[Camden]I don’t feel safe going to the corner store. Somewhere in public might be better, so I head to a big box store further up in this small town. “Why did you want me to come with you?” Kendall asks, something odd in her tone.“Maybe I’d miss you,” I mumble.“Really?” she asks with a grin.“No,” I confess, laughing. “I just worried that Marco might have someone waiting outside. I want you with me so I can protect you.” “Of course,” she mutters. For a moment, I think she’s upset, but then she smiles, and the tension dissolves.Kendall takes most things in stride. More and more, I’m seeing how different she is from Elora.Inside, she grabs a cart, pushing it as I trail behind her, feeling like her shadow. We pile it high, racking up a ridiculous amount of groceries.She picks out a few clothes too, glancing back with a small smile as she slips a couple of items into the cart without showing me. I can only hope some of them are lingerie.We hit nearly five hundred dollars by check
[Kendall]I sit at the table, absently watching Camden as he moves around the kitchen. The rhythmic chopping of vegetables, the sizzle of onions in the pan, is oddly calming.“I never learned to cook,” I admit, the words slipping out before I can stop them. “My father did all the cooking.”Camden glances over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “Can’t boil water?” he asks, teasing.I huff, half-laughing, half-defensive. “I can make boxed stuff,” I argue.He groans dramatically. “Your Italian ancestors must be rolling around in their graves when you say that.”I laugh lightly, but it’s tinged with something sad, something nostalgic. “Maybe.”Camden’s gaze drifts over the living room, where my clothes are scattered across the floor. His mouth quirks into a half-smile as he eyes the mess.“You don’t clean, either?”I pout, the teasing jab cutting deeper than I care to admit. “I do, just haven’t gotten around to it,” I say, trying to brush it off with a shrug. “My legs still don’t work.”He
“I just wanted to know if you have a girlfriend,” I ask, my voice small, unsure, as if the very question is stupid–It probably is though.Camden bursts into laughter, the sound deep and genuine, but I feel small under the weight of it. “Absolutely not.”I blink, my chest tightening. “Really? You don’t?”He shrugs, still grinning. “You know about my reputation, Kendall. You know that I don’t do relationships.”I hum softly, unsure how to respond. “Doesn’t mean you don’t have a girl who’d get mad if she knew you said that,” I tease, but the uncertainty lingers. I need to know.“Maybe,” he says with a grin. “But I don’t. Not right now.” His gaze turns intense, locking with mine. “What about you? Do you have someone at home?”“Don’t you think Elora would have told you about it?” I say, trying to deflect the question, but my voice wavers.He shrugs again. “She keeps your secrets.”“She does? News to me,” I mutter under my breath, unsure if I believe that. Camden’s eyes are still fixed on m
[Kendall]"Just close your eyes," he says. His voice sounds thick, wet, almost dripping with blood. "It'll be over soon.”~~~I wake up screaming bloody murder, the sound tearing out of my throat, raw and jagged. This time, I can’t hide it from Camden—he has to pull me into his arms, holding me tight, calming me down with his warmth, his touch.I’m trembling all over, my skin cold and clammy despite being wrapped in Camden’s strong arms. My breath is shallow, each inhale sharp and shaky as if I can’t quite pull enough air into my lungs.“What happened? Principessa, what’s wrong?” he asks, his voice urgent, rough with worry. His hands rub my back in slow, soothing circles, grounding me. Each circle is like a reminder that I’m here, with him, safe.“A dream,” I breathe, forcing the words out as I struggle to catch my breath. “Just a bad dream.”Camden’s brow furrows, shadows deepening the worry in his eyes as he studies me, scanning my face with a mix of concern and something else—somet
[Camden]It’s becoming more and more clear to me that Marco isn’t going to get himself caught, and that I’m going to have to go after him. The realization is heavy, a deep ache that settles in my gut, twisting uncomfortably. I tell myself it’s because I don’t want to be stuck in safehouses or looking over my shoulder when I get home, but I know, deep down, that it’s not that.I want to kill him myself for what he’s done to Kendall. The anger is a sharp, electric pulse under my skin, coursing through my veins with every heartbeat. He’s broken her in many ways, and she seems dimmer after those nightmares—her face pale and damp with sweat in the dim morning light, her eyes darkened by the shadows of memories she shouldn’t have to carry.He’s taken a bright young girl and handed her something to be afraid of, a constant, lingering fear. I hate him for it with a depth that surprises me.It’s not because I have feelings for Kendall. That’s not possible. I don’t get feelings for women, but I
“Fuck,” I curse again, running a hand through my hair, watching her walk out onto the terrace where the pool glistens under the midday sun, the water casting faint, rippling shadows across the patio. She clearly needs some space, and I know I have to give it to her, even if my chest tightens as she walks away.I head out to the car and pull my guns from under the seat of the truck, feeling the cool weight of them in my hands. Back in the quiet of the living room, I set everything down on the coffee table and begin cleaning them, the sharp, metallic scent mixing with the faint smell of coffee and the fresh citrus from Kendall’s shampoo that still lingers in the air.The rhythmic motion of wiping and reassembling the guns steadies me, lets me focus on something other than the lingering ache of our earlier argument.But really, what do I expect? She heard me say that I’m stuck with her.Anyone’s feelings would be hurt.After about half an hour, I let out a groan, putting down the guns an
