Lahat ng Kabanata ng TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS : Kabanata 151 - Kabanata 160

Lisa POVCameron’s silver jeep occupied the front drive. The guards stood at the perimeter, their usual casual stance abandoned for rigid vigilance. I stepped out of my car and ignored the weight pressing against my chest.Voices drifted from the dining room. I walked toward the entrance and stopped in the doorway. Cameron sat at the head of the table, across from my mother. Fine china sat before them. They both looked toward me as I crossed the threshold.“There she is,” my mother said. “Just at the right time. How was your stay at the nursery?”I moved to the table and pulled out a chair. I sat down and ignored her question. She pushed a plate toward me. The scent of coconut fish curry and warm rice rose into the air.“You should eat,” she said. “I made your favorite.”Cameron kept his focus on me. He reached for a small velvet box resting near his water glass.“I got you something,” he said.I took the box and flipped the lid open. A glass bottle sat nestled in silk. The glass was

Lisa POVThe clothing store was quieter than I expected for that time of day. I moved past a section of fitted tops and paused in front of a mirror to check my reflection, as most of my clothes no longer sat the way they used to.I picked up another top and held it against my body. The hem barely reached where I needed it to.“I think I need to change everything,” I said. “I'm so fat.”My mom glanced at me from where she stood, flipping through a row of dresses. “You’re not fat, honey. You're carrying a baby. Getting bigger is expected.”“I know,” I grumbled. “It’s just inconvenient.”She picked out a piece and held it up. “Try this.”I took it from her and checked the cut. It would work. Not my usual style, but it would work. I added it to the small pile in my hand and moved along the rack again.“Mom, I have an idea,” I said.“That usually means I won’t like it,” she replied.“While I go to the festival, you can go spend some time with Alpha Kieran,” I said. “You keep staying around

Lisa POVMy eyes snapped open as my body shoved me out of sleep. A sharp pressure in my belly told me I had to pee. I sat up, feet on the cool floor, waiting for my balance before standing.Halfway to the bathroom, something inside shifted, pressed outward, then stopped, like testing the waters. It made me stop moving. My hand flew to my stomach. I waited, and at the same time, my mind raced to worst-case scenarios.Was the baby okay?It came again, clearer this time. A little push from inside.I needed backup. Waking Mom felt bad, considering she slept late, but it was better than lying awake spiraling. I padded into the hall, past the dim wall lights, to her door.Her voice cut through. “Lisa?”“I’m coming in,” I said, pushing the door open.She sat up, eyes sharp on me. “What happened?” I could hear the nervousness in her voice.“I felt something move low in my belly, like a push. It wasn’t painful.”The nervous look disappeared, followed by a tired smile. She patted the bed by her

Cameron POVThe gated entrance, with security cameras, blinked red as the car drove down the winding asphalt drive, the garage doors yawning open automatically. I cut the engine, sitting there for some minutes before getting out.The petal-soft flower stems brushed my fingers in a hurried grab, and I picked up the box of chocolate, as well as the apology card, and headed upstairs.I knocked on Evangeline's door. No response, but her door was unlocked. I pushed it open and stepped inside.She was asleep, her face peaceful, her breaths rising and falling steadily.I watched her, the failure from last night pausing in the face of that stillness.I walked over and looked at her, leaned down, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.The warmth of her skin and her lotion had once turned me on.Now, I felt nothing.I straightened and placed the flowers, the note, and the chocolate beside her. An apology, even if I couldn’t put it into words that made sense.She didn’t stir.I stood there a moment

Lisa POVI woke up to an empty space beside me.I turned my head before I could stop myself. The sheets were disturbed, still carrying the shape of where he had been. I already knew he wouldn’t be there, but my body checked anyway, as if it needed proof.He was gone.I stayed there for a while, staring at the empty side, letting the silence settle in. Then I shifted into his spot, pressing my face into the pillow. His scent lingered, and it pulled an emotion I refused to name. Last night hadn’t been imagined. It hadn’t been one-sided either. That made it worse.My hand moved across the sheets until it brushed against paper. I picked it up and unfolded it.I enjoyed last night.Cameron.I read it again, then let out a breath. A smile formed before I could stop it. It sat there, then I caught myself.He enjoyed it.So did I.Yet, that didn’t change anything.I folded the note and placed it on the bedside table, then lay back. The warmth from earlier was gone, replaced with an awareness