LOGINEmilyIt was a blatant challenge, laid out right in front of everyone without an ounce of shame. He had played his card, and now he was waiting for my response, patiently, like a predator testing its prey.“I don't know,” I replied, turning my head just enough to meet his gaze. “I noticed a tiny red indicator light flashing near the ceiling when Jack and I were having our baths last night. I figured you installed it for security reasons and simply forgot to disengage it upon our arrival.”“Ah, that,” there was a derisive tilt at the corner of his mouth. “You must forgive me, Emily. I apologize for such an oversight. It was placed there strictly for security while the room was vacant. I assure you, no one is invading your privacy. I’ll have Beatrice uninstall the feed today so you feel entirely comfortable.”His eyes never left mine as he spoke. The unspoken words hung in the air between us. Afraid I might say something reckless to feed his amusement, I forced myself to avert my eyes a
Emily“I love the sound you make. Sleep now, little lady.”I didn’t need to stare at the message twice to know it was from Zane.I crossed my arms defiantly against my chest. If Zane wanted to play games, I was more than willing to oblige. I picked up my phone, typed out a single word: Coward, and hit send.Deep down, I knew a message like that wasn’t enough to rattle him. From every interaction I’d observed, Zane was a man unmoved by many things. The world could be burning around him, and he’d still wear that same unbothered expression, as if everyone and everything answered directly to him.I splashed cold water over my face one last time, watching the fatigue wash down the drain, before making my way back to the bedroom. Jack was already sound asleep by the time I got under the covers, a small mercy I was genuinely grateful for.I pulled the duvet up to my chin and closed my eyes. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. After all, Zane and I were finally beginning our game of cat and
ZaneMy car came to a halt a few spaces behind Beatrice’s Cadillac. I turned off the engine and unfastened my seatbelt, waiting until she got out and covered some distance before I followed suit.Earlier, during a dinner that Emily had missed, I had barely paid attention. I had been looking forward to seeing her, suspecting she was avoiding me after I caught her with my camera in the shed. My thoughts were entirely consumed by her until Tammy’s voice broke through the silence."Mum, the man we saw at the hospital was really nice and handsome. I think Nicole has a crush on him."Beatrice tensed immediately, setting her fork down and casually eyeing me through her lashes. I knew right then what had happened, but I decided to play the fool."Hey, don’t go crushing on doctors and nurses, Nicole," I chided playfully. I avoided looking at Beatrice; even if my voice didn't give me away, I knew my eyes would.Beatrice cleared her throat. "Stop teasing your sister, Tammy.""I’m not too young,
Emily Jack’s face lit up immediately, like I’d just handed him the Christmas present he’d always wanted. A brief frown flickered across his features as he hunkered down. “Are you sure, Em? You just said you were stressed.” “I’m sure.” I ruffled his hair and pulled him closer. “I’m so fucking hot. Let’s fuck in the shower.” I deliberately slid my hand down and rubbed over his hard-on. “Damnit, Emily.” He scooped me up into his arms and carried me straight to the shower like his life depended on it. “How did I get so lucky with you?” He tilted my chin up with his thumb and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss made my stomach lurch. I’d lost all feelings for him, but I couldn’t let that show, I needed to get through with this. So, I treated it like acting. Instantly I noticed the red light begin to flicker. Good. I smiled to myself. I broke the kiss and stared into Jack’s probing eyes. “Let me take control, okay?” He nodded, too needy to form words. I moved down seductively
Emily I bolted out of the shed, hurtling through the woods like he was chasing me. But the truth was chasing me faster than Zane ever could. In all my craving and wanton enthrallment, I had never once stopped to think about the power Zane might have been wielding over me. I had thought that from the moment I got here, I had been the one pulling him into my fantasy world. Now, I wasn’t so sure. Why was he naked and having a bath outside, on the first day I arrived here? Why? He must have been privy to our arrival.… No! This doesn’t make sense. I wandered into his farm. If I had just followed Jack, I wouldn’t have seen him. I shook my head again. This man had the power to make any woman want him, the power to drive a woman insane. I had never stopped to consider what kind of man he actually was. He was a stranger, after all. A stranger I had wanted to bend me over every single table in this house. What if this was part of Jack’s plan? What if Jack’s family was full of psychos
Emily’s Pov I paced the bedroom, my head throbbed so intensely, I wish I could just numb it for a while. Every few seconds, I stopped, pressed my palm against my forehead, and stared towards the open bathroom door. I hadn’t even had the presence of mind to grab my phone and snap a photo of the red light when it happened. By the time I had dragged myself out of the bathtub, thrown on my clothes, and forced my trembling legs back into that bathroom to secure proof, the tiny red dot was dead. Someone was playing a sick, sadistic game with me. Toying with my sanity like a cat playing with a cornered mouse. And I knew without a shadow of a doubt who held the strings. Beatrice had rushed out earlier to take Tammy to the hospital, and Nicole had gone along to help. Jack was still somewhere in town, supposedly running errands for the house. There were no housekeepers, no groundskeepers walking the halls. It was just me and Zane. I couldn't stay inside those four walls another second. I
Emily The plane landed with a gentle thud that jolted me back to the present. Jack was already unbuckling, reaching for the overhead bin before the seatbelt sign even dinged off. “I’ve got it, babe,” he said, voice low like I might shatter if he spoke too loud. “You just sit. No lifting. Docto
Emily I woke up to the smell of burnt toast and coffee. Sunlight sliced through the half-open blinds, painting stripes across the bed. Jack was already up, humming off-key in the kitchen like nothing had ever been wrong between us. I slipped out of bed, pulled on one of his old T-shirts, and p
Emily I closed the door on Andrea, and the lock clicked like the final nail in a coffin. For a second, everything held still, but then the dam broke. I fell to the floor right there in the entryway, knees to my chest, face buried in my arms. The sobs came hard and ugly, tearing up from somewhe
Emily I couldn’t breathe properly. Not since the moment Maira’s finger had pressed against my lips. The wine had turned my limbs heavy and my thoughts slippery, but it hadn’t blurred the line between us, not until her mouth was suddenly on mine. Her lips were soft. Softer than I expected. She