[Kendall]“Elora ?” I ask when Dante puts her on the phone.“Kendall! God, it’s so good to hear your voice,” Elora says, almost in a high-pitched squeal.I wince and move the phone from my face, laughing a little. “It has been a while,” I say.“Are you dying having to hang out with my boring, stupid brother all this time?” she asks.I think about the night before, Camden biting my neck as he thrust into me, and I blush. “He’s not so bad.”Elora scoffs. “You don’t have to lie to me. All he talks about is pussy and crime. It’s annoying.”I swallow hard at her words. Camden hasn’t said anything to me about other women, but I know his reputation. Is it possible that he’s still in contact with some of these women? Surely not, right?“Does he have a girlfriend?” I ask, looking around for Camden. He’s trailed inside, so I can speak freely.Elora snorts. “A girlfriend? Are you crazy? Camden wouldn’t be caught dead in any kind of real commitment.”“Ah,” I say dumbly, not knowing how to resp
[Camden]It’s been two weeks since the call with my sister, and Kendall is still haunted by nightmares, her sleep haunted by the lingering shadows of fear. Tonight, though, felt different—her nightmare was worse, as if it had sunk its claws in deeper. We’d both drifted off on the couch, tangled up in the shared warmth and the gentle rise and fall of each other’s breaths, but she woke gasping, her eyes wide, struggling for air as though drowning in invisible waters.“Principessa?” I murmur, my voice low, trying not to startle her. Her gaze locks onto mine, her brown eyes deep and desperate, glistening with a wild panic that claws at my chest. “Breathe, baby.” I keep my voice steady, soft, and deliberate, hoping she'll mirror me as I draw a slow breath in through my nose, then let it out. It takes a beat, but she catches on, her breaths finally syncing with mine. Her fingers dig into my arms as if I’m the only anchor keeping her from slipping away. “It’s okay, just breathe.”She le
AIDANThe girls spent the afternoon sightseeing and shopping but came back by the evening as promised because I’d told them I would treat them to dinner to celebrate Lila’s new internship. I was proud of my daughter for her accomplishments. The law firm she would be interning for was a prestigious one, and it would definitely beef up her resume. As much as I wanted to celebrate this milestone with her, I was also hoping to calm the waters with Clio.After they left, I paced in my room, realizing that I had come on pretty strong. I didn’t want Clio to feel like she was trapped here with me. That was the last thing I wanted actually.Mentally, I scrolled back through the last couple of years. Lila and I spoke on the phone several times a week. I’d heard about her friend Clio countless times. Lila had described her as shy but funny and insanely talented (her words). She’d also told me before she drove down to Malibu that her friend would be coming with her because she’d had a really shit
CLIO“You know that internship that I applied for? That one right here in Malibu?” she asked. I remembered which one she was talking about. Lila had applied to a couple of internships at a couple of law offices, one back home and one in Malibu. She’d gotten the one back home but was denied the one in Malibu, and when that happened, she decided to just take the summer off and hang out at the beach house. “The office called and left me a message yesterday and said that the intern they’d selected changed his mind at the last second. They wanted to know if I would still be interested. Well, of course I called them right back, but I could never get a hold of anyone, so we’ve been playing phone tag, but that was them. I got it!”“That’s amazing, sweetheart!” Aidan said, sweeping his daughter into a bear hug.“That is awesome, Rea, congratulations!” I told her.She moved partially out of her dad’s embrace and beckoned me over. “Get over here, girl, this is a group hug moment.” Really? I th
CLIOWhen I’d returned to the beach house just a short time before, I’d been on cloud nine. I hadn’t been planning on giving Lila every nitty gritty detail of what happened on the beach that morning between me and a gorgeous, mysterious, older man. But I had been excited to share how I’d tried something new, and I’d been assertive about what I wanted and the universe had rewarded me with a kind, hot man and the first orgasm I hadn’t given to myself.Lila had returned with bags of food bursting at the seams with some of her own good news. Looking at one another, each of us could tell that what we had to share would take a while, so we decided to hold off so I could go clean up and change out of my wet clothes and she could get lunch set up.I’d taken a little longer in the shower than I’d planned. Once the warm water streamed down my body, I found all the sensitive places that Aidan had touched waking up again. It was almost like no one had ever touched me before him, and while it was
