تسجيل الدخولLorraine's POV"Because I needed to get out of my own head," I step closer.It's not a complete lie. My father's voice is still ringing in my ears, Adelaide's smirk is still somewhere behind my eyes, and Damian's coldness is still a wound I haven't figured out how to stop touching.But that's not why I'm here."That's the pretty version." "I'm a pretty person, and..." I take another step. The robe shifts and I let it, one hand barely holding the front together. The throb between my legs started somewhere in the bathroom and hasn't stopped, and I'm not entirely sure what to do with that information. This is Marcus. Georgia's Marcus. And I am getting turned on by Marcus? Nah. I’ve just had a really long day. It’s the wine. The robe. The weirdness of all this."You drove me here. That's on you."His brow lifts. One corner of his mouth twitches. "Turning my question against me?"He reaches for his glass. I move before I think, closing the final distance to his side and snatching the gla
Lorraine's POVMy hands keep shaking on the handle. I have no idea what I am doing here. Okay, that's actually a lie. I need that footage of Samantha and Timothy. I need a weapon so sharp it cuts Damian’s lingering hope out of his chest, and Marcus is the only one holding the blade."Lorraine? The prawns are burning."His voice pulls me back from the brink. I gasp, staring at the blackened shells in the pan. "Oh! I... I’m sorry. I haven't touched a kitchen stove in years."Marcus lets out a melodic chuckle that vibrates in the small space. He steps closer, reaching around me to slide the pan off the heat. His arm brushes mine, a contact so brief yet electric, and I nearly jump out of my skin."Let me," he murmurs, his presence suddenly overwhelming. "You cut the vegetables. Try to chop them right, please."I nod dumbly, picking up a knife. My body is vibrating with a frantic energy. Every time I remember he’s only a few feet away, the heat spreads from my chest to my fingertips. I’m
Lorraine's POV "I should have known you'd be here, lurking like a vulture," I snap, my voice trembling despite the coldness I try to inject into it.Adelaide glides into the room with the smooth confidence and elegance of a woman who has never known the indignity of being left at an altar. She’s my aunt, born nearly three decades after my father, but she’s always played the role of the wicked older sister—the one who points out every blemish, every failure, and every time Damian Sterling looked past me."Lurking? Darling, I’m here to ensure the Belrose name isn't dragged further into the gutter by your delusions," Adelaide purrs, perching on the edge of a leather guest chair. She turns her wicked eyes toward my father. "Arthur, be reasonable. Every postponement over the last five years was a red flag. Saturday wasn't an accident but an escape. Damian Sterling ran away from her."The words stings. My face goes hot, but I don't look away. I can’t. If I break now, Adelaide wins. She’s b
Lorraine's POV "I am not leaving him! Why do I have to go?" I snap my wrist free from her grip, my voice echoing in the hospital hallway. I glare at Georgia, my hands shaking as I clutch my purse. "He’s disoriented, Georgia. He looked at me like I was a total stranger! I need to be in there when the doctor explains why my fiancé’s brain has apparently rotted."Georgia doesn't flinch. She scoffs sharply, cutting through my hysteria. Slowly, she steps toward me, her eyes raking over my appearance with disgust."Perhaps the smell coming off you is what put him off in the first place. Damian Sterling would never lower himself to be with someone who hasn't touched soap since Sunday."My hand flies to my hair, unwashed and greasy. I haven't showered since I watched his car disappear from the church that morning."You're saying I smell?""Stink is the right word. Go take a shower. Be your usual polished self, then come back." Georgia's voice softens slightly. "You want him to remember why h
Damian's POV "What the fuck are you going on about?" Georgia’s voice shrills, her face draining of color as she stares at me. "Damian, stop this. It’s not funny." "I’m in a hospital bed, my body feels like it’s been put through a meat grinder, and you’re standing there with a stranger claiming I’m engaged. Where is my Samantha? Why isn't she here?" Georgia looks at me with profound horror. She steps closer, her hands trembling. "Lorraine, please go get the doctor. Tell him Damian has woken up, and he is disoriented." Lorraine looks at me, her eyes brimming with tears, before she turns and flees the room. "Damian, Lorraine has been your fiancée for five years. You were supposed to marry her three days ago, but you got into a horrible accident with Seth. He didn't make it." My heart stops. Seth... is dead? The image of his face, even his bugging presence, flashes through my mind, followed by a crushing wave of grief that makes the physical pain seem like a tickle. But I let o
"Oh God."It's a perfect stretch that makes my eyes roll back. My lips part on a silent gasp as I try to catch my breath around the overwhelming sensation of fullness.Timothy leans down, his forehead resting against mine. He’s smiling, eyes crinkled at the corners, and I reach up to trace his jaw with my fingers because I can."You're so beautiful," he says quietly."Don't make me cry right now."He laughs and turns his lips to my palm. "I'm not moving yet. I want to stay here for a minute. Is that okay?""More than okay."My hands roam. His shoulders, his back, the plane of his stomach. He is looking at me and I am looking at him and the weight of five years sits here with us, every Tuesday, every airport goodbye, every time he tucked hair behind my ear and I didn't let myself think about what it meant."I didn't know it would feel like this," he murmurs."Like what?" I'm utterly lost in his eyes."Like coming home..." he makes the first thrust.A sharp, delicious shock rips through







