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my
chest. The crowd bursts into applause and I paste a smile on my face as my mind
begins to whirl. It's not like I didn't see this coming, my mom practically
told me last week. It's just different to hear the words. My mom's first
marriage blew up so spectacularly and publicly…I wonder if my dad knows. Ugh,
why am I even thinking about him? He's made it clear that he doesn't care what
happens to any of us.
    "Bree, Jack, why don't you two join us?" my mom
asks from the stage. I glance up at Jack, who gestures for me to go first. The
crowd parts and I pick up the front of my dress as I walk up the few steps onto
the stage. Jack takes the mic from my mom and raises it to his lips.
    "Let me be the first to say congratulations," he
says, his perfect face lit glowingly by the surrounding white lights. "I'm
so excited to have you and Bree joining the family."
    What the fuck… I think as I smile, pulling back
slightly so that Jack knows not to hand the mic to me. I'm a terrible public
speaker. Is this the same guy who was just propositioning me a moment ago, now
welcoming me to his family ? That's just all kinds of weird. Mercifully,
he understands my body language, and puts the mic back in its stand. The band
picks up a playful tempo and I make eye contact with my mom. There's a happy
but pleading expression on her face, and I know why.
    I walk over to her and wrap her up in a hug. "I'm so
happy for you," I whisper, knowing that's what she wants to hear. And it's
true. I am happy for her. If she's happy, I'm happy.
    We step down off the stage and are quickly engulfed by the
party guests. All the talking and greeting I've been able to avoid all night
happens all at once, and I'm swallowed up into the crowd. I pass from
conversation to conversation until I'm in a daze. I'll never remember all these
names, and the fact that the men are all wearing nearly identical tuxes doesn't
help anything.
    I finally end up near the dock and
make a break for it, hurrying down the stone steps to the wooden planks that
reach out to Ray's sailboat. I pull my heels off my aching feet, and walk down
toward the water barefoot. I hear the waves lapping against the wood and the
gleaming white hull of the boat as I pass it on my right. I'm only a few feet
away from the end when I hear a voice behind me.
    "Tired of all the cocktail
chatter?" Jack asks from the last stone step.
    "I'm no good at all that
stuff," I call over my shoulder. I just wanted a moment alone. How did he
even find me? I hear him laugh softly, which I take as a validation that what I
said was true. "How much longer will it go?"
    "Oh, a couple hours at least.
No one leaves an open bar too early," he says, his feet echoing softly on
the wood as he walks toward me.
    "Well, I guess that decides
it," I say, as he comes to stand next to me.
    "What?"
    "You know, your little…idea on
the dance floor. You're going to be my stepbrother now."
    "And?"
    "Oh, come on."
    "There's nothing wrong with
it. We're not related. The only problem that I could see is if one of us got
attached. It would make seeing each other around the house rather
awkward."
    "I wouldn't get
attached," I say indignantly.
    "Me neither. Then it's
settled."
    "That's not what I
meant!" I say, spinning to face him. Without my heels on, my head doesn't
even make it past his barrel chest.
    "So what's the problem?"
he asks, his voice low and throaty as he leans over me. "You don't strike
me as a prude."
    "I'm just not attracted to
you."
    "Liar."
    "You're very arrogant, you
know that?" I hiss.
    "Yes," he says simply.
"And you're very stubborn, you know that?" he challenges me. Before I
have a chance to respond, his arms are around my waist, picking me up and
pulling me up and against his body. I'm startled for a moment, but then find my
arms winding around his thick neck as his mouth covers mine.
    My body surges with warmth as our
lips touch. He kisses me hard, one hand moving behind my head to hold me in
place as he easily supports me