A warm glow falls over me like a cozy blanket. "Thanks," I say shyly. "I didn't-"

The sound of the doorbell interrupts me. Panicked, I look towards the direction of the door.

Zane glances over at me. "You expecting someone?"

I shoot up into a sitting position so fast, I think I give myself whiplash. "Oh, my G.o.d! Mark!" I gasp.

"Your dinner date?"

I nod frantically. The clock on the microwave reads 6:57. I look down at my mostly naked body. c.r.a.p!

"Relax," Zane says with a lazy smile. "I'll get rid of him."

I look him up and down. He's shirtless, his jeans unb.u.t.toned and unzipped. "Uh, not looking like a s.e.xy Calvin Klein ad, you won't."

He chuckles, but to my relief, b.u.t.tons and zips. He grabs his shirt on the way out. "Better?" he calls over his shoulder.

"Definitely not," I say under my breath.

I lie back down, grinning my head off. That was incredible! So that's what all the fuss was about! And we didn't even have s.e.x-technically. If real s.e.x is anywhere as good as not-s.e.x, then yes, please! Wow, I feel great, sort of boneless, and kind of dirty-but in a good way.

My afterglow is cut short by the sounds of hideous screaming.

Mom's ringtone!

I fall off the counter, scrambling to find my phone. As I shout "h.e.l.lo!" into the phone, I wonder why I didn't just let it go to voicemail.

"Hey, hon! What are you up to?" Mom's voice chirps in my ear.

Oh, nothing. Just had an incredibly mind blowing experience, courtesy of your soon-to-be step-son.

Ugh!

"No one-I mean, nothing! Nothing at all, is what I meant. How are you? Shouldn't you be on a plane right now?"

"Actually..." Mom laughs. "That's why I'm calling-"

"Delayed, huh?" I interrupt, distracted by my efforts in trying to get completely dressed. I cannot talk to her half-naked like this. I feel so dirty.

"No, no! Actually, the opposite. Bill got called in early for the Starpoint project. I thought I'd surprise you-we're on our way to Jane's right now!"

"Holy s.h.i.t!" I shriek. "That's...awesome."

"I know," Mom says excitedly. "I can't wait to see you! We'll be there in ten minutes."

c.r.a.p! "Uh, wait! I'm not really...there at Jane's. Physically, I mean." I think furiously. "What I mean is, I'm at Lauren's."

"Oh, okay," she says, and I can hear the puzzlement in her voice at my weirdness. "Bill, go to my old apartments instead," I hear her call.

"No, wait!" I blurt. "I'm actually spending the night. Lauren is-she's really upset. She, uh, she just found out she has a secret half-brother."

What?

There is a long pause at my mom's end. "Really? Wow, that's...unexpected."

Right now I'm smacking myself in my fool head. "Yeah, crazy, right? Um, I better go-she's throwing stuff right now. So I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Bye, now!"

"Oh, my G.o.d! Oh, my G.o.d!"

Zane ambles back into the kitchen, and watches as I run around in panicked circles. "What's going on?" he asks, amused.

I shoot him a frantic look. "Our parents are back! My mom thinks I'm at Lauren's, so-I've got to get over there, like, right now!"

"s.h.i.t," he mutters, rubbing his hands over his face. "That's awesome timing."

"I know!"

I dash into my bedroom and grab a shirt from my bag. I somehow manage to get stuck in the shirt-oh, that's an armhole I'm trying to poke my head through! I finally manage to right myself, only to turn and find Zane in the doorway, eating an apple, and watching me with what better not be enjoyment.

"Would it be so bad if your mom found out about us?" he asks, leaning an elbow against the door jamb.

"Yup," I reply swiftly. "My mom's cool, but not that cool. Besides, she's already warned me about you."

"Really? What did she say?"

I unplug my phone charger from the outlet next to my bed and stuff it into my purse. "She said not to fall for you, because you would only break my heart," I finally answer.

"Huh." He takes another bite of his apple.

I grab my bags and my purse and push past him. I make it a couple of steps when he grabs me from behind and swings me around to face him.

"Wha-?" I start to say.

Zane pulls me to him, and our lips meet with a violence that sends my senses spinning out of control. I drop my things and wrap my arms around him, meeting his intensity with a fire of my own.

He's the first to draw away. I'm ridiculously pleased to see that his eyes are slightly unfocused and he's breathing hard.

"Your mom is right," he says, almost under his breath. He grabs my bags like they weigh nothing and walks toward the front door.

Dazed, I pick up my purse and trail after him.

I am so afraid that I'm going to run into Mom and Bill as I leave the house that I almost drive off the side of the road-twice! On the way, I quickly text Lauren to let her know what's going on. Like a true best friend, she promises to have snacks waiting when I get there.

Luckily, she answers the door when I knock. She looks me up and down and bursts out laughing.

"I know!" I say, handing her my purse. She takes it and gestures me into the apartment.

"You look like the aftermath of a hurricane," she says, still snickering as she leads the way to her bedroom.

I look around cautiously. The twins' side of the room is a disaster area. They could both be hiding under the mounds of clothes tossed everywhere, and I would never know until they popped their little red heads out and shouted, "Boo!"

