Se connecterKillian DavenportI keep my arms around her for a long moment after the words leave my mouth.This is going to be the best weekend ever.I meant it. But the letters are still sitting on the bed beside us and I can’t stop thinking about them. She wrote those when she was thirteen. Fourteen. Careful words from a girl who never expected to be seen. I spent seven years building a life on another continent while she kept pieces of me in a box under her bed. The thought does something sharp and tender behind my ribs at the same time.I pull back just enough to look at her. Her cheeks are still flushed. Her eyes are a little glassy. I cup her face and kiss her again. She melts into it with a soft sound that settles low in my gut. My thumb strokes her cheek as I taste her. When I finally break the kiss, I rest my forehead against hers.“Those letters,” I murmur. “You had no idea what you were doing to me just now.”She gives a small, embarrassed laugh. “I can’t believe you actually read them
Elena CarsonThe day finally ends.I walk across the parking lot toward Nora’s red Porsche with my bag heavy on my shoulder. She’s already in the driver’s seat, scrolling on her phone. The second I open the door and slide in, she looks over.“How was your day?”“Fine.”My phone vibrates in my lap. A text from Mom.[Mom: Are you free this weekend? Philip would really like a chance to spend some time with you. Just the two of you.]I stare at the message longer than I should. I’ve forgiven him, or I’m trying to. But pretending everything is normal, sitting across from him one-on-one like the last twenty years didn’t happen… I’m not ready.I type back quickly.[Me: I’m busy this weekend. Sorry.]It’s not even a lie.I drop the phone into my bag. Nora glances over.“What’s wrong?”“Nothing. Mom wants me to hang out with Philip this weekend.”“That sounds nice.”“I’m not ready for that yet.”Nora nods slowly. “Yeah. I agree with that.”I lean my head back against the seat. “And Killia
Killian DavenportThe second the last student files out, I text her.My office. Now.I don’t wait for a reply. I already know she’ll come.I close my laptop, stack the papers I don’t actually need to look at, and lean back in the chair. The image of her in that white shirt won’t leave my head. Three buttons open. Soft curve of her cleavage every time she shifted in her seat. I spent the entire lecture forcing my gaze away from her and failing. Every time I looked up, my eyes landed on that open collar. On the way the fabric moved when she breathed. It was deliberate. She knew exactly what she was doing.Irritation and something darker coil low in my gut.A soft knock sounds at the door. She doesn’t wait for permission. Elena steps inside, bag over one shoulder, and no, those buttons are still not buttoned up. Her hair falls loose over her shoulders. Red gloss still perfect on her mouth. She closes the door behind her and leans against it for a second, watching me.I keep my face neut
Elena CarsonI wake up warm.Killian’s arm is heavy across my waist. His chest is solid against my back. His breathing is slow and even and I know it’s kind of deep sleep that only comes when someone feels safe. For a few seconds I don’t move. I just lie there, memorizing his scent. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows the sky is turning from indigo to a soft, watery blue. Morning is coming whether I want it to or not.I stretch carefully, reaching for my phone on the nightstand. The screen lights up: 6:02 a.m.I sit up. The movement is enough. Killian stirs behind me, a low sound vibrating in his chest. His hand slides from my waist to my hip, then falls away as he pushes himself up on one elbow.“Go back to sleep,” he murmurs.“You promised Nora you’d drop me off this morning.”He shrugs one shoulder, sitting up fully. The sheet pools around his waist. I get out of bed and stretch my arms above my head. The air in the penthouse is cold this morning and goosebumps rises along
Killian DavenportI carry her into the bedroom and set her down on the edge of the mattress. She’s still smiling that small, defiant little smile, but her breathing is already uneven. I stand over her and look down.“Take the shirt off.”Elena pulls it over her head without argument. The soft fabric drops to the floor. She’s completely naked underneath. Her nipples are already tight and peaked. My cock throbs hard against the front of my sweatpants at the sight of her.Fuck.She’s perfect. Soft curves, smooth skin, the faint marks I left on her last night is still visible. I want to ruin her all over again.“Look at you,” I murmur. “Already so needy and I haven’t even touched you yet.”I open the bottom drawer of the nightstand and pull out the soft black tie I’ve kept there. Her eyes widen slightly when she sees it, but she doesn’t protest. I take her wrists, bring them together above her head, and bind them carefully.It’s tight enough that she feels the restraint but loose eno
Elena CarsonThe second the door clicks shut behind Nora, Killian pulls me into his arms.He holds me tightly, one hand stroking slowly through my hair. Something about him feels different since he came back upstairs with Nora earlier. He’s a bit different, trying to hold me at any chance he gets. Maybe they had a conversation far more than him telling her about our relationship.Relationship. Saying it makes it harder to believe. I press closer to him, cheek against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. I want this. All of it. The quiet. The warmth. The way he holds me like he’s not planning to let go.I remember the soft “I’m sorry” he whispered earlier when he first hugged me in front of Nora. The words have been sitting at the back of my mind ever since. What was he sorry for? Was he apologizing that he told Nora about us even though we’d both agreed to stay lowkey for now?I pull back just enough to look up at him. “Why did you say you were sorry earlier?”
Elena CarsonIt’s been three days since Professor Davenport asked me to drop his class and I told him no.Three days of successfully avoiding him. Or maybe he’s been avoiding me. Either way, I haven’t seen him since that awkward confrontation in his office. But I hear his name everywhere I turn o
Elena Carson I don’t wait for him to say anything else before I walk out of his office. The door clicks shut behind me, and I keep walking, fast and angry. My heart is hammering so hard I can feel it in my throat. My cheeks are burning too and my hands won’t stop shaking. I just need to get the
Elena Carson He wasn’t supposed to be here tonight.Killian Davenport straightens from the bar, his grey eyes locked on me like he’s trying to place something. My stomach flips violently. He starts walking toward me, slow and deliberate, like a predator who just spotted easy prey. I freeze
Elena Carson The first time Killian Davenport broke my heart, I was thirteen years old. The second time happened tonight when his sister looked up from her phone and casually said, “My brother is back.” That was barely an hour ago, and my heart still hasn’t recovered. I swallow hard, staring a







