LOGINCHAPTER FOURHe carried me from the chair, leading me gently and slowly until I was standing in between his legs; his hands slid along my thighs, cosy yet strong, holding me as though he'd been craving this for far too long; his fingers traced the curve of my back; I shivered, pressing closer; he whispered into my hair, "Tell me if you want me to stop." "I won't," I breathed; he let out a low sound, something like surrender; his hands cupped my hips, mine threaded into his hair; we shared a long, warm kiss that my stomach began to heat up. Between us, desire hummed like electricity. Everything else vanished. However, it wasn't rejection when he withdrew. Control was what it was, just barely enough. He leaned his forehead against mine and whispered, "This is not how I want this night to go." "Not hurried. Not negligent. You are worthy of more than that. I shut my eyes. "Ethan—" He planted a sweet, hurting kiss on my face and then my jaw.His voice trembled with control a
CHAPTER THREEAs the sun sank more and farther behind the hills, the warm California night gently brushed on Ethan's kitchen windows, turning the glass gold. The world outside appeared calm, easygoing, and peaceful—nothing like the tempest that was developing inside of me. I shouldn't have gone back to his home. I could tell as soon as he opened the door. He was casual, barefoot, and had a black shirt rolled up to his elbows, as if he had been anticipating me and waiting for me. "Hey," he murmured. My heart skipped a beat because of the velvet-dark warmth in his voice. "You succeeded.”Breathless, I stood in his doorway. "You mentioned that you needed assistance with the wine labels." He gave a knowing smile. "Yes, I did." However, we both understood that this had nothing to do with alcohol. He moved to the side. I went in. The door shut. Something cautious and logical clicked shut inside of me as well. Heat was all that was left, vibrating like a secret beneat
Chapter Two She awoke early the following morning, sunlight pouring into her chamber like warm honey. She stretched, changed into a tank top and shorts, and went outside. Marcus was at the shore. Of course he was sprinting. Of course he was the type of man who turned jogging at daybreak look like a movie scene from a movie written for ladies who had unsettled fantasies about older men with facial features sharp enough to crush hearts.He moved with a focused strength—efficient, forceful, concentrated. The type of man who looked sculpted without the need for a gym membership because life had done it for him. Jade strolled down the dunes with her coffee, trying not to stare. She didn't succeed. When he saw her, he slowed and stopped a few feet away. "You're up early," he remarked, his breathing laboured and his temples slightly damp with perspiration. She gave a shrug. "I was awakened by the sun." "Mmm." He glanced down at her short shorts, but not in a disrespectf
Chapter One —That summer's heat felt different. People weren't hiding in air-conditioned homes or sitting in the shade and fanning themselves because of this type of heat. No, this heat was like a languid, playful hand pressing against your skin; it was intense enough to make everything seem charged and heated enough to raise your heart rate.Perhaps Jade desired peace, which is why she chose to celebrate her 25th birthday by herself in a rented beach home rather than with friends. However, the last thing she received was "quiet." The beach home was situated at the end of a lengthy sandy path with tall grass that rustled in response to wind sighs. It was compact, tidy, and white-painted—ideal for relaxation, breathing, and recharging. With her suitcase pulling behind her and her hair curling to her neck due to the heat, she arrived shortly before dusk. After unlocking the door, she entered and was relieved by the cool tile beneath her bare feet.She muttered to herself, "
CHAPTER THREE At last, they surrender. The quiet between us had taken on a life of its own. The night in the rain, the evening Lena kissed me, the night my best friend tasted like warmth and pity the night everything went crazy was a week later. A week of half-written apologies, ignored messages, and lengthy, painful pauses during which I questioned whether I had dreamed everything. She was missed. Not in the intimate, informal manner of a buddy. But in a deep, throbbing hunger that rendered sleep seem futile. When she did text at last: Come on over. We must speak.In less than fifteen minutes, my pulse was racing, my palms were warm, and I felt as though I was entering an irrevocable situation when I arrived at her apartment door. And I was—because, despite my fear, I secretly desired whatever was beyond. Before I could knock, the door opened. Lena remained still. sloppy dark hair. Her eyes were puffy, as if she hadn't slept. As if she had shed tears.She said, "W
CHAPTER TWO We met according to the note and what was written in it. It seemed as though the world had ceased to revolve. She continued to kiss me. The universe was still for a brief, breathless minute. There was no sound, no thinking, no heartbeat—just the taste of her mouth against mine, delicate and trembling, like a secret neither of us intended to share. Lena. My best friend. When I eventually drew away, our foreheads still locked together, her breath shuddered against my lips. Stormy, startled, and glimmering with something I couldn't identify, her eyes were wide. Perhaps the searing sensation in my chest was the same thing.They became so entangled that I was unable to distinguish between them. "Tell me I didn't just do that," I said in a tremulous murmur. Her breath caught. "You didn't." “But I did.” "Yes," she said, her gaze returning to my mouth. “You did.” Between us, there was a humming, burning silence that was heavy with all that was unsaid. The room sm







