《Always Been You》 Chapter 1 Prologue part 1 Sleeping with my best friend was something that shouldn¡¯t have happened. We made a promise to each other when we were young, but it was long forgotten, at least by him but not by me. I didn¡¯t forget that he was my prince charming. He dated girls, which I didn¡¯t mind because I was still underage. We slept in the same bed until this date, but we have never crossed the line. The problem started when his fianc¨¦e failed to appear for their wedding, and I had to y the role of his bride for the day just to save his face. That was the date when everything changed. We had the steamiest night, and he told me it shouldn¡¯t have happened because he was dating my best friend, Candice. That struck me dead in the gut. I should have known that our promises were long forgotten. He took my innocence and told me it shouldn¡¯t have happened. That hurts, but nothing hurts more than learning you¡¯re pregnant with your best friend¡¯s child and you can¡¯t tell him because he is in love with your friend. ¡°Hi! My name is L.¡± He grinned. ¡°My name is Dante.¡± ¡°May I join you in a game?¡± ¡°How old are you?¡± I gave him a puppy-dog expression. ¡°You¡¯re so adorable when you do that,¡± he observed. ¡°I am nine years old.¡± ¡°Well. I¡¯m a sixteen-year-old; do you wish to y with your older brother?¡± I gave a nod. Just like that, I started ying with a 16-year-old. I was his little sister, and he was my big brother. We grew up to be best friends. Everything was shared. We continue to share a bed to this day.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ~L~ My family and I have never been one to stay in one ce due to my parents¡¯ line of work. We move around so much. I have been to so many countries and so many states. But when we moved to New York at the age of nine, I was determined to stay and make New York my home. Every girl wants her prince charming, and I met one the day my family and Inded in New York. He was older, but I didn¡¯t care. He looked like he was 18 or 20. He was my Prince Charming. I am the only girl in my family and Daddy¡¯s princess. I have twin brothers who are almost the same age as the prince charming I saw earlier today. While everyone was preparing their rooms, I sneaked out to go and steal a nce at the drop-dead gorgeous boy outside. He was quite a spaceman. He looked bored ying alone, so I approached him. I stood while watching him, like a frozen ice cube about to be melted away by the rays of the sun. ¡°Hi! ¡® I said, and he turned and smiled at me. He had a beautiful smile. I often hear my brothers talk about girls. I had no idea a man could be this gorgeous. I smiled back at him. ¡°Hi! My name is L.¡± He grinned. ¡°My name is Dante.¡± ¡°May I join you in a game?¡± ¡°How old are you?¡± I gave him a puppy-dog expression. ¡°You¡¯re so adorable when you do that,¡± he observed. ¡°I am nine years old.¡± ¡°Well. I¡¯m sixteen years old; do you wish to y with your older brother?¡± I gave a nod. We yed together for hours, and I didn¡¯t mind as no one even noticed that I wasn¡¯t helping with the boxes. Dante then told me he was hungry and invited me to have lunch with him. His house was huge, like a castle. They had so many workers going up and down preparing a meal for him, as though they knew the exact time Dante would eat his lunch. He took me to the kitchen sink to wash my hands, and so did he. We headed to the dining table, where I met a man and a woman seated at the table. The woman smiled at me, as did the man. They seemed to be nice people. ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯ve got a little sister,¡± Dante told his parents, and they smiled. His mother rose from her chair to give me a hug and then kissed my brows. ¡°Wee, child. Have a seat.¡± Dante drew a chair for me to sit in, just like a prince should for his princess. I sat down, and he started putting food on my te. I looked at him as he continued to fill up my te. ¡°That¡¯s too much, Dante.¡± ¡°You need to eat, Bunny, so that you can be a big Bunny.¡± Bunny? Why does the sound of it cause a tingling excitement in me? Well, since it¡¯s my Prince Charming calling me, I wouldn¡¯t mind. Dante¡¯s family was very kind, and they were weing. ***** Six monthster, my family decided to relocate again, but I didn¡¯t want to leave. I wanted to be around Dante. I begged my mother to allow me to stay in New York, with the excuse that changing environments were starting to affect my studies. My parents knew I was right, so they told me they would look for a housekeeper for me. I was so happy because I got to see my Prince Charming every day. My family left the country for another country while I remained in New York, close to the one who had stolen my heart without even trying. Dante¡¯s mother turned out to be my mother and his father my father. After my parents left, Dante and I started sleeping together. We would share a bed, but nothing ever happened. He was like a brother to me, and I was like a sister to him, so yeah, and I was only 9 years old. He would check on me every morning and make sure I ate. Things changed, and I became his responsibility rather than what I wanted him to see. What would a man see in a 9-year-old? I became very close to his mother, and we would go shopping together and do things a mother and daughter would do. When I turned 13, Dante was the CEO of the Monroe Group. He drove expensive cars and had women all over him. But he never settled for any of them. That didn¡¯t bother me much. I mean, he promised to be my prince. But that was a promise he made to a 9-year-old. Dante would pick me up from school every day, and I would go to his office and watch him work. He would help me with my schoolwork. He was everything a brother should be. When it was exam time, he would act like a strict teacher and lock me up to finish my work if I got one answer wrong. I would be punished. He was my knight in shining armor. He was also my crush. After all those years, I still have butterflies when I see him. Dante would always kiss me goodnight every day. He had never passed a day without doing it. He was now more like a parent than the friend I met when I was nine. When I turned 14, I was a bit mature-not that mature, but at least I could see him in every magazine. The youngest billionaire in New York City, I was proud of him as much as he was proud of me. He was an inspiration, and I forgot to mention that Dante is a perfectionist. Things changed a little when I was 14, not on his end but on mine. In fact, I used to be envious when I read about him and histest fling in magazines or newspapers; after all, he was my prince charming. Though he and I had never talked about such things before, we talked about everything but his love life. He said I was too young to understand. But Dante was still my Prince Charming. I knew that with time we would get to talk about the things that we couldn¡¯t talk about when I was older. Chapter 2 Prologue part 2 ~L~ At 15, Dante and I were sleeping in the same bed when I got up and noticed the bed had a bloodstain. I screamed, not knowing what to do. I was also embarrassed, as Dante had to see that, but she just smiled, brushed his hair back, and kicked my forehead. ¡°My bunny has turned into a Flemish giant rabbit.¡± I didn¡¯t understand what he meant. He then pressed his lips on my forehead again and asked me to shower. When I came out, he had already changed bedsheets and was lying on the bed watching YouTube videos on how to put on a sanitary pad. I got flushed as I saw how serious he was with so much concentration. ¡°Bunny, bring your panties?¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°What?¡± ¡°Bunny, I don¡¯t have the whole day. You know, I have to go to work, and I need to drop you off at school.¡± I didn¡¯t urge him. I gave him the panties, and one of the house helpers walked in with sanitary pads. He was looking at the video and teaching me how to put it on a pad. I was so embarrassed. I mean, this was my Prince Charming, and he had to see the most embarrassing moment of my life and teach me how to use a sanitary pad. Damn L, you will never be his! I watched as he carefully taught me with so much patience and care. He looked at me and ced two more pads in my school bag. ¡°Now, go wear that.¡± I batted my eyshes at him, not knowing what he was talking about. He then sighed, ¡°Bunny, when a woman reaches a certain age, she starts to see her period, and it willst for about 4¨C7 days since it¡¯s your first time seeing your period. You will use the pads so that no one will know you are on your period. Goddammit, Bunny! Don¡¯t they teach you this at school already?¡± Realization hit him. ¡°Bunny, you¡¯ve been skipping life orientation sses.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, I took the panties he had prepared for me and dashed inside the bathroom. ¡°Bunny, you are not going hiking this weekend! And I¡¯ming to your school tomorrow!¡± He yelled, and I knew he meant it. Dante is very strict. I heard the door to the other bathroom being closed. I knew he was going to shower. A yearter Prom Night It was the happiest day of my life. I had already nned for everything, though I didn¡¯t know the type of dress and shoes I would be wearing for my prom. Dante bought everything for me and told me he would deliver everything when the time was right. How I wish Dante was in high school with me. He could have been my date. But Dante was the CEO of a multibillion-dorpany. So my date was Hudson. He didn¡¯t have a date, and I didn¡¯t have a date, so we paired. Everything was going ording to n. I have been counting the days to prom since I heard there would be one. I heard a car honking outside. I knew it was Dante. He told me he wanted to take me to a salon. I ran outside and went inside his car, but then I noticed how he was eyeing my butt. I looked at him, but I couldn¡¯t see anything on his face. He was wearing some sunsses. He handed me a pair of sunsses to wear, and he cleared his throat. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t wear something like that next time.¡± He fixed his tie as though his throat was dry, then he drove. I was still staring at my outfit, wondering what was wrong with it. We got to the salon, and the stylist was busy styling my hair while Dante waited. Dante was¡­ Am I allowed to say such words at my age? Well, he was a Greek god. He was hot, very hot, and wow, the man was sculpted on a Sunday morning. He was perfect in every way. Dante hit the gym regrly, and damn, the man was a temptation. But of course, he will never look at me the way I want him to. Thedy was done with my hair, and he drove me to another location where I was introduced to my prom dress. I was in awe. The dress, the shoes, the essories, My eyes were wide open, and I turned to look at Dante. He was smiling. His smile was enough to make my heart skip six beats at once. I wore the dress and went to prom, and guess what? My date didn¡¯t show up. So I didn¡¯t get to dance, though I enjoyed myself. But I felt like crying. Later that night, around 7 PM, I received a call from Dante toe outside. I wanted to cry in his embrace, but I chose not to cry because he was going to call me a crybaby. To my surprise, the car wasn¡¯t heading home. It was even headed outside of NYC. I didn¡¯t say anything, but he knew me and probably knew I wasn¡¯t okay. But then he spoke. ¡°So, any ns for what you¡¯re going to do after today?¡± I nodded my head. He looked at me and then drove to arge, tall European-style hotel with a hint of Italy. I raised my head to look up at the hotel¡¯s name. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t!¡± He looked at me and smiled. He picked me up in bridal style. ¡°Your prom night starts now, Bunny.¡± I giggled. It was as though he knew I so much wanted to dance. We walked to the top of the hotel, it was well-decorated with people ying music, and he immediately took me to the center, where I had my unexpected prom date and danced with my best friend, Dante Monroe. We danced and watched the stars. It was as though the stars were near us. Dante then put a ne on my neck. ¡°Bunny, no matter what, never take this ne off. I bought it long ago with my first pay as the CEO of my familypany. I used my whole sry to get you this. I was patiently waiting for your prom night to give you this as a gift to your now new journey to varsity and to a whole new you, my rabbit. ¡± I giggled and hugged him. I pulled back and stared deeply into his eyes. I was dangerously close to expressing my feelings for him, but then my throat ran dry. It felt like a flutter of butterflies exploded in the pit of my stomach. I didn¡¯t have the courage at all. I was in a lot of thunderstorms of emotions. I was a coward. But then he looked deep into my eyes too and asked, ¡°Bunny, are you okay?¡± I instantly came back to reality: I was a 16-year-old girl, and he was a 23-year-old man. We are different. He has been running hispany for years before he even finished university. His mindset is also different. Why am I even thinking about his position again? Chapter 3 ~L~ ¡°He ims that he ditched me because I am dating Dante. It¡¯s not as if he didn¡¯t know I was with Dante, to be honest.¡± She took a sip of her wine. I didn¡¯t dare look her in the eyes. This is the subject we discuss each week. She is perpetually dumped. I simply do not grasp what she wants. She has a guy who would give his right arm to possess her. In addition, he is my childhood crush as well as my best friend. Yes, they are both my friends, and they both cheat on one another, while I am simply me. There is always someone nearby who is willing to listen to their grievances, and that person has always been me. Yes, I am one call away if something happens. I sipped my wine and sat back without responding to her. ¡°L, you bitch, did you hear what I said?¡± I let out a sigh. . ¡°You¡¯ve been dumped. This week, how many times have you been dumped?¡± Both of usughed. ¡°Sneak a peek at me, will you? Why would a man dare to oppose me? Do you believe I should approach him and beg him? I simply cannot imagine myself fucking one dick right now.¡± ¡°However, you are marrying tomorrow.¡± ¡°Wed to whom? I¡¯m sorry. I have no intention of marrying. I need to see that Asian boy.¡± Believe me, Candice never takes anything seriously, and I know she means it. She sipped her final drink and walked away. Now I¡¯m all by myself in this ce. I knew Dante would call, and as usual, I would have to lie. When ites to the two of them, I¡¯m not interested in interfering. When I tell a falsehood, I make it appear to be true. I retrieved my car keys and drove home. I need to get a good night¡¯s sleep in order to attend their wedding tomorrow. As I was going to shower, I heard the door open. I was certain it was Dante. He¡¯s the only one who has ess to my ce, and he has the key. He calls it shabby, but he always returns here to sleep. I didn¡¯t even bother to look at him; I knew he¡¯d be a mess. He wanted to shower before bed, so I ran to the bathroom. ¡°Fuck L!¡± I heard him shout. I simplyughed. I showered and proceeded to the kitchen to prepare noodles. As it happens, Dante is a zillionaire who is extremely wealthy and has a very cold heart, yet he has never been cold toward me. We¡¯ve been pals since I was ten or nine years old. He was, however, a little older. However, he treated me as if I were his younger sister. When I turned 16, I had feelings for him that I couldn¡¯t control but never crossed the line since he continued to see me as his little sister rather than a woman. I no longer have those sentiments for him because I am well aware that he will never see me as a woman but rather as a younger sister. I continued to prepare noodles. He emerged wearing nothing but a towel. This is what led me to believe I felt something for him. He was constantly flexing his muscles in front of me. I¡¯ve be ustomed to it, though I still morph into a tomato when he gets too close. ¡°Aargh, get dressed!¡± I screamed. He chuckled. I was certain he would not. We finished our meal and retired to bed. There is, however, another point. Dante and I have always shared a bed. Since I can recall, whenever he visited or I visited him, we always shared a bed but never crossed the line. That is the extent of our proximity. We fell asleep with my head resting on his torso and his hands wrapped around my waist. Yes, I know we sleep like a couple, but we are not. I woke him up the next day. It¡¯s his wedding day today. Two of my closest friends are getting married tomorrow. Dante is my closest confidant. Candice and I met when I was 23 years old. She arrived at Dante¡¯s firm for an interview, and Dante asked me to conduct the interview. When she learned that I was Dante¡¯s friend, she expressed her desire for him, and we have remained friends ever since. We are both assigned to the same department, though I¡¯m her senior at work. Things progressed, and she and Dante began dating. It was my responsibility to wake Dante so that we could travel to his house so that he could change into his wedding suit. ¡°Groom, it¡¯s time to get up.¡± He moaned under his breath. ¡°I implore you to leave me alone.¡± He drew me, and I collided with his torso. Naturally, I flushed. Who wouldn¡¯t? He rose to his feet, and we jumped into his car and sped off to his house. I was the maid of honor for the wedding. I attended the wedding with his mother. We arrived and awaited Candice¡¯s arrival, but she was nowhere to be seen. We waited for over an hour and saw nothing. Her phone was switched off. Of course, I knew where she went, but I was unable to inform Dante. It would crush him. I noticed his mother approaching him. They began conversing, and I continued to attempt to contact Candice. I sighed and copsed into a chair. The guests sat and waited. They were simply aware that Dante was marrying; they had no idea who he was marrying. I noticed his mother approaching me. ¡°Mom, I tried to reach out, but I couldn¡¯t get hold of her,¡± I murmured as I hugged her. ¡°It¡¯s alright, child. Why don¡¯t you tie the knot with Dante right now? This is going to cause the family a great deal of embarrassment if the wedding does not take ce.¡± My pupils dted. ¡°No, Mom, I can¡¯t do it.¡± When I looked at Dante, he gave me a intive expression. After all, I¡¯m the only one who can protect his sorry ass from the media now. I motioned for him to follow me. We entered the chamber where the wedding gown was kept. ¡°You have transformed me into a phony, Mrs. Monroe.¡± ¡°You know, Lolita, you¡¯re the only person I can ask this question to.¡± He approached me from behind and hugged me. I yanked my head back and fixed my gaze on him. ¡°I really have little of a choice in the matter. That¡¯s the price you pay for being buddies with a billionaire, apparently.¡± ¡°Of course, you get to marry a hottie.¡± Both of usughed. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°I love you too, my Lolita. Mrs. Monroe, mydy.¡± We chuckled. He kissed my brows and then walked away. I let out a sigh. I¡¯m not sure how many times I had to save his ass when Candice failed to appear. In fact, she appeared nowhere. The person whoes to the rescue is me. I despise the fact that I am their friend. I examined the wedding gown in front of me. It was an exquisite wedding gown. I slipped into the wedding gown and was dressed to the nines to resemble an actual bride. The music began. My parents were not present, so his father escorted me down the aisle, and we exchanged vows, which were really difficult to concentrate on due to the fact that we were deceiving God. We were not married. As is customary, I was doing this to save his pitiful arse. His girl is constantly abandoning him, and I am always the one who steps in to save the day. I heard the bishop¡¯s remark just then. ¡°You may now kiss the bride.¡± What! I screamed in my head. My pupils dted, giving Dante a suspicious look. I mean, we¡¯ve been sharing a bed for years but have never kissed. I don¡¯t want to share my first kiss with him. No way! I yelled at the back of my head once more. What if the sentiments I had for him resurface? I can¡¯t risk falling in love with Dante. He is a buddy of mine, and he is also head over heels in love with my best friend. We stood there, all perplexed. I don¡¯t believe any of us considered the kissing aspect. He drew me in and mashed his lips on mine. He was prodding me with his tongue. Dear God, this feels like heaven.