:
The night was magical. The grand ballroom at the top of Whitmore Tower sparkled with gold and crystal. Everyone there looked like they came out of a movie—beautiful, elegant, and rich beyond anything Zara Langley could ever imagine. She felt like she didn’t belong, even in the gorgeous red dress Adam had bought her.
Adam Whitmore. The perfect boyfriend. Her boyfriend.
He stood on the far side of the room, laughing with a group of businesspeople in suits that probably cost more than her old car. Adam had it all: charm, looks, and the confidence of someone who’d been born knowing he would rule the world one day. Zara loved him, she really did, but sometimes it felt like she was just an accessory to his perfect life—a girl he’d picked up like a pretty necklace.
And then there was Logan.
Zara felt him before she saw him, that magnetic pull she hated so much. When she turned her head, there he was, leaning casually against a marble column, a glass of whiskey in his hand and that same cocky smirk on his face.
Logan Whitmore, Adam’s older brother.
Where Adam was sweet and polished, Logan was the opposite—rough around the edges, with messy black hair and a sharp jawline that made him look like trouble. He didn’t play by the rules. In fact, Logan didn’t seem to care about anything or anyone, except for teasing Zara.
“Zara,” Logan said as he stepped closer, his voice low and smooth. “Why do you look so lonely? Shouldn’t Adam be by your side?”
Zara stiffened, already annoyed. “He’s busy,” she replied, trying to sound calm.
Logan raised an eyebrow, taking a slow sip of his drink. “Busy ignoring you, you mean.”
Her cheeks flushed. “Why do you always have to start something, Logan? Don’t you have anything better to do?”
He tilted his head, studying her in that way that made her heart pound even though she hated it. “What can I say? You’re more interesting than anyone else here.”
Zara tried to ignore the way her pulse sped up, but it was impossible. Logan had a way of getting under her skin, of making her feel things she didn’t want to feel. “Go away, Logan,” she said, turning toward the window to avoid his piercing gaze.
But he didn’t leave. Instead, he moved closer, until she could feel the heat of him behind her. Her breath caught as his hand brushed lightly against hers. It was just a touch, but it sent a jolt of electricity through her body.
“You don’t really want me to leave,” he whispered, his voice warm against her ear.
Zara closed her eyes, fighting the pull she felt toward him. “This is wrong,” she said, her voice shaky. “You’re Adam’s brother.”
“And yet, here we are,” Logan said, his voice soft but teasing.
She turned to face him, intending to tell him to stop, to leave her alone. But when their eyes met, the words stuck in her throat. His gaze was intense, full of heat and something deeper, something that made her chest tighten.
Before she could think, his hand reached up to gently touch her cheek. “Tell me to go,” Logan said, his voice low and rough. “And I will. But if you don’t…”
Zara couldn’t speak. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might burst. She knew this was wrong. She loved Adam, didn’t she? But the way Logan was looking at her made her forget everything—where she was, who she was supposed to be.
And then he kissed her.
It started softly, his lips barely brushing hers, as if he was giving her one last chance to pull away. But she didn’t. Instead, she leaned into him, her body betraying her mind. The kiss deepened, his hand sliding to the back of her neck, pulling her closer. Zara felt like she was on fire, every nerve in her body awake and alive.
Her hands moved on their own, sliding up his chest, feeling the hard muscles beneath his shirt. Logan groaned softly against her mouth, and the sound made her knees weak. She knew she should stop, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to.
Logan pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against hers. His breath was hot and uneven, just like hers. “I shouldn’t have done that,” he said, though his voice didn’t sound apologetic at all.
Zara’s lips tingled from the kiss. Her mind was spinning, a chaotic mix of guilt and desire. “No, you shouldn’t have,” she whispered, though even to her own ears, the words sounded weak.
Logan smiled, that cocky, dangerous smile that always drove her crazy. “Maybe not. But you didn’t stop me.”
Before she could reply, the sound of Adam’s voice carried across the room. He was laughing, completely unaware of what had just happened.
Zara stepped back quickly, her heart racing. “We can’t do this,” she said, her voice trembling. “It’s wrong.”
Logan’s eyes darkened, but he nodded. “You’re right. It’s wrong.”
But as he walked away, leaving her standing there with her head spinning and her heart in pieces, Zara couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the end.
It was only the beginning.
