LOGINLOVE IN THE BEACHThe waves crashed like they always did when Brucha got intense, foaming white against the sand. I dug my toes deeper into it, feeling the grit bite my skin while the sun baked my shoulders. He’d bought us these greasy chops from the vendor—spicy, dripping oil—and we were licking our fingers clean, laughing at nothing.“Lily,” he said, his voice low, almost reverent, like the beach was his church. “I am not pretending and you know it. You’re everything I want in a woman. Everything every man wants in a woman. Smart, funny, that laugh that makes my chest tight. I’d marry you tomorrow if you said yes. Hell, tonight.”My stomach flipped. Not butterflies—more like a warning bell. God, Brucha, not here. Not with the salt in my hair and the chop grease on my chin. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, buying time. The vendor’s radio blared some old highlife song behind us.I forced a smile. “Brucha, calm down first. You’re talking like we’re in a movie. I need to set m
TERRIBLE MEETING AGAINST MY EXShalling's POV I pushed open the door to Lily’s apartment, the hinges creaking like they always did, and the smell of her vanilla candle hit me first—sweetly, cloying, the kind that lingers in your hair for hours. My pulse was already thrumming in my throat. Kova’s name had been burning a hole in my brain all week, and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I needed to know. Not the polished version he fed everyone, but the real one, the one that might explain why my stomach twisted every time I saw him smile at some girl I didn't know.Lily was on the couch in an oversized hoodie, her legs tucked under her, scrolling her phone. She looked up, surprised, then smiled that soft, tired smile she always gave me. “Shalling. Hey. You okay?”I didn’t sit. I stayed by the door, twisting the strap of my bag. “Did you and Kova ever… know each other? Before. Like, really know.”Her thumb froze on the screen. The smile faltered, then dropped away completely. For a second she
LEAVE MY MAN ALONELaura's POV Why did you get into my room the other day without permission? How long is my dick?” Kalvin asked.The tray trembled in my hands, the coffee cup rattling against the saucer like my pulse against my ribs. I stood in the doorway of his bedroom, sunlight slicing through the half-drawn curtains and catching on the thin silk of the new blouse I’d bought yesterday—low-cut, the kind that clung to every curve I usually hid under an apron. The hem of my skirt barely skimmed mid-thigh, and I felt the cool air kiss the skin above my stockings. Stupid. I’d told myself it was just for the job, just to feel something different after months of plain black uniforms and invisible service. But now his eyes were on me, dark and slow, dragging from the swell of my breasts to the dip of my waist, and my stomach flipped like I’d missed a step on stairs.I set the tray on the nightstand, careful not to spill. “Sir, I—I brought your breakfast. Eggs, the way you like them.” My
MIDNIGHT FUCKMy phone lit up under the pillow, the screen cutting through the dark like a guilty secret. Kalvin: Come over. Make my room real quickly, please.My breath caught. Make his room. The lie sat there, bold as the ache was already blooming between my thighs. It was always his style when he wanted me moaning under him. Last week it had started the same way—him texting, and then I slipped out, it ended up in him pouring something hot and liquid deep inside me. Well it's the moment I always wanted after all. The mission stays on until my dad finally marries Laura.Shalling’s soft snores drifted from the other bed, steady as a heartbeat I was about to betray. I glanced at her, guilt twisting sharp, but the heat won. It always did.I slid out of bed, my bare feet silent on the cold floor. My heart slamming against my ribs, I pulled on shorts and a loose tee—no bra, no panties, because why pretend? The message wasn’t about pillows or sheets. It was about the way he’d gripped my h
GOODBYE KOVA Shalling's POV The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead like angry hornets, casting yellow halos over the greasy tabletops at Burger Haven. I sat rigid in the plastic chair, my fingers drumming a silent rhythm against the edge of my tray. Fries cooled untouched between us. Kova leaned forward, elbows planted, his dark eyes pleading in that way that used to melt me. Not tonight. My chest felt tight, like someone had cinched a belt around my ribs.“Shalling, babe,” he started, voice low and urgent, “if I did anything—anything at all—forgive me. Please. I swear on everything, I’m not that guy.” His hand reached across the table, but I pulled mine back fast, tucking it under my thigh. The plastic creaked under me.I stared at the ketchup smear on his burger wrapper instead of his face. He’s doing it again. That soft tone, like I’m the one who needs convincing. My mind raced back to the things Lily told me, but I kept my voice steady. “Then explain why everyone’s telling me th
ANOTHER TANTALIZING PROMISEThe phone trembled in my hand like it had a pulse of its own. I sat cross-legged on the threadbare rug, knees pulled tight to my chest, the afternoon light slicing through the blinds in dusty bars across my thighs. Mr. Vaughn’s number stared back at me—saved under “V” because I couldn’t stomach typing the rest. My thumb hovered. One press and I’d either get answers or another knot in my stomach. I pressed.It rang twice. Then his voice, warm and lazy, like he’d been waiting for this exact moment with a drink in his hand. “Lily. Darling.”The sound of my name in his mouth dragged every memory forward at once: the hotel suite, the way the sheets had smelled of his cologne and my own panic-sweat, the low laugh he’d given when I’d asked if the transfer was already sent. My throat closed. I swallowed hard enough to hear it.“Why did you fuck me,” I said, flat, “and then send a fake transfer?”Silence stretched for half a second—long enough for my pulse to spike
DEEP SCENE WITH KALVIN Our kisses deepened. I slid my tongue between his lips, exploring the warm, lush landscape of his mouth. His taste was intoxicating.Kalvin pulled back just enough to peer into my eyes, his gaze so intense it felt like he was trying to count every spark of desire he found th
A SPORTING HANGOUT GONE BAD A dangerous anger burned in my spirit. How could Kova flaunt the very things he’d gotten from me while cozying up to another girl?I had kicked him out for good, yet a feeling I couldn’t quite name—a possessive, bitter jealousy—flared up seeing him with her. I knew it w
DAY ONE AT WORK; BORING, BORING.“Come in, Laura. Have a seat.” I watched her closely.The coldness etched on her face was concerning. Laura had never been extroverted, but the stillness in her demeanor now went beyond her usual quiet nature. This was the first time she had ever stepped fully into
INSANE WEIRD INSTRUCTION My second day at work dawned, bright with tantalizing promises. Today was the day I expected to finally have a proper conversation with Jack.As the new manager, Senior Jack should have been at work by now. I figured he'd be early, keen to make a better impression than his







