Page 3 of Tarnished Embers
“So pretty,” the first twin answers, crowding next to the newcomer whose hands still grasp my upper arms in a firm grip. “But where are our manners, brother? I’m Octavious or Oct, and this is my twin, Christopher or Kit.”
“P–pleased to meet you both,” I stutter. “I’m Ember.”
“Oh, we know all about you, Pretty Thing,” Chri—Kit purrs. The way he calls me pretty sends another tremor along my nerves.
“Y–you do?” My brows dip, because until they walked in, I knew sweet fuck all about these guys.How did they know about me? Did Dad meet them already?My chest tightens at the thought that I’ve been left out once more, becoming an outsider in my own family.
“We do, Sugar,” a last voice informs me, and oh my gods. His deep, southern drawl has my kitty cat up and demanding tummy rubs, which is highly fucking inappropriate given that they’re my stepbrothers. The twins part, Kit’s hands dropping as another sinfully gorgeous guy steps towards me. His hair is pitch black, so dark that it almost has blue highlights. His eyes are a bright, sparkling green that leaves me gasping for breath, filling my nose with the intoxicating scent of rum, leather, and spice. “We knoweverythingabout you, Ember.” I swallow as he, too, steps into me, forcing my head up in order to maintain eye contact. They’re all taller than I am, not difficult at my five foot five and a half, but this one is taller than the others. Maybe a little older too as there’s an air of maturity about him that the others don’t have, like he has more responsibilities than them somehow. Swirls of colourful ink peek out from his collar, and a spark of electricity runs through me. I’m a sucker for tattoos on a guy. “I’m Prince, the eldest one.”
“N–nice to m–meet you, Prince.” I’m so pissed at sounding like a simpering damsel, but give a girl a break. A lot has happened in the past ten minutes. He leans closer, dipping his head to place his lips against my cheek in a lingering kiss and I swear to all that is holy, sparks fly from where he makes contact.
“It’s nice to finally make your acquaintance too, Ember,” he replies while taking a small step back, and I would laugh at his old-fashioned way of speaking but I can’t look away from his eyes which are locked on mine. They sparkle and shine like the green sapphires I saw once in a jewellery store in Hatton Gardens. Then he reaches down, takes my hand in his, and brings it up to his pillowy lips, brushing my knuckles with a barely-there kiss and sending my pulse skyrocketing.
“Well,” my father states, breaking the spell that Prince has me under, and I look towards my dad as he walks over to us and claps the twins on the back. My brows gather together as I study him, but he seems completely oblivious to the fact that my new ‘brothers’ are showing way more than brotherly affection to me. Then again, I don’t know why I’m surprised. He’s not exactly paid me much attention these past five years, too wrapped up in work to notice that I was grieving too. Although apparently, not too busy to find himself a new wife and four sons. “You boys must be tired after travelling today. Ember, can you show them to their rooms?”
My attention snaps over to the guys to see that they look like they’ve been on a journey. Their T-shirts are wrinkled and there’s an air of tiredness about them all that only travel gives you. I don’t recall Odette being the same, but maybe she arrived earlier, which would have been strange. Or maybe she’s just not the type of person to allow a wrinkle anywhere near her. My father’s words hit me then.
“Their rooms?” I ask, biting my lower lip as I frown. I swear I hear a soft growl from nearby, which can’t be right as we don’t have a dog, much to my disappointment. Why does he not ask Reginald, our butler, to show them?
“Of course, Little Spark. Where did you think they were going to stay? We’re a family now,” my dad answers, his smile so wide that it reaches his eyes and leaves them sparkling.
A family.I thought we already were a family…
“Silly me.” I give a small huff that I mean to be a laugh, but it sounds strained instead as I try to swallow the hurt that keeps threatening to spill out of my mouth. Fingers give my hand a squeeze, and I startle, looking down to see Prince still holding it. “W–where are their bedrooms?” I ask, looking back up at my dad and ignoring the way Prince’s hand feels so comforting in mine, like it belongs there.
“We thought it would be best if they were in your wing, Ember,” Odette informs me, coming over and wrapping her hands around my father’s bicep. She reminds me of a possessive snake, claiming its prize and warning off any others. The thought sends unease running through me. Plus, it’s strange that she’s not greeted the boys, her sons, isn’t it? There must be a story there given how close all the boys look in age. They also don’t look alike, aside from the twins that is. Maybe they’re half-brothers? Although that wouldn’t explain the different accents as surely they would all sound similar if they kept moving as children? My head spins with all the questions racing around it, and I shake it as if to clear it.
“Oh–um–sure,” I reply, back to the stammering idiot as my dad and Odette smile at me. So not only have I lost my father but also my private space?Way to sound like an entitled little rich bitch, Ember.I’ll still have my own room, and a part of me wonders if I can lose something that I didn’t really have in the first place. Taking a deep inhale, I look back at the guys, my new stepbrothers, their beauty stealing my breath for a moment. “Do you guys want to follow me?”
“Lead the way, Pretty Thing,” Kit tells me with a smile that should really be illegal because my brain short-circuits and I can’t remember my own fucking name, let alone what we were about to do.
“The bedrooms, Sugar?” Prince adds after an embarrassingly long moment, and I blink several times, heat colouring my cheeks again.
“Right, yep, um, this way then.” Please, for the love of all that is holy, someone either smite me now or stop me from sounding like such a twat.
I take a step forward, then pause when my hand tugs, and I glance over my shoulder to see Prince still clasping it. He gives me what I can only describe as a smouldering smile—whoops, there goes my knickers—and then raises his brows as if I’m the one holding us up again.
Narrowing my eyes at him, I spin and lead us out of the room towards the staircase, gorgeous stepbrothers in tow and Prince still holding my hand like he owns it.
Fuck. My. Life.
Only I would get cursed with four hot-as-hell stepbrothers. Fate clearly thinks that she’s a funny bitch. Well, I’ll be sending her the bill when my vibrator breaks from all the overuse it’ll be getting from now on.
“Oh, you won’t need a vibrator now that we’re here,” Oct’s teasing voice says far too loudly as we walk up the stairs. My eyes widen and my body jerks to a halt as I realise I must have spoken aloud, and Prince bumps into me, his hand clinging to mine while his other comes around me to hold me steady. Fire races from every part of me he touches, and once again, my brain has up and left, leaving my pussy in charge, who’s rolling over and waiting for belly rubs.
“He’s right, Sugar,” Prince whispers in my ear, and I can’t take a single inhale as his warm, rum-scented breath washes over me like a soft, teasing caress. “After all, what are brothers for if not to take care of their sister in times of need?”
Lightning traces across my entire body at his words, and I can’t fucking breathe. It’s just so much to take in. A new stepmother, and four gorgeous stepbrothers that my body craves even though it’s all kinds of fucked up and wrong. Add the fact that they talk like this, like they might want me as much as I seem to want them...
“Breathe, Little Cinders.” Caspian’s copper eyes fill my gaze, his warm palms cupping my face, and I take a gasping inhale, the flood of oxygen filling my lungs and leaving me lightheaded. “That’s it. Good girl.” My eyelids flutter at the praise, and his thumbs stroke my cheeks, soothing me. “These assholes didn’t mean to overwhelm you, we’re just excited is all. You’re more than we could have ever hoped for.”
“I–I am?” My voice is soft, barely above a breath, but he hears it and gives me a smile that warms me down to my toes.
“So much more,” Prince murmurs against my ear, and I sink back into him, despite my mind screaming that this is wrong. It seems like my body is giving her the middle finger and taking what it wants right now.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, Pretty Thing,” Kit says from next to us, and my head turns slowly, as if it’s underwater, only to be caught in his stormy stare.
“Gorgeous,” Oct adds from the other side, and I swing my gaze to him, letting myself get lost in his sparkling, blue eyes.