Everett Holden had sworn to live the rest of his life a single man, but his plans are disrupted when he finds himself sharing an apartment with his best friend's ex - the one woman he detests with every fiber of his being yet simultaneously desires...
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ON THE NIGHT of the charity gala, as I stare at my reflection in the mirror, I fight the nerves thrumming through my veins.
I've never attended one of these functions before. Partly due to the loathing of my father but also because fame makes me uncomfortable. The screaming fans, the blinding lights of the paparazzi, and the pressure to be perfect have always been on my shoulders.
Izzy never let it get to her. She was reckless throughout high school and didn't think about the consequences it could bring our family if she were caught, but me? I let the pressure of others' opinions weigh me down, so I kept my head down and strayed away from anything that could bring me unwanted attention. I didn't want my name in magazines. I didn't want to be a reflection of our father.
And now I'm about to jump headfirst into his world—a world I've tried to avoid my entire life.
Fixing my shirt collar for the millionth time, I double-check to ensure everything is perfect. I'm wearing an all-black Armani suit that's fitted tightly to my body, but I leave the jacket open to showcase the white button-down shirt, a couple of buttons left undone to showcase a gold chain around my neck.
Gold rings decorate my fingers, glimmering underneath the lights of my bedroom. Emery is getting ready across the hall, and our car is scheduled to pick us up in about twenty minutes; another surprise I have in store for her.
Making this dream of hers come true tonight is worth all the nerves I'm fighting through. To put that smile on her face, I'd do just about anything, and for the past two months she's been staying with me, I've fought to keep the truth of my feelings at bay. The other night, I was seconds away from spilling the sentence I've always wanted to share with her, and she told me to stop.
I couldn't be embarrassed because she's told me time and time again that this isn't serious between us. I'm the one speeding things up, and I'm falling too hard for her. She doesn't feel the same, and I need to keep reminding myself of that. What she wants is casual.
"Ev?" I hear her call out from across the hall. "Can you zip me up?"
Taking one last look at my dark curls styled to perfection from the gel, I grab two shoe boxes from my closet and head across the hall, knocking softly on the door. I had a makeup artist and hair stylist come here about an hour ago to give her anything she wanted. Emery refused but eventually gave in when she found out they'd already been paid. Tonight is all about her. She doesn't realize I'd go to any lengths to make this night perfect.
"You can come in," she says.
As soon as I open the door and my eyes fall on her angelic face, I can't move from where I stand. My feet are rooted to the ground, and any nerves running through me seconds ago fade at the smile on her face.
The dress hugging her body is secondary to her beautiful, beautiful fucking eyes. The honey-brown outlined with brown liner carries more warmth than a furnace, and my body is hot within seconds as I scan her lips painted with nude lipstick, then travel my eye-fucking down to the dress my sister created.
