A Yearning Beyond Years
“We…shouldn’t be doing this,” Stacey moaned as she felt Noah’s lips kiss the side of her neck.
“Tell me to stop, and I will,” he whispered.
“I’m twelve years older than you; what would the world say?”
“I don’t care what the damn world says. The only thing I care about is the woman in front of me.” He kissed her on that same sensitive spot on her neck.
“So I say again, Professor, tell me to stop and I
will.”
******
32-year-old Stacey Smith's life comes crashing down when she discovers her husband's betrayal. Seeking comfort, her best friend drags her to a club where she ends up having a one-night stand with a stranger.
Stacey is shocked to realize the guy she slept with is one of her students, the popular star basketball player of her school, 20-year-old Noah Baker.
What happens when an unlikely romance blooms between the two? In an era of scrutiny and criticism, how would they handle the world's reaction to their unusual love?
And with Noah’s future hanging on the line, her ex-husband and a new love interest her age after Stacey, would they be able to overcome all the challenges they face, or would they cave in and walk different paths?
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Chapter: Chapter 90(A YEAR LATER) The day dawned clear, as if the universe itself had decided to bless them with a perfect sky. Morning light poured through the tall windows of the small countryside chapel where everything was set. White flowers lined the aisles, delicate petals scattered across the floor, and ribbons of soft gold glimmered in the sunlight. It wasn’t an extravagant cathedral or a grand ballroom, it was something far more intimate. Something that felt like them.Stacey had chosen it deliberately. A place away from the noise, away from the judgments of the past. A place where she could promise forever without the weight of a thousand eyes measuring her choices.She stood in a quiet room at the back, dressed in ivory silk that clung gracefully to her curves, her growing baby bump just visible beneath the fabric. She held unto the bouquet of wild flowers with sweaty palms. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and touched her stomach, a smile breaking across her face. Life had a str
Last Updated: 2025-11-17
Chapter: Chapter 89Stacey's POV:The city felt like it had been waiting for me all along.New York…its noise, its restlessness, its unstoppable current swallowed me whole, but instead of drowning me, it taught me how to breathe again. The skyline was no longer just a backdrop; it was the frame of my new life.In the mornings, sunlight streamed through my apartment windows, catching on the spines of books stacked along the walls, my book among them, my story. The bestseller label still startled me every time I saw it. A part of me still whispered that it wasn’t real, that at any moment someone would expose me, laugh at me, remind me that women like me didn’t get happy endings.But then, laughter would break that thought apart… my children’s laughter.Tessa had adjusted faster than I expected. She’d always been an old soul, though I sometimes forgot she was still just a child. New York fascinated her, it was like she knew she was born here, the towering buildings, the museums, the parks. Ethan, on the oth
Last Updated: 2025-11-17
Chapter: Chapter 88Stacey's POV:It was strange how peace could feel so much like trembling.The morning after I told Michael the truth, I woke with my chest lighter but my limbs heavy, as if I had dragged my heart through fire the night before. The silence of the house was loud, no violin strings playing from the street below, no roses, no forced smiles. Just me, my children sleeping upstairs, and the soft rhythm of my own breathing.I reached for my phone almost unconsciously, my fingers dialing Chloe’s number before my mind caught up.“Stace?” her groggy voice floated through.The second I heard her, I crumbled. “I did it.”“You told him?”“Yes.” My voice cracked. “Chloe, I finally told Michael the truth.”There was a pause, and then a squeal so sharp I had to hold the phone away from my ear. “Oh, thank God! Stacey, I was praying you’d find the courage. You did it!”I laughed through tears. “It doesn’t feel like courage. It feels like I broke someone’s heart. He… he looked at me like he knew. Like he
Last Updated: 2025-11-17
Chapter: Chapter 87Stacey’s POV:The apartment was too quiet.The kids had fallen asleep early, their soft breathing filling the rooms like a lullaby. Micheal and I sat in the living room, a lamp casting warm light across the space. I’d chosen this moment deliberately. No distractions. No excuses. Just us.My heart was hammering against my ribs so hard I was afraid he could hear it. The words I’d rehearsed a hundred times stuck in my throat. But I knew I couldn’t keep running. Not anymore.Micheal was sitting across from me, scrolling absently through his phone, a glass of wine untouched on the table. He looked tired, worn in a way I hadn’t noticed before…maybe from work, maybe from the weight of carrying a future for us that wasn’t really ours.I cleared my throat. “Micheal?”He glanced up, smiling faintly. “Hmm?”My hands twisted in my lap, knuckles pale. “Can we talk? Really talk?”Something in my tone must have tipped him off, because the smile faded. He set his phone aside and leaned forward, elbo
