MasukSOPHIA I could hear the fear in my voice, a doubt that was not typical for me. His gray eyes grew darker. "They will try everything they have to extract her if she is still alive." That was the possible truth I did not want to speak, the one thing I could not accept. "She cannot be dead." I said the words because I desperately wanted them to be true. Blake stood and came to sit beside me, pulling me into his arms as though it was completely natural for him. "I hope she is not." The comforting tone of his voice finally made me break down. I had worried for weeks, wondering if Debby was still alive. The stress fracture in my heart finally split completely open, and I cried. BLAKE I felt fucking helpless because all I could truly do was hold Sophia in my arms as she sobbed out every bit of fear she had kept inside about her sister's safety. I could not promise her that Debby was still alive. The international correspondent was in a world where nobody would care if she was behead
A single tear fell onto my cheek, and I grieved for what could have been if I had not been so fast to make assumptions, or if I had answered his call just once. I knew I could not have a serious relationship with him, but maybe we could have been friends. Maybe the resentment between us would have been resolved years ago. "I do not know what to say." "Do not say you are sorry again," he requested. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I did not realize until Marcus told me what you had said to him that you had seen him with somebody else. It would have hurt me back then. I am sure it was painful for you." I nodded as I wiped the tear from my face. "It did. I suppose it was because you were my first." "You will never know how much that meant to me, or how much it destroyed me that you would not speak to me again," he answered in a low, rough voice. "I wanted it to be you," I said in a voice that was barely audible. "I knew the feelings were right. I never regretted it, Blake." "Ev
He nodded. "I was probably at home, still waiting for you to reach out to me." My hands were actually trembling as I clasped them together with nervousness. It made sense now. But I had reacted so strongly when I had seen Marcus all those years ago that I had not even considered his twin. "You could have called me. You had my number." "I did call. Many times, as I am sure you remember. Before I left to go back to college thirteen years ago, I came to your house. I do not remember the whole conversation, but Debby basically told me you hated me because I had lied to you. I thought you knew by then that I was really Marcus's twin, and you were angry. She slammed the door in my face before I could get the whole story. Your sister said you were gone." I sighed. "I was. I left to go to California. I had made up my mind what I wanted to do with my life, and I wanted to check out Berkeley's architecture program. Debby knows what happened, and she was with me when I saw your mom, Marcus,
SOPHIA Marcus released a frustrated sigh and dragged his fingers through his hair. "No. That is not all I want." "By now, I had hoped that you would be out of the country, rescuing my sister. Please do not expect me to exchange my body for your assistance." Was that what he thought? That I would have sex with him to save Debby? If he believed he could get a quick encounter before he left to find my sister, he was out of his mind. With Marcus, it was difficult to tell what he was thinking but I could not think of any logical reason why he was forcing this attraction we had. Realistically, there was nothing I would not do to save my sibling. If it meant getting tangled in a world of pain one more time, I would probably do it. But there was no way I would let Marcus know I was willing to do whatever he wanted if he would just bring my sister back. "That is not what I am asking," he complained, and then walked over to the bar in the small living room of the suite to pour himself a d
SOPHIA He stopped only a hair's breadth away from my trembling lips, denying my pull for just an instant, and I could sense his warm breath on my desperate mouth as he growled, "I have waited thirteen years for this." Although I probably did not realize it, I had been waiting as well, and I could not endure another second of it. Every inch of my skin had broken out in goose bumps as Marcus claimed my mouth, his solid frame crushing into mine with his urgent hold. He commanded. He took. No compassion. Not that I wanted anything except the fierce kiss he was giving me at that moment. I parted for him, wrapping my arms around his neck, and holding onto his large body like he was my rescue rope. Which was actually exactly what he was at this moment. The one large thing keeping me from sinking. I could not think. I could not even remain upright without him, and my hands moved to his shoulders to balance myself. A moan escaped my throat and resonated against his as his arms wrapped
I watched her pick at the remaining portion of her bagel and eventually place it back onto the plate. "I am not sure that is any of your concern. I came to you to ask for your assistance in locating my sister." "Tell me anyway. Indulge me." "Not that it matters to you, but no, I am not seeing anyone at this time." My body became less tense. "Thank you. If it means anything, I am also not involved with anyone." "It does not," she said without emotion. "It no longer matters. I only want to focus on finding Debby." "It does matter," I answered without emotion. "Marcus, I do not care about anything you do or have outside of the abilities you possess to save my sister," Sophia said with coldness. "You are still drawn to me. It does not matter how many years have passed," I told her with certainty. Indeed, I could slice the strain between us with a blade, and it was not all about her resentment toward me. I watched her swallow with difficulty, attempting to conceal it. But I knew ve
“Blake is his best friend. I have no doubt he knows, but he must have decided not to say anything. Chloe pesters me every day about you. I’m glad she’s coming home. I hate brushing her off and pretending I accept that you aren’t coming back. Hell, I hate lying to her.” Just the thought of seeing
She smiled at him through her tears. “Even though you say you’re not romantic, I think what you just said is probably the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.” They stayed in Denver for the next few months, and Ellie was happier than she could remember being in her whole life. Most of the day, she wor
Ellie wished he would have left her alone. “No. He stayed that night, using every minute to try to scare me into obeying him. Every time I argued, he hit me. It was a very long night.” She felt Zane’s body tense under hers as he asked, “Did he strip you, or did you do it yourself?” “He used a ca
She shook her head, breaking the connection of their locked eyes. Her gaze fell to the flute of champagne in her hand, and she ran her fingers along the stem. God, even that seemed to excite him. He wanted those fingers on him, all over his fucking body. Remembering why he’d been gone for so long







