Double Attraction (Gemini Taboo Romance Series Book 1)

  DOUBLE ATTRACTION

  Lauren Branford

  First Edition, February 2015

  Copyright ©2015 Lauren Branford

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Gemini Taboo

  )(

  Book I of II

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE – Brea

  CHAPTER TWO – Arianna

  CHAPTER THREE – Arianna (continued)

  CHAPTER FOUR – Brea

  CHAPTER FIVE – Arianna

  CHAPTER SIX - Arianna (continued)

  CHAPTER SEVEN - Brea

  CHAPTER EIGHT - Brea (continued)

  CHAPTER NINE – Arianna

  CHAPTER TEN – Brea

  CHAPTER ONE

  )(

  Brea

  It was a Wednesday in the middle of April, and I found myself in the midst of a quaint, five-star restaurant. The place was called Alexandria's Wharf, and it overlooked the ocean at the end of a magnificent pier. Because the place was small, and the cuisine was world famous, a reservation meant waiting in the back of a ten-month list– unless you are Angora Park’s famous billionaire bachelor, Gavin Buchanan.

  I don’t know how I landed a date with Gavin, but I was sitting in a small corner of the restaurant, gazing into his sparkling blue eyes that matched the ocean outside of our private window. He was the guy that every girl noticed when he entered a room. Tall, muscular, and always tailored in a fine suit, Gavin looked like a star football player during a television interview. Often, I would watch him as he combed his light brown hair in the mirror before heading to meet with a client. I imagined myself kissing his full lips and running my fingers through his evenly parted hair.

  I, on the other hand, felt like the geeky replacement for his typical modelesque dates. I was just over five feet with dull, brown eyes and a pale complexion. My saving grace seemed to be my natural auburn hair and angular face. Though I always thought my nose was a bit mousy, throughout my life I had received compliments on my petite shape.

  "Tell me something interesting about you, Brea," Gavin said before he forked another piece of salad into his mouth.

  “I don’t know what to say,” I smiled, shyly. Though it was our third date, Gavin was still making me blush. It seemed that no matter how much time I spent with him, I couldn’t get used to his ravishing good looks.

  Six months ago, when I moved to Angora Park, I started working for Gavin’s father as his secretary. Most of my job was busy work, however, it kept me on my toes. Especially when the clock neared noon, and my heart would flutter with anticipation of seeing Gavin. He strolled into the office with a cup of coffee, ready to start his day. He didn’t work a long shift like the rest of us– and he didn’t have to. Gavin had clients begging him to work on their case. He only had to make a casual appearance in court for an hour or so, and then his town car would whisk him back to his penthouse.

  I felt that my crush on Gavin was typical of any recent college graduate, desperate for a job. He was the boss’s sexy son who was as mysterious as he was good looking. When he asked me on a date two weeks prior, I thought that my chest was going to explode from the pressure.

  “Just anything,” he said with a grin. His smile was like a tractor beam, pulling me into his terrifying, yet handsome void. Everything about Gavin was perfect; even his smile lines were symmetrical.

  "Well, I've always wanted to eat here," I said. It was the worst answer. The combination of Gavin's inescapable charm and calm demeanor were heart racing on their own. However, mix that with my shy personality, and I'm reduced to lame responses.

  "Of course," he said as he sat back in his chair. "Everyone in this town wants to eat here. Why else do you think that I picked this place?" His navy button down shirt is tight fitting around his meaty body. Even his exposed collarbone seems to ripple with muscle.

  "So you want to hear something even crazier?" I asked.

  "Sure," Gavin responded with a glimmer off of his ice blue eyes. "Tell me something crazy." He moved to the edge of his seat, further pulling me into gaze. I knew what was unique about my life; I just didn’t want to talk about her. The truth was, the reactions were always the same when I mentioned Arianna. Everyone wanted to see photos to compare us. Then the weird questions would start, like asking if we had a telepathic connection. I kindly reminded the questioners that our lives split some time ago, and ever since then, I was nothing like my sister. Unfortunately, it was the only card I had left in my hand.

  "I have an identical twin," I said calmly before taking in a large sip of red wine.

  "A twin?" Gavin asked as he leaned back from the table. This seemed to spark his interest more that the luxurious restaurant setting. "What's her name?"

  "Arianna," I said.

  "Brea and Arianna," he grinned while looking into the corner of the room. "How was it growing up with a twin?" The questions had begun.

  "Very difficult," I sighed. "I'm taking care of my sister right now after some... unfortunate things happened to her."

  “Like what?” Gavin asked, plainly.

  “Personal things,” I said while brushing my hair behind my ear.

  "But you girls get along?" he asked.

  "Not really," I admitted. "In fact, I think that she hates me."

  "She hates you?" Gavin asked before taking a sip of his wine. I was starting to feel like my story was the true opera he had been waiting to see.

  "Arianna is an interesting girl. She's trendy, particular, and very aggressive. So, as you can tell, my complete opposite."

  "I see," Gavin said. "Is she married with kids?"

  “My sister?” I laughed while nearly spitting my wine onto the pristine, white tablecloth. “No way.”

