All Chapters of Dangerous: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

56 Chapters

F O R T Y

With a few days of vacation under their belts, Zoe was starting to sleep easier. Jon fell asleep beside her every night, cradling her against his warm chest. Her mother fawned over him, lavishing him with home-cooked meals and cold beers, while he did odd jobs around the house that her father had put off doing. Stanley took every chance he could to interrogate him, prying into everything from his annual income to his childhood. Jon dealt with it with a degree of honesty that Zoe could tell her father found satisfactory. Evan, giving his disdain of his sister dating, seemed to be getting along well with Jon. They spent hours in front of the television playing PlayStation or watching The Simpsons, giggling like idiots at the childish humor. They’d even gone to the gym to train together, much to Victoria’s delight. Zoe had spent the afternoon in fits of giggles as Jon recounted how uncomfortable the handsy trainer had made him. Audrey had spent the majority of her time at work, and althou

F O R T Y - O N E

At some point during the night, Zoe had dozed off, nose buried in the scent of Jon. She was awakened by the bed shifting beneath Jon’s weight. Saying nothing, she rolled toward him, sleepily kissing his beer-tinged lips.“Sorry, baby,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”His earlier words flashed through her mind. Shaking her head, she swallowed anything else he intended to say. Shimmying out of her panties one-handed, Zoe straddled his torso, her mouth never leaving his. Her tongue swirled around his, their kiss deep and passionate and frenzied. Her urgency for him hardened the lump beneath gray sweats. Taking control, his fingers fisted in chocolate waves, keeping her face close as his tongue ravaged her mouth, his other hand pushing into the space between his swollen erection and her aroused folds. It was urgent, needy and Zoe needed no warming up for him to be able to plunge calloused fingers into her. Zoe gasped, head falling back. Jon’s lips pa

F O R T Y - T W O

The aroma of crispy, cooked bacon wafted through the bedroom. Jon’s eyes snapped open from his comfortable slumber, Zoe lazily draped over his chest. He outstretched his arms, a sleepy yawn rippling through his abdominals as he gently attempted to nudge Zoe onto the free space of the mattress.“You know you don’t have to jump out of bed the minute you smell food, right?” she laughed blearily, blue eyes still hidden beneath her closed eyelids. “Mam usually puts it in the oven to stay warm until everyone wakes up.”“I know I don’t have to,” he grinned, planting a sweet peck on her nose. “I do it ‘cause I wanna.”“What if I want you to stay with me for a bit longer?” she pouted, pushing her lower lip out as far as she could manage.Dark eyes softened, his body sinking into the mattress as he wrapped muscular arms around her tired frame. Burying his nose in her hair, he kissed the crown of her head. “Are you sure you want to leave this afternoon?”“I don’t want to,” she sighed, sleep-lade

F O R T Y - T H R E E

Neon rainbows cascaded in rays through an otherwise dim arcade, crowds of people bunching together like sardines in a can, all cramming to play the smorgasbord of lit-up arcade machines while electronica competed with the animated chatter. With his palm splayed across the small of Zoe’s back, Jon directed her through the throng of teenagers absentmindedly dawdling toward them. Dark eyes darted around the expanse, lips pursed as he searched for a particular machine. As he spotted the flashing screen, a large buck staring at him through the static, his face lit up.“Fuck yeah, it’s here,” he whooped, almost childlike. “I was the absolute boss of this game as a teenager.”Zoe couldn’t help but smile. She’d hesitated when he’d suggested going to the arcade for an hour or two before meeting up with Evan, but seeing him now, in all his unencumbered joy, she was glad she’d agreed.Broad shoulders rolled back as he stepped up to the machine, large palms gripping the red rifle from its holster

F O R T Y - F O U R

The moon hung low in a navy sky reflecting in the still lake, a stark contrast to the blood red lights of the haunted house disarmingly flashing behind them. Petrified screams and eerie cackles pierced spirited conversations, eagerly awaiting people impatiently bouncing on the balls of their feet to psyche themselves up for entry. Fluorescent lights shone from the food truck pulled into the lot beside the house. A pimple-faced teenager stood behind the greasy counter, an electric food warmer showcasing rolling hotdogs. Evan watched longingly, his hands grabbing his stomach as it growled.“I should’ve eaten first,” he whined. “I only had two chicken sandwiches before coming.”“You must be starving,” Zoe rolled her eyes, head shaking in disbelief.With her hands tucked into Jon’s jacket pockets, Zoe allowed the heat of his body to warm her against the chill of the night air. As he cradled her against his chest, fingers brushing through the waves of her chocolate hair, the buzzing in his

