Se connecterWhen he claimed her lips with hers again, it wasn't gentle. It wasn't tentative. It was all raw hunger, lips crushing, teeth scraping her bottom lip hard enough to sting, drawing a sharp gasp that he swallowed whole. His tongue swept in, thick and demanding, tasting of something sweet and dangerous at the same time, something darker, deeper, exploring the wet heat of her mouth with a hunger that bordered on feral. It spun her head, made her moan helplessly into him, the vibration buzzing through his lips, and he answered by tilting her head further, angling deeper, tongue sliding slick against hers in a rhythm that was already filthy, already claiming. One she couldn't take anymore of. Her head was spinning. Her legs were buckling. Every nerve in her was on fire that burns so hot she had to break the kiss. She shouldn't have broken the kiss. That was her first coherent thought. The second was that she couldn’t feel her legs properly anymore. Her fingers were still
When he claimed her lips with hers again, it wasn't gentle. It wasn't tentative. It was all raw hunger, lips crushing, teeth scraping her bottom lip hard enough to sting, drawing a sharp gasp that he swallowed whole. His tongue swept in, thick and demanding, tasting of something sweet and dangerous at the same time, something darker, deeper, exploring the wet heat of her mouth with a hunger that bordered on feral. It spun her head, made her moan helplessly into him, the vibration buzzing through his lips, and he answered by tilting her head further, angling deeper, tongue sliding slick against hers in a rhythm that was already filthy, already claiming. One she couldn't take anymore of. Her head was spinning. Her legs were buckling. Every nerve in her was on fire that burns so hot she had to break the kiss. She shouldn't have broken the kiss. That was her first coherent
“ Tess.” He called softly, sweetly and she could swear, her brain nearly got short-circuited.Even his annoying voice still sounds unfairly seductive.‘I'd better get out while I still can.’ she told herself with her face flushed.She grabbed the car door even though the rain still drummed softly against the roof of the car. “ What are you doing?”“ I'm hungry,” she gave an excuse, and heard a quiet laugh spill out of him.It was short. Low. Dangerously attractive. And she hated how bad the sound affected her. She could tell that if she didn't get out of this car in the next second, then she's doomed for sure. And so she turned away fast, pushing the door open, and cool air rushed inside She climbed out quickly, smoothing her dress as rain mist kissed her skin. A second later, Grayson stepped out too, towering beside the car as he shut the door.And there it was again…that awareness.
Grayson leaned back into the seat, not knowing whether to smile or laugh. Guilt and happiness twirled continuously inside him.He had judged her to be no different from them. But he was wrong. One he's happy about. Yet guilty, for judging her wrongly. For not chasing after her and asking questions till he gets the answers. “ Gray.” Her soft voice called, “ Answer me, have we met before?”He looked at her, eyes so soft and tender that it almost melted her into the seat.“ Hm.” He nodded. “ We've met before. And we were so close.” He smiled. “ Almost inseparable.”“ Really? How come I don't remember you at all? Why didn't you come to my house then, everyone came and I recognized them and they told me things I don't remember but…” she paused.. “Why didn't.. anyone mentioned you?”Her brows furrowed.He shrugged, still with a tiny smile plastered on his face. “ Maybe because no one knows me.”
Tessa didn’t know where she was running anymore. Her legs moved on their own—small, frantic steps that couldn’t match the chaos inside her head. The image of the iron still burned behind her eyes like it had been branded into her vision. Grayson’s scream still echoed in her ears, even though she had already left the house. She couldn’t breathe properly. The world felt… wrong. Tilted. Too loud. Then… A sharp bark cut through the air. Tessa froze mid-step. From the side of the narrow path, a large dog had broken loose from its chain. A Rottweiler, massive and muscular, foam gathering slightly at the corners of its mouth as it pulled forward, eyes locked on her with a confusion that quickly turned into aggression. Its leash dragged behind it like a dead weight. For a second, neither moved. Then the dog barked again, louder, and something inside Tessa snapped. She ran. But it followed. The sound of heavy paws hitting the ground grew faster, closer, more violent. Her breath br
It was getting late; every one of her friends had gone to the venue with their bracelets, while she stood beneath the tree, tilting her head every now and then, waiting for him. Tessa exhaled and leaned back against the tree. “ Is he not coming?” She asked herself but then shook his head. “ Gray doesn't make promises and fail.” Just then, a feeling of concern crept into her heart. “ Did something happen? What if something happened? Is he okay?” She moved forward away from the tree and looked towards his house. And for the first time, with her face twisted in worry, she decided to go and check for him in his house. Meanwhile, back in Grayson's house, Ciara and Blake's eyes shot wide open at the scene they walked in on. The boy they're still trying to arrange surgery for—for his arm so he could participate in the contest is getting mercilessly beaten by his brother. “ You bastard!” Ciara yelled and pushed Grayson off Tyler so roughly that he fell. “ How dare you lay your han
[ Note: Chapter is emotionally heavy, it contains scenes of child abuse and may be distressing for some readers. ] | 16 YEARS AGO: FLASHBACK | Grayson smiled, lips quivering, eyes brimming with tears he stared at the paper trembling slightly in his h
“ What did you just call me?” His eyes glared dangerously at her, causing her palm to sweat but she wasn't going to give in. “ I said what I said. Of course I'm going to forget about it, I wanted to warn you to never try that with me, just because you're my husband doesn't mean..” “ Never to try
“ I couldn't hate you, Tessa.” Her lips parted slightly. For a moment she simply stared at him, searching his face like she was trying to find the lie hidden somewhere in his expression. The softness in his voice felt wrong, too wrong after everything he had said to her earlier. But the way
With coldness settled behind his eyes, he let out a short laugh, the sound low and humorless. “ Why?” He repeated, the word rolling off his tongue like a quiet mockery. “ Would you have loved to be rejected by two brothers on your wedding day?”Her chest tightened. Her lip







