Brushing the feeling away, Alyssa couldn’t help but feel deeply conscious of his piercing gaze, permanently fixed upon her. It unnerved her, a feeling totally new to her since she was used to receiving male attention wherever she went. Annoyed at her own reaction to the handsome devil who looked more like the Donnelly brothers, she swam to the edge of the pool. She realized that he was the one and only Nicholas Donnelly, her brother’s sworn enemy and therefore hers as well.
“None of your business!” she said, as she emerged from the pool to make a dash for the house but her skin flushed with color, feeling his intense gaze, checking her out. Feeling totally exposed despite being clad in a turquoise bikini that clung to her like a second skin, Alyssa 3as eager to get away from the man and her reaction to him.“Of course, it is my business! I wouldn’t want our guests to be electrocuted during a storm!” Alyssa noted his husky tone, but strangely his voice didn’t have any warmth in it. On the contrary, he seemed angry at her for some strange reason.Alyssa picked up a towel and dried herself. “Spare me the fake concern.” She wrapped herself well with the towel and turned to walk away but he was faster. He caught her hand in a tight grip, not letting her leave, startling her completely.“Drop the attitude, okay? I was just being nice to you,” he said, his eyes turning a shade darker as he glared at her furiously while Alyssa struggled to get free. At that point, she really repented for not having listened to her brother. She shouldn’t have come here at all. Would Nicholas Donnelly harm her?“You don’t need to be nice to me. Now if you'd excuse me, I need to change,” she said in a bored tone although she was petrified.“Thank me nicely and you can go.” Her eyes flew up to his ocean-hued ones and she couldn’t stop herself from wondering where she had seen them before.“I have nothing to thank you for,” she said tartly, eager to get away as his nearness was affecting her and she had no idea why. It felt as if she had been close to him before as if she had seen him before.“I could stand the whole night with you here, Alyssa,” said Nicholas while Alyssa’s eyes widened with disbelief. How did he know her name! Did he know her because of Alex? Her eyes searched his but couldn’t find anything other than arrogance and impatience.“But what should I thank you for?” she asked clueless, her wide eyes gazing up into his angry ones.“For saving you from the storm. I needn’t have since you’re the enemy,” said Nicholas, and Alyssa’s eyes widened further. So he knew who she was! He was worse than Marcus!Alyssa gave him a fake smile. “Thank you!” she said extra sweetly, taking him by surprise.Suddenly a loud thunder boomed across the sky and Alyssa jumped closer to Nicholas, scared of getting electrocuted.Nicholas froze, he hadn’t expected that at all since she was the sister of their enemy, the wicked Alexander Van Every who had assaulted him on that fateful day for no fault of his. His mind went back to that day at school when he had held her in his arms for the first time. Didn’t she remember him at all? Although it was ten years ago, he hadn’t forgotten her at all. Unable to control himself, his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her into his arms, flush against his body. Alyssa's heart skipped a beat or two, feeling herself pressed against his hard, muscular torso but before she could say anything, Nicholas released her and stormed into the house, without giving her a backward glance.Alyssa was stunned by his odd behavior. A flash of lightning across the sky made her jump and hurry into the house. Thankfully Nicholas was nowhere to be seen and she sneaked into her room to shower and change. When she emerged from her room, it was pouring outside accompanied by a raging storm and she couldn’t help but feel thankful that she came in just in time. Everyone was downstairs, watching the rain. Alyssa sat beside Sienna and Eva, acutely aware of Nicholas's gaze upon her as he stood by the glass window with Lucas’s daughter.Alyssa didn’t meet his eye, being very much ashamed of herself after that encounter. Why did she have to cling to him of all people on the earth? What he might have thought of her?Her phone buzzed with an incoming call from Alex and she muted it, not wanting to listen to his lecture. “Take his call or else he’ll be here by tomorrow,” whispered Sienna but Alyssa shook her head.“I’m not a child and I’m not doing anything wrong. He shouldn’t be disturbing me this way. I’m here only for you Sienna. I’ll attend your wedding and then return. There’s no point calling me anyway. I won’t go back now,” said Alyssa but Alex called Eva next.“I’ll just try to pacify him,” said Eva, getting up. When she returned everyone was busy watching a movie, munching on cheesy popcorn, mozzarella sticks, and meatballs lollipops. Sienna sat beside Lucas, cuddled against him with Alexia’s head on her lap. Alyssa sat beside Sienna but she was distracted with Nicholas sitting beside her, a little too close for comfort. With his arm brushing with hers every time she moved, Alyssa couldn’t budge an inch. Acutely aware of his gaze upon her, she couldn’t wipe out the permanent flush from her cheeks and even refused to eat, far from concentrating on the movie.