~Rylee~An unspoken understanding seemed to loom between Klaus and me.We went back into the party hand in hand, as though the earth-shattering kiss on the rooftop never took place. He introduced me as his girlfriend to everyone he knew, almost every guest at Evan’s party. I’ve ignored the sparks kindling where he touches me. My hands, my lower back, my shoulder, and from time to time, he’d drape wound an arm around my waist to tug me closer, giving it a light squeeze.Apart from this electricity sizzling between us, I also had to snub the endless daggered glare from women who had been eyeing my date the entire night. I met some of them from working with Cali, some were Klaus’ fling, and some were just mad, jealous perhaps, wanting to be where I am.At some point in the night, I had to go to the ladies’ room to freshen up and escape the social life Klaus warned me about. ‘Suffocating,’ that’s how he described mingling with these people. He made it look so easy when pulling the trigger

~Klaus~I’m used to shaving time driving wherever I go. Breaking tons of traffic regulations and disregarding speed limits.On our way back to the penthouse, I was a dutiful driver, abiding by traffic rules. If Rylee notices that, she doesn’t comment.Throughout the entire drive, we’ve been holding hands. She allowed me to pull her hands on my lap, leave it there while I shifted gears and held it again. There’s a comfortable air between us, a shift in our rapport since our first kiss.The teasing and flirting were still there, but it was borderline joyful and playful.I came to a full stop at my reserved parking spot in the basement. Usually, I’d be the first to step out and open the door for her, but both of us seemed to be waiting… wondering.Rylee was chewing her lip, fingers clutching mine as we sat there in silence.All my life, I’ve been so sure of what I want and how to get it. What I have with Rylee is like treading on stony, shallow waters with blindfolds on. It’s not only wh

~Rylee~ The plan was simple. Get Vance alone, make him lose his sanity with my hand job, and shove the venom Rain provided down his throat while he screams in ecstasy. His security would think he was just sleeping, tired from his vigorous night with me. Once we dock in his mansion, I’d step out of this boat where a getaway vehicle awaits me. Easy in, easy out. But some jealous prick had to ruin my plan. Vance dropped forward; I scooted enough to avoid his drop on me. Half of his face was scattered on the bed. I’ve got blood splatter on my hair, but that isn’t the reason I was seeing red. Klaus stood in front of me; smoke danced from the muzzle of his P320. “What the fuck did you just do?!” I asked, hopping out of bed, reaching for the towel by the nightstand, wiping Vance’s blood off my curls. “Me?!” Klaus asked, his anger matching mine. “You were touching his dick! You didn’t even give me a blowjob, Rose, and I am your boyfriend!” Ugh! Sometimes I really wonder why people in t

~Klaus~Since I met Rylee two years ago, her resilience never fails to amaze me. Tonight, she raised the bar so high, slapping how frail I was on my face.We’ve been in the water for twenty minutes, swimming in the dark, fighting our way against the ice-cold water.I didn’t hear Rylee complain. Her body was a lot smaller than mine. We shouldn’t be in an even field, not because she’s a woman, but because I thought I was a lot tougher than her. I’ve never been more wrong in all my life.Hands down, this woman is the toughest I have ever met, strongest even.“We’re close,” her voice shivered. It was the first indication that this situation was affecting her as much.But fuck, she can still think straight, and she can still navigate in the dark when I can’t even speak in full sentences. I only hummed, pursuing her lead.Like she said, we reached the riverbank two minutes later. It was the longest two minutes of my life.The first thing Rylee did when we crawled up the banks was remove her

~Klaus~ ‘But later you will understand.’ — John 13:7 As my tongue traced each letter of Rylee’s ink, the purpose of each word became crystal in my head. It dawned on me why the wine tastes better when it’s from our vineyard, why Dad says Amara’s tasted even better than the last glass he had. Everything is sweeter when you work hard for it. Just like ‘my’ Rylee. Goddamn. She’s finally mine. Mine to take care of, mine to protect… mine to claim. It’s like being free from the shackles restraining me for years. That’s how it felt as I skimmed Rylee’s body with my hand, lips, and tongue. I tugged her shirt’s neckline lower, revealing more of her milky skin, torturing myself more. My wrist brushed her right nipple, earning a breathless whimper of desire from Rylee. She sank her fingers into my hair, tugging every time she’d ground her hips above my raging hard on. It’s a challenge controlling my thoughts, to hold the need surging inside me, but I want to take my time. I only got one s