Chapter Three

I started from the left, slowly peering the door open and slipping through the gap into complete blackness. At first, I stayed perfectly still listening for any sign of anyone else before my hand tumbled around the wall. Recalling whereabouts Regan had found the switch, I finally flipped the light on squinting at the brightness.

Peeling my lids open, I noticed how similar it was to mine. All the furniture was replicated in the exact same position, the only difference was the sheets were black and white stripes, the drapes thick black that trailed halfway across the floor. I took a step towards the dresser making sure to touch nothing if they really weren't crazy and they were psychic . . . It's probably best to not touch anything and trigger a vision.

A few photos were glued to the mirror, it was Jeremy and Regan but they were younger dressed in matching blue school uniforms. Regan even in the photo looked reserved, a warm smile on his lips but something deeper in his eyes.

If anything, whichever brother lived in this room didn't seem to have much on display. A few trophies and awards were placed on some of the chests of draws but I wasn't brave enough to risk looking through them.

I would be lucky if they didn't know I was here ready!

The last room mimicked the same display again except the sheets here were a dark purple, the drapes pulled open wide. A chest lay at the foot of the bed wide open, quickly hurrying towards it I peered in to find book after book majority were journals and notebooks with a few classics thrown in. Nothing too special.

There were no photos but tons and tons of sketches lining the walls. Various faces, shadows, detailed maps of forests and some that I couldn't quite make out.

The dresser held paper and chalk, tissues scrunched together in a pile in the corner of the room.

What kind of boys were these? There wasn't a single porn magazine or a single game! They didn't have anything . . . Nothing about their lives, nothing about them or where they come from. It's like they have no identities.

Crossing the hall to the last room before mine on the right side, I stopped and strained to hear them downstairs. They were still whispering. I probably had another five minutes at best, God knows what would happen if they found out but surely breaking only one rule gave me some brownie points right?

For some reason, my heart started to thug harder against my chest, my skin a cold sweat as my hand shook over the doorknob. My stomach twisted and turned, a sign that I never used to ignore but there was no rational reason for it. They were downstairs, why was I suddenly so nervous? Without warning, the worry turned dark twisting into something else that I can't explain, all I could do was draw quicker breaths, something building inside me sending waves of shudders through me, each stronger than the last.

On the verge of gasping for air, I threw the door open and closed it firmly behind me letting my body collapse against it as I slid to the floor finally taking gulps of air in.

They shouldn't be able to hear me here . . .

But as my mind struggled to understand my bodies reaction, I heard the floor creak and everything froze. I held my breath, my eyes trying to adjust to the dark as I began to make out the bed, the side tables and . . .

The lights beamed on, my eyes shutting closed painfully as I threw my arm up to shield them. My heart jumping so hard, the breath knocked right out of me again as I tried scrambling to my feet but before I grasp the notion of someone else being there, the lights dimmed to a soft glow barely enough to illuminate half the room.

Lowering my arm slowly, I searched the room, my eyes freezing at the shadow standing in the furthest corner to the right where the glow couldn't touch them.

"I-I'm sorry . . . I just . . .I-" my words failed, my whole body shaking with fear as they took a step forwards into the light. It took me a second to recognise the unbuttoned baggy jeans but as my eyes moved up, I couldn't help the drop of my jaw as I took in his exposed chest.

His arms held the definition of muscles flexing under toned skin, his veins bulging near his neck. His defined chest seemed to be glistening for a second drawing my eyes back down to trace his v line, a small trail of dark hair disappearing below the band of his boxers. Finally, my eyes fell to his tensed jaw and the dark pools of icy brown eyes.

"Ian," I breathed, his name shaking as it left my lips.

Of all the brothers . . .

"What are you doing in here?" He demanded but if there was anger there, it was masked by something else . . . Was he jumpy?

"I- " taking a glance at the door behind me quickly, I tried to pull the most honest face I possibly could. "I got lost." The way his eyebrows knitted together told me he knew I was lying but his lips kept tightly closed, his eyes fixed firmly on me as I squirmed uncontrollably under his glare.

