HI THERE!!!

Author’s Note

Hi, lovely reader.

I want to take a moment to just breathe with you.

If you’ve made it to this chapter—if you’ve followed Samantha and Mason’s journey this far—thank you.

Not just for reading, but for feeling. For understanding the slow burn, the frustration, the tension that sits heavy in the chest.

For craving that look that took too long, for hoping he’d say something he never does, and for staying through the silence in between.

You didn’t just read this story. You lived it.

And that means more to me than I can ever put into words.

This story has always been more than just a steamy fling or two flawed people tangled in sheets and shadows.

It’s about all the things they don’t say.

The spaces between their bodies where words are too risky. It’s about heartbreak wrapped in desire. About a woman who wants more but knows she shouldn’t ask. About a man who gives her everything with his touch—but nothing with his heart.

That’s the kind of love that haunts.

That’s the kind of love I wanted to write.

I knew from the first word that Samantha and Mason weren’t going to be easy.

They weren’t going to fall gently. This wasn’t going to be sweet and romantic in a way that tied itself up neatly with a bow.

No. Their story was always going to be messy. Unfiltered. Quietly painful and maddeningly beautiful all at once.

He has a girlfriend.

She was never supposed to mean anything.

They were never supposed to be anything.

And yet here we are.

Still here. Still feeling.

Sometimes the most powerful connections aren’t the ones you’re proud of—they’re the ones that pull you apart and rebuild you without asking permission. And Samantha is learning that, slowly, painfully, one night at a time.

Mason, on the other hand… Well, we still don’t know everything that’s going on behind those dark eyes of his, do we?

But I promise you this: I’m not done.

Their story is far from over. The silence is getting heavier. The tension is sharper. The secrets are deeper.

And if you think you’ve already seen the darkest parts of this romance, think again—because love like this doesn’t come without consequences. Without unraveling. Without a price.

But there’s softness coming, too. Because even in the dark, Samantha deserves that. A moment. A kiss. A breath of peace, even if it’s stolen. And you deserve to watch her get it—however briefly it may last.

Thank you for giving her that.

For giving me that.

For showing up.

For turning each page.

For every single time you whispered, “Just one more chapter…”

I see you. I appreciate you. And I’m writing this for you.

If you’ve cried even once, wanted to scream at Mason, or wanted to wrap Samantha in a hug and tell her she’s worth so much more, then this story has done its job. It’s touched something. And that’s all a writer ever really hopes for.

So please, keep your eyes glued to your screen.

Stay here with me.

There’s more coming. More nights. More stolen mornings. More of that dangerous tenderness that makes your stomach twist and your heart ache. More of Samantha. More of the broken boy she shouldn't love—but somehow can’t stop wanting.

I’m going to keep peeling back the layers. One kiss. One sigh. One lie at a time.

And I promise you—if you’ve come this far, you won’t want to miss what’s next.

With all my love and fire,

— O.J

💌

P.S. If you ever feel like screaming into your pillow about these two, or crying over the pages, just know… I’m probably doing the same while writing them. We’re in this together.