After several seconds of just standing in dumbfounded silence, Millie took a shaky breath, stepping back. “Zeke, you can't just say something like that.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but her eyes held a mixture of caution and disbelief.“Why not?” he asked, closing the gap she’d put between them. “It's the truth.”Millie shook her head. “Because you’re only saying this because you feel guilty.” Her voice cracked as she forced herself to continue. “You feel bad about what happened, Zeke, and…you think this is what I want to hear.”“Millie,” he began, his voice softening, “I won’t lie. I did feel guilty. But not because of what we shared that night. I didn’t regret it, not the way I made it sound. The guilt was… it was about me. I felt ashamed because, after waking up, I realized how much I wanted that night—how much I wanted you. And you didn't deserve that, especially after I'd gone after another woman just a few hours before.”Looking away, Millie clenched her jaw. His word
The kiss was intense, filled with a hunger and conviction that left Millie breathless. His hands gripped her tightly, as though he was afraid she’d slip away.When he finally pulled back, he held her face in his hands, his voice a low, fervent whisper. “Does that kiss feel like it was born out of guilt?”Before Millie could answer, his mouth found her neck, leaving a trail of kisses that sent shivers down her spine. His hand slid down her back, pulling her close. “Do my caresses feel like they come from guilt?” He whispered, his breath warm against her skin. A moan spilled from her mouth.Zeke's fingers traced her sides. Grabbing her hand, he brought it between them and placed her palm over the unmistakable heat of his desire. Millie almost gasped because of how big and hard his dick felt in her hand through the fabric of his trousers.“And what about this?” He questioned, his voice thick and raspy.Millie shrugged. “You could’ve taken Viagra.”Zeke froze, pulling back to stare at
“Oh my God.” Thalassa whispered, a stricken look on her face.Kris had just told them about Millie’s situation with Francis, and the shock on her face was mirrored by Luisa’s horrified gaze.After some seconds, she finally found her voice again. “I can’t believe Millie was going through something so horrible... and we never even noticed.”Kris wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “Hey,” he murmured, his tone gentle yet firm. “Don’t feel guilty. Millie hid it well. She’s been working with me for two years, and there were times I suspected something wasn’t right... but I could never have guessed it was like this. She didn’t want anyone to see.”“But... she told Zeke, though, didn’t she?” Luisa’s voice was barely above a whisper.Kris shook his head, the faintest sigh escaping him. “Not exactly. Zeke found out by accident. One day, he walked into the guest bathroom here, and Millie was in there, drying out the wet hem of her dress. She’d taken the dress off, and he saw bruises
Since Kris and Thalassa didn't inform Rita beforehand that they would be coming, the older woman was pleasantly surprised to see them.“Kris! Thalassa! Oh, my dears!” Rita exclaimed, practically pulling them both into a hug. She embraced Thalassa tightly, murmuring, “I missed you so much.”Thalassa hugged her back, feeling warmth fill her heart. “Me too, Mum. I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I should have.”“Oh, hush with that,” Rita said gently, brushing off her apology. “Now come, you two, sit with me.” She ushered them to the cozy living room, where she settled onto the couch beside them.Just then, Bridget, the housemaid, appeared and greeted them with a fond smile, especially Thalassa. “Would you like anything, dear?”Thalassa perked up. “Actually, we’d love some of your delicious coffee, Bridget. I can’t even remember the last time I had it.”Bridget chuckled, her eyes twinkling proudly. “It’s very good to see you again, dear Lassa. At least you’re not like the other one who…” Sh
Taking in the look of pure joy on Rita's face, Thalassa couldn't help but feel her throat tighten. “There are more pictures.” she said and flipped to the next. The huddled together, scrolling through picture after picture. Rita gushed over each photo of Alexander, her eyes glistening with pride and joy. "He’s got your eyes, Kris. But his smile is all Lassa!" She exclaimed, her voice thick with emotion. Thalassa couldn't stop smiling. Over the last hour or so, the three of them slipped into stories of old memories, laughter bubbling up at the little things. Eventually, Rita asked, “Will you stay for dinner? It would make my evening to have both of you here a little longer.” Kris smiled, but he shook his head gently. "We’d love to, Rita, but we have somewhere we need to be." Rita raised an eyebrow, curiosity sparkling in her gaze. "Oh? And where might that be?" Kris chuckled, glancing at Thalassa with a mischievous grin. “Sorry, but I can't tell you. Actually, I haven’t even to
Thalassa stood frozen as Kris's words hung in the air. Her heart pounded so loudly she thought he might hear it as a mix of conflicting emotions threatened to knock the breath out of her.Kris knelt before her, the warmth in his eyes slowly turning to uncertainty as she remained silent. The longer she stood there, not speaking, the more his smile faltered. Why wasn't she answering?But he tried to reassure himself, pushing the anxiety down. She was just shocked and would respond as soon as the shock wore off. Finally, she responded, but it caught him completely off guard. “No, Kris… I’m sorry,” she said as she shook her head, her voice shaking.Kris blinked. Her words hit him like a punch to the chest. He looked at her, his lips slightly parted, trying to process what she’d just said. He'd misheard, hadn't he?He managed a shaky laugh, “That’s very funny, Lassa.” He expected her to laugh back and admit that indeed, it'd been a joke, but she didn't laugh or smile. Instead, tears beg
