LOGINSERAPHINA °ââ.ŕłŕż*:シKai blinked, his fork halfway to his mouth. For a second he just stared at me, like the question had caught him completely off guard.âWhat?âI didnât look away. âWhen we met that day in the woods. You acted like I was just some random girl who got lost. But you knew, didnât you? Who I was.âHe slowly set his fork down but didnât answer right away. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his jaw like he was trying to figure out how much to say.I waited, then finally, he exhaled and met my eyes.âI didnât know everything,â he said quietly. âBut yeah⌠I knew who you were. Or at least, I had a pretty good idea. The Ashford name isnât exactly low-profile around here. And afterâŚâ He trailed off, shaking his head as if there was no point in saying that. âWhen I saw you that day, I recognized you. Not right away, but enough to know you werenât just some random girl.ââFigured,â I muttered, the word coming out flatter than I intended.Kai winced a litt
It didnât take long before my orgasm came crashing over me in ways that made my whole body shake. I cried out into the pillow, my walls clenching tight around him as pleasure ripped through me, leaving me breathless and trembling.Gage groaned, his pace faltering and thrust in hard one last time, burying himself to the hilt as he came with a broken curse. I felt the hot pulse of him flooding inside me, his grip on my hair tightening as he rode out his release.For a moment, the only sound in the room was our ragged breathing.Then he pulled out slowly, and I felt the warm, sticky mess begin to drip down my thighs. Before I could even catch my breath, his hand was back in my hair â gentler this time â as he guided me to turn over.His voice was low, rough, and unmistakably commanding when he spoke.âClean the mess, Love.âMy eyes met his. Even through the haze of pleasure, I understood exactly what he wanted. My cheeks flushed hot, but I didnât hesitate. I shifted down the bed, settl
I guided Micah into his room, the nightlight casting soft blue stars across the ceiling. He climbed into bed without much protest, already half-asleep, and I carefully placed the little container with Mr. Wiggles on his nightstand, right next to his dinosaur lamp. âThere,â I whispered, tucking the blanket up around his small shoulders. âMr. Wiggles is all settled. Now itâs time for you to sleep too, okay?â Micah blinked up at me, his little hand reaching out to grab mine. âMommy⌠when is Seraphina coming home?â My heart squeezed at the question. I brushed his dark hair back from his forehead and leaned down to kiss his temple. âSoon, baby. Sheâs just at school right now, learning lots of new things. But weâre going to video call her tomorrow, I promise. You can show her Mr. Wiggles and tell her all about your day. Sheâll be so happy to see you.â He yawned again, already sinking deeper into his pillow. âOkay⌠tell her I miss her.â âI will,â I said softly, my throat a little tig
THEA ASHFORD°ââ.ŕłŕż*:シI stood at the vanity in our bedroom, rubbing the last of my nighttime serum into my skin, wearing nothing but one of Gageâs old shirts, the hem brushing the tops of my thighs, when the bathroom door opened behind me.He stepped out, towel slung low on his hips, the deep V of his abdomen on full display as the water still clung to his broad chest, tracing paths down the defined lines of muscle. He rubbed another towel over his salt-and-pepper hair, the muscles in his arms flexing with the motion.I couldnât help it. My hands stilled on my face, and a slow, helpless smile curved my lips as I watched him in the mirror. God, he was still the most beautiful man Iâd ever seen. Ten years of marriage, two kids, and the mess of life hadnât dulled that pull one bit. If anything, itâs as if it had only grown even stronger.He caught my reflection staring and raised a brow, a slow, knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.âWhat?â I said defensively, still smil
âSaraphinaââKai called but before he could finish whatever he wanted to say, we reached the small cafe heâd been leading us to. He opened the door for me, the little bell above it chiming softly.And the first person I saw inside was Riley.She was sitting at a corner table with her friends, laughing about something, but the second she spotted me, her smile widened and she raised her hand in a little wave.My stomach twisted.Kaiâs warning was still ringing in my ears. If Itâs The Same Riley⌠Itâd Probably Be Best To Give Her Some Distance. I didnât know what to do.It took only a moment for her smile to falter slightly when she noticed the look on my face, but she didnât look away. If anything, she tilted her head a little, like she was trying to figure out what was wrong.At that moment, Kaiâs hand brushed lightly against my back, it was barely a touch, and was just enough to guide me inside.âYou okay?â he murmured under his breath.I swallowed hard and leaned closer to Kai, my v
We walked in comfortable silence for a minute before I spoke. âSo⌠I met someone today,â I said, glancing at him sideways. âI, uh⌠spilled coffee all over her this morning.â He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. âAlready making friends the fun way, huh?â I rolled my eyes but couldnât stop the small smile tugging at my lips. âShe was actually really cool about it. Walked me to class and everything. Even took my number before she left.â I paused, then added, âHer friends were kind of intense, though. One of them called me a stray.â That made Kai slow his steps a little, glancing over at me with a curious frown. âWhyâd she call you a stray?â I shrugged, kicking a small pebble off the path. âI donât know. I guess I just have that ânew girl who doesnât belong hereâ vibe. Or maybe I looked lost.â He nodded slowly, like he was turning it over in his head. Then, after a beat, he asked, âWhat was the girlâs name? The one you spilled coffee on?â âRiley,â I said. Kai stopped walking. He
°ââ.ŕłŕż*:シ The drive home was quiet, but not the awkward kind. Gageâs hand stayed on my thigh the entire time, thumb tracing slow, absent patterns through my jeans. Every once in a while heâd squeeze lightly, a silent reminder that he was thinking about me. I stared out the window, watching the
âSo youâre in a relationship with Caleb,â he murmured, voice so low it almost disappeared into the wind. I opened my mouth to explainâto spill the whole ridiculous, humiliating truthâbut he cut me off before the first syllable could escape. âDid you know?â I blinked. âNo⌠No! I swear I didnât kn
Every muscle in my body locked at once, breath snagging in my throat so hard it hurt. I knew that voice. I knew it all too well.How could I possibly not recognize the voice when Iâd spent months listening to it ask gentle questions, hold space for my silences, murmur âtake your timeâ when I coul
MIAââżâI was sitting at the bar on the second of January, already four whiskeys in, and I still couldnât shake the image of that empty fucking apartment from my skull. She didnât even leave a note.Not a text.Not a âfuck you, Iâm out.âJust⌠nothing.And yeah, I knew she might have been pissed.