  “Then maybe you girls aren’t so different.”

  “Trust me, hell will have literally frozen over the day that Arianna gets married. She always seems to have a guy around– or two.”

  “And how do you like them? Good guys? Make a lot of money?”

  “No,” I said shaking my head. I could feel my blood boiling over the conversation. Thoughts of my sister always did that to me. “I’ll admit that some of them are slightly attractive in that biker sort of way. But Arianna enjoys the danger and these wild, muscular guys do it for her."

  "You're not into guys with muscles?" Gavin asked with his eyebrows raised. I looked at his brawny biceps protruding from his designer shirt. Then I rested my hand on his forearm.

  "I didn't mean it that way," I said, suddenly shocked that I was touching Gavin. It had been three dates, and this was our first time touching. "You are exactly my type."

  "Good," he said while putting his hand over mine. I felt his thumb brushing against mine in an even rhythm. "To be honest, I find you very attractive."

  "You do?" I asked. It felt very surprising that this handsome and wealthy man would have sought a bookish girl like me. If I didn't work for his father's company, chances are that our social circles would never have collided. Suddenly, someone was standing over my shoulder.

  "The lobster ravioli," said the waiter as he placed the plate in front of me. "And the beef bolognese... Anything else that I can do for you? Pepper? Parmesan?"

  "That's all for us," said Gavin as he nodded to the waiter. "Thank you."

  "How do you like working for your father?" I asked Gavin.

  "That old man?" he joked. "Well, you know how demanding he
can be. But that's boring stuff, tell me more about you and your twin."

  "There's nothing more to say really." This wasn’t the truth. I could have gone on all night griping about Arianna. However, I didn’t want her to ruin another evening.

  "How long has she been living with you?"

  "Six months. When I moved to Angora Hills, I offered to have her come stay with me. She was getting on my mother’s nerves, and it was best that all of us left the nest."

  "So if you don't get along with her, then why do you let her stay with you?"

  "At first, she stayed inside of her room. Then Arianna started going out to parties and talking down to me. The girl doesn't have a job, and I swear that she expects me to pay for everything that she does."

  "Yet, you still do?"

  "Guilty," I said while slowing pressing my fork into the ravioli. "I guess that I have a soft spot for her."

  "She must be your weakness," he said. "Maybe one day I can meet this evil twin sister of yours."

  "You don't want to meet Arianna," I said with my hands on both sides of my face.

  "Why not?" he laughed. "It might trip me out to see the two of you next to each other."

  "We look the same, but we're nothing alike."

  "All the more reason that it would be fun," Gavin grinned. Then he dug his fork into his bolognese and shoved a huge mouthful between his straight, white teeth.

  )(

  On the way out of the restaurant, Gavin called his driver to meet at the curb. He held my hand on the way down the old wooden path. I still hadn't made up my mind about him. However, I couldn't deny how nice it felt to touch his large, firm hand.

  "Thank you so much for dinner," I said.

  "It was nothing," Gavin said as he gripped me a little more.

  "I've always wanted to go there," I said. "I just couldn't afford something like that."

  "It was my pleasure," he smiled. "I’ll give you a ride back home."

  "I live a ways from here," I said as the black town car pulled next to the sidewalk. "Are you sure that you want to drive me that far inland? Don't you live just a few blocks from here?"

  "What are you supposed to do?" Gavin scoffed. "Walk home?"

  "I was thinking more of taking a cab," I said as I looked at the yellow cars whizzing by on the street.

  "Those dirty things?" he laughed. "That's a good one."

  “I appreciate the ride,” I said. Then he opened the door for me, and I slid into the warm leather interior. Gavin slowly shut the door and walked around to the opposite side.

  "Settled in, sir?" asked the driver.

  "Just one moment," Gavin said before turning to me. "Maybe we could try something different tonight."

  "Like what?" I asked feeling full from the delicious meal. When I glanced back to Gavin's face, he looked at me with a confused expression.

  "Like my place," Gavin said. “I can get you a cup of coffee."

  "Uh," I started. Truthfully, I wanted to join him, but I was too scared to be left alone in a nonpublic setting with Gavin. “I think that I should head home and check on my sister." Why did I say that? Being with him was a dream and my sister would only make my night worse. Once again, I had chickened out of my true desires.

  "Alright," he said through clenched teeth. "Let's take Ms. Rhodes back to her apartment on the east side of town so that I can hurry home." Gavin's enthusiasm seemed to fade into the black interior of the car. For the entirety of the ride to my place, he pecked at the keyboard on his phone. I turned away from him and gazed out of the window to see the ocean fading into the background.

  "Here you are, miss," said the driver as he stopped the car. I expected Gavin to climb out of the car and open the door for me. Instead, he gave me a half smile and patted my knee with his hand.

  "It was good seeing you," he said, and I could tell that I had disappointed him.

  "Thanks again for dinner," I said as I went to rest my hand on his. However, he was already looking back down at the floor.

  "Good night," he said.

  "Night," I replied slowly, as I climbed from the vehicle. The driver nodded to me as I stepped up the stairs to my apartment, feeling stupid for walking away from a perfect evening.