As Thalassa entered her house, she moved almost mechanically. As soon as Luisa saw her, she rushed over, her eyes sparkling curiously. “Lassa, how was your outing with Kris? Tell me everything. Where did he take you that he was mysterious about?" She took Thalassa's hand, leading her to the couch with an excited grin. “Come on, give me all the details.”But as soon as they sat down, Luisa's smile faltered, noticing the solemn expression on Thalassa's face. “Hey, what’s with the long face?” she asked, brows knitting together. “And where is Kris? I thought you two would come back together.”Thalassa’s lips parted, but her voice came out as a shaky whisper. “Kris…he asked me to marry him.”Luisa’s eyes widened with delight, and she practically jumped up from her seat, “Oh my God! Sis, that’s amazing! Congratulations! I’m so happy for you both!” She squeezed Thalassa’s hand, leaning closer. “Tell me everything—how did he propose?”Despite herself, Thalassa managed a small smile. “He to
EARLIER...Minutes after Zeke had left, Millie was still lying on her back, thinking about how things had changed so suddenly when a knock came at the door.Her heart fluttered. Could it be Zeke back to give her some more kisses? She could almost feel his warm smile through the door. Without thinking, she stood, smoothing her dress and padding over to open it. But when she pulled the door open, she froze.It was Francis.The sight of him made her heart lurch in her chest. Immediately, she tried to shut the door, but his arm shot out, shoving it back with ease. He forced his way inside, closing the door behind him. Millie’s body went cold as she backed away, her voice barely a whisper."What do you want, Francis?" she managed.Francis’s eyes glinted with a twisted pleasure as he looked her up and down, his gaze lingering in a way that made her skin crawl. “You look even more sexy and gorgeous than the last time I saw you,” he drawled. “Been a while, hasn’t it? Did you miss me?”Milli
Kevin appeared in front of her. “Hey, I was wondering if you and I could go—”“I’m sorry, Kevin. I...” Tessa began, thinking of an excuse to give him. “Since Jace isn’t here right now, Maya asked me to hang out with her and help her out with a couple of things, so I’m going to be a bit busy.”As soon as she was done speaking, her cheeks flushed. Jesus, she was a terrible liar. He hadn’t even finished saying what he was going to tell her, and she’d gone ahead and given him this long explanation.Kevin stared at her for a bit, making Tessa uneasy, but then a smile broke out on his lips. “Alright, no problem. I guess I can’t expect to have you to myself all the time when you’re literally going to be the maid of honor. I’ll leave you girls, but I’m here when you’re free.”Tessa nodded with a guilty smile, watching him walk away.“Hmm, I didn’t know I’d asked you to help me out with a couple of things,” Maya spoke up beside Tessa, her voice filled with curiosity and a hint of teasing. “I t
Tessa stepped into the bedroom after soaking herself in a warm bath. She'd searched for what could help with her soreness and had been given the warm bath solution.Though it didn't do a magnificent job of completely getting rid of the soreness, it had alleviated it a bit to the point where she could walk without limping.Just like that, incendiary images flamed through her mind. She quickly put them out. The last thing she needed was to get horny right now.A knock sounded on her door, followed by Maya's voice. "Tessa?""Come in," Tessa called out as she untied her bathrobe. The door opened while Tessa opened the closet to pull out fresh panties, a sundress, and a bra."Guess what I heard?" Maya spoke, her voice filled with that bit of giddiness that always surfaced when she was about to gossip.Tessa looked at her, raising a brow. "What?""I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but whatever." Maya shrugged as she slumped onto the bed. "Apparently, Gendry spent the night with someo
Tessa swallowed. If what Jace was saying was right, then it meant Gendry had broken whatever rule he had because of her.Did he want her that much?“So, who is it?” Jace prompted when Gendry didn't reply to his earlier question. “Is it Sandra? I saw how she was clinging to you almost all day yesterday.”“God, no.” Gendry's face scrunched, and his displeasure at the mere idea strangely made Tessa's heart leap in relief.He didn't want Sandra after all, like she’d thought.“Then who is it, then? Come on, tell me, man.” Jace prompted when Gendry didn't reply. “Who's this girl who should prepare to get her heart broken because of your little problem?”Tessa frowned. Problem? What problem did Gendry have?Gendry glared at his friend, seeming to hiss something that Tessa didn't hear. Jace's eyes widened. “Shit, she's still here?”As if instinctively, his eyes moved in the direction of the bathroom door. Tessa immediately moved away from the small opening before he could see her.“Shit, I'm
