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2025-04-22 05:32:27
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Resisting The Playboy's Charm 23
EvansDeclan guffaws, and I snort into my whiskey. Figures. If you're going to be a player, you're going to get played."So, what—she was an impersonator, or something?" I ask.Reed shakes his head, a sly grin appearing on his face. "Not even. This is where it gets nuts. It turns out that Sofia has a twin sister."Declan chokes on his bourbon, setting the glass down. "No fucking way.""Right? Absolutely insane.""Did you confront her about it?"Reed scoffs. "What was I supposed to do, tell her, 'hey, while you were gone, I Googled you and found out that you're actually not who you said you were?'" He shakes his head. "No way. I rode it out.""Why would she do that?" I wonder aloud. "It's not like she needs your money, right? Her sister is a pop star. Couldn't she just—""I thought about that, too," Reed says. He leans back in his chair, tipping his head to one side. "But from what I discovered, it seems that Sofia and Angela Bellafonte don't exactly get along. They're basically estran
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-22Resisting The Playboy's Charm 24
EvansEvery month, Brandon's pre-K holds an optional event, a field trip of sorts, where the kids get to pile onto a bus and go somewhere interesting. I always make sure Brandon is signed up for it—some enrichment is good for the kid, and I want to give him the chance to make friends.Last month, they went to the Natural History Museum, and the time before that, the aquarium. This time around, the trip is outside of the city, to a petting zoo upstate.Parents are encouraged to accompany their children on the trips, but I'm usually too busy to go. They fall on Fridays, which are some of my busiest days of the week, so I'm always stuck in the office waiting to hear about Brandon's adventures at the end of my day.But when the petting zoo trip rolls around, I decide to bite the bullet and go. I take a bit of time off of work, telling myself that I'll make up for it by working from home tomorrow, and join the gaggle of five-year-olds and their teachers on a bus headed out of the city.Car
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-22Resisting The Playboy's Charm 25
EvansHeat kindles in my chest, a very different heat than the kind that stirs between me and Carolina. This heat comes from rage.Before I'm even consciously aware of what I'm doing, I find myself marching toward the group of mothers. I clear my throat a few feet away from them, and a few of them jump, startled."Excuse me," I say in a low voice. "I can't help but notice that none of you are minding your own business at the moment."There's a pause in which all of the mothers exchange nervous, uncertain glances. Eventually, the blonde woman steels herself to speak to me."Oh—hi, Evans," she says, over-familiar and sycophantic. "We were just noticing that—""Maybe," I interrupt, "you should have been spending your time paying attention to your own children, rather than Carolina and Brandon."The blonde, who seems to have taken up the mantle of speaking for the group, purses her lips. "It was out of concern," she tells me. Another flare of anger lights in my chest at her patronizing to
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-22Resisting The Playboy's Charm 26
EvansWe wait in the park across the street from the petting zoo while my driver brings a car up from Manhattan. It takes around half an hour, during which Brandon tires himself out climbing on trees and Carolina and I sit on a bench, talking.Even though we live in the same house, I don't usually get the chance to have a one-on-one conversation with Carolina like this. Sure, we talk at night after Brandon goes to bed, but that's usually in the context of her job—she tells me about Brandon's day, and about anything I should be worried about.Now, though, as we watch him run through the trees, our conversation is a little more personal. She tells me about growing up in foster care, and how her experience informed her path through education."So that was the goal of the social work?" I ask, after she tells me about her degree program.She nods. "I wanted to help kids like me—and like Noah." She gives a little sigh, then continues, "It's a tough world out there. Things don't always turn
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-22Resisting The Playboy's Charm 27
CarolinaI look my reflection in the eye as I wash my hands, startled by how happy the girl in the mirror looks. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes bright. She smiles easily, unable to control her happiness. It's been a good day.I wipe my hands on a paper towel and leave the bathroom, eager to get back to the table and continue my conversation with Evans.Before I make it back, I pause beside the jukebox to play a song or two. I can't resist; this place has a real charm to it, and I want to make Evans and Brandon guess what song I chose. Maybe I could even learn a little bit more about Evans—something about his taste in music, maybe.While I flip through the available albums, a voice behind me makes me freeze."Carolina?"I half-glance over my shoulder. It's Adam, an ex of mine from about a year ago. We only dated for a few months, and I haven't seen him since I broke things off."Hey," he says, suddenly jubilant—even though I didn't respond, the fact that I turned around at all was co
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-22Resisting The Playboy's Charm 28
