“I don’t need you to stand up for me.”“Sorry, but I can’t stay quiet when things like that happen.”“If you keep it up, you’ll end up getting hurt one day.”“One day isn’t today.” I stand and twist my neck, then move my legs to get the blood circulating to my toes. “Let’s go get lunch.”She opens a drawer and retrieves one of those sandwiches you get from the convenience store. “I have my lunch right here.”“That’s not called lunch. Let’s get a real one.” I reach for it and she catches my hand so fast, I flinch.“Don’t touch my computer.”“I was going for the sandwich.”Her hold slowly eases from around my wrist. I massage the skin as it quickly turns red.“Wow, you guys are super possessive of your computers, huh?”She pushes her glasses back with the heel of her palm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”“It’s fine.” I grin, even though it does really hurt. It’s as if she’s a trained ninja. “Lunch?”She pushes the button on her screen, making it go black, and begrudgingly stands
Gwyneth“Are you listening, Gwen?”I slide my attention from my assaulted vanilla milkshake that I’ve been jamming the straw in and out of to Chris, who’s staring at me with a furrowed brow.He came to pick me up earlier and we’ve been sitting in a coffee shop and talking. Well, he’s ended up doing all the talking while I’ve been thinking about other things.Like what was Nate doing with Aspen the entire afternoon?For hours.Alone.She didn’t even leave in her car.Logically, I shouldn’t be this affected, because I have no hold on him, right? Except maybe I do. After all, there’s a marriage certificate that says he’s married to me, and it should go without saying that he doesn’t leave with a woman who isn’t me.It’s only on paper. The marriage isn’t real.“Are you still upset about your dad?” Chris tries again.He’s such a gentleman. Like the best ever, and he’s hot, too, with his leather jacket, medium-length hair, and his pouty lips that are good at kissing.But I don’t think kissi
“Oh my God, Chris! Why didn’t you tell me?”“I just did.” He grins in that charming, lighthearted way and I’m so happy for that. I’m happy that I didn’t hurt him to the point of taking away his beautiful smile.“I’m so glad we get to spend time together.”“I thought you’d be all over getting rid of me.”.“Of course not! We can be friends, right?”He clinks his iced coffee against my drink. “Sure thing.”We fall into an easy conversation, which isn’t anything new. Chris and I have always gotten along, which is why he asked me out, saying he wanted to take it to the next level. That obviously didn’t work, so I’m thankful that we can still have a friendly relationship.We talk about college and exams and where our colleagues are doing their internships. He tells me about the interviewing process at W&S and how hard it was, but he passed because he impressed them and he’s a genius.It’s great to know that I won’t be a lonely face in the midst of all the hostile interns. With Chris around,
The pause stretches for so long that I don’t think it’ll ever end. Or maybe I’m just imagining things and it’s only been a few seconds.Nate strides toward me, the sound of his footsteps is sure and strong and I can almost hear them stomping on something inside me. I don’t realize I’m moving back until my sneakers skid on the floor, because holy shit, how can I be so equally terrified and excited at the same time?I think the fear part wins, because the shadows on his face keep multiplying with each passing second.I squeal when my back hits something. It’s only a wall, but I’m so rattled that I’m sucking in air through my nostrils, which makes me breathe in his spicy, woodsy scent.He’s close.So close that I have to stare up at his punishing dark eyes.“W-what are you doing?” I don’t mean to stutter or speak in such an airy voice, I really don’t, but he’s kind of robbed something from me.Because he’s a thief. All he does is steal things from me.First, my respect.Then my girlhood
GwynethGravity seems to have left the building.Or maybe it’s my sanity.Maybe it’s both.Because I don’t feel either of them—neither gravity nor my sanity. I’m floating on air and unable to land.Or more accurately, I’m floating on Nate’s shoulder. His broad shoulder that I’ve always looked at and might have dreamt about touching it, but not with my stomach. I wasn’t that crazy.Apparently, I am now, though, because that’s all I can think about—my stomach on his shoulder. Okay, that’s a lie. I’m thinking about a lot of things, like how his strong arm is looped around my calves and the way my head is hitting his powerful back with each step up the stairs.He’s carrying me like I’m a weightless feather. The effortlessness of the act does things to me. His strength. His brutishness. His domination.All of it.And I soak it in, allow it to tear me open and seep inside me. Isn’t that what masochists do? Not only do we seek the pain, but we also wallow in it and allow it to grow roots so