AIDAN “You’ve got to have one first in order for me to worry about it,” she huffed with a raised eyebrow, then her face fell. I could practically see the question written all over her face before she asked it. “Dad, you’re not still hung up on Mom, are you?”I barked out a laugh, unable to help my response at the ridiculous idea. “What? No,” I said firmly. The idea was truly laughable. For one thing, Renee and I had truly burned every bridge when we split. The only remaining tie we’d had was Lila, and that tie was severed the second Lila graduated high school. For another, it had been twelve years since our separation, and it felt like a lifetime ago.“I didn’t really think so,” Lila responded. “I just want to make sure. I know you made sure to keep that stuff away from me when I was growing up, but Dad, I’m a grown woman. I am more than capable of the idea of my dad being in a relationship.” At that moment, an image of Clio popped into my head. God, I had to be rusty. I’d spent an
AIDANI emerged from the water for the umpteenth time, glancing at the shoreline. Once Clio left, I’d gone back into the water, trying desperately to work off my frustration, but I couldn’t keep my mind off her.I’d decided to head down to Malibu a couple of days early. I didn’t think Lila would mind, and I couldn’t face another day in the office listening to entitled rich people whine about their issues.When I arrived, Lila’s things were spread out, but she was nowhere to be found. I figured she and her girlfriend were out, so I decided to take a walk and go for a swim. The morning and the water were too beautiful to pass up.The sand immediately began to relax me. Then I spotted her: a beautiful young woman with generous curves standing in the water. She wasn’t used to the ocean, but she seemed determined to gain her sea legs. I walked along the beach, watching her surreptitiously. It might’ve been a little creepy, but I couldn’t help myself. From where I was, she faced away from m
CLIOI’d never been told anything like that before and certainly not by a gorgeous man plucking at my nipple through my bikini top while I writhed beneath him. I grabbed his face in my hands and kissed him again, if only to distract myself into calming down, though it quickly became evident that calming down was not going to be a possibility. Remembering my goal of being more assertive, I gave in and let my hands roam over Aidan’s body. I ran my hands over his broad shoulders and down his chest and abdominal muscles that flexed beneath my fingers. I could feel his desire pressed against my thigh, but I didn’t let my fingers go there just yet, instead letting them dance at the waistband of his trunks.He stilled then and gently moved my hands away from his waistband and pinned them on either side of my head. “Not yet, Clio. Not before I make you come.” His voice was husky, and the words he’d uttered made me feel like I was on fire. “Tell me you want that,” he said, and I was delighted
CLIO“You mean other than saving a beautiful woman from the current?” He smiled, and I felt my blush all the way down to my toes. He chuckled softly at my reaction and continued, “I found myself suffering from work burnout and decided I needed to get away for a while, recalibrate. You?”“Same. I mean, not from work or anything. Maybe I’m just burned out on life? It’s just been a really hard few months, and I’m looking to work on myself—recalibrate like you said,” I told him.“And what is it that you’re trying to work on exactly?” he asked, looking a little skeptical but still good-natured.“I’m working on being more assertive, of taking charge of my life…not worrying about what other people think and doing more things that scare me,” I told him, surprised at how easily I opened up to this man.“Is that what the swimming was about? Doing something that scared you?” he asked, floating closer toward me.“Yeah. I don’t want to miss out on opportunities just because of fear,” I said.“Are
CLIOI sat in the sand, heaving in breaths, as the man squatting beside me rubbed soothing circles on the small of my back. I pushed my wet mop of hair out of my face and finally looked into possibly the most beautiful set of eyes I’d ever seen. I didn’t think I had ever seen eyes that color before. They were slate gray and kind as he stared down at me. “There you are,” he said softly. “You’re okay, just take it easy.” He was still rubbing circles on my skin when I managed to clear my airways enough to respond.“I-I-I don’t know what happened,” I stuttered out.“I saw you go into the water, and when you didn’t come back out, I figured something was wrong. First time in the ocean?” he asked in a silky voice. I couldn’t decide if it was the sound of his voice or shock making my flesh break out with goosebumps.“Yes,” I admitted, “and apparently my last.” I shot him a sheepish smile. I met his eyes but quickly tore them away, feeling my face burn with embarrassment.“Don’t say that,”
CLIOLila had not been exaggerating when she described the paradise that was her father’s beach house in Malibu. While I understood that where we lived in Northern California was beautiful in its own right, we spent most of our time there in classrooms and at work. Here, the white, sandy beaches stretched for miles, the vast, blue water sparkled before us, and best of all, we didn’t know a soul there. It was heaven.On the drive down to Malibu, I’d spilled my guts about the whole incident that led to me agreeing to come with Lila. She shook her head in disgust after my story was over. “I know you cared about him, but Michael really is a rat bastard. Honestly, I think you should start looking at this as a bullet dodged instead of a heartbreak.”“I know.” I sighed. “I just want to start over and get away from the old Clio.”“Hey, I happen to love the ‘old Clio’ as you call her. But I’ll support you in whatever way you wish to reinvent yourself. You want to start wearing dark eyeliner