Zane:Twelve days is all I have to think of a plan to save Kiara. I can’t kill her, and I will not, because it will mean killing myself. I have never had a reason to live, but with her, I have hope.“Could I have said no?” I question myself with my hands firmly gripping the wheel.I’m so lost in thought that I do not notice the red light in front. I cross it at once, and in that moment, I hear a screeching sound, and a car halts close to mine, causing me to come to an abrupt stop.“Are you blind or something?” the lady in the car yells, and I roll down my window.“I’m sorry,” I apologize, then I move my car forward, cornering to the side of the road where I stop to think.Nothing comes to mind, but I spot a flower store up ahead with a middle-aged lady tending to the flowers displayed in front. All I think of is Kiara, and the thought of her warms my heart.I start my car, then I put a call across to Rufus.“Is Kiara home yet?” I ask as soon as he picks up the call.“Yes, she is havin
Kiara:The way Zane treats me is dreamy but I hate the way he leaves. I want to be a part of him, even if I haven’t made this official, but he ups and leaves me every second.“You’ll get to smell them if I get a kiss,” he says, and I scoff, inching close to his face.As I close the gap between us and he shuts his eyes, I turn away, allowing his lips to crash on my cheek, causing me to let out a chuckle while his face crumples into a frown.“You got your kiss, so let me go,” I say, pushing his hands away, getting to my feet. Then I make my way to the couch, which has the large bouquet of multicolored lilies in a wrap.Leaning forward, I place my nose on a petal, taking in the scent of the flower.“That’s enough to give me an orgasm,” I say, and I feel Zane’s hand around my waist.“I could give that to you right now,” he says, and I slap my hand against his arm, turning around to face him. “What? I know you want it,” he whispers in my ear, pulling me close to him, allowing our bodies to
Kiara:“Did I do something wrong?” I ask as he pulls away from me.His eyes narrow, and I sense fear from him. He takes a few steps backward for a moment, with his back crashing on the vanity behind him. With his left hand grabbing the vanity, he places his right hand on his chest, taking a deep breath.“Is something wrong?” I ask, and he shakes his head. “Zane, please talk to me,” I say, and he looks at me with a plain face.“It’s... it’s just too soon, and I didn’t expect it. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” he asks, bringing his face to a frown. “I have a lot of things planned out, and I do not think twelve days is enough to execute them,” he says. “Will I ever be able to impress you with my lousy self?”“Stop it, Zane!” I raise my voice a bit. “I do not care if you move the earth for me or you buy me candy on my birthday. Being there is all that matters,” I say to him, then I make my way towards him. “I love having the finest things in life, but that is an addition to what I alrea
Kiara:“Morning, sleepyhead,” Zane says as I struggle to pull my eyes open.My forehead is met with a kiss, causing me to flip around with my eyes tightly shut. He gets up from the bed, and I think he is leaving, but then my eyes are attacked by the rays from the morning sun, causing me to groan as I pull the cover over my head.He walks up to me and yanks it off.“For the love of the moon goddess, Zane, I’m going to…” his lips on mine silence me before I can finish my words.I groan and open my eyes.“It’s the first of September!” he says with a smile on his lips. “Your birthday is in a couple of days, and you have only five days, including today, to prepare for your birth week, which will happen in Greece,” he says, causing the sleep in my eyes to vanish.“Five days? What if I do not know what to wear? Or…”“Your time starts now, love,” he says, and then he gets up to leave. “The card is on the table; get whatever you want,” he says, and he vanishes.I groan again, forcing myself ou
Kiara:The next time I open my eyes, it is morning, and I’m on the softest mattress in the entire world, in the most beautiful room I have ever seen.I turn to the side to see Zane lying on one arm, facing me with nothing but a towel around his waist and a single rose flower in hand.“Good morning, love,” he says, and a smile appears on my lips.“So, what are you supposed to be?” I ask, and he sits up, handing me the rose.“Cupid? The love of your life? I can’t choose really,” he says, and I chuckle, then I spread my hands out, giving off a yawn. “Are you hungry? I ordered something for us,” he says, then he gets on his knees, inching close to me on the bed.He breaks the head of the rose from its stick, tucking it into my hair, and I stretch my hands, opening and closing my palms, causing him to lean in closer for me to wrap my hands around his neck.I place a kiss on his lips.“You are perfect,” I say as he pulls away.“I’ll be irresistible after this date,” he says, and I roll my e
Kiara:Day three is sunny, and I want to leave the room. For two days, I’ve been inside with Zane, and it’s been good seeing movies, going to a private indoor pool, and eating, but now I want to see the beach.“I feel like going out today, plus the sun looks beautiful,” I say to Zane, who wraps his hands around me from behind, planting a kiss on my neck.“Then go outside,” he says in a gruff tone, then I tilt back a bit to see his face with his shades on.“You are still high, aren’t you?” I ask, and he scoffs, taking off his glasses.“Not really,” he squints his eyes at the morning sun as his breath fans hot under my neck.I turn around to face him with my back pressed against the balcony railings. Then he leans in to kiss my lips.“I need to pee,” I say to him, and he pulls away briefly, allowing me to leave.Then I walk back into the room and head to the bathroom to take a piss. After this, I walk out to see him laying halfway in the bed with his legs touching the floor.“Zane, I’m
