Page 17 of Shatter

"It's all staged. Our agent and parents thought it would be good for our images."

"What?"

Hope threatens to ignite in my chest, but I tamp it down. Is she saying what I think she is?

"We don't sleep together. I mean. I guess we do, but we don't have sex. We've just been friends since we were kids and did that first show together."

"But... he kissed you. Touched you."

She tips up on her toes and brings her lips to mine. Not quite a kiss, but enough to tease. "Green looks good on you, big guy," she teases.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"When would have been a good time to tell you? Huh? A random text message when I was still mad at you? In front of my parents?" she sasses, even as her tiny hands run up my biceps, up over my shoulders and down my back.

I shiver. Her touch is drugging. It's too much. It's not enough. I want her to stop even as I want her to touch me everywhere. I can't think. My mind is drunk on her.

I close my eyes and shake my head.

"What do you need?"

It's the only thought I can pull. I can do that. I can do what she needs from me.

"You."

I open my eyes in shock. For once, she's not sassing me. She's not bratting. The sincerity - the vulnerability - in her voice is alarming.

How can I be what she needs? This woman could have anyone - anything - in the world.

"Why?" I whisper, my voice so small I'm afraid she won't hear it.

"Because it's always been you. My entire life, everyone's been looking at me without ever seeing me." Her hand slides up my neck to my cheek, and I lean in to her touch.

"And that's me? I see you?"

"The only one."

I nod, my throat clogging with emotion. There's so much more that needs to be said. I need to know why she's cutting herself. I need to know what this is and where we go from here. Is this just sex? Can I fulfill her kinky needs the way no one else can? Or is this more? It's starting to feel like more.

All I know is that whatever this woman asks of me, I already know I'm going to give it to her.

And I think she knows that, too.

I nod.

She tilts up again before pressing her lips to mine in a chaste kiss and stepping out of the shower. But not before smacking my ass playfully and giggling as she leaves.

Chapter ten

Melody

Parker snores gently next to me.

He really is a great guy. He ran to town for my soda and crackers, so I made a show out of feeling bad, but convincing him the crackers really did make me feel better.

Parker knows we don't have sex, but I'm not sure my parents do. To them, they set us up in childhood, and as long as we keep acting like the perfect couple they don't really care what we do.

I do feel guilty for letting Harrison spend a month thinking he was a homewrecker. Honestly, maybe I'm a little self-centered - okay, a lot self-centered - and didn't think about it from his perspective. It was just sex, right? I'm sure he has it all the time.