Levi's POV Hailey lets her robe fall, sending it pooling around her legs. She's completely naked. Her hair tousled, her skin glowing with sweat, her eyes wild. My heart skips a beat. So many surprises in one day... my heart can't take it. She's gone from giving me the silent treatment to flirting, to stripping for me - all in one day. I take my time to admire her body. Her perky breasts and hard nipples, calling for my attention. Then my eyes trail down to her stomach. I've always been with models and actresses, and their flat stomachs seemed like the deal for me. But seeing the beautiful woman in front of me, the curve of her belly—soft, real, perfect. I immediately rethink any kink I thought I had. A low groan escapes me. I wish I could take a picture, just to make the moment last longer. She starts to shrink back, her confidence dissolving. She's misread my silence. Before she can do anything crazy - like put her robe back on - I get up quickly and catch her han
Hailey's POV After I put on my dress, the make-up artist adds finishing touches to my makeup and then leaves the room to go to someone else. We'd decided on using just three rooms for the preparations, so no one had to go around to different rooms just to get what they needed. About five of us are in a room - mine and Levi's room, precisely - and I haven't had time to calculate how many are in the other. But since Alicia's the bride, she gets to do her own makeup and dress separately. "Oh my," Chloe gushes, coming over to me. "You look breathtaking." I smile at her reflection in the mirror. "So do you," I say. And I mean it. The women in Levi's family are really beautiful. They all have their own unique, striking features that make them stand out. Chloe's hair is immaculately styled in a high ponytail, the blonde highlights peeking out. Her makeup is done to perfection and the green eyeshadow brings out the color of her green eyes. She looks perfect. The door clicks ope
Hailey's POVThey couldn't have chosen a better day, time or venue for the wedding. Everything's just so beautiful. The weather's cool, the sun mild, and there are no signs of coming rainfall either. The time for the reception is perfect. Three o'clock in the afternoon, giving everyone time to celebrate with them, probably go home and change up for the after party at the hotel later. And they couldn't have chosen a better spot for an outdoor reception. In front of a private lake house, owned by one of Elliot's associates. If the couple wants, they can listen to an impulsive urge to go swimming. The church wedding was also perfect. Alicia's only nephew was the little groom. He arrived with his mum last night, a few hours after the picnic. And little Daisy, Levi's niece, was the little bride. The couple's vows were sweet and genuine, I even shed a few tears.Everyone had happy smiles on their faces, and the happiness is still very much present. It's been a good day so far, and I alm
Hailey's POV I feel like I'm on cloud-fucking-nine, and as much as I hate to admit, it's all because of Levi. He's been all over me today, and I love it so much.I guess Chloe was right... but that's not the point. The kiss at the lake? It felt magical, like a scene straight out of a romance novel. I loved it. And I hate that I loved it, and am still loving it. Ugh... This trip has my feelings mixed up. We’re at the after-party now, in the hotel’s event room. Levi’s been glued to my side most of the night—except for now. He went to grab me a drink. Can you believe that? The hall is decorated beautifully. Midnight blue streamers drape the walls and ceiling, glinting under the soft party lights and flashing cameras.Yes, cameras.Feels like this party was thrown more for the paparazzi than for the couple. Honestly, I had more fun in the other events that took place during the day. "I still can't believe Levi's actually in love," Christina says with a chuckle.For some reason, th
Levi's POVI leave Hailey for a moment to grab her a cup of apple juice from the buffet, but a hand claps down on my shoulder, halting me.I follow the hand up to find Elliot grinning at me."Lev," he says, pulling back. "We haven’t talked since you got here. What's up with you?"A stab of guilt hits me. He’s the groom—he should be basking in attention, not chasing me down. I should’ve swallowed my pride and congratulated him first.I sigh, resisting the urge to rub the back of my neck. "Not much," I reply. "Congratulations, man. I should’ve said it earlier."He waves it off. "It's fine." Typical Elliot. Never holds a grudge, never takes things too personally. I’ve always admired that about him. If the roles were reversed, I'd still be keeping score. Hell, I am still keeping score—and he doesn’t even seem to notice. And even if he notices my reservations toward him, he still plays it easy—even sent a congratulatory email for my wedding, despite the way everyone found out. He’s the b
Hailey's POV The day had been going so much better—until now. I’d been enjoying the little bubble of self-deception Levi and I had created for ourselves. But of course, his dad had to burst it.From his explanations, I couldn't quite tell if his intentions were as noble as he claimed. What I could tell was why Levi resented him so much. The man doesn't know where to draw the line between business and family. He thinks business logic works for family matters. I hope Levi doesn't turn out like him. Still, in those brief moments, I caught a glimpse of their similarities—their knack for claiming good intentions while their actions suggested otherwise.As I step back into the main hall, a hand slips into mine."Come on, they're waiting," Levi says, tugging me toward the tables.He doesn’t ask what I talked about with his dad, or how the conversation went. Part of me feels relieved. Another part feels... a little hurt by his lack of concern.I stop, holding onto his hand. "What's the rus
