Semua Bab LAURY AND THE WICKED BROTHERS: Bab 21 - Bab 30

The man starts walking, and Ezekiel goes to follow, but I make him stop when I take the hand he didn't put in his pocket. He looks down at it, then his eyes slowly rise to meet mine. I see the apprehension there, the walls he's afraid to let down right now. My hand tightens on his, and his grip on mine tightens as he starts walking again. I walk over to where Jeremiah's hand is still on my back and intertwine our fingers. So, we walk through the restaurant, and yes, we get glances, some curious, even a couple that seem disgusted. I don't care about any of them. I just focus on the feel of their hands in mine.However, I'm disappointed as we walk deeper into the dining room, and I see that all the window seats are taken. Just as I open my mouth to ask the man if there's any way I can get a window seat, we come across some curtains I hadn't noticed before. It's not hard to understand why, since they're black and practically blend into the ceiling and floor. The man parts the curtain, an

None of us do during the hour it takes to get to my street. I spent the time staring out at the rain, trying my hardest not to cry. It was barely working. Because all I could think about was how I'd brought it on myself. Hadn't Ezequiel made it abundantly clear from the start that he wasn't interested in feelings? Had I? But I went against my own instincts, my own warnings inside me, my own mind telling me that what I had with them could never be more than physical. I let Jeremiah's words in the shower make me forget Ezequiel's words. I allowed my heart to take over my mind. I did what I swore I'd never do, and I loved. Now, I'm loving and hurting. Now, I wonder what I did to make Ezequiel see me the same way he saw his ex. Now, I want to rage while I cry because I knew better.I. Knew. Better.The car starts to slow down as we pull up in front of my apartment, and I open the door before Jeremiah comes to a complete stop."Laury, wait!" Jeremiah shouts behind me.With Jeremiah and Eze

—Let me. Go. Ezequiel.— I look into his eyes, wanting him to see the fire in mine. That I'm so angry at him right now. He's hurt so much for days. I can't stand his touch. I don't want him, but I crave him with all my might. I need him to let me go, so I can retreat to my car and berate myself for coming in here.“No,” he says, and then his mouth closes over mine.I pressed myself against his chest as his hands released my arms to slide down my sides. His lips pressed harder against mine, his hard cock digging into my stomach. Damn the lust that surges through me at the memory of how he feels when he's inside me. Damn my hands for not pressing harder against his chest, but instead staying there. I can barely keep them from moving higher and wrapping around his neck.His tongue licks between my lips, and I command my mouth not to open, not to give itself to this man who has broken my heart. But my mouth, my body, ignore me, opening for him as my body leans further into him. He growls a

I screw up my mouth to hold back my laughter, and we start walking toward the group. After not giving in to his threats not to spend a dime or go to next year's event, the man finally chooses a guest to accompany him, and the other two are escorted out, but not before giving me a dirty look. As if I had brought them here knowing I shouldn't have. Then, it's just Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and me, standing next to the guests, checking in.I hate that there's an awkwardness between us that's never existed before. A tension that has nothing to do with desire, or with me trying to deny what I feel for them, or even with me trying to pretend I don't feel anything. Now, there's something incompatible between us, as if we're all supposed to be closer, but the three of us are afraid to take that step."You look beautiful," Ezequiel finally says.For some reason, I wasn't expecting those words. They make my eyes widen as I murmur, "Oh, thank you.""We'll go in with you," Jeremiah says. "I promise you

“If I may have your attention, please,” I say, and wait a moment before continuing: “Thanks to all of your generous donations, we broke a record this year.” Applause echoed around the room. “We raised $653,000, which will go toward helping numerous families receive the medical care they otherwise wouldn’t have access to. I want to thank all of you for coming tonight, for giving so much, and I hope you had a good time. Please go home safely. Good night.”Another round of applause resounds as they leave the stage. The band begins to play the last songs in their repertoire. Some get up to leave, while others dance one last dance. However, Law and Sarah approach."I knew you'd blow me away, but you truly exceeded all expectations," Law says. "It was incredible from start to finish."—Thank you. I'm glad everything went so well.——I have no doubt we'll call you again next year."Are you spending the night at home?" Sarah asks."No, I have one..." I interrupted, squinting at her. "Did they