LOGINKimmy’s POVThe kiss didn't start with the sudden force I had prepared myself for.Instead, Thaddeus was patient. His lips pressed against mine with a slow pressure, taking his time as if he wanted to measure my reaction before pushing any further. He held back his usual intensity, keeping his movements unhurried and deliberate. He kissed me like a man who had all the time in the world, like he wanted to savor every single second.My body went stiff underneath him.I lay there on the mattress, my hands resting flat against his bare shoulders, holding my breath. I didn't push him away, but I couldn't bring myself to kiss him back either. A tight knot formed in my throat, keeping me completely frozen while his lips moved gently over mine.My mind was racing, going back to the reason I was standing in this apartment in the first place. I remembered the files, the dark history of 2018, and my family name buried under years of lies. Every instinct I had built over the last few years told m
Thaddeus POV Kimmy stood frozen in front of me, her brown eyes wide and her mouth slightly open in pure, stunned silence. I didn't loosen my grip on her wrist for a single second. The delicate pulse beneath her smooth skin was fluttering like a trapped bird—fast, erratic, and betraying every single bit of composure she was trying so hard to hold onto. I could feel the slight tremble in her fingers, the instinctual urge to yank herself backward and put distance between us, but I held her anchored right where she was. "You..." she started, her voice coming out as a tiny, breathless whisper. She swallowed hard, her chest heaving slightly under that thin pink top as she tried to pull her arm back gently. "Beau, let go. I'm just going to heat up the noodles." "No, you're not," I said flatly. I didn't yell. I didn't raise my voice or lean into the harsh, commanding tone I used inside my private study with Marcus on the phone. I just stated it like an absolute, undeniable fact, stepping
Kimmy’s POV I wasn't far deep into my sleep when the sound woke me. It was a soft, silent movement—the click of the bedroom door turning on its hinges. My eyes drifted open in the slightly dark room, cutting through the haze of the half-sleep I had finally managed to slide into. I sat up on the king-sized mattress, pulling the duvet off my legs as I looked toward the entrance. Thaddeus was standing right by the foot of the bed. He had already tossed his bangles onto the dresser, and right as I opened my eyes, he was reaching down to grab the hem of his dark shirt, pulling it over his head in one fluid motion and tossing it aside. Moonlight from the window fell across his bare chest and shoulders, revealing the tension in his posture. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and walked straight up to him. Thaddeus paused, his heavy dark eyes tracking me as I crossed the floor in my pink tank top and lounge shorts. "Why aren't you sleeping yet?" he asked, his voice low and raspy
Kimmy’s POV The sudden silence in the kitchen returned the moment Thaddeus left to answer the call he just received. I swallowed the last bit of my noodles, my appetite completely ruined by the sudden shift in the room. The relaxed, flirty mood we were sharing just two minutes ago had vanished into thin air. I stood up from the wooden stool and began clearing off the counter. I threw away my empty plastic container and paper napkins, then wrapped up Thaddeus’s untouched box of food, putting it neatly inside the refrigerator so it wouldn't spoil whenever he finally felt like eating. Just as I closed the fridge door, Thaddeus walked back into the kitchen. The dark, intense look in his eyes was still there, tucked right beneath the surface, but his posture was completely controlled, but slightly tensed. "Urgent business just came up," he said softly, his voice low and dead serious. "I need to go attend to it." Before I could ask him anything, he stepped closer, cupped the side of m
Thaddeus POV I snatched the two brown paper takeout bags right out of Marcus's hands, my jaw clenched tight enough to snap a tooth. Marcus took one look at my face, then let his gaze slide right past my shoulder to catch a quick glimpse of Kimmy sitting at the kitchen island, flushing bright red while she pulled her pink tank top flat against her chest. He knew instantly that he had just ruined a major, unrepeatable moment for me. Instead of looking intimidated or stepping back, a slow, taunting smirk spread across Marcus's face. He held his hands up in mock surrender, his dark eyes sparkling with pure, unadulterated amusement. "Seriously, fuck you, Marcus," I growled, my voice thick with raw irritation. Marcus just raised his hands higher, giving me a playful, mocking salute as he stepped backward out of the open doorway. I didn't wait for him to open his mouth again—I slammed the heavy front door right in his face, letting the deadbolt click into place with a thud that echoed d
Thaddeus POV “Jesus fucking Christ.” I muttered under my breath the second I raised my head. The curse slipped out automatically before I could even filter it. Kimmy was standing right at the edge of the kitchen, looking like a total fever dream. She had taken off that oversized hoodie, replacing it with a simple pink tank top and a pair of tiny black lounge shorts. Kimmy was standing right at the edge of the kitchen, looking like a total fever dream. She had taken off that oversized hoodie, replacing it with a simple pink tank top and a pair of tiny black lounge shorts. The tank top fit her body smoothly, but because she wasn't wearing a bra underneath, my eyes hooked instantly onto her chest. I couldn't stop looking at the clear outline of her hardened nipples poking aggressively right through the pink fabric. Below that, she wore a tiny pair of black lounge shorts that rode high on her hips, leaving her long, smooth legs and a generous curve of her butt cheeks completely exp