Hailey's POV "What the fuck?!" Jake's eyes snap open, and a mixture of fear and surprise flashes across his blue orbs. The girl slowly turns to face me. At the sight of her face, I feel myself begin to lose balance, my consciousness slowly slipping away from me. The room tilts and falls backward. The last thing I feel is my body falling heavily to the ground, before darkness consumes me. "Is she dead?" "I'm not sure, let's find out." I hear faint voices whisper over me. Then, water splashes on my face. I gasp for air, unintentionally swallowing, when I feel the water land on my face with force. "She's finally awake," I hear my boyfriend say. "Oh, thank fuck. I thought we would have to deal with a dead body," Charlotte responds. Jake laughs. "She has always been such a pain." Hold on, Charlotte? And why is she talking to Jake? Who are they even talking-? The memories come rushing back to me at that instant. The image of Charlotte on Jake's cock, the look
Hailey's POV Her words leave me stunned, and I stare at Jake, questions burning in my eyes. Charlotte smirks. "You just had to always get in the way. You were so desperate for his attention, so we let you think that you had finally gotten it." I face Jake. "Is this true?" He rolls his eyes. "What do you think? It was all pity. You should be glad I was able to pretend for so long. Do you realize how unbearable you are?" My whole relationship had been a perfectly orchestrated lie by my best friend. How much could she possibly hate me, if she was willing to go so far and so long, just to hurt me? "I hate you so much, Hailey," she sneers. "I would go any length, just to see you suffer. You always thought you had it all. Always trying to rub your perfect life in my face. You have no idea how satisfying seeing you heartbroken is." For a moment, I see the broken girl I met in my junior year of high school. Instead of anger, pity for her overwhelms me. She had an abusive child
Hailey's POV The day had been going so much better—until now. I’d been enjoying the little bubble of self-deception Levi and I had created for ourselves. But of course, his dad had to burst it.From his explanations, I couldn't quite tell if his intentions were as noble as he claimed. What I could tell was why Levi resented him so much. The man doesn't know where to draw the line between business and family. He thinks business logic works for family matters. I hope Levi doesn't turn out like him. Still, in those brief moments, I caught a glimpse of their similarities—their knack for claiming good intentions while their actions suggested otherwise.As I step back into the main hall, a hand slips into mine."Come on, they're waiting," Levi says, tugging me toward the tables.He doesn’t ask what I talked about with his dad, or how the conversation went. Part of me feels relieved. Another part feels... a little hurt by his lack of concern.I stop, holding onto his hand. "What's the rus
Levi's POVI leave Hailey for a moment to grab her a cup of apple juice from the buffet, but a hand claps down on my shoulder, halting me.I follow the hand up to find Elliot grinning at me."Lev," he says, pulling back. "We haven’t talked since you got here. What's up with you?"A stab of guilt hits me. He’s the groom—he should be basking in attention, not chasing me down. I should’ve swallowed my pride and congratulated him first.I sigh, resisting the urge to rub the back of my neck. "Not much," I reply. "Congratulations, man. I should’ve said it earlier."He waves it off. "It's fine." Typical Elliot. Never holds a grudge, never takes things too personally. I’ve always admired that about him. If the roles were reversed, I'd still be keeping score. Hell, I am still keeping score—and he doesn’t even seem to notice. And even if he notices my reservations toward him, he still plays it easy—even sent a congratulatory email for my wedding, despite the way everyone found out. He’s the b
Hailey's POV I feel like I'm on cloud-fucking-nine, and as much as I hate to admit, it's all because of Levi. He's been all over me today, and I love it so much.I guess Chloe was right... but that's not the point. The kiss at the lake? It felt magical, like a scene straight out of a romance novel. I loved it. And I hate that I loved it, and am still loving it. Ugh... This trip has my feelings mixed up. We’re at the after-party now, in the hotel’s event room. Levi’s been glued to my side most of the night—except for now. He went to grab me a drink. Can you believe that? The hall is decorated beautifully. Midnight blue streamers drape the walls and ceiling, glinting under the soft party lights and flashing cameras.Yes, cameras.Feels like this party was thrown more for the paparazzi than for the couple. Honestly, I had more fun in the other events that took place during the day. "I still can't believe Levi's actually in love," Christina says with a chuckle.For some reason, th
