midnight thoughts

I stepped inside the office and sat before the doctor. But my thoughts suddenly drifted. "Mr. Blackwood?" The doctor’s voice pulled me back to the present. "How is she?" The doctor sighed, flipping through Natalie’s chart before meeting my gaze. "She suffered a severe head trauma. We managed to stabilize her, but…" He hesitated. My stomach twisted. "But what?" "She has retrograde amnesia. Right now, her memory is… fragmented. From what we’ve assessed, she doesn’t recall the last five years." Ethan froze. "How do you mean, five years?" "She believes it’s still 2018. In her mind, she’s still your wife." The words punched the air from my lungs. Still my wife. "This kind of memory loss can be temporary or permanent—we can’t say for sure. She may recover bits of it over time, or it may come back all at once." The doctor’s gaze softened. "It’s important, Mr. Blackwood, that no one tries to force her to remember anything. Pushing her could make things worse, even more dangerous." I swallowed hard, my pulse roaring in my ears. Five years of pain, five years of regrets—wiped away. "Can I see her?"I pleaded. The doctor hesitated before nodding. "Go easy on her....And Mr. Blackwood?" "Stay strong." ^^ Five years ago, Natalie Elise Blackwood walked away from her husband, Ethan Blackwood. After discovering his betrayal, she left without a trace. But when a tragic accident erases her memories, she wakes up believing she’s still Ethan’s devoted wife, unaware of the past that tore them apart. Seizing the opportunity to fix his mistakes, Ethan is determined to keep her by his side, even if it means hiding the painful truth. But when the memories return, will Natalie stay...or will history repeat itself?

"You want my mouth on you?" His husky voice holds a thread of amusement. "Then beg for it." I'm mindless with desire, my thoughts all over the place, and that's probably why I don't hesitate before saying, "Please." "Good girl," he croons, before his head disappears between my legs, giving me what I want. What I need.  ------- Rory Tremaine is spoiled by her father and is used to getting everything she wants. So when a threat in the form of a stalker has her father hiring a bodyguard to protect her, Rory decides that the sexy hunk of a man is what she wants next.  When Carter accepts the job of protecting Rory, he knows that it's going to be taxing. What he doesn't expect, however, is for it to become his hardest job yet—in more ways than one.  Women propositioning him comes with being attractive and Carter is usually pro at resisting temptation. The thing is that with Rory, he's not so sure he can.  He's 36 and she's 23.  Giving into his urges would be wrong. Not to mention, forbidden.  But when Rory goes after something, she's relentless and Carter is about to realise that giving in is so much easier than resisting.

Does he really think so little of me? After everything I’ve done for him, for this pack, is this all I’m worth to him? Astrid’s voice breaks through my thoughts, her tone soft but firm. "You deserve better." I close my eyes, letting her words wash over me. She’s right. I do deserve better. But how do I move forward when my entire world has been centered around him? And why, after everything, do I still feel the faintest hope that he’ll come after me? Will he even care that I’ve walked away? Or is this the end of everything?