Forbidden Flames

“Leave the heavy boxes here. Max will get them,” Jane said as the taxi pulled away. Skylar adjusted the strap of her backpack, her stomach twisting with uncertainty. Just two weeks ago, her mom had married Max in a quiet courthouse ceremony. After their honeymoon, Jane had gone to pick her up from her grandmother’s house so they could finally live together as a family. Only, it didn’t feel like family. Not yet. Her gaze swept over the towering mansion before her—pristine white walls, gleaming glass windows, and an iron gate that probably cost more than her grandma’s entire house. Everything about this place screamed money. It was a world away from the tiny, two-bedroom apartment she had grown up in. “You okay?” Jane asked, giving her an encouraging smile. Skylar forced a nod. “Yeah.” Lie. She wasn’t okay. She was stepping into a life she didn’t belong in, moving into a house that didn’t feel like hers. With a deep breath, she grabbed her duffel bag and followed her mom up the stone steps. The door swung open, and Max stood there with a warm smile. “Welcome home,” he said, stepping forward and pulling Jane into a side hug before turning to Skylar. “It’s good to finally have you here.” Skylar hesitated before offering a shy smile. “Thanks.” Max was nice—too nice. She hadn’t spent much time around him yet, but so far, he seemed like the kind of guy who tried a little too hard. Maybe that was a good thing. Or maybe it was a warning sign. He stepped aside, and Skylar stepped in. Her breath caught in her throat. The high ceilings. The gleaming marble floors. The massive chandelier hanging like a crown jewel in the foyer. This wasn’t just a house. It was a palace. “You girls must be exhausted,” Max said, snapping Skylar back to reality. “Not at all,” Jane replied with a smile, her voice light and happy in a way Skylar hadn’t heard in years. Skylar wished she could feel the same. “Come on, let me show you your room,” Jane said, grabbing Skylar’s hand and leading her toward the grand staircase. As they climbed the stairs, Skylar couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in her gut. Something about this place told her that life as she knew it was about to change forever. She just didn’t know how right she was. Skylar had lived with her grandmother because her place was closer to the best school in the city. Her grandmother insisted her mom put her at Rover’s High because she believed in giving Skylar the best opportunities, even if it meant stretching their budget. “It’s where the future leaders are made,” her grandmother had always said. “Connections matter, sweetheart.” And she wasn’t wrong. Rover’s High was the school. It was filled with trust fund kids, socialites, and the children of politicians. Skylar had spent the last year trying to blend in, keep her head down, and avoid drama. Skylar followed her mom down a long hallway, the soft glow of chandeliers casting golden light on the polished floors. Every step she took echoed in the silence, making her painfully aware of how out of place she felt. “This is your room,” Jane said, pushing open a door. Skylar stepped inside, expecting something fancy—but even her imagination hadn’t prepared her for this. The room was massive, easily twice the size of her grandma’s entire living room. A four-poster bed sat in the middle, draped in silky sheets, and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked a perfectly manicured garden. She set her bag down, exhaling slowly. The room looked like something out of a dream—too perfect, too polished. Or was it a trap? She knew Max worked in insurance, but she had no idea he was this rich. Before she could unpack that thought, Jane’s voice cut through the silence. “Where’s Grayson?” Max chuckled from the hallway. “Upstairs, I think. Probably still asleep.” Jane rolled her eyes. “That boy.” A lazy, deep voice cut through the air. “I’m awake.” Skylar froze. No. It couldn’t be. That voice. She knew that voice. Her pulse kicked up, a slow, dreadful rhythm thudding against her ribs. Her fingers curled around the strap of her bag, gripping tight. Slowly, she turned toward the hallway, her breath lodged in her throat. And there he was. Grayson Cole. The guy who had every girl at Rover’s High wrapped around his finger. The star quarterback, the reckless heartbreaker with a smirk that could make even the smartest girls lose their minds. The one every guy wanted to be, and every girl wanted to tame. Her secret crush. And now… her stepbrother. Jane had told her that Max had a son, Grayson, from his previous marriage, but he lived with his mother. How could she have guessed that he was the same Grayson, the one who had consumed her thoughts and stolen her sleep for months? He was as breathtaking as ever. Messy dark hair. Sharp, chiseled features. Hooded eyes that held the kind of arrogance that made girls weak in the knees. He had nothing on but a fitted T-shirt and low-slung sweatpants, his toned physique on full display as he sauntered down the stairs with an easy, effortless confidence. For a second, he just stared at her. Then, that infuriating smirk curled on his lips. Skylar felt her stomach drop. This couldn’t be real. Of all the people in the world, Grayson—the guy she’d secretly crushed on for months, the untouchable school heartbreaker—was now her stepbrother? There was no escaping him now. Not at school. Not at home. Not even in her dreams. “Well, well,” he drawled, resting his arms on the banister as his eyes shamelessly roamed over her. “So you’re the new stepsis?” Skylar’s throat went dry. She was so screwed.