Nick had never been the kind of guy to follow rules. He lived for the thrillâthe rush of speeding down empty roads on his motorcycle, the burn of whiskey in his throat, the sting of his fists meeting someone else's jaw. He was reckless, untouchable, and unapologetic. That was until she walked into his life.
Olivia.
She was his father's new wife's daughterâhis stepsister. But labels didn't mean a damn thing to Nick. Not when she looked at him with those big, stormy gray eyes, full of fire and defiance. Not when her lips parted in challenge every time he pushed her buttons.
From the moment she stepped into their house, dragging a single suitcase behind her, Nick felt something shift. He told himself it was nothing. Just another girl. Just another pretty face. But the way she carried herself, the way she didn't shrink beneath his gaze like others did, made him want to test her limits.
And maybe his own.
The first real test came a week after she moved in.
Nick had been lounging on the back porch, cigarette between his fingers, watching the way the sun set behind the trees. The house was quietâhis father and stepmother had gone out for dinner, leaving just the two of them.
Then Olivia walked outside, dressed in a tank top and shorts, her hair still damp from a shower.
"You're not supposed to smoke here," she said, leaning against the railing.
Nick smirked, taking a slow drag before exhaling a cloud of smoke. "And what are you gonna do about it?"
Her lips twitched like she was holding back a smirk of her own. "Maybe I'll tell your dad."
He chuckled. "Go ahead. See if I care."
She rolled her eyes, but instead of walking away, she stepped closer, plucking the cigarette from his fingers and tossing it into a nearby ashtray. "It's disgusting," she said, wrinkling her nose.
Nick arched a brow, surprised at her boldness. "You always this bossy?"
"Only when someone needs it."
Damn. He liked that.
His usual girls were predictableâeager for his attention, too scared to challenge him. Olivia? She wasn't afraid of him at all. And that made her dangerous.
As the days passed, their interactions grew more intense.
It was in the small momentsâthe way her breath hitched when he stood too close, the way his stomach twisted when he caught her staring at him from across the room. It was the way her name felt too natural on his tongue, the way his hands twitched to touch her even when he knew he shouldn't.
It was the way they fought.
"You think you're untouchable," Olivia snapped one night, crossing her arms as she glared at him.
Nick leaned against the kitchen counter, a smirk playing on his lips. "And you think you're better than me."
She scoffed. "Maybe I am."
He took a step forward. "Is that why you can't stop looking at me?"
Her breath hitched. Just for a second. But it was enough.He had her.
But before he could push further, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing there pulse racing.
Nick knew he should stop. He knew some lines weren't meant to be crossed.
But one night, everything snapped.
A storm raged outside, wind howling against the windows. The power had flickered out an hour ago, leaving the house bathed in darkness. Nick had been in his room, trying to drown out his thoughts, when there was a knock at his door.
He opened it to find Olivia standing there, wrapped in an oversized hoodie, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"I hate storms," she admitted quietly.
Nick leaned against the doorway, watching her. "So?"
She shot him a glare. "So, can I just⌠stay here for a bit?"
Something about the vulnerability in her voice made his chest tighten. He stepped aside, letting her in.
She sat on the edge of his bed, pulling her knees up to her chest. Nick stayed by the door, watching her, fighting the pull between them.
"This is a bad idea," he muttered.
She looked up at him, eyes dark in the dim light. "Then why aren't you telling me to leave?"
His jaw clenched. "Because I don't want you to."
Silence stretched between them, heavy and charged.
And then she stood up, closing the space between them.
"I don't want to either," she whispered.
That was all it took.
Nick reached for her, his fingers tangling in her hair as their lips met in a slow, burning kiss. It was forbidden, it was recklessâeverything he thrived on. But this was different. This wasn't some meaningless thrill. This was Olivia.
And he was already in too deep.