Last Updated: 2025-11-17
Chapter: Chapter 86Stacey’s POV:The room they led us into after the signing event was quiet compared to the chaos outside. My head was still spinning from the applause, the endless hands that had held my book, the smiles, the cameras. But the second the door closed behind me, and Noah stayed, my world tilted on an axis I hadn’t realized was still turning.It was just us.For a moment, neither of us spoke. He leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, that same intensity in his eyes that once both thrilled and terrified me. I clutched my book, the very one he’d brought to me to sign, like it was a shield.“So?” His voice broke the silence, deep and steady but threaded with something unspoken. “Was it real?”The question landed like a stone in my chest.I could have lied again. I could have laughed it off, told him the book was just a story, fiction, imagination spun into something people happened to believe in. That would have been easier…safer.But Noah’s eyes pinned me in place. Those eyes had always
Last Updated: 2025-11-17
Chapter: Chapter 85Stacey’s POV:The day of the signing dawned bright, sunlight spilling across my bedroom like a promise. Tessa burst into my room before I could even sip my tea, hopping onto my bed in a flurry of excitement.“Mommy, today you’re famous!” she announced, throwing her arms around me.I laughed, hugging her tight. “I’m already famous to you.”She shook her head seriously. “No, famous to everybody.”Her confidence steadied me in ways my own couldn’t. Still, nerves gnawed at me as the hours ticked by. The success of the book had been overwhelming, the kind of whirlwind that left me dizzy. But this? Sitting in front of strangers and letting them see me, this felt like exposure all over again but in a good way and this one was with my consent.By afternoon, we arrived at the venue. The building itself was grander than I’d expected, with tall glass doors and a banner draped across the entrance bearing my book’s title: The One I Let Go.Fans were already lined up outside, winding around the blo
Last Updated: 2025-11-17
Chapter: Chapter NINETY Tessa's POV: Some mornings, I still wake before the sun.Old habits, I guess.There was a time when waking up early meant preparing for battle, whether emotional or physical. A time when I carried the weight of other people’s expectations like armor. When I didn’t know who I was. But now?I wake for peace.For the little giggles echoing down the hallway. For the scent of cinnamon and fresh air drifting through the estate windows. For the love that fills every crack I once believed would never heal.I rolled onto my side, smiling as soft fingertips brushed along my cheek.Lucian.Even in sleep, his hand instinctively reached for me. His brow softened when he found me there beside him, like the storm of his past still needed reassurance that I hadn’t left.“I’m here,” I whispered, kissing his knuckles. “I’m not going anywhere.”He stirred slightly, his lashes fluttering. “Mmm. You say that now… But wait till she throws oatmeal in your hair again.”I laughed softly. “She’s your daughte
Last Updated: 2025-07-11
Chapter: Chapter Eighty NineTessa's POV: The pain came in waves, fierce and wild, like a storm crashing against cliffs. My cries echoed through the estate halls, but I wasn’t afraid.I was ready.Lucian knelt beside me, gripping my hand with a strength that made me know that he couldn't lose me. He didn’t flinch when I screamed. He didn’t waver when I sobbed his name. He was just there, whispering encouragement, pressing kisses to my sweat-soaked hair, his eyes never leaving me. “You’re almost there,” he murmured, his voice raw with emotion. “You’ve got this, moonlight. Just a little more.”I gasped, breath hitching, as another contraction tore through me. My mother stood near the foot of the bed, calm and focused, guiding the process with ancient magic that soothed the sharpest edges of the pain. Beside her was one of the estate’s most trusted she-wolves, Marra, the head healer, and Kate, one of my former maids who had stayed despite the havoc caused by Olivia. They moved around me with practiced hands and so
Last Updated: 2025-07-11
Chapter: Chapter Eighty EightTessa's POV: The mating ceremony wasn’t the kind of wedding I ever imagined growing up. There were no white dresses. No flower girls tossing petals. No fancy chairs lined up in rows.Instead, there was a circle.A wide, open clearing under the full moon. The air was heavy with the scent of pine and the hum of ancient magic. Wolves surrounded us, shifters from every corner of Lucian’s territory, some in human form, others padded and noble in their fur, all standing in reverent silence.And at the center of it all, him.Lucian.The Lycan King. The Alpha.He stood shirtless, barefoot, draped in a ceremonial sash made of braided threads, black, silver, and deep crimson, the colors of the Alpha line. The mark of the moon was etched in ash across his chest.He looked feral and beautiful. Mine.His dark eyes found mine as I stepped into the circle.I wore nothing elaborate. Just a deep blue silk gown and a crown of wild white flowers threaded with moonvine across my hair. My feet were bare.
