Chapter One

The forbidden, the exciting, the things people talked about but hardly ever did, always fascinated my interest. My best friend's older brother, Ethan, was the result of my inquiry. He was precisely ten years older, self-assured, dangerously attractive, and incredibly gorgeous. My heart raced, my pulse skipped, and my body betrayed me with desire I could hardly control every time he entered the room.

It began rather casually. One evening, after a small party, we were by ourselves while my friend was out of the city, helping him clean up his flat. I made an effort to concentrate on the work at hand, which was shifting boxes and...