I wasn’t ready to answer Joseph yet. “Give some time?” “More time?” he said unhappily. “It’s only one date, not a marriage.” “I know, but…” I couldn’t tell him the root of my hesitation because I didn’t quite understand it myself. He’d only asked me for one date and promised we’d have a great
I ran out of steam and looked down at my hands. That end part hadn’t been a lie. He did deserve everything. I just wished the everything he wanted included me. “I don’t need to date,” he said. Surprised, I looked up at him. “You deserve love, Asher.” “And you think I’ll find it dating random g
I enjoyed spending time with Nicole, but we had achieved very little studying. So I spent most of the next morning trapped in one of the Academy’s libraries, studying for my upcoming exams. Yet as hard as I tried to concentrate, my thoughts continued returning to the story of the Lover’s Ferris Wh
Aimee’s mother wiped the tears from her eyes, but new ones kept falling. “She’s so alone now. I don’t know how to reach her. If you hear from her… If you can get through to her where I failed…” “I’ll do what I can,” I told her. We exchanged numbers on the promise that I would call her if I heard
You will not promise him forever, imagined or otherwise. His words, outraged on my behalf, brought me a selfish kind of pleasure. I had pushed for this reaction, and now that I had it, I couldn’t help but press further. Maybe too far. “Does that mean you’ll join me on the Ferris Wheel instead?
Up until the night of the carnival, I tried desperately to keep my mind from thinking about Asher dating someone else. I had pushed him to this by even suggesting that he should date again, and I hated it. So I kept myself busy with studying and practice. In my free time, I hung out with Nicole, o
Stay here with me. Oh, how I was tempted. Asher’s body was hard against mine. All I wanted to do was grind on his leg and beg him to kiss me. But I couldn’t. We were both here with other people. People we were both avoiding to be with each other. It wasn’t right. I placed my hands on Asher’s
This was the moment of truth. At the top of the Lover’s Ferris Wheel. Any couple that kissed at this moment in this spot was destined to be together forever. Asher leaned in. I held my breath. At the last moment, he veered off course and placed a soft, chaste kiss to my cheek. He lingered. The
“Please.” That all sounded so good. I wanted it. I wanted everything. He stood to kick off the rest of his clothes. I watched, my mouth watering as he exposed his dick. He was so big, so hard just for me. Carefully, he moved me how he wanted me, stretching out my legs farther, and then slipped
Asher guided me back into the bedroom. As I stood near the bed, he walked behind me and slowly tugged down the zipper of my dress. His knuckles traced the newly-revealed skin inch by inch, following down the length of my spine. When the zipper had lowered as much as it could go. He spread his hand
I held my breath as Dylan threw the first punch. Asher dodged back and Dylan’s fist flew through the open air. Asher then stepped forward, ready to retaliate. Dylan backpedaled, placing a few feet between them again. In a flash, Dylan moved close again. His speed was lightning-quick. I barely even
“’Might?’” He squeezed me gently. “It will be fine. Trust me.” I did trust him, with my life and more. But… this was my brother. My brother and the love of my life were about to fight a challenge with yet unknown terms that would undoubtedly involve me and my baby. I couldn’t help but be a b
I opened my mouth to begin to explain, but the truth seemed worse than even Dylan’s worst assumptions. No, Asher isn’t the father of my baby. The father is actually a terrible person who is now in prison. But Dylan wasn’t waiting for me to figure out a softer way to explain, and Asher was no hel
On the evening of the Academy’s winter dance, I slipped into my shining purple gown and checked myself out in the bathroom mirror. Gone were the days when I could pass as not pregnant. Now, my bump was a distinctive round bulge, pressing out the front of my gown – which I had bought in the materni
“I… um…” I had no idea how to answer Dylan. Panic set in, sending my heart into overdrive. Should I admit to Asher being beside me? It was getting late at night. Surely Dylan would have follow-up questions. Like, why was Asher in my room after dark. “Oh, shit, I have to go,” Dylan said suddenly.
Asher’s words stole my breath away. For a long moment, I simply stared at him, desire coiling inside of me. He stared back, his blue eyes deep as the ocean. I swallowed thickly. I couldn’t wait to go home with him and see all of his promises in action. Nancy cleared her throat from the doorway.
The real Asher was safely behind the line of fake wolves. He glanced back at me in concern. I understood his worry. Holding this many projections was a strain. But I was done running. I was done standing back. Joseph would lose. And I would help bring him down. In the circle, Joseph started to