Last Updated: 2025-07-11
Chapter: Chapter Eighty SevenTessa's POV: The wind that drifted through Lucian’s estate smelled different now. Not of blood, not of fear, but of wildflowers and ash, burnt sorrow giving way to something green again.We had returned a week ago.Not to pick up where we left off. That was impossible. Too much had been lost, too many truths had cracked open. But we came back to rebuild. Not the walls, but ourselves.Lucian’s estate was quieter than I remembered. Most of the staff had either fled during the chaos of Olivia or were reassigned by the Council until the dust settled.So it was just us.And strangely… I liked it that way.Our wounds, physical and otherwise, were still fresh. My ribs still ached when I twisted too far. Lucian winced when he moved his shoulder, where Olivia’s claws had nearly ended him. But the deepest healing wasn’t of the body.It was of the soul.He sat at the edge of the garden now, sunlight streaming through the overgrown vines above his head. His eyes were closed, his face tilted upwa
Last Updated: 2025-07-11
Chapter: Chapter Eighty SixTessa's POV: Dawn had barely begun to touch the horizon when the silence broke, low growls rumbling in the distance. Not from enemies. This time, they were different.I turned slowly, blood still drying on my skin, my breath catching as dark shapes approached through the woods. They came without sound, seven in total, cloaked in deep gray robes, faces partially masked in silver. Their eyes glowed faintly with ancient magic, and the moment they stepped into the courtyard, the very air bent around them.The werewolf council enforcers.Behind them came another group, less cloaked, more armored, already moving swiftly to begin evacuation. They carried stretchers, sacred warded tools, and whispered spells that lifted bodies with reverent silence.Olivia's still-bound form was hauled to her knees. She didn’t fight. Her eyes were blank now, devoid of the fire that once consumed her.One of the enforcers passed close to me, his silver eyes sweeping across the carnage. “We intercepted the dis
Last Updated: 2025-07-11
Chapter: Chapter Eighty FiveTessa's POV: Olivia groaned under the crushing weight of my magic, slumped against the courtyard wall like shattered porcelain. Her limbs twitched weakly, still bound by the living vines I’d summoned from the earth itself. Her hair was tangled and streaked with blood, and her once-fierce eyes now brimmed with a trembling disbelief.Olivia.The Alpha who tore everything apart.The sister who murdered her own blood.Now she lay broken.And still, I wasn’t done. My palms pulsed white with power, raw and ancient. I could feel it in the wind, in the soil, in the ache of my grief; it surged through me, responding to every thought, every breath.But then…Something shifted in the air.A ripple.A soft hum, like magic brushing against memory.I turned quickly.And there he stood.“Noah.”He stepped out from the smoke and shadows like a vision from another lifetime.Still tall. Still steady. Still carrying the sadness in his eyes that had never really left since we were kids.His brown curls
Last Updated: 2025-07-11
Chapter: Chapter 139Hannah’s POVBy the time I got home that evening, the sky had already begun to dim, the soft orange glow of dusk stretching across the windows like a warning. Even after a day's work at the office, my mind was still buzzing from the meeting earlier, from Chairman Gus’s words and the ticking clock they’d set in motion.When I stepped into the sitting room, Maria was there.She sat casually on one of the couches, her legs crossed, her phone in her hand like she owned the place. Her presence made something inside my chest tighten, but I kept my expression neutral. Calm. Normal.Everything depended on that.Almost on cue, my phone rang.Perfect.I glanced at the screen and deliberately frowned, as if annoyed. “Wait,” I said aloud, making sure my voice carried. “I can’t talk here. Let me go inside.”I didn’t miss the way Maria’s eyes lifted sharply to me. Curious. Alert.I walked down the hallway toward my room, my heartbeat steady despite the adrenaline rushing through me. Inside, I answ
Last Updated: 2025-12-16
Chapter: Chapter 138Hannah’s POV:I woke up slowly, the room still heavy with sleep and warmth. For a brief second, I stayed still, letting myself exist in that soft space between dreams and reality. My body felt deliciously relaxed, my muscles loose, my mind quiet in a way it rarely was.Flashes of last night bubbled in my head. The way he watched me take off my clothes, the way I held his shaft in my hand, the way he thrusted into me. I could still feel it.Gosh! That was one of the best nights of my life.I stretched on the bed.Then I noticed it.The space beside me was empty.My eyes fluttered open fully, my gaze drifting to the other side of the bed. The sheets were rumpled, still warm, but Adam wasn’t there. My chest tightened instantly, a sudden, irrational panic blooming in my stomach.Had he already left?The thought stung more than I expected. After everything, after last night, waking up alone felt like a quiet rejection, even though I knew better. Still, old wounds had a way of whispering at
