HannahThe next few days passed in a blissful haze, each one better than the last. Noah kept true to his word, throwing himself into planning a wonderful baby shower with me.We spent our days planning, sending out invitations to all our friends, and our nights... Well, those were filled with sweet
Before I could retort, his mouth had trailed up and captured my lips in a sweet kiss. I melted into him, my hands coming up to tangle in his hair. When we parted, both slightly out of breath, he crouched down, parting my robe to expose my swollen belly. He pressed a tender kiss to my skin, his hand
HannahViona’s nimble fingers worked expertly through my hair, weaving intricate braids and curls as I sat in front of my vanity. The sweet scent of floral perfume filled the air, mingling with the subtle aroma of the styling products she was using.I’d forgone my usual stylist tonight in favor of V
Her eyes softened, and she squeezed my hand. “I missed you too, Han. Let’s promise never to fight like that again, okay?”I nodded, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. Viona quickly dabbed them away, laughing. “Don’t you dare ruin my masterpiece!”As she put the finishing touches on my ma
HannahBy the time Noah pulled away from that kiss, I was left breathless and blushing. My face felt hot, surely beet red from the unexpected display of affection.This wasn’t just for show or for the cameras. This was real.“You look beautiful,” he breathed, his fingers first brushing across the ga
HannahThe sounds of laughter and music faded somewhat as I made my way into the kitchen, an empty snack bowl in hand. The staff tonight had offered to refill it, but I’d insisted, saying that I needed a few moments to myself.Apparently, they had taken that as meaning that I needed the entire kitch
I blinked, shocked. “I had no idea.”His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “It made me realize that she might not have our best interests at heart, even though she claims to be our friend. I’ve been distancing myself from her since then.”He paused, then added, “I’m glad that Drake was there that night
HannahNoah’s body tensed beneath me as he finished with one last resounding growl, his fingers digging deeply into the soft flesh of my hips.I collapsed onto his chest, panting and heaving, my heart racing. The cool night air kissed my sweat-dampened skin, and I became acutely aware of the fact that the forest had gone silent around us—the nighttime creatures going quiet at the sound of two predators howling in the clearing.As I caught my breath, I realized that my flower crown had slipped off during our passion. Noah’s chest rumbled with a soft chuckle as he sat up, cradling me in his lap. He reached over, plucking the crown from where it had fallen on the grass beside us.With gentle hands, he placed it back on my head, adjusting it carefully. “A crown for my queen,” he murmured, his green eyes twinkling in the moonlight.I couldn’t help but giggle, feeling giddy and lightheaded. “I thought I was your princess,” I teased, running my fingers through his tousled hair.“After that p
Noah pushed himself harder, letting out a playful howl as he gained on her, the hunt pulsing through his veins like a drug. She glanced back, her ears twitching, and he saw her eyes flash with excitement before she put on an extra burst of speed. It became a game of cat and mouse, each of them pus
Noah For the millionth time that morning, Noah’s gaze drifted from the stack of papers on his desk to the stretch of forest that was visible through the office window. The afternoon light filtered through the trees, casting that familiar, deep green hue over the landscape. Just seeing the expans
Noah didn’t say anything, just looked at it with a faint smile, his hand sliding over Melody’s stroller handle. I could tell that he liked it. A lot. “That’s beautiful,” I said, glancing at the price tag. “If you want it, you should buy it.” I gestured to my own bags sitting in the back of the str
Hannah Amber’s big move weighed on me for days. I was happy for her, genuinely. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t going to miss her like hell. And with her going-away party coming up, I wanted to do something special before she left. I thought about finding her a small going-away gift, just a
Amber shook her head, blinking quickly to dispel her tears. “It’s like this weight I can’t shake. No amount of therapy is helping. And I realized... I think I just need to get away. I need to start over, somewhere far from here. Somewhere I can figure out who I really am, without all the... the bagg
Hannah When Amber called and said she wanted a girls’ night, I nearly dropped my phone. The last time we had all had a proper girls’ night, just us, had been… Well, I actually couldn’t remember the last time. Maybe not since Melody had been born. Of course I said I would go even though it was a
Noah took a deep breath, nodding. “You’re right.” “And then there’s your father,” he mused after a beat of silence. “He thought he was protecting you, setting you up for a safe future by arranging our marriage, but… he never really stopped to think about what you were getting into. He never took t
Hannah It took some time to get Melody to bed that night, what with all the sugar and excitement of the overwhelming day. Noah and I had to take turns pacing back and forth across the nursery, bouncing her and cooing to her until she finally gave up and let her eyes flutter closed. By the time s
Sighing, I said softly, “I could say the same for myself. But people change.” Her gaze lifted to mine. “Yeah, I guess they do. Thank you, Hannah. Really. I wouldn’t have even thought about it if you hadn’t put in a good word for me.” I shrugged, brushing it off with a smile. “I just suggested th