CarolAs soon as Adam's out of earshot, I heave a sigh. Evans retracts his arm from my shoulders."Thank you," I say, relieved. "So much.""It's no problem," he replies. "It was pretty obvious you wanted the conversation to end.""Yeah, I definitely did.""I figured I'd help you out." He gestures back toward the table. "Come on. I'll get the check, and then we should probably head out."By the time we return home, it's getting late. The sky is dark as we make it to the front door, ushering a tired Brandon inside."It might be a good idea for you to head to bed, mister," I say to Brandon, who yawns widely as I make the suggestion.He nods, not even bothering to protest, which I take as a sign that he's exhausted from his busy day. I glance over at Evans."Is it okay if I take him up?""Go for it," Evans says, nodding.I get Brandon in bed, and he falls asleep only five minutes into tonight's bedtime story, in which Ralphie the sheep has joined the lion and the dinosaur on their adventu
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-22Resisting The Playboy's Charm 29
CarolI have a hard time falling asleep. My dreams, when I slip into them, are filled with Evans, my imagination running wild to decide what his hands would feel like against the curves of my body.When I wake up, breathless, I keep hoping that he'll come into my room the way he did the night I dreamed of him fucking me. I keep hoping that he'll tell me that he changed his mind—that it's not as impossible as he thought it was. That it's worth the risks and challenges.No such luck, of course. The next morning, I sit in bed for a while, exhausted, watching the sun rise behind the gauzy curtains. I only managed to get a few hours of sleep, and according to the clock next to my bed, I have to be downstairs in twenty minutes to get Brandon ready for his day.With a groan, I pull myself out of bed and force myself to get dressed. As I trudge down the stairs, I can already tell that Evans is in the kitchen. The air smells like coffee and frying bacon.I walk in, giving him a smile of greeti
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-22Resisting The Playboy's Charm 30
CarolFor the next few days, Evans keeps his distance.He's not cold to me like he was before, but he's also never more than cordial. We don't share the kind of laughs we shared during the outing to the petting zoo, and he never gets as close to me, emotionally or physically, as he was that night.It bothers me, and I hate that it does. I keep reminding myself that this is what we agreed to, and that it's for the best.But still, I hate it. I hate the distance, because the worst part of it all is that I'm starting to like him.Living with him, and being around him so often, I keep getting little glimpses of the man he is beneath the ever-present stoic mask. He seemed like he was warming up to me, and it felt special to see that side of him, something that I'm sure very few people have seen.And it was unbelievably attractive. I don't think I've ever been this attracted to a man in my life. Now that he's withdrawn back behind his facade, I miss him, the guy I had started to fall for.I
Dernière mise à jour : 2025-04-22
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Resisting The Playboy's Charm 113
CarolinaFor a few seconds, I'm silent, in shock. Then the tears start, and I'm powerless to stop them. "Of course," I manage to choke out, a feeling of weightless elation filling my heart. I feel as though I might drift straight out of this Ferris wheel, up into the sky. "Of course I will."Evans smiles, pressing a kiss to my lips over Brandon's head."Yes!" Brandon shouts, delighted, and Evans and I break apart. I smile at Brandon through my happy tears."What's up, bud?""You're getting married to each other!" Brandon exclaims, beaming. "This is the best birthday ever!" Then he frowns abruptly, noticing my expression. "Why are you crying? Are you sad?""No," I assure him. "Sometimes, people cry when they're very, very happy."The Ferris wheel lurches back into motion, and I feel Evans's hand on my shoulder, his fingertips brushing my neck.As we near the ground, I peer down at the crowd, my eyes widening when I recognize a few familiar faces. "Wait—Evans, is that Olivia?""I invite
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Carolina"Go easy on the cotton candy," I chide Brandon, whose lips are sticky and purple from the confection. "That stuff is gonna make you feel sick.""But it's my birthday!""I know," I say, "but you don't want to be sick on your birthday, do you? After all, you haven't ridden the roller coaster yet."He frowns, considering this, his gaze straying to the kiddie roller coaster across the fairway. Then he shrugs, conceding the point. "Okay," he says. "Everyone else can share the rest of mine."He hands the remaining candy floss over to one of his friends, Jazz, who eagerly tears off a chunk and passes it to the next child.I smile, stepping back to stand beside Evans. Brandon wanted to invite his entire class back to the amusement park for his birthday—a huge fling that would've been immensely difficult if it weren't for the presence of some of the other parents, extra watchful eyes on the kids."We should go on the roller coaster next," Brandon says, trying to cajole his friends. "W
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EvansAfter I finish, Carolina is silent for so long that it terrifies me.I just unloaded my entire heart to her, but for the first time in my life, I'm not sure if I said the right thing. I'm not sure if there's anything else I should say, or if another word might only make things worse.I've always known how to handle myself in any situation, always prided myself on being able to manage whatever came my way. But as I gaze at Carolina, desperately wanting her to believe me, all of that confidence slips away.There are tears in the corners of her eyes. Did I just make her cry? Is she upset? Did I just fuck up again?I open my mouth, not sure what else is going to come out—probably a babbling mess of nonsense, to be honest—but before I can stammer a single word, Carolina leans up to kiss me.We stay there for a few moments, locked in a deep kiss. All I can think about is how soft her lips are against mine, the scent of her floral shampoo that I sought in the sheets of my empty bed for
Resisting The Playboy's Charm 110
