NATEI blink awake to the crack lights of sunset oranges and purples trailing through the window blinds into Tasha's room, the rays washing over our barely covered bodies nestled halfway under the bedsheets. As I pull the sheets up, Tasha stirs beside me, still asleep, and all the memories flood back to me in a sweet, mind-blowing rush.I remember every single kiss, every single moan of my name on her lips, the warmth of her fingers tracing through my scar, the way her eyes locked into mine as I made love to her, the ecstasy that filled me when she unraveled before me, with her body wrapped perfectly around me, taking me down into the throes of pleasure with her. . . . . .I feel my cock twitch between my thighs, but I inhale a deep breath to calm myself.Fuck.She is my sweetest addiction.Tasha is lying on her side, her face turned to me, one side of her cheeks buried in the pillow. She is breathtakingly beautiful. Like a goddess. My goddess. The rays of the sunset sprinkle on her f
NATEWhen I arrive home, I park my motorcycle in the garage and begin to walk towards the house. The moment I step inside, the thick aroma of grilled steak fills my nostrils.I halt in my tracks, still sniffing the air. We seldom have steak dinner in this house, but there is only one gothic girl in the entire Adams family who is crazy in love and married to steak. There is no way—"And the rebel king is back!" A familiar chirpy voice shrieks behind me, and I jump back in shock just the same time I snap around to see my sister Cathy flicking her tongue over her teeth in that familiar smirky smile of hers that just fucking screams mischief. "Oh my God Cath!" I clutch my hand to my chest. "Were you trying to kill me?"She smirks harder. "You know I can't afford to be the only child dude."I drop my bag on the sofa near me. "When the hell did you get back?""This evening." She suddenly unfolds her arms from her chest and takes a step towards me, sniffing my clothes. "Something is off wit
TASHAClass periods of the day blur past in a flash, but not too fast for me not to notice that Diane is nowhere to be found in school.The victim of the rumor ravaging around school now is Diane. She did not come to school today. And no matter how hard I tried to shut myself off from the thought, I kept finding myself thinking a lot about the reason why.Everyone knows the reason why.She obviously did not come to school because of the news circulating around school about her doing drugs.Drugs. I still want to know how and why she immersed herself into drugs. And the bruises…..Gosh. I just can't shake off the urge to question everything. It is like a persistent ringing bell echoing inside my head."Baby, I want to tell you something," Nate whispers into my ear, jolting my senses back to reality. I grab my History textbook from my open locker.His warm breath on my ear is ticklish. I manage to hide my blush a bit as I turn around, facing him. "What is it?""So, uhm. . . ." He pauses,
TASHAI breathe in a couple more times before finally landing a few knocks on the door of Diane's family mansion. I could not bring myself to succumb to the urge to not check up on her since she did not come to school.I just couldn't.I hear faint voices coming from inside the house and decide to wait a bit for Mrs Margaret the housekeeper or one of the maids to come open the door.Footsteps echo towards the door, and finally, the door is pulled back open. I am met with the sparkling gray eyes of Mrs Margaret Stevenson and her ever charming smile. She is the housekeeper of the Brandon family. Always cheerful, organized, with an eager spring always in her steps.What I love the most about Mrs Margaret is her selflessness. To be honest, she is Diane's second mother. The mother that is always available and has actually been there for Diane always, and sometimes, for me too."Hi darling," she nearly squeals, and I fall into her arms in a tight embrace."Hi Mrs Margaret." I inhale the swee
TASHADamn it.I feel like hugging her pain away, but I know she still has more to say. And I let her.She wipes her cheeks. "Everything I did to match up with you never worked. My grades. My body. Nothing worked. I became so bitter and so resentful. I hated myself. And you." She sniffs. "But then, one day, Jason glanced my way. The way he looked at me made me feel…...important. Seen. Desired. Like I could finally have something of yours to myself."I watch her as she sighs out deeply, more tears forming in her eyes. "Jason and I started hanging out behind your back. It was all fun and games, until it wasn't anymore. I felt…..I felt like he loved me. Maybe not as much as I thought he loved you, but I thought he at least felt something for me. And I felt that was enough. For me."A tear drops onto her cheek. She does not bother wiping it away. "After that day you caught us, I felt….powerful. When Jason announced to the whole school that he was breaking up with you, I fucking felt victo
TASHAFinally it is Friday evening, and I could not be more prepared. I am already dressed up and standing in front of my mirror, checking out my outfit and minimal makeup.My excitement of getting to meet Nate's sister and mum is coupled with a little bit of anxiety and restlessness. Since the day Nate invited me to the family dinner this week, I have been dying so hard to attend.But now, I feel a little bit tensed. Maybe it is because I am just meeting them for the first time.Relax Tasha, it is just going to be like an easy jolly walk in the park.Done applying my perfume and some finishing touches to my facial makeup, I grab my purse and strap the golden chain sling on my shoulder. Just as I turn off my bedroom lights, my phone pings with a message from Nate.Nate: I am outside.Me: On my way.I click send.After exiting my room, I shut the door.___________I reach outside the house, meeting Nate standing in front of the terrace with a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates in