  CHAPTER TWO

  )(

  Arianna

  “Where the fuck are my shoes?” I roared as soon as I saw my sister walk into the house. My plan was to escape before Brea got there, however, I couldn’t be fully dressed without my shoes. Something told me that she had them; little Ms. Goody-Good was always stealing my shit and leaving it in her room.

  “Which shoes, Arianna?” she asked with a quiver in her voice. I knew that I was terrifying her; still, I needed to find the pair of shoes.

  “The black ones!” I yelled at her from the end of the hall. “Six inches high with spikes coming down the back. Where the hell are they?”

  “I don’t know,” Brea said in a hushed tone. I knew that she had an idea of where they were, and if they were in her room, I would have a conniption.

  “Look in your room,” I commanded.

  “Not tonight, Arianna,” Brea sighed as she shut the front door behind her. Suddenly, I noticed that she was more dressed than usual.

  “Did you have a date?” I asked.

  “Yes, I did,” she sighed.

  “What the happened?” I asked. “Why do you look so pissed off about it?”

  “It was with Gavin,” Brea said, plainly as she drifted into the kitchen. It was the rich douchebag that she had been swooning over for the past six months. Sure, he had a hot face from the photos she showed me, but I knew an asshole when I saw one.

  “Why do you continue to see that guy?” I asked her as I stepped barefoot into the kitchen. “It’s because he’s rich, isn’t it?”

  “No,” Brea said to me with an annoyed expression. “I like him a lot.”

  “Don’t look at me like that,” I said as I pressed my hand against the refrigerator door. My sister and I appeared exactly the same; only she had our original long, auburn hair. I couldn’t take looking the same, so I started dying mine jet black the instant that I moved into her apartment.

  “I’m sorry,” she said as she lifted my hand from the door so that she could pull out a jug of chilled water. “Anyway, he’ll probably never talk to me again.”

  “How did things go so sour? Wasn’t he the one who asked you out?”

  “This was our third date and I still couldn’t figure out what to talk about with him. I think we’re just in two different worlds.”

  “I’m glad that you see that now,” I said. “Did you at least get a look at his cock?”

  “No, Arianna,” Brea rolled her eyes again. This time I ignored it as I couldn’t believe she didn’t put out for him.

  “Wait,” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You’re telling me that you went on several dates–“

  “It’s been three.”

  “Whatever. You’ve been on multiple dates with this hot fucker who you know it isn’t going to work out with, and you don’t even try to sleep with him?”

  “I didn’t want to,” she replied softly.

  “Liar,” I scoffed. “Of course you want to fuck him.”

  “What if he doesn’t want to sleep with me? I’m the nerdy girl who works for his dad.”

  “Yeah, a hot nerdy girl who works for his dad,” I said. Brea gave a look of hope as she took in my words. Suddenly, I knew I had given her too much slack. “You are scared of him.”

  “So what if I am? After all, he is my boss’s son. Plus, it’s against the rules for us to even date; I could get fired.”

  “Breaking the rules?” I was shocked. My sister held onto every handrail and made sure to abide all of the signs whenever she was outside. For her to go behind her boss’s back meant that this Gavin guy meant something special to her. “Maybe you and I aren’t so different.”

  “Trust me, we are,” she said under her breath.

  “Whatever,” I retorted. �
�You’re not going to have any fun if you run away from every hot guy that you meet.”

  “I don’t run away,” Brea retorted. “Also, I never get asked out by hot guys.”

  “Oh, yeah?” I knew that she needed a reminder. “What about Paul, that hot department store manager?”

  “He was cute,” she smiled.

  “And what happened with him? You fucked it up!”

  “How did I mess that up, Arianna?”

  “Let’s see, you make out with him for about two hours and just when he tries to go down on you, that’s when you call a cab home.”

  “Why are you criticizing me?” Brea asked as she smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand.

  “You need to stop letting these guys down,” I said as scan the floor for my missing pumps. “Otherwise you’re going to end up all alone in this same apartment for the rest of your life.”

  “It’s not like you have a boyfriend,” she replied. I felt my body tense from her attack.

  “I don’t want one! So, fuck you, bitch!”

  “Stop, Arianna.”

  “Stop what? Calling you a bitch?”

  “Yes, you know that I hate that word...”

  “How about cunt then? That seems to be a much better word to describe you these days!” I know that it was harsh, but someone needed to send my sister over the edge so that she could look at her life from a different angle. Every move she made was dictated by another person’s permission. I couldn’t imagine living such a sheltered life.

  “Don’t you have some guy’s dick to suck tonight?” she snapped. Suddenly, her face changes as though remorse had come after her words– only it was a few seconds too late. “Arianna, I’m sorry.”

  That was enough for me. I rushed forward and slapped her hard across the face. Then I stomped down the hallway and shoved open the door to her room. Resting on the opposite side of her bed were two, skinny black pumps. I grabbed them with my index and middle finger and rushed back to the kitchen.

  “You don’t know where my shoes are?” I screamed. “This is why I’m so pissed off all of the time! I came here to relax and get over that the past two years with mom and all you can do is take the few things that I have in this world!”