Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

Xena.I gasped for breath, my legs still aching from the last round. Yet Dante stood over me like this was nothing but probably another of his one night stands.The bed was wet beneath me, wet from my juices. I stared at the ceiling for a while, the memories of his cock inside of me played over and over again."Are you alright?” He asked, buttoning up his shirt."I can't believe," I said slowly, still not looking at him, "that I just slept with my ex-husband's uncle."~A day ago~"You have no choice but to attend."Adrian said it the way he said most things. He cut into his meat and put a piece in his mouth without looking up.I set my fork down."I don't like being forced into things," I remarked. "You know that."He smirked, swirling the wine in his glass then finally looked at me. "Says the woman who was forced to marry me.""I decided to."He didn't argue. He just turned back to his plate and let the silence settle like he'd already won.I picked my fork back up and stared at my

Xena.I have had some strange experiences in my lifetime.Being born illegitimate into a family that kept me like a footnote. Being sent to a wedding that wasn't mine with twenty minutes of notice. And spending three years married to a man who looked through me at dinner every night.But none of them — not one — came close to sitting in a police interrogation room while a man who shared a last name with the people who just destroyed my life slid a deal across the table like we were closing a business lunch."Yeah," I scoffed. "You must be out of your mind."He chuckled. Actual amusement, like I'd said something genuinely funny. Then the smile faded and was replaced with a cold expression. A chill went down my spine.."Some may say that." His eyes drifted to the door. "But it would be in your best interest to hear me out."I followed his gaze. The small window at the top of the door framed three officers waiting like there was good news to be told. The detective was pacing. He looked p

Xena.The ceiling in Dante's room was different from the one in the guest room.I noticed that first, which probably said something about the state of my brain. I stared at it and waited for regret to arrive.It didn't.What arrived instead was a very thorough physical awareness of every decision I had made in the last several hours, and the sound of Dante moving somewhere to my left.I turned my head.He was standing at the foot of the bed, buttoning his shirt from the bottom up. He glanced at me when he noticed I was watching."You're surprisingly difficult to read," he said.I blinked. "Is that a compliment?""It's an observation." He did the second to last button. "Though in this context I suppose it functions as both." The last button. He reached for his cufflinks on the dresser without looking for them. "You held your own.""I'm aware."The corner of his mouth moved. Not quite a smile but I'd take it.I sat up, pulling the sheet with me, and looked around for my gown."There ar

Dante.Axel Darwin stood in the kitchen after Xena's footsteps disappeared up the stairs and looked at the doorway she'd walked through with an expression he clearly believed was neutral. I had spent seven years reading rooms from a distance. I could read one I was standing in without effort.I picked up my coffee."The restructuring documents," I glanced at me. "You mentioned they were in the car."He turned back to me and adjusted. "Yes. I'll have them sent up this afternoon.""This morning.""This morning." He nodded once. Moved to gather his jacket from the back of the chair he'd dropped it on when he came in. Then stopped. "You're not usually that chatty."I looked at him. "Meaning.""Meaning in the three years I've worked with you privately you've never volunteered information that wasn't operationally necessary." He kept his voice even. "The contract marriage. The one night stand. You didn't need to say any of that.""True," I agreed."So why did you."I set my mug down and co

Xena.The bell above the studio door rang softly behind Hannah.Then she was gone.Nobody moved for a second.The envelope stayed open on my worktable beside scattered sketches and fabric samples like it belonged there. Like the last five minutes hadn't just happened.Chloe looked between me and the door. “Should I call the police?”“For what?” I asked quietly.“She threatened you.”“No.” I slid the documents back into the envelope carefully. “She warned me.”“That is not better,” Lena muttered.My phone buzzed against the table before I could answer.One message from Dante.Come home now.I stared at the words longer than I should have.Axel noticed immediately. “Something wrong?”I locked the screen and reached for my bag. “I need to go.”“Xena—”“I’m fine.”“You don’t look fine.”“Good thing looks aren’t legally binding.”That got the ghost of a smile out of him.“I’ll drive you.”“No.”The answer came too fast and Axel's expression shifted slightly at the speed of it.I softened m