Not knowing what to do, I forced my eyes back to his only to feel them slowly lower.

No! Stop! This is so wrong!!

"I should go, I'll go." I stammered about to turn.

"No." His voice bounced from the walls, strained and rough.

I froze, my arms awkwardly lingering at my sides as I struggled to find a focus point, my eyes jumping from every inch of the room visible. At first, he remained there just staring but then his eyes fell to the space between us and back to me as if considering a step.

"So um . . . What are we exactly doing?" I asked, feeling uneasy just standing there as if on trial.

That seemed to help him make up his mind as he crossed towards me quickly closing the gap between us. My back rested weakly against the door as he paused a step away. I looked up as his towering body, my eyes suddenly gripped to his. The deeper I looked, the more I thought I could see flames flickering away in the murky puddles of brown. I couldn't look away as my skin started radiating heat, my muscles tensing as I licked my dry lips.

My head felt light but my chest felt tight like the air in this room wasn't enough but I wasn't gasping . . . Not yet.

"You-" his voice was barely a whisper as he sucked in a mouth full of air, it was like every word caused him pain. "Need . . . To . . . Go."

Whatever authority used to be in his voice was nowhere in-ear range now. Nodding, I was ready to turn but everything around me seemed to tune out like before, the sensations in my body circling me like a bubble. My teeth grazed down on my bottom lip as something bubbled away bellow, pressure building between my legs as I squeezed them tightly together, my breathing ragged.

Ian tore his eyes from me, his head forced to the side and his hands clenched in fists as his chest rose and fell with quick gasps. His legs shuddered but he remained standing, veins near his neck strained only making it harder for my own legs to stay steady. My whole body burned, my eyes drinking him in before he suddenly fell forwards, his arms slamming hard either side of me holding him barley as his nose lingered on the side of my neck. His breath felt like hot razors dangerously close to my skin.

The intensity burned now, my whole being aching as his hair scratched the side of my cheek. It was too much. My arms snapped out grabbing onto his shoulder as my nails dug in, his hands fell to my hips throwing them harder back against the door as his chest pressed into me.

I couldn't help the moan that fled from my lips as I felt his erection rubbing up against me, my body weak but hungry in his arms as he forced his forehead down on mine. There was no such thing as logic only need and want. My skin needed to be touched, I needed- "Stop . . . Touching me . . ."

His voice washed across my lips but I couldn't comprehend words, my arms snaking around his neck as my fingers clawed at the soft strands of hair.

"I can't stop." He forced again, a growl escaping his lips before he fell to his knees his nails digging deeper into my hips through the thin material of my top. Pain sparked up my side as the bruises screamed in protest as he pressed his head against my pelvis, his teeth slowly yanking at the rubber band of my underwear through the top. The pain seemed to mix with the pleasure heightening the anticipation as my chest raged feeling his hands pull my top up to my belly button, his tongue leaving quick wet licks across my underwear, my hips buckling against him.

My body moved like a mind of its own, my hands pulling at his hair before his eyes, burning with lust peered up at me through his long lashes. His face flushed, a beacon of desire that hadn't completely erupted yet. He was drawing me in, I wanted his eyes to take me in completely, to bring me higher. I needed him to touch every last surface of me, I just needed his hands to clench the fire under my skin.

Slowly my hands left his hair and reached for the rim of my shirt as I peeled it from my damp skin, throwing it to the floor before letting my hair fall free around my shoulders in knotted strands. His eyes took me in again, he followed the curve of my breasts, my hips down to my thighs before he stood, his hands sneaking to the back of my thighs as he lowered his lips to each breast, sucking my nipple through the black silk bra until they were erect.

His lips slowly made their path of sizzling vibrations up the valley of my breasts and to the crook of my neck whilst he trailed one hand to the front of my legs, his fingers easing between and trailing a cool breeze upwards. My body shuddered, my centre burning hotter the closer he got until his hand came to a halt inches away.

