Chapter One

Ethan Delnoi jerked awake as the remnants of his dream faded from his mind and he shook his head to clear it then turned to look at the half naked girl sleeping beside him on the bed and grunted. He should have booted her out of his room before he fell asleep but he'd been so tired after their intense sexual activity that he'd not been able to keep his eyes open.

"Hey!" He shook the girl awake. "Wake up."

The girl stirred but didn't wake up which annoyed Ethan and he tapped her harder making her cry out from her sleep and she finally opened her eyes.

"A small tap would have been fine." She snapped, glaring at him.

"You know the rules Amanda. You get out before I wake up." He got out of bed, buck naked and sauntered to his bathroom.

Amanda smiled sultrily and slipped out of bed and went to meet him in his bathroom. She found him at the sink washing his face and walked over to him.

"It's just five am Ethan." She told him. "We can go five rounds before the sun comes up." She wrapped her arms around his waist, caressing his stomach lovingly. She loved how he wasn't like all those big bulky guys who looked like they never left the gym or worse, were on steroids. He had lean muscles and toned abs paired with a narrow waist and with a V leading to one very...

Ethan pried her arms off him and turned to look at her. "Get out Mandy. I won't say this again." He ordered, looking irritated.

"Sheesh! Okay!" She lifted her hands and stepped back. "I'll leave." She said and walked out.

By the time Ethan was done and walked out of the bathroom with only a small towel tied around his waist, he still found Amanda sitting cross legged on his bed, all dressed up waiting for him.

"Why are you still here?" He asked, looking irritated.

"I don't have money to go back to the hostel." Amanda answered haughtily. "You're going to school, aren't you? So why don't you drive me back?"

Ethan walked to his bedside table, unlocked the drawer and took out a wad of cash then threw it at her. "Now you can leave." He ordered.

Amanda put the money in her bag, rose to her feet with a fake smile on her face. "You're always generous but you're still a jerk." She spat.

"A jerk that you'll come back to when you're broke." He smirked. "This time I won't be there for you to fall back on."

Amanda hissed and sashayed out of his bedroom. As she opened the door to leave, she bumped into his mother and stepped aside.

"Good morning ma'am." She greeted, looking sheepish.

Eileen Delnoi eyed Amanda balefully before she walked into her son's bedroom and with another look at Amanda, shut the door behind her.

"It's not been up to a week since you broke up with Darina and here you are, going around sleeping with different worthless girls." Eileen reprimanded him.  

"Good morning to you too, mother." Ethan greeted. "What brings you to my room this early?"

"You returned late last night so I couldn't say anything to you, which is why I'm here this early." Eileen said. "Darina's mother called me yesterday and told me that Darina had to be hospitalized."

"How's that my business?" He inquired.

"Ethan!" She gasped. "Didn't you say she is your love?"

"I didn't call her that." He scoffed. "She's been in love with me since we were kids, not me."

Eileen sighed. "Even at that. You need to go see her." 

"I'll be busy." Ethan grumbled. "I'll see her when I have time."

"If anything happens to that girl Ethan, I'll never talk to you again." His mother warned him.

"It has come to that now? Threats?" Ethan stared at her in disbelief. "She's not even worth your time, not to talk of mine."

"You know I keep my promises." She reminded him.

"Whatever Mom. I'll slot her in my busy schedule when I can." He stalked off to his closet.

"She's not a business deal Ethan!" His mother shrieked.

"Whatever." Ethan called out In a sing song voice.

Eileen huffed and stormed out of his bedroom.

"Darina is a lunatic." Ethan muttered as he dressed up for school. "I refused to acknowledge it before but now the scales have fallen from my eyes. I'm sorry my dear mother but Darina is now a closed chapter in my life."

********

Saira Anderson pressed the doorbell and turned her back to the door as she admired the compound. She guessed the mansion was sitting on an acre of land or maybe even two because she couldn't exactly tell where it started or ended.