TASHAIt is nice to finally meet you.My muscles relax, instant relief coursing through me. Those seven sweet words might be the best words I have heard today.Cathy pushes the glass of wine into Nate's reluctant palm and grabs my hand. "Follow me. My mum is dying to meet you."Nate scoffs as he follows us behind. "Sounds more like you are the one who has been dying for ages to meet her."Cathy snaps back a glare at her brother before turning to me with a scowl. "Your boyfriend can be a serious pain in the ass.""I heard that." Nate retorts. I nip down the insides of my mouth to prevent myself from laughing.We finally reach the dinner table, and I am suddenly struck hard by the charming beauty of the woman coming out of the kitchen with a silver tray containing a medium sized chocolate fudge cake.Cathy looks a lot like her in every way. The resemblance is striking, but also confirms the truth that Nate does not take much after this woman. His mum. The giant family portrait picture
NATEFuck.Tension bubbles inside me like hot lava, rushing through my veins and spreading all over my entire body at the ferocious scrutinizing eyes of my father on Tasha.I can't believe he is back. Tonight of all fucking nights.I slip my fingers into Tasha's hand under the table, trying to calm myself with the distraction of the softness and warmth of her fingers entwined with mine. She tightens her grip on my hand. I can feel her unease, but her face wears a calm expression that contradicts the storm swirling in her eyes as she continues staring at my father.I sense her uneasiness relaxing a bit second by second."Good evening sir." She manages to flash a small, composed smile at my father, her smooth voice breaking the choking silence in the air.My father does not respond. Damn him. He simply walks over to his spot at the head of the table and sits like the king he is, his scornful eyes never leaving Tasha all the while.My belly churns hard at the intensity. My blood begins t
Dearest Reader, My heart is full. Writing Diane and Leo’s story has been a beautiful unforgettable adventure, and I hope it brought you as much joy, tension, laughter, and definitely a few buckets of tears as it did to me. Diane and Leo are two characters I will never forget. Their journey from enemies to friends and finally to hardcore soulmates was crafted with the same ups and downs that make real life so beautifully complex. My baby girl Diane, most especially, gripped me by the throat throughout her journey in this book, and I cried several times whenever I found myself digging and exploring deeper and deeper into her mind and who she truly is. Leo King, well, he played with my heart as well. He made me believe he was some rich fucking brat who couldn't care less about anything, only to crash me with the truth of who he really is—a true lover king with so much indepth layers that had me lusting and thirsting for more. Thank you for staying with Diane and Leo through every twi
THREE YEARS LATER DIANE I wake up submerged in paralyzing pleasure that sends shivers sizzling down my spine. Warm lips, a hot tongue, and the unmistakable expert touch of the man I love. My body reacts instantly, stretching beneath him as I surrender to the bliss he is inflicting into every cell in my body. This is Leo’s favorite way of waking me up—and, if I am honest, mine too. I love our morning fun so damn much. “Leo…” I breathe out, my fingers threading through his dark strands, clutching tightly as he teases me, pushing me toward the edge of pleasure with every flick of his tongue, every stroke of his fingers. He knows every spot, every way to pull me apart and put me right back together again. I feel myself melting into the softness of the bed, barely able to keep my eyes open. Leo is there, between my legs, working his magic, his mouth and fingers moving with a determination that is both sweet and very sinful. I tangle my fingers in his hair, holding him to me like he
‘All I do is win.’— All I Do Is Win by DJ Khaled, Ludacris, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg & T PainFOUR WEEKS LATER DIANEThe entire departmental auditorium is buzzing with energy, filled with students, distinguished professors, and families all seated in anticipation.It is the annual game competition event, and the tension in the air as everyone waits for the announcement of the winners is so thick that a knife can easily slice through it without stress.I am standing beside Crys amongst other competitors, our hands clasped tightly together as we look up at the stage. My heart pounds as I take in the scene before switching my attention to the rest of the audience, searching for the same familiar faces there that are present to cheer me today.My parents. Tasha and Nate. Marissa. Dante. Asher.And the king of all, my Leo King.He is seated beside Marissa, looking so dashing and magnificent in a dark blue tailored suit with a seductive smile added to his smexy appearance. Despite how far ap