CarolinaIt's a long drive, all the way from Evans's place up to the Bronx. With each passing minute, I grow more confused, until finally, Evans pulls into a tree-lined asphalt drive, dappled with sunlight.I don't know what destination I was expecting, but whatever it was, it wasn't this. We're at Woodlawn Cemetery.Evans drives slowly through the wrought iron gates, then up the winding access road, in silence. I turn to him, frowning."Evans—""Almost there," he says.He stops the car beneath the sweeping branches of a massive maple, then steps out, gesturing for me to do the same. I hesitate for a few moments, watching as he crosses the street and approaches a simple, granite headstone.Finally, my curiosity gets the better of me. I climb out of the car and approach him. He turns to face me."I wanted to take you to meet my sister," he says. He's smiling, but there's something sad in the depths of his eyes. "I thought that the most important ladies in my life should get the chance
Resisting The Playboy's Charm 109
CarolinaOutside of Evans's ceiling-high windows, there's a flawless view of the winding branches of the oak tree in the backyard. I wake to the sound of a bird, sitting on the branch, chirping a morning tune.I'm nestled into Evans's arms, and that feels... good. Warm. Right. He's still asleep; the bird hasn't woken him. I spend a few seconds dwelling on the blissful feeling, the pleasant soreness in my muscles, as I watch the chickadee hop around on the branch and finally take flight.As soon as it vanishes out of sight, the reality of everything starts to sink in, and I bite my lip as a knot forms in my stomach.Shit. What did I just do?This was a huge mistake. The wound of our breakup was finally starting to heal over, enough that we could have a nice dinner without any awkwardness and with minimal hurt.And now, after this, I've definitely just reopened it, to its fullest extent.It's just going to get harder and harder every time I let myself have a taste. I can't let this cycl
Resisting The Playboy's Charm 108
CarolinaEvans trails his mouth over my neck and shoulders, teeth scraping my skin as I hook my legs around his waist, both of us desperate for the other."So fucking perfect." His voice is muffled against my skin, as if he can't bear to pull away long enough to speak. "You taste so good, Carolina. Every inch of you. I need you so goddamn badly."His hands move to the waistband of my pants, working the button and zipper down, and I rock from side to side a little, lifting my hips enough for him to slide them off. He takes my panties with them, and I hiss out a breath as the cool marble meets my bare skin."I need to be inside you," Evans groans, nearly ripping my pants off my legs as I desperately kick off my shoes. The heat between us is like an inferno, and I swear the rest of my clothes are about to burn to ash just from touching my skin. "Can I...?""Yes!" It's a breathless gasp, and I nod, reaching for his pants too.He's still wearing his shirt, and so am I, but I hardly even ca
Resisting The Playboy's Charm 107
CarolinaA rush of memories hits me as I walk down the second-floor hallway, especially as I walk past the room I lived in while I worked here. Unable to help my curiosity, I pause outside the door, leaning in to survey my old living space.It's almost empty. The bed is made, but it looks like it hasn't been touched since I was here. It's a little depressing, so I move on quickly.Brandon, in his room, has already put on his pajamas with lightning speed. He's crawling into bed as I enter."Story, story, story!" he chants, an eager grin on his face."Ah, ah," I say. "What are you forgetting?"Brandon frowns for a moment, unsure; then realization dawns on him. He climbs back out of bed and goes into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Only once he's back do I settle on the side of his bed, racking my brains for a story.Eventually, I spin a tale about our two betta fish meeting in a stream and becoming friends. Given what I know about betta fish, this is a pretty fanciful story—if Gill and
Resisting The Playboy's Charm 106
CarolinaWe all head up to the registers together, and once everything is paid for, I pause by the door awkwardly, glancing back at Brandon and Evans."Well, it was really nice to run into the two of you," I begin, expecting to ungracefully part ways."You should come have dinner with us!" Brandon bursts out loudly—he's having an energetic day.I cringe internally, glancing over at Evans. "Um, I don't know if that's a good idea, kiddo.""But it would be so fun!" Brandon cries.Evans nods, his eyes warm as he meets my gaze. His voice is sincere as he says, "Please. You should join us."Whatever I was expecting Evans to say, it wasn't that. I open my mouth to refuse, then close it, considering. It couldn't hurt to just go over for dinner. In fact, it might help with the heartache I've been feeling—a reminder that time moves on, or something."Okay, sure," I say hesitantly. "I didn't have anything to do this evening, anyway."Rather than taking the subway back to my place, I get into the
Resisting The Playboy's Charm 105
CarolinaThere are at least fifteen different brands of fish food at the pet store, which makes shopping for my still-unnamed betta fish way more difficult than it needs to be.It's a low maintenance creature, so I don't know what could possibly necessitate all of these different brands. One promises shinier scales, and the other claims to promote healthier fins. I shake my head, weighing one option in each hand.Finally, I decide to make the choice at random. If I picked wrong, my unnamed fish will just have to cope with subpar pellets.I toss the box into my shopping basket and continue down the aisle. I have to pick out a new filter for his little tank, then I'll be on my way.As I round the corner into the next aisle, I almost run straight into someone. I stumble back, startled, and drop my basket. The box of fish food slides across the floor."S-sorry," I stammer, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment."No worries," says a familiar voice.I freeze with my hand halfway to the fish
