Forbidden Attraction

Chapter 2.

Chapter Two: Caught in the Heat

My heart’s a jackhammer in my chest as I stumble up the sandy path from the cove, Daniel’s hand still tight around mine. The villa looms above us, its white walls glowing under the moon like a judgment waiting to happen. Richard’s voice echoes in my head—*Daniel! Get up here. Now.*—and every step feels like I’m walking toward a guillotine. My soaked tank top clings to me, and my bare feet slip on the stone steps, but Daniel’s grip keeps me steady.

“Slow down,” he mutters, his voice low, urgent. “Act normal. We were just swimming, okay?”

“Normal?” I hiss, yanking my hand free. “Your brother just saw us making out in the freaking ocean, Daniel! That’s not normal!”

He stops, turning to face me, his green eyes blazing in the dark. “He didn’t see anything. Not for sure. Just… follow my lead, Ava. Trust me.”

Trust him? I barely know him, but the way my skin still buzzes where he touched me makes it hard to think straight. I nod, swallowing the panic clawing up my throat, and we climb the last steps to the villa’s terrace.

Richard’s waiting, arms crossed, his silhouette framed by the open glass doors. His gray eyes flick from Daniel to me, and I feel like he’s peeling back my skin, seeing every guilty thought. Mom’s behind him, her silk robe tied tight, her face a mix of confusion and suspicion. Great. This just went from bad to catastrophic.

“What the hell’s going on?” Richard says, his voice low but sharp, like a blade sliding out of its sheath. “It’s two in the morning, and you’re both dripping wet.”

I open my mouth, but Daniel’s faster. “Couldn’t sleep,” he says, casual, tossing his wet towel over a chair. “Went for a swim. Ava was already down there. Right, kid?”

Kid. The word stings, like he’s trying to put distance between us, but I nod, forcing a shrug. “Yeah. Jet lag’s a bitch.”

Mom’s eyes narrow. “Language, Ava,” she snaps, but her gaze darts to Daniel, lingering on his soaked swim trunks. “You two were alone? Together?”

“It’s a cove, Claire,” Daniel says, his smirk back, though it’s tighter now. “Not a secret clubhouse. We were just cooling off.”

Richard steps forward, his jaw tight. “You know better than to wander off, Daniel. Especially with…” He glances at me, and the word he doesn’t say—*her*—hangs in the air like poison. “Go inside, Ava. Now.”

I want to argue, to stand my ground, but Mom’s glare is a warning shot. “Ava,” she says, her voice like ice. “Do what your stepfather says.”

My cheeks burn, but I brush past them, my wet feet leaving prints on the marble floor. I’m halfway to my room when I hear Richard’s voice again, low and furious. “We need to talk, Daniel. Alone.”

I pause, my hand on the doorframe, straining to listen. Daniel’s voice is too quiet to catch, but Richard’s cuts through. “You’re on thin ice, brother. Don’t make me regret letting you come.”

My stomach twists. What does that mean? I slip into my room, closing the door softly, but my mind’s racing. Daniel’s trouble, I knew that from the second I saw him, but there’s something bigger here, something Richard’s hiding. And I’m already too deep to walk away.

---

The next morning, the villa feels like a pressure cooker. Breakfast is on the terrace, all fresh fruit and pastries, but the air’s thick with tension. Mom’s sipping coffee, her sunglasses hiding her eyes, but her mouth’s a tight line. Richard’s reading a newspaper, his knuckles white where he grips it. Daniel’s late, and I’m picking at a croissant, trying not to look as guilty as I feel.

I keep replaying last night—the kiss, the way Daniel’s hands felt, the heat of his breath against my lips. It was wrong, so wrong, but I want it again. I want *him*. And that scares me more than Richard’s glare.

“Sleep okay, Ava?” Mom asks, her voice too bright, like she’s trying to pretend last night didn’t happen.

“Fine,” I mumble, shoving a piece of mango in my mouth. “You?”

