The Golden Touch By Nathaniel Hawthorne Novels & Stories

Moore / Calder. A partnership the academy believed it owned. Nyx smiled up at it, rainwater dripping from her sleeves. They thought they’d made her part of the machine. They hadn’t realized she was learning where to break it.

Or was it my fate? Hawthorne crouches down in front of me, pulling out a first-aid kit. “Let me see,” he says softly, rolling up my sleeve to inspect the burn. His hands are gentle as he applies the ointment, his brows furrowed in concentration. I watch him, unable to comprehend why his touch feels so… tender. His sleeves are rolled up, revealing veins running across his muscular forearms. “You shouldn’t apologize for something like that,” he says, breaking the silence. His voice is quieter now, almost reassuring. “Even if it costs you everything—even if it costs your job. Stand your ground. Understand?”

The moonstone sat there glowing softly, innocent-looking despite what it was capable of. Nathan walked towards me, smiling, and picked it up reverently, turning it over in his hands. "Perfect," he breathed. "Absolutely perfect." He looked at me and his smile was victorious. "Now we can finally kill the damned alpha king."

Isabella dug her nails into my skin, the creaking filling the car and drowning out the outside world. "What are you doing?" she whispered, her chest rising and falling in quick succession, her full breasts brushing against my shirt with the temptation of a soft-core show. I noticed her size was exactly what I expected and how easy it was to conquer her. Owning her. Once and for all. But my brain realized that she was the friend of my enemy... the forbidden one, and the one not to be touched. Touched. I had touched her, wrapped my arms around her waist, and carried her out of Beau Maxwell's club. The vibrations had already coated the underside of my skin and gathered in my core to form a dema

love OoO She can feel him playing with her hair. The movement was what woke her up but the more he runs his fingers down her golden tangled locks and plays with it, nearly puts her back to sleep. It was satisfying but it couldn't be compared to how he made her feel last night. Now she gets why women were so obsessed with Chase Evans. He was an expert in that field and he was the best at it. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and they were only to be greeted with his perfect brown eyes staring right back at her. Her mouth curved into a smile and she reached out and touched his face.

He told me to put on my mask before opening the door for me. He took me by the hand before leading me inside his house. People treat you better when you are beautiful... because that's what only matters to some of them. Only the beautiful things. And when your beauty starts to fade... those who confessed that they love you... starts to fade too... as the time passes by.

I had turned the Great Alpha into a common criminal. I wasn't just destroying Roman. I was erasing the woman who had loved him. And jeez, it hurt more than the stone in my lungs. But as I looked at my reflection in the dark screen of the tablet, I saw pale, skeletal, and fading Elara. Then I realized the "Gold" I was winning was starting to feel more like the "Grey" I was leaving behind.

"She was begging for my help, and I pushed her away! All because of your lies!" Melora turned blue. She struggled wildly. Artemis pulled his crazed wife away. But his eyes looking at Melora were as cold as death. Zale stood up slowly. The pressure of the Sea God crashed down on Melora like a mountain. "Melora." His voice was a low rumble, like a judgment passed in the depths of Tartarus. "You took the Golden Apple. You killed Kressa." "No!" Melora shook her head wildly. "I really needed that apple!"

Jon said. The doors opened and I walked past my standing advisors and sat at the head of the table. Since Sir John already said everyone was present, I didn't bother to check. "Let's get to the heart of the matter," I announced. "Last night, Elias Thorne arrived as a visitor in my estate. While he was being entertained in my personal chambers, an assassin walked in and shot his weapon. I would have been hit if not for the male slave who jumped and took the bullet. We have assembled this morning to decide his fate."

God, it had been a lifetime since someone touched me like this. Nathan didn't play fair. He gave a sharp, stinging slap against my inner thigh, making me yelp and lurch against him. He let out a dark chuckle, pressing hot kisses along my throat while he continued the delicious torture below. I was losing the fight. Nathan had always had this—the talent to wipe my brain clean with a single touch. I hooked my leg around his waist, straining to meet the thrust of his fingers. I could feel his gaze on my face, harsh and reverent all at once.