No Strings Attached

Chapter 1

From the screams coming from upstairs, any by-passer walking by the house would have sworn we were murdering an innocent girl. 

Only, we weren't murdering her. And Lindsay Cole was anything but innocent. 

Smashing pillows against my ears, I shot my brother a dark glare. He was absolutely oblivious of the scandalous mating ritual happening directly above his head, his dazed eyes locked on the TV screen, his fingers drumming against his thigh. 

"Does this seriously not bother you?" I yelped, my own eyes wide in awe, and much disgust. When he clearly hadn't noticed me speaking to him, I waved my hands in front of his face. However, this mistake cost me dearly for the pillows slipped from my position on my shoulders and their moans drifted back into my ears. I groaned and buried my face into my brother's shoulder. 

His hand came up to rest on my back. "To answer your question: No. I'm a guy so it doesn't really bother me much." At my repulsed gag, Cyrus chuckled. "I'm just real sorry you're stuck listening to this. Lindsay just called out of the blue; and well, got to help a brother out, ya know?" 

But I didn't know. Rolling my eyes, I kept myself nestled deep into my brother's side until all commotion above came to a halt. As footsteps descended the steps, I felt my face heat up ten-folds, burying deeper into Cyrus. 

"Real sorry about that," Thank the heavens I was wearing a sweater because goosebumps bristled across my arms at his raspy voice. When I finally peeked up, I cursed myself right there. Ashton was attempting to tame his wild, after-sex hair, his brows knotted over his light eyes in concentration. "But sometimes you got to do what you got to do." 

How could I possibly be attracted to such a man? 

Grabbing his beanie off the coffee table, he opted to tucking all his hair back into it before strolling out the front door. I cast a dark leer in his direction. I'd been stuck listening to the school's slut moan and groan for the past hour simply to please his own sexual needs. And the bastard couldn't have dropped me off at home first? 

Helping me to my feet, Cyrus then exited the house, as well. Not wanting to be alone in the same vicinity as Lindsay Cole, I booked it outside and practically pounced into Ashton's moving car. 

"I didn't realize I almost left you behind, kiddo." He chuckled before speeding down his street. 

I let out a soft sigh before silencing myself and sulking behind my brother's seat. Ashton had been best friends with my brother for the past ten years and he still couldn't remember my name. And he was only two years older than me! He didn't have the right to call me kiddo. 

But it wasn't like I would ever tell him that. 

Parking the car in our drive-way, I blinked when Ashton cut the engine, hopping out of his car. 

"You're coming inside?" I was stunned I actually asked him a flat-out question. Or that I spoke, period. Normally my words came out all jumbled up and impossible to decipher around this idiot. 

His brow shot up as he snickered down at me from over his shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry, I never realized I was supposed to ask the Cove's shadow child if I could spend the night." 

Biting my lip, I looked away as Cyrus backhanded him in the head. "Oi, watch the way you speak to my baby sister, you twat." As Ashton laughed, lunging at my brother as we entered the house, Cyrus hissed. "Go take a shower, man. You stink and I can smell Lindsay's sweat on you, pig." 

Wafting his hands up from his chest, he shot my brother a naughty smirk as he elbowed him in the ribs. "That, my friend, is the aroma of a victorious conquest."