Last Updated: 2025-12-15
Chapter: Chapter 137Hannah's POV:Adam's eyes were hungry and filled with consumption as he stared at me. “Should we take this to the room?”The way he bit his lips when he said it, the way his eyes remained fixed on my body, the way his arm remained wrapped around my waist—warm and firm. My body just couldn't resist him.I didn't want to resist him.I swallowed, taking out a breath I didn't know I was holding. “Yes, let's go.”He blinked, not in shock but in confirmation. His hand tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Are you sure?” His hand grazed my cheeks. “We don't have to do anything you don't want to.”Hannah took her hand and placed her fingers on his lips. “No, I want to.”Adam smiled, getting the green light. He took her hands in his, holding her like he was reassuring her he was going to talk her through the whole thing. “I want to too,”He took my hand and led me through the hallway, and I followed without any resistance.After Hayes' I never thought I'd be able to give my heart to an
Last Updated: 2025-12-14
Chapter: Chapter 136Hannah’s POV:Adam’s shoulder healed faster than I expected.Or maybe it just felt fast because I hadn’t wanted this moment to come.The doctor’s office smelled faintly of antiseptic and citrus cleaner, the kind that lingered long after you left. We were sitting in the hospital room for what the doctor kept calling the final checkup, and every time he said the word, my chest tightened just a little. Adam sat beside me on the bed, his shirt peeled off his shoulder as the doctor examined the old bullet wound with practiced efficiency.“Move your hands forward,” he commanded. Adam did as he was told and he did it without stress.“Alright, backwards.”He did.“Now try to rotate your arm.” He did without any single ounce of strain.“Range of motion looks good,” the doctor said, rotating Adam’s arm slightly. “No inflammation, no nerve damage. You’re cleared.”Adam grinned. “Told you I heal like Wolverine.”The doctor gave him a look. “Try not to get shot again.”“No promises,” Adam repli
Last Updated: 2025-12-13
Chapter: Chapter 135Hannah’s POV:The next weekend arrived faster than I expected, and before I knew it, Adam was parking his car in front of Josh’s duplex. I stared out the window, momentarily forgetting the chaos in my life because—wow. The place looked like something off a glossy magazine cover: a tall cream-white structure with glass railings, a manicured lawn, and a marble pathway that screamed money in a low, classy whisper.“Damn,” Adam muttered beside me, taking it all in. “Your friend has taste.”I snorted as I unbuckled my seatbelt. “Josh always had expensive hobbies. Watches, cars… apparently now, houses too.”Adam shot me a playful look. “Should I be worried?”“He wishes,” I deadpanned, earning a chuckle.Josh opened the front door before we even knocked. “Get in here, you two! You’re letting cold air escape.”“It’s warm outside,” I pointed out.“Yes, but it ruins the aesthetic when the door stays open,” he said seriously.Josh and his priorities. I followed him inside, and my jaw dropped aga
Last Updated: 2025-12-12
Chapter: Chapter 134Hannah’s POV:I was at my company office. I had been staring at the same spreadsheet on my laptop for the past ten minutes without registering a single line. My fingers hovered above the keyboard, unmoving, as if the numbers would eventually arrange themselves into something meaningful. They didn’t. My thoughts kept drifting back to Maria, to Uncle Chen, to the knot tightening in my stomach day by day.The knock on my office door snapped me out of it.Josh stepped inside with a warm grin and a paper bag in hand. “I come bearing food,” he announced dramatically. “Because someone,” he pointed at me, “has been skipping lunch again. And I won’t let you starve yourself into an early grave.”I sighed as he placed the bag on my desk. “I wasn’t skipping. I just… forgot.”He gave me that don’t-even-try-it look. “Exactly my point.”Before I could argue, he pulled me up from my chair and nudged me toward the office couch. “Sit. Eat. Human things. Now.”I sat, mostly because I didn’t have the ene
Last Updated: 2025-12-11
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