Wicked Attraction

Chapter Two

Sasha made her way downstairs, following the rich, savory aroma drifting from the kitchen. For all the Golden family's chaos, dysfunction, and endless bickering, there was one tradition they never broke: Sunday breakfast. No matter what else happened during the week, Sunday Mornings were sacred.

Which was exactly why David was already in the kitchen, cooking up a storm.

As the youngest Golden son—and only a year older than Hazel—David had long been dubbed the "baby" of the family—a title he absolutely despised.

"Morning, baby brother," Hazel teased, snatching a strip of bacon from the plate before he could stop her.

David merely glanced at her, unimpressed, before returning his attention to the bowl of eggs he was whisking.

"Keep stealing my food, and you'll lose a hand."

Hazel grinned as she slid onto a stool at the counter. "An empty threat. You love me too much."

"Debatable."

He poured the eggs into the pan, the sizzle filling the room.

After a moment, he asked, "You ready for tomorrow?"

Hazel groaned dramatically, resting her chin in her palm. "Not even a little. But I don't exactly have a choice, do I?"

Tomorrow marked the first day of college for both Hazel and Sasha. While Sasha had been counting down the days with her usual enthusiasm, Hazel would have happily skipped the entire experience and gone straight to work.

Unfortunately, her brothers had other plans.

All three of them had practically staged an intervention, insisting that at least one Golden child needed to pursue higher education.

None of them had.

Their oldest brother, Alex, never got the chance. He died before he could finish High school, leaving behind only stories and photographs that had begun to fade as the years passed.

Tyler had dropped out of high school during his senior year to provide for his younger siblings when their family needed him most. Years later, he went back and earned his GED, but she knew he always wished he had gone to university.

Shaun's path had been far rockier. College was never an option. Instead, he had spent years making mistakes, some of which had landed him behind bars more than once. But over the last two years, he had worked hard to rebuild his life, and for the first time, it seemed like he was truly finding his footing.

And David—well, David had chosen a different route entirely. He had passed on college to chase his dream of becoming a model. So far, it was going surprisingly well. His ultimate goal was to move to New York City, where he could fully immerse himself in the industry.

Hazel understood why her brothers wanted this for her. They saw college as an opportunity they never had, or one they hadn't been able to keep.

Still, that didn't make the thought of starting tomorrow any less terrifying.

"Hey, sis," Tyler called from across the room. "Can you do my hair before you leave for Sasha's?"

Hazel looked him up and down, a dozen sarcastic responses immediately springing to mind. Most of them involved asking whether he planned to impress someone or if he'd finally learned how to use a comb. But for once, she decided to spare him.

"Yeah, sure," she said after a long moment of careful consideration.

"Don't forget about me, little sis," Shaun added as he strolled into the kitchen, ruffling her curls as he passed.

Hazel swatted at his hand. "Damn, you're annoying."

"So that's a yes?" he asked with a grin.

She sighed dramatically. "Fine. But both of you need to be ready before noon. Sasha's picking me up then."

Shaun pressed a hand to his chest in mock disbelief. "Would you look at that? Our little Haze is all grown up and heading off to college."

"Relax," Hazel said, rolling her eyes. "It's not like I won an Olympic medal."

He laughed and made his way to the coffee maker, beginning his usual morning ritual. Shaun was the only person in the house who drank coffee regularly. Hazel had never understood the appeal. To her, it smelled amazing but tasted like bitter disappointment in a mug.

Yet Shaun seemed to thrive on it.

Then again, so did Sasha. The two of them could easily demolish an entire pot between them and still act as if they needed another. Hazel often wondered if coffee ran through their veins instead of blood. It was the only explanation that made any sense.

"Breakfast is ready," David announced, setting the last dish on the table.

The family gathered around, settling into their usual seats. Plates were passed, food was shared, and conversation flowed as easily as breathing. Tyler talked about work, Shaun chimed in with some ridiculous story, and David argued over whether his eggs were superior to Tyler's nonexistent cooking skills.

Hazel sat quietly for a moment, simply watching them.

Her brothers.

Loud, stubborn, endlessly irritating—and the greatest blessing she had ever known.

There had been a time when peace in the Golden household had seemed impossible. They had survived years of chaos: a mother lost to addiction, financial struggles that threatened to break them, grief that lingered long after her dad's and Alex's death, and countless battles—both with each other and with the world outside their front door. David had once been terrified to live openly as himself. Shaun had fought demons that nearly consumed him. Tyler had carried responsibilities no teenager should ever have to bear.

And Hazel—well, Hazel had lived through every one of their struggles right alongside them.

She had watched Tyler sacrifice his youth to keep their family afloat. She had seen Shaun fall, stumble, and slowly rebuild himself piece by piece. She had stood by David as he fought to embrace who he truly was. Their pain had, in many ways, become her own.

But somehow, despite everything, they had made it through.

They had found their way to something that, as of now, could be considered safe.

Here, around the worn kitchen table—one leg still propped up by an old hardcover book—laughter came easily. It filled the room like sunlight, settling into every crack and corner of the home they had fought so hard to keep together.

Hazel should have felt nothing but gratitude.

And she did.

Mostly.

Yet as she looked around at her family, a small, quiet ache settled in her chest. While each of her brothers had fought their way toward a kind of peace, Hazel wasn't entirely sure she had found hers yet.

She considered the things that brought her joy. Her brothers, of course—their teasing, their love, their unwavering presence in her life. Sasha, who had been her constant for as long as she could remember.

The fact that, despite her reluctance, she had earned a full scholarship to college. That alone was something to be incredibly proud of, even if the idea of actually attending still filled her with dread.

She had so much to be thankful for.

So why did it always feel like something was missing?

As usual, her thoughts drifted to him.

They always did.

Alexander Roman was, without question, one of the most attractive men Hazel had ever laid her eye on. When most people talked about dads, they pictured receding hairlines, worn-out sneakers, and a permanent layer of exhaustion. Alexander, however, defied every stereotype imaginable.

He was tall—easily six-foot-five—with an effortless presence that seemed to command every room he entered. He carried himself with a confidence like no other, the kind that didn't need to announce itself. His features were sharp, his smile devastating, and there was an undeniable magnetism about him that made it nearly impossible not to stare.

And Hazel had stared.

A lot.

If she were being completely honest, what had started as an innocent admiration had evolved into something far more complicated. Somewhere along the way, her harmless crush had turned into a full-blown lust obsession.

She had finally admitted it to herself last summer.

She and Sasha had been lounging by the pool, half-heartedly talking about nothing in particular, when Alexander stepped outside for a swim. It should have been an ordinary moment. Instead, it had become the moment.

The moment everything changed.

Until then, Hazel had spent much of her life questioning her own feelings, even wondering if she might be attracted to girls. But the instant she saw Alexander dive into the water, all uncertainty vanished.

Watching him glide effortlessly through the pool, muscles shifting beneath sun-kissed skin, Hazel had felt something awaken inside her—something startling, undeniable, and impossible to ignore. Water clung to him as he emerged, glistening under the summer sun. It was almost unfair, really, that one person could look that good doing something as simple as swimming.

Hazel had been so captivated that she barely registered what Sasha was saying to her.

"You okay?" Sasha had asked, amusement flickering in her eyes.

Hazel had torn her gaze away, cheeks burning. "Yeah. Totally."

But she hadn't been okay.

Not even close.

Because from that day forward, she had never been able to look at Alexander Roman the same way again.

Even now, every time she saw him, her mind inevitably returned to that afternoon—the day she realized she wanted to f**k her best friend's father.