ログインReggie stood at the wide glass windows of the temporary executive suite, gazing out over the sprawling construction site below. The steel skeleton of the new building stretched toward the sky, illuminated by floodlights that cut through the gathering dusk. Ten days. Ten grueling days of back-to-back meetings, site inspections under harsh sun, tense negotiations with contractors, and late-night reviews of blueprints that all began to blur together. He hated that his business partner had insisted that they be hands-on for this project. Mr. Robertson was a good man but he had obsessive tendencies. He always wanted things a certain way, which was both a good and bad way. He was glad for the partnership though. Reggie was not one to let go of a business opportunity. The fear of going broke, reverting back to being a broke foster kid had turned him into an workaholic.He missed Cassie. He needed to spend more time with her. He realized that he had been away for longer periods than he had
Cassie sat on the edge of the bed in the dim glow of her bedside lamp, the apartment wrapped in heavy silence. It was raining again. She had come back to the house when it was almost dusk, having sat at the bench for hours. She had taken a bath, hoping it would calm her down, pre-heated some food from the fridge and attempted to eat it but did not have an appetite. She decided to head to bed and try to get some sleep. But before that, she decided to call her friends and tell them what was going on. Twenty minutes later, her thumb was still hovering over the video call icon in the group chat with Emily and Sarah. Her eyes were already burning with unshed tears. The weight she had been carrying alone felt like it was crushing her lungs. She couldn’t do this anymore. With a shaky breath, she tapped the button. The call connected after two rings. Emily and Sarah’s faces filled the screen, both of them in casual clothes, lounging in what looked like Sarah’s living room. “Hey, you!” Emi
Cassie sat at the small corner table in the neutral café, hands wrapped tightly around a lukewarm cup of tea she had no intention of drinking. The place was quiet. It was mid afternoon, with only a few scattered patrons typing on laptops or reading newspapers. Soft jazz played in the background, but it did nothing to calm the storm raging inside her chest. Her heart hammered so hard she could feel it in her throat. Every few seconds, her eyes darted toward the door, waiting for him.She had decided to unblock one of the numbers and text Dominic for a meet up. Maybe facing him and warning him off her would do the trick since texts didn't do. She had arranged the meeting through a single, terse text at dawn when she woke up from the nightmare. They were to meet at a neutral and public place. She had warned him about playing games. She had spent the entire morning pacing the apartment, rehearsing what she would say, how she would stay calm, how she would demand he delete every photo an
She woke up in the middle of tye night, sweat trickling down her face. The nightmare had been too real. She rubbed her eyes to rid her brain off the dream. Dominic had been too near. The sex had been mutual and she had enjoyed it at the time, no doubt, bit now je was stalking her, even in her dreams. And she did not like it at all. She was stressed from too much thinking, had bags under her eyes for lack of sleep. She picked up her phone from the night stand and checked the time. It was a few minutes past 2 and sleep had just evaded her like that. Her thumb hovered over the deleted messages folder. Even though she had blocked the numbers, the messages still danced in her brain; Dominic’s words, the blurry photo from The Forbidden. They posed a threat to her and it stressed her that her past could destroy everything she had built with Reggie. Her hands trembled as she closed the app. She couldn’t look anymore. The weight of it all pressed down on her until breathing felt difficult
Cassie sat curled on the couch in the quiet apartment, a half-empty mug of tea cooling on the coffee table. The rain had started again outside, a steady patter against the windows that matched the restless rhythm of her thoughts. Reggie had been gone for four days now, tied up in meetings. The CEO he had gone to meet had signed the contract after a few pushes bit with the condition that Reggie spearheaded it. He also had to help with the purchase of some things which needed Reggie's approval. His texts came in scattered burst. He sent her short updates about his long days. He promised to be home soon. The distance felt heavier with every passing day. She missed the solid warmth of him beside her at night, the way his hand would find hers without thinking, the low rumble of his voice when he told her she was his. She missed the safety he brought. He had told her that he would take her with him on his next business trip seeing as she was not working yet. Her phone buzzed on the cush
Cassie stirred slowly as warm lips pressed against her bare shoulder, trailing soft, lingering kisses up to the curve of her neck. She hummed contentedly, eyes still closed, savoring the gentle wake up. Reggie’s familiar scent wrapped around her like a blanket. She shifted closer, seeking more of his warmth. “Morning, kitten,” he murmured against her ear, his voice low and rough with sleep. Her eyes fluttered open. Reggie was propped on one elbow beside her, looking down at her with that soft, intense gaze that always made her heart skip. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, painting his bare chest in warm gold. For a moment, everything felt perfect. Then he spoke again. “I have to leave for another meeting out of town today,” he said gently, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “But I’ll be back in two days. I want to wrap this up so next week I’m completely free for our vacation. Just us.” Cassie’s stomach dropped. She pushed herself up on her elbows, the sheet slipping
Cassie woke to sunlight streaming through the hospital blinds. It was rare, seeing as they were in the middle of winter. The heart monitor beeped steadily. Thank goodness the sound no longer made her heart clench with worry. She lifted her head from the folded blanket she had been using as a pillow
Cassie woke to the soft gray light filtering through the windows, the lake beyond a flat silver mirror under low clouds. The sectional was wide enough for both of them; Reggie’s arm still curved around her waist, his breath slow and even against her shoulder. No nightmares had returned after the fi
Cassie woke to the soft patter of snow against the windows and the warmth of Reggie’s arm draped across her waist. The lake outside was pale gray under the winter sky, and for the first time in days she felt something close to peace. No nightmares had woken him last night. No urgent calls had pulle
Reggie pulled Cassie closer until her thigh pressed flush against his. The booth’s velvet curtain shielded them from most prying eyes, though faint silhouettes moved beyond the heavy fabric, and the distant crack of leather on skin still carried through the air like a heartbeat. He leaned in, lips







