Chapter 4 Your Sister's Looking For You

Shane?

Before she even thought it through, Cheryl quickly stepped into the room, slammed the door shut, and locked it behind her.

Shane stood there calmly, his eyes fixed on her without rushing.

The room was dim, lit only by a single lamp, making the air feel heavy and tense.

Cheryl swallowed hard. "Mr. Warren..."

"Mr. Warren?" Shane repeated, his voice calm but with a sharp edge. He dragged out the words just enough to make her uneasy.

Right as she opened her mouth to explain, he cut her off. "That's not what you called me in bed."

Cheryl shut her mouth completely.

He stepped closer, his voice dropping to something smoother, more dangerous. "Why are you dressed like that? Trying to seduce me, huh?" he murmured.

The sharpness in his voice left her flustered.

Cheryl shifted uncomfortably. This had been a terrible idea.

"Rodger told me to wear it," she muttered.

Shane reached out and casually played with the delicate strap on her shoulder. His touch was light, but his tone stayed cool. "Did Rodger also tell you to sneak into my bed?"

Cheryl panicked and nodded, but when his grip suddenly tightened, she shook her head fast. "No, it was me. I did it on my own."

Out in the hallway, Rodger had caught up with Zoey. Their loud argument drifted through the door.

"Oh please, Rodger," Zoey snapped. "You think throwing Cheryl at Shane will make me choose you? Newsflash! Shane's not into her, and he never will be!"

Her voice cracked with fury. "Our engagement is already set. You and your little sidekick better get that through your heads."

Rodger's tone was steady, like he had rehearsed this. "I don't know who told you that, Zoey. I didn't push Cheryl onto Shane. This party was for him, and Cheryl had nothing to do tonight. I needed someone to come with me, so I invited her. That's all."

He then added, "As for whatever Cheryl's thinking, I honestly don't know."

Inside the room, Cheryl felt completely turned off, despite the earlier charged moment.

She was disgusted by how easily Rodger had tossed her aside like she meant nothing.

Meanwhile, outside, Zoey dropped her usual polite act and started shouting nasty names, throwing out insult after insult.

Cheryl's face grew colder with each word she heard.

Then suddenly, she felt a strong grip at her waist. His hands were warm, and her skin, still bare in the back, flinched at the contact.

He pushed her gently but firmly against the door. Red marks slowly appeared on her skin where his fingers held tight.

The heat from his touch ran through her in a wave, sharp and intense, straight to her core.

"Ah!" Cheryl gasped quietly. Her back arched without meaning to.

"Who's in there?" Zoey's voice snapped from the other side, full of suspicion. Then came a loud knock. "Cheryl, is that you?"

Shane leaned in close. His lips brushed her ear as he spoke in a low voice. "Your sister's looking for you."

His tone was soft, almost kind, but it sent a deeper chill through her.

The knocking grew louder, sending little vibrations through the door and into Cheryl's skin.

Shane didn't pull back. His lips moved slowly down from her ear to her bare shoulder, kissing her softly.

Cheryl trembled. Her eyes started to sting, and the small red mole near her eye stood out even more.

Outside, Zoey completely lost it.

"Cheryl! Shane's mine! How can you be so shameless? You're just like your mother! Open this door!"

Cheryl's eyes went cold. She suddenly turned around, grabbed Shane's shirt, and reached up to kiss him.

She wasn't smooth or practiced. Her kisses were rough, messy, and full of nervous energy. She bit and nipped without rhythm.

Shane finally lost patience. He grabbed her chin and took control, deepening the kiss in one swift move.

They kissed for a long moment. Cheryl could hardly breathe when he finally pulled back.

Before she could catch her breath, Shane picked her up easily with one arm and carried her to a darker corner of the room. Then he walked over and opened the door.

Zoey stood right there, yelling. But the moment she saw Shane's sharp features up close, she froze.

"Shane?" she blurted.

"Need something?" he asked calmly, as if nothing strange had happened.

Zoey paused for a second, trying to look past him, but Shane didn't budge. He stood squarely in the doorway, making sure she couldn't see a thing.

Seeing him made her heart skip, but the possibility of Cheryl being in the same room made her stomach turn. "Why didn't you tell me you were back?" she asked with a forced smile.

"Sorry," Shane replied smoothly. "Got busy with work."

Zoey clenched her jaw but kept her voice light. "I'm looking for Cheryl. Have you seen her?"

"Nope," he said without blinking.

Zoey didn't believe him. "It's been two years since we've had time together. Can I come in for a bit?"

Inside, Cheryl was standing quietly against the wall, trying to calm her racing heart.

Every nerve in her body was still tingling from everything that had just happened.

A part of her kind of wanted Shane to open the door and let Zoey in, just to see the look on her face.

Cheryl couldn't help but imagine how Zoey would explode if she saw Shane wrapped up with the one girl she hated most.