Dark Realms by Kristen Middleton

pretty
amazing boats.”
    Duncan started telling us about another
high-end yacht that needed repairs. I have to admit, though, I was
paying more attention to him than what he was saying. Up close, he
appeared much taller than I’d remembered and had a contagious
smile. His eyes were a silvery gray color, and every time he
glanced my way, I felt my cheeks heat up.
    “I just realized something,” he said.
“You’re twins, aren’t you?”
    “Yeah,” said Nathan, putting his arm around
my shoulders. “She’s the ugly one, poor little thing.”
    My jaw dropped and I smacked him in the
shoulder for what had to be the tenth time that day. “You are such
a shit.”
    “But I’m the good-looking one,” he
laughed.
    Duncan shook his head and stared at us in
amusement. “Sorry, dude, but I think you might have that wrong.
Nikki here seems to have absorbed all the beauty genes, leaving you
with a great sense of humor, though.”
    “Oh, yeah,” I laughed, secretly thrilled
that Duncan thought I was cute, “and even his sense of humor leaves
a lot to be desired.”
    Nathan pouted. “And I thought you invited me
along because I was the cuter twin.”
    “No, but I have to say, you still have a
nice butt,” joked Duncan.
    “Pilates,” said Nathan, turning around to
show us.
    “Okay, enough!” I interrupted. “Now I’ve
realized that you are both a couple of dorks.”
    “From one dork to another,” said Nathan.
“I’m ready to see some yachts. Lead the way, you sexy thang.”
    Duncan burst out laughing and turned around
to lead us towards the marina. I quickly checked out his rear and
decided that he definitely didn’t need any Pilates.

Chapter Six
     
     
    An hour later, after getting a few secret
tours on some of the largest yachts I’d ever seen, we followed
Duncan into the main shop to meet his dad, Sonny.
    “Hello,” said Sonny, who was an older
version of Duncan, minus the hair, “nice to meet the both of
you.”
    Nathan held out his hand and shook Sonny’s.
“Thanks for letting Duncan give us a glimpse of some of these sweet
yachts,” he said. “You must be extremely busy with all of those
boats out there.”
    “Tell me about it,” said Sonny. “I can
barely keep up. I’m going to have to hire someone to help around
the shop, especially now that fall is just around the corner. Many
of these boats need to be winterized, and soon.”
    I looked at Nathan, who was already way
ahead of me.
    “What kind of experience do you need? I’m
looking for a job,” said my brother.
    Sonny rubbed his bald head. “I can’t imagine
you’d know how to repair boat engines at your age, although Duncan
does, but that’s because he’s been around them most his life. You
know, I could still use someone to take care of the customers,
order parts, and do some of the lighter maintenance. That would
free up a lot of time for me and my son.”
    I could see that Nathan was getting really
excited. “Listen,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “I’m your man. I’m
a very hard worker and learn quickly.”
    Sonny leaned back in his chair. “Okay. We’ll
have you fill out an application and I’ll certainly consider you. I
do have a couple mechanics who work the graveyard shift, so what I
could really use is someone who doesn’t mind doing a little grunt
work.”
    “Grunt is my middle name,” smiled
Nathan.
    Sonny smiled. “That’s what I like to
hear.”
    While Nathan started filling out the
application, Duncan asked me if I wanted anything to drink.
    “Um, sure... water?”
    “Come on, I’ll show you our luxurious break
room.”
    I followed Duncan to the back of the shop
and we entered into a small room with pop and snack machines.
    “Here,” he said, handing me a bottle of
water from the back of the fridge. “I’ll give you one from my
secret stash. If I don’t hide them, they seem to disappear
overnight.”
    I laughed. “Really? Thanks.”
    “So,” he said as he sat down and stretched
out his long