Amara stood still at the entrance of the gigantic bookstore, her eyes widening in sheer amazement. It was a place unlike any she had ever seen before. Rhys had brought her to a haven of the world she wished to live in. It always amazed her how much he knew her, from her dislikes to the things that could make her heart flutter. It was dangerous yet formidable. The intimacy one should have with their spouse, Rhys filled that void.
She teased her bottom lip. The sensation from earlier crept up her chest caging around her heart and gently shook it. Chest tightened and the butterflies in her stomach flapped their wings vigorously.
“You like it?” she yelped feeling his warm teasing breath on her ear. Taken by surprise, her eyes widened and her lips parted. Rhys grinned like the devil he was and leaned in, “You like it.” This time it was a statement than his earlier question. Amara flushed averting her eyes from his hypnotizing grey eyes and cleared he
Amara found herself captivated by the stormy depths of his eyes, where chaos seemed to reign supreme amidst the swirling grey. With a heavy sigh, she averted her gaze, seeking solace amidst the orderly rows of books that lined the shelves."Then what can I do to truly understand you?" she asked, her voice soft yet heavy."Be mine," he responded, his tone carrying an air of certainty that both intrigued and unsettled her."Am I not already yours?" she questioned, her brows furrowing in confusion.He considered her words for a moment before replying, his voice tinged with a hint of longing. "Perhaps, but I desire more than mere possession. I wish to intertwine our souls in every sense, to be enveloped in the essence of your being, regardless of its shade."She hesitated, acutely aware of the societal boundaries that loomed over their connection. "You know the consequences... it's deemed sinful, punishable."He took a step toward her, caging her between the shelf and his chest."By whom?
“What is it?” Rhys's voice cut through the tension, his eyes narrowing with anticipation as his fists clenched. The air hung heavy with tension as Rhys waited on the other end of the line, his senses keenly attuned to Lorcan's hesitant breathing. With a deep breath to steady himself, Lorcan finally found the courage to speak, his voice trembling with uncertainty. "I... I got the footage." Rhys's reaction was instinctual, his body tensing as if struck by a bolt of lightning. Footage. The word echoed in his mind, a stark reminder of the harsh reality lurking just beyond the edges of his consciousness. Amidst the chaos of recent things, he had purposely let Amara's incident slip into the back of his mind, overshadowed by the overwhelming intensity she sparked in him. Blood. It was all he could think of, the animalistic urge for blood pulsing through his veins like a relentless drumbeat. His inner beast roared to life, demanding revenge for the pain inflicted upo
“Where are we going?” Amara finally broke the silence with a question, her voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of nervousness. Rhys veered from their original route, shifting her gaze to his face behind the shades. A yearning emanated from her eyes, a silent plea to comprehend his emotions, to unravel the feelings concealed by his sunglasses. She resisted the urge to reach out and tug them away, her desire to peer into his eyes battling with the fear of further provoking him.I wish to intertwine our souls in every sense, to be enveloped in the essence of your being, regardless of its shade.She shut her eyes as his words echoed in her head. Regardless of its shade, he said. But what if… what if she was colorless? What if she was simply devoid of it all? What if she was just a blank canvas, lacking in hue and incomplete? Would he still want to be painted in her colors? Would he still mend her?She was scared of those answers. As much as she wanted him to be with her, she dreaded th
“You wouldn’t mind if I join you guys, don’t you?” Anna smiled, but the way her lips curved, made Amara anxious. She couldn’t fathom the situation. Anna turned towards Amara, her smile was sickening, making Amara swallow. The woman in front of her was someone she felt like she didn't know. Anna smirked placing her leather handbag on the table and leaned on her hands, her low-cut dress exposing her cleavage. “What say, Amara?”Amara looked at her and then at Rhys, her chest throbbed as she averted her eyes and nodded. “N-no worries, you… you can…” The world seemed blurred and hazy. She could practically feel her words ringing in her ears. Fiancé. Rhys’s fiancé. The revelation sent shockwaves through her, the sharp edges of surprise and hurt intertwining as she grappled with the reality.Amara shuddered as her chest tightened and she struggled to breathe. Pushing the chair back, she stood up, her hands balled at her sides and her head lowered. She couldn’t afford to look at them anymor
He didn’t like that. The way she ignored him tempted him to pull her close. Her leaned eyes and red rims bothered him to the point he was seething with rage. The act she was putting on, the façade and the mask she wore to hide her true emotions were gnawing at him. His eyes slowly moved down her trembling body, taking in the sight of her dishevelled dirty clothes. His jaw clenched. But he reminded himself.This was not the time. He knew she needed explanations, and he’d give her, but now was not the time. He couldn’t risk her life. This game included blood, and he’d die thousands of deaths just to make sure she lived.Rhys hid his emotions behind his cold expressions. The muscle in his jaw twitched and he resisted the urge to snap Anna’s fingers as she seductively ran them down his thigh. He grabbed her hand before she could move it low and squeezed it tight as a warning. “Don’t.”Her touch disgusted him. It was taking everything in him to pull out his gun and shoot her. Anna glance
Amara felt suffocated inside the four walls of the gigantic mansion.She stood at the centre kitchen island, her hands deftly mixing batter for cookies and cake, the scent of vanilla and sugar filling the air. Mind elsewhere, and hands automatically moving.Beside her Martha bustled about, her apron dusted with flour as she prepared ingredients for the dinner. Despite the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze that swept through the open windows, there was a palpable chill in the air—an icy void that had settled in Amara's heart.She tried to push aside the memories that threatened to consume her, but it was difficult.A whole damn week. It had been a week since she had discovered Rhys had a fiance since she had felt the ground crumble beneath her feet. She tried to block out the image of him standing before her, his words cutting through her like a knife as he confessed to having a woman he was going to marry one day.With a pang of hurt, she recalled the events of that day faintly—
Her heart felt like it had been gripped in a vice, her breath caught in her throat as she witnessed the scene before her. Shock coursed through her veins, followed swiftly by a tidal wave of emotions that threatened to engulf her.First came disbelief, a desperate hope that what she was seeing was just a figment of her imagination, a cruel trick of the mind. But as she watched Rhys and Anna locked in an embrace, their lips pressed together in a kiss, reality crashed down upon her like a ton of bricks.Betrayal cut deep, slicing through her already wounded heart with merciless precision. She felt as though she had been punched in the gut, the pain radiating from the pit of her stomach to every corner of her being. How could he? After everything they had been through, after all the pain he had caused her, how could he simply do this so effortlessly?Anger bubbled to the surface, hot and searing, fueling the fire of her anguish. Anger at Rhys for betraying her trust, for making a mockery
Amara's brows furrowed as she slowly took in her surroundings. The events of the previous night flooded back into her consciousness like a torrential downpour. Rhys and Anna, their lips locked in a passionate embrace, and then her own head resting on Rhys's chest as sleep claimed her. Her eyes widened in realization, and she quickly turned her head away, a knot of unease tightening in her stomach."We need to talk," Rhys insisted, his voice low and throaty as he put his hands on either side of her face trapping her. Amara refused to meet his gaze and tried to push him away. Rhys barely budged. "No," she replied tersely, her tone laced with defiance. She pushed herself and tried to push him away again.But he was undeterred. He effortlessly manoeuvred her and before she knew it, she was sitting on his lap, his arms forming a protective cage around her. She glared at him, her jaw clenched with frustration. "Let go," she demanded her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. Now he want