When the crowd had thinned and most of the Langleys and their guests were scattered around the deck, some sightseeing, others making small talk, I made my move. Micheal was standing by the railing, his posture relaxed but his eyes alert, scanning the horizon. As I approached Micheal, Margaux was wa
(ARIELLE'S POV) As I stepped out onto the deck after dinner, the cool evening breeze swept through my hair like a soothing caress. The sky was a beautiful sight to see at that time of the day, a hue of blue and white. Beside me, Ashley and Maverick were deep in conversation, laughter spilling out
"No," I said simply, shaking my head. "I don’t have anything against you. I just don’t enjoy alcohol. Sorry. I’ll just take this." I reached for the water on the table and took a symbolic sip. “Well, whatever,” she shrugged, the friendly smile not leaving her face. I nodded. “So what is it you wa
Dwayne seemed like he wanted to argue, but he let me be. "Okay, get some rest then." He patted my shoulder fondly, and I nodded, walking on. As I entered my room, the familiar relief of solitude washed over me, but it was short-lived. The moment I crossed the threshold and stepped closer to the bed
(ARIELLE'S POV) The bathroom door creaked open, and out stepped Dwayne. His hair was damp from a shower, droplets sliding down his broad, muscled chest. For a split second, we both just stared at each other, equally startled. “Arielle?” His deep voice broke the silence, his brows knitting together
I barely registered what happened next—the blur of movement, Dwayne’s body still radiating heat as he carried me into the bathroom. The sharp scent of his aftershave mingled with the steamy air, and I felt my pulse quicken coursing through me. He set me down gently, his touch lingering just a fracti
She must have thought the drug was already in full effect, so she’d walk in the perfect time and catch us tangled together on the bed, naked, exposed. I turned to Dwayne, and the look on his face mirrored my thoughts. His jaw was tight, but he gave nothing away. I could feel my hands tremble as ang
(JARED'S POV) As I stepped out of the dining hall, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Arielle had disappeared, and I had no idea where she had gone. I had been looking forward to talking to her all evening, but it seemed like fate had other plans or she was intentionally avoiding me. So I deci
“I won’t be long in the shower,” he promised as he dashed into the bathroom. I picked up my phone and found a couple of missed calls from Michael Langley. A little frown crossed my face until I realized he might’ve worried after checking on me at my suite. I didn’t owe him any explanations of cours
(ARIELLE’S POV) I was awake—eyes closed, but very much aware of my surroundings. I could feel the gentle early morning breeze dance over my skin as it traveled across the room. The warmth of Jared’s skin against mine, his spring arms wrapped around me like a second blanket, brought back very vivid
(MICHAEL’S POV) I was on a zoom conference call with my strategy team back home when my phone rang. Normally, I’d just ignore it and let it ring out until whoever it was on the other end got the message. But when I looked at the caller ID, I thought better. “Jared. Is everything okay?” I asked my
“That bounce in his step? You’ll only ever find it in a man who’s in love. And you.. your skin has a different glow this morning. Plus you arrived an hour late for our appointment,” Ellen finished with a shrug. “Morning, Dr. Keystone,” Jared nodded as he walked into the room. “Good morning, Mr. Sm
(ARIELLE’S POV) I woke up in his arms, this time, fully aware and hardly willing to break the contact between our bodies. I slowly turned around to look at his face, to be sure none of it was a dream. Jared’s lips stretched in a smile and his eyes peeled open gradually. “Hey,” he said. “Hey,” I e
She opened her mouth to speak, but her words died away in the back of her throat the moment I slid myself into her. It felt like heaven. It felt like returning back to a place I’d vowed never to set foot in, only to realize I’d never really left in my heart—if I was being honest with myself. She
(JARED'S POV) When we arrived at the hotel, Arielle insisted on stopping by her room first for a quick shower and to change her dress. I didn’t object because I thought I could use the time to surprise her with a little culinary adventure. The poor chicken I put in the oven would have fared better
(JARED’S POV) It was all I could think about for most of the day. And I feared it bothered her somewhat too. It didn’t help my case the slightest bit that she built a wall between us, pushing me off every time I tried to broach the topic. Of course I knew that had to be the reason—our adventure of
“Sorry about that. I just wanted to go through everything we have to do first,” Julian explained, earning a little roll of the eyes from his ex-wife. I was glad that I didn’t need to be sedated for the tests they were about to conduct. Something about lying still and unconscious again with no defin