Amara was flushed to her core. Her insides were dancing weirdly and her body in his arms was feeling so hot despite the cold rain as he carried her inside. Her legs had given up on the strength, and so did her arms. She was thankful Rhys was carrying her. Cause she didn’t know how she would’ve managed to climb the stairs with a tremble.Her breaths, heart, and time seem to be still all together. These feelings she was experiencing were so strange and somewhat familiar like she had gone through them sometime earlier. Hiding her face into his neck, Amara breathed in his scent. Her lips met his neck unconsciously, drinking in the rain droplets, tasting his skin.Rhys’s breath hitched as he looked down at her in his arms. If she kept provoking him like this, he’d end up doing something crazy. His self-control was slipping, and she kept teasing him with her innocence. Those slanted eyes, dark locks, parted lips, and vulnerability in her eyes. Fuck. F

Her cheeks were burning and so was her thigh where his hand rested. The way he touched her so shamelessly and boldly both scared and thrilled her. Rhys leaned back on the couch, a mischievous glint in his eyes, teasing Amara relentlessly by pushing his hands up her thighs and teasing the rims of her panties."Easy there, Amara. I wouldn't want you to turn into a permanent shade of red," Rhys teased, a playful smirk on his lips. Amara clenched her jaw, her lips pouting as she shyly mumbled."Don’t touch me."Rhys chuckled lowly. “You look so beautiful, little one. I wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up eating you out instead of the food.”Amara’s wide eyes stared at him in disbelief. Rhys pecked her nose and gently put her down before getting up. “Eat your food. I’ll take a quick shower. Need to take care of some business.” Amara frowned. What business he be doing in the bathroom?Rhys disappeared into the bathroom, and she took a moment to compose herself. Moving to the mirror, she dec

Amara found herself captivated by the stormy depths of his eyes, where chaos seemed to reign supreme amidst the swirling grey. With a heavy sigh, she averted her gaze, seeking solace amidst the orderly rows of books that lined the shelves."Then what can I do to truly understand you?" she asked, her voice soft yet heavy."Be mine," he responded, his tone carrying an air of certainty that both intrigued and unsettled her."Am I not already yours?" she questioned, her brows furrowing in confusion.He considered her words for a moment before replying, his voice tinged with a hint of longing. "Perhaps, but I desire more than mere possession. I wish to intertwine our souls in every sense, to be enveloped in the essence of your being, regardless of its shade."She hesitated, acutely aware of the societal boundaries that loomed over their connection. "You know the consequences... it's deemed sinful, punishable."He took a step toward her, caging her between the shelf and his chest."By whom?

“Where are we going?” Amara finally broke the silence with a question, her voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of nervousness. Rhys veered from their original route, shifting her gaze to his face behind the shades. A yearning emanated from her eyes, a silent plea to comprehend his emotions, to unravel the feelings concealed by his sunglasses. She resisted the urge to reach out and tug them away, her desire to peer into his eyes battling with the fear of further provoking him.I wish to intertwine our souls in every sense, to be enveloped in the essence of your being, regardless of its shade.She shut her eyes as his words echoed in her head. Regardless of its shade, he said. But what if… what if she was colorless? What if she was simply devoid of it all? What if she was just a blank canvas, lacking in hue and incomplete? Would he still want to be painted in her colors? Would he still mend her?She was scared of those answers. As much as she wanted him to be with her, she dreaded th

He didn’t like that. The way she ignored him tempted him to pull her close. Her leaned eyes and red rims bothered him to the point he was seething with rage. The act she was putting on, the façade and the mask she wore to hide her true emotions were gnawing at him. His eyes slowly moved down her trembling body, taking in the sight of her dishevelled dirty clothes. His jaw clenched. But he reminded himself.This was not the time. He knew she needed explanations, and he’d give her, but now was not the time. He couldn’t risk her life. This game included blood, and he’d die thousands of deaths just to make sure she lived.Rhys hid his emotions behind his cold expressions. The muscle in his jaw twitched and he resisted the urge to snap Anna’s fingers as she seductively ran them down his thigh. He grabbed her hand before she could move it low and squeezed it tight as a warning. “Don’t.”Her touch disgusted him. It was taking everything in him to pull out his gun and shoot her. Anna glance