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. I moaned as I opened my mouth. He snatched the kiss from my lips and murmured in my ears. ¡°It¡¯s just a kiss, Lolita,¡± I swear, he could have seen how red my ears and cheeks were if it weren¡¯t for the make-up I was wearing. I was a beetroot. We proceeded with the signing of the marriage certificate. And there, I am now my best friend¡¯s wife, not my friend Candice. Chapter 4 *MATURE CONTENT 18+* ~Candice~ I was watching Dante and L get married while with my Asian boyfriend. I couldn¡¯t give a damn. L is always there to save the day. As is customary, she saved the day again today. I asionally feel sorry for her because she is constantly bringing joy to others. I admire her for her selflessness. She has never been in a rtionship. I despise admitting it, but their kiss nearlypelled me to dig my ws into my flesh. Dante is entirely mine, and L will always protect me. I locked my gaze on my guy. I could tell he had concluded that I was not dating Dante. He is notparable to Dante¡¯s Damnation. Dante is a sex god. I¡¯m simply not ustomed to sleeping with a single man. I can get away with anything with L by my side. ~Dante~ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . I¡¯mpletely baffled by what¡¯s going on. Candice appeared to be interested in bing my wife. However, she failed to appear at the wedding. Candice has never attended a single event with me. It¡¯s always been L who saves the day. L is my best friend and more like a younger sister to me. Naturally, there were times when I wished I could take her, but she was simply too innocent. I don¡¯t want to jeopardize our rtionship. I was there to witness her blossom. She was nine years old when I first met her, and she insisted on ying with a sixteen-year-old. I used to tease the little girl, who was constantly promising to be my baby sister. I began developing affection for her when she reached sixteen. Even still, she was always my Lolita. She is now 25 years old, while I am 32. She is still the one person I can rely on in any situation. I recall the first time she spotted her period. She sobbed, believing there was something wrong with her. I showed her how to put on a sanitary pad, so that¡¯s something. Isn¡¯t that revolting? I am aware, but I waspelled to do so. Shecked friends. I was her friend. As a result, I used YouTube to guide me through the process. I¡¯m even aware of the days on which she has her menstruation. I am quite familiar with L. And she is well acquainted with me. People refer to me as impolite, although I am not. Maybe they¡¯re just not my thing. Perhaps I simply prefer L¡¯spany to that of any other person. I asionally feel awful about requesting favors from her. She has never once said no to me. Here she is now, as you can see. She consented to marry me as if she didn¡¯t have any othermitments in her life. At times, I have the impression that she does not see the need to have a boyfriend because I am present all the time. I had never seen her before with a male. She is 25 years old and knew me just like her brother and best friend. I grabbed my phone and dialed my girlfriend¡¯s number. The phone had been switched off. I attempted to contact her throughout the day, but she was nowhere to be found. Her phone was switched off. I started consuming hard liquor. How did Candice manage to do this to me? What made her do this? Was she going to be my wife today? My wife is now my best friend. I began drinking. I feltpelled to fuck L. I¡¯m not sure why, but it just felt right. Today¡¯s kiss was quite amazing. More of it would have been better for me. It was magical. I made a conscious effort not to think about it, but I can¡¯t stop thinking about her lips right now. I entered the bedroom and immediately heard the sound of running water. I stripped down to my underwear and entered the bathroom. She was oblivious to my presence, but I had already seen her naked. She was wless. There would be no going back. She retreated slightly, and her body collided with mine. I brushed my lips over hers as she turned before she could say anything. She was perplexed. I nipped at her nipple. She opened her mouth to moan, but my tongue suffocated her. I pulled her up against the shower ss. The water streaming over our bodies and the apanying steam made me as hard as a rock. I¡¯m powerless to stop It feels so natural, although I know it is wrong. This is L, my little Lolita. I¡¯d had a thing for a person who is both my best friend and my sister for a long time, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell my friend that I was interested in her. As ecstasy floods into my chest and travels down to my cock as I kiss her, I feel a drop of pre-cum leaking from my dick. I have never moaned so loudly in my entire life. I pushed my cock at her entrance as I lifted her hip. We simultaneously moaned. I swear I am going to kill her with my cock today. I grabbed her hair as I probed her mouth. She had the taste of pure heaven. I know that I¡¯m about to make a mistake, but I¡¯m powerless to stop. She is far too wless. I thrust my tongue into her mouth, which caused her to gag. I dipped my tongue into her mouth and left her gasping for air. Our tongues are entwined. I could kiss her every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of doing so. Fuck, I hauled her up, her legs encircling my waist. I snuggled her into bed. I gazed at her, her lips pouting. I smeared dripping kisses down her neck. I came to a halt between her breasts. I raised my eyes to find her red like a tomato. Her lips were parted, and her passionate face caused my pre-cum to drip once more. My blood was boiling, and I really needed her. I kept my gaze fixed on her as I stroked my index and middle fingers along her tits. I wrapped the tip of my tongue around her nipple and then snatched it between my teeth. Instantaneously, it hardened into a nub. As she screams, her body begins to wither. ¡°Dante!¡± I did not know my name would sound so deliciousing from her mouth. I was propelled on by her pleas for pleasure. I snatched the second cup from her grip and palmed her breast. I pinch the tip between my fingers, causing her to gasp and spasm, releasing the nipple, firming up, and pushing the other breast into my mouth. I lowered my head and kissed her stomach, my tongue sliding into her belly button. I descend until I reach her teeny-tiny pussy. I buried my head between her knees, positioned my mouth on her clit, and sucked her hard, kneeling her legs wide. I groan. She tasted really wonderful. My tongue swizzles across her folds. She jerks her pelvis up for me by bending her knees and using her feet. My cock had enough of the torture. However, I was not finished with her. I yanked at her clitoral region with my teeth. Her screams got more strident, and I heard her shout my name as pleasure waves tore through her body. I inserted my finger into her pussy and began thrusting. She was leaking, the moisture evaporating from her pussy to the gap of her ass, soaking the sheets underneath her. I slipped my tongue through her wetness, savoring the delectability of her essence. I pushed my fingers back and began thrusting into her. Her moans could be heard resonating throughout my room. I couldn¡¯t care less. I knew my mother was around, but she was in the opposite wing of my mansion. I licked my fingertips. With my tongue, I went all in. I fuck her pussycat with my tongue till she bucks and jerks in my grasp. My tongue sinks deeper inside her with each movement she makes. After pulling on her clit between my teeth, she moans loudly and calls my name more frequently. I sucked it in between my lips and flicked it around with my tongue to make it taste better. ~ L~ I knew it was wrong, and I also knew I couldn¡¯t stop. I desired him so much that I found myself desiring more of his actions. When he buried his face in my pussy, I moaned. His nose pressed on my throbbing clit while his tongue dug deep into my pussy. I was aware that Dante was skilled at sex. While I do not know, I am ashamed to admit that I lied to him when he inquired whether I had begun having sex. I lied to avoid him, thinking I was uninteresting. I¡¯m aware that he¡¯s soon to discover that I lied to him about my virginity loss. I widened my legs even further for him. I could hear him muttering under his breath. He began delicately kissing my clitoral area. The location I discovered today makes me see stars. ¡°Dante.¡± As he kissed my clit, I whispered his name in a soothing voice. My hand flew to the back of his head. He chuckled as he pushed him towards me. I bit the inside of my lower lip. He began applying the ideal amount of pressure in order to elicit my orgasm. While I was crying, he reached out and blew a warm breath across my streaming slit. ¡°Dante!¡± I yelled out. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± As my orgasm built once more, I burst into tears. ¡°Let go, L, let go for me, baby.¡± He cooed before mping his lips over my clit and sucking on me roughly as I cum on his tongue. ¡°Fuck! I love you, L.¡± I know he shouldn¡¯t say this to me. But he said it. ¡°I love you too, Dante. Aargh!¡± I screamed. He slid between my legs before sinking into me with a forceful thrust that caused me to scream at the top of my lungs. ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± he eximed. His eyes widened as he drew back slightly to reveal a bloodied dick, and he nced back at me and buried his head in my chest. Tears flowed. It was painful, but I was afraid to tell him because I had lied to him. He was unaware. I began to move slightly, which aggravated the difort. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he said. He put one of my nipples in his mouth and began to move a little. It was agonizing. ~ DANTE~ Shit! I started to see stars. Each muscle in my body is currently contracting. I¡¯m not sure if I should continue with this. Every inch of me is now resisting the desire to thrust forward. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. I¡¯m attempting to contain my rage. She ought to have informed me. I could have been a little more gentle with my first thrust. What was she thinking when she didn¡¯t tell me? I¡¯m in a foul mood right now. That was one hell of a thrust, to say the least. I pushed myself back in. ¡°Oh my God,¡± I¡¯mpletely at a loss for what to do, but dammit, she¡¯s sweet. I growled incoherently. I gave out a gentle thrust while squeezing my eyes shut with my teeth clenched. Fuck! She¡¯s so tight. I took possession of her lips and began exploring her pussy. I started to hear her moaning. Then I picked up the speed. I drove forward, and I felt as though her walls were closing in on me. My gaze travels to her face, where I notice her lips are open. I tucked my cock further into her pelvis. Her pussy sucked up all of my energy. She swallowed me whole. As I pushed deep into her, my thumb assaulted her clit. Her walls clutched my cock so hard that I was on the verge of cuming, but I was not finished with her yet. Because of the way her walls are holding me in, I can hardly move my cock. Her cries got more intense, and her breathing became more rapid. I rammed into her, thrusting deeper and deeper despite the fact that I knew I shouldn¡¯t because this was her first time. She made noint. Rather than that, she encircled my waist with her knees and ced her fingers on my neck. I was thrusting into her harder and faster, my thumb pressing against her clit. I continued doing so until I felt my release take control. I withdrew my thumb and shoved with all my might. It was wrong, but I couldn¡¯t help myself. ¡°Look at me!¡± I eximed. She opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on me. We were saturated with perspiration. ¡°Come with me, my Lolita.¡± I snarled. Pumping harder into her pushed me to the brink of unconsciousness. When I heard her screaming my name, I couldn¡¯t stop myself. I knew that she wasing. While we were both inhaling strongly, I spurted my cum inside her pussy and buried my face in her. When I got up, I saw L trying to get up from the bed. I had to carry her to the restroom since she was too weak to walk. I mean, who would walk in her condition? I destroyed her pussy. When I caught another glimpse of her, I felt myself tensing up all over again. My beast wanted her. We moved from the shower to the balcony, then, after a while, to the sofa, doing every intimate position that I could think of. Her cries became groans. Her hand flew to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her screams. I was aware that I was thrusting too quickly. She wrapped my legs around my waist once the waves of pleasure and anguish subsided. ¡°Fuck, Lolita, you¡¯re so tight.¡± I barked. ¡°Don¡¯t stop,¡± she begged. ¡°I love your pussy.¡± Groaning, I provided her with everything she desired. When ites to sex, I am a beast. I could see that her body was riddled with bruises. I was adamant about continuing. I twirled her around on the bed as I thrust my way in from behind her. As I exploded inside her, I noticed blood streaming from her. I knew I had destroyed her pussy. I burst into another monstrous orgasm. I noticed she wasn¡¯t moving. I turned to face her. Her eyes were closed. I panicked. She was still breathing. Fuck! She fainted. Fuck! I made a phone call to our family doctor. She was not a squanderer of time. When she arrived, she gave me a look. I shifted my gaze far away from hers. She knew what had happened. I was wearing my sweatpants with nothing on top. My mom walked in. I rushed to cover the bed so that she wouldn¡¯t see that I slept with her lovely daughter. My mom loved L with everything in her. She was like her own daughter. I saw her giving me a suspicious look, but I remained unshaken. I can¡¯t afford to be judged by her right now. ¡°Emily, what happened to my daughter? Why is she all bruised up?¡± Emily looked at me. I shook my head. She knew what that meant. Emily knew that L and I were best friends. ¡°Mrs. Monroe, she¡¯s fine. She had a bad dream. She hurt herself thinking she was still dreaming.¡± I am still a suspect in my mom¡¯s eyes. Though my mom knows that I and L have always shared a bed, she knows I have never touched her, but right now I am a suspect. ¡°I have to admit her. She will be fine, Mrs. Monroe.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going with her.¡± My mom demanded. Do you think Dante¡¯s mom will find out what happened in Dante¡¯s room? Will Dante want to remain married to L, or will he break her heart? Chapter 5 ~DANTE~ I shifted into the hospital bed in order to get a better view of the girl beside me. The girl I had recently turned into a woman. She was eerily silent. We have never been deafeningly silent or run out of things to say to one another. This is quite ufortable. Since she was admitted, we have been sleeping in this hospital bed. No other woman has ever given me a cold shoulder as L has. Is she upset because I stole her innocence and damaged her vCard? I¡¯m desperate for her to say something. Considering what we just did, Candice doesn¡¯t deserve what we did. I was drunk, but I knew what I had done, and I wanted to do it again. I wasn¡¯t under the influence of alcohol, and I wouldn¡¯t im that I was under the influence of alcohol. I was aware of what I was doing. I never imagined that I woulde close to crossing the boundary. Another minute passed in utter silence on the hospital bed. She straightened her clothing and entered the bathroom. Her skin appeared to be immacte, and I felt my cock throbbing in my jeans. I prayed that I would never feel this way again. I cursed my dick for desiring her beneath my breath. Why does it feel so right? I cheated on my girlfriend with my best friend. It feels so right. As I am currently aroused, I cursed myself for even gazing at her in the first ce. I¡¯m aware she hasn¡¯t fully recovered, but I want her so desperately. I¡¯ve never desired a woman as much as I desire L, and that¡¯s wrong. I could tell that she was still having some difficulty walking. Why does it feel so natural to sleep with my best friend? I¡¯m starting to believe I¡¯m sick. What was it about it that didn¡¯t feel like a mistake? I¡¯mpletely devoid of sensation. Not in the slightest. While I am aware that she is my wife, I also have a girlfriend. Is it possible that she slept with me because we are now married? Is it because she¡¯s my wife that it seemed right? Everything appears to have urred simultaneously. It seemed as if I couldn¡¯t get away from it. It was as though it were meant to be. She walked out of the restroom and stood by the window, her gaze fixed on the street outside. I need to get everything out of my system. This is not going to happen again. She has a right to know. I inhaled deeply behind her. I looked down at my ring, which felt perfectly ced, as though it was meant to be there. How is it that everything with my best friend feels so natural? It was as if she were my genuine wife and Candice was not. I brushed it aside. ¡°L,st week¡¯s events should not have urred.¡± I¡¯m not sure what she thinks about that. Things can¡¯t be awkward between the two of us, though. We have crossed the line. She will always be my Lolita. My best friend ¡°L, you should say something. This can¡¯t happen. It shouldn¡¯t have happened in the first ce. Even if we were married, it would be impossible. You are aware, right?¡± She was still peering out the window. ¡°You know, it was supposed to be Candice, but what we did to her isn¡¯t fair.¡± She shifted her gaze with a smile on her face. ¡°It was merely a moment of weakness, Dante; there is no need to justify it. I understand.¡± She began packing her belongings. ¡°We¡¯re returning to my ce.¡± She gave a nod. ~L~ When Dante informed me that it should not have happened, his words cut like a toxic dagger through my viciously twisting heart. I was well aware that I would have to bear the consequences, yet I went ahead and did it anyway. I knew he¡¯de to regret it. Thank God I¡¯m not facing him, which is preferable to his witnessing my devious tears. I inhaled it and grinned. This is something I¡¯ve been doing for years. She always had a smile on her face, no matter what. We returned to Dante¡¯s residence. Unlike us, we were sleeping in separate rooms this time. I was missing him. However, I recognized that sharing a bed was no longer an option for us. The following morning, I awoke to the sound of giggles in the living room. I nced down from upstairs, where I was reading a magazine, to meet with Dante and Candice. I was feeling unwell, so I returned to my room. Since I returned from the hospital, I have not felt well. I walked into the bathroom to shower. Prior to heading to work, I needed to go somewhere. When I returned to work following my appointment, I was forced to make a decision. I am aware that this is a rash action, but it is necessary. I met with the human resources department to iron out the details. My eyes were on myptop when I returned to my office. I¡¯m not sure if this was the best decision for me at this point. However, it was necessary. I drove home normally, but I had to return to Dante¡¯s house because I was still married to him. I pulled into a parking space and was greeted by his mother. ¡°How are you doing, child? Why are you so pale? Have you eaten anything?¡± She said this as she snatched my bag from me. ¡°Yes, mother, I¡¯ve just changed my foundation,¡± I said. We entered through the front door. Dante and Candice were engrossed in their television viewing. I ascended to finish the task that had been left unfinished since I had an early appointment. I got myself a ss of orange juice and stepped out onto the porch to do my work. When I opened myptop, an email from the agency I hired greeted me. Greetings, Mrs. Monroe. I wanted to let you know that the property has been sold as a result of your inquiry. Currently, I¡¯m scouting the area in search of the one you are looking for. It will take me approximately a week or two to get what you seek. Please let me know which of the six images I have provided is your favorite and which one is your least favorite. I eagerly await your response. I grinned at the agent¡¯s news. Once I resumed work, I began adding stuff to my basket online, and once everything was organized, I¡¯d know where to ship the products. After everything, I have been significantly behind on several things in my department since I was in the hospital. While I was working, Candice and Dante entered the room, hand in hand. I greeted them with a grin and shut down myptop.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Today, L, you have been distant. Are you feeling alright?¡± Candice inquired. ¡°Candie, I am very sorry. I¡¯m swamped with work, having gone a week without working.¡± ¡°You are aware that you can always seek my assistance, right?¡± She imed. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m in desperate need of destruction right now. Thus, what are your intentions? I am unable to remain married to your man. You are aware of this, right?¡± I noticed that her expression seemed worried. One thing I am certain of is that Candice will not wed Dante. She is still in the mood to y. However, I cannot continue to y Wifey for the remainder of my years while she sleeps with him. It is illogical. She must select what she desires. There is very little left to say about myself and Dante. We ceased to be friends the day we crossed the line. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll discuss itter, but for now, you remain Mrs. Monroe.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Well, it appears that you are having an affair with my husband, Missy.¡± We both burst outughing. ¡°For the time being, I¡¯m going to take a shower,¡± Candice remarked. Now, it¡¯s just Dante and me. He sat opposite me on one of the chairs. ¡°Are you feeling well, Mrs. Monroe?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it. Are you well? How was your day at work?¡± ¡°Not bad, L. You look¡­¡± After a brief pause, he began assessing my features. I grabbed myptop and diverted my attention away from him in order to avoid looking at him until he discovered any ws. ¡°How long has it been since you ate?¡± ¡°Not much longer.¡± ¡°Put an end to your deceptions, L. You haven¡¯t eaten anything, as far as I can tell.¡± He went inside to bring me a meal. He began feeding me. Personally, I find it hard to believe. When I passed by the kitchen, the aroma was revolting, but now that Dante was feeding me, it tasted fantastic. ¡°Are you mad at me, L?¡± This is one subject I¡¯ve been trying to avoid discussing with him. I let out a sigh. ¡°Are you aware we cannot continue discussing it? If you want to forget about something, stop discussing it. You are happy with Candice, and that is all that matters.¡± ¡°Howe it didn¡¯t feel like a mistake? It just felt perfect. I have no idea what is wrong with L.¡± To be honest, it felt the same to me. Well, I know the reason, but I won¡¯t tell him. He is under no obligation to know. He is happy with Candice, and she is happy with him. ¡°Can we move on from this? I miss my friend. Not the man I slept with.¡± He cupped my face in his hands. We sat on the patio as he assisted me with my work. Having him so near provides me withfort. All the storms in my heart and all the battles I¡¯m engaged in within myself are extinguished. Why would my best friend remain a source of calmness to me despite what we did? Chapter 6 ~L~ I was standing and staring out the window of my bedroom. I¡¯m considering the future. I¡¯m thinking of the ordeals I¡¯ve endured to get to this point. What a life I¡¯d have to start tomorrow! I was cursing my own carelessness. I was well aware that this would be a hole I would have to dig deep into. I was aware that Dante was a no-go area, but I went anyway. For the past three months, I have pretended to be okay. Having to do this all alone hurts. It¡¯s so painful that I¡¯m unable to speak to a single soul about it. Why did this happen to me? As I sighed and attempted to get myself together, I began folding my clothes. I am confident that I have everything under control. I know I¡¯ve done a lot for my future and the future of my children. I rub my tummy. I¡¯ve been concealing my pregnancy since the day I discovered it. I am unable to inform Dante. I¡¯ve already been behaving strangely. To God¡¯s credit, he hasn¡¯t observed anything. He is a friend of mine, but he is also in love with one of my best friends. Even worse, the doctor ims that it is not one, but three. I have no idea what I¡¯m going to do with three infants. So far, I¡¯ve aplished so much. Tears streamed from my eyes down my cheeks. I copsed to the floor, clutching my knees as I sobbed. Only God knows how many times I¡¯ve cried in silence about my circumstances. It troubled me that I would be bringing children into this world, especially because the father is my best friend. It also hurt knowing that if I stayed, Candice and I would never be able tomunicate effectively again. I¡¯m well aware that she has no interest in Dante, but I had an affair with him. I had betrayed her trust. I am aware that he is my husband, but this should not have happened. I¡¯ve had enough of pretending. It¡¯s emotionally draining to be here in this house and in this city all the time. I have devised an excellent n, which I want to carry out. My only concern is that his mom witnessed me vomit twice. I¡¯m hoping she¡¯s not suspicious of me. She has been interrogating me about the night I passed out, and I have been lying to her. Although she is not my mother, she has always treated me as if I were. I am more in tune with her than I am with my own mother. When I was having a problem, I would always go to her for help. And she was the first to learn of my crush on her son. To be honest, Dante and I are constantly conversing with her. However, I am certain she will never reveal to Dante that I had a crush on him. However, I am unable to inform her that I am pregnant with Dante¡¯s children. She will never allow me to depart. She would want to keep it a secret and invite me to stay with her in order to protect me from Dante. I am aware that she will go to great lengths for me, but I do not wish to ce her in a position where she has to choose between me and her son. With her being aware of what is urring, I doubt she will keep it to herself. She will never approve of me divorcing Dante. I examined the ultrasound image. I am not yet aware of their gender. However, I have already fallen in love with them. I sob just looking at the image, knowing that I am alone in this. It¡¯s painful, but I need to be strong for my children. That is why I am departing. I received a text message. Monroe, Mrs. The car has been sold. I have made the necessary transfers to your ount. I used to smile whenever I received such texts or emails, but now that the day has arrived, I am uneasy. I¡¯m emotionally shattered. I hate lying to Dante. I also dislike the fact that I feel used. In the end, I decided to go through with it. This is something I am capable of. I am capable of surviving this. I have to make it through this. I checked the time. Shit! I¡¯mte. Extremelyte. Why did it take me so long to think of them? So I sought a ride. I cursed myself for being too analytical. It¡¯s nearly 8:00 a. m., and I¡¯m still not at work. I observed Dante departing early today. I directed him to a coffee shop when the transportation arrived. I grabbed my coffee. When I got to the office, I was feeling dreadfully grumpy. As I walk up to the office, I greet everyone by waving my hand and saying good morning. I arrived at my office. I have been working so hard for the past few months, even working for the months ahead. I¡¯m only in the workce to demonstrate that I¡¯m working. I workrgely from home, attempting to divert my attention away from the circumstances I¡¯ve found myself in. I opened myptop and examined the photograph. The yard and the swimming pool made me confident that the location would be a safe haven for me. I¡¯ve aplished a great deal in three months. I take a nce around the office that has been my home for almost six years. I breathe in and breathe out. I went out to get some noodles to share with Dante for lunch. I reached for his door and knocked. He was by himself. He grinned when he saw me. ¡°I was about to call you and invite you to lunch.¡± I gave him a smile. ¡°Well, it just so happened that I happened to have bought lunch.¡± He grinned and kissed the bridge of my nose. ¡°You¡¯re a star,¡± he remarked. We sat down on the couch and began eating. He deemed me suspicious eyes. If this is to work, I must force him to refrain from asking questions, as I have been doing for thest three months. ¡°How is Candice doing?¡± ¡°You do realize that Candice will always be Candice.¡± Both of usughed. I removed the divorce papers from my bag and presented them to him. ¡°Can you tell me what this is?¡± He inquired, and I refrained from looking at him. ¡°The divorce papers I have already signed. I only require your signature to be a divorcee.¡± Heughed, but I could see a slight scowl on his face. To be honest, I have no idea what the problem is, but this has to be done. He grinned. ¡°Are you certain you don¡¯t need this enticing husband?¡± I froze for a brief moment. I looked him directly in the eyes, something I had avoided doing for months. And each time I steal a nce, I see something new. I see passion and befuddlement staring directly into his silver eyes. I¡¯m constantly getting lost in them. However, we must sign the divorce papers. . ¡°Well, my husband needs to marry his legitimate wife.¡± He smiled and proceeded to sign the papers.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Did you bring me noodles in order to convince me to sign the divorce papers, ex-wife?¡± ¡°With only a bowl of noodles, I can get away with anything.¡± Candice walked into the room as we wereughing. ¡°What are you celebrating, guys?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve just finalized our divorce.¡± I locked my gaze on Candice. I knew she would be unhappy, as she would now be forced to marry Dante. I¡¯m not sure why she¡¯s with Dante if she can¡¯t marry him. Why does she im to love him when she is incapable ofmitting to their rtionship? Exactly what is it that Candice desires from Dante? Is there a secret motive at work? It is irrelevant to me. I smiled as I brushed everything aside in the back of my mind. ¡°At this point, you may wed your prince charming.¡± I walked away with the divorce papers. Chapter 7 ~DANTE~ ¡°I intended to invite you to lunch, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to do so alone now. Given that you¡¯ve eaten, I¡¯ll see you at work on Monday. I had to return home at this point. My mother is ill.¡± Candice stated. ¡°All right, babe, take care of yourself.¡± I sat on my couch, unsure of why I was experiencing this emotion. I¡¯m meant to be overjoyed that I¡¯m divorced. What is it about it that feels wrong? I know I¡¯ve always loved my best friend and will continue to do so even more than I adore my own girlfriend. I exercised self-control for a long period of time. After sleeping with her three months ago, I asionally slept with Candice but frequently shouted her name in my brain. Should I advise her not to file for divorce in order for us to begin a family together? Would she appreciate that? I can tell by the way she looks at me. I¡¯m sure she has feelings for me as well. I¡¯m not sure if this is love or simply friendship. I believe I need to speak with my mother. She provides the best guidance. I took my car keys, but the door to my office sprang open, revealing my queen. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, but L has already provided you with food. I chuckled. ¡°You know, I¡¯m powerless to refuse her food. I was on my way to pay you a visit.¡± ¡°What do you desire? Do you wish to discuss L?¡± ¡°How did you figure that out? Yes, I¡¯d like to speak with you about L.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te into this world yesterday, son. You two love one another but are afraid to reveal your affections to one another. Isn¡¯t it difficult to share a bed with her now that you¡¯re aware you might cross the line? Are you afraid because she was your younger sister?¡± ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m aware that you may have already crossed the line. I observe your gaze on her. What am I trying to convey? I¡¯ve been observing your gaze on her since she was sixteen. That¡¯s when I realized you had a thing for her. Why don¡¯t you ask yourself why I proposed that you marry her on that particr day? That is because I believed you two would take a chance and make it work.¡± ¡°Today, she handed me the divorce papers, which I signed, but I¡¯m not happy about it, mom. I have a distinct impression that something is wrong.¡± ¡°You bumbling idiot. You should have informed her that you desired to meet the conditions. L, as far as I am aware, will never expect anything from you. However, that would be an ideal justification. In any case, you have already signed. So, son, do you love Candice?¡± ¡°I do, but not in the same way that I genuinely love L.¡± ¡°Both you and I are aware that Candice has been evadingmitment. She does not apany you on your travels. I believe you are aware of this by now. I adore Candice, but why would you want to be with her when you know you love someone else more?¡± ¡°Mother L and I haven¡¯t crossed the boundary yet. Not yet, but self-control is bing increasingly difficult to sustain in the modern era.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll get going. You¡¯ll eat these as soon as you get home.¡± When my mother left, I returned home as well. When I returned home, it was already dark. L had alreadypleted her dinner preparations. I sat down, and she handed me a ss of wine. To be fair, L enjoys wine, but I haven¡¯t seen her drink in months. ¡°Are you having wine too?¡± I inquired. ¡°No, I have to get up early the next morning. I¡¯m going to have orange juice.¡± I realized she hadn¡¯t touched her food as I ate. ¡°You should eat something.¡± I was certain she would refuse to eat, so I shifted my chair closer to hers and began feeding her. I went upstairs after feeding her. I showered and retired to bed. However, I was unable to sleep. I was thinking about L. I craved her. I was enticed to have sex with her. I toss and turn in bed, unable to fall asleep. Then there was a knock on the door. I grunted and walked over to the door to open it. It was L. She walked in. ¡°Are you experiencing a nightmare?¡± She shook her head and went to bed. Fuck! It is no longer prudent for her to share a bed with me. We are both aware of it, and I am simply dressed in my boxers. Then she arose from her bed while I stood there contemting how I would survive till morning without fucking her. She stripped down to her underwear and stood naked by the bed. I gulped hard. She was prating my eyes with her gaze. When did my Lolita develop this level of confidence? She didn¡¯t avert her gaze as she took a step forward. Then she took a position just in front of me. Her nipples shouting for my attention. My crotch was rock-solid. My eyes can¡¯t resist skimming over her entire body, stopping to savor the smooth swell of herrge breasts. There is no way I would lie to myself and say that I do not desire her. My entire body feels like a house on fire. She gazed at me and started caressing my cock without taking her sight away from mine. Little L is daring me. She got down on her knees and removed my boxers. My exposed dick spasms at the touch of her palm, pre-cum already clear on the tip of my dick. She began softly pumping. I thrust my hip in sync with her hand. I was on fire as she jerked me off. Beads on my pre-cum pool all over my cock. She cast a peek in my direction, and she took me in her mouth. ¡°Oh, my God,¡± I gasped. ¡°L!¡± She braces one hand against my thigh and moves her mouth at a steady pace with the other. She takes me deeper with each pull she makes. I was still taken aback by the way she was sucking me. I pushed her hair to the side and watched her mouthpletely engulf me. She bobbed up and down the length of my cock. Then she rose to her feet and began licking me from my toes to my earlobe. I couldn¡¯t deny the effect she had on me. She licked my earlobe while rubbing her palm on my ass. Her hands proceeded down to my chest and then to my stomach. My abs tightened in response to her fingertip¡¯s touch. My cock quivered at the sight of it. She took my hand in hers and led me to a chair, where she sat with me. How did she develop such confidence? She sat on myp and immediately began attacking my mouth. I shoved two fingers into her pussy. She moans and starts grinding against my finger. She removed my hand and sat on myp with her back facing me. I pushed her hair back behind one shoulder. She grinds her a$$ on my crotch as I kiss her. Due to the fact that myp was sopping wet, I could sense her pussycat leaking on me. The slickness of her rising arousal against my cock was enough to make me cum. She proceeded in this manner until I got the impression she wanted me to beg for it. I came dangerously close to my cum as she grinds on my cock. It would be an embarrassment for me to cum without tasting the cherry. I was forced to beg. My breath was heavy. ¡°Lilita, please, I beg of you,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Please, what, Dante?¡± Fuck! She maneuvered me into the position she desired. ¡°Fuck me,¡± I urged. She gave a smirking smile. She stopped her grinds and carefully pushed herself up, pressing herself down on my throbbing cock. She went up and down my cock, and all I could do was encourage her by holding her waist. We moved in unison, both pursuing our release. She rides me expertly, which makes me question if I truly did pop her cherry three months ago. She took up the entirety of my shaft, swallowing me whole. She turned and opened her legs as she slid my cock right back in. She encircled my waist with her legs as she began grinding on top of my cock. She threw her head back, and I went for her nipples. She encircled my neck with her hands. I escorted her to the sofa. As she continued to ride me, I sat down. She began riding me. Fuck, L! She bnced herself on the couch as she thrust up and down my shaft. I was certain she would destroy me with her thrusts. I pinned her to the couch and shoved her down. I flung open her legs and thrust madly. She snatched up the entirety of me. Fuck! She¡¯s sweet. So damn sweet. Her screaming my name was the best part of my day. She was swallowing my entire length and taking pleasure in it; with the first, second, and third thrusts, her orgasm overwhelmed us both, driving me over the edge right along with her. I copsed on top of her and took her to bed. She stared at me with tears in her eyes and immediately began caressing my face. I locked my gaze on her eyes. ¡°Hi! My name is L.¡± I grinned, cupping her face. ¡°My name is Dante.¡± She smiled at me, probably, for remembering. ¡°May I join you in a game?¡± ¡°How old are you?¡± She gave him a puppy-dog expression, as she had the first day we met. ¡°You¡¯re so adorable when you do that,¡± I observed. She had the same puppy look once more. ¡°I am nine years old.¡± ¡°Well. I¡¯m a sixteen-year-old; do you wish to y with your older brother?¡± She gave me a nod. ¡°Will you be my prince charming?¡± ¡°As long as you are the princess. I will be anything for you, my Lolita.¡± I saw tears in her eyes, and I wiped them away and kissed her soft, delicate lips. One I have been hesitant to kiss And fuck it felt so right. ¡°I love you, my Lolita.¡± ¡°I love you too, Prince Charming.¡± She dozed off. I¡¯m regretting it yet again. Why didn¡¯t I stop her? For the love of God, she is my little Lolita! Why does it feel so right with her? What is it that I¡¯m missing? She was not in bed when I awoke the next morning. I made my way to the shower and prepared for work. I entered her room and immediately felt the sound of running water. I smiled as I mmed the door shut. Martin, my driver, was already waiting for me when I arrived, and he drove me to work. It was 2 p. m., and I hadn¡¯t seen L. She¡¯s always working with me on Saturdays. I went to her office, and she was not there. I proceeded to the human resources department. ¡°Carman, is L off sick?¡± She nced at me with a questionable gaze.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°What do you mean, Mr. Monroe? I assumed you were aware.¡± ¡°Knew what?¡± ¡°L resigned three months ago. Yesterday was herst day at work.¡± ¡°What!¡± I hurriedly contacted Martin to bring the car so he could drive me home. When I returned home, I hurried into her room. I checked the bathroom. She wasn¡¯t there. I went to her closet and discovered it waspletely empty. I witnessed dread. I hastened down the steps. I took one of my sports cars and hurried to her house. I was greeted by unfamiliar faces. They stated that they had purchased the house three months ago. What is going on? I tried calling her so many times. I refuse to think thatst night was a goodbye. I am unable to bear it. I drove to my mother¡¯s house and discovered she was not there. I cried like a baby for the first time in my life. ¡°Mom, why did she do this to me?¡± Chapter 8 ~Dante~ My mom has never seen me cry in my 32 years of existence. Firstly, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m crying for my closest friend because I loved her but couldn¡¯t express it or because of what she did to mest night. How can she fuck me like that and leave me? What was the reason for her departure? Is it out of fear that we will continue to cross the line? Why didn¡¯t she tell me she wanted to leave before she did? What exactly is going on? Where should I begin my search for her? Until now, I thought we were best friends. She resigned without informing me, and she sold her house without even informing me. What exactly is going on here, Lolita? ¡°Dante.¡± My mother¡¯s eyes met mine as I raised my head. ¡°I love you so much, son, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to cut all ties with you this time. You will understand why I¡¯m doing this when you locate L. From this point on son, stoping here until you return, my daughter. This is entirely your fault and entirely your outright lies.¡± ¡°Mother, what exactly do you mean? Are you aware of why L left?¡± ¡°My suspicions were confirmed when she left without saying anything. Stoping here; I don¡¯t want to see you.¡± She stood up and went inside. L, I¡¯ve been abandoned by my own mother. What is going on?ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . I left my family¡¯s residence and immediately made my way to a club. My mother chased me out of her house. My best friend, or perhaps more urately, my first love, abandoned me. My girlfriend is perpetually upied. Her mother is sick every weekend. I am aware that she is lying. I pursued my one and only shot at happiness. I examined the ring on my finger and thought to myself, Hell, there is no way I¡¯m taking this ring off. My wife will always be L. Despite the fact that we are no longer married, she will always be my wife. Is it true that she filed our divorce papers? I¡¯ll have to verify with mywyer tomorrow. I examined the ss and swirled it while scanning the area for her. I¡¯m not sure why I didn¡¯t make our marriage official. Did she actually file our divorce papers? No, I have a strong suspicion she did not. However, why did she refuse to submit? I will never desire anyone else more than I desire Lolita. I began scanning the faces of every female patron in the club. I¡¯m on the lookout for a sight of those piercing blue eyes. Those beautiful eyes used to stare at me with such tenderness. The love I failed to acknowledge and the love I failed to keep-it is entirely my fault. I swallowed my drink, and ady approached me. I shush the woman away. I kept scanning, looking for those mesmerizing eyes. I sumbed to frustration. Tears began to fall. I¡¯m just hoping to catch a peek at her. I¡¯d give anything to be able to see her. I¡¯m desperate to see my Lolita. The disappointment was palpable. My guilt began to take over, and now I¡¯m looking for someone to fuck in order to drown my sorrows in another¡¯s pussy. I began looking for the girl I had shoved aside. I noticed her on her way to see another guy. I approached her and dragged her into the restroom. She snarls. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Are you going to shut up and follow me?¡± I yelled. I pinned her against the wall of the restroom. I pushed my fingers beneath the hem of her short ck gown, quickly inserting them into her panties. She let out a gasp. ¡°This is the restroom. People are going to see us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn.¡± I proceeded to run my finger along the border of her smooth slit, eventually reaching her throbbing clit. She desires me as much as I desire her. I began circling her clit with my thumb. Small moans wereing out of her mouth. I slid one finger inside her while rubbing her off with the other. As I began to feel her walls tighten, her legs trembled. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± I snarled. I pinned her against the wall with one hand while pulling up her dress with the other. I paddled her and palmed her ass. I swung her around to face the wall. One of my hands was still clutching her two hands. I took out a condom and ced it on my cock with my free hand. I let out a long thrust while spanking her ass again. ¡°Oh, my God! Oh, my God!¡± She screamed. ¡°Yes, fuck me!¡± I began ramming her roughly into her pussy while spanking her ass. I swiftly freed her hands and grabbed her petite waist, pushing deep into her pussy. The restroom is filled with groans and grunts. I thrust into her with my two hands, parting her butt cheeks. I was on the verge of exploding. ¡°Yes, L. Fuck yes, baby.¡± The girl yelled. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, baby; you can call me whatever you want.¡± After that, I let go of my cum while screaming the name of the woman I love. The woman abandoned me because I failed to express my feelings for her. I treated her like a one-night stand when she was my wife. I became irritated as I stared at the girl in the restroom with me. She doesn¡¯t have piercing blue eyes at all. ¡°Get the fuck out!¡± I roared. I fixed my cks and went straight to my car. When I got home, I went straight to the bathroom to scrub every inch of my body clean of the girl I had just fucked in the toilet. What happened to my morals? I opened my eyes to see a photograph of her and me when she was nine years old. What was she thinking when she did this to me? I took out my phone and attempted to contact her once more. However, the phone number has been deactivated. I then dialed Candice¡¯s number. When her phone rang, it was answered by an Asian-ented man. This is the one I chose over my first love since she is more mature, but now I¡¯m paying the price. To be honest, this isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve called, and this guy has picked up instead of Candice. The first day was the day we were meant to get married. She made me lose L while she was cheating on me, so I had to give her up. Candice, you¡¯ve arrived in the pit of hell. Chapter 9 ~L~ As the train pulled away from NYC, heading to Ozark, I thought of the opportunities I had to express how I felt for Dante, but I couldn¡¯t. The prom night, our dinner dates, on my 18th birthday, but I couldn¡¯t. I just couldn¡¯t. I¡¯ve been told that no matter what, a girl shouldn¡¯t be too desperate. His mom told me I should never tell him. He would have to realize his feelings for me himself. Sadly, it took years, and I¡¯m still counting. I chuckled because it never happened; it was all in my head. Dante and L¡¯s story was all in my head, and this is our goodbye. Sadly, our story ends today. The story that was never there-perhaps it was all in my head- There is no Dante and L going forward as there was never Dante and L even before. I will miss him. Dante was just a natural. I loved everything about him. It was so easy to talk to him; he was a great listener, and heughed at my silly jokes. I have never once looked at any other man the way I looked at Dante. His smile, hisughter-I swear the world stopped revolving when that man genuinelyughed. His smiles were something that kept me going each time I searched for something that could make me smile. Dante was amazing, and I loved just how easy it was to talk to him. He always had the answers to every one of my questions. I know I was sometimes annoying, but heughed at every little silly thing I did. Now, I gave up my happiness in order to make him happy with the one he truly loved. I am just an altruist. I will no longer see that amazingly handsome face. I do not me him; I had enough chances. The time I knew I had lost him for good was when he told me he was going out with Candice. I gave up on him looking at me as a woman a long time ago. But I never thought that he would date anyone I knew. I vividly remember that day. It was his birthday, and right when I was about to tell him how I felt about him, Candice showed up and kissed him in front of me, and he told me they were going out. He told me he was happy with her; she made him feel things, and he wanted to be with her. Candice is the type of girl who goes for what she wants. She told me she liked him, and she went for him, and she got him. Well, I am the opposite. I thought that the stupid promise we made to each other when we were young meant something to him, as it did for me. I waited for him to tell me it was time for us to be together. I didn¡¯t even get to ask how long they had been seeing each other. I just stared at the two of them simultaneously while forcing a smile onto my face. Deep inside, I died that day. I knew I had lost him, but what did I do? I couldn¡¯t resist him when I saw him naked, even though I knew that there would never be Dante and L. We were done that day. He told me he wanted to be with Candice. I told myself I was over whatever I felt for him. I even lied that I was happy for them while forcing a smile. I even learned to live with the fact that they were a couple, even though they would cheat on each other. I was there to listen to all of them. I forgot to mention that the day Dante told me he was going out with Candice was the day I learned how to drink alcohol. I freaking waited for him, but he forgot everything about us when he saw a more mature girl around him. I have to pretend when I¡¯m with the two of them; Iugh at every joke they make like an idiot. When they kissed in front of me, that¡¯s when I felt my already broken heart drop to my core. Then he said something that made me wonder if he ever meant that he would be my Prince Charming. ¡°L, you are of age now, and I won¡¯t kill anyone if you start dating. But I will kill anyone who breaks your heart.¡± How do I even tell him that he was the one who broke my heart, my trust, and the promise we made to each other back then? It took me time to process everything. I even didn¡¯t go home for a whole week, and when I came back, I lied to him and told him I was at my boyfriend¡¯s. He didn¡¯t care, and that was when I knew I had to stop my madness and look at him as a friend, and so I did. But why did he initiate sex that day? I was his recement for everything-his recement bride, his recement girlfriend. What was I doing that night, and why did he touch me and break my heart the next day? Ever since that night, my world hase crashing down. I epted him and Candice. Now, after our wedding night, all I could do was act cool while dying on the inside. If Candice made him feel things, then why did he touch me? I couldn¡¯t face any of them and act as if nothing happened between Dante and me. Masking my feelings for him was an art I mastered, but pretending the steamy night didn¡¯t happen was something I failed to do. So I did the unthinkable, like a stupid, needy prostitute. I went and delivered myself to his room and fucked him onest fuck before I said goodbye. Onest kiss, onest bed share, onest touch, onest nce at the man who watched me grow and never looked at me as a woman, a man who broke my heart after taking my innocence. A man who told me we couldn¡¯t be together still didn¡¯t have the guts to say no to that onest night. Onest time¡­ Every time I see him with the woman he loved, he teaches me how to hold a sob. It was easy back then, but ever since I found out I was pregnant, it has been difficult to watch them. I would hold in sobs while I nervouslyughed with them. I had to make this choice: to walk away from it all-from him, from this city-so he could be happy. I still love him, but I had to walk away for him to be happy with the one he loved and not have to choose between the woman he loved and his children. As I said, I am an altruist. This is the price I pay for loving the man I shouldn¡¯t have loved. The price I pay for not saying no all the time is because I thought he would notice me. He is still the best thing that has ever happened to me. Yet, this is the price I pay for falling deeply in love with Dante. No regrets.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Chapter 10 ~Dante~ I had so many opportunities to tell L how I felt. I wasn¡¯t brave like the 16-year-old me. When I told her I¡¯d be her Prince Charming and she¡¯d be my princess when she reached the age of consent, I meant it. She kept the promise and valued the promise. She neverined when she saw me with mytest flings. She was there for me, hurting and wishing I would one day remember our promise. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t remember the promise. I couldn¡¯t tell her how I felt. I just couldn¡¯t. I had a reason to leave work early because I had someone waiting for me. She was there to celebrate every achievement with me. She was my rock. If only I had been bold enough, she couldn¡¯t have left. If only I had told her how I felt on her prom night. If only I hade clean on our dinner date. I was so stupid. I would take her on dinner dates, wanting to tell her I loved her, but those three words wouldn¡¯te out. I wasted time, and the ifs don¡¯t matter now because I lost her. I lost my smile keeper. I watched the girl I loved grow up, knowing she was mine. I watched her grow into the woman she is now, but still, I couldn¡¯t tell her; I kept hurting her. On ourst night together, I should have known she was reminding me of the promise I broke. Why did she have to remind me of that promise we made all those years ago and then abandon me without giving me the opportunity to exin that I had been in love with her since she was 16? Why would she wait for me? Who am I kidding? I took her innocence and told her we couldn¡¯t be. I lied to her that day. I was afraid if I told her I loved her, I would lose her. I was scared that she would start talking about Candice. I wanted to keep her around, even if I couldn¡¯t have her. It was a very difficult thing to do because L was a temptation. She was a drug, and I let her down. How can I fix this when I wasn¡¯t given a chance to fix it? So how do I exin to her that it has always been her and her alone? What have I done? I have been busy nning to marry another woman, forgetting the promises I made. Trust has been broken. Promises I never kept are broken. It was never her fault. It was all me. I only have myself to me for everything. I knew I would never love anyone else the way I loved L, but what have I done? My mother even made me marry her, but still, I couldn¡¯te clean. The day she handed me the divorce papers, I had a chance to not sign them and tell her I wanted us to work. But like a fool, I signed. Will I ever have a chance to mend this? Where do I even start looking for the love of my life? She was there for me, waiting for me to man up, but I failed terribly. Sex with L felt right. Sex with Candice has never felt right, not even a single day. It has always felt like I was cheating on someone. The signs were there, but I failed to see them. I would fight with Candice, and she would even advise me to go back to Candice. She wanted me to be happy, but what I had with Candice was never love. It was lust. Fucking is what we did with no connection. She was there to give herself to me. But sex with L was filled with a lot of emotions. She made me feel things I had never felt with any woman. Making love to L had a meaning. Since our wedding day, I have always wanted to have her every day, but I told her we couldn¡¯t be together. I gave her a reason to leave. Maybe I could have left a message in one of her favorite flowers each time I sent them to her. I literally sent her white roses every day. I could have maybe left a message there. But how do you tell a girl you watched grow how you feel about her? I sighed and walked inside my walk-in closet and took our memory box, then walked back to my bedroom and fell back on the bed. Looking at the first picture of a 9-year-old little L and a 16-year-old me, I smiled and fought tears because I knew I messed up. She didn¡¯t even take this box with her. Does that mean she wanted to forget all about me? The box had all sorts of pictures: our dates, our birthday celebrations. On our trips outside the US, I took thest picture. It was the picture of her on her prom day with me. As I was about to put the picture away, I felt there was something behind the picture. I flipped the picture over, and I saw a letter attached to the picture. I opened it up and started reading. To: My dearest knight in shining armor To my Prince Charming, I know you won¡¯t probably read this. We have grown so much that we now have the weight of the world on our shoulders. Promises were made and promises were broken. I have been writing letters since we made that promise. But I never got to give you any of the letters because each time I tried to be brave, you would show up with yourtest fling. I neverined. As long as I got to be your friend and your little sister, I was okay. Learning to get over you was one of the hardest things to do. When I met you, I thought you were the most beautiful spaceman I had ever seen. I liked you, and I want to be your princess. It was childlike love then, and we made promises, one of which I kept even though I didn¡¯t know what I was doing. When I turned 16, I developed feelings for you, and I couldn¡¯t control how I felt. It was hard to watch you with yourtest flings in magazines every week. I didn¡¯t even recognize the jealousy I had back then, but I learned to live with it. I loved you so much that I had to understand that I wasn¡¯t of age. I was so sure that you were the one, but life had other ns for us. So many times you took me out, I thought you would tell me I wasn¡¯t the only one feeling the connection between us. So many times I waited to hear that L wording from your mouth. I was so sure about my prom night, but nothing happened. Then there were my birthdays and ourte-night dinner dates; I guess I expected too much from you. I thought you would continue with your flings, but then Candice came along. I saw how you looked at her and how you loved her. That¡¯s when I knew there would never be us. I learned to be your sister and your best friend and gave up the fairytale. I became an altruist and let you be happy with the one you love. I was okay. I won¡¯t lie. It took me a while to get used to the idea that you wanted Candice, not me. Candice was cool and lively. Seeing you with her was hard, but I got over it. I wanted to let you know that. You were the best, even though the promises we made were broken. I also wanted to let you know that during that week when I stayed out, I wasn¡¯t with a man. I lied because I wanted to see your reaction, and I lied that I started having sex. I wanted you to be my first. But then that will never happen since you are happy with Candice. As long as I get to be around you and be your best friend, I¡¯m okay. After all, that¡¯s what friends are for.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . With love, Your Princess (Lolita) I tried to process everything, but I failed. What have I done? She felt the same way about me this whole time. What have you done, Dante Monroe? Chapter 11 ~Martha~ ¡°Emily, do you know why I summoned you here?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Not at all, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°You are a family doctor, correct? And I know that the information I am about to request is confidential. However, the future of this family is at stake. You¡¯re going to tell me what happened to my daughter on her wedding day.¡± I breathed out, ¡°Everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Monroe, but I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to share that with you.¡± ¡°L vanished, and she didn¡¯t leave a note or anything indicating where she was going. Do you realize that if something happens to her, you will be held ountable? What if she is alone and sick? And you are refusing to disclose to me the information I have just requested?¡± Emily and Dante are the only ones who know what happened that night. I have asked Dante, but I can see through his lies. He is my son, but I know very well that he is the reason my L left. Emily is myst hope at this moment. Emily may not know where L is, but I am certain she is aware of what is wrong with her and the reason for her sudden disappearance. I will make sure she tells me everything I need to know about that night; everything started with that night. ¡°Mrs. Monroe, on the night of her wedding, L became a woman. It seems like Dante wasn¡¯t gentle enough; hence, she fainted. ¡± I rejoiced in my heart, knowing that the two finally gave in to their feelings and that Dante was indeed L¡¯s first love and her first in everything. I have always wanted Dante to tell her how he feels, and I have always wanted L to be my daughter-inw. However, I am a mother who hates interfering in her son¡¯s private life. ¡°I want to know what happened after that.¡± Emily drank the entire contents of the ss she was carrying and gulped hard, probably for the information she wanted to share with me. I know I shouldn¡¯t be asking for this as it is doctor-patient information, but my chances of finding L are right here, in front of me. ¡°Mrs. Monroe, L, left while pregnant. She is currently three months pregnant. She begged me to keep it a secret from the rest of the family. The only reason she stayed this long was to work her notice period and ensure that Dante wouldn¡¯t suspect anything. I pleaded with her to tell Dante, but L was unreceptive. I swear I was unaware she was preparing to flee.¡± ¡°It turns out my assumptions were urate. That boy is going to have to learn the hard way.¡± Emily refills her ss of water while she continues to stare at me. ¡°There is more, Mrs. Monroe,¡± Emily said, gulping the drink down and locking her gaze on me. ¡°What exactly do you mean, there¡¯s more?¡± ¡°L is not just expecting.¡± Sipping from her third ss of water, she spoke again: ¡°She is expecting triplets.¡± She said that as she gulped down the remaining water and grinned as she stared at me. ¡°You are free to go.¡± Following Emily¡¯s departure, I immediately contacted my Chinese hacker, who is a longtime friend of mine and would do anything for me at any given time or ce. I need her to help me track down L. With that, I started packing my belongings; there is no way she is going through that pregnancy alone. Over my dead body! ~LOLA~ It was the fall season in Ozark. The trees¡¯ leaves, which were various shades of gold, auburn, and red, gradually fell to the ground and scattered the area below the trees. The sky was cloudy and had a mncholy air to it. Looking around on the streets of Ozark, I saw that everyone I came across was wearing a windbreaker, and they all moved quickly in spite of the severe weather. I inhaled deeply as the scent of my new home enveloped me. I continued to take in theforting aroma of my home as I nced skyward and pondered aloud whether or not this ominous-looking weather would be followed by a deluge of precipitation. People believe that rain will bring them good fortune. At this very moment, I am hoping that it will start raining soon so that I will have better luck in the future. My children will grow up here, and I will need to be strong for the small souls who reside within me. I¡¯ve been on the road for three days, making my way to this town. It is a long way from New York. Because flying would be traceable, I took the train. I took out the key and went straight to the shower, then to the kitchen to prepare myself some noodles. I immediately grew emotional when I held the pack of noodles. I can¡¯t deny it: I miss Dante. For real. But I have to do it in order to relieve myself of all the stress. My life has been a session of moves for as long as I can remember. From France to South Africa, from South Africa to China, and finally from China to New York Because of my parents¡¯ line of work, I used to move around a lot. However, when we arrived in New York, I was unable to relocate with them, and they allowed me to stay behind. To bepletely candid, it was all for the sake of seeing Dante. Now, do you see where my folly hasnded me? I wanted him to be my first in everything. However, I ceased to have such feelings a long time ago. I was happy to be his friend. Everything changed after we got married. Even though it was the wrong thing to do, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say no, since I wanted him to be my first. Now I find myself in an unfamiliarnd with three other souls inside me. I took a nce at the packet of noodles I was ready to prepare. Refusing to believe that Dante¡¯s presence would enhance the vor, I grabbed a book while I waited for my noodles. I stole a few of Dante¡¯s T-shirts and hoodies so that each time I became an emotional wreck, I would wear one of the T-shirts or the hoodies. Right now, I would settle for hoodies since it¡¯s autumn in Ozark. Emily suggested that I start reading books for them. I believe it is a little too early. Doctor orders had to be followed. So I read for the three souls that are growing inside of me while I waited for the noodles. I stood and poured the noodles into a bowl, then began eating. After eating, I returned to the kitchen to clear the bowl and wipe my hands with a dishtowel. I ascended the stairs, entered my room, and was delighted when I saw the colossal bed. I snuggled into the plush sheets. Good night, kids. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. Chapter 12 ~L~ The drapes allowed some light from the sun to shine through. It was obvious that the overcast weather of October had not yet lifted from thendscape. I struggled to keep my eyes open as the bright sunlight beat down on my face since I really needed more rest. The loud ring of the rm, on the other hand, prevented me from getting any more sleep. I slowly sat up in bed and gazed around at the unfamiliar surroundings while I was in a haze. Where exactly am I? I scratched the back of my head and took another nce at the environment. It took some time before I finally registered that I was at my new residence in Ozark. It¡¯s strange how difficult it can be to readjust to a new environment right away. I couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile at the prospect of a fresh new day. I made my way up to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to see whether I needed to go out and get some groceries. Of course, I did need to go out and get some groceries, but before I could do that, I wanted to eat something first. I put on an apron and began to make breakfast before heading to the stores. My stomach began to rumble as the toast began to sizzle and the irresistible aroma of the butter began to float across the air. I seated myself at the table, ted some food for myself, and then began to eat. When I looked at the time on my wristwatch, I was reminded that I had an appointment with Matthew and the new employees he had hired. Mathew is a man in his middle years whom I entrusted with the management of my flower shop in New York while I was away. We haven¡¯t met yet, but I trust his judgment. The fact that the shop has been profitable has taken mepletely by surprise. I grabbed the keys to my car and drove to the shopping center. When I got to the shopping center, I spotted an empty parking spot and parked my car there. Then, I entered the shopping center and found a cart to use for my shopping. It¡¯s a relief to finally be here. I won¡¯t sugarcoat it; it¡¯s going to be a challenge, but I¡¯m prepared to meet it head-on. While I was shopping for the stuff I needed, such as food, tes, and sses, I maneuvered my supermarket trolley around the store. I had tes, but then I needed to add more. I maneuvered my go-kart to the area with the household appliances, and as I reached out with my hand to grab a kettle, I noticed that someone else was doing the same thing. I tilted my head to the side in order to look at the other individual, who was reaching for the same kettle as me. Ghosh! I froze for a moment. He was handsome. The man relinquished his grip on the kettle. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just love this brand.¡± I smiled. He smiled at me as he looked in my direction. After that, he continued by asking, ¡°How far?¡± I was really confused by what he was saying to me, so I just kept staring at him in silence. He made a gesture, pointing to my stomach. ¡°How far are you?¡± I felt like a fool now. I even forgot I was pregnant. ¡°Oh, sorry, three months.¡± ¡°That really looks good on you. Despite this, you appear to be five months pregnant already.¡± I formed a frown. Do I actually appear to be that big? Well, maybe I do, considering that in New York I used to wear bigger clothes to hide my pregnancy. I just couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Dante never picked up on anything thest time we shared a bed together. I was hoping for him to notice and for him to tell me everything was going to be okay and that we were going to raise our children together, but Dante didn¡¯t notice anything. Even though it hurts, I have no choice but to leave. ¡°That makes sense; they¡¯re triplets.¡±His eyes became wide. ¡°My name is Mason.¡± ¡°I¡¯m L.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you around. Are you new?¡± ¡°Yeah, I just moved. I arrived yesterday. I recently purchased a home that is situated not far from both the mountains and the coast.¡± I smirked. ¡°Miss L, it seems like you¡¯re getting everything I desire, despite my best efforts.¡± ¡°What exactly do you mean by that?¡± ¡°To tell you the truth, I was born and raised right here in Ozark. A few months ago, I was eyeing the house, but I didn¡¯t know it was on the market. The day I decided to ask around, I was told it was bought by someoneing from New York City. I was angry then, but now, well, since I met the buyer, I¡¯m no longer angry.¡± He let out a chuckle. ¡°And just now, the same buyer purchased my kettle as well!¡± We shared augh together. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for taking everything that belongs to you, Mason.¡± He waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯ll see you around, L, and I want to extend a warm wee to Ozark.¡± He gave a grin before going away. What was that? I disregarded everything that was going on and continued shopping. I was ready to go to the counter to pay for my kart when I collided with a woman. She appeared to be at least a few years older than me, possibly as much as four or three years older. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said as I pushed my kart aside. ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s okay. You shouldn¡¯t be concerned about it. I wasn¡¯t paying attention to where I was heading at the time. I need to get back quickly because it is almost time for tea.¡± She stated this with a charming grin on her face. ¡°You have a wonderful smile.¡± I tried to strike up a discussion with the woman, seeing as how she didn¡¯t appear to be moving her kart out of the way. ¡°Oh, yes, you can count on me. I hear that frequently. I haven¡¯t seen you here before. Are you new?¡± I nodded my head. ¡°No wonder I haven¡¯t seen you around. I¡¯m June.¡± ¡°I¡¯m L.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, L. I¡¯d be interested in hanging out with you for a while. I bet you haven¡¯t made friends here.¡± I giggled. We exchanged numbers, and she left. Well, I just made a new friend. I shrugged and went to pay for the items. I walked back to the parking lot, where I met Mason again, and he rushed to help me load the goods into my car. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t being shopping alone in your condition. You should being with your husband.¡± Husband? My eyes started watering for no apparent reason. I guess it was the mention of my husband that reminded me how pathetic I was. Mason observed that I was standing still, much like an ice cube that was beginning to thaw. Everything was made more difficult by the cool breeze of the autumn weather. My eye started to water, and the man in front of me saw it almost as soon as it happened. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, L. I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± I cut him off. ¡°It¡¯s okay. My husband is a busy man. He is still in New York City.¡± Mason looked at me, and I could tell by the man¡¯s expression that he was skeptical, but he refrained from asking any questions, which was a positive development. After putting everything into the trunk of my car, I proceeded to the driver¡¯s seat and tried to move while holding on to the steering wheel, but I was unable to do so. I rubbed the back of my head and focused on regaining my calm while I did so. Dante, I don¡¯t see why you promised to be my Prince Charming if you¡¯re going to leave me here all by myself to deal with all of this. I have to raise our children by myself while you enjoy being with the woman you truly love.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. But no matter how hard I try, I just can¡¯t bring myself to nder him. He is and will always be the man I love. The one who will live on in my thoughts and memories forever, It¡¯s easy to run, but we can¡¯t always run away from our hearts. No matter where you go, you will have to carry your heart with you. Dante resides in my heart, and I have always carried him with me. I have no choice but to ept it in all its tragic reality. Chapter 13 ~Candice~ What is happening at the moment is, to be honest, beyond myprehension. Did Dante sleep with L? Why does he persist in not divorcing L despite the fact that L signed the papers to end their marriage? Did they really sleep together? Could L really betray me in such a way? I mean, I have never doubted for a second that Dante felt love for her, but I also never imagined that he would do something so inappropriate. To put it another way, they were friends. What exactly is going on here? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve done something to make Dante hate me right now, but I have no idea what it is. If it turns out that that whore L had an affair with Dante, then I solemnly pledge to God that I will make her rue the day she was born. Nah, she couldn¡¯t have slept with him. She doesn¡¯t love him. It¡¯s possible that she left because Dante finally confessed his love to her, but that¡¯s not a given. She turned down his advances, right? I know that he always chants her name each time we have sex. Even though it irritates me, I have never bothered to correct him because it appears that he ispletely unaware that he is using her name instead of mine. Therefore, I did not even tell him, and I feigned that I was unaware of the fact that he desired to be with L. Because L and I are friends, I knew there was no chance in hell that he would ever confess his love to her. After cleaning off my workstation, I went to visit him in his office. I just really hope that he won¡¯t ignore me like he always does and give me the cold shoulder. He makes it look like I am the one who chased L away. I mean, the whore used to be my friend as well. I rapped on the door, but no one was there to answer it. I gave the door another knock and tried to open it, but it was locked from the inside. After I entered the ess code, it informed me that my entry was invalid. Hold on, did he just change the passcode because of me? Where are his assistant and driver? How could he treat me in such a way? If L had been present, she could have been given the ess code, but he would never give it to me. After deceiving L, I was able to obtain the most recent ess code that Dante possessed. Now I am left with only myself to rely on. Dante and I had everything under control, but he went and started talking about marriage. I am not the type to be snug. The thought of being married to another person ispletely foreign to me. Nah, not my cup of tea, and I dared to tell Dante that I wasn¡¯t ready. I knew he would end things with me. Therefore, the wisest course of action was to flee each time he talked about taking things seriously. As for get-togethers, well, I can¡¯t afford to be seen with him in public because I¡¯m seeing a lot of men right now, so that pretty much rules that out.N?velDrama.Org ? content. I had been waiting for someone to unlock the door when I saw Dante himselfing out of his office with his assistant. I stood outside his office and waited for someone to let me in. ¡°Candice, do we have an appointment I know nothing about?¡± What? What is this, exactly? I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s going to treat me like this. ¡°Actually, I was on my way to see you. Let¡¯s go out to lunch together today.¡± ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t join you for lunch; I just finished mine. Is there anything else you would like me to assist you with today?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t, but do you have a minute to talk?¡± ¡°Listen, I simply do not have the time to deal with your neediness. What exactly is it that you want to discuss with me?¡± I am at a loss to understand where I have gone wrong. He¡¯s had nothing but hatred for me since that whore, L, left. ¡°Can¡¯t a boyfriend and a girlfriend talk?¡± ¡°Aah, I married someone else, remember? Or have you simply forgotten, or did you intend all along to be my mistress? Please take this with you and we will meet at my home.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile, content in the knowledge that we would, as usual, work things out in a civilized manner. I got up and headed back to my office, where I sat down in my chair and thought about the most delicious dish that I could make. After that, I gave the key that Dante had given me a quick nce. My eyes became wide. The nerve of him! Why does he never give me the key to his house but always give me the key to his hotel suite? I really can¡¯t believe Dante. Does he even have a clear idea of what he wants? Perhaps I should give L a call and ask her to fill me in on the details of what transpired between her and Dante. On top of that, I haven¡¯t given her a call since I heard she had vanished. I pulled out my phone in an effort tomunicate with the challenge that underlies every aspect of my life, but I was unable to get in touch with her. It¡¯s possible that she doesn¡¯t know that Dante has his eyes on her, but I was fully aware of the situation, and as a result, I had no interest in developing a meaningful rtionship with him. What am I saying? I have never taken our rtionship to that level. It¡¯s just a happy coincidence that I adore his cock. This man understands how to show reverence for a woman. I went out to the stores to get some ingredients so that I could make dinner for us. I fastened an apron around my waist and got to work in the kitchen. After I had finished what I needed to do, I went and showered while I waited for him to arrive. Even though it was seven o¡¯clock in the evening, there was no sign of him anywhere. I climbed to my feet and made my way to the main room, but it was secured with a lock and required a code to enter, exactly like his office. The other rooms did not have locks on their doors. Even when we are both in his home, he will not let me share his master bedroom with him. But I was always under the impression that he and L would always sleep together in the same bed. Does that put me in a lower position than L? Why does L know all his codes and his favorite dishes while I know shit? When I originally moved into his house, L was there, and we used to sleep in one of the guestrooms together, yet he would barely touch me. Nothing about all of this makes any sense to me at all. Why does only L get ess to his primary living quarters? It¡¯s possible that they were seeing each other for a considerable amount of time before I entered Dante¡¯s life. No, I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s the case. L is so trusting that she could have informed me, but hold on a second: since the day I¡¯ve known her, why hasn¡¯t she gone out with anyone? What exactly is the status of Dante and L¡¯s rtionship? When I next checked the time, it said that it was already 21:00. Why isn¡¯t he here with me? I got up from the table and grabbed my phone so I could give him a call. The phone started to ring, but when I checked it, all my calls had gone to missed calls. I was confident that after seeing 10 missed calls, he¡¯d call me back, but nothing happened. I kept on trying, but I couldn¡¯t reach him. When I checked the time, it was already 23:00 and he wasn¡¯t there, so I decided to call Jiang. Jiang: Hey, babe, where are you? Candice: Home, and you? Jiang: I¡¯ming from a club, and I am very horny. You better get your ass in here before I bang someone else. Candice: If you want to die, don¡¯t even dare to think about it. Try me. Jiang: Thene and rescue me, sweet China! After taking a look at the time, I realized that asshole wouldn¡¯t even bother calling me, so I went to my Jiang. Because my rtionship with Jiang is proceeding so smoothly at the moment, I will have to put Dante out of my mind for the time being. I really can¡¯t cope with Dante¡¯s mood swings. If he wants me, he will have toe and get me. After all, I¡¯m the one with the pussy, not him. Chapter 14 ~L~ The mansion was illuminated by dazzling lights, which wereplimented well by the view of the mountain and the ocean. I took advantage of the fall¡¯s crisp air by standing on the balcony and appreciating the season¡¯s change. I was staring off into the distance while holding a cup of coffee in my hand, and all I could make out was the reflection of the light from my home on the water. I grinned and smelled Dante¡¯s hoodie. There is still a whiff of him here. While I was reading a book to the little children, I drew up a chair and sat down. The cool wind touched my face only lightly, yet it was enough to bring down the temperature of my overheated body. I looked at the time on my wristwatch before heading back inside to continue my sleep. The following morning, when I had finished making breakfast, I made the decision to search for the nearest hospital in order to begin my prenatal care. As I made my toast, I was busy searching online for the nearest hospital, and I found one that was not so far away from me. As I sat down to have my breakfast, a grin spread across my face. After that, I walked back to my room on the second floor and showered there. When I went to the hospital, I made sure to wear something that wasfortable. When I got to the hospital, there weren¡¯t very many other patients or visitors present. After that, I walked to the waiting area and generated a file, which, thankfully, didn¡¯t take up too much of my time. After that, I proceeded to the reception area. I was preupied with contemting the doctor. Taking into consideration that everyone ising for check-ups with their significant others, I fervently wished and hoped that he or she wouldn¡¯t question me where my husband was, as everyone else is doing the same thing. It¡¯s a bummer that Dante can¡¯t be with me right now, but I made the decision to go in this direction, so I have no choice but to continue. I went inside because it was my turn to do so and drew a chair for myself to sit on when I got there. ¡°I ask that you please recline on the bed. I will be with you shortly.¡± This voice was familiar to me. I turned around to look for the person who had spoken. I had been correct. ¡°Mason?¡± I gawked. When he faced me, his eyes widened, and he moved his head to look at me. ¡°L? What are you doing here?¡± He asked, then cursed, ¡°Fuck, of course, you are pregnant. What an idiotic questioning from such a good-looking doctor like me!¡± That statement made meugh. Mason seems confident-overly confident if you ask me. He continued, ¡°So, little thief, who is here with you?¡± He inquired as he sat on the edge of the table. Iughed at him for calling me a little thief, which is not bad considering that I stole the house he has been eyeing. ¡°Just me.¡± ¡°Aah, fantastic! One second,¡± he remarked before returning to one of the drawers in order to retrieve some gloves. Damn it, male medical professionals, in general, don¡¯t bother me, but this one does. To be honest, I have no idea. He looked like a flirt, and I¡¯m not sure if I want to carry on with this. Don¡¯t get the wrong idea; this is going to be an ufortable situation. ¡°So, how long have you been a doctor?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Almost 5 years, or going to 6 years, not sure.¡± He turned to look at him with an anxious expression on his face and asked, ¡°Are you worried?¡± I smiled and shook my head. Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t be as terrible as I had anticipated he would be. Then he went on to say, ¡°Is there still arge number of people outside? I¡¯m famished.¡± ¡°It was just me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful since I really should eat. In order for us to take a look at them, would you kindly lie down and pull your dress up a little bit?¡± To my astonishment, he didn¡¯t even want to make me feel ufortable; instead, he offered me something to close my lower portion and examined my babies while he did it. Then he shed a grin. ¡°Three, your husband seems to be quite the sharpshooter. They are doing well and staying healthy, but I would like for you to drink more water since I am concerned about your health. You are not taking enough for three; I mean four, including you.¡± I startedughing and then stood up. He took off his gloves and went behind the table where he was sitting. When he was in a solemn mood, he sported a dashing appearance. It seems that I had an erroneous impression of him. ¡°So, now that I¡¯ve taken your house, have you been able to buy another one?¡± ¡°Yes, I did pick up another one not too far from where you did. However, the view of the ocean from that property is not quite as unobstructed as the one from yours. You know, I really have no reason toin. However, I still favor yours more. Do you want to eat lunch with me today?¡± I gave in after he made a face at me. He then directed his assistant to call off all of his appointments for the day and shut the door to his office. We decided to eat at a Korean restaurant, so we made our way there. The restaurant was so warm and inviting that I almost forgot I was in Ozark. It screamed South Korea-the feelings and everything made me think I was in South Korea. After locating afortable spot on the terrace, we ced our orders. ¡°So tell me, why do you choose to live apart from your family?¡± ¡°Because they used to socialize so much in my business, I made the decision to leave. Let¡¯s just say that despite the fact that I¡¯m a fully grown adult with a beard, they continue to treat me like I¡¯m only 16 years old.¡± It made meugh. ¡°How about you? Why did you move to Ozark? I mean, New York is ssy and everything, which is not to say that Ozark isn¡¯t, but you know what I mean. There is a significant distance separating the two cities.¡± I gave a little pause. After that, though, I grinned and responded. ¡°I¡¯ve never been one to put down roots in a single location. Because I have seen the rest of the globe, thanks to my parents, I was ready to leave New York.¡± He gave me a harsh look and then nodded his head while he was looking at me. ¡°Are you a stay-at-home wife, or should I say, mom?¡± ¡°To be honest, no. My flower store is located in the downtown area, and it has been operational long before I even moved to this location. And I¡¯ve been thinking about opening a bakery, but right now I¡¯m considering all of my alternatives.¡± ¡°What did you do before?¡± ¡°Umm, this is aplete departure from what I¡¯m doing right now. I used to be an ountant, but these days, all I want to do is focus on myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a huge gap, just like the gap between Ozark and New York. Well, let¡¯s eat. This one is on me.¡± Even though I have no idea what I¡¯m doing, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I like being in Mason¡¯spany. It seems like he¡¯d be a lot of fun to hang out with. And I suppose it means I¡¯ve done it again and made a new friend. Chapter 15 ~L~ The scorching sun, resembling a rapacious despot, carelessly let loose its lethal heat upon the waves of the ocean, which was then followed by a chilling breeze from autumn. I was standing on my balcony and staring off toward the horizon as I did so. The balcony has now be my favorite spot. I stood by the balcony as the gentle breeze blew the seemingly endless dunes further and further into the distance. In the dry Ozarks, waves of hot air mingled with the seasonal chill, causing sandstorms that asionally blocked out the sun itself. These storms were caused by abination of the season¡¯s natural coolness and the hot air. As I gazed lower down, the earth took on the color and appearance of sand, which, on a nice day, I would have liked nothing better than to run my bare hands through. I heaved a sigh of relief and reached for another book to read. But as I continued to read the book to the babies, I noticed that I was beginning to feel a bit chilly, so I moved to a seat that was closer to the firece. While I continued to consume my tea and read the book, I stroked my stomach at various points throughout the procedure. I was cursing at how good the Earl Grey tea was because I knew I would be making frequent trips to the restroom tonight. My teapot was almost empty, and I was cursing at how delicious the tea was. I closed the children¡¯s book and headed up the stairs. I did not waste any time getting to bed, and I let the night take control. I let out a groan when the sound of booming thunder filled the room and lightning shed through the narrow space in the curtain. It was impossible to get any sleep because of the heavy rain that was falling. I tried everything I could think of to stay asleep while I tossed and turned in bed. Then I had the realization that I was going to get a cold soon. Since I was going to be staying by myself with no one to look after me, I made sure I took care of myself and wore warm clothing at all times. Why the rapid drop in temperature? I had to force myself to get up several times throughout the night to check to see if any of the windows were open. To my surprise, I found that all the windows were open; nevertheless, the rain was able to keep out of the house. I was so irresponsible that I wanted to curse myself. My entire body began to shake, and I found myself beginning to back down a little bit. I tried to get back to sleep, but my body wasn¡¯t producing enough heat. I sighed deeply and walked over to the firece, where I wrapped myself in a nket. I positioned myself on the couch so that I was somewhat near the firece. The memories that I desperately tried to block out came rushing back to me like the torrential downpour that was urring outside. I didn¡¯t know what was wrong, but all of a sudden, I started crying. Why am I torturing myself in this way? I made a pact with myself that I wouldn¡¯t cry over someone who didn¡¯t appreciate me, and I intend to keep that promise. Why am I crying at this moment? As I stroked my stomach, the realization that I waspletely by myself rushed through my head. I was alone, and no one was there to assist me or look out for my well-being. I am currently ill, but no one is avable to help me. I just have myself to rely on. I couldn¡¯t stop the tears from streaming down my face. I didn¡¯t give it much thought before pulling out my phone and calling Dante. I hid the caller ID. However, it came as a surprise that he picked. Dante: Hello! I was just speechless. This is beyond what I can handle. Should I tell him I¡¯m pregnant? Should I remind him of the promise he broke? Should I inquire whether or not he has eaten yet? Can I tell him I¡¯m not well? I was having a lot of things go through my head, and it was getting to the point where I couldn¡¯t even breathe properly. Dante: Hello! The only thing I did was listen as the other person continued to greet me. But I am sure that they could hear my sobs. They were out of it, but if you listened closely, you could make out that the other person was crying their eyes out. After that, all of a sudden, he called my name. Dante: L, L, is that you? I was unable to respond to him, so I ended the call instead. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll bother to call back. It¡¯s likely that he dropped the phone on the floor and shattered it. There are simply a lot of things that haven¡¯t been spoken about between the two of us. Broken promises and treachery, I¡¯m no better. I escaped with his children in tow because we wanted to preserve peace. While I was carrying his children, it was unbearable for me to watch him with Candice because I was the one who was carrying his children. I was unable to, and I was aware that this was the penalty I had to pay for not being able to say no. A penalty that I had to pay for being a selfless person. I flung the phone on the couch and immediately started crying. My stuffy nose was made worse by sobbing, and my sobs made my cold symptoms even worse. I am unable to contact anyone for assistance. I couldn¡¯t move. My body suddenly grew heavy. What may be causing me to feel this way? Although I am currently situated in close proximity to a firece and, hence, ought to be feeling better, I ampletely paralyzed right now. I waspletely at a loss for what to do. My forehead was soaked with sweat at this point. Who do I call? I can¡¯t call Dante. I tried to reach out to my phone again, but I failed. I kicked myself for not thinking about asking Mason for his phone number. I couldn¡¯t anymore, so I gave in to sleep. ~Mason¡¯s POV~ I have no idea what is going on, but one thing is certain: I am not a fool. I can perceive L¡¯s feelings of loss through her eyes. I just want to be friends with her, and I don¡¯t think it would be cool at all for me to ask her about what urred between her and her husband. But I have faith that she will eventually let her guard down. She seems to be a kind and interesting person who has a tale to tell. I went to the kitchen and made some soup. Because it is so chilly today, a bowl of soup will have to do. Although I was preupied with serving myself the soup, I couldn¡¯t help but think of my sneaky little helper. I took a food warmer and a dish out for her, then headed out and drove to her house. The gate was open. I suppose that she did not remember to lock it before driving in. However, as I was pulling my vehicle into the parking lot, I noticed that my sister had also pulled in. How did June know L? I exited the vehicle and walked toward her. ¡°June, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I came to see L. I had been calling her, and she was not picking up, so I was worried that she lived alone.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve met L?¡± ¡°When we met, she was at the mall doing some shopping, so I knew she was new in town, and we immediately exchanged telephone numbers. Because she is pregnant and lives alone, I became concerned when she did not answer the phone when I contacted her.¡± ¡°Well, I came to drop this off for her. Let¡¯s head in.¡± June and I headed toward the door. We rang the doorbell a couple of times, but no one answered. Even June tried to get in touch with her via phone, but she did not pick up her phone. I was forced to take drastic action and smash the door in. I gave the door a few good kicks, and it eventually opened. June and I went inside together. The house was huge, and we didn¡¯t even know where to start looking for her. I¡¯m confused as to why she would get such a big house for only herself to live in. Because the property contained arge number of bedrooms, we were forced to break apart in order to search in all of the different areas. After our search, we were unable to locate her, and we began to question whether or not it was appropriate for us to break into her home. But then we noticed that the firece was lit, and as we drew closer, we saw that L was perspiring heavily while sitting on one of the chairs, which indicated that she had a fever that was rather high. I used one of the nkets to wrap her up, and then I took her to the nearest hospital.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Where the fuck is her husband? Her ring looks very expensive. The cost of the home she purchased is significant. The cost of the vehicle she is driving is significant. Why on earth would her husband want to leave her all by herself when she was carrying not one but three babies? Does the man even know the whereabouts of his wife? Is L running away from someone? Is she running away from her husband? A lot of thoughts are going through my mind. I don¡¯t know if I should protect her or ask her what¡¯s going on. But it is all too soon. Will I be in trouble for caring for her? L looks harmless. I will have to get her to tell me her story because she can¡¯t continue to stay alone in her condition. Chapter 16 ~L~ I turned my head to look outside the window. In addition to the heavy rain that was falling, the wind was howling, and then a violent bolt of lightning suddenly erupted in the sky. The weather was bing increasingly dangerous. I sat up and pulled the nket over my head. I had the impression that I wasn¡¯t the only one in the room. I whirled around to face two of my new friends. I turned my head in every direction. I was in bed, but not mine. I looked at the two people who were busy examining me as though they were all doctors. Even though my mouth was parched, I was still able to speak. ¡°Where am I, and how did I get here?¡± ¡°What time is it?¡± Why is June here? Where am I really? As I continued to examine my surroundings, I realized that I was not in a hospital but rather in a house that was not mine.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°My house,¡± Mason announced at longst. Why am I dressed like this, and how did he get into my house in the first ce? Who took off my clothes? I nced at the clothes I was wearing while giving Mason a dubious look. On the other hand, June¡¯s response came rather quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I changed you. Why did you move to Ozark, and why are you staying in that big house alone? We know you have money because you purchased that house, your expensive wedding ring, and, of course, you drive an expensive car. We are not in a position to pass judgment on you. We just want to know what is going on with you. If we didn¡¯t care, we met a woman at the mall. Anything could have happened to you today. But my brother and I are not like that. We check on people every time as though they were our patients.¡± As I looked at the two of them, I couldn¡¯t help but feel defeated. I¡¯m not sure how I feel about talking to other people about the challenges I¡¯m facing. I¡¯ve always been one to listen to people¡¯s problems, but never once have I ever told anyone my problems except for Dante. Of course, I never told him how I felt or that I was still clinging to the promise that we made to each other 16 years ago. I never told him either of those things. I waited for him to tell me he felt the same way. Unconsciously, tears started rolling down my cheeks, and I immediately broke down and started bawling uncontrobly. ¡°I¡­ I just don¡¯t want any of it. I just want to put the whole thing behind me. The promises, everything I want-none of it. I just want to live peacefully. Is that too much to ask?¡± I broke down in tears,pletely oblivious to the fact that I was sobbing in the presence of two people I had only just met. I am aware that they have a lot of questions, but I am still undecided about whether I want to talk about the stupid promise that I have been clinging to for the past 16 years. I acted both foolishly and stupidly at the same time. June made her way over to where I was sitting and gave me a hug. The important question is, to what extent am I able to be open about Dante and myself? ¡°Shush; we didn¡¯t mean to be nosy. We are just worried that you are alone and pregnant. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to talk about it. We do understand.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just that I have never talked about me and my husband to anyone.¡± I wiped my eyes and then continued, ¡°When we were younger, we were inseparable. When I was nine years old, we started hanging out together, and we quickly made a lot of promises to each other. You are right, I ran away, and yes, I ran away from my husband, who is also my best friend. I ended up marrying a man who was alreadymitted to another woman. It was torture for me to see him with the person he loves while I was pregnant with our child, and I didn¡¯t even tell him I was expecting. When I found out, I was messed up, and when I found out there were three, I had to make a choice, and this is my choice. This ce, this life, is my choice.¡± Surprisingly, they didn¡¯t judge me. All they did was hug me until I felt better. I have never once shared my story with anyone, and, of course, I told them half the truth. I feel bad, but this is what they need to know for now. I took a look at the clothes that I was currently donning. They belonged to the Masons. I really don¡¯t like to inconvenience people, and what I¡¯m doing right now isn¡¯t right. It¡¯s possible that I was making Dante¡¯s life more difficult without even realizing it. I¡¯m wearing Mason¡¯s clothes, and they¡¯re taking care of me. I believe they have their own problems. Mason came back into the room carrying a bowl of soup just as I was about to start speaking. ¡°Take this and drink it. You will benefit from it. I¡¯ve just finished checking in on the children. They will not be impacted in any way, but L, I deem it necessary to warn you. You are pregnant, and now you have four people to worry about. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. You need to stay warm, and by that, I mean dress warmly, and L, you can¡¯t stay alone. You can hire a cook or something. Maybe a cleaner, a cook, or a cleaner can at least keep an eye on you. What if June and I didn¡¯t show up at your house today? What could have happened?¡± I took a nce at them. They had a valid point. After that, I turned around and looked embarrassed. I drank the soup. ¡°I should get going,¡± I remarked as I got up from bed. I tucked the hair behind my ear to keep it out of the way. I took a brief pause before continuing, ¡°Thank you, guys, for everything.¡± I hastened to the door, opened it, and saw that it was still raining, despite the fact that I had not given them the opportunity to say anything. ¡°I¡¯ll drive you,¡± June said. I didn¡¯t say anything; all I did was nod in her direction. We walked to June¡¯s car. While she was driving, she kept her gaze on me. I knew she had something to say. We drove to mypound, and the car finally came to a halt. ¡°You know, we are just trying to help, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°L, it is not a bad thing to ask for help, and it is not a bad thing to let other people help you either. I know you might have been used to doing things by yourself. But you can¡¯t be as selfless as you were with your husband right now because this isn¡¯t the right time for it. I am so sorry I am bringing him into the picture, but we are not him. We are concerned about you, but more importantly, we are concerned about the three children who are developing inside of you. So stop shutting us out. We just want to help. If not for you, then for the children that you are carrying, please. It is inappropriate for you to ask to leave while the rain ising down in sheets like this. Since you are an adult, there is nothing we can do to stop you. However, next time, keep your children in mind. I¡¯ve got a little girl. She is everything to me, and I would give my life for hers. But I also allowed other people to help me. I had a one-night stand with her father, and when I woke up the next morning, he was already engaged to be married. Do you have any idea how that affected my mood? I felt like a slut. I had sexual rtions with a man about whom I knew nothing, and it turned out that he was about to get married. I gave birth to my daughter, but I still haven¡¯t told him about her. To this day, I haven¡¯t told him about my daughter. I see him with his wife every time. It was entirely up to me, L. I have some understanding of what you are going through. Please do not exclude us. I went through it alone, but I don¡¯t want you to go through the same thing I went through by yourself, L. Fuck. What am I saying, still going through this? It is not a simple task. It is going to get more difficult over time, and you might feel like giving up. Stop acting so tough when in reality you are the one who is constantly crumbling.¡± After giving her a look, I noticed that she had tears in her eyes. I suddenly broke down in tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t even form a sentence. ¡°Shhhh, I understand. Mason is my brother, and I know him very well. It has bothered him that you left without letting him check out everything first. When you¡¯re feeling better, you should talk to him.¡± I nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s get you inside, and L, cheer up; you¡¯ve got this. You can do this. I believe in you, mama.¡± Chapter 17 ~Dante~ The search for L has not shown any positive results so far. It seems as though the entire universe is conspiring against me. I lied to her and failed to keep my vow to be hers even after we were married. I looked at the time, and it was getting close to lunch. I arranged my table. When I turned around, I heard that someone had knocked on the door. ¡°Come in!¡± I ordered. Then the woman who was responsible for my plight walked in. ¡°Hey, babe, I reserved a table for us at your favorite restaurant.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°Mike¡¯s.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not my favorite restaurant. What made you think it was my favorite?¡± ¡°Dante, I don¡¯t know anything about you.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°That¡¯s because you are not my wife. I said, making sure to stare her in the eye the entire time. ¡°Dante, can you please tell me the truth?¡± ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°Did you sleep with L behind my back?¡± ¡°Am I obligated to give you a report every time I make love to my wife?¡± ¡°Dante!¡± ¡°In case you were wondering, the answer is neither once nor twice. L is my wife, and I can sleep with her as many times as I want. Do you have a problem with that?¡± I noticed that she was trembling all over, including her head. I couldn¡¯t care less. After that, she got up and left my office. Twice I tried to marry her, even though it wasn¡¯t out of love. She didn¡¯t show up. Why should I worry about what she¡¯s going through emotionally? The only person to whom I owe an apology is my wife, L, but then I don¡¯t know where L is. She left and took precautions to prevent me from following her trail. I shouldn¡¯t be feeling sorry for myself, but L didn¡¯t deserve to be treated the way I did. When I told her we couldn¡¯t be after taking her innocence, her dreams were probably shattered at that point. I walked into a restaurant, ordered, and waited. If you ask me, I could really use some alcohol right about now. My life is a total shambles. The entire time, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Candice is partially to me, but I should take most of the responsibility for this mess. I knew how I felt but kept doing all the wrong things. I would be fucking Candice and call L¡¯s name, but she would act like she didn¡¯t know what I was doing. Candice had no doubt from the beginning that L held a special ce in my heart. She neverined about my calling her L while fucking her. Come to think of it, why would she ask me if I have ever fucked L if each time I fucked her I would call her L? My food arrived. While my thoughts were still all over the ce, I went ahead and ate. If Candice knew that I wanted L, why did she continue to fuck me? I¡¯m not going to bring up the ridiculous idea that I should have married her because the marriage was headed in the wrong direction. Did she flee because she was threatened by my feelings for L, or did she have another motive? After all, it is not just Candice who is to me; it is also me. Despite the fact that I had a clear idea of what I wanted from the beginning and who I really wanted to be with, I kept sleeping with the wrong woman. Perhaps I should offer an apology to Candice after all. ~Candice~ Dante has been mine from the beginning, and the idea that I could one day have to give him up to her never crossed my mind. Even though Dante was unable to express his feelings for L, I had no doubt from the beginning of our rtionship that he did love her more than he loved me. I had the choice to toss L away from his life, but I ran away because I was not ready to settle. Each time we made out, Dante would call me L. He had never once called me by my name. However, I was so stupid to think that since I befriended L, he would just fancy her. How many times did they do it while I was looking the other way? Why did that piece of trash L betray me, and why the fuck would Dante want to remain married to her? I mean, I ept that they slept together, but while I was here for him, she ran away like a scared little kitten. L is just a naive, foolish girl. Did she ever consider the possibility that she could have Dante? I will make sure he forgets about her. I would eliminate her from his lifepletely as if she had never been there. But even if I did, am I sure that I would want to be with Dante? As soon as L left, his mother started hating me. That woman seemed to know about L¡¯s whereabouts. Anyway, the most important thing for me to work on right now is getting Dante to stop thinking about L so that he can give me a chance. I quickly packed everything up, and then I headed over to Dante¡¯s ce. When I arrived, his annoying helpers were around. I walked to the guest room that he had provided for me in the past. On my way, I stopped at his room, the room he had never shared with me but only shared with L. L seems to know everything, while I know nothing. This is a room that he has never allowed me to ess. I touched the doorknob and tried to get in, but it was locked. L, I will make Dante forget all about you. After that, I decided to freshen up in the shower. After that, I went back downstairs to wait for Dante. My ruby-red nightgown, which was made of silk, looked stunning on me. The helpers ced the food on the table while I waited to surprise Dante tonight. After waiting for an hour, the front door suddenly burst open, and there before me stood the man I intended to consume tonight. I climbed to my feet and gave him a friendly grin. ¡°Wee babe!¡± I realized that his other hand was tugging on something inside-not just something, but someone-which resulted in the exposure of a woman who appeared to be the same age as me. ¡°Who is this?¡± He red at the woman while smiling, then gave me a scornful nce before looking back at me. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that, cupcake. It seems like my ex-girlfriend didn¡¯t catch the message.¡± He said this to the woman he was with and turned to call one of the helpers to lead thedy to one of the guest rooms, and I was left there dumbfounded in my silky red dress. He was leaving me. ¡°Care to exin, Dante?¡± I inquired, despite the fact that I was on the verge of crying. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know I hadpany. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I came here for you and me to fix our rtionship. This is no longer healthy, Dante. We need to fix this. You can¡¯t bring women home while I am your girlfriend.¡± I yelled at him, telling him he couldn¡¯t treat me like that. ¡°Candice, I am truly sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you, but before I do, I need to rify something. I mistook myself for being someone who loved you when, in reality, I never did. I was preupied with avoiding my emotions as well as the things that I had always desired. L has always been someone I¡¯ve desired, and I¡¯ve always had feelings for her. I have never loved you. I wish for this toe to an end. This is whatever is going on between us. You don¡¯t love me, and I don¡¯t love you. This is not love. I don¡¯t want you toe here anymore. I don¡¯t want to waste your time, and you waste mine. I¡¯m so sorry for calling L¡¯s name all the time when we make out. You have always known, but you have pretended not to know; this must end.¡± My world came crashing down right in front of me. I didn¡¯t know what I wanted from the beginning, but now that things areing to an end between us, I know what I want. I am certain that I love him. Perhaps I have always had feelings for him. But why is it that I just can¡¯t get him out of my mind? Or is it possible that I have always had a thing for Dante? Chapter 18 ~L~ As I opened the entrance to the porch and stepped outside, I could hear the sound of raindrops pattering down on the emerald grass in front of my home and the vegetable garden. I headed to my flower shop, parked my car outside the shop, and rushed inside. ¡°Good morning, L.¡± Matthew, my assistant, says. ¡°Morning, Matthew. How are you doing today?¡± ¡°Great, thanks.¡± ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Monroe.¡± My receptionist says. ¡°Morning, Carol. Any orders for today?¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Monroe, we have two weddings to cover this weekend.¡± I made a silly expression because I had no idea if there were going to be enough flowers for the two weddings. ¡°Do we have enough flowers?¡± She gave a slight shrug in response. I made my way to the garden at the back of the flower shop. I took a step outside and saw that the shop¡¯s flowers and the gorgeous blossoming foliage all around it were still being sprinkled by the gentle rain that had been falling. I spent months nursing these flowers. I smiled as the flowers were well groomed, and I was confident that we would have enough for the two weddings. I turned around, a grin appearing on my face, and I shut the door behind me. ¡°We will have enough for the two weddings. I just need to make a few calls.¡± Carol shed a grin and volunteered to make the calls. ¡°Mrs. Monroe, I¡¯ll make the calls. You have an appointment with Dr. ckwood today at 11:00 a. m.¡± I muttered an expletive under my breath. It was already 10:30 a. m. ¡°What would I have done without you, Carol? Thank you. I need to exercise. I would have to walk to the hospital.¡± ¡°Are you sure, Mrs. Monroe?¡± I smiled. After leaving the shop, I took a few moments to look around the area surrounding it, as well as the patch of grass that was stationed outside. I opened my umbre as I stood on the ledge of the shop¡¯s front porch and watched the rain fall. I make a hasty exit onto the driveway and immediately start walking in the direction of the hospital. After what seemed like 15 minutes of walking and rounding the corner of the street, I finally caught sight of the hospital, and I heaved a sigh of relief as I exhaled deeply. As I started walking toward the door, a smile appeared on my face. However, as I progressed, the rain became steadily more intense, and my feet were unable to carry me as rapidly as I would have liked. I sighed and reminded myself that I couldn¡¯t be any faster than I used to be. I was now pregnant and carrying three beautiful little souls. I squeezed the handle of the umbre more tightly to protect myself from the onught of the rain. I finally made it to the entrance and smiled as I climbed the stairs, heading towards Mason¡¯s office. It seemed like Mason was busy today, so I decided to wait outside until I was called. After sitting outside for 10 minutes with no sign of him, I decided to walk to the reception area to collect my file. ¡°Morning, Mrs. Monroe. How can I help you today?¡± Says thedy at the front desk. I gave her a friendly grin and a response while simultaneously looking at her name tag because I had no idea who she was and didn¡¯t want toe across as impolite given that she already knew who I was. ¡°Morning Lexie, I¡¯m here to see Dr. ckwood. It¡¯s like he¡¯s busy, so I decided to collect the file myself.¡± ¡°That is extremely thoughtful of you, Mrs. Monroe. Let me retrieve your file.¡± She left and came back with my file, handing it to me. ¡°Um, Mrs. Monroe, I was wondering when I would get to visit Mr. Monroe. You alwayse to do the checkups alone.¡± I felt really offended. Why is it that people can¡¯t just stay out of other people¡¯s business? I managed to fake a smile. ¡°Oh, Lexie, my husband is a busy man, and he¡¯s always traveling. It might take forever till you meet him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mrs. Monroe, but your husband must be a loaded man. I mean, you are currently driving the most expensive car in Ozark. No one evenes close to the kind of car you drive.¡± I muttered an expletive under my breath before responding with a friendly smile. I mean, who checks things like that? ¡°I guess I¡¯m lucky after all. I¡¯ll get going.¡± I sighed and left. I was getting closer to Mason¡¯s office when a woman came out and heard him yelling.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Next!¡± I entered the room and saw him checking his wristwatch. He cleared his throat. ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Monroe.¡± That is not a name that Mason ever calls me; he invariably refers to me as L. I¡¯m not sure why he¡¯s calling me Mrs. Monroe today. Aargh, the other day. I regained myposure and went with the flow. ¡°Good morning, Dr. ckwood,¡± I said. I saw him cast a short nce in my direction before returning his attention to the document he was carrying. This is very awkward. I folded my umbre and set it against the wall. ¡°Your file, please.¡± He said, and I handed him my file. He signaled for me to lie down, and I did. He moved closer to me and gently tugged at the bottom of my shirt. I let a nervous breath out and then closed my eyes as I tried to calm down. One of the babies kicked in response to the prickling feeling created by the cold ultrasound gel being moved around my stomach. I gave Mason a grin and looked at him, but his attention waspletely focused on the monitor that was in front of him. He looked at the monitor with so much concentration all over his face, but then I felt so offended and almost cried, as it was unlike him. He pays attention to each and every detail and makes jokes when there are little kicksing from my babies. Mason, avoiding me like this makes me want to cry. I averted my gaze in an attempt to stifle the tears that were welling up in my eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve been taking the prescribed medications as instructed, and everything seems perfect.¡± He did not even spare a nce in my direction as he spoke while his attention was fixed on the screen. I didn¡¯t trust my voice to speak because I was afraid that the knot in my throat would untie and the tears woulde pouring out. Instead, I just nodded my head. I have been holding back my tears since Dr. ckwood decided to avoid everything about me. I had the sensation that my brain was going to explode, and I felt really weak. I went to bedst night with high hopes for today, but right now I¡¯m starting to wonder if anything will go ording to n. My eyes started to swell and redden a bit, making me look so pathetic and more like a crybaby. ¡°Has there been anything else than nausea that you¡¯ve been feeling?¡± ¡°It stopped.¡± I had to remind him. ¡°I see. Take two of these a day and try to stay off your feet.¡± I took the drug and nodded. ¡°That would be it for today. You may leave.¡± I stared at the drugs in my palms and nodded once more, fixing my dress, collecting my umbre, and holding the doorknob. ¡°Mrs. Monroe, did you drive here?¡± I gave a little shake of my head and then opened the door. I regret ever deciding to walk to the hospital. I stood outside with my umbre. I wasn¡¯t wearing anything too warm as I was feeling a little hot today, but I started to feel cold. The rain was now stronger, and the temperature at my feet seemed to be below freezing. Shit! This is not good. I turn my umbre so that it faces the direction that the chilly rain ising from, but I can¡¯t help but groan as it does very little to protect me from the onught of precipitation. I closed my eyes and took out my phone, trying to call Carol, but a hand yanked me back. ¡°Come, let me take you home.¡± When I looked up, I noticed that Mason was standing right next to me with his own umbre. I didn¡¯t urge him. He opened the door for me. I went inside, and he walked around and went behind the wheel. He drove me home. He entered mypound, and his car came to a halt. I held the door open but couldn¡¯t walk out. The tension that exists between us is not good for either of us. I mmed the door and let out a groan. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was low, but I¡¯m sure he heard me. He ces his index and thumb on my chin, making me face him. After that, he let out a long sigh. ¡°Listen, L, I know you just moved to this area, but when I say I have a friend, I check on my friends all the time. Anything could have happened that day. I know we just met, but listen. Stop acting so strong. It is not a weakness to ept assistance from others. The actions you took on that day were inappropriate. I wasn¡¯t even done checking on you or the babies. What type of doctor do you think I am? I was not happy with what you did. I am not your husband; I am Mason, your friend, and your doctor.¡± ¡°I know I was a pussy, okay! I am sorry. It¡¯s hard for me. I was wrong, and I won¡¯t do it again. Mason, can you stop giving me the cold shoulder?¡± He let out a sigh and then nodded. ¡°Get inside; take a shower. I saw your car parked at your shop. I can bring it to you after work. Get some rest and stay warm. Don¡¯t go out! Doctor¡¯s order.¡± I gave him a friendly grin and then went inside to take a hot shower. Chapter 19 ~L~ When he dropped his face near mine, I experienced shivers in my stomach, and my breath stuck in the back of my throat. When his mouth came into contact with mine, the heat was immediately unleashed. I found bliss as his tongue glided between my lips. My heart raced against the inside of my ribcage, and tremors formed over my skin. Bumblebees flitted over my gut like crazy. My entire being sensed his pration. His kiss set the ze aze. My body was passionate in ways I¡¯ll never understand. Our chemistry is unmistakable. His hands moved in circles against my clit. I groaned aloud. I was floating on cloud nine. I wished to have him inside of me. ¡°Dante, please!¡± I pleaded. Then something stung me, and I screamed, ¡°Dante!¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. I woke up like a zombie. I examined my surroundings just toe face-to-face with my mother. She was tapping her foot against the floor with one of her legs. ¡°It¡¯s a dream, isn¡¯t it? Why would Mother be here?¡± I burst outughing like a crazy woman. After that, I could hear her talking. ¡°Are you done?¡± I angled my face in her direction and rubbed my eyes with both of my hands. I must be dreaming. Is it possible that Dante has tracked me down? No, no, no, he can¡¯t find me. ¡°Did you think you could run away from me, L?¡± ¡°Mother!¡± I sprung from my bed and hugged her. It¡¯s been awful for thest three months. It was all about me going to my flower shop and returning home. I opted to keep a low profile, not establishing any business that might bring me into contact with Dante. Yes, he is the love of my life. She grinned as she nced at me again. I hadpletely forgotten that her finding me meant Dante would find me. Then reality strikes. I dashed into the closet and began packing. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked. ¡°Dante is thest person I want to see. I can¡¯t see him.¡± I said in between pants. I was barely able to speak without being suffocated by my own breath. ¡°L!¡± I wanted to flee when she yelled. ¡°L!¡± she yelled once more, her two hands sping my shoulders. ¡°Look at me. What happened to the mother-daughter bond of trust? Do you have second thoughts about believing me?¡± I dropped my luggage on the floor after she shook me. I began sobbing like a scared little kitten. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± I told her as I continued to cry. I copsed to the floor, and she did the same. As we were all on the floor with me sobbing, she continued to pet my back. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the pregnancy, but I¡¯ve been an emotional bitchtely. Matthew always sends me home from work. He is a man in his forties with a family. He¡¯s always there to listen to me and console me when I unexpectedly weep. If you ask me, I have no idea. In thest few months, I have been crying all the time. I almost pushed Mason and June away. I dabbed away my tears. She brushed my hair back and wedged it behind my ear. She cupped my face in her two hands and kissed the bridge of my nose. She continued wiping away my tears. Afterward, she helped me to my feet and seated me on the edge of the bed while she sat next to me. ¡°Dante doesn¡¯t know anything, and I was careful enough when tracking you down. I knew exactly where you were going the week you departed. It only took me some time to figure out where in Ozark you were. Although it is a small town, I was unaware you were so close. I was purchasing flowers yesterday and noticed your photograph in the shop. I asked a gentleman named Matthew if that was L, and he confirmed it. After three hours, I saw someone driving a car that was registered in your name, and I followed the car, which led me here to you. Then I went into the hotel to retrieve my belongings. Perhaps you were too exhausted, but your door was unlocked, and therefore I assisted myself and rested.¡± ¡°Is Dante all right?¡± She sighed as she stared at me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell him?¡± ¡°He told me that we could never be together and that he was already with Candice. Informing him of my pregnancy would only exacerbate the situation. I didn¡¯t want him to think I was using the pregnancy to be with him instead of the one he loved, Candice. I considered abortion, but thest time I visited Emily, she told me that they were three. I couldn¡¯t abort them. I knew immediately that I needed to protect them from Dante and Candice.¡± ¡°To be honest, if you ask me, you made the correct decision. Both of them are unworthy of you. And drama is something you should avoid. I was certain that you and Dante did something on your wedding night, and I also saw you puking a few times. You became pallid a month after the incident. I had a feeling, but I assumed I would be the first to learn about your pregnancy. I had to threaten Emily in order to coerce her into telling me. Don¡¯t worry, Dante will not track you down. He is aplete disaster at the moment. He has been on the lookout for you as well. L, you¡¯ve seeded in making him cry for the first time in his life. But, you are wrong, Dante doesn¡¯t love Candice, he loves you.¡± It made me sad to learn that Dante had wept because of me. How will he react when he discovers that I fled with his children? Is he going to sue me? Will our friendshipe to an end? Even though it aches, I¡¯m no longer concerned about his love. Even if it hurts, will he ept my children if he discovers that we produced souls that night? He is free to reject me. I couldn¡¯t care less, but his rejecting my children would be like a sword piercing through my heart. He had already told me that we could not work, which I epted. The divorce decree, I didn¡¯t submit it. ¡°I¡¯m simply not interested in drama in my life, mama. I need to submit our divorce papers so that we can finally let go.¡± I opened the drawer to retrieve the papers. ¡°You are not going to do such a thing! Please hand over the divorce papers to me. I am not going to coerce you into being with him. That is all up to you. However, if you sign these documents and give birth to your children, what will you name them? Do you want people to think you have children outside of marriage? Will a man easily ept you with three children? It¡¯s three, not two, L. You are not divorcing Dante; instead, you will give his surname to your children. Following that, if you desire a divorce, you may proceed. You are a married woman who did not be pregnant out of wedlock. She snatched up the divorce papers. Now, I noticed you were living by yourself, which is not safe. Thedy will look after you. I¡¯ll be dropping by once a week to see how you¡¯re doing. Not to worry; no one knows where I am. Additionally, I will ensure that yours is not traceable. Dante is my son, but he needs to grow up. Come with me; I prepared breakfast prior to stepping on you while dreaming about Dante.¡± My cheeks turned crimson with embarrassment. I¡¯m grateful I didn¡¯t touch myself. She had only just heard his name. Can I truly rely on Dante¡¯s mother when ites to the divorce papers? As we passed the firece, she tossed the divorce papers into the mes. ¡°There isn¡¯t going to be a divorce.¡± I stood there in shock, staring at her. ¡°Do you have any problems with this n?¡± I shook my head, and Martha continued, ¡°Good!¡± As we walked, it seemed as if the house belonged to her. The woman she hired was preupied with bringing baby items into the house. ¡°Can you tell me what time it is?¡± She replied, looking at her wristwatch, and said, ¡°3:00 PM.¡± I have never slept so soundly in my entire life. I followed her up. I was in awe as she opened the door. The children¡¯s room waspleted and painted, but I could still smell the faint smell of paint. It was just stunning. ¡°Thus, Evelyn would be in charge of the house, while Ruth would be in charge of your cooking. I¡¯m returning tomorrow to avoid raising suspicions.¡± Even though she seemed adamant when I looked at her, I wondered whether there was still hope for Dante and me. He told me we couldn¡¯t be together, and it hurts knowing that all the promises were for nothing, that it was just a one-sided love. Did she really mean it? Is he on the lookout for me as a friend or as a wife? Chapter 20 ~L~ I made myself some tea and went to my favorite spot, the balcony. I looked up at the sky, and I was disappointed that there were no stars. The only thing I could see was a thick and heavy-looking cloud. ¡°It¡¯s going to rain tonight,¡± I mumbled to myself, and I walked back inside. Last month, I started antenatal sses. It was fun to actually learn how to change diapers and how to hold a baby properly. I took out my phone, checked the time, and started to hear the sound of rain outside. It has been nice to have people around. Evelyn and Ruth are the best. ¡°Ma¡¯am, if you wouldn¡¯t like anything tonight, I would like to go to bed early tonight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Evelyn; go rest. You need it.¡± I looked at the time and decided to go to sleep too since I¡¯m going to antenatal sses tomorrow. The morning sun poured in through the gaps in the curtains. I groaned and woke up. Heading straight to the bathroom, I took a shower, dressed, and headed downstairs. Breakfast was ready, so I sat down and started eating. After eating, I headed to the sses. I arrived five minuteste, and all eyes were on me as I walked in. They looked at me as though there was something wrong with me. I started to doubt myself. I was convinced there was something wrong with my face, clothes, or hair; otherwise, why would everyone, including the woman in charge of these antenatal sses, be staring at me? I checked my clothes and didn¡¯t see any embarrassing stains or marks. My hand immediately went to my hair, then my face, to make sure nothing was wrong. I wanted to be sure nothing was sticking out. After essing myself, I didn¡¯t feel anything strange on my face or clothing, but why the stares? I went over to take my spot. Then I started to hear people whispering. ¡°She¡¯s alone again today. Where is her husband?¡± said one of the women, and I could tell her husband was even bored. ¡°Oh my God, don¡¯t tell me she is carrying a bastard. Pregnant out of wedlock.¡± The other one spoke as her hand flew to her mouth. ¡°Ladies, don¡¯t you think you are being too much right now? How can you call a child a bastard? Besides, Mrs. Monroe is wearing a ring,¡± she said, but I couldn¡¯t miss her smirk. ¡°I bet she bought that ring. She has no husband.¡± They all startedughing. I felt like pouring, but then I saw Mason walking in, and he took a stand beside me. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡± I looked at him, not sure if I should thank him or ask him to leave because I do not want these people to think my babies are Mason¡¯s babies. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He leaned close to me and whispered. ¡°I knew you would be here today, and people in this town talk way too much, and I know before you walk out of here you will be crying.¡± I looked at him with my already bloodshot eyes and smiled. ¡°Thank you. Do I have something on my face, my hair, my clothes?¡± Mason looked at me and just smiled. ¡°You look perfectly amazing, the hottest pregnant mama I¡¯ve ever met.¡± How I wish he would stop making me feel better. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You wee.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that, Dr. ckwood? Wait, is she carrying Dr. ckwood¡¯s child?¡± Why can¡¯t they fucking leave me alone? Women should be supporting each other, but these women just want me to go into earlybor. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on what I was doing. After about 30 minutes, the remarks stopped. I took a deep breath and continued with the ss. Once we were done, we headed to one of the restaurants not far from my shop. ¡°So, how are you doing?¡± Without even realizing it, I started crying. Why won¡¯t everyone in this town just fucking leave me alone? Why does everyone want to know who my husband is? Is it a crime to be pregnant without a husband? Must everyone have a husband? Why do I have to go through the same crap every day? Where is your husband? Is your husband rich? Why are you driving an expensive car? Why do I have to answer everyone¡¯s curious questions? Without even realizing it, I started crying. Why won¡¯t everyone in this town just fucking leave me alone? Why does everyone want to know who my husband is? Is it a crime to be pregnant without a husband? Must everyone have a husband? Why do I have to go through the same crap every day? Where is your husband? Is your husband rich? Why are you driving an expensive car? Why do I have to answer everyone¡¯s questions about my life? ¡°Hey, hey,e here.¡± Mason hugged me and patted my back. ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± ¡°Why are people in this town so judgmental? I came here to find peace, but I¡¯ll never find it if everyone wants to know what¡¯s going on with my wife.¡± Everyone wants to know who my husband is. I am so tired.¡± ¡°Hey, look at me.¡± I turned my gaze to look at Mason. ¡°L, you are a strong, independent woman. None of those women can achieve half of what you have achieved alone. You don¡¯t need to have a husband by your side because you are strong and capable. But then, of course, if you need a husband, I can volunteer.¡± Heughed after saying that. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°L.¡± I hummed, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking since the women in the antenatal sses are too harsh on you. Why don¡¯t you ask Evelyn to train you? I mean, Evelyn has two kids, and she did a great job with them.¡± I paused. ¡°Evelyn has kids, and she¡¯s with me 24/7. What time does she get to be a mother to her kids?¡± ¡°Well, you should try her; actually, Evelyn is my cousin. She married a man my uncle never liked. They arranged a marriage for her, but she married the man she liked. One of the reasons no one knows we are rted.¡± ¡°I think I love Evelyn even more.¡± Our refreshments arrived, and Mason started telling me about his childhood. It was fun hearing about his and June¡¯s childhood. At least I didn¡¯t get to talk about Dante and me. When our food arrived, Masonughed as I ordered a bowl of noodles. As we were about to dig in, June arrived, and she started looking at my te with eyes wide open. ¡°What?¡± I asked, and she shook her head. ¡°I had a meeting with a client from New York. While we ordered all the fancy dishes, she only ordered noodles, and she ate exactly the same way as you are right now. So, me being a nosy person, I asked him why he was eating noodles, and he said he and his wife would always talk over a bowl of noodles. He looked sad when he talked about his wife.¡± For a moment, I thought she was talking about my husband, Dante, but it was not possible. Dante is in New York, and I am here in Ozark. ¡°You finally got a client for that huge hotel?¡± Mason asked. ¡°Yep, a very loaded client. If I hadn¡¯t seen a ring on his finger, I could have jumped on his boner.¡± I choked on my noodles. ¡°June!¡± Mason eximed.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°He kept going on and on about his wife, so I stopped hitting on him. If not, trust me, it¡¯s been a long since I had some.¡± I coughed uncontrobly. ¡°Is she always like this?¡± I asked, and Masonughed. ¡°Oh honey, she is worse. With a broken filter.¡± For some reason, June kept looking at me as though she was suspecting something. After our meeting, I headed home. Then Mason continued, ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long process, huh?¡± ¡°Trust me, it might take years as the current owner needs to fix the hotel, but guess what? Mr. Monroe offered the current owner money for all the costs, so even though they haven¡¯t signed, it seems pretty much like a done deal.¡± ¡°Oh wow, this buyer seems to be loaded.¡± ¡°Loaded, is an understatement. He is a God walking on the face of the earth. You should see the car he¡¯s driving. Damn, the man is so hot with no broken pocket.¡± Weughed. Having June and Mason makes my life easier. Chapter 21 ~DANTE¡¯S POV~ My search for L has been going on for more than 6 months now. I have refused to allow Candice to visit my house for nearly three months. I broke things off with Candice but the girl seemed not to get the message. I don¡¯t want her, I only want L, my wife. Candice suggested that we be friends. She kept mepany and knew when not to cross the line. I will never forget what I promised my wife. I promised her that I would be her prince as long as she remained the princess, but I fell short. I had let her down. I took her innocence and told her we couldn¡¯t work. She was the woman I married, the love of my life, but I failed our love. I didn¡¯t have sex with some fucking girl. I slept with my wife! However, like an idiot, I offended her sentiments for Candice, her girlfriend. While she was my wife, she watched me share a room with my girlfriend. She made numerous sacrifices for me, and what did I give her in return? I treated my wife as if she were a side-chick, despite the fact that she was supposed to be my main course. I¡¯ll never be able to forgive myself. My office door burst open with a thud! ¡°Hey, darling, have you found L?¡± Candice asked.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t tracked down my wife. Why are you asking?¡± ¡°When are you going to stop treating me as if I¡¯m to me for L¡¯s departure? I am your girlfriend, and L is your fr¡­¡± I had to cut her off. ¡°You¡¯re my girlfriend, and L¡¯s my wife, ording to thew. You were having an affair with your best friend¡¯s husband right in front of her. As though you were a harlot!¡± ¡°Dante!¡± she screamed. ¡°What is the harm in telling the truth? My girlfriend is you, and my wife is L. Is that something new? When we were due to go to public events together, you always had an excuse. You never showed up at any of our weddings. Do you know who was there each time you failed to appear? My wife! My wife was there for me and you at all times. Then I failed her.¡± ¡°She is not your wife; she is merely your friend, to put it mildly. I am going to marry you. The divorce papers were signed by you!¡± ¡°Even in your dreams, you will never be Mrs. Monroe. You could be Mrs. Chan, Mrs. Yang, or whatever the fuck you want to call yourself, but you will never be my wife! Get the hell out!¡± How the fuck didn¡¯t I see through her? She said she was fine being a friend, but that was clearly a lie. She still had hope that I would marry her. I scoffed at her dreams. She needs to understand her ce in my presence. If she wished to remain my girlfriend, of course, not a fucking buddy as that would screw my chances with L, it might have been hard for her to watch me and Candice while she was still holding on to our vows. Candice must not fantasize about bing my wife. There is only one woman that I love with my whole being. Lolita, my sweetheart, the love of my life. I made a terrible mistake when it came to L. I was supposed to be her brother, the man in whom she ced her greatest trust. I brush my temples. My phone rang at that very moment. Dante: Hello! Elvis: Man, I hunted her out, but I couldn¡¯t find out anything about her other than the fact that she had sold her car and her house recently. However, I do have some information about your mother. Dante: What about my mother? Is she aware of the whereabouts of my wife? Elvis: I¡¯m not sure, but she seems to be on a ne all the time, but I can¡¯t seem to find out where she is going. It¡¯s as if she doesn¡¯t want anyone to know where she¡¯s going. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s using a forged identification or what¡¯s going on. Perhaps you might ask her if she knows anything or try to follow her. There is no way to find her destination. She always leaves on Fridays andes back on Sundays, but she can¡¯t be traced. Not even the ne she took. Dante: Thank you very much, Elvis. Candice returned after the phone call. I¡¯m not sure what this woman wants from me. But I¡¯m going to show her the depths of hell. She stood in the middle of my office, staring at me as if she expected me to fuck her. She¡¯ll have to beg for it, that¡¯s for sure. When she was preupied with her Jackie Chan boyfriend, or whoever the fuck is her boyfriend, she made me lose L, and I was crushed. What did I ever see in this woman that my precious Lolita never had? I pushed her away from me. She waited for me. She even pretended to be in a rtionship when she had never been in one. She was always there for me, even when I was causing her pain. She was always there to pick me up when I fell, and I was always the one who failed her. I fucked up big time with this thing standing right in front of me. L was my staunchest supporter. We talked about everything but we were never bold enough to talk about our feelings for each other. She allowed me to cause her pain without realizing it. I had no idea she felt the same way about me until she left me. I took a peek at the woman in front of me. ¡°Can I help you?¡± ¡°Dante, do you have feelings for L?¡± To be honest, I don¡¯t fucking know how many times she asked me this question. Does she expect a different answer? I¡¯m not sure she¡¯ll appreciate the response to that question. However, since she asked, why not? ¡°Do you really want to know if I love my wife? Well, I¡¯m in love with her, and that¡¯s the reason I decided to marry her. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°And what about you?¡± She chewed the inside of her bottom lip. I detected a flicker of terror in her eyes. ¡°Can you tell me why you¡¯re with me?¡± ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not sure, but thest time I checked I told you we were over, do you remember,¡± I said, making sure it sink in her skull that there was no us. She was starting to annoy me. I continued, ¡°Given that I am married to another person, we should probably put an end to whatever was going on between us. I guess you¡¯d prefer not to be referred to as a homewrecker. I have to get back to work. Please excuse me.¡± This time I¡¯m hoping it sinks deep. I don¡¯t want her. ¡°Is it possible for me toe tonight?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at the Grand Hotel.¡± She grinned and walked away. She is never going toe to my ce, ever again. That house belongs to L and me. When I think about my wife, I go crazy. Is my mother aware of L¡¯s whereabouts? Should I start following her? Why doesn¡¯t she want to be traced? What is that woman up to? Chapter 22 ~L¡¯s POV~ Dante¡¯s mother has been visiting me and assisting me with a variety of tasks and errands. I thought I¡¯d be able to do it alone, but having her here makes all the difference. I have no idea how she does it. She has spent thest few months protecting me and her grandchildren, and it feels good to have her by my side. The children¡¯s room is now ready. But I¡¯m so tired, though. I¡¯m tired and my stomach feels like it¡¯s going to burst. I really don¡¯t want to do anything. To prepare for giving birth, Dante¡¯s mother and I have been going to antenatal sses. She hated the idea of Mason apanying me. I don¡¯t me her though. She says that Mason has feelings for me and his motives are not pure, which I personally find funny, as Mason and June are my friends and they have been helping me. I know I have just met them but Mason never gave me the idea that says, ¡®Hey L I want you.¡¯ I think all this is just in my mother¡¯s head. There are some nasty women at the antenatal sses and Mason has been of great help, but my mother woulde each time I had my sses, just to avoid Mason getting closer to me. Due to the fact that only me and my mother have been attending the sessions, everyone is curious about my husband¡¯s whereabouts now. At the time Mason was attending, no one dared to talk behind my back. I almost quit the sses because of those women. Except for me, everyone brings their spouses. That¡¯s unfortunate, but my mother has taught me that not every husband who attends those sses is delighted. Several of them werepelled to attend. I believe this is urate because several of these husbands appear restless. I don¡¯t think I have to be very concerned about what other people think about what I do or where my husband is. Today I¡¯ve been feeling a little weird. When I go to the bathroom, my pee has a thick mucus-like discharge. Then a thunderous agony struck me, and I leaped from the couch, screaming. Ruth leaped to her feet too. When she shifted her gaze towards me, her eyes went wide. It took me some time to register that my water had broken. No, no, no Mother has to be here! She had to see her grandchildren¡¯s birth. ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s the babies!¡± Ruth screamed.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be.¡± I¡¯m due next week, and Dante¡¯s mother is not here. I can¡¯t do this alone.¡± I burst into tears. To be honest, I know it¡¯s not good for the babies, but I wanted Dante¡¯s mother to be there. If Dante wasn¡¯t here, at the very least, his mother should be. I shook my head as another thunderous wave of pain mmed me through. ¡°Evelyn!¡± I overheard Ruth calling Evelyn. ¡°Bring the car, Madam is inbor.¡± I went inside the car, screaming like a child who has no idea what is going on. I was pulling my hair as if it would alleviate the pain. ¡°Breath, ma¡¯am,¡± Ruth screamed. I was constantly inhaling and exhaling, which seemed to help with the pain I was feeling. I was transferred to a private ward. Dante¡¯s mother was already there, much to my astonishment. Seeing her made me cry. She hurried over to me and wrapped her arms around me. ¡°Breath L, breathe baby, you¡¯re going to be OK.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t, Mother. It hurts so bad.¡± Then the pain struck me once more. I screamed and reached for my tummy. When I closed my eyes, I had the distinct impression that the world wasing to an end. ¡°Look at me.¡± I stared at her with a horrified expression on my face and she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to apany you into that room and hold your hand until it¡¯s all over. Do you hear what I¡¯m saying?¡± I gave a nod. ¡°Emily!¡± Mother called. ¡°How are you, L? In this game, your children defeated me. They arrived earlier than anticipated.¡± Both of usughed. I was escorted into the room, where she examined me. Mother clutched my hand while she wore a medical gown and cap. Emily and another doctor both said it was time, and I agreed with them. Mother gave me a nce. Emily instructed me to part my legs, and I nced back at mother. ¡°You are going to push, push those little Dantes out as though you are punching him in the face. Are you ready?¡± She asked, and I nodded. ¡°Now let¡¯s punch Dante in the face.¡± I gave another nod. ¡°Now, push!¡± She yelled, and I pushed. I shook my head. ¡°Punch him, L! Punch his stupid face!¡± she yelled. I clenched my teeth and pushed, then I heard a cry. ¡°It¡¯s a boy!¡± Emily yelled. I could feel my wall expanding. I locked my gaze on my mother and pushed again, tightening my grip on her hand. ¡°It¡¯s a baby boy!¡± Emily screamed once more. I¡¯m now concerned. Am I giving birth exclusively to boys? Am I not having a little sister? It was as if Mother had been able to read my thoughts. ¡°You never know, you might end up with a miniature L this time.¡± I grinned and squeezed her hand tightly. I overheard another wail. ¡°My God, my God! She is stunning!¡± ¡°She?¡± I asked and Emily gave a nod. I was the happiest mother on the. Dante¡¯s mother was the first to hold them all. Well, all of them look alike, with the exception of my little girl. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be able to tell the difference between the boys. My baby girl looks like her brothers. It¡¯s a little sad that I carried them for nine good months and they came out looking like Dante. Chapter 23 ~DANTE¡¯S POV~ I entered the grand hotel and found Candice waiting for me in one of the corners. It¡¯s more as though she¡¯s embarrassed to be seen with me. To be honest, baby girl, I¡¯m game. I know about your Jackie Chan boyfriend. ying with her would be a lot of fun. It¡¯s obvious that she adores Jackie Chan, but how did she manage to trick me? I¡¯ve now lost L. It was because of this woman that I lost her. I opted to stand in the reception area in order for her to see me and approach me. However, Candice remained immobile. I know what she is doing. She wants me to reserve a room and meet her at the elevator. Why wasn¡¯t I able to see through these activities previously? She has always acted in this manner toward me. She is adamant about not being seen with me in public, yet ims to love me. If that is the case, then I will make sure that your martial arts boyfriend sees you with me. That¡¯s a promise, and I¡¯ll keep it. I continued to pretend I didn¡¯t see her and started to nce around, and walked out of the hotel. I know she¡¯lle after me, but I don¡¯t have time for her. I noticed her sprinting for the entrance, but I asked Lev to continue driving. It may take me an eternity to locate L, but I will never love another person as much as I have loved her. What am I trying to convey? It has always been her. L was and still is my first love, but I ignored my feelings for her and ended up losing her. L, my L. I know you ran away from me, but I¡¯ll find you, Bunny! I promise. That is a promise. I glimpsed Lev¡¯s reflection in the mirror as he drove. I¡¯m sure he had something to say, but I¡¯m not sure what. ¡°Spill!¡± I roared while giving him a stern look through the mirror. ¡°Boss, you know that girl Candice is not pure. That girl appears to be somewhat wild,¡± he said, with his Russian ent. To be honest, I despise admitting it, but he is dead on. Unfortunately, it is toote for me at this point, isn¡¯t it? Where am I going to locate and apologize to my wife, L? But I do not have Candice¡¯s time. I¡¯m going to torment her for deceiving me. I returned Lev¡¯s gaze. ¡°What have you done?¡± I inquired. Lev is more than my chauffeur. He is so much more than that, but he is always looked down upon as the man who chose to drive me about. However, Lev is more than a driver. After L, I have a friend, but Lev has known about me and L for quite some time now. He has been my driver ever since I was in varsity and watched me take over our family business. I recall him telling me that he believed L was in love with me, and I informed him that he was lying. Lev had always despised Candice, using her of being a gold digger. I returned his gaze and shrieked, ¡°Lev, spill!!!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, you got me. I¡¯ve always desired to inform you, but you werepletely smitten with that blonde. I warned you she was not good, but you were focused on the sex and not on the future. That girl was never interested in marrying you. At your first wedding, she didn¡¯t show up. Your¡­.¡± I cut him off. ¡°Lev! What have you done?¡± ¡°Okay, look at this,¡± he said with his sexy Russian ent while handing over a blue file to me. I looked over the file and wasn¡¯t surprised by what I learned. ¡°She has been having a rtionship with Jiang Wang, the owner of Wang Inc. It¡¯s unsurprising that this guy answers the phone when I call her. I have a meeting with him scheduled for three days from now, and I just so happened to have a big surprise in store for my dearest Candice.¡± I knew about her martial art boyfriend but I didn¡¯t know it was him. I smiled. I arrived home and suddenly a sharp pain hit me in my lower abdomen, making it hard to walk. Lev rushed to my aide. ¡°Boss, are you okay?¡± ¡°I fucking don¡¯t know what is happening but this is fucking not pleasant. I feel like my body is being ripped apart.¡± I groaned, not knowing what was wrong with me. ¡°Boss, when my mama was pregnant with my kid sister, when she was inbor, my dad felt the same pains you are feeling now. I remember him exining how the pains are. To be sure of this, we need to set a timer.¡± What is he fucking talking about? How can a man go intobor? I couldn¡¯t even fucking lift a leg. Lev helped me, so we went into my room. Iid down and another sharp pain ripped through me. ¡°Okay boss let¡¯s see if I¡¯m right.¡± He said as he set the fucking timer, but wait. ¡°I don