My toes curled under the sheets as Killian's tongue tenderly explored my mouth. There was nothing hasty about that kiss, as if he were taking his time to trace every nerve within me. Finally, he leaned back, leaving me breathless. He ran the tip of his tongue across his lower lip as if he wanted to savor the remains of our kiss.“Beautiful,” he murmured, slowly rising from the bed. Confused, I watched him walk toward the door. “Now I'm ready to get some sleep.” He gave me a playful grin, winking at me as he grabbed the door handle. “Goodnight, Josie.”“Good… night,” I breathed out, glancing at the early sunrays, sneaking through the window.A heartbeat passed, and I was in the bedroom alone. My eyes were still locked on the door as I struggled to process what had happened. I licked my lips, finding them deliciously swollen from the kiss. He'd said that I was his addiction… Well, I might have been becoming an addict too.I pressed my hand to my heart as if to keep it inside my ribcage.
I envied all those people who treated stress like the best diet ever. I heard legends about miraculously shrunken stomachs and the inability to swallow anything at all, but I was almost certain that kind of thing would never happen to me.Unsurprisingly, as soon as Killian mentioned visiting his terrifying parents, my stomach decided it was time to eat. Trying to choose my poison wisely, I bought a lot of rice cakes and low-fat cookies to have any form of control over my stress eating. Still, I ended up consuming enough to be sincerely worried if the dress Killian and Theresa chose for me would fit.“Relax.” Theresa chuckled, examining my pale face. “Killian's parents are not going to kill you. They may try to intimidate you, but remember that your task is to make your relationship believable. They don't have to like you to believe you and Killian are together.”She was right, although a small, foolish part of me wanted them to like me. Why? I told myself that I didn't want to make ei
Chills ran down my spine. Why did this woman say such a thing? I looked at Killian, but he avoided my gaze. His eyes were locked on Madelaine, his jaw clenched. Sucking in a sharp breath, I stepped toward the woman. “You must be mistaken,” I said curtly. “I have never even met Mrs. Blair.”A cold smile rose across her lips. “My apologies then.” She gave me a bow that looked much like a mockery. “I've surely mistaken you for another poor girl who desperately needed money.”Anger flared, setting every inch within me on fire. My mouth opened, ready to roar, but before I could build an accurate response, she had already turned around and walked inside the mansion.Killian grabbed my hand and led me through the threshold without sparing me a glance. I squeezed his hand and gently pulled him to a halt. “Killian, I hope you know she was lying.”“Let's not talk about this now,” he said coldly. “We'll discuss this once we leave the mansion.”A thick lump rose in my throat. He slid his hand off
My heart hammered as Killian and I followed Adeline to her study. She walked a few steps in front of us. Her wavy ginger hair fell from side to side as she confidently strode through the long corridor in her four-inch heels. Her black fitted dress hugged her every curve, emphasizing her beauty and elegance. I wished I could have a mere percentage of that gracefulness at her age… Or, rather, I wouldn't mind having a sliver of it right now. That woman oozed power while I rattled with each step I took. Had I made a mistake by agreeing to talk to her? I would soon find out.I drew a shaky breath. Killian was supposed to be the one who talked. I was supposed to be the one who listened, smiled, and nodded. Now it looked like I would be forced to tell Adeline our story myself—the story I had yet to figure out.I glanced at my fake boyfriend and instantly felt the rage vibrating from his body. His jaw was clenched, his eyes fixed on his mother's back. He resembled a tiger seconds before attac
KILLIAN“Your mother doesn't believe us,” was all Josie said when she exited my mother's study.She was pale, her hands were trembling, and it was clear my mother had done something to intimidate her, but no matter how many times I asked, she remained silent. She stayed that way—silent and pale—on the way back to the penthouse.“I knew I shouldn't have left you there alone with her.” I dragged my hand down my face and cursed.“She would have found another way to meet with me then,” Josie murmured, staring blankly through the side window.I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Talk to me, Josie. I need to know everything she told you.”Her throat worked on a swallow. “Please… not now.” She glanced at the driver and then returned to staring through the window.I hated not knowing, but I understood she might not feel comfortable here. I could press the button and pull up the privacy glass, but I doubted she kept silent only because of the driver.Her state didn't improve after we returned
JOSIEThis moment had to come. I knew that one day I would have to release all my hidden nightmares and face them. I hoped for a gentle approach, like when you enter a cold lake, taking slow, cautious steps while breathing deeply to get used to the temperature. Right now, I felt as if someone pushed me into the deep and icy sea, and I struggled to keep my head above the surface.Adeline's ultimatum gave me only one option: I had to tell Killian the whole truth. I wasn't sure I could do it. Even admitting what needed to be done sent chills down my spine. He hadn't believed my words before. How could I assume he wouldn't trust the rumors instead of trusting me?I'd been having nightmares for three days now, and each time they appeared, I saw my father's mortified face. I saw him kneeling in front of the police officers, convincing them all the accusations were wrong. And then my mind viciously displayed the scenes from that night he had fallen to the ground, slowly becoming lifeless.I
KILLIANTony's words swirled in my head long after our call had ended. A few rumors had ruined Josie's life and even led to her father's death. Tony tried to find the source of those rumors, but even with his skills, he found no evidence. It was obvious that someone must have worked hard to cover it, which only confirmed my suspicions that the rumors had come from one of the students at my old high school.The high school I went to wasn't just an ordinary private school. That particular one, Flower Hills Private High School, had been founded by my grandfather, Joshua Blair. All the students there were either rich, powerful, brilliant, or all three at once. Of course, that filled the school with rich assholes—mostly dumb assholes—but the school also had a scholarship program. Josie was one of the brilliant kids who received the full scholarship, while I was one of the assholes who practically owned that school.My friends' parents were either wealthy owners of various companies, invest
JOSIEI woke up on a bed in a bright room that sure as hell wasn't my bedroom. I drew a deep breath, and my nostrils were instantly hit by an unfortunately-recognizable scent of antiseptics. Hospital. This was a hospital room. I blinked a few more times before my sight finally adjusted to the brightness. Someone's warm hand touched mine, and my whole body jolted.“It's OK, Josie.” Killian's deep voice soothed my sudden anxiety. My eyes turned to the side of the bed, and my heart lurched.He was wearing a white button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves, no suit jacket or tie. His hair was ruffled, and his chin was coated by gentle stubble. Was he here while I was unconscious? Was he… watching over me?He reached for my hand again, his fingers delicately tracing the lines on my palm. “You're safe. He's not going to hurt you.”He… Dylan. His face instantly appeared in my mind. I could hear his vicious laughter as he choked me, as he was trying to kill me. My hand drifted to my neck, and I f