Kiara:We take a walk down the front of the hotel, making our way to the back where the beach is located. There I can see a great number of people strewn around on the beach.Some people are on the sunbeds enjoying the sun, some have cold drinks in hand, and others are in the water. Everyone is busy, and it seems fun.“Yayy!” I exclaim, taking Zane’s hand like a baby in kindergarten as I rush towards the beach while he follows without objecting.Well, he has no option, so he is quiet until we get into the body of sand.“Let’s go to that spot,” I say to him, walking towards two empty sunbeds in front of the water. “We can see the sea from here,” I say to him as we get to the spot.I try to sit down when he speaks.“Or we could get into the water.”I look at him, raising my brows.“Everything was perfect before you spoke,” I say, and he chuckles. “It is not a joke, Zane,” I say, then I try to take a seat, but he grabs my hand.“Come on, just feel the water, and you’ll want to go in,” he
Kiara:“I’m here with my wife.”His words hit me hard. I try to steady my grip on the tray, as I do not want the drinks to slip and pour.“But she doesn’t have to know,” the lady says, diverting my attention from what Zane just said.“And she is here,” he says, and the lady turns around to see me.“You?” she asks, and I bring my face to a frown as Zane walks up to me to take the tray of drinks from me.“Yes, me, and I warned you!” I grit my teeth. She stands for a couple of seconds. “You are still here, because?”Her legs get moving at once, then I make my way to my bed, sitting on it in silence for a while.His wife? Did he say that to scare her away, or did he mean it? I question myself.“Kiara,” he calls out, drawing me back to reality as his hands rest on my body.I look at him, forcing a smile onto my lips.“Did I do something?” He asks, and I shake my head, grabbing the drink from him.I bring the straw to my lips, then I draw out the contents, allowing the taste of the lemon to
Kiara:After about thirty minutes to an hour, I’m dressed and ready for dinner. Zane walks into the room with a smile on his face, making his way over to me. He pauses, clasping his hands together as his gaze sweeps over me, warm and lingering.“I’ve never seen anyone or anything more beautiful than you,” he murmurs,causing my face to flush a little before he leans in and kisses my cheek.He glances back at the couch where the bouquet lies. “You don’t like your flowers?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.I hold his gaze. I love the flowers—but I can’t shake the thought that the man who gave them to me is hiding too many secrets. If he isn’t being real with me, then how am I supposed to enjoy even the little things?“I’m famished, and I’ll spend time with the flowers when we get back,” I say, forcing a smile onto my face. “Shall we go?”He nods, taking my hand and leading me outside. Rufus stands by Zane’s car, and from where I stand, I glare at him. He quickly looks away. I don’t enjo
Zane:I turn around to see Mindy standing behind me. She still looks the same as the last time I saw her five years ago, but her hair is short, and she dyed it brown to match her eyes. My mouth falls ajar for a split second, and I quickly clear my throat, adjusting myself on the seat.“Zane!” she exclaims, opening her arms as her brown eyes gleam with the widest grin hanging on her face.Ignoring her invite for a hug, I put out a hand, taking hers in mine, and initiating a handshake, which is short. Her smile remains while my expression hardens.She takes a seat beside me, and I face my glass of martini, waiting for her to speak.“Since I heard you were in town, I have been trying to reach you. I’ve been coming to this restaurant, hoping to run into you, and thank goodness, I did.” When she says this, I sip from my glass.“I am aware, because my phone keeps buzzing.” Her expression tightens, but I do not care. This woman made my life hell, and she fueled my spirit of revenge so much t
Zane:“That is what I am telling the young lad. I enjoy seeing young people in love because it reminds me of the good old days. The adrenaline mixed with fear when you are about to make the move that will change your entire life.”For some reason, they think their words are encouraging, but they are only making me scared, and I am trying hard to push away the thoughts that are questioning why I am trying to buy a ring for Kiara. As they keep taunting me, I look down at the finely polished marble floor beneath. I try to hold down my feelings as I remember Kiara’s voice asking me to be more gentle with people.“Look around, young lad; pick something nice for your lady,” Jerome says, and I force a smile, looking around the store, which has cases lined with plush, dark velvet, showcasing a carefully curated collection of sparkling jewels. Ranging from diamond rings, necklaces, and bracelets that sit perfectly on the ring cushion.I walk around, staring at the rings, but none catches my at
