Semua Bab Fallon’s Reid: An Arranged Contract: Bab 71 - Bab 80

~Reid~I watched her walk away.Every step took her farther from me, and I told myself it was better that way.But my body didn’t believe it.My hands still ached with the memory of her skin. My mouth still burned from the kiss I shouldn’t have given her. And my chest tightened with every second that passed, like some part of me knew I should stop her.But I didn’t.Because this… feeling… was dangerous.I stood there in the dim light of the entryway, listening to the soft sound of her footsteps fading upstairs. And when the house finally went silent, it felt louder than any fight we’d ever had.The urge to follow her was a physical thing — a sharp pull low in my stomach, a restless ache in my hands.But I didn’t move.Because I knew if I did… I wouldn’t stop.And I wasn’t sure either of us would survive that.This wasn’t the first time I’d wanted Fallon Prescott.And it sure as hell wasn’t the first time wanting her had ended badly.We didn’t work. We never had.Not when we were kids

~Fallon~When Reid asked me to join him for drinks with his friends, I almost said no.Not because I didn’t want to go — but because I wasn’t sure I could handle being around him like that. In public. Where the lines between real and pretend kept getting harder to see.Where the way he looked at me made it too easy to forget this wasn’t real.But then I thought about the way his hand hadn’t let go of mine on the red carpet. The way he’d whispered, Let’s talk… and then never did.So I said yes.And if I was going, I was going to make sure he felt every second of my presence.I took my time getting ready.I wasn’t going to make it easy for him.The dress was black and sleek, hugging every curve like it had been made for me. It dipped low in the back, the satin brushing against my skin with every step. My makeup was just enough to highlight everything I wanted him to see — eyes a little darker, lips a little redder.When I stepped into my heels, I felt powerful.And when I walked down th

~Reid~The last thing I wanted was to leave.But I had to.Business didn’t wait for complicated feelings. The Switzerland deal needed my attention — urgently — and Fallon Prescott was already dangerous enough without me sticking around long enough to make a mistake I couldn’t take back.I told myself it was the right call. A few days away would clear my head, give me the space I needed to remember why we’d done this in the first place — why keeping my distance was the only thing keeping us both from falling off the edge.But when I found her in the kitchen that morning, I knew I was lying to myself.Because the longer I stayed away from her, the worse it got.Fallon stood at the counter, hair falling in soft waves down her back. The strap of her tank top slipped slightly off her shoulder, and I shouldn’t have been looking.But I couldn’t stop.Sunlight streamed through the windows, painting her in gold. Her movements were slow and familiar — the quiet morning routine I’d watched from

~Fallon~If one more person asked me where my husband was, I was going to scream.The award event was glamorous — all glittering lights, designer gowns, and the hum of excitement in the air. It should’ve been perfect. A night to celebrate, network, and remind the world why I was good at this.But all anyone wanted to talk about was Reid.“Fallon! Fallon, over here!”The photographers called out from the sidelines, their cameras flashing in quick bursts as I stepped onto the red carpet. I smiled — the one I’d perfected years ago, the one that said I’m fine even when I wasn’t — and posed, my dress flowing like liquid ink around me.But the questions started almost immediately.“Fallon! Looking stunning tonight! But we have to ask — where’s Reid?”The smile never wavered. But my fingers tightened around the clutch in my hand.“He’s traveling for work,” I said smoothly, the answer so well-rehearsed it came out like silk.But of course, they didn’t stop there.“Is everything okay between y

~Fallon~ For weeks, we’d been living separate lives. We passed each other like strangers in this massive house — polite, distant, and pretending the kiss that changed everything never happened. He worked late. I buried myself in content creation. And the silence stretched so long, I almost started to believe this was how it was always going to be. There were moments — brief, fleeting — when the distance slipped. The brush of his hand when we reached for the same thing. The way his eyes would linger a second too long when he thought I wasn’t looking. The tension that built every time we were in the same room, thick and electric, even when we weren’t speaking. But neither of us crossed the line. And the space between us kept growing. Work kept me busy. Campaigns rolled in, brand deals lined up, and my schedule was packed with photo shoots, product launches, and back-to-back editing sessions. My days blurred into a steady rhythm of content and deadlines — and I was gratefu