Hale’s pov.She stands in front of the vanity, fingers closing around a hair brush resting on the vanity across from our bed. Her posture is relaxed, either unaware or unbothered by the way I’m watching her from the bed. She drags the bristles through her hair in smooth, unhurried strokes, her back turned to me, seemingly lost in thought.She’s wearing my sweater.And not just any sweater—my oldest one, the one with the threadbare sleeves and stretched-out collar. It hangs low over her ass, barely covering her almost see-through tights, and every time she shifts, the hem rides up just enough to make me want to sink my teeth into the back of her leg.My cock twitches under the sheets, already getting hard.There’s something about seeing her like this, wearing something of mine like it belongs to her. She’s not just here. She’s settled. Comfortably. In my clothes, in my room, in my fucking head. And now, even the way she brushes her hair feels personal.I push up from the mattress.She
Hale doesn’t show for dinner.I sit alone at the long, polished table. A single place setting gleams under the chandelier, like a spotlight meant to mock me. The silverware’s too shiny—the linen napkin’s folded with such neatness, you wouldn’t expect it in the home of the notorious Hellbringer—but at the table of the British royalty instead.I don’t speak to anyone, and no one speaks to me. A small blessing, if anything.I eat in silence. Fast. Each bite is mechanical, tasteless, my jaw working only because I force it to. My throat is tight, but I make myself swallow. Every chew feels like a countdown. I want it over. I need it over.I drain the water in my glass, wiping my mouth and rising in one fast motion—so fast I nearly knock over a pot plant behind me in the process.I make sure no one’s watching me, then leave the dining room and take the stairs—two at a time. I slow at the hallway’s end and glance out the massive window. The sky’s tinted orange and purple, fading into night.
Cali’s POV.Hale’s phone buzzes just after we step out of the tub.He doesn’t look at me. He just stands there for a second, dripping wet, his hand clenching around the edge of the vanity. Then he answers.His tone shifts to slight annoyance, but I can tell he’s putting in effort to sound calm and aware—enough so to make it clear that whatever is being said on the other end matters. I can’t hear the voice, only that it’s male, speaking in a rushed manner.He cuts the call after a few curt replies.By the time we’re both dressed, he surprises me once again, by wrapping his arms around me in a tight embrace, then follows it with a kiss.His hand cradles the side of my face as his mouth finds mine, softer this time. Slower. There’s something behind it that doesn’t feel like forceful or remotely sexual—like the way he kissed me earlier.No, this time it’s gentle and almost caring.Then he leaves, without so much as an explanation.I stare at the closed door for a while, then turn back to
The third time nearly knocked us both out.Cali’s draped across my chest, limbs tangled with mine, her breath still uneven as it ghosts along my skin. Her body is flushed, damp with sweat, her hair plastered to her temple. My cock’s finally softened, but the memory of every sound she made—every clench of her body, every cry that escaped her lips—is burned into my mind with no chance of fading.I don’t want to move.But she stirred a moment ago, mumbling something about food.I grab the phone on the nightstand, dial the butler directly, and tell him exactly what I want. No multi-course meal, anything exotic—nor expensive. Just something basic—something I have a feeling Cali would enjoy right now.“Two pizzas,” I order. “Meat-heavy. Add chocolate mousse on the side.”I hang up before he replies.Cali hasn’t moved much. She’s still draped over me like she’s not planning to go anywhere anytime soon. I watch the steady rise and fall of her back, the lazy curve of her ass against my thigh,
Hale’s POVMy hands slide to Cali’s ass, gripping the soft flesh as I grind up against her. Every inch of me is pressed against the soaked fabric between her thighs. The friction is unbearable. Every move she makes sends a jolt through my spine and back down into the ache in my cock.She presses her hips harder against me and I can’t stop the growl that escapes from my throat. Her breath stutters at the sound. Her eyes flicker, not with fear, but with heat, and maybe just a little bit of pride.Her body is hot and firm and wrapped around me like it belongs there.I reach up, unclasp the back of her bra with one hand, and yank it away. It drops somewhere beside the bed. I don’t look to see where. My eyes are glued to her breasts, full and flushed, nipples already hard, begging for my mouth, my hands—both.I slide my palm over one, dragging my thumb across the peak. She gasps, hips rocking down reflexively. I grip her tighter with one arm and tug her panties down with the other. I get t
I wake up, enveloped in the kind of warmth that reminds me of clouds and sunshine. It’s slow, consuming, that sinks into every inch of me. It’s quiet, except for the soft hum of breath behind my ear and the steady beat of a heart beneath my back. The bed feels like it could swallow me whole.My body is weightless, surrounded on all sides by safety I haven’t felt in… I don’t even know how long.I stay still, eyes closed, not ready to let reality slip in just yet.Fingers trail down my cheek, feather-light and slow. I don’t flinch like I normally would. Nor do I pull away. I just let myself feel it—embrace it.There’s no demand in the touch. Merely the patient glide of skin against skin. A knuckle grazing the side of my jaw, then the back of his hand brushing along my neck. His fingertips trace down again, then slide into my hair, combing lazily through the strands. My scalp tingles as he plays with the pieces at the nape of my neck.For once, I don’t want to fight. I don’t want to thin