Ryker’s POVSitting through breakfast was nothing short of hell.Arianna was right in front of me, her lips slightly swollen from our kiss, her hair still a little messy from where I’d tangled my fingers in it. She kept her eyes fixed on her bowl of cereal like it was the most interesting thing on earth, but every time she shifted, I caught the subtle rise and fall of her chest, the way her breath hitched slightly, the way she still looked flushed from our heated makeout session.And I was suffering.My cock was still rock hard, straining uncomfortably against my jeans, and no matter how many times I shifted in my seat, there was no relief. Every little movement she made—tucking her hair behind her ear, licking a drop of milk from her lips, even the damn way she sighed—sent a fresh wave of heat straight to my groin and made my cock throb painfully. I clenched my fists under the table, focusing on the pain of my nails digging into my palms. Anything to keep myself from doing what I re
Arianna’s POVI took a slow, deep breath. Then another.It was just an evening out. Nothing more.Not a date.Not anything that should have had my heart racing like I was about to do something that would change my life forever.I had spent more time getting ready than I wanted to admit, but that was only because I hadn’t known where we were going. That was all. I had to find the right outfit—not too dressed up, not too casual. Nothing about this was special.At least, that was what I had told myself.Yet, here I was, standing in front of my door, trying to convince myself that Ryker didn’t matter enough to affect me. That what had happened earlier wasn’t still lingering in my mind, and setting every nerve ending of my body on fire.That I wasn’t still aching for his touch.I exhaled sharply and yanked the door open.And my world stopped.Ryker stood there, inches away, hand still on the door handle. His eyes met mine, and something passed between us. Then, his gaze dropped.He dragge
Arianna’s POVThe building before me was magnificent. Not in a flashy, gaudy way, but in the kind of way that made you stop and stare. It was like something out of a dream—too perfect, too carefully placed within its surroundings to be real and it was right by the sea!I had spent an unhealthy amount of time researching this island, scrolling through every image, every review, memorizing every hidden gem. And yet, this place—this breathtaking place—had somehow escaped me.“How have I never heard of this before?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.Beside me, Ryker smirked, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Because it’s meant to stay hidden.”I turned to him, brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”He exhaled, tilting his head slightly toward the building. “The architecture was designed to fit the natural surroundings and not to be disturbed by tourists. The owner wanted exclusivity—no advertisements, no online reservations, no public records. Only those with connecti
Ryker’s POVA sucker.That’s what I was.There was no other way to explain why I gave in so easily, why I found myself saying “yes” before she even asked. She had barely even looked at me, just that small, barely-there gleam of anticipation in her eyes, and suddenly, I was agreeing to whatever she wanted.Heck, if she asked for my heart on a gold platter then, I would have handed it right to her.I watched as she practically bounced in her seat, her cheeks barely containing her excitement, and I almost laughed. She was still such a child in some ways, so easily thrilled by the little things. It was… refreshing to see. She was so innocent. And yet, the darker part of me—the part that was never really at rest—enjoyed something else entirely. It liked the thought of her beneath me, eyes hazy and lips parted as I dragged every last bit of that innocence away.The thought alone had my body tightening in response.Fuck.I exhaled sharply, shifting in my seat as the ache in my groin settled
Arianna’s POVFor a moment, my heart stuttered in my chest.It took me a second to realize why—our hands were still linked. I felt the warmth of his calloused palm against mine, his fingers curling around my own, and my fingers easily fitting into his larger ones, like it was the most natural thing in the world. But it wasn’t natural. Not for us.I had no idea how long we had been holding hands, but the second I noticed it, my entire body went stiff. A nervous panic flared up inside me, and I instinctively tried to pull away.Before I could fully withdraw, though, Ryker’s grip tightened. Not enough to hurt, just firm enough to keep my hand in his.My breath hitched.He didn’t say anything. He just kept walking, like it wasn’t a big deal. Like he wasn’t fully aware of how fast my heart was pounding.I should’ve fought harder to let go. But for some reason, I didn’t.Instead, I looked up at him, trying to find some kind of reaction in his face. His expression was unreadable—calm, steady
Arianna’s POVBy the time I was down to my last bite of chocolate ice cream, my stomach was warm, my legs bounced giddily, my cheeks still slightly sore from laughing too much. The game of making up stories about strangers had lasted longer than I expected, mostly because Ryker kept coming up with the most absurdly logical explanations for everything.Like the old couple sharing a banana split? He was adamant they were long-lost siblings who had only reunited last year and now met up every Friday to make up for lost time.“I still can’t believe you don’t see the romance in that,” I muttered, licking the last bit of ice cream off my spoon.“They’re eating dessert, not writing a love poem,” he said dryly.I huffed, placing my spoon down. “You have no imagination.”“And yet, I just beat you at your own game,” he countered smoothly.I narrowed my eyes at him, but before I could retort, he suddenly reached forward, his hand brushing against my face.I froze.His thumb swiped over the tip o
