It was the day their parents got married.

Rory stared across the table at Sky, who was now his stepsister.

Sky eyed him from under her lashes, her pretty green eyes bright with interest.

How was it she could look both innocent and brazen at the same time? It fascinated him. He shifted his coffee cup around on the table, in an attempt to distract himself from the view. No easy task, she drew his attention like a magnet.

It wasn't the first time the five of them had gathered around the kitchen table together, but it was the first time they'd done so without either of their parents being present. It felt different. Rory noticed they still stuck together in two distinct camps. He and his brother Sean were on one side of the table, representing Ireland. Sky sat the other side, close to her sister Rowan and her brother Draco, representing Wales--five of them forced into some sort of weird united kingdom by the marriage of their parents. The idea of it made him smile. Sky mirrored his smile.

What was she thinking? He'd love to know.

Meanwhile, a discussion was going on about the plan for the evening. Draco, Sky's brother, was in a mood. Being the oldest, he'd been left in charge. "I'm not going to hang around and act like we're the bloody Brady Bunch," he announced, "not now they've gone off on honeymoon."

He glanced around at the rest of them for backing.

Rowan, Sky's sister, rolled her eyes. "That's what they'd like us to do though, now we're officially related to each other."

"We're not 'officially related'. Sean folded his arms across his chest. "We're step-siblings. Important difference." He winked at Rowan.

Rowan beamed.

They'd been living in one house for weeks now, and it still felt forced and odd, even though they basically got on with each other. It helped that the guys were all into motorbikes and tech stuff--namely computer hacking. That was a common ground they didn't mind sharing. It fascinated all three of them.

"At least we won't have to listen to them banging each other all night," Sean commented, "seeing as they're banging each other in a hotel instead."

"Eeew." Sky grimaced.

Rowan laughed appreciatively, her gaze lingering on Sean.

They had a connection, Rory noticed, just the way he and Sky did. In fact it was probably why Draco was hanging by the door as if he was about to get the hell out of Dodge. He got twitchy when his sisters flirted with their newly gained stepbrothers.

Rowan pulled some folded notes out of her back pocket. "They gave me money for pizza."

"Big deal," Sky muttered. "They get to go to a fancy hotel and we get to share a pizza."

Draco's eyebrows lifted. "I've got a better idea." He opened the food cupboard and pulled out a couple of cans of hot dogs. "We eat from the cupboard, and spend the cash on beer."

"Now you're talking," Rory said.

Rowan handed over the money to her brother. "Get some ciders too, please."

"Party it is then," Sean said and rose to his feet, gravitating instantly to Rowan's side.

As he made his way to the front door, Draco pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket and commenced inviting contacts.

Within the hour, the house was filled with loud music and the alcohol was flowing. Rory lined up the music for the next hour then prowled around, trying to ignore the hankering need he had to get closer to Sky. It was hard, because she was right there, sucking her drink through a straw while looking at him from the other side of the room.

She represented trouble for him. He could fuck any one of a half dozen or so girls who'd turned up at Draco's request, but he wanted Sky. Wanted her so bad she made him hard, made him think about her in the night, made him want to disobey the rules of the house. Turning away he headed out, needing to clear his head.

"Rory?"

She'd followed him into the gloomy hallway.

"You're not leaving are you?"

"I should."

"Why?" Those cherry painted lips of hers pouted as she looked up at him.

"Because you're too much of a temptation."

Her face lit, her smile growing wide. She sidled closer. The invitation in her eyes made him harden. He could have her and leave. Why not? He was going to leave Wales soon anyway. The only thing stopping him was Sky. For some reason he didn't want to do that to her though, didn't want to hurt her. She deserved better than a quick shag and a wave goodbye.

"Well, Rory Rattigan, I didn't know you'd even noticed me." In the shadowed hallway, she leaned up against the wall by his side and captured her bottom lip between her teeth, as if she wanted to say more but daren't. It was a sexy look.

"Hell, yes, I'd noticed you." Rory put his hands on the wall either side of her head, caging her in. "I'd noticed what a little prick tease you are."

She latched her hands on his belt and pulled his hips closer still. "Tease? Who, me?"

He inhaled her scent. Strawberries and musk. Everything about her turned him on. Raunchy guitar music blared from the crowded sitting-room, speeding the lust in his veins. It would be too easy to have her, right now. "My dad would think nothing of beating me to a pulp if he knew what I'm about to do."

She inhaled sharply, her expression altering.

Moving his hands in around her waist, he ducked his head to kiss her. She was tense, because of what he'd just revealed, but once his mouth covered hers she softened under him. Her hands moved around the back of his neck, fingers locking together under his hair.

She was warm and supple, and wriggled in his grasp. When her lips parted to let him in, he groaned into her mouth, sinking deeper still.

Oh yes, he wanted her, wanted her badly.

The front door opened and the lights went on.

Standing there in the doorway were Nan, Sky's grandma, and her sister, great aunt Gladys. A scary pair of old ladies they were, too. They wouldn't think twice about reporting him to his dad. Rory eased away from Sky, the appearance of the blue rinse brigade quickly leveling his head. Nan cast a dubious look over them as she passed.

"Put him down," she said to Sky, and then winked at him.

Rory frowned.

"Turn that racket down," she bellowed into the sitting room.

Great aunt Gladys hustled in and glared at him. "You didn't think we were going to leave you lot alone to run riot, did you?" She gestured out the front door to where her battered mini was parked at a weird angle, half on the pavement. "Get our overnight bags in from the car would you, lad."

Draco emerged from the sitting room, hands up, apparently trying to explain himself to the ladies. Then he looked at Rory and Sky.

"Rory?" Draco lifted his chin, querying him, his expression darkening.

"Nothing happened." Rory loped off, leaving Sky to deal with her kin.

He was an outsider, him and Sean. And they were both loners at heart.

But the need to get to close to Sky didn't ease up, and probably never would.

They were family now though. Ruefully, Rory considered going back to Plan A. When he'd left Dublin with his dad and Sean, the plan had been for the three of them to go to London, where the streets were paved with gold. Or at least there were jobs to be had, jobs and the chance of a new life.

London still beckoned to him and Sean, even if their dad had got no further than Wales before wanting to pitch down. The only thing keeping Rory from getting on his motorcycle and taking off was Sky. And she was out of bounds.

Perhaps the blue rinse brigade had split them up in the nick of time. Draco was a guard dog in disguise. It was probably just as well. Sky would only bring trouble down on his head. There are plenty of other girls like Sky, right?

Plan A it was.

London awaited.