Hailey's POVThey couldn't have chosen a better day, time or venue for the wedding. Everything's just so beautiful. The weather's cool, the sun mild, and there are no signs of coming rainfall either. The time for the reception is perfect. Three o'clock in the afternoon, giving everyone time to celebrate with them, probably go home and change up for the after party at the hotel later. And they couldn't have chosen a better spot for an outdoor reception. In front of a private lake house, owned by one of Elliot's associates. If the couple wants, they can listen to an impulsive urge to go swimming. The church wedding was also perfect. Alicia's only nephew was the little groom. He arrived with his mum last night, a few hours after the picnic. And little Daisy, Levi's niece, was the little bride. The couple's vows were sweet and genuine, I even shed a few tears.Everyone had happy smiles on their faces, and the happiness is still very much present. It's been a good day so far, and I alm
Hailey's POV After I put on my dress, the make-up artist adds finishing touches to my makeup and then leaves the room to go to someone else. We'd decided on using just three rooms for the preparations, so no one had to go around to different rooms just to get what they needed. About five of us are in a room - mine and Levi's room, precisely - and I haven't had time to calculate how many are in the other. But since Alicia's the bride, she gets to do her own makeup and dress separately. "Oh my," Chloe gushes, coming over to me. "You look breathtaking." I smile at her reflection in the mirror. "So do you," I say. And I mean it. The women in Levi's family are really beautiful. They all have their own unique, striking features that make them stand out. Chloe's hair is immaculately styled in a high ponytail, the blonde highlights peeking out. Her makeup is done to perfection and the green eyeshadow brings out the color of her green eyes. She looks perfect. The door clicks ope
Levi's POV Hailey lets her robe fall, sending it pooling around her legs. She's completely naked. Her hair tousled, her skin glowing with sweat, her eyes wild. My heart skips a beat. So many surprises in one day... my heart can't take it. She's gone from giving me the silent treatment to flirting, to stripping for me - all in one day. I take my time to admire her body. Her perky breasts and hard nipples, calling for my attention. Then my eyes trail down to her stomach. I've always been with models and actresses, and their flat stomachs seemed like the deal for me. But seeing the beautiful woman in front of me, the curve of her belly—soft, real, perfect. I immediately rethink any kink I thought I had. A low groan escapes me. I wish I could take a picture, just to make the moment last longer. She starts to shrink back, her confidence dissolving. She's misread my silence. Before she can do anything crazy - like put her robe back on - I get up quickly and catch her han
The women stumble into the lobby, laughter and chatter lighting up the place. We'd been hanging around, waiting for them, and contrary to what I told Hailey, there was no bachelor party. Just a group of family men sitting around, talking about business and reminiscing. Though I hadn't stayed down here for long. I left when Hailey called and began sex talking to me. I knew it was part of a silly game they were playing, but it didn't stop the blood from flowing down to my crotch. I had to excuse myself to...handle the situation she caused. As if on cue, Hailey walks in behind the others, looking as stunning as ever. She still seems as sober now as she did when I last saw her earlier in the day. I doubt she joined them in drinking... she couldn't have, for not-so-obvious reasons. She's deep in a conversation with Jess and doesn’t even notice me watching her. Seeing her blend in so easily with my family does something to me. It makes me feel like she really belongs here, like all
Hailey's POV She covers the speakers again, so her voice comes out muffled. "They're coming. I'm scared, please send help quickly," Sam cries into the phone and ends the call without waiting for the officer's reply. She puts down her phone and begins laughing. We don't waste a moment in joining her, going into a laughing fit. "Okay, that was really good acting," Cindy chuckles. "Could've fooled anyone." "The station's probably in panic mode by now," Alicia adds. Samantha makes a mock bow. "Thank you, thank you." "Where did you learn to act so well?" Cindy asks. "Mum made us take acting lessons when we were younger," Samantha replies, glancing at Aunt Rose, who has a smug grin on her face. "You hated it, but see how well it's worked out for you," Aunt Rose says. Sam rolls her eyes. She rubs her hands together, leaning forward excitedly. "So, my turn to spin the bottle." Christina passes it to her, and she spins. I watch in anticipation and dread, praying th
Hailey's POV Most of the ladies cheer in excitement, while I just watch them, smiling to myself. I hear the sound of a car approaching where we are, and I turn in its direction. It soon comes to a stop close to our picnic spot, where the limos had been earlier. Three women come out of the car and begin walking toward us, each wearing smiles on their faces. Alicia notices this and stands immediately, running toward them with an excited grin on her face. They must be her friends. I'd wondered why they hadn't shown up yet, because Levi mentioned something about the picnic being for her friends and family too. They hug her back with equal excitement, but I don't miss how one of the lady's expression darkens when she glances my way. 'weird.' Alicia happily drags them over to the cloth, and they take their places beside her. "I know you all have met my friends - well, aside from Hailey," Alicia says to the other women, before turning to me. "Hailey, these are my best fr