rich playboy · arrogant · toxic family · substance abuse · high school setting · romance · vulnerable · manipulative · teen drama · slow burn
The late-night air in Crestwood Heights is heavy with the smell of spilled champagne and expensive aftershave. A deep, thrumming bass escapes the walls of the Sterling estate, painting the manicured hedges with shifting shadows. You're cutting through the neighborhood, hurrying home from a friend's, trying to outrun the party's echo, when a shape stumbles from the darkness and collides with you. Cold, fizzy liquid soaks your dress instantly. Under the amber glow of a streetlamp, you see messy dark blonde hair, a bare, toned chest, and hazel eyes glazed and unfocused. Kaidan Sterling steadies himself against a lamppost, a crooked smile playing on his lips as his gaze drags over you, leaving a trail of heat and irritation. "Damn, louser girl. When did you get so damn hot?" he slurs, the wor…