As she bent down to unbuckle his belt, her hair cascaded over her shoulders, revealing the delicate whiteness of her neck and the fine down that adorned it. The thought of her lips touching there, with their soft, tantalizing caress, made Murray's throat involuntarily tighten.
Her fingers danced over his finely sculpted abs, her gaze unwavering, never crossing the line of propriety. Only her ears, flushed a bright red, betrayed her true feelings, making one believe she was otherwise completely unflustered.
Murray turned his head, his lips curving into a smile. He waited as Emily stripped him down to his underwear, at which point everything naturally progressed towards the indescribable.
They made love twice, once on the sofa and then in the bathroom. He have been satiated, his gaze upon Emily now laced with more tenderness than when he had arrived. She scoffed inwardly, recalling how he had claimed this tactic would grow
Murray stood amidst the crowd, clad in a sleek, charcoal-black outdoor jacket. If not worn well, such functional attire can appear unflattering, but on him, with his broad, straight shoulders, it looked exceptionally stylish.Among the group, he stood out as the most handsome and dashing, his allure only slightly marred by the cast on his right hand. If not for that, he would have looked even more strikingly noble.His soft and smooth bangs lay across his brows, occasionally lifted by his long, curling eyelashes. A gust of wind would playfully lift them, lending an extra charm to his serene eyes. There he stood, calmly observing Stacey and Sam approaching him, his expression as cool and detached as ever.Contrary to Emily's expectation of a dramatic showdown between rivals, no such scene unfolded. Even with the provocation right under her nose, she remained collected.Emily began to doubt whether Mur
"Do they even realize what kind of people they've brought along? If they've hired them, they should be prepared to play house. Why the pretense?" Emily thought, watching Stacey with an impassive face."There are so many of us here, and it's not just up to you," Emily told Stacey. "Let's put it to a vote." She turned to the group. "For the decision to hire help, let's show our stance with a show of hands."Atwood immediately raised his hand in agreement as Emily finished speaking.Baird and Beau glanced at Murray, who stood aloof in the distance. Thought to themselves that they had already given Murray enough face by coming to this forsaken place; nobody wanted to suffer unnecessarily. They bit the bullet and raised their hands, "We agree too."Emily looked at Ronald, who hesitated, his eyes on Jean.Jean and Haley agreed, and Ronald, eager to please, quickly followed suit.
When Stacey saw Murray stop, she asked, "What's wrong?""Just tired, need to rest a bit," Murray responded dismissively. Seeing Stacey and the others preparing to stop, he added, "You go ahead."His tone was unusually cold and distant.Stacey was taken aback.The two 'darlings,' adept at reading the room, quickly stepped forward to pull Stacey along. "Let's go ahead. Mr. Gibson has an injury; he should rest.""I'll wait for you up ahead," Stacey said, her voice also cold, probably unaccustomed to Murray's attitude.As Emily and Moira approached, Murray stood by the path, holding a water bottle. Seeing them, he walked over and handed the bottle to Emily. "Help me open this."Moira, sensing something, smiled slyly. "I'll go find Atwood."Emily nodded.Once alone on the path, Murray reached for the z
Having selected the perfect spot for their camp, Jean seized the opportunity to confront Stacey."What's the meaning of bringing him along?""Are you not with Murray now? Why still entangle yourself with him?" Jean's tone was laden with accusation as she glared at Stacey. "If you wish to truly commit to someone, fidelity is fundamental."Stacey's eyes flickered a tinge of guilt in her voice. "I told him we'd cease our interactions. But he insisted that if I could help him get a feature in the Magazine, he'd leave me alone for good."Jean sighed, "Murray's affection for you is evident to us all these years. You must not betray him. Moreover, He's not the neglected Gibson boy he once was. Provoking him might bring calamity not just to you but to the Zechariah family as well."Stacey chuckled confidently. "No, Murray won't harm me. He's always listened to me ever since we were
Emily and Moira, hand in hand, carefully climbed the rocky slope, bypassing the waterfall to spot two enormous boulders stacked together.The muffled sounds of a man and woman intertwined in passion emanated from a crevice on the left side of the rocks.Emily glanced back at the flowing water, surmising its sound had masked their approach, leaving the couple unguarded in their intimacy.Moira, silent, gestured for Emily to move closer. Emily's heart raced with the taboo excitement of encroaching upon someone else's privacy.Moving at a snail's pace, Emily was suddenly pulled forward by an impatient Moira. Nearing the rocks, Emily pointed upward, and Moira nodded. They stealthily climbed atop the large boulder, using tree branches to obscure their presence. Their vantage point perfectly shielded them from the couple's view while granting them a clear sight.On the rough stone surf
Murray's gaze swept over Stacey's eyes; a faint voice murmured, "I'm hurt; I need to sleep alone."The statement left everyone speechless, unable to respond. The idea of sharing a bed with Stacey and Ronald, the lovebirds, was unthinkable. This meant someone would have to sleep outside. In a fit of anger, Stacey declared, "I'll sleep in the hammock."Stacey, after all, was a woman. Ronald couldn't possibly hog the tent and make a lady sleep outside. Besides, he dared not share a bed with Emily. He knew he was a restless sleeper and feared accidentally offending her in his sleep."You and Emily share the tent, and I'll take the hammock.""There's no need for that," Stacey said firmly before rifling through the equipment box to find the hammock, with Sam quickly following to help.Amidst this standoff, Jean said, "Let's do this: I, Stacey, and Emily will share a tent, and you three
Without hesitation, Emily rubbed her face against his arm and chuckled softly, "I know."She heard his declaration of affection as calmly as if he were merely stating a preference for a dish, for she had heard these words from him not so long ago and had already responded in kind.Murray paused for a moment, as if understanding her thoughts, and let out a resigned chuckle before adding, "Before, it was a physical attraction; now, it's emotional. Do you think they're the same?"Emotional attraction?Was this a confession?Emily reached out to touch his forehead, checking for a fever. When she found none, she wondered if he was just being playful due to the day's stresses.Steady now, don't panic.Emily's eyes flickered with thought, and she pulled his hand to her chest, "See, just a few words from you, and my heart beats like this. You can
"What secret?" Emily tried to appear nonchalant, but her rapid speech betrayed her inner urgency, inevitably catching Ronald's attention."You're not seriously into him, are you? Out of brotherly concern, let me warn you—he's not a good man.""How is he not a good man?" Emily straightened up, unable to hide her interest.Ronald's eyes darted away, his lips moving as if he was torn between speaking and staying silent, a picture of utter conflict.Emily snatched his cigarettes from the center console and held them out the window. "Speak now, or I'm tossing these."Without his cigarettes, Ronald was like an addict deprived of his fix, yelling out in haste, "He's got a mistress on the side."Emily scoffed, "That's the secret you're dying to tell?"Ronald chuckled, "Don't underestimate a mistress. Her existence could shake up the entire