“Tessa..." Gendry spoke her name again in a soft, stunned whisper. “Have you never done this before?”“Of course I have.” Tessa quickly lied, averting her gaze, looking anywhere but into his eyes.But Gendry didn't allow her to escape him. He held her chin between his thumb and index finger, forcing her to look at him.“You're a virgin.” He said it like an accusation, and Tessa gritted her teeth. “So what if I am?”He pursed his lips, making no effort to move though she could still feel him hard and pulsing inside her. “You should've told me. God, you're a virgin.”Tessa glared at him and gritted out. “It's not contagious, I promise.”Already her eyes were burning with tears. She'd never felt pain and pleasure mix in such an exquisite way, and she would probably cry if he decided to stop now.“Would it have made a difference if I had told you?” she demanded.“Yes it would have.” Gendry said without missing a beat. “I would've tried to make this more...more special for you.”The way h
Before Gendry could ask any of the questions swimming in his eyes, Tessa crashed her lips to his in a hard kiss that made him groan at her eagerness. His fingers pushed in deeper inside her, past her protesting walls. Tessa felt a sharp ache, but the pleasure soon eclipsed it. Her hands wrapped around him, wanting to pull him impossibly closer, wanting to feel his skin against hers, but her nightwear proved to be an enemy to that mission. As if reading her thoughts, Gendry reached for the hem of the nightwear with his free hand and began pulling it up. Tessa quickly unlocked her arms from around his neck to help him take it off, not wanting him to pull his fingers out of her. Within seconds, she was standing bare with nothing but her panties. The chilly breeze floating around the room whipped against her skin, but it didn’t make her shudder as much as she did when Gendry’s hand suddenly cupped her breast. His fingers tweaked the hardened peak of her nipple and pinched it slightl
"No strings attached. Just hot, wild sex that doesn't mean anything. What do you say?"She should slap.Tessa knew she should be slapping the hell out of Gendry for even daring to suggest something like this to her.Because this was the most outrageous thing she had ever heard!But instead of wanting to slap him, all her hand itched to do was run wildly all over his body and feel those chiselled planes and muscles.She should be cursing him out, and yet all her mouth itched to do was kiss and caress him.Oh fuck. She was so fucked.She couldn't deny it anymore. She wanted him. She wanted Gendry so much it hurt.Despite the most sensible part of her telling her that she was about to make a mistake if she agreed to this, the reckless part kept screaming at her; what did she have to lose?Gendry was right. She was attracted to him. That didn't mean she liked him. In fact, she still detested him. Detested how easily he could get under her skin.Maybe this was truly the perfect solution. A
Tessa knew she should turn around and walk out. That was the smartest choice. The logical choice. But the mockery laced in his voice, made her furious.Unsettled. What the heck did he mean by unsettled?She would show him that nothing about him unsettled her?Before she could change her mind, shee turned back to face him, keeping her eyes stubbornly locked on his face and only his face.No where else of interest."You had no right," she gritted out.Gendry let out a long-suffering sigh, rubbing the towel over his wet hair again. "What is it now, princess?"Tessa’s fingers curled into fists. "You had no right to say those things to Kevin. Who the hell do you think you are?"Gendry scoffed. "I figured apart from following you around like a lost puppy, Kevin would also break the bro code."Tessa’s nostrils flared. "Not everyone hides behind some ridiculous bro code just to be an asshole." Her voice rose, but she didn’t care. "What were you hoping to achieve by saying those things to him
Kevin's words played through Tessa's mind even as she had a shower and when she finally lay on the bed.“I would’ve been disappointed if your standards weren’t up to the sky. Because you’re kind of amazing, you know? But do I fit your standards?...Even if I’m just below the line… or on probation. I’ll accept it.”The words had been beautiful, enough to make any woman swoon. So why hadn't she? The reminder of her supposed 'high standards' made anger shoot through her as she remembered the person behind it.Gendry.That bastard.Her jaw clenched. How dare he say those things about her to Kevin? Who the hell did he think he was to.meddle in her life like this.Her hands curled into fists. She needed to put him in his place. Right now.A voice in the back of her head whispered that she could just as easily do it tomorrow. That storming into his room at this time of the night might not be the best decision. But that voice was weak compared to the one screaming at her to march over there
The rest of the day had gone as normal as it could. The games and fun had continued. Thankfully, Tessa had managed to avoid being shoved into the same situation with Gendry, instead spending most of her time hanging out with Kevin. Every once in a while, Maya’s words would creep into her mind, and each time, Tessa would shrug them off with a scoff. Maya didn’t know what she was talking about.“Tessa?” Kevin’s voice cut through her thoughts.“What?” she asked, glancing up at him.It was already night. Everyone had had dinner on the beach a while ago, and they were all finally ready to call it a day, hence they were heading back into the villa.Kevin tilted his head, his usual easy-going smile in place, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. “Are you okay?”She frowned. “What do you mean?”Kevin chuckled lightly, though it was more hesitant than usual. “It’s just... I think this is the fifth time I’ve heard you make that sound tonight.”Tessa blinked. “What sound?”He gave he