Standing on a thick area rug whose pattern of intersecting lines had a very subtle vintage feel, was a man and a woman.The man had dark skin that seemed to glow from within, his hair cropped close to his head. He had an arm around the waist of a curvaceous woman, whose flowing auburn hair I was imm
AnastasiaNatasha smiled at the two of them—a secret smile that had me wondering what the hell she might’ve seen in those visions of hers—and nudged Evangeline forward.“After a stressful, high-profile wedding, and being cooped up on a jet for twelve hours you all deserve a night out. Perhaps it’ll
“You,” she huffed, “are full of shit!”Feeling emboldened by the fact that there was an entire bed between us, I stuck out my tongue. “Says the woman whose dripping wet because a man was finally mean to her!”“Oh, you little—”We wrestled back and forth for a few minutes before collapsing onto the b
AnastasiaI followed Caius to my bedroom. My pulse jumped when he shut the door behind us. Needing something to do, something to put my attention on that wasn’t my sinfully attractive husband, I waltzed over to where my suitcase lay on the bed.“What is it you needed to talk to me about, Caius?” I b
I could see him warring with the decision to drop the matter or press it further. Thankfully, he chose the latter.“That’s exactly what I think,” he nodded, “Does your father know about your enhanced speed?”For a split second I was tempted to tell him the truth about my ability. My mother had ingra
AnastasiaEvangeline returned a few minutes after Caius’s departure. She was unnaturally quiet about what happened in the bathroom. One thing about Evangeline was that she participated fully in gossip, even if said gossip was about herself.“Something happened back there,” I pointed out, still shimm
Once inside the nightclub we were swallowed up by the crowd. That didn’t stop Maverick and the handful of guys he’d brought along with us. The old warrior expressed his concerns about us going out tonight very boldly, but much to my own surprise, Caius had taken my side and agreed we needed a night
I took a swig from the bottle and winced as the tequila burned a path down into my belly. “I forgot you could read lips.”“I had to living with my mother and sister. Ugh, I clearly haven’t had enough tequila if I’m still thinking about them. Pass it over!” She accepted the bottle from my hand and to
“You were made to be mine.” I tore the robe from her body and relished the sound of fabric splitting. Grabbing her wrists, I pinned them behind her back and flipped her around so that her back was flush against my chest. Sweeping an arm out, I cleared my desk of everything, earning a gasp from Anast
I kept moving, my senses stretched as far as they could go. A soft shuffle, nearly undetectable, had me turning left. I continued to follow the hall, turned again, then stopped when I saw her.At the very end of the hallway, bathed in shadows and pale slants of moonlight, was my wife. She was hardly
CaiusUpon returning home, I had one of the few remaining staff draw Anastasia a bath. The woman spent most of her time in there. Not that I paid much attention.Only I did.I told myself it didn’t matter. That I wasn’t counting the minutes she spent in there, listening for the hum of that fucking t
Caius let out a pained grunt, then lifted me from his lap.“I know, which is exactly why we’re coming to an agreement now and not later.”I grinned, feeling victorious. “You won’t regret it.”But as I turned my gaze back to the book on my lap, and to my troubled thoughts, the strange unease in my st
I didn’t admit it to him, but his words made me feel better.“She spent my whole life teaching me to hide my ability. She drilled it into me that I couldn’t trust anyone with my secret, and then she just up and left. Lied about dying. Now I find this note telling me not to look for her. That she had
AnastasiaThe jet hummed softly as it carved a path through the sky, the pack still hours away. The cabin was dim, the lights turned low, and the air thick with unspoken thoughts.I was beginning to suffocate on them.To make matters worse, Maverick sat just a few rows over. Caius apologized prior t
Then there was Caius.Traveling with him wasn’t hardest because of our bickering—that was expected. It was hardest because, somewhere along the way, I had started to enjoy being around him. We were learning each other in ways that felt dangerous. Intimate.I knew how he favored lighter suits as the
AnastasiaBy the time the movie ended, my frustration had dulled to a simmer. The rom com had done its job, distracting me from my own life long enough to keep me from spiraling. Fallon stretched her legs out and released a yawn before turning to me with a smirk.“So, care to talk about your problem
Caius stilled for just a second, his mug raised halfway to his lips. A flicker of something crossed his face—something guarded, almost unsure. Then, as if making a decision, he let out a slow breath and leaned against the counter.“I reacted, because I know someone who can do what he claimed you cou