جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 30

Chapter 22Astrid’s POVThe shrill sound of my phone nearly made me drop it. The name glowing on the screen in bright, damning letters was Micah.Panic seized me as Rhett’s eyes locked on the device. His entire body went rigid, the muscle in his jaw ticking furiously.“Shut it off,” he hissed, his breath hot against my ear. He pressed me tighter into the alcove, his frame sheltering me in the shadows.My fingers scrambled, finally hitting the side button until the ringing cut off. I had no clue who Rhett was hiding us from.Just a few feet away, a figure stopped mid-step. The guy's head turned, brows furrowed as he scanned the lobby.My heart slammed into my ribs. I could barely see the face of the figure as he approached toward us, his gaze narrowing.“Quiet,” Rhett whispered against me. I held my breath, pressed flat against Rhett’s chest.Suddenly, we heard a voice booked across. “Buddy! The boss is asking for you.”The figure paused like he was hesitating. He glanced over his sh

Chapter 24Astrid’s POVI gasped the second Rhett said those words.My wrists strained against the knot, but it was useless. He’d tied it too tight, his strength sealing me in place. My back pressed to the cool wall, and I could feel him hovering right behind me, his frame shadowing mine.Rhett’s hand trailed down my side, slow, deliberate. Too soft at first like he was testing me, teasing me, but even that touch sent a shiver crawling along my spine. My chest rose and fell heavily, and I swore I was seconds from breaking.Because his presence, his touch, his lips hovering just close enough was too much.I was afraid he was going to notice the way my body betrayed me, the heat pooling between my thighs, the wetness that gave away just how much I wanted him.Before I could think, Rhett shifted me. His palm pressed firmly to my back, bending me forward over the dresser. My eyes snapped to the mirror in front of us, and there we were—our reflections staring back at us.I caught a glimpse

Chapter 26Astrid’s POVThe sound had come from upstairs.My heart thumped as I left the living room and hurried up the staircase. I pushed open the door to my room, the noise was near the window. I trod closer, narrowing my eyes as the faint rattle echoed again. I braced myself, tugging the curtain aside.And then I saw the new neighbor–the girl I’d glimpsed earlier was outside in her yard, fiddling with something that looked like a broken frame against the siding. She looked up at the same time I leaned forward, and our eyes met.Her cheeks flushed instantly. “Sorry!” she called up. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. Just fixing this.”I exhaled a long sigh. My annoyance cooled into resignation. With everything else swirling inside me, I didn’t have the energy to be pissed about a stranger clattering around.I let the blinds fall back into place.When I turned, I half expected Rhett to be there. But he wasn’t.I walked out of my room, padding back down the stairs. But Rhett was nowhere

Chapter 28Astrid’s POVThe sleepover wasn’t half as terrible as I’d imagined.At first, walking into Talia’s house had felt like walking into chaos–pillows scattered across the living room, bowls of chips overturned, soda fizz fizzing against the floor. Music blared too loud, laughter trailed up the stairs, and girls were sprawled on every available inch of space like it was some kind of middle-school slumber party.But then the games started. Someone found a deck of cards, another girl pulled out a stack of board games, and soon enough, even I was laughing. I’d been roped into Truth or Dare, cornered into eating half a bag of spicy chips, and almost choked from laughing when Layla tried to sing karaoke with a mouthful of marshmallows.It wasn’t bad. Not bad at all.I’d been wrong.I sat with a blanket wrapped around my legs, a soda bottle clutched between my hands, almost comfortable for once until Talia appeared at my side. She tugged at my sleeve, her face flushed and her smile ju

Chapter 30Rhett’s POVThe lights flickered once more, and Astrid’s eyes locked on mine with a mixture of fear and fire. Her chest heaved against me, her lips parted, and every instinct in me screamed to claim what had been building between us.Her body was still trembling, not just from fear anymore. I could feel it in the way her thighs brushed mine when she shifted, in the way her gaze lingered on my mouth like she hated herself for wanting me.“Astrid…” I growled low, my voice coming out rougher than I intended.She shivered, and that was it. My lips crushed against hers.The kiss wasn’t sweet. It wasn’t careful. It was brutal, hot, everything I’d been holding back pouring out at once. She gasped, her hands on my chest like she didn’t know whether to shove me away or drag me closer.I didn’t give her the choice.My tongue slid against hers, demanding, tasting, and when she whimpered into my mouth, my control snapped another notch. I pressed her harder into the wall, caging her in