Wrong Key, Right Kiss Chapter 1

My stepbrother and I had been in a cold war for a week.

As fate would have it, I bumped into him just as he realized he’d locked himself out.

He stood there, face like an ice sculpture, and held out his hand.

"Keys."

Kiss??

I froze. I hesitated. I triple-checked the vibe.

"Are you sure? Right now? Isn't that a little inappropriate?"

Hayes looked at me with an unreadable expression, his tone firm. "Hurry up."

The next second—SMOOCH.

I planted a loud, wet one right on his lips.

Then I whispered weakly, "You asked for it..."

* * *

Shock. Despair. Disbelief.

All three emotions cycled through Hayes’s face in 4K resolution.

He froze for a solid five seconds before stumbling back like he’d been tased.

"I said keys! The metal things that open doors! KEYS!"

A vein popped on his temple. His usually pale, cool-toned skin flushed a delicate shade of pink.

I was stunned, too.

Who the hell suddenly speaks English in the middle of a sentence?

You can’t blame me for taking advantage of the situation. I mean, your girl got a perfect score on her AP English listening exam.

I didn't need a mirror to know my face was exploding with color. But I couldn't lose the momentum.

I choked back, "You fake foreigner! You spend a few years abroad and suddenly you forget how to speak human?"

Hayes’s chest was heaving.

The wind messed up his long hair, revealing the hidden strands of ocean-blue dye underneath. It matched his current turbulent mood perfectly.

We stood there, engaging in a staring contest, neither of us saying a word.

It was my dad who broke the silence.

"Well, look at this. The house must be blessed this year. We’ve got two gargoyles guarding the door."

I looked away first, spotting Dad and Aunt Holly.

I immediately latched onto Aunt Holly’s arm, turning on the charm. "Aunt Holly! Look at Hayes, looking like a total thug with that hair!"

Hayes seemed to be rebuilding his entire worldview from scratch. He didn't even react to my roast.

Aunt Holly teased him a bit, which finally dragged his soul back into his body.

He opened the door.

I deliberately lagged behind, leaning into Hayes’s shoulder to whisper:

"I heard guys with long hair usually have, you know... Erectile Dysfunction. Is that true?"

Hayes gritted his teeth, his voice low. "Winnie!"

I stuck my tongue out at him.

Before stepping inside, I winked. "Ooh. The beauty is angry."