hm.
CHARLOTTEI stifled a gasp at the feel of his hands on me. Trailing down the column of my neck. Reaching down to cup one of my sensitive breasts in his large hands. The calloused digits grazing against my heated flesh. His voice, raspy and deep, as I felt it right by my ear, “Charlotte…” I let
I slowly nodded, drumming up the courage to say what I had to say. I couldn’t beat around the bush anymore. I couldn’t… pretend. So instead of hiding behind a wall, I decided to bite the bullet and speak my truth. I’d been put in worse situations when it came to the person standing in front of m
CHARLOTTE At the point of contact, my knees damn near gave out on me. It was soft, and gentle. Just like the feel of his lips on mine. I reveled in it. But it still didn’t stop me from noticing how rigid Taide had gone. He remained frozen and immobile. Part of me understood it; I caught him o
I couldn’t help but remember who had caused me to end up sleeping in that car that day. Why I ended up there. The party, the events that sent me running out of the house, the look of shock and horror on Vance’s face when he saw my mark, the anger and sorrow I felt after everything. It all kept com
CHARLOTTE I vaguely realized this morning that I needed to try putting myself back together after the absolute insanity that was spring break. The school would be back in session in two weeks, and it felt almost unbelievable that two weeks from now, I was expected to just slip back into my old r
Mads pulled away from him slightly to look into his eyes, about as curious concerning Sean’s destination as I was. “And why are you going to the palace?” “I bet your brother is trying to get your other brother out of a really shitty situation. And my dad wants his pound of flesh too. Your dad’s ho
CHARLOTTEI crept down the stairs and to the basement, pausing to listen to the sound of screws tightening the closer I got. I landed on the floor and immediately fixed my eyes on the person I had come here to see. Taide, bent over a dismantled, vintage-looking car as he toyed with something under
CHARLOTTETaide had his hands cinched around my waist, and as much as I loved the contact, I was desperate to jump down from the table and bolt out of the room. Reigh’s expression, for some reason, lacked all the amusement I’d initially expected to find once I turned to look at him. My cheeks were
CHARLOTTEI glanced up at Caeson, catching the steady, unreadable expression he always wore. His gaze held mine, cool and unwavering, and for just a moment, something fluttered in my chest.I quickly shoved it aside, clearing my throat.“She’s staying then?” I asked, looking around the room. “We all
CHARLOTTE I watched the cat nibble on the can of tuna I’d placed on the kitchen island, its tiny pink tongue darting out to lap at the edges.Its fur was such a soft, dark fluff, and as I scratched behind its ear, it leaned into my hand, purring softly. I smiled to myself, feeling an unexpected war
CHARLOTTE I watched the cat nibble on the can of tuna I’d placed on the kitchen island, its tiny pink tongue darting out to lap at the edges.Its fur was such a soft, dark fluff, and as I scratched behind its ear, it leaned into my hand, purring softly. I smiled to myself, feeling an unexpected war
CHARLOTTE I pulled my curls into a bun as I walked down the stairs, my feet moving slowly against the wooden steps. The house was quiet, too quiet, but that was normal these days. My thoughts were scattered until a flicker of movement caught my eye. A flash of black streaked across the foyer. I st
CHARLOTTE Taide was growing out his hair. I sat on the edge of my bed, watching him lean over the mirror on my dresser. His hands combed through his dark hair, smoothing it back and letting it fall forward again. It was longer than I’d ever seen it, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it yet. S
A childish part of me felt like defending that Emma had started it, but why did it matter? It shouldn’t matter and I tried to make myself believe that. Taide’s attention shifted away from the menu to me, and I cleared my throat before turning my gaze from Caeson and down to the menu like I had
CHARLOTTE After a short drive, Taide pulled up in the parking lot of the small restaurant that was a hotspot amongst students in the area. The main area was rowdy and full of students eating and talking loudly, but Taide led me past there and into a quieter, more ambient area. It was still c
CHARLOTTE Taide held the door open and shot me a knowing look. But I didn’t move, I remained in one spot, crossed my arms and pouted. “But Taide—” “I don’t want to hear it,” he cut me off, his expression deep and serious. My lips snapped shut, I sensed that there was no point in arguing. So, wi
I pulled them both back into the house and then to the kitchen. With a small exhale, I let go of their hands, immediately missing the comfort and warmth their touches gave me. “I need to find Madeline,” I told them. “Do you know if she’s back?” Just like Taide, she’d been gone almost all day. Rei