Anthony held Ria's hand as they made their way into the garden of the luxurious hotel. They were the only customers allowed into the garden because Anthony had reserved it a while back.Ria was impressed by how Anthony had gotten the garden set up on such short notice. The garden was adorned with soft string lights, draped over fragrant blooms and lush greenery. Stone pathways led to a quaint gazebo with a rustic wooden table, set for two, adorned with fresh flowers and candles.The air carried a scent of blooming roses and the gentle melody of a trickling fountain provided a serene backdrop. The chilly air blew on her bare back and she rubbed her arms absentmindedly.Her gaze was focused on the pool as they walked to their seats and she imagined the feeling of taking a dip during summer. Anthony acted like a gentleman, completely different from the feral sex mate she knew. Sensing her plight, he took off his jacket and covered her back, since her dress was strapless.She stared at hi

Anthony stepped into the rain and held Ria's wet face. He was about to kiss her when he realized she was shivering. His eyes widened in surprise and he quickly lifted her bridal style and dashed into the house. He did not stop until he was inside the bedroom.Ria clung to him. Her lips quivered and she continued shivering while her eyes remained closed."Silly girl. Why did you get in the rain when you knew your body could not take it?" Anthony chided her.He took her into the bathroom and ran a hot bath for her. He let the water heat up her body and turned on the heater in the bedroom.When he brought her out of the bathroom, she was naked but no longer shivering.He wiped her body dry, laid her on the bed, and dried her hair with a hand dryer. Afterward, he covered her body with a duvet and sat by her bedside, holding her hand and staring at her.After minutes of silence, she stared at him and said, "Thank you very much."He nodded, "You're welcome. However, I'm still waiting for yo

RIA"How dare you?" Hale thundered. "You want to squirt? I'll show you how to squirt."He charged at me, grabbed my hair, and flung me toward the chair. I got up as quickly as I could while he rushed toward me.He reached out his hands, wanting to tear my dress, but then I pushed him away with as much strength as I could muster. It sent him staggering backward, and he almost fell, but he steadied himself.I quickly got up. "You can't touch me, Hale, not today," I said, as I tried to catch my breath."Anthony is waiting for me. He asked me to come see him at his company. I was on my way there before I decided to make a detour here and explain everything to you. We all know what will happen when I get to Anthony's company, so you cannot touch me. Look at my face, look at what you've done. This is already a big problem.Anthony told me last night that if I got close to any man while still with him, he'd be done with me and kick me out of his house. You cannot touch me until this deal is

Hale took a cab home; on his way, he kept thinking about everything that happened and cursed, "Dammit!"When he arrived home, Trisha was waiting for him. The moment she saw him, she slapped him so hard on his cheek that he could not help but stare at her in surprise."What the hell, Trisha?" He yelled."That is for making Anthony see you," Trisha retorted.The previous day, she had been against him inviting Ria to the house. And then, when Ria had arrived earlier on her own, she had been in the living room but became so frightened that Hale had to delay a little bit while she ran into the room to hide herself.Inside the room, she had listened in on their conversation and shook her head at how stupidly Hale acted. She couldn't understand why he went as far as slapping Ria when he knew that was going to attract attention from Anthony. When he decided to leave with Ria, she had been so angry about it that she tried calling him but he wouldn't take her calls because he knew why she was c

ANTHONYI stared at Ria as surprise flashed through her eyes and then embarrassment. Indeed, my confession about my feelings was genuine, however, I didn't say those words to her because I wanted her to reciprocate my feelings.I was testing her. I wanted to see if she could open up even a little to me but she proved I was wrong to have given her a chance. At this point, ending her life would have been the best decision. The old Anthony Baltimore would have done it without hesitation, but I wanted to give her a second chance. Snuffing her life out would be the most difficult thing for me if I decide to go through with it.She got on her feet and began to stutter. Despite the new atmosphere, desire surged through me as my eyes traveled down her body, as though I was seeing it for the first time.Seeing that I was getting a stiffy, I struggled to rein in my desires just as she struggled to speak. I wanted her at that moment, more than I wanted to hear her speak.Just as I got up, she s