“I don’t bite.” His husky whisper made her jump and she turned her head toward him but realized her immediate mistake. With his face inches away from hers, and his ocean blue eyes sparkling like Aquamarine crystals as they held her gaze, Alyssa was under a spell. In the dark room, with the huge LCD screen providing the only source of light, she could clearly see his sharp profile silhouetted against it. Unable to look away, she wondered where she had met him before. She was sure that she would have remembered if she had indeed met him earlier. You couldn’t forget such a drooling hot man easily!“You’re staring, Alyssa. Did you forget who I am?” He chuckled, turning away and concentrating on the movie, making Alyssa seethe inwardly. How could she be so stupid? He was teasing her, provoking her to react to him. She wouldn’t at all give him the satisfaction of seeing her fall for his charms. He was the enemy and he would remain all his life!“Asshole!” Alyssa muttered to herself but Nicholas turned and winked at her, making her blood boil all the more.Hayley sat with Lucas’s mom and granny while Marcus was absent from the scene. Eva sat down beside Hayley to enjoy the movie. She had tried her best to make Alexander see sense but he was stubborn and short-tempered. He simply fought unnecessarily with her till she got pissed off and disconnected the call. Now she dreaded his next step just like Alyssa did. Sienna and Lucas soon walked out of the media room, not interested in the movie.Unable to concentrate much on the movie, Alyssa went out to the open deck to breathe in the fresh air. The rain had stopped and the whole island had a sun-drenched look under the pale rays of the setting sun. It was a very romantic and tranquil atmosphere outside and Alyssa stood watching the breath-taking views all around. Stepping down, she decided to take a stroll to clear her mind.She had been avoiding looking at her mobile phone knowing the number of missed calls that had been adding up since the moment Alex realized that she had left. Would he arrive here to create a scene? She wondered what exactly happened between him and the Donnelly brothers to make them sworn enemies! Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she looked around the place she had come to. There was slush, broken branches, twigs, and puddles everywhere making the place too slippery for a stroll. She panicked wondering how in the world she landed up here!All of a sudden, her slipper-clad feet slipped on the slush and she could feel herself falling. “Aaah,” she screamed, trying to clutch onto a tree branch to save herself but the branch broke and she fell into a muddy puddle, completely ruining her clothes and beautiful hair.A loud chuckle behind her made her go still and turn to see who had a death wish now! Her eyes popped out seeing none other than Nicholas Donnelly, standing under the branches and laughing at her misfortune instead of helping her out. “Wow, it seems you’re in for a mud bath!” he laughed more, making Alyssa's blood boil with fury.“Stop laughing and be a man, Donnelly! Help me out.” She glared at him while he took his own sweet time and approached her with an amused glint in his eye. He held out his hand to her and Alyssa placed her hand in his, their eyes holding each other’s gaze all the while. Before he could pull her out, Alyssa tugged at his hand with all her might pulling him down into the mud with her!The moment Nicholas toppled and landed on top of Alyssa, she realized her mistake. Despite the mud splashing around them, all over them, there was no denying the fire crackling between them. With his body molded to hers, his ocean-hued eyes gazing into hers, Alyssa forgot to breathe. “Nice try but you can’t seduce me with your muddy appearance. I prefer them fragrant and clean.” Alyssa’s jaws dropped to the mud and she gaped at his insolence. Did he really think that she was trying to seduce him? Anger boiled inside her and she pushed him off her. “High hopes! I don’t need to seduce anyone. If I ever will, it’ll be a real man.” She struggled to get up as fast as possible but slipped every time. “What are you trying to insinuate? Are you challenging me to prove to you that I’m a real man?” Nicholas’s eyes blazed with fire as if accepting the challenge already.“God! You’re so full of yourself!” She finally got up and stomped away angrily forgetting her mud-splattered appearance. Nic
Marcus’s words penetrated deep inside Nicholas’s heart and it made him determined that this time he would make a lasting impression on Alyssa’s mind. This time she wouldn’t be able to forget him so easily. He and Marcus joined the others and dinner was served. The topic of discussion was Lucas and Sienna’s honeymoon plans in which Nicholas had no interest. His concentration was on Alyssa who sat opposite him and tried her best to ignore him but was it so easy? He wasn’t the wiry, young, unsure teenager anymore and his unwavering gaze upon Alyssa totally unnerved her. What was up with the guy? Why couldn’t he keep his eyes to himself? Reaching her limit, Alyssa glared back at him, muttering curses in her mind but to her immense frustration, Nicholas just grinned at her. It seemed as if he was totally unaffected and enjoyed the ongoing drama instead. Hayley elbowed her from one side while Eva pinched her thigh from the other, both enjoying the clash between the two rivals. “Stop,” she