Arianna’s POVThe second I pulled Ryker into the crowd of dancers, I felt his entire body go rigid.The firelight flickered over his face, and I watched as the muscle in his jaw tightened.I barely had time to react before a couple spun past us, nearly knocking me into him.“Okay, first rule of dancing,” I said, gripping his wrist before he could make a break for it. “You actually have to move.”Ryker’s jaw ticked. “I am moving.”I glanced down. His feet were planted firmly on the ground, not an inch of him shifting as the music pulsed around us.“Ryker, blinking doesn’t count.”He exhaled through his nose, his grip tightening around my waist like he thought I’d let him escape if he just squeezed hard enough.I grinned. “You’re really struggling with this, huh?”“Shut up.”I laughed, swaying lightly to the beat as people twirled and clapped around us. The rhythm was fast, playful, full of energy, but Ryker looked like he was standing in the middle of a war zone.“Come on,” I coaxed, t
Arianna’s POVBy the time he returned, I was barely holding myself together.I sat stiffly, my hands clenched into my lap, enduring whatever absurd conversation the women had dived into now—something about wedding dresses and the importance of a man being dominant in a relationship.I had no will to live.But then—finally—his scent filled my nostrils, and I snapped my head up.Ryker strolled toward me, looking entirely too at ease, his hands in his pockets, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips.I was on my feet in an instant—pure, murderous rage fueling me even though I was exhausted.“Where the hell have you been?” I demanded, glaring daggers at him.He stopped a few feet away, tilting his head. “Missed me that much?”Oh. Oh.I was going to strangle him. In public.Before I could unleash my full wrath, he casually glanced around. “What? You wanted to stay out longer, didn’t you?”I opened my mouth—then shut it just as fast.Because when I turned my head ever so slightly, I caught sight o
Arianna’s POVEven a day later, I still couldn’t stop thinking about it.The necklace.Ryker’s words.That look in your eyes—that’s why I bought it.I had replayed that moment so many times in my head that it had practically been burned into my memory. I had spent most of the night staring at the delicate silver chain, running my fingers over the diamond as if trying to memorize its every detail. I had never owned anything this beautiful before, but it wasn’t just the necklace itself that made it precious.It was the intention behind it.Ryker had seen me. He had noticed something as small as the way my eyes lit up over a piece of jewelry and had gone out of his way to get it for me. Because I liked it. Because that, to him, was reason enough.My heart softened all over again just thinking about it.I hadn’t seen much of him after that.He had been locked in his room all day, and every time I tried to check in on him, he brushed me off with a simple I’m busy.Then there was dinner.It
Arianna’s POVThe second I stepped out of the bathroom, my wet hair clinging to my skin, I was met with the last thing I expected—Ryker, standing there, staring at me like I had personally offended him just by existing.The sight of him startled me so much that a scream tore out of my throat before I could stop it. It wasn’t just a little yelp, either. It was a full-blown, blood-curdling scream—the kind people let out in horror movies right before they got murdered.Ryker winced, ears twitching as if the sound physically pained him. “Damn, Arianna,” he muttered, rubbing the side of his head. “Trying to make me deaf?”I clutched my towel tightly against my body, fearing it would slip, my heart hammering. “Trying to get yourself killed?” I shot back, glaring at him. “What the hell are you doing in my room?”His lips twitched like he was holding back a laugh. “I knocked.”“Knocking and then walking in defeats the whole purpose, Ryker.”“Technically, you didn’t answer.”I gaped at him. “I
Ryker’s POVThe cold air burned my lungs as I ran through the thick forest, my breath coming out in heavy puffs of white smoke in front of my eyes. The loud pound of my feet against the damp earth should have been enough to clear my mind. It was supposed to be. That was the entire reason I had come out here in the first place—to get away, to get some space, to let myself breathe without her scent clinging to every damn inch of me.But it wasn’t working.I had only been gone for an hour—maybe less—but already, I was restless. Already, my mind had circled back to her more times than I cared to admit.Had she woken up yet?Had she seen the note?Had she opened the damn box?Was she still in bed? Had she eaten? Was her ankle still hurting?Would she even want to see me when I got back?I gritted my teeth and pushed forward, running faster, harder. My muscles burned with the more I pushed myself, but it wasn’t enough. No matter how fast I ran, no matter how far I went, I couldn’t outrun he
