interact with him.
Ever.
Kyle and Summer had stuck around for a while but eventually went off to do their own thing, and I retreated to the pool house. In two days, it had fast become my sanctuary, and I only left if necessary. Unfortunately, for me, the first day at a new school required leaving my room and facing reality.
“Ahh, Robert, Miss Eloise; good morning, it’s so good to see you again.” A short plump woman hurried into the kitchen, arms full of bags. “I'm Loretta, remember, si? The housekeeper.”
“As if we could forget your cooking,” Dad said around a wide smile.
“Oh.” Her crow-lined eyes widened in my direction. “So pretty, Miss Eloise, I see what Gentry meant now.”
My ears perked up, and I arched an eyebrow at Dad. He shrugged, continuing to eat his French toast.
“Where is everyone?” Good question, I thought to myself, relieved I wasn’t the only person who wondered. “It's back to school today, no?”
“Loretta, thank God, we’ve missed you.” Rebecca breezed into the kitchen like a Greek goddess. The woman didn't walk, she glided on air. “Robert, Eloise, you're up. Excellent.” She air-kissed Dad and squeezed my arm on the way to the coffee maker. “Nervous, honey?”
It was my turn to shrug. “Not really.” Liar.
“You'll be fine. You'll have Summer and Kyle, and I'm sure Macey will help you get settled.”
I very much doubted that. But whatever. I didn't need or want their help if they didn't want to give it. It was just school; how hard could it be?
“Is Kyle—”
“Is Kyle what?” He breezed into the room looking as fresh as a daisy and I had to wonder where they all were. Was there another kitchen they hung out in before joining us, because they sure didn't look like people who had just climbed out of bed. Two coffees in, I was still slouched over my plate trying to kick-start my body into action.
“Are you giving Summer and Eloise a ride into school?”
“No can do, Momma P, first day back and I have to make a good impression with Coach.”
Rebecca's eyes narrowed with a hint of frustration and I stifled a laugh. “Kyle, what have I told you?”
He pulled open the refrigerator and stuck his head inside. It was one of those huge American types with a built-in ice dispenser. When he reappeared, juice in hand, he grinned. “I think you said, 'please don't call me Momma P’.”
“So...” Hand planted on her hip she glowered at him, and I stifled a snigger again. Kyle had an air of a cocky boy who didn't care much for the rules. I liked it. He reminded me a lot of my brother. My chest tightened, and I swallowed over the pastry stuck in my throat.
“My bad. You're right it isn't very appropriate.” He tilted his face up as if deep in thought. “Got it.” He snapped his finger in the air. “Step Momster.”
Her mouth fell open, and he shot me an amused wink before disappearing. Rebecca yelled after him, but he’d already gone. She let out a heavy sigh. “That boy will send me to an early grave.”
“He's all Gentry,” Dad said not looking up from the papers scattered over the island top.
“And don't I know it. I suppose I should thank my lucky stars he hasn't charmed his way into some girl’s bed and gotten her pregnant yet.”
“Darling, I thought we agreed to give him a break.” Gentry appeared at his wife's side and hooking an arm around her waist he pulled her against him. She giggled like a schoolgirl and leaned up to kiss him, and my bagel threatened to make a reappearance.