Unwritten Rules

Tall, dark, and handsome as sin. With a smile that speaks to my soul. Nathaniel Hawthorne is the epitome of the perfect man. But twelve years older and worlds wiser, my brother's best friend doesn't long for me the way I crave him. He made that crystal clear when I kissed him last year, spurring him to leave London. To leave me. Missing his guiding presence, I try to put aside these unrequited feelings, but I screw up. I do something I can't take back, and from which there would be far-reaching consequences should the truth come to light. Despite our months of radio silence, I instinctively reach for the person I trust most, and true to form, Nathaniel doesn't hesitate. He's ready and willing to slay my demons alongside his own when he whisks me away to his childhood estate. Our bond, once vulnerable, grows stronger by the day, but the unwritten rules of friendship stand. Yet, something feels different. How his eyes caress me, how his hands touch me, how right his body feels beside mine at night—this can't be mere friendship. Might my feelings be reciprocated? Could there be a way to break all the rules and still find a happily ever after . . . Together? Contains mature themes.