My hips moved against him in protest but as my lips opened to speak my skin felt suddenly cold, the heat completely dissipating. My legs felt unstable but all the need and desire that had built in my chest broke to pieces, the only evidence left was the thumping down bellow.

"What-" I breathed, my eyes narrowing in on how close his body was. My heart suddenly jolting alive, I pushed him hard, my body falling to the ground as I gripped my shirt to my body. "What the hell was- were we- I-"

I couldn't make any sense, my mind raced with flashes of his mouth, his tongue . . .

How did that even happen? Confused, I felt the tears prick my eyes as I curled my legs to my chest. I don't even know him! He's rude, he's a stranger and I'm . . . Half naked . . . We were going to-

So many emotions ran through me, guilt at what happened. I cheated, no matter what Danny is, I still let another man . . . I lusted over another man. Shame, at how easy it had been, I tried to cover my legs, my hands rubbing harshly against my skin turning it red. Anger was next, anger at not understanding a single thing before what Jeremy said downstairs came to mind.

He's an empath. He can sense other people's emotions if in close proximity and if he touches someone they sort of experience a heightened level or their or his emotions.

"Did you make me . . ." My words trailed off as I watched his face break, flinching he tore his eyes away from me and fixed them angrily against the wall covering up what I thought looked like hurt. Grinding his teeth together he strolled towards the bed reaching out for his shirt.

"I sensed you outside." He muttered, pulling his top on. The nerves right before I came in . . . That was him but how? He wasn't touching me. As if sensing my thoughts he answered my question. "I went to open the door when you grabbed the handle at the same time. I heightened it to make you go away but instead my emotions before you arrived channelled through."

His voice was rough, his back to me as his body cut off most of the light darkening the side of the room I sat in. I had a feeling he was doing it on purpose, either way having his glare off me eased the tension in my bones but his words not making any sense.

"I don't understand . . ." I whispered, trying to turn my shirt back around.

"I'll make it simple for you, I was horny you were horny equals big horny fest."

"What? You were horny?"

"I was in my room in my privacy, doing my own business. I didn't make you come in." He shot back, his voice regained its dominance again and I curled further back into the darkness. "But the minute I let go of that handle and you fell in this room, that ended. What happened next was all your emotions."

My mind flashed to his chest, the way the light seemed to bounce from his skin in a clear spark and the way his muscles appeared carved from stone flexing against the yellow glow. I was attracted to him, the way my knees weakened and my jaw fell . . . I was . . .

"Oh my God!" I cried, throwing my hands over my eyes as my neck and ears burned dark red.

"I was weak from before, controlling things like this aren't easy. I could feel you . . . Our emotions . . . Similar so they heightened and I couldn't . . . Stop it," his voice strained at the end but he cleared his throat and continued hiding any sign of weakness. "When you touched me you linked a chain reaction. I could feel yours you could feel mine, we feed off each others . . . Whatever you wanna call it."

It took a while in silence for my mind to wrap around what he said but the embarrassment stung every surface of skin. That was all . . . Me. It wouldn't have happened if I wasn't attracted to him if I didn't want him. I didn't even think I was! But it took him feeling the same so did that mean . . .

"Downstairs . . . When I was running away and you grabbed me, was that-"

"Me. I grabbed you and you felt what I was feeling." His voice was shallow now, tighter as his fingers tucked themselves away in the pockets of his jeans. "It happens most of the time with women, count it as shit."

His words pinched, my eyes avoiding him altogether as I threw my top on and stood but before I could mumble anything he roared at me, "Get out."

I ran straight for the door and back to my room, the ache in my body no longer important as I collapsed on my bed not quite sure how to feel. How did my life turn so twisted in a matter of hours? How was any of this real?

Curling my body up, I rested my head on the pillow, my eyes glued on the dusty drapes until I couldn't keep them open anymore.