Zane:I know Kiara is sad about me leaving tomorrow, but there is almost nothing I can do. All I owe her at this point is sorting out things with my father and finding a way to expand the business to other parts of the world, especially Efla. It is not surprising Kiara likes the town; it is serene, except that it has Mindy, but I do not care about that. If I knew she would come back to this town, then I might not have considered it, but I am here already, and Kiara loves the town. When I properly expand, Mindy cannot get into any of my properties, and she will not bother Kiara or me.I pull up to the spot where I am to meet with Theo, a real estate agent. Then I take out my phone to call him.“I am here, and...”“Up ahead, Mr. Malibu,” he says, then I raise my head, looking forward to see someone on a bike pedaling toward me. I shut off the call, then I wait for him to get to me.He gets down from his bike and parks it, then he walks up to me. I roll my window down, and he puts out hi
Kiara:In a moment, Zane and I both reach the peak of our pleasure. He pulls me up from his body, and I watch his release, his face clad in ecstasy. I take off his shirt, then I help him wipe off the mess from his body. He pulls up his pants, and I sit back on him—this time with my legs to the side. He leans in and takes my lips in his, and we remain with our lips on each other’s for a while.His phone rings, breaking the kiss. I help him take it out of his pocket, hoping it will be whoever has been disturbing him, but then I see it’s Rufus.“Rufus must have arrived,” I say to him, showing him the screen of his phone.By now, the rain has reduced, so we get to our feet, making it out of the pavilion. We walk down the clear path that one can only access on foot. Shortly, we make it out to the car park, where we see Rufus waiting in the car.Zane grabs my hand, speeding up our movement. When we get to the car, he opens the door for me. He gets in after me and shuts the door, then Rufus
Kiara:Zane grabs my hand and tries to pull me to him, but I yank my hands away, then I stand there, opening my palm and letting the rain hit my skin.“Kiara,” he calls out, and I glance at him with a smile on my face.“It is beautiful, and I want to stay,” I say, then I take his hands. “Come on.” I attempt to pull him to me, and he reluctantly comes closer.Zane stands there, watching me with an amused smile as I open my palm to the sky, allowing the raindrops to pour onto my skin. Each drop feels like a tiny kiss from nature, and I spread my hands out wide, giggling and twirling.The rain falls heavier, soaking my hair and dress, but I do not care.“Kiara,” he calls out, but I do not look at him. “We should find cover before we get drenched!” His tone is loud, but I do not want to leave just yet.With a smile, I shake my head, letting more raindrops collect in my hand.“Just a little longer,” I say.I haven’t been in the rain in a while, and this is the perfect relief for all my pro
Kiara’s POV:A few hours later, Zane is dressed, sitting on the bed in the room. I, on the other hand, find it difficult to pick out an outfit.“How is this?” I ask, holding up a mini floral gown.He gazes at me.“You know you are perfect in whatever you wear,” he says, and I sigh.“Not helping,” I say to him, then I find another black gown. “You are in black, so maybe I should put this on.” I say, and he gets to his feet, walking up to me.He grabs the purple floral gown from the couch, then closes in on me from behind, placing it against my chest as he peers into the mirror.“It complements your skin, and I love the flowers,” he says, and I peer at him through the mirror. “Put it on.” His tone comes off more like an order, in a way that I like.I turn around, facing him with my arms around his neck.“Is that an order, sir?” I tease, and his lips curve into a smile. “Who says ruthless men don’t blush?” I ask, and he hardens his expression, taking my hands off his neck.“I was only sm
Kiara:“We’ve spent the past few hours fighting, and it is making me hungry,” Zane says, and I tilt my head a bit on his chest, enough to look into his eyes. “We should go out to get something to eat,” he suggests, and I do not say a word.How can he bother about eating at this moment when our lives are in danger? If Boris wants me dead, and he disobeys him, then it is a two-way problem.“I do not think I want to see the city,” I say to him, then he stops playing with my hair. “I would prefer eating in if you do not mind. Rufus can get us some takeout, and we can eat in.”He is silent for a split second before he mutters an “okay.”Then he reaches out to the nightstand to get his phone. He grabs it.“What do you want to eat?” he asks, and I shrug, closing my eyes.“I will eat whatever you have; I just want to be with you,” I mutter.Then he places the call.“Get me some takeout. I want the spicy chicken pad Thai and spring rolls,” he says before ending the call.He places his phone ba
Zane:I know I have wronged her, and it will be difficult to get her to fully trust me, but it hurts every single time, knowing this love is one-sided.“Zane, wait.” I pause as she grabs my hand, then I turn around.She runs her hands into the hem of my shirt, feeling the scar from the bullets.“When did you get this?” she questions, and I watch her with my mouth struggling to voice a word. “Zane!” Her voice rises, and I watch her breathing increase.As I stare into her eyes, I see the fear buried within her, and she is right; I am bad for her because all I do is make her cry.“It’s nothing serious, and you do not have to bother…”“You do not tell me what to bother about and what not to bother about, Zane!” She grits her teeth, and then I grab her hand, but she yanks it away. “I am not some inanimate object that you…”Before she can finish her sentence, I press my lips against hers, taking the words off her mouth. She stops talking, and I feel her tears run down my face, causing me to