Agnes“And that concludes the initial lineup,” I said, clicking off the presentation. “I’ll be sending out feedback forms later today, but if anyone has immediate thoughts, feel free to share now.”The room shifted as a few hands went up, and I spent the next several minutes fielding questions and c
It wasn’t until later that afternoon, when the office had quieted down a bit, that I spotted the designer Elijah had mentioned. I found her sitting at her desk, working on what looked like another sketch.“Hi,” I said softly, and she jumped slightly, her wide eyes darting up to meet mine. “Sorry, I
AgnesThe door to Elijah’s office swung open with a quiet creak, and I stepped inside, clutching my notepad to my chest. He was seated at his desk, his suit jacket draped over the back of his chair, the sleeves of his crisp white button down rolled up to his elbows. He looked up as I entered, his sh
AgnesWhen I looked down at the spot where Elijah’s hand met my body, it felt as if all of the air had just been sucked out of the car.His palm was cupping my breast.My breast.I didn’t speak. I couldn’t speak. All I could do was sit there, staring at it.It felt like an eternity before Elijah’s e
Mustache nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. Are you truly prepared to handle the additional supply chains needed for materials to produce these goods?”I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say a word, Bowtie continued, “And then there’s the question of oversight. Who’s managing the da
AgnesElijah’s words left my head reeling.“You… sent them away?” I found myself asking. I wasn’t sure why exactly, but for some reason, I couldn’t quite bring myself to fully believe it. Maybe it was because no one in my life, not even my own parents, had ever bothered to go to such lengths for me.
I shook my head quickly, recalling the interview with my college professor all too well. “That won’t be necessary,” I said, forcing a small, wry smile. “I think you’ve already made your point pretty clear.”His lips twitched, the faintest hint of a smile playing at the edges of his mouth. But his ey
AgnesThe design room still felt as stifling as it had the very first day I had walked in here. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen, and my heart was pounding faster than ever.It was everywhere. Somehow, someone had managed to snap a picture of me and Elijah in the midst of an… intimate mo
“What do you think it was like for her?” I said after a moment. “My mother, I mean. Living her whole life afraid that someone would find out what she was.”Elijah’s thumb traced circles on the back of my hand beneath the water. “Lonely, I imagine.”“She never told me,” I whispered. “My own mother, a
AgnesThe saltwater felt like heaven against my overheated skin. I’d been soaking in my in-ground pool for nearly an hour now, but the heat that had built in my body still hadn’t completely subsided.Honestly, I was surprised that I hadn’t burned down the entire bar earlier. My finger had certainly
“Yes,” he insisted. “Because Elemental Enterprises is owned by your stepmother’s family.”The world seemed to tilt beneath me. I gripped the edge of the table to steady myself. “What?”“I’ve been keeping your true nature from your stepmother all this time,” he continued, the words coming out of him
AgnesI fidgeted in the passenger seat as Elijah pulled into the dive bar’s parking lot. The place looked exactly as I remembered it from my past life—grimy windows with neon beer signs, chipped paint on the exterior, and a crooked sign hanging above the door.Years ago, I’d spent many nights here t
“Elijah, wait.”I froze, expecting to feel the tug of the mate bond, that infuriating compulsion she’d used so many times to force me to listen to her, to stay when I wanted to go. But it never came. For the first time, she hadn’t used the bond to control me. Today was full of surprises, wasn’t it?
ElijahThat morning, I made yet another trip to the prison. I’d hoped to never set foot in this place again, because frankly it was cold and uncomfortable and unsettling, but here I was. I just hoped that Olivia would keep true to her word and that this conversation would be worth it—and that it wou
I hated that he was making sense. And even more than that, I hated that a part of me—a much bigger part of me than I wanted to admit—was actually considering it.“What if it’s a trap?” I asked quietly. “What if he’s involved with Elemental Enterprises somehow? He could be trying to get to Thea.”“Th
AgnesI stared at the letter in my hands the entire night, reading and rereading the words until they were practically burned into my brain. By morning, the paper had taken on a slightly crumpled appearance from how many times I had folded and unfolded it.By the time the sun rose, I wasn’t sure if
Elijah, noticing the tension leaving my shoulders, offered me a soft smile. “And I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t sexy as hell when you get like that.”I blushed and looked away. “Stop it…”“But I mean it,” he murmured, his voice growing husky as he leaned closer to me. His lips brushed mine ever so