Lauren sees my look, and smiles. "Don't worry," she says, placing my purse on top of her ruthlessly organized desk. "They're at a sleepover tonight."

"Fantastic." I sigh and plop down onto her bed. I give in to another compulsion to check my phone for any text messages from Zane that I might have missed on the drive here.

There's nothing. I left him fifteen minutes ago. Why would he text me? I'm dumb.

"So, why are you wearing a Sponge Bob shirt?" Lauren wants to know. "What happened to the new one you had on earlier?"

"Oh...um..." I cover my blushing cheeks with my hands. "Zane kind of...tore it."

Lauren's brown eyes widen comically. "Should I go get the popcorn?"

I nod weakly. "And chocolate."

I tell her almost everything. We sit on her bed, munching snacks, and she's so enthralled by my recount that she doesn't even yell at me about crumbs.

"Wow," she says when I'm done. "That's so...hot."

"Right?" I sigh and pop a piece of chocolate into my mouth barely tasting it.

Lauren hands me a napkin. "Okay, but what about that comment about your mom being right? Is he admitting that he will break your heart?"

I throw my hands up in the air. " Of course he's going to break my heart. I know, realistically, these things never works out. I'm still in high school, and he's got a life and a job in L.A. I can't even envision a scenario where we end up together. Right?"

She stays silent for a moment, then gives a shrug. "It could happen. We'll be off to college before you know it, and you want to go to UCLA, right?"

I flap my hand at her. "That's months and months away-we probably won't be together by then. Why would he stay with me? I mean, do you know how many girls Zane's been with? Like, a lot. A lot."

She is taken aback by my vehemence. "V, are you, like, falling in love with him?"

"No! What? No..." I laugh weakly, and run a nervous hand through my hair. "I just...I like him."

"Okay." Lauren backs off and drops down on her desk chair. "So...what now? Are you guys dating? Are you going to sneak around and see each other?"

I automatically check the phone in my hand for messages. Nada. "I don't know, Lauren. I guess I'll just-I don't know. I'll wait and see, I guess."

Privately, I scoff at the term "dating." That's just a way too immature and...and weak term to describe my relationship with Zane. What happened between us was way too intense an experience to be defined so mundanely.

Or I'm romanticizing what is essentially a hook up. Yup, that's probably it.

Still. The look in Zane's eyes when we kissed. I want to believe that what I saw there was more than just l.u.s.t. Was it?

I don't know. I wish he would call. More than anything, I want to hear his voice, rea.s.suring me that what happened wasn't a mistake, and that we would see each other again.

Chapter 15.

I missed my mommy. I didn't realize how much until I see her running out the door to greet me, and I nearly burst into tears when she gathers me up in a rib-crushing hug.

She looks great! Apparently, Europe agrees with her. I gush over her sophisticated new hairstyle and expensive-looking outfit. Mom's entire being glows with happiness, and-yes-love. She ushers me into the house to show me all the clothes and souvenirs she got me. Even Bill seems...content. He pats my back awkwardly when I compliment his tan.

We've officially moved into Bill's house. I should be excited, right? My new room is easily three times the size of the old one, and Mom went a little nuts decorating it princess style. All that purple and antique Victorian furniture's not really my taste, but whatever, it's pretty. I do like the little balcony outside the French doors, perfect for any prince who wants to climb up it and rescue me. And the giant four poster bed with the dramatic gauzy canopy makes me feel like a harem girl-which I can't figure out why I think that's a good thing.

So it's been three days since I've seen Zane. Our schedules never seemed to match up. But we've been talking on the phone, for hours at a time. And yes, I'll admit it: we are s.e.xting.

I can't believe I just admitted that. One night with Zane, and I've suddenly turned into a s.e.xpot. Sigh, I miss him. He's been in L.A., taking care of some business, but he's coming over for dinner tonight.

Yes. Dinner with our parents. Yikes.

I am ridiculously nervous, and suddenly shy at the thought of seeing him again. How should I act? What should I wear? My dilemma is complicated by the fact that my mother is going to be there-and his father.

Oh, this could be so bad.

Mom wants me to wear the pretty peach dress she got me in Paris, and it's clear to me why when I wander into the sitting room, and she's wearing a matching dress! I immediately turn back around to go change, but Mom's voice stops me.

"My goodness, you look so beautiful, Violet!"

I sigh inaudibly, halting in my tracks. "Thanks," I mumble.

Mom's got her iPad tucked under one arm. When I ask her about it, she beams.

"I thought Zane might like to see some pictures of our trip. I know you've seen most of them-I must have sent you a hundred a day."

I open my mouth to say that I enjoyed getting them-then the doorbell rings, and I scream and jump instead.

"Oh, that must be Zane. Get the door, will you? And why so jumpy today, Violet? Maybe cut down on the caffeine?"

He's here!

With my heart in my throat, I walk with shaking limbs to the foyer. I take a deep breath and open the door.

And lose it completely when I see Zane standing there, looking incredibly gorgeous in a long-sleeved white shirt and tan cargos. His soft dark hair looks like he's been running a hand through it, and his chin is covered in a light stubble-so hot!

"Hi," he says, flashing that s.e.xy half smile.

"Hi. Hi." I stare at him.

"Uh, can I come in?"

"Oh! Yeah, sorry."