Arianna’s POVI stared at the box, my fingers frozen against the lid, my breath catching in my throat.I had expected something practical—maybe another healing balm, or even something ridiculous, like more clothes he thought were appropriate for me to wear. Or even a dead rat just to spike my blood pressure.But this?This was the last thing I had imagined.The moment the light hit the diamonds, they shone so brilliantly that I had to blink, momentarily stunned.My heart lurched.No.No way.This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.I slowly placed the box back on the counter, staring at it like it was about to sprout wings and fly away.Then, as if suddenly remembering myself, I yanked my hands away from it entirely, turning them over in front of me.I quickly wiped my sweaty palms down the length of my pajamas pants, thinking I would ruin it otherwise. I had touched the note before this, smudging the edges and some of the ink probably got on my fingers. What if I got the jewelry dirty? What
Arianna’s POVThe first thing I noticed when I woke up was the silence.It wasn’t eerie or unsettling—just quiet. The kind of quiet that made the sound of the waves outside even louder than it usually was. It was peaceful. So peaceful, in fact, that for the first few seconds, I didn’t move. I just lay there, my mind slow to wake, my body struggling between sleep and consciousness.Then, as the haze cleared, I became aware of the faint throbbing in my ankle.Frowning slightly, I pushed myself up, and rubbed my groggy eyes with my hands. I half-expected the pain to be just as bad as last night, but to my surprise, it was barely noticeable. The swelling had gone down significantly, and while there was still some soreness, it was nothing compared to what it had been.I moved my foot carefully, testing it out.It didn’t hurt as much.My brows furrowed.Healing balms were a luxury for me when I lived with Derrick. The few times my mother managed to sneak some to me, it was never the strong
Arianna’s POVBy the time he returned, I was barely holding myself together.I sat stiffly, my hands clenched into my lap, enduring whatever absurd conversation the women had dived into now—something about wedding dresses and the importance of a man being dominant in a relationship.I had no will to live.But then—finally—his scent filled my nostrils, and I snapped my head up.Ryker strolled toward me, looking entirely too at ease, his hands in his pockets, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips.I was on my feet in an instant—pure, murderous rage fueling me even though I was exhausted.“Where the hell have you been?” I demanded, glaring daggers at him.He stopped a few feet away, tilting his head. “Missed me that much?”Oh. Oh.I was going to strangle him. In public.Before I could unleash my full wrath, he casually glanced around. “What? You wanted to stay out longer, didn’t you?”I opened my mouth—then shut it just as fast.Because when I turned my head ever so slightly, I caught sight o
Arianna’s POVThe second I pulled Ryker into the crowd of dancers, I felt his entire body go rigid.The firelight flickered over his face, and I watched as the muscle in his jaw tightened.I barely had time to react before a couple spun past us, nearly knocking me into him.“Okay, first rule of dancing,” I said, gripping his wrist before he could make a break for it. “You actually have to move.”Ryker’s jaw ticked. “I am moving.”I glanced down. His feet were planted firmly on the ground, not an inch of him shifting as the music pulsed around us.“Ryker, blinking doesn’t count.”He exhaled through his nose, his grip tightening around my waist like he thought I’d let him escape if he just squeezed hard enough.I grinned. “You’re really struggling with this, huh?”“Shut up.”I laughed, swaying lightly to the beat as people twirled and clapped around us. The rhythm was fast, playful, full of energy, but Ryker looked like he was standing in the middle of a war zone.“Come on,” I coaxed, t
Arianna’s POVBy the time I was down to my last bite of chocolate ice cream, my stomach was warm, my legs bounced giddily, my cheeks still slightly sore from laughing too much. The game of making up stories about strangers had lasted longer than I expected, mostly because Ryker kept coming up with the most absurdly logical explanations for everything.Like the old couple sharing a banana split? He was adamant they were long-lost siblings who had only reunited last year and now met up every Friday to make up for lost time.“I still can’t believe you don’t see the romance in that,” I muttered, licking the last bit of ice cream off my spoon.“They’re eating dessert, not writing a love poem,” he said dryly.I huffed, placing my spoon down. “You have no imagination.”“And yet, I just beat you at your own game,” he countered smoothly.I narrowed my eyes at him, but before I could retort, he suddenly reached forward, his hand brushing against my face.I froze.His thumb swiped over the tip o
Arianna’s POVFor a moment, my heart stuttered in my chest.It took me a second to realize why—our hands were still linked. I felt the warmth of his calloused palm against mine, his fingers curling around my own, and my fingers easily fitting into his larger ones, like it was the most natural thing in the world. But it wasn’t natural. Not for us.I had no idea how long we had been holding hands, but the second I noticed it, my entire body went stiff. A nervous panic flared up inside me, and I instinctively tried to pull away.Before I could fully withdraw, though, Ryker’s grip tightened. Not enough to hurt, just firm enough to keep my hand in his.My breath hitched.He didn’t say anything. He just kept walking, like it wasn’t a big deal. Like he wasn’t fully aware of how fast my heart was pounding.I should’ve fought harder to let go. But for some reason, I didn’t.Instead, I looked up at him, trying to find some kind of reaction in his face. His expression was unreadable—calm, steady