LEOI swing the door open and step into Frosty's room.My eyes land on her and Tasha sitting together on the bed. They look so happy, with Frosty's face glowing so bright that the sight tugs at something deep within me, causing warmth and relief to settle right in the center of my chest.“Oh, hey, Leo,” Tasha says, spotting me with the small bag containing Frosty’s medications in my hand. Before I can even respond back, she turns swiftly to Frosty and taps Frosty's lap gently.“I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone," she teases, giving her lap a gentle squeeze before she stands up. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”“Wait I'll escort you to—”“Don't worry.” Tasha stops her from getting up from the bed. “Just lie back. Also remember to take your meds, alright?”Frosty nods, giving her a soft smile. “Thanks, Tash. For everything.”“You're welcome darling. Goodnight.”They both hug each other before Tasha moves past me, patting my shoulder on her way out.“Take care of her, Leo.”“I will.” T
DIANEI am alive.It has been a few days since the nightmare with Cole. The police officially informed my family that he is fucking dead.He is gone. And so is my nightmare too.Being back in the familiar warmth of my bedroom is pure heaven. I have never liked hospitals, but my stay there was worth it and wasn't boring for me. Crys and Dante always came to see me, Asher dropped by too with lots of dark chocolates. My parents were already with me the next day after I was brought to the hospital.And Tasha, well, she barged in a few hours after my parents first arrived and literally slept in the hospital with me and Leo throughout my entire stay there.The duration was short though, because I didn't sustain deep injuries and was just kept there for a few checkups and to stabilize my health.Now, I am back home, and thank God that I am propped up in my bed, with a cozy blanket draped over my body. Tasha’s boyfriend, Nate, couldn’t come, but he sent his love, as well as a giant, absurdly
LEOIt is fucking scary how the people we love can be ripped away from us so fast in the blink of an eye.A chilling wind whips through the abandoned warehouse district as I pull up to the location that bastard sent to me. Yesterday's passing has stretched my nerves to their breaking point, and every second I spend away from Frosty feels like an eternity of torture since I got that horrifying call.I step out of the car and close the door, my gaze set firmly on the cold bricked structure in the distance.Gripping the money bag tightly,—one million dollars in cash—I feel the leather biting into my skin. My heart pounds, fear clenching in my chest and making it difficult for me to breathe properly.But I can't let my fear and anxiety show. Not with Frosty’s life on the line. Not with that deranged bastard waiting to kill her if I slip up.Detective Kane stands a few blocks away, spying on the area with his team. I don't need to turn to check if he is in position because I know he alread
DIANEMy eyes flutter open, my vision still a little blurry as I survey my surroundings.The dimness of this dusty place looms around me, doing nothing to help stabilize my sight. My wrists ache, and I realize that I am tied to the back of a chair, with the cold metal digging into my skin.I struggle against the binding ropes, feeling bruises forming from each twist and pull as I yank forcefully.However, it is pointless.The ropes are too tight, and every time I shift, the chair groans, echoing ominously through the vacant space. Fuck.I can barely wrap my mind around the horror of what is happening to me. Today was supposed to be filled with good news. The new hopeful beginning I now have with my mum. The moment I have dreamed and waited my whole life for.The closure, the forgiveness…No evil omen should have happened today. But now, being here like this, I feel like my life is about to be taken away from me.This situation nauseates me, and my stomach churns at the thought with a
DIANE A WEEK LATER “Mum, I am only here because Dad convinced me so much to give you a chance. And because I want to. I'd hate if it all goes for nothing.”My voice is steady, although the emotions swirling within me now feels like a storm I am barely trying to prevent from crashing all over me.Sitting here with Kate Brandon feels almost like I am watching this moment from the outside of a charred plane of glass. She is settled across from me in the quiet corner booth of the diner I chose, the one where Dante, Crys, and I came to when she first moved into her new apartment.I chose this place because its familiarity feels like a shield of protection, not some alien restaurant that only brings me nausea and tension.My mother looks at me with softened eyes, nodding slowly. Her hands are clasped tightly around her mug of coffee as if it is her lifeline.A small frown is creased across her forehead as she speaks. “Thank you, Diane. I know I don’t deserve this. Not after everything. I.
DIANEI am lying on Leo’s bed, feeling the warmth of his skin pressed against mine as he stretches out beside me. We are freshly showered and now wrapped in each other's arms.His steady breaths match the rhythm of my own, and I am here with him, wearing one of his oversized shirts that does little to hide my ass. The cotton feels soft against my skin, and I'd be lying if I deny that I am not falling in love with him all over again because of how fucking good his familiar scent keeps intoxicating me.Gosh.We both have been quiet for a while, just enjoying the warmth of each other's skins and letting the morning light filter in through the blinds, casting its soft streaks across the room and over us.Leo is my safe haven. He makes baring out my mind and feelings to him so easy and without any fear of judgements.I know I have told him so many things about me, secrets that I don't share with just anyone. And that is because he earned my trust. He didn't take advantage of me when he cle