Ian sat on the edge of his bed. With his head in his hands, he tried to make sense of his current situation. For the most part he blamed himself. It had been his idea to tease the girls that had taken his and Jeremy's gig that night. It had also been his fault that they were late, but that wasn't relevant at the moment. A little harmless flirting, that was all. He never expected it to turn into some crazy adventure with flying serpents, girls inside mirrors, and a castle made out of diamonds. Sure, he'd gotten a pretty sweet guitar out of it and his little brother (Ian relished in every opportunity he was able to point out that he was indeed the older twin) got the girl, so what was the problem?

Her name was Alexa, and like Jeremy and he, she came as part of a package deal with Liana. She was a shy, sweet girl, not Ian's usual type, but still pleasant to be around despite Jeremy and Liana's matchmaking attempts. He liked her. Well, not liked her. Okay, maybe he did, a little bit, but he wasn't in love as Jeremy so often teased. And sure, she was pretty, beautiful even; he imagined her brown hair disheveled and down from its usual bun, her green eyes squeezed shut, and wondered if her skin tasted like the sweet caramel that it shared color with.

Ian quickly shook his head to banish the image from his mind. No matter how euphoric it seemed, fantasizing about Alexa writhing in pleasure on the sheets beneath him would not help whatsoever at the moment. He groaned. How on earth did he get himself tangled up in this mess?

Avoiding her had proved somewhat successful. Though his sorry excuse for a brother and his precious girlfriend always managed to thwart his carefully planned solitude, finding some way to leave him alone with the delicate brunette. He shuddered. If Jeremy and Liana ever married, he would never have peace. His thoughts wandered back to the other night.

...

Ian cursed his brother. Once again, he and Liana had managed to give him the slip, leaving him alone with Alexa. Jeremy would pay, he vowed. Whether it would be putting hot coals in his shoes or a few snails in his bed, Jeremy would pay for what he'd done.

"Ian," her voice made him halt in his pacing. He hadn't realized he was pacing until she'd spoken. "Do you… why don't you like me?"

"What?"

"Every time we're alone, you act like this." She whispered. "You're angry and you hardly talk to me. Did I do something wrong?"

He blinked in surprise. "N-No..."

"Then what is it?"

He struggled to find the right words. "I just don't like when my brother and your friend decide to play matchmaker while pursuing more explicit activities."

She giggled, blushing furiously. "I guess you're right." She stepped closer to him. "So, you do like me?"

"Oh, yes." He brushed a loose strand of hair from her face.

Her lips parted and he couldn't resist the urge to steal one little kiss.

...

Ian both regretted and relished in his actions that night. If Jeremy hadn't emerged from the other room under the pretense of looking for something, Ian would have most definitely tried to take Alexa to his bed.

And now Jeremy would not let him live it down.

Someone pounded on his door. "Come on out, Ian!" It was Jeremy. Speak of the devil.

"Go away, Jeremy!"

"But the girls are here!"

"So?"

"Don't you want to see your girlfriend?" Jeremy teased.

"I'll ring your neck if you say that again," Ian hissed. "She's not my girlfriend."

His brother laughed. "Whatever you say."

"Why are you wasting time with me," Ian suddenly said. "Shouldn't you be screwing Liana right about now?"

The laughter stopped.

"That's what I thought. Now, go away. I'll come out when I damn well please to."

He smiled in silent triumph as Jeremy stomped down the hall.

When he was sure Jeremy was otherwise occupied, Ian crept from the safety of his room to find Alexa alone in their sitting room. Her cheeks flushed as she beckoned him to join her. He moved to her side, the same thought repeating itself on an endless loop.

Slow down.

...

Third re-write! Original posted on October 15, 2011. I really like how this one turned out. Based loosely off the Lady Antebellum song "Slow Down Sister." Tell me what you think.