Scared, Alyssa looked up at the silhouette of the man she collided with and instantly knew he was none other than Nicholas. “Can’t sleep?” said Nicholas’s husky voice that seemed too near for her liking. “Good night.” She wanted to dash off to her bedroom and not face him in her pajamas but with his arm around her waist, escape was almost impossible. “I just came for water.” Nicholas gave her a look of disbelief instead and leaned down closer to her. “Really? Maybe that’s just an excuse. You followed me here, didn’t you?” Alyssa’s jaws dropped at his implication. Was he out of his mind? Why would she follow him? She hardly knew he was here! “Why should I follow you? You’re disgusting!” She wrenched herself free and dashed off only to be caught and pulled back into his hard chest. “Am I disgusting? Then why did you kiss me?” Alyssa’s mouth hung open hearing his low whisper and she stared at him completely at a loss for words. When did she kiss him? Was he hallucinating? Now it was
They were all taken aback by Alexander’s announcement to stay. How did he accept defeat that soon? Was he planning something to create trouble during the wedding? “Fine but if you create any trouble, I’ll do the same to you at your wedding!” threatened Lucas. Sienna curbed the grin that was trying to break free on her face. What sort of threatening was that? Were they really enemies? “Done, give us a room and we’ll stay out of your way,” said Alexander while Alyssa grimaced at her brother’s words. She knew she would feel claustrophobic with him breathing fire down her neck all the time. Eva on the other hand stood a little farther away from them and refused to even look at Alexander. She could feel his gaze upon her every now and then but she knew better. She now knew what exactly he thought about her, how much he hated her. “Or you can enjoy it with us,” said Nicholas. Alexander gritted his teeth and glared at him with hatred.“The lesser you talk to me the better, Nicholas,” he g
“You heard me, Alexander!” taunted Nicholas, looking him straight in the eyes, challenging him to react. He wasn’t the puny little boy anymore and could give Alexander a taste of his own medicine if he tried to harm him. Alexander looked stunned to see this rebellious side to his nature and seemed dumbstruck for the first time in his life. “Stay away from Alyssa, I’m warning you,” hissed Alexander, going closer to threaten him. Nicholas was no less and stood up too, and glared at him angrily. Alyssa clutched at her heart with horror seeing her brother again start the same thing as always. Why couldn’t he mind his own business and stop meddling in her affairs? Couldn’t he realize that she didn’t need his protection? “What if I don’t? You can’t do a thing this time, Alexander. Go get a life!” said Nicholas, making Alexander seethe with fury. Alyssa’s eyes widened with panic and she rushed towards her brother, trying to pull him backward. She hadn’t expected Nicholas to confront him fe
“Stop playing mind games with me, Nicholas. I know that we hadn’t met before. So stop this immediately,” said Alyssa, anger building up inside her. She was now sure that Nicholas was getting her worked up on purpose for his own entertainment. It might be a game for him but she wasn’t going to get so affected. “I don’t play games. Think again, Alyssa.” He released her and opened the door and stormed out of the room leaving her confused. She knew that ten years ago she was sent to her grandparents' house in California. So how could she have kissed him? She would have remembered him if she had kissed a hot guy like him, wouldn’t she? Frowning she tried hard to remember what happened ten years ago. She was sent away because of Alexander. He had complained to his dad that she couldn’t attend his school where his enemies could attack her anytime. He had suggested that she be sent far away from New York for her own safety and Daniel Van Every had listened to him. He didn’t think it necessa
Alyssa collected her laundry but when she turned around she found herself face to face with Nicholas, in the same position as before. Why he hadn’t budged an inch was beyond her! She refused to gaze into his beautiful eyes lest she drowned in them again. No, she couldn’t afford that. She had to stop her heart from thumping wildly, remembering their unfinished kiss every time she saw him. He was still her brother’s enemy and she couldn’t afford Alexander’s wrath. He had the power to finish her and restrict all her enjoyment without much effort since their parents blindly carried out his wishes. Her thoughts, feelings, and wishes never mattered to them at all. “Move Nicholas. I need to get ready.” Nicholas came out of his trance and scratched his neck with nervousness. He knew he was supposed to stay away from her else Alexander would go out of his way to squash him but he was powerless. There was a strikingly powerful, deliriously beautiful aura about her that attracted him like a ma
The wedding ceremony got over and Sienna and Lucas walked hand in hand towards the beautiful backdrop created for the photography session. The pure white self-embossed background interspersed with ferns and turquoise floral decorations provided an ideal setup for the theme of the wedding. While the girls teased the newly married couple, the groomsmen flirted with the bridesmaids, all eagerly waiting for the reception party to start. Alyssa just couldn’t shake off Nicholas who annoyed her all the time behind Alexander’s back. After Lucas thanked Alexander and Ashton for being a part of his wedding, they suddenly disappeared somewhere without informing Alyssa. “Where could they have gone? Are we leaving now?” asked Eva longing to stay for the reception party. “I’m as clueless as you are,” shrugged Alyssa who also wanted to stay a bit longer and taste the tempting wedding cake. “What are you girls doing there? Come here for a group photo,” called Sienna and the girls grinned and rush