F O R T Y - F I V E

Their time together in Pittsburgh had only solidified their relationship. Being carefree had been good for them. As they said their goodbyes to Zoe’s family, ending with promises of return, warm embraces and assurances of more contact, there was no way Zoe or Jon could prepare themselves for the eerie discomfort of not knowing what awaited them back in New Jersey. Every mile closer to home sunk them deeper and deeper into silence.By the time they arrived at Jon’s house, there were permanent pathways indented into his dark hair, his fingers scraping through the strands continuously for six hour drive. Her lips stung from the constant chewing. The way Jon’s hand gripped hers, confining her to her seat in the car until the garage door had securely closed, made her uneasy. His insistence of her remaining in the car while he checked the house caused the hairs on her neck to rise. Would this be her life from now on? Constantly checking over her shoulder. Feeling afraid and tense. Waiting i

F O R T Y - S I X

Anja pulled two wine glasses from her cabinet the minute they entered her apartment, filling both to the brim with red wine before shrugging off her leather jacket and slumping down into the small two-seater. Zoe followed, removing her shoes and curling her aching feet underneath herself. The wine was cheap, bitter, but Zoe knew the intended purpose was to get her drunk enough to spill the beans. Anja hadn’t been convinced by the narrative of Jon and Zoe’s split, and had pestered her for the entirety of her shift, dancing giddily as she cleaned tables once Zoe had agreed to spend the night at her place.“It was nice to have you back tonight, chicky,” Anja grinned, taking a large gulp of her drink as her head fell back against the sofa. “I was lonely as fuck without you and Sienna there.”“Not going to lie, I didn’t miss it… like at all,” Zoe laughed. “It was nice being back with my family.”Raising perfectly preened brows, Anja pounced on the opportunity to open interrogation. “Sooo…

F O R T Y - S E V E N

Burnt orange quilts spilled along the sofa Zoe was curled up on, the warmth of its rays coating her arms and face as she unfurled, stretching aching muscles. Peeking over her shoulder, Zoe stifled a giggle at Anja’s undignified position. Sprawled awkwardly over the recliner, Anja’s neck was twisted uncomfortably, her mouth hanging open as she snored louder than Zoe’s dad. Sun beams danced, licking the ceiling like flames as it inched across the entirety of the lounge room and into the kitchen. As Zoe watched the intricate patterns it made, she relished in the small weight lifted off her shoulders from sharing her secret. Telling Anja had been therapeutic. Someone else knowing exactly what she was dealing with made her feel better, especially because Anja got it. There was no judgment or disapproval, only concern and compassion. She’d reveled in the juicy details of the relationship, sinking into intimate questions Zoe never would have answered had she not consumed almost a bottle of p

F O R T Y - E I G H T

Sitting in front of the wall of monitors, beady eyes fervently scanning for any signs of movement, the shaggy-haired man let out an exaggerated sigh. Clasping his arm across his growling stomach, he leaned over, the swivel chair creaking at the sudden uneven distribution of weight. Rummaging through the junk-filled drawer beside him, he found the tin of cayenne tuna he’d stored months earlier, in case of an emergency. Cracking it open, he savored the spice as he shoveled a heaping spoonful into his mouth.Her voice echoed through the cold, concrete office. It always shocked him when she spoke – her sweet, timid tone the complete antithesis to the harsh, detached and vindictive orders she barked at him.“You are fucking kidding,” she hissed, slapping the underside of his greasy, disheveled hair. “Do you see a fucking window in here, you fucking moron? You’ll stink up the entire fucking building.”Rolling his eyes in frustration, the man spoke, a mouthful of tuna sloshing between crooke

F O R T Y - N I N E

“Do you have to go?” he whined. Dark eyes watching intensely from the doorway, studying the way the warm, steady stream trickled over Zoe’s naked body, the trails it left on velvet skin.Laughter tinkled through the tiled bathroom, muffling through the glass of the shower. “I’ve just taken two weeks off. We’re so short-staffed. I think Simon would actually kill me if I called out.” She lathered the cleanser over her face, allowing the water to take with it the dirt and grime she’d failed to wash off last night. “I’ve only got two weeks left, babe.”Resting his shirtless torso against the doorframe, he folded his arms and smirked, following her gaze down his chiseled abdomen. “Two weeks too long,” he huffed. “I hate knowing they’re all there staring at your legs in those tiny shorts, drooling over you.”“Like you did?”“That’s different,” he tutted as the beginnings of a grin tugged the corners of his mouth. “I was in love with you.”Sweet, melodic laughter pealed through the room, the

1 2 3 4 5 6

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP