The breath I took evaporated from my lungs before I could use the oxygen. The next one never reached below my throat. Then I stopped struggling and remained… breathless. His soaking wet hair curled in a mass of unruly dark strands, framing his insanely gorgeous face. These strands had to be somehow programmed to emphasize all the most captivating angles because they made him look twice as alluring. The sun illuminated one half of his face, leaving the other half embraced by a soft shadow. Sweet Jesus… He was the most perfect picture I had ever seen.
I wish I could say that I resisted the urge to look lower, but it was beyond my control. Before I realized it, my eyes carefully scanned his heavenly body, covered by devastatingly lingering drops of water. I swallowed a hysteric chuckle and slowly took in his neck, his broad shoulders, his perfectly muscled arms, his firm pecs, his geometrically crafted abs, his irresistible V-line, his—
"Fuck…" I wasn't sure if the low, strangled half-croak that came out of me expressed the full extent of the awe I felt. Then I began to wonder if his lovers had ever called him Alexander the Great. I bet they did. It was hard not to be impressed, with "hard" being a keyword here since he wasn't.
Alexander the Great cleared his throat, and my eyes flew back to face him. His eyes darkened. A side of his delicious mouth curled upward, painting a savage smirk. I gulped. He stepped forward, and I instinctively stepped back. His eyes zeroed in on me as he slowly prowled forward. He looked like he was going to kill me… or rape me. I would prefer the latter, but I bet he decided on the first option. Those strong arms reached for me, his fingers preparing to catch his prey. Then I remembered he asked me a question, one I should probably answer right now…
"T-the shirt!" I raised the cover in my rattling hand. "I-I washed your shirt! It's clean!" I cried out.
A sliver of amusement brightened his features—a brief one. "How. Did. You. Enter. This. Room?!" The blast of volume at the last note made me flinch.
"Your friend gave me the key card!" I waved the card in my other hand, but I doubted if he believed me.
"Lie." He moved forward. "If any of my friends had done something like that, they would be dead the next morning." His voice sent a chill down my spine, causing my mind to debate whether it made me excited or terrified.
"I swear I'm telling the truth! Why in the world would I lie to you?!" I took another step back, reaching the glass door. My heart stopped.
The naked beast in front of me inched closer, his eyes darkening. "Well, I don't know, to seduce me?"
My mouth opened, but I wasn't even sure how to respond. Me seducing him?! I could barely keep myself together while he had more confidence parading naked than I had ever had in my finest clothing!
Suddenly, the motion sensor slide-opened the doors. Thank God for the automatic doors! I was on the terrace before my brain could fully analyze my decision. There was no time for me to use logic. Nothing in this situation was rational!
I swallowed and continued my frantic explanation. "I wasn't lying! I got the card from Grayson! He's your friend, isn't he?! He told me that you were somewhere doing business! He told me to leave the shirt in your room!" I stepped back again. "And that was what I was about to do! I was going to leave the shirt and disappear!" I threw my hands up in frustration and realized something was wrong. My feet… They were slipping!
"Look out!" he shouted, but it was too late.
My poor sneakers glided along the edge of the pool. I glanced at the shirt cover. Shit! I couldn't let the Egyptian cotton soak in the chlorinated water! Using all the strength my arms could muster, I threw the cover as far away from the pool as possible, sacrificing the rest of my fragile balance…
I was under the water in less than a second, sinking down like a rock. My desperate, uncoordinated movements probably sped up the whole process of going down rather than pulling me up. Air. I needed to breathe. I swayed my feet, trying to fly up mermaid-style, but the muscle spasm in my calf dragged me down again. I was a second away from panicking when a pair of strong arms circled my waist and pulled me above the surface. I pulled in several greedy breaths before I decided to open my eyes.
"That's it. Breathe, Sarah."
I froze… or melted… or both at once. He remembered my name, and my name never sounded more alluring than when he rolled it on his tongue. Panting heavily, I willed myself to process my situation. His one arm was still at my waist. The other docked us at the edge of the pool with an anchor-like grip. His hazel eyes traced my... cleavage?!
"No bra? How daring," he purred—yes, that was a savagely irresistible purr.
I slowly savored every note of his deep sound until the realization came. I looked down at my soaked and now translucent tank top, instantly noticing the darker shade of my pebbled nipples. I swallowed and looked into his eyes, acknowledging something hard rubbing against my lower belly.
"Are you cold?" he asked, a smile dancing in his voice.
Cold?! I was freaking feverish! But since my vocal cords decided to malfunction, I could only shake my head.
His arm around me tightened. "Then you must be a professional seductress—a slightly clumsy one, but charming and irresistible nonetheless."
My mouth turned into the Sahara Desert, and I felt the uncontainable urge to lick my lips. He watched my tongue slide across my lip, his eyes darkening even more.
"So you're here on vacation, Sarah?" The deep, sultry voice resonated through me and concentrated in my lady bits. I nodded, uncertain if I was still breathing.
A spark of teasing flashed in his golden eyes. "Are you having fun here?" He turned us so that my back was leaning against the edge of the pool while his hands coasted at my sides. Before I could realize what I was doing, my hands landed on his broad shoulders and roamed up to circle his neck. He leaned over my ear, his breath caressing my skin. "Do you want me to kiss you?"
He must have burned all my circuits because I nodded again. A heartbeat later, his full lips claimed mine. His tongue entered me with ease, each lush lick sending another shudder through my body. Those strong arms of his slid down to my shorts, grabbing my buttocks and pressing me against him. Instinctively, my legs parted, and I pulled myself up to wrap them around his waist. With the wet fabric of the tank top plastered to my skin, only my shorts and panties formed any kind of barrier against his rigid body, and the need to feel the whole of him grew by the second.
He must have read my mind because his hand grasped the hem of my tank top, and the next thing I knew, he swiftly leaned back and pulled my top over my head. I gasped, earning myself his deep, throaty chuckle. His eyes traveled down to my naked breasts and a wide smile formed.
"Perfect," he murmured, easily lifting me and sitting me on the edge of the pool. I didn't think my mind had fully acknowledged that I was half-naked, nor did it register how in the world I lost the rest of my wet clothing a few heartbeats later. All I knew was that my heart thundered and my body shivered as every inch of me was devoured by the overwhelming want. Shamelessly exposed, I watched him pull himself up from the water with more grace than I could have mustered after a hundred years of ballet training. Before I could catch another breath, I was in his arms, and he carried me inside the suite.
My hands circled his shoulders and neck as I searched for my voice. "Where are you taking me?" I rasped.
A soft smirk formed on his lips, and then he released me, causing my body to fall and gently land on the soft bed mattress. A sliver of awareness triggered a burst of panic. He was naked! I was naked! I was naked in front of the guy I had just met! Searching for any ounce of logic hidden in a cloud of desire, I glanced at the soaked strands of my hair plastered on my neck and shoulders. I needed to stop this. I had to say something—say anything! Finally, I blurted out, "But I'm all wet!"
A full grin appeared. "Good to know."
Heat coursed through my cheeks, covering them with raw flames. "I… meant the water from the pool," I breathed out.
He crawled onto the bed and chuckled. "I'm not sure why it's supposed to be a problem unless you are cold… Are you?"
I shook my head, swallowing. "I'm not… but that's not the problem. I'm not like that…" My hands moved, hectically covering my nudity and refusing to acknowledge that he had more than enough time to see every inch of me.
His brows shot up and brightened his amused expression. "Are you married?"
"No!" I burst out.
"Boyfriend?"
"We…" I cleared my throat. "We broke up."
"Single." That wasn't a question, but I still nodded in answer. A mischievous grin spread across his face. I blinked and suddenly saw him hanging above me, supporting himself on slightly bent, muscular arms. "I'm single too, and you know what? I'm looking at a beautiful woman lying naked in my bed. I want her. I'm going to kiss her, and then I'm going to make her scream as she orgasms. A simple ‘no’ from her will make me stop, but is that what she truly desires?"
My lips parted, but no words came out. My reason had left the scene long ago, leaving my raging hormones in charge. Another heartbeat passed. I welcomed his kiss and honored it with a soft whimper. Then he did what he promised, letting me soar and explode, screaming his name more times than I could count. I barely registered when the night came. The last thing I remembered was falling asleep in his arms…
I inhaled the scent of the man I decided to marry. Yes, I fully acknowledged the ridiculousness of that decision, but most of my half-conscious body and mind seemed to support it. What he had given me went beyond a physical encounter and beyond making love… It was something magical, something I had never experienced before. I felt precious in his arms, like a gem that needed to be treated with the utmost care. I had tasted emotions I never knew existed, even after being in a three-year relationship with a man who was supposed to love me. It was insane. I had sex for hours, taking a break only to eat a few snacks in bed and then continuing until our bodies were too exhausted to move. And I didn't even know Alex's last name! Somehow that knowledge seemed irrelevant because every second with him felt… right.What if fate existed and brought us together? What if we were meant to be? As hilarious and unbelievable as it sounded, nothing in my life had ever felt as perfect as being together
I had spent the last three weeks searching for my scumbag foster brother. I went to every possible place I thought he might be staying and visited all the people who might have known where he was. All for nothing. I was devastated, exhausted, and, above all, furious at myself for believing him."What did the police say?" Joy asked me as soon as I passed the threshold. When she saw tears gathering in my eyes, she handed me a mug of hot cocoa and led me to the sofa.God, I loved her. She was the only person in that whole messed-up world I could count on. Sniffing, I took a sip of far-too-sweet liquid and faced her. "They said that Bram violated the pre-trial release limitations, so they sent an arrest warrant to other states… He is officially a wanted man, but that also means that my money is gone, and I will never get it back." I bit my lip, trying hard not to start crying.Joy sighed and gave me a wry smile. "It could have been worse."I groaned. "How? I lost all my money. I'm jobless
"What do you mean by pregnant?! I can't be pregnant!" The panic building inside me erupted like molten lava. I glanced at my belly and began to wonder if there truly was something growing inside me.Joy rushed to my bed and grabbed my hand while I sucked hectic breaths, acting as if I were already going into labor. "Sarah, you need to calm down and focus." I heard her serene and even voice. It didn't help.I shook my head. "It… It is impossible!" I burst out.The doctor shrugged slightly. "Unexpected pregnancies happen all the time.""You don't understand!" I panted, my eyes flickering between Joy and the doctor. "I can't be pregnant! I'm on pills!"The doctor blinked a few times before glancing at his tablet and swiping through my medical records. He frowned and then sighed. "The contraceptive pills you've been using have been withdrawn from the market recently due to leading to frequent, well… pregnancies."I felt like someone made holes in my lungs. I had been using the same pills
Five years later "Mommy! Let's go!" My son jumped up and down, urging me to get our suitcases from the luggage carousel. I sighed and gave my little devil a meaningful look. "Liam, we have to wait for our suitcases, and they are not here yet... Unless you want me to pick two random ones, then we can go." Liam gasped and shook his head. "No! Other people don't have Spiderman's pajamas in their suitcases, and I really liked mine!" I smirked. "Then we have to wait." I grabbed his little hand and stroked his unbelievably thick, dark-brown hair. "Don't worry. It won't be long." He nodded and grinned. It was his first time in New York, and he was overly excited. Unlike him, I was growing anxious, and even though my confidence had grown over the last few years, a little of the old me had awakened as soon as our plane landed at the airport. A lot had changed during those five years. For starters, I found the love of my life—my son, the amazing, smart, and forever cheerful kid I decided t
My heart stopped. I froze, staring at Alex and watching his grin spread across his face. A part of me wanted to tell him who I was. A part of me wanted to embrace him… and then punch him hard for how he had treated me. It took me several seconds before my brain processed the simple fact: the man in front of me didn't want me. The check he had left for me expressed it loud and clear. He had treated me like a whore, and the fact that my dumb hormones still merrily buzzed at the sight of him required a serious reprimand. Furthermore, he could have been married by now… I saw no ring when I glanced at his finger, but that didn't prove anything.I forced my lungs to stretch as I sucked in a breath. I was not going to let another man hurt me. I was nobody's doormat. And I was definitely not going back to making the same mistakes. I could not let myself be fooled again, and the man in front of me was definitely a natural-born trickster. I couldn't let myself fall for his charms, although all
Oliver helped me find someone trustworthy who would look after Liam while I went to meet the arrogant Ms. Jeanette Duncan. The trusted person in question was Oliver's girlfriend, Nora. I was hesitant when Oliver mentioned her at first, but when I saw this smiling, petite blonde with huge blue eyes, I somehow knew I'd be leaving Liam in good hands. Besides, Liam liked her the second she walked into our apartment, and, unlike his mother, my son was strangely a good judge of characters.Standing in front of the mirror, I combed my auburn hair, smoothing the slightly wavy strands. I took a deep breath. For some reason, a few knots formed in my guts, and the feeling of unease crept its way to the surface, flooding me with cold sweat. I drew another breath, grabbed mascara, and underlined my gray eyes. I had rarely cared about my makeup, but this time, I could already sense that it wouldn't be my skills that testified to my professionalism but my looks. I hated that, but as much as I didn't
ALEXI was sitting on the leather sofa in the Pas Pour Toi Club, a place that belonged to my friend Daniel Wilden. A year ago, he had opened this spot out of boredom, giving it the most arrogant name possible—Not For You. He wanted to make the club a private haven for his friends to talk and drink. Well, it didn't work. The place was currently one of the hottest spots in New York City. Fortunately, Daniel created a VVIP room, to which only five people had access. I was one of them.I drew a deep breath as I stared at the amber liquid in my glass. The pumping bass slightly slipped through the walls and door, but that was the only thing that indicated that we were in the middle of a crowded nightclub. I had always hated club noises, but not tonight. Tonight, it was the silence that I could not bear…Thoughts swirling inside my head matched the insane speed of the blood running in my veins. It took me more than five minutes before I put them in some kind of order and willed myself to lif
SARAH"Aunty Joy!" Liam darted past me and threw his little arms up, wrapping them around Joy's waist."My favorite kid in the whole world has grown a few inches, I see." Smiling in Joy's way, she leaned over him and ruffled his hair."I'm a big boy now," he stated, causing me to snort.I stepped toward them and pulled Liam away, freeing Joy from his tight hug. "All right, big boy. It's time for you to go to sleep.""But I'm not tired"—he yawned—"Mommy. I can stay"—he yawned again—"a little longer."I crouched in front of him and smiled. "Your sleepy eyes prove something different."He pouted and lowered his gaze. "But Aunt Joy is here…""Yes, and I will stay here for a while so you can see me in the morning," she assured, giving him a little wink.His eyes widened and all but sparkled. "You will live with us here?"I chuckled. "Yes, your favorite Aunty decided to stay with us for a while."Liam sighed and nodded. "All right. If Aunty Joy is staying, then I think I can go to sleep now