“Answer the question, Gwyneth. Didn’t you say that?”“Yeah.”“You also said it’s in the moment and you can’t describe it.”“I did.”“Then open your legs and show me.”My elbows can barely hold me up anymore from how much they’re shaking, how much my pussy is tingling from his words and the command in them.But I’m helpless in front of that dominance, so while I remain on one elbow, I reach the other hand to the zipper of my skirt and pull it down as I tremble uncontrollably. Then I fumble to kick it down my legs that are so hot and sensitive that I can feel the sheet scraping against them.I let my thighs fall open, exposing my vanilla-colored panties. They’re lace and see-through and so soaked that another wave of heat covers my body when I realize he can see it.He can see the arousal and the stickiness.This is different from anything I’ve experienced before. Because he’s looking at me.He’s looking at my wet panties and my shaking legs and my fingers that are sneaking beneath the
NathanielA mistake.That’s what it should be.Every second from the moment she walked inside and I lost my fucking cool to when she detonated in my hold as if she’s waited her entire life for me to come along.As if she’s been saving up for me, for the moment she’d explode all around me, strangle my fingers, and refuse to let them go.And it all started with when I saw her hopping off the kid’s motorcycle. Her lips were red and her hair was blown by the wind and she was smiling. Wide.I should’ve looked the other way and kept my distance, as usual—that’s what I’ve done ever since I moved in. I make sure she has everything she needs from afar. Like her stock of vanilla ice cream, her milkshakes—vanilla again—and her favorite fruit, bananas, just because there isn’t a version of vanilla fruit.Martha has specific orders to let me know when those things run out so one of us can take care of getting more.It’s all because of Kingsley, I told myself. If it were him, he would’ve made sure
Something alarming, as in, someone probably asked her if I’m gay. That’s what her socialite friends spout off about me when I refuse to meet their prim and proper daughters. That I’m gay.I ignore Mom and her shallow entourage. The thought of her and Dad brings forward nausea I’ve been trying to get rid of for fucking decades.But Gwyneth and the not-some-normal bike kid are still talking and laughing. They’re still trapped in their own world as if the rest of their surroundings don’t exist.So I pick up my phone and call her.Her smile drops when she sees my name on the screen, and she swallows a few times before she picks up.“Hello?”“Have you finished the report I sent you this morning?”“I’m getting there.”“Getting there doesn’t mean it’s done, Gwyneth.”“I’ll be finished in a few.”“My office. Now.” I hang up and take the elevator to the highest floor, then head to my office and sit behind my desk.Soon after, there’s a knock on the door before Gwyneth comes inside.There’s a s
“He deserves that.”“And you deserved not to be abandoned back then by both your parents and your brother. They’re assholes.”He pauses chopping. “No calling Nick an asshole.”“But he was. He knew you’d be all alone and still left anyway because he was selfish. Like my mother. People like them don’t care about who they leave behind and then pick up their lives as if we never happened, and that’s wrong, okay? It’s messed up and hurts on empty days because I keep thinking, was I not good enough? Was I just a stone in her life that she so easily kicked away and moved on with her life? Was I unnecessary?”“Hey.” He grabs me by the shoulders and the warmth of his big, strong hands seeps under my skin. It’s a safety net, one I can hold on to with all my might and not worry that it’ll break and let me go.“You’re not fucking unnecessary, Gwyneth. Do you hear me?”“You’re not unnecessary either, okay? Fuck your parents for only realizing your worth after losing your brother. I want to punch t
He gives a vague nod, then heads to the kitchen area and disappears behind the counter. “I’ll make dinner. Go take a shower.”“I’ll help.” I slide to his side.There’s no way in hell I’m letting him build forts again. I hate them. His forts and his coldness, and his wounds that no one ever looked into. He’s too cold to allow anyone in, and people are usually too scared of him to try.Not me.Well, I might have been a bit scared in the past, when I was young and clueless, but not anymore.I bring out some of the vegetables we brought and start washing them under the faucet. “What type of person was Nicholas?”“The heir to the Weaver clan.”“Not your brother?”“That too, but his most important role was as the promised prince and he was treated as such.”“What about you?”“What about me?”“You’re a member of the Weaver family, too.”“Only in name. I was never as good as Nick at anything, whether it was studies, sports, or even existing. He aced them all and I was meant to be number two.”
