All Chapters of After My Last Breath: Chapter 281 - Chapter 290

“Hi,” I say, somehow managing to sink into the armchair across from them, a coffee table sitting between us.They both look at me, blinking, but neither says a word.Deep down, I know Vera might find it hard to connect with me—considering this is probably the first time she’s ever really seen me—but Cora… why is she looking at me as if I’m just another guest, as if the best thing she can do right now is just behave?Despite the awkwardness fluttering in my veins, I give them a small, friendly smile. “So, Cora… how… how have you been?”She glances at Elara, then back at me. I realize it’s not the kind of look meant to ask what she should say, but to make sure Elara is still there.She doesn&rsquo

I blink.Have I? Fallen for her?Of course, I have. Who wouldn’t?She’s gorgeous. Outstanding. Brave.A definite example of beauty with brains.Only an idiot wouldn’t fall for someone as amazing as her.And I’m surely no idiot. I’m probably one of the smartest people alive.Kidding.But still. The fact remains untouched. I have fallen for Elara. Hard and very hard.She’s still looking at me, her dark eyes brimming with tease.She’s messing with me right now. But she has no idea what kind of bomb she has ticked off inside me with those playful words of hers. Can she even handle the consequences of detonating me right now?I suppose we’ll see soon enough.The corner of my mouth tips up, my gaze dropping to her lips before slowly climbing back to her eyes. “What if I have?” I say, and slowly—very slowly—start pushing my butt off the couch and leaning my hands on either side of the couch. “Would it be such a bad thing?”Seeing me leaning over, she instinctively leans back. Not breaking ey

[Elara]The next time I wake up, my body screams in protest.Shit. What have I done?Not only did I sleep with Griffin again, but I did it in broad daylight too, with my daughters sleeping right in the next room, no less.Dammit. I’ve lost my mind. Why couldn’t I resist him?Maybe because of all the beautiful things he said before he made a very different kind of love to me. It wasn’t rushed or rough or slow or sweet. It was just right. And every time he got the chance, he whispered those same promises into my ear, as if afraid I would forget once I fell from the cliff of the insane pleasure he had worked so hard to take me to.I smile at the thought—at the feeling that’s happily bouncing in my stomach.Has he really fallen for me?I look over my shoulder and find the side of my bed completely empty.Wait. What the hell?I look around the room, for the first time realizing that he’s nowhere to be found. Not even in the bathroom. I should have heard something.Did he leave? The thought

After three hours of an exhausting search, we finally settle on a gown. It’s not flashy, not overtly sexy, but it’s stunning.A floor-sweeping, midnight-blue silk gown that clings to her body in all the right places, accentuating her long, slender frame. The neckline is a modest slash, revealing just a hint of collarbone. The back, however, is a different story. It dips all the way down to the small of her back, a daring, elegant expanse of skin that’s both sensual and sophisticated.“It’s perfect,” I say, a small, satisfied smile playing on my lips. “It’s elegant. It’s powerful. And it’s going to drive every bachelor in that room wild with desire.”Celine looks at her reflection, a slow, confident smile spreading across her face. She knows it’s perfect, too. She knows she’s going to be the center of attention, the star of the show. “I love it,” she breathes, her fingers tracing the delicate embroidery along the hem. “It’s… it’s everything.”“Good,” I say, my smile widening. “Now, all

[Elara]“Damn, Elara!” Nora gasps, eyes wide and round enough to make them look like they are about to pop out of her skull.They don’t. But the thought does little to fade the pinkishness that has taken over my cheeks.“What?” I say, trying to play it cool, but failing miserably. “It’s just a dress.”Nora snorts, her lips twisting into a wry smile. “Yeah. Keep saying that to yourself.”I look at my reflection in the full-length mirror. The dress is a stunning, deep red, the color of a fine wine. It’s simple, elegant, and devastatingly effective. The fabric is a soft, flowing silk that drapes over my body like a second skin, the cowl neckline dipping just low enough to be alluring, but not so low that it’s trashy. The skirt is a cascade of soft, ruffled layers that float around my ankles, giving me an almost ethereal, goddess-like quality. But the real showstopper is the slit that runs up the side, stopping just mid-thigh, revealing a long, slender expanse of my leg with every step I