Lahat ng Kabanata ng Fallon’s Reid: An Arranged Contract: Kabanata 141 - Kabanata 150

~Fallon~It was just dinner.That’s what I kept telling myself.But it wasn’t. Not really.Because everything had changed since that night in the garage. Since that first time—messy and hungry and drenched in tension we’d been holding back for years.Tonight was different.The dinner had been simple, private—just the two of us, a bottle of wine, the dining room too quiet, the air too charged. We’d barely touched the food. Not because it wasn’t good, but because we were both distracted.By what we weren’t saying.By what we were both thinking.He had looked at me like I was the only thing in the room. Like he was already imagining what he’d do to me the second the plates were cleared. And I had let him. I’d soaked in every second of it.I’d wanted it, too.But more than that—I wanted him.Which was new.And terrifying.Now, hours later, the soft rustle of fabric hit the floor as I stepped out of my dress. I was standing near the closet, reaching for a silk robe, pretending my hands wer

~Reid~I wasn’t one for grand gestures.Never had been. I hated the performance of it all—the forced sentiment, the hollow extravagance. But this wasn’t about showing off. Not tonight.This was for Fallon.And Fallon? She was the exception to every rule I’d ever written for myself.I wanted to give her something real. Something quiet. Something that felt like us, before the world turned everything into strategy and survival.So I called in favors. Cleared the rooftop of one of our hotels—hers and mine, technically, though we never talked about our joint holdings. Had them set up a private dinner under the stars, away from the press, the boardroom, the whispers of socialites and schemers. Just us. Finally.Lanterns glowed against the night, flickering gold like they were holding their breath. Her favorite gardenias lined the table in a simple white arrangement. A record player hummed somewhere nearby, Billie Holiday crooning softly like the city below didn’t exist.I was already standi

~Fallon~The cameras were rolling, the lighting was harsh, and my smile was professionally unshakeable.My makeup had been touched up twice. The crew had asked for a different shot angle once. I’d changed earrings mid-interview because the producer thought the lighting caught too much glare. None of it fazed me. This was my world—controlled chaos packaged into content, then tied up with a perfectly soundtracked bow for the internet to consume.This was my job. This was routine.But nothing about today felt routine.Not with the way my stomach twisted every time Reid’s name came up. Not with the way I hadn’t been able to shake the echo of his voice whispering my name last night when we were tangled in sheets and shadows.Not when I’d woken up to an empty bed and a single, folded note on my nightstand: Knock them dead today. I’ll be watching.Reid never left notes. He barely even texted full sentences. But he was starting to do both. And I didn’t know what that meant.Still, I showed up

~Fallon~The sun was dipping low on the horizon, casting the entire villa in a warm, golden glow. I stood at the edge of the infinity pool in a sleek, high-cut black swimsuit and a silk cover-up that barely counted as clothing.And Reid?Reid was watching me like he hadn’t seen a woman in years.He leaned lazily against one of the loungers, shirtless, a glass of something strong in his hand, sunglasses perched low on his nose like he had no intention of pretending he wasn’t checking me out.I turned slightly, letting the light catch the curve of my thigh, the open back of my swimsuit, the slow sway of my hips.“What?” I said innocently, adjusting my sunglasses. “You’re staring.”His smile was slow, wicked. “You wore that on purpose.”“Of course I did.” I tossed him a smirk. “Would’ve been a waste not to.”His eyes dropped to my legs, then climbed back up, slower this time. “You’re dangerous.”“I get that a lot.”I slipped into the water with a graceful slide, gasping softly at the per

~Reid~I woke up to the scent of her before I opened my eyes—warm skin, salt air, traces of her perfume still clinging to the sheets.Fallon.She was draped across me, one leg tangled over mine, her hand resting just above my heart like she belonged there. Maybe she did.The villa was silent. Only the faint crash of waves beyond the terrace reminded me we weren’t in some dream.I didn’t move right away.We’d done this before—touched, tasted, taken—but this morning felt different. Slower. Heavier in the chest. Like something had shifted and neither of us had the language for it yet.Last night hadn’t been our first time. But something about the way she looked up at me now—bare-faced, lashes heavy with sleep, her expression soft and unguarded—made it feel like it mattered more than the ones that came before.She stirred, breath warm against my collarbone, and I kissed the top of her head before I could stop myself.“Morning,” I said quietly.Fallon blinked slowly, lifting her head just