Page 1 of Silk and Sirens

Prologue

Aeris

“But Daddy⁠—”

“But nothing, Aeris. Meet that man again, and you won’t be welcome home.”

My fist clenched, even as my heart ached.

This was what he did, discarded the people he supposedly loved the moment they failed to obey. With Luke I never felt like this, like one of Father’s pretty baubles, there only to parade around in some twisted performance of the perfect family. Expected to smile. To exist only when spoken to.

It was why Luke was different. He listened. He made me feel heard.

“Why would I even want to come home?” I snapped, my voice breaking as tears burned down my cheeks. “It hasn’t been the same since Mira left, since you stopped being here at all!”

I regretted the words as soon as they hit, my dad’s eyes widening a fraction before they cooled over with his typical dismissal. “That’s enough,” he warned, his tone leaving no room for argument. “You’re a child⁠—”

“But—”

“That’s enough!” he barked louder this time, the walls of his home office almost vibrating from the force. “You want this freedom, but you’re fifteen, Aeris. You’re my daughter, and yet you behave as if everything I give you is somehow lacking,” he said coldly. “The best private school, designer clothes worth more than most people earn in a year, food always in the cupboards, and whatever latest bloody gadget you want.” His gaze hardened. “And still, it’s not enough.”

I scoffed, causing his eyes to narrow. “Mira⁠—”

“Do not mention her name again,” he growled, and I had to force myself not to recoil at the venom. But he was only proving my point.

“See? Luke understands me. He listens, lets me talk about her and⁠—”

My father’s hand struck the desk as he stood, the sound sharp. “Luke’s an adult taking advantage of your naivety,” he said, voice clipped and controlled. “Don’t make your sister’s mistake.”

This time it was my turn to flinch, unable to hold it back.

“If he comes anywhere near you again, I’ll have him arrested.”

“Daddy—”

“This is your last warning, Aeris.” His gaze didn’t waver. “As long as you live under my roof, you’ll obey my rules. I’ve brought you up to be better than just a common whore. But if you’re foolish enough to choose that man over your family after everything we’ve been through, then this will no longer be your home.”

Chapter 1

Aeris

Present day

“Jesus Christ, you’re like the hottest thing,” Isaac groaned, his thick beard scratching against the sensitive skin of my shoulder. “So beautiful.”

I hummed, letting my fingers trail down the hard line of his abdomen until I cupped the heavy strain of his cock through his jeans. “Why, thank you,” I purred, giving him a slow, deliberate squeeze that dragged another rough sound from his throat. I’d grown up being told I was beautiful, the word repeated so often it had lost all meaning. There was no such thing as true beauty, not when everyone carried their own definition of it, but I learned that a pretty face could be a weapon. It made people lower their guard, loosen their tongues, and surrender secrets they never intended to give away.

It also helped when you offered to suck their cock, but, then again, men were weak.

Pressing my palms against the solid wall of Isaac’s chest, I pushed, guiding him backward until the backs of his knees hit the bed. He dropped onto the mattress with a soft grunt, the springs creaking under his weight. Before I could react, his hands clamped around my hips and yanked me down to straddle him.

“Come on,” he rasped, voice rough with lust as he snapped the strap of my dress over my left shoulder like a brute, his lips sucking the spot.

“No marks,” I warned, twisting out of his grip in one fluid motion. I slid off the bed and stood, turning just enough to glance back at him over my shoulder. With a teasing smile I peeled the dress down my body, letting it pool at my feet to leave me in nothing but crimson lace.

His eyes darkened, breath catching as he took me in. “Come here.”

“Not yet,” I murmured, slipping just out of arm’s reach. “Get undressed while I get us drinks.”