GwynethNate takes me to the middle of nowhere.Well, not literally, but close to it. We’re heading to a cozy cottage Nate owns that’s situated on a mountain out of state. We drove for an hour to get here and now, we’re having to hike for the rest of the way, something I’ve been grumbling about for half an hour.Even though both of us are wearing hiking clothes and boots, every step feels like torture. I’m not good with physical activities, okay?Nate must know that, too, because he sighs, picks me up, and carries me on his back. All discomfort is forgotten and I release a small squeal as my body plasters itself to his. I’ll always be in awe at the ease with which he holds me, as if I weigh nothing.“I feel like such a princess,” I speak against his ear, eliciting a muscle jump in his jaw.“You do, huh?”“Look at me having someone to carry me. Am I lucky or what?” I rub my breasts against his back.He tightens his hold on my leg. “Stop it.”“Stop what?” I feign nonchalance.“Stop grin
I don’t remember the rest of the conversation because he mounted me and fucked me hard and fast—without releasing my throat.Despite my big talk, I never posted any of our pictures together, though. Not only am I paranoid about the press hurting him in any way, but I’m also kind of selfish. I don’t want to share anything Nate with the world.Sue me.Anyway, I’m now at a hearing where he’s the attorney in a civil lawsuit and I’m sitting a few seats behind him because he already has one of his associate lawyers with him. That’s okay, though. I’m here, and I’m watching Nate be a lawyer. That’s such a rare occasion nowadays since he deals with large corporations behind the scenes.So seeing him in his sharp suit in the middle of the courtroom makes me a little giddy. Okay, a lot. I helped him put on that suit this morning—the tie, to be specific. I might have an unhealthy obsession with it.And all of him, actually.He’s been fucking me more than anyone should and in positions I didn’t ev
GwynethI’m in a courtroom.I mean, yes, I’ve been inside one before when Dad takes the lawyer mic. He’s a witty but very sharp lawyer, the type whom everyone pays attention to when he speaks.But I haven’t done it since I became Nate’s intern. He said I wasn’t ready back then, but today, he just stood beside my desk and said, “You’re coming with me, Shaw.”It’s kind of hot when he calls me by my last name at work. They still don’t know we’re married, because I kind of begged Chris after I apologized for what I did to him and Alex that night a week ago.He totally spilled it to Jane, though, albeit accidentally. She looked at me weird, but she promised to keep my secret, too. Now, I feel a bit more at ease that I can talk freely with them without feeling like I hold the keys to some intelligence stuff.Chris still doesn’t understand why I even have feelings for Nate, but Jane does, and that’s okay. It’s also okay if no one else understands, like Nate warned me.The morning after the h
“Yes.”“You told Chris and Alex that. You said you’re my husband and I’m your wife.”“You are.” I never thought I would like saying those words out loud, but there was a weight that lifted off my chest the moment that statement was out in the open.“And you care about me.”“I do.”“Like your wife or like your best friend’s daughter?”“Both.”She scrunches her nose at that, but she plants a palm on my cheek. “But it’s only sex, so I’m, like, your trophy wife.”“You can’t be my trophy wife when you own as much as I do, Gwyneth.”“True. But it’s still just sex.”I don’t say anything, but I don’t need to, because there’s something other than water glistening in her gaze and the gray is warring with the green and the blue, slaughtering them to take complete control.She releases my waist and I think she’ll make the short trip to the edge of the pool, but she dives underwater.Is she going to be reckless again? Gwyneth and alcohol are clearly not the best of friends and I need to keep her f
Nathaniel“Fuck!” I kick my shoes away and run to the pool.Where Gwyneth just jumped in because she wasn’t thinking and she’s drunk as fuck. If she had access to her brain, she would’ve remembered that she doesn’t know how to swim.She’s the type who always has some sort of a crutch, even when she’s in the shallow end of the pool. No matter how much King tried to teach her, she never learned to swim.The seconds tick by like a damn lifetime the more she doesn’t resurface. She’s not even flailing around like she usually does when the crutches are taken away.I curse under my breath as I plunge in after her, diving deep into the cold water.The more time I spend getting to her, the harder my fucking heart beats. It doesn’t slow down even after I grab her by the arm and haul her to the surface. She splutters for breath, coughing and choking on water.Her legs circle my waist and she uses me as a lifeline. Her entire body is wrapped around mine as I swim to where I can stand.I grab her
His strong hand wraps around my waist, under the dress that’s now bunched to my stomach. He jerks his hips up as I go down and I whimper. “You thought about me, huh?”“Yeah.”“What did you think about?”“Your strong hands and hard chest. I thought about your cock, too, and how big it is.” I’m dry-humping him now, my movements turned frantic by his thrusts.“What else?”“I thought about how much my pussy wants you. Not anyone else, you.”“Because it’s my pussy?”“Yeah. It is.”“And you’re a slut.Myslut.”“I am.” He didn’t ask, but I’m answering anyway. I’m sliding up and down, fucking myself on his bulge and I’m getting close, so close that my legs tremble.“Is my slut going to let anyone else but me touch her again?”“No…no…I won’t…”“That’s right, because if you do, I’ll fuck up their lives, Gwyneth. I mean it.”I come then. It’s so harsh and intense that I scream. I scream loud and uncensored, not caring that someone might pass by and see me becoming his slut.That someone could see
He pulls out of the parking lot and drives down the streets in silence. There’s no radio or words, and the more time passes, the tighter my grip on his jacket gets.“Aren’t you going to say something? Anything?” I try not to slur but do so anyway.“I said to shut your mouth, Gwyneth.”“I don’t want to shut up. I want to talk, okay?” It’s probably liquid courage—or stupidity or whatever—but it’s there and I’m taking the bull by the horns. “In case you didn’t notice, you ruined my evening.”“What the fuck did you just say?” He fixates me with a sideways glance and it pins me to my seat so forcefully, I hiccup. Or maybe that’s because of the alcohol.“My evening, Nate. I was having fun until you showed up.” I’m feigning nonchalance and lying through my teeth.No, I wasn’t having fun. I was miserable and headed down a path I didn’t like even in my intoxicated brain.“You were having fun grinding against those kids and I ruined it, is that what you’re saying?”“We…were dancing.”“I saw you