She doesn’t answer, just adjusts her sunglasses. Richard folds his paper with a snap. “We’re going into town today,” he says, not looking at me. “Boat tour, then shopping. Family time.”

“Sounds thrilling,” I say, sarcasm dripping, but he ignores me.

Daniel finally shows up, sliding into a chair with a lazy grin. “Morning, folks,” he says, grabbing a coffee. His hair’s still damp from a shower, and his black tank top shows off the raven tattoo on his forearm. My eyes linger on it, and I catch him watching me, his smirk knowing. I look away, my face hot.

“Nice of you to join us,” Richard says, his tone clipped. “We’re keeping things low-key today. No wandering off.”

Daniel leans back, stretching like he doesn’t have a care in the world. “Whatever you say, big brother. I’m just here for the view.”

His eyes flick to me, and my heart stutters. Mom’s fork clinks against her plate, and I know she caught it. “Ava, why don’t you help me pick out an outfit for town?” she says, standing abruptly. “Now.”

I groan but follow her inside, feeling Daniel’s gaze on my back. In her room, she shuts the door and spins on me, her sunglasses off now, her blue eyes blazing. “What’s going on with you and Daniel?” she demands.

“Nothing,” I say, too fast, crossing my arms. “We went swimming. That’s it.”

“Don’t lie to me, Ava,” she says, her voice shaking. “I saw the way he looked at you. He’s your step-uncle, for God’s sake. This isn’t a game.”

I laugh, bitter. “You think I’m playing? Maybe I’m just tired of your perfect little world, Mom. Ever think of that?”

Her face crumples, and for a second, I feel like the worst daughter ever. But then she straightens, her voice cold. “You’re acting like a child. Stay away from him, or I’ll send you home.”

“Fine,” I snap, storming out, my chest tight. I hate her for making me feel small, but I hate myself more for wanting Daniel even now.

---

The boat tour is torture. The sea’s a perfect blue, the cliffs of Santorini rising like something out of a myth, but I’m stuck between Mom’s forced smiles and Richard’s silent brooding. Daniel’s at the helm with the captain, laughing about something, his ease a stark contrast to the storm brewing in me. I’m in a sundress, my hair whipping in the wind, trying to ignore how every glance he sends my way feels like a spark.

When we dock at a tiny island for lunch, I slip away, needing air. I find a rocky outcrop overlooking the water, the waves crashing below like they’re trying to drown my thoughts. I’m not surprised when Daniel shows up, his shadow falling over me.

“You okay?” he asks, sitting beside me, close enough that our shoulders brush.

“No,” I say, staring at the sea. “Mom thinks I’m some stupid kid, and Richard’s acting like you’re a criminal. What’s his deal with you, anyway?”

Daniel’s quiet for a moment, picking up a pebble and tossing it into the waves. “Richard and I… we’ve got history. Bad business deal a few years back. He thinks I’m a screw-up, and he’s not wrong.”

I turn to him, searching his face. “What kind of bad?”

He meets my eyes, and there’s something raw there, something that makes my heart ache. “The kind that makes you run. But I’m done running, Ava. At least, I want to be.”

His hand finds mine, and I let him lace our fingers together, the warmth grounding me. “Last night wasn’t a mistake,” I say, my voice soft. “I wanted it. I still do.”

He exhales, his thumb tracing my knuckles. “You’re killing me, you know that? You’re too good for this. For me.”

“Then why can’t I stop?” I whisper, leaning closer, my lips brushing his jaw.

He groans, his hand cupping my cheek, and we’re kissing again, softer this time, but just as desperate. The world fades, and it’s just us, the sea, the heat. But then a twig snaps behind us, and we break apart, my heart lurching.

Richard’s standing there, his face a mask of fury. “Get back to the boat,” he says, his voice deadly calm. “Both of you. Now.”

But as he turns away, I see something in his hand—a phone, its screen glowing with a photo. It’s blurry, but I know what it is: me and Daniel, tangled together in the cove last night. My blood runs cold. He didn’t just see us. He’s got proof.