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  “Aren’t they sexy?” Briar sighed, causing Donny to pout.

  “Oh, not nearly as sexy as you though Donny,” Briar purred.

  Donny smirked, obviously feeling better now that his ego had been stroked. “So who are they?” he persisted, reaching for his own phone.

  I opened my mouth to answer, but Fredi beat me to it. “Oh, just some triplets Evie knows,” she said airily, shooting a smile at Briar.

  The airport intercom interrupted our conversation, letting us know that our flight was ready to board. As we walked towards the gate, I noticed Donny rapidly typing away on his phone. Who was he texting? I wondered.

  ***

  We were met at the Sydney airport by a large, black limousine and a horde of journalists that had obviously been waiting for rich kids to return from university. Apparently, Briar and Fredi were big news. They swarmed around us, but Donny pulled us close to him and ushered us toward the limo. I shook slightly, unused to being the centre of attention and having microphones and cameras shoved in my face. Hell, I was always the one behind the camera. Briar laughed at the attention and rolled her eyes, but Fredi scowled. Fredi’s parents were the crème of Sydney society, which probably explained her rebellious fashion sense, choice of life-style and name preference.

  “You had to get a limo,” Fredi snapped at Briar, “Very inconspicuous.”

  Briar laughed merrily. “Wasn’t me. It’ll be Uncle David being a pompous ass,” she said, “Liam was supposed to pick us up.”

  She turned and smiled at me, “Liam is my younger brother. He’s in his last year of high school too.”

  She paused and grinned at me, “He looks a lot like my Dad if you’re into younger guys.”

  I reddened and shook my head, though I couldn’t deny that the interest was there…anyone who looked like Billy would be hard to resist. We drove out of the city and through the surrounding suburbs, continuing until we reached properties on the outskirts. The properties were large and many housed mansions or farms. We pulled into one of the long driveways and I suddenly lost my breath. We were here. I was here. At Billy Brighton’s house. I started to quietly hyperventilate, hoping no one would notice my anxiety.

  Oh man, what do I do?

  What should I say?

  Holy crap, I’m supposed to interview him!

  “You okay?” Briar asked, a look of concern flashing across her usually cheerful features.

  I tried to smile convincingly, but gave up. “Just a little nervous,” I whispered.

  She rolled her eyes and gave me a hug. “Don’t be. My family is nice.”

  I relaxed slightly as the limo came to a stop and the driver opened our door. I was the last to leave the car, but I froze halfway out of the door as Fredi suddenly said, “Oh look, Stone’s here.”

  My eyes widened in horror and I dropped back into my seat, my anxiety returning full force.

  “GG!” I heard Briar yell with a giggle, “Where’s Wendy?”

  “Bri!” I heard a young girl shout. I tried to peak around the door, to see what was going on, but a tall, attractive guy ducked his head in to smile at me.

  “You going to come out and join us?” he asked with a grin. Oh my, it was a bloody gorgeous grin. For a moment I nearly fainted, thinking it was Billy himself as I gazed up into familiar emerald-green eyes and strong, Irish features. His short black hair didn’t show any signs of grey though, and his face was much too boyish. Then there were those dimples. Billy didn’t have those sexy, adorable dimples. Liam.

  I blushed as I realised I’d been staring and his grin turned wicked. I hurriedly accepted his hand and let him help me from the car. As soon as I was out, I dropped his hand as if it was diseased and backed up. Liam looked amused and for a moment I thought he was going to advance toward me, following my nervous retreat. Something changed in his expression though and I found out why moments later, when I backed right into a wall. No, not a wall. Stone.

  I timidly glanced up at him, wondering why he hadn’t let me go, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at Liam, an indefinable expression on his face. I looked back at Liam, who seemed to be staring back at Stone, a serious expression on his own face as his eyes flickered over Stone’s. Suddenly, he grinned, his dimples flashing, but this time it wasn’t cute. It was a blatantly male challenge. Just what the challenge was, I couldn’t decipher. His green eyes dropped to mine and his smile grew even further.

  “You must be Evie,” he said slowly, running his eyes over my body. He turned and flashed a grin at Donny, “You’re right. She is too cute for words.”

  I got the feeling they weren’t using ‘cute’ like girls used it to describe attractive boys. I fidgeted in my fluffy black boots and hugged my fluffy black hooded jacket closer around my skinny form as I shivered.

  “Are you cold dear?” came a soft, feminine voice from beside me. I glanced down to see a small woman with dark-blond hair standing next to me. She was tiny. Maybe 5 foot at best. Fine boned as well. She smiled at me so warmly that I couldn’t help but smile back. I nodded slowly and couldn’t help leaning back slightly into Stone’s heat.

  The small woman gave Stone a sound whack on the thigh and my eyes flew wide.

  “Grant!” she admonished, very voice still soft and warm despite her reprimand, “Didn’t I teach you better than to let a lady stand out in the cold?”

