For a long moment I just stare at his hand, so long that Christian takes another step forward, holding it closer, insistent. And then I reach for him, slipping my fingers against his palm, letting me pull me to my feet. “Are you all right?” he murmurs as I find my balance, realizing that my legs a
When I wake up the next morning I…have no idea what to do. I mean, the penthouse is totally quiet – you’d honestly think that I was here alone. But…I was ordered to my room. Am I allowed to…leave it? I spend about five minutes wondering and then I huff a frustrated sigh, tossing my blankets of
I sigh but nod again, agreeing to it. “And second, you lie your ass off, telling them that you broke up with Steven and had to leave everything behind at your house and that you simultaneously got a really prestigious internship that’s going to take up a great deal of your time. You’ve borrowed th
“You,” Frankie says tiredly, pointing at me as he closes the door behind him, “are not allowed to ask anything about this. You got that? Also, you never, ever saw it. I was here all night.” I put my hands up, letting him know that I agree to these terms. “Good,” Frankie murmurs, and he sighs wit
“Nico,” I sigh, shaking my head at him, “I sincerely doubt any strippers give you any real insight into their lives, especially after you run out of money.” Frankie laughs at me, glancing at Nico, before nudging me with his foot and holding out his phone. “What do you want for lunch?” I take the
I stare up at Christian’s face at a complete loss for words. Christian’s expression instantly softens as he sees the true hurt in my eyes. “Shit,” he murmurs, stepping forward and shaking his head, reaching for me. “Iris, I –“ But I take a step back, not wanting him to touch me now. “Is that…is
I stare unblinking at him for a moment, captivated by his dark eyes, the serious set to his mouth, the feel of his calloused hand on my cheek. “All right,” I whisper, nodding once. “But in exchange…I need more.” Christian cocks an eyebrow at me. “You can’t have more, Iris. This is it. I’m sorry.
Christian clutches the edge of his sink so hard that his fingers ache. God damn it – that fucking woman. He was so close, so close to losing control a few moments ago when she’d bent his head back like that, brought her mouth so close that he could feel her breath on his lips. A groan slips fr
A small smile creeps on Leo’s lips. “Yeah, okay,” he says, relaxing back against our chair. “Our secret.” I grin at my baby, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek, because my boy can’t resist a secret.“What’s all this?”I turn to see Christian standing at the open door, peering into the dining
The danger. It’s…it’s far too poignant.My heart breaking, I open a private browsing tab on the web browser and quickly search for Craigslist in both this city and Athens, Greece. As I do my memory goes back to a conversation I had with Frankie, when he told me that this is the best way he knows for
I stand frozen, staring down at the letter as it sits on the little hall desk, my breath coming in fluttery little gasps.The words are very simple.There are vineyards in Greece as well. I’ll take you there.I read it again and again as my heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing with a mix of h
“You don’t know anything about my life,” I whisper, my voice barely audible, turning my eyes back down to the dishes. “I had no choice.”“You think you’re the only one who suffered?” Lucy whispers. “You think I wanted to be in this position? We were friends once, Iris. We were good to each other. Bu
“Mommyyyy,” Leo says, looking anxiously towards the kitchen door, shifting from foot to floor. “Hurry up! Aunt Bianca says we have to go!”I laugh, glancing down at my little boy, who looks so adorable in the private school uniform he wears to Kindergarten – crisp white shirt, navy blazer, his dark
But…was it? Was it me, missing Chris? Wanting to have yet another piece of him, even if I long denied wanting any ties to my past life?I look down, my heart heavy, not truly understanding what I think or what I feel.“I mean it, Iris,” Chris says, his voice steady and cool. “I’ll be a father to her
My heart sinks as I look Christian in the eyes – because beyond all hope, I had been praying that he hadn’t noticed that Leo is his son. But how could I have been so naïve? Leo looks just like him - dark hair, striking grey-blue eyes. The resemblance is unmistakable. I feel a wave of guilt crashing
“Yes,” he answers, a growl in his voice. “That should suit just fine.”I laugh at the irony in this and shake my head, looking away. “So now you want me to come back, to pretend as if nothing ever happened? You expect me to just accept this, the way things are now?”Christian opens his mouth to resp
Disappointment floods my chest, a sense of disbelief washing over me. “You think I would trust you again after everything? After how you treated me? You expect me to just come back and forget?”His eyes narrow, disappointment etched into his features. “You were faithless. I thought you’d be loyal. I