Home / Romance / Off Limits / Tested Trust

Share

Tested Trust

Author: Skye
last update Last Updated: 2025-12-19 19:56:52

Callie

The morning had that brittle quality. I hadn’t expected to leave my apartment until mid-afternoon, but something—or someone—drew me out. Maybe it was the ache of being alone with my thoughts, the gnawing guilt that refused to loosen its grip, or the faint hope that seeing him again might make sense of the chaos.

I wandered through town without much direction, my shoes clicking against the pavement, my fingers tracing the rim of my coffee cup more out of habit than comfort. The streets were busy but not crowded; sunlight glinted off shop windows and cars, warming the skin of strangers who passed without a thought. My heart, though, stayed heavy, bound to a single memory; Mia’s voice breaking when she’d asked, “Callie… what is this?”

I hadn’t expected to see Grayson. I hadn’t wanted to. And yet, there he was.

He stood near the corner of the little coffee shop, one hand holding a cup, the other tucked into his jacket pocket, as if steadying himself against a storm only he could se
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Latest chapter

  • Off Limits    Mary (2)

    Callie The Carter house smelled like faint pine and polished wood, a comforting scent that should have felt like home. Instead, it pressed down on me, thick with unease. I’d returned that evening after what felt like a lifetime apart from Grayson, and the warmth of our reunion still clung to me like a protective coat. Yet, even as I stepped into the living room, I sensed a shadow lingering. Mary was there. She didn’t greet me with a smile or even a glance. She stood in the corner, phone in hand, lips pressed into a thin, calculated line. “Callie,” she said, voice deceptively sweet. “You are back early.” I felt my pulse tighten. The sweet veneer of her tone didn’t mask the intention behind it. Mary always had an angle, always had an audience she was carefully curating. And right now, I could feel the danger of being in her line of fire. “Hi,” I managed, keeping my voice steady. My fingers twitched at my sides, remembering Grayson’s hand on mine earlier, the way he made the wor

  • Off Limits    Callie, Grayson (4)

    CallieI didn’t know how I’d ended up back at the Carter house, but somehow, the pull of his presence had been too strong to resist. Every fiber of me had screamed to stay away—to hide, to lick my wounds in solitude—but my body and heart had betrayed me. The memory of our meeting in town, the quiet tension, the unspoken promises, had left a hunger in me I couldn’t ignore.Grayson’s door opened before I even reached it. His eyes found mine immediately, sharp and alert, scanning for any sign of hesitation or doubt. But when they landed fully on me, the tension softened just a fraction. Relief. Desire. Something that mirrored exactly what I felt.“You came back,” he said. “I… I had to,” I admitted, voice shaking. “I can’t… not after today.”He closed the door behind me, the click echoing like a promise. Slowly, deliberately, he crossed the room, leaving no space between us. I felt his warmth settle over me, the familiar scent pulling me into a state of trembling anticipation.“Callie,”

  • Off Limits    Tested Trust

    CallieThe morning had that brittle quality. I hadn’t expected to leave my apartment until mid-afternoon, but something—or someone—drew me out. Maybe it was the ache of being alone with my thoughts, the gnawing guilt that refused to loosen its grip, or the faint hope that seeing him again might make sense of the chaos.I wandered through town without much direction, my shoes clicking against the pavement, my fingers tracing the rim of my coffee cup more out of habit than comfort. The streets were busy but not crowded; sunlight glinted off shop windows and cars, warming the skin of strangers who passed without a thought. My heart, though, stayed heavy, bound to a single memory; Mia’s voice breaking when she’d asked, “Callie… what is this?”I hadn’t expected to see Grayson. I hadn’t wanted to. And yet, there he was.He stood near the corner of the little coffee shop, one hand holding a cup, the other tucked into his jacket pocket, as if steadying himself against a storm only he could se

  • Off Limits    Flight and Turmoil

    CallieI didn’t go back to the Carter house.I couldn’t.The moment I pulled out of the driveway, something inside me snapped—like a cord stretched too far and finally giving way. I didn’t look back. I didn’t slow down. I just drove, the house shrinking behind me while my chest felt tighter with every passing second.I’d arrived for the summer thinking I was stepping into something safe. Familiar. Mia’s room, late-night talks, shared snacks, old routines that made me feel like I still belonged somewhere. I hadn’t planned for any of this. I hadn’t planned to look at her father and see more than a tired, quiet man who worked too much. I hadn’t planned to fall for him. And I definitely hadn’t planned for Mia to find out.But plans didn’t matter anymore.Her face kept replaying in my mind—shock first, then confusion, then something that looked too much like heartbreak. The way her voice trembled when she said my name.Callie… What is this?The question cut deeper every time it repeated. T

  • Off Limits    The Discovery

    CallieThe Carter house had a way of settling into silence in the late afternoon. The soft hum of the air conditioner filled the gaps between thought and feeling, while sunlight filtered through the tall windows of Grayson’s study, dust motes drifting lazily in the air.I lingered longer than I should have.I knew that. I felt it in the tight coil of tension beneath my ribs, in the way my pulse refused to slow. Papers lay scattered across the desk where Grayson had abandoned his work earlier, his jacket slung carelessly over the back of the chair. I traced the edge of a document without reading it, my mind far too occupied by the memory of his hands, his voice, the way the world had narrowed until it was only us.Grayson stood behind me. His presence was dangerously comforting. The silence between us wasn’t awkward; it was loaded. My fingers found his almost without conscious thought.He didn’t hesitate. His hand closed around mine, firm and familiar, anchoring me the way he always d

  • Off Limits    Private (4)

    Callie The house was quiet, the late afternoon light slanting through the blinds and painting the bedroom in long, golden streaks. Every sense was heightened. I could still feel the echo of Mary’s sharp words, the memory of Tanya’s casual curiosity threading through my thoughts. Every brush of Grayson’s fingers against my skin reminded me how utterly safe I was here, even with the world outside still full of whispers. Grayson was already close, his presence filling the room in a way that made everything else feel distant and irrelevant. The weight of him, the certainty in his gaze, the unspoken claim threaded through every gesture—it pulled me forward, demanded surrender. He stepped toward me, closing the distance until there was no space left between us. His hand lifted, brushing a loose strand of hair from my face, lingering with that mixture of claim and care that always made me shiver. I exhaled shakily, letting my hands find his chest, feeling the solid strength beneath my

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status