LOGINAnastasia’s POVI can feel Regan’s fingers inside of me. With his fingers in my pussy, I felt that thick, enveloping sensation I had never before felt. Just from two of his big digits, I am stretched this far.I couldn’t think straight.Everything felt hazy, warm, too close. My thoughts tangled together, slipping through my fingers before I could hold on to any of them. It wasn’t rational, none of this was but reason had stopped mattering the moment his hands touched me.My mind was a blur, flooded with heat and confusion and something dangerously close to longing. Every breath felt too shallow. Every heartbeat too loud. I knew I should stop, pull away, say something, anything, but my body wasn’t listening to me.It was like I’d stepped outside myself, watching from a distance as instinct drowned out logic.I hated how easily he unraveled me. I hated how familiar it felt. I hated how much I didn’t want to stop.But most of all, I hated that a part of me, a part I’d buried years ago st
The silence wasn’t empty. The kind that pressed against your skin, that made you too aware of your own breathing. Of his.I reached for the flask again at the same time he did and our fingers touched. It was an accident. It had to be. But the moment our skin brushed, something electric shot through me, and I froze. Neither of us pulled away right away.Slowly, almost reluctantly, his fingers slid back. I told myself it was just alcohol. But my heart suddenly started beating too fast.I could feel his eyes on me, heavier this time.“Sorry,” I murmured, even though I wasn’t sure what I was apologizing for.“It’s fine,” he said, but his voice was lower than before.Another stretch of silence. Every small movement felt louder. The way he shifted. The way I breathed. The way the space between us seemed to shrink without either of us actually moving.I became painfully aware of him. Of the heat of his body beside me. Of the way the firelight traced the lines of his face. Of the way his eyes
We started descending when the sky suddenly darkened. A cold wind swept through the trees, and within seconds, rain poured down in sheets. Fog rolled in fast, swallowing the trail until everything looked like a white blur.“Great,” I muttered. “Just great.”Regan scanned the area, squinting through the fog. “We need cover.”We stumbled along the trail, trying to find anything, a tree, a rock, a miracle. Then Regan snapped his fingers.“The map,” he said, pulling it from his pocket. He unfolded it quickly, eyes darting over the markings. “There. A cave. It should be close.”We followed the barely visible path, slipping and sliding until a dark opening appeared between two massive boulders. We ducked inside, dripping wet, breathless, and exhausted.The rain roared outside, echoing through the stone walls.Regan shook the water from his hair and glanced at me.“You okay?”I crossed my arms, shivering slightly. “I’m fine.”But my heart was pounding. From the climb. From the rain. From him
We continued up the trail, the incline getting steeper and the air cooler. Regan walked beside me, hands in his pockets, looking far too relaxed for someone climbing a mountain.And then—he started talking. A lot.“You know,” he said, stepping over a rock with ridiculous ease, “hiking improves cardiovascular health. Clears the mind. Reduces stress. Helps with sleep. Boosts mood.”I blinked at him. “Are you reading from a brochure?”He shrugged. “Just saying. It’s good for you.”I rolled my eyes. “Good for you, maybe.”He kept going anyway, completely unfazed. “It also strengthens your core, improves balance, and—”“Regan,” I muttered, “I didn’t ask for a TED Talk.”He only smiled, like he found my irritation amusing. I didn’t even know he could talk this much. Then he shifted to work—some guy in his department who kept messing up reports, a field assignment he handled last month, a man he met years ago who apparently still owed him money, and all the gossip swirling around his company
Anastasia’s POVThe mountain rose in front of me like a giant—lush green slopes, narrow dirt trails winding upward. It was the kind of view people posted on Instagram with captions like “healing” or “nature therapy.”But my chest felt anything but. Especially with Regan standing a few steps away, looking like he walked straight out of a sportswear commercial. Plain black shirt, hiking pants, sleeves pushed up to his elbows, hair tousled by the breeze in that stupid effortless way.He looked like someone who came here for a photoshoot. I, on the other hand, stood there in my leggings and oversized hoodie, hair tied in a messy ponytail, trying to pretend my heart wasn’t doing gymnastics in my chest.The truth was, I had every chance not to come. I could’ve backed out. I could’ve said no. I could’ve pretended to be sick. But Reid’s excited little face flashed in my mind. That kid was too cute. I couldn’t break my promise to him.And the disappointing part? He wasn’t even here.“You shoul
“Aren’t you curious,” Alaric said quietly, “why he stopped searching for them all of a sudden? He was Regan Del Valle. Even if we were good at hiding Anastasia, he would’ve found her in a year or two. But he stopped… not even a year in.”“Just why are you suddenly interested in Regan?”Alaric dragged a hand through his hair, looking more rattled than I’d seen him in years. “I met his sister. And the friend Atticus keeps talking about… is Regan’s son.”I froze.Then cursed under my breath. “Shit, you’re kidding.”He shook his head.I exhaled slowly, the weight of it settled in. “If that’s true… then we need answers.”“Exactly.”“So,” I said, pushing off the railing, “we talk to them.”Alaric chuckled, shaking his head. “I knew you were gonna say that.”We didn’t need to say anything else as we were already walking toward the house. We walked straight into my grandfather’s office without knocking. He hated that, but today I didn’t care.Grandpa sat behind his massive desk, a chessboard