She heard the door open and turned. It was a maid.

"Good morning." Saira greeted with a smile.

"Good morning. Can I help you?"

"Uh... I'm here to see Daniel." Saira said. 

"Saira Anderson?" The maid asked.

"Yes ma'am." She nodded.

"Come in. He's expecting you." The maid stepped aside for her to enter and closed the door when she did. "Follow me."

Saira's jaw dropped as she looked around the house. There were two spiral staircases with red carpets covering them that indicated left and right wings in the hall and on the left, downstairs, were some double doors leading to what she guessed to be rooms. 

There were expensive chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, gorgeous paintings hanging on the walls and right in front of her was a water fountain with the statue of an angel pouring water from a gold bowl into the fountain.

"So this is where Daniel lives now." Saira muttered.

"Miss Anderson?" The maid called.

"Oh sorry." Saira blushed and followed the maid.

They heard muffled footsteps coming down the stairs from the left wing and then a male's voice talking to someone on the phone so they stopped to see who was coming. 

"Good morning sir." The maid greeted Ethan.

"Morning." Ethan spared a glance at Saira and continued on his way.

"So it's really true." Saira thought. It had been a rumor a few months ago that Daniel's father had remarried and his wife was none other than the beautiful retired Hollywood actress Eileen Delnoi who had lost her billionaire husband Ethan Delnoi senior in a plane crash four years ago.

"Can I just sit here and wait for him?" Saira pointed to a single chair in the hallway.

"Very well." The maid said. "He should be in the dining room now." She opened the door and went in.

Ten minutes later the same door the maid went through, opened and her boyfriend Daniel Davis walked out.

"Hey sweetheart." He smiled. "Why didn't you come in?"

"There was no need." She said. "Your house is so huge!"

"You like it?"

"Like it? I love it!" Saira said. "I didn't know the rumors were true."

"Dad and I moved in last week." Daniel shrugged. "Let's go."

"Wow! So you and Ethan are brothers now?"

"Shh." He placed his finger to her lips. "If he hears you call me that... he'll have your head."

Saira removed his finger. "He just left."

"He didn't say anything rude to you right?" Daniel looked worried. "He doesn't care much for the opposite sex."

"But he likes to sleep with them." She drawled. 

Daniel took her hand and led her out of the house. "I have a surprise for you." They stopped in the foyer.

"What?" Her brows puckered into a frown but her lips curled into a smile.

"Wait here and close your eyes." Daniel said.

"Why?"

"Just close your eyes." He pleaded.

"Okay." She sighed and closed her eyes. "Just know that we're late for school." She reminded him.

"Give me a few minutes." He kissed her and left.

Five minutes later, Saira heard the silent purr of a car pull up in front of the house and though she was tempted to open her eyes and see what it was, she didn't.

Daniel got out of the car and rounded the hood to stand at her side and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Open your eyes now." He whispered in her ear.

Saira opened her eyes and they almost bulged out of their sockets when she saw the brand new car. It was a very jaw dropping gorgeous car.

"It's a gift from my step mom." Daniel told her. "Welcome to the Delnoi family sort of thing."

"This is an Audi A4 Daniel." Saira gasped.

"I had this same expression when I saw it too. I think I cried." He chuckled.

"Can we go for a ride in it?" She beamed at him.

"That's what it is for." He walked to the passenger side and opened the door for her. "Milady." He bowed.

Saira giggled and got into the car, let him close the door for her and watched as he rounded the hood and got in behind the wheel.

"Seatbelt please." He said as he started the car.

Saira fastened her seatbelt excitedly. "I want to listen to music."

"As my lady wishes." He hooked his new phone to the car's Bluetooth dock and selected a playlist, clicked on it and the music started playing.

"Thank you." She said.

"Now are you ready for the ride of your life?" He grinned at her.

"Yes please!" She laughed and screamed in excitement as he pressed down on the accelerator and sped out of the compound.