Semua Bab Off Limits: Playing With Fire (Short Stories Collection): Bab 31 - Bab 40

I woke up angry. Mostly because Kane Ryder was standing in my kitchen at six in the morning looking like he owned my penthouse. I walked into the room wearing shorts and an oversized T-shirt, still half asleep, and stopped short when I saw him. He stood beside the counter drinking black coffee while reading something on a tablet. The early morning light coming through the windows made the gray in his hair more noticeable. His black shirt stretched tightly across his chest, sleeves rolled to his elbows. He looked handsome even while holding a coffee mug. His eyes lifted slowly toward me. Then immediately lowered. Straight to my bare legs. Heat crawled up my neck. Kane’s jaw tightened before he looked away. “Morning,” I muttered. “You’re awake early.” “It’s six-thirty. Some people actually sleep.” “You won’t anymore.” I frowned. “What does that mean?” Kane set the mug down calmly. “From now on, you don’t move anywhere alone.” I blinked. “Excuse me?” “You heard me.” “Oh

The next morning felt painfully awkward. Mostly because Kane avoided looking at me. Which only made me think about last night even more. I sat at the kitchen counter sipping coffee while pretending not to watch him move around the cabin checking locks and windows for the fifth time. His dark T-shirt stretched across his back every time he reached upward. Not that I noticed. Okay. I noticed. A lot. “Kane.” No response. “Kane.” “What?” I narrowed my eyes. “You’re ignoring me.” “I’m busy.” “You almost kissed me last night.” That got his attention instantly. His body went completely still. Slowly, Kane turned toward me. His gray eyes looked dangerous again. “That didn’t happen.” I nearly laughed. “Oh, it absolutely happened.” “You were panicking.” “So your solution was almost making out with me?” “Nova.” The warning in his voice only irritated me more. I hopped off the stool and walked closer to him. “Why are you acting weird?” “I’m not.” “You barely looked at me th

After the kiss, everything between Kane and me became messy. Because now I knew what his mouth felt like. And Kane apparently decided the solution was pretending the kiss never happened. For two days, he barely touched me. Barely looked at me. He became colder than ever, hiding behind security checks and patrols and that stupid emotionless expression he wore when he wanted to shut the world out. Meanwhile, I was losing my mind. Every time he walked past me, I remembered his hands on my waist. Every time he spoke, I remembered the rough sound he made when I kissed him. And every night, I replayed that moment over and over until sleep finally came. It didn’t help that the threats kept getting worse. The stalker leaked private photos online. Pictures of me leaving restaurants. Pictures taken through my penthouse windows. Even one blurry photo of me arriving at the safehouse. That one terrified me most. Because it meant someone had followed us. Kane smashed a glass against th

I should’ve known peace wouldn’t last. Not for us. Not with someone like Adrian still out there. Three days after Kane told me he loved me, we returned to the city for the first time since hiding at the cabin. My father insisted it was necessary. “There’s increased security,” he promised. Kane looked like he wanted to strangle him. I honestly didn’t blame him. Still, My refused to cancel the Moretti Foundation charity gala. Apparently half the city’s richest people would be attending, and he didn’t want rumors spreading about fear or weakness. Typical billionaire behavior. Which was how I ended up standing inside a ballroom full of diamonds, champagne, and fake smiles while armed guards watched every entrance. Kane stayed beside me the entire night. Literally beside me. One large hand rested lightly against my lower back as we moved through the crowd together. Dangerously comforting. “You’re glaring at everyone,” I whispered. Kane scanned the room calmly. “Everyone’s a p

Six months later, my life looked completely different. For starters, I no longer woke up alone. I opened my eyes slowly one warm morning to find Kane already awake beside me, watching me with that calm, unreadable expression he wore around everyone else. Except now I knew him too well. I could see the softness hiding underneath. The love. “Why are you staring at me like that?” I mumbled sleepily. Kane’s hand slid gently through my hair. “Making sure you’re real.” My chest melted instantly. “Wow,” I teased softly. “That was surprisingly emotional.” “Don’t get used to it.” Too late. I smiled and curled closer against him while sunlight filled our bedroom. Our bedroom. Still crazy to think about sometimes. After Adrian Vale’s arrest, everything slowly settled down. The threats stopped. The police uncovered enough evidence to keep him locked away for years. For the first time in months, I finally felt safe again. Things with my father had improved too. At first, my fathe