  He scowled down at her, as if affronted she would doubt his chivalry. I glanced between the two of them and my mouth dropped in shock. This must be his mother! I glanced between them again, taking in the twenty inch difference in their height, the massiveness of Stone’s form…and the delicateness of his mother’s. Oh god, you poor woman! I thought with a shudder. The very thought of being that tiny and giving birth to someone like Stone made me want to give up sex for ever…well, almost.

  “Don’t you scowl at me young man,” she said, poking him hard in the arm. He didn’t even flinch. His scowl dropped though and he bent nearly in half to drop a kiss on top of her head. He grabbed my hand and started dragging me toward the large, but homey looking house. He barged roughly into Liam as we passed, but Liam just laughed and followed.

  I tried to ignore the warmth that spread from his hand to mine…then through my blood to other, more private parts. It didn’t work. His rough, huge hand swallowed mine and held it prisoner. I tried to withdraw my hand, but his grip tightened, not letting go until we’d reached the crowd of people at the front door.

  “I’m Amelia Brooks, by the way dear,” his mother said, smiling at me fondly, “I’m Grant’s mother, as you might have guessed.

  Grant, I whispered in my head, shooting a glance up at his impassive face. I wouldn’t have picked it myself, but it somehow suited him.

  “This is my husband Danny,” she said, indicating to an average height man who was leaning against the wall of the house, “And this is our daughter Wendy.” A small, dark-blonde girl waved at me from Briar’s arms. She looked to be about nine or ten. She was the cutest little girl I’d ever seen and I couldn’t help but grin openly back at her.

  “Now there’s a pretty smile,” Donny said with a chuckle, wrapping me in a hug and making me flustered, “Where’s that been hiding?”

  I didn’t answer. I pushed away from him and shot a tentative smile at the rest of the crowd. My smile grew stiff when I saw him and my heart began fluttering in its excitement. Billy Brighton stood in the doorway, surveying the scene before him with a heart-stopping smile. His arm was around a small, curvy woman that I knew to be Phillipa, Briar’s mother. She had the same wild, blonde curls as Briar, and when she smiled at me, I could see where Liam and Briar’s dimpled grin came from.

  “You must be Evie,” she greeted me happily, “Briar’s told us all about you.”

  I gulped nervously, wondering what had been said. I flicked a worried glance at Bri, but she shook her head with a laugh.

  “Nothing bad, Evie. I promise,” she said, her wide grin not reassuring me any.

  “
I’m Billy,” my idol said, extending a hand forward.

  I ‘eeped’ quietly, but took a deep breath and shook his hand firmly. “Nice to meet you sir,” I said in a low, deceptively calm voice.

  He chuckled and stood back to make room. “Come on inside, Evie,” he said, “It’s cold out.”

  Stone pushed me through the door and walked in behind me, the rest of the group following after us as Stone steered me toward the lounge room. As soon as we were settled though, Stone and his step-father (at least, I presumed he was a step-dad) stood up.

  “Well, we hate to leave so early,” Danny said, “But I have to open the club.”

  “Danny owns a strip club,” Donny told me with a wide grin, also getting up from his seat, “I’ve gotta go too. See the family and all that.”

  My eyes bulged and I stared at Danny in surprise. He looked much too normal to own a strip club…but then, what do I know? His wife certainly didn’t seem like the type to marry someone who ran one.

  “Okay,” Briar said cheerfully to Donny, “We’ll see you later on tonight.”

  My head snapped to look at her. Tonight? What was happening tonight?

  Briar caught my look and grinned naughtily as her parents went to say goodbye to Stone’s.

  “We’re going to Danny’s strip club,” she said, laughing when my face paled.

  “I’m coming too,” Liam said suddenly from the other side of the room.

  “No you’re not,” Briar said with a frown.

  He snorted and shot her a look that said ‘just you try and stop me, sis’.

  “Reggie’s on the door tonight,” he said, “He’ll let me in, and Dad and Danny won’t care.”

  His grin was evil as he thought of something else, “And you can’t tell Mum, because I’ll tell Dad you’re going.”

  Briar glared at her younger brother, then grabbed my arm and tugged me toward the stairs.

  “C’mon Evie,” she snarled, “Let’s go get sexy.”

  What?

  My heart sped up for the hundredth time that day and I struggled to sort through my thoughts.

  We’re going to a strip club…

  Stone will be there…

  Briar’s going to make me …sexy…

  Stone will be there…

  Briar opened her closet and, after a moment, threw an outfit on the bed.

  “You’re wearing that,” she said.

  Oh hell no.

  five

  I watched our driver drive away as we stood outside a run-down and sleazy looking club. Come back, my heart cried desperately. I glanced back at the club entrance, where a long line of men and women stood, and flinched. Tacky flashing lights promoted events such as Wet T-shirt contests and Jelly Wrestling. From what I could see, there were several pictures of trashy saloon girls lining the dirty windows. The building looked like it should have been torn down…or maybe restored as a heritage building. I gingerly walked up the front steps in my heels, worried that they’d give out and I’d break an ankle. Or my neck.

  Briar dragged me past the long line of people waiting to get in and my stomach quivered at the stares we were attracting. I tried to surreptitiously pull down the hem of my dress, but it was useless. It was shorter than short. Briar had apparently called ahead of our plane trip to her Aunty Bel. This dress was hers from her bulimic modelling days.

  It was a deep purple, a colour that Briar insisted highlighted the natural golds of my hair, eyes and complexion. The sleeves were long and fitted, the waist band high, resting just beneath my breasts. My breasts were pushed up by a beyond magic push-up bra and the low, scoop neckline of the dress revealed much of them. The skirt fanned out loosely in a full circle, hiding my bony ribs and hips from view. The hem didn’t even reach mid-thigh.

  My hair was loose and I’d refused to wear more makeup then some mascara and lip gloss. I pulled my black coat closer around me and shivered as I tried to keep warm. Liam drew me closer to his body as he conversed with ‘Reggie’ and I gratefully savoured the extra warmth. I was too cold to care that some strange guy was holding me. We were making our way through the saloon-styled door, when another bouncer stopped us.

  “Who’s she?” he demanded, pointing at me, “She’d better not be underage.”

  I bit my lip nervously, but felt a small thread of hope bloom. Maybe I wouldn’t have to go in after all?

  “She’s with us,” Liam said casually.

  The bouncer scowled. “You two aren’t eighteen yet either,” he said, “Briar’s birthday isn’t until September and you’ve got an entire year left buddy. I shouldn’t even be letting you in. There’s no way I’m letting this little miss in.”

  He looked me over, taking in my scared expression and frail figure. “Hell,” he swore, “We’d probably have her daddy come down here and tear the place apart.”

  I looked away, trying not to cry; knowing that there was no way my daddy would be doing that.

  Liam chuckled. “Maybe you should talk to Stone,” he said smugly, “I doubt he’d be very impressed if you didn’t let her in.”

  The big guy paled and then looked at me again with interest. “You a friend of Stone’s, little girl?” he asked me, raising a brow.

  “Um,” I whispered, not sure of how to answer.

  “Yes,” Briar answered for me, “She is.”

  The bouncer nodded and moved aside. “I’ll let him know you’re here, sweet cheeks,” he said, before moving off into the crowd.

  No, please don’t! I wanted to shout after him.

  “Shit,” Briar swore beside me, “Not good.”

  Liam laughed and pushed past us to enter the club. “See you around girls. I’m going to have fun.”

  Briar rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand, pulling me after her as she entered in behind him.

  ***

  My jaw nearly hit the floor as we cross the threshold. The inside looked nothing like the exterior of the building. It wasn’t falling apart at all. In fact, the gleaming ceiling was held up by massive green marble pillars. The main room was beautiful. Blue, velvet-lined booths sat along each wall, facing a high stage and tables lit intimately with candles filled the middle of the room. A massive, blue marble-top bar sat to one side and the busy men behind it were dressed smartly in black suits with gorgeous blue-satin ties. There were two huge staircases, one on either side of the room, leading to whatever it was that was upstairs. Briar found us a table and I blushed as a waitress in a lacy, green ‘dress’ took our order. Briar ordered for me, and from the sound of the name, I guessed that it was alcoholic.

  I looked at her uneasily as the waitress left and she smiled back. “That chick must be new,” she said happily, “She hasn’t met me yet and thinks we’re over eighteen.”

  I attempted a smile in return, telling myself that a little Dutch courage wouldn’t hurt. Our drinks came as the stage curtain opened and I took a few hurried sips to help prepare myself for a strip show. Surprisingly, the dancing was quite artistic and they didn’t take off all of their clothes. I still blushed like mad though, trying not to ogle as the barely-clothed women gyrated and shimmied.

  Fredi joined us soon after, wearing almost less than the waitresses. Her black leather skirt was tiny, her black leather boots high. A vividly purple- let’s call it a top, for lack of a better word- barely covered her breasts and tied in a criss-cross pattern at the back. Her black and blonde hair was curled and pinned on top of her head, her long nails were painted purple and black, and she’d gone heavy on the eye makeup. I blinked in confusion and narrowed my gaze on her eyes. I was certain that it was her right eye that was blue and the left that was green. I frowned. Maybe I’d been mistaken?

  “Looking sexy, Evie,” she purred, wiggling her eyebrows. I flushed, but felt more comfortable around her now that I knew she wasn’t really a lesbian.

  “Where are the boys?” Briar asked, finishing her drink with a strong suck on the straw.

  Fredi giggled and I suspected she’d had too much to d
rink. “They’re upstairs. Liam’s there too. They’re in one of the private showing rooms.”

  Private showing rooms? I shuddered. There was no way I was going in one of them.

  Briar snorted and waved down our waitress, gesturing for her to bring us all another round of drinks. I hurriedly finished my own.

  “Stone know you’re here yet?” Fredi asked Briar, shooting a quick look at me.

  Bri giggled. “Nope. Where is he?”

  They both started craning their necks around, whilst I looked down at my now empty drink and tried to look uninterested.

  “There he is!” Fredi cried triumphantly, before breaking off with an ‘oh’.