Mag-log inNATHANIEL“Sir, we’ll be landing in a couple of minutes,” the female flight attendant announces, her gaze flicking down to the half-empty glass of scotch heavy in my hand.I give her a sharp nod, my jaw tight, and she retreats back to her seat, leaving me to the suffocating quiet of the cabin.A slow, heavy breath leaves my mouth, and I turn my face toward the oval-shaped window. Outside, the view is blindingly magnificent.A sea of snow-dusted pine trees blankets the valley, while late-night lights twinkle like scattered diamonds against the dark, frozen slopes. It is a postcard-perfect winter wonderland. A sight I would appreciate if my heart wasn't hammering violently against my ribs and cold sweat wasn't pricking at my temples.My fingers tighten around the crystal glass, and I take another deep breath.The emergency board vote had gone through smoothly, secured mostly by the leverage I held over Richard and whatever quiet, terrifying strings Harriet had pulled down at the gala. R
BETTYThe taxi ride back to my apartment is a blur of neon streaks and pounding silence. And by the time I unlock my front door and kick off my heels, my legs are still trembling.The city outside is quiet, but inside my chest, a war zone is raging. Every nerve ending is alive, still burning with the weight of Nathaniel’s hands, the way he looked at me, and the desperate, raw heat of his mouth on my skin.I step into the living room, but the harsh illumination of the lamp makes me blink.Lucy is still curled up on the couch with her laptop and a mug of tea, looking up the exact second the door clicks. Her eyes dart straight to me. To my flushed cheeks, my swollen lips, and the way I am clutching my gold purse like a lifeline.“You are still here?” I mean to say it with more enthusiasm, but it comes out flat. Ruined by how hard my lungs are working. Luckily, she knows me too well to take offense.“Of course I am. I couldn't wait to get all the juicy details.” Her eyes narrow before she
BETTY"Oh, my….!" Harriet gasps, violently slapping both of her hands over her eyes and spinning around to face the hallway."Fuck!" The word tears out of Nathaniel in a breathless panic as I scramble backward, my heart nearly exploding out of my chest.We both jolt up from the bed like we have been electrocuted, and I fall off the other side of the bed, trying to yank my dress down to my ankles.Nathaniel stands beside the bed, chest heaving, frantically trying to tuck his shirt back into his trousers. He looks like a panicked teenager caught in the backseat of a car, and it would be absolutely hilarious if I wasn't the girl caught right there with him, and I didn't feel like I was about to throw up."Can I turn my head now?" Harriet asks loudly to the wall, her voice tight with amusement.Nathaniel clears his throat, raking a shaking hand through his messy hair, before he takes a deep breath, trying, and completely failing, to summon his usual commanding, authoritative tone."Yes, Gr
BETTYThe second Nathaniel’s mouth crashes over mine, my entire body goes up in flames.It is a completely unprecedented, violent rush of heat that incinerates every logical thought in my brain. And after everything we have been through, it feels less like a choice and more like gravity.For the first few seconds, the kiss is agonizingly slow. Reverent. I can actually feel the heavy restraint vibrating in his jaw, the terrifying hesitation that I might realize it’s happening, shatter the illusion, and push him away.To prove I am not going anywhere, my fingers curl violently into the lapels of his open shirt, anchoring him to me, and that is all the permission he needs.The kiss instantly deepens, shifting from a question into a desperate, starving demand. My heart hammers against my ribs so fast the rhythm blurs. I let go of his shirt, and the millimeter of space my hands were occupying is immediately erased as Nathaniel pulls my body flush against his.My hands act entirely on their
NATHANIELHer eyes widen as she looks at me like I have lost my mind before she darts them into my empty bedroom, then back to me. "Here? There is no music." She swallows so hard I see her throat move.I hold my hand out, motioning toward the balcony edge with my chin. "There is. Can't you hear it?"Downstairs, the quartet has shifted to a slow, sweeping waltz. It is faint, drifting up through the night air, but it is there. There is no excuse for her to refuse.She shakes her head with a small frown, visibly battling with herself, but then, a soft, reckless flicker sparks in her green eyes, and she lifts her free hand. "Only because you went out of your way to help tonight."A small, dangerous smile touches my mouth, and I close the final inch between us, taking her hand in mine, sliding my other arm firmly around her tiny waist.A soft gasp escapes her lips as our bodies collide, but she doesn't pull away. This is going to end terribly for me, but it is too late. She is in my arms.
NATHANIELHalf an hour ago, I was fine. Or at least, I was successfully pretending to be.When we first started making the rounds, Betty was practically vibrating with nerves. Her fingers had stayed curled tightly around my forearm, pressing so hard I could feel her anxiety through my jacket. And every time, I subtly squeezed her arm against my side, a silent promise that I was right there. That she was safe.But after the second couple brushed us off with polite, uninterested nods, I felt the fight drain completely out of her."I'm just wasting my time," she had whispered, staring at the floor. "Everyone is already judging me.""So what? You are doing fine," I said."It’s easy for you to say. They hear the Blackwell name and the doors just open."I had stopped, forcing her to look at me. "Then take advantage of the Blackwell standing right next to you," I told her, keeping my voice low and steady. "Make them listen."It was meant to give her a small push. To give her a shield. I had
BETTYI freeze outside the door, my breath caught somewhere between my chest and my throat.I force myself to look in, and the sight steals whatever air was left in my lungs.The room looks like a battlefield, books scattered like fallen soldiers, and papers littering the floor in torn, angry flurri
BETTYI can’t bring myself to go back home yet, probably because I’m still riding the strange high from the meeting I just had with Amanda.There is something else I need to do first, something I’ve been avoiding for far too long, and because for the first time in a long while I feel like I’m done
BETTYThe Virnkirk’s really do know how to throw a party.Every corner of this house hums with quiet wealth, soft jazz, expensive laughter, and glasses chiming like silver bells.I look around and recognize more faces than I expect to. Most of them are always on Harriette’s guest list and part of he
BETTYI shift in my seat, heat flooding my cheeks, embarrassment prickling under my skin, and I glance at Grace, praying she’s not paying attention.Luckily, she’s busy playing with the ribbon on her dress, humming softly to herself, blissfully unaware of the tension wrapping the room like a storm c







