جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 20

My fingers were digging into the thick hair at the base of Carter's neck, holding on for dear life as the entire fitting room tilted on its axis. I had completely forgotten where we were, who I was, or why we were even standing here in the first place. His mouth was hot, demanding, tasting like winter mint and pure, unadulterated adrenaline. He let out a low, sharp groan that vibrated straight through my chest, his hands sliding down my hips to grip my lower back, pulling me flush against him. The expensive silk dress was the only thing between us. Every single nerve ending in my body was on fire, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.We were completely, helplessly lost in it...Until the heavy velvet curtain got yanked backward with a loud swoosh."Uhhhhhh... I am so sorry," a voice squeaked.We sprang apart so fast I nearly tripped over my own heels. A boutique assistant, this skinny guy holding a stack of garment bags, was standing dead in the doorway. His e

The leather seat of the Uber was practically peeling a layer of skin off the back of my thighs, but honestly, that was the least of my problems right now. I sat entirely frozen in the back seat, staring out the window as the blurry city streets flashed by. My chest felt like a literal washing machine on the spin cycle. I could hardly pull a full breath of air into my lungs. I just made a deal with Carter Graham. And not just a simple, pretend to like each other around campus kind of deal. Oh no, that would have been too easy. I just agreed to step directly into the lion's den. Viktor Graham. Maureen. A high society engagement dinner filled with actual billionaires, cameras, and God knows what else. I gripped the strap of my purse so hard my fingers started cramping. The whole point of this fake relationship was to make Justin jealous. That was it. I just wanted Justin to look at me, to realize I was a catch, and to finally make a move. And it was working! Justin was literal

The grip Carter had on my waist was literally the only thing keeping my knees from completely buckling underneath me.Viktor Graham just stared at me. He didn't blink, he didn't smile, he just looked at me like I was a piece of trash that somehow blew onto his perfectly manicured front porch.Carter’s fingers dug into the fabric of my black dress. “If you ever payed attention to what I ever tell you, you would remember her name,” Carter said to Viktor, his voice dropping so low it sounded like a literal growl.I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat feeling like a golf ball.Viktor didn't even flinch. He just brushed past Carter’s sharp introduction with a cold, mocking smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth."I see your taste in women remains as temporary as your academic focus," Viktor said, his voice smooth and completely unbothered.I literally felt my face burn up. The sheer disrespect of this man was insane, but I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted a faint metallic ta

​"I should've stopped him, Hayesey. God, I knew how he was, and I still brought you into that house," Carter choked out, dragging both hands through his hair. "He had no right to insult your life, or talk down to you like you were something he could just buy off. You didn't deserve a single second of that—"It was completely hollowed out... like someone had scooped all the fight right out of his chest.He finally pushed off the car and turned to look at me. The security lights from the driveway caught his face, and my stomach did this horrible little flip. He looked devastated.He stopped pacing and just stared at the gravel, his chest rising and falling way too fast. I stood there freezing in my thin dress but the cold didn't even register anymore. I stepped closer to him, closing the huge gap in the driveway between us."No, don't be," I said softly, catching his gaze. "Please don't be. You know I am honestly not even mad at you. I am actually really grateful for the way you st

For a split second, my brain completely went off the rails. I was lost imagining Carter walking up to me, lifting me up off the sticky linoleum like I weighed nothing, and kissing me so hard I couldn't breathe. In my head, his hands were already unbuckling my bra, tossing it onto the floor, and throwing me onto my bed while he unbuttoned his trousers... pulling down his boxers right as— Carter was suddenly standing right in front of me, waving a large, broad hand back and forth in front of my face. "Hello? Are you in there?" Carter asked, his eyebrow raised. "Uhh, yes," I choked out, snapping back to reality so fast I almost got whiplash. "What's up?" "Were you daydreaming?" Carter asked, leaning a little closer. "No," I lied instantly, my cheeks turning molten hot. "Just thinking of... some assignments. College stuff." "Yeah, right," Carter muttered, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You still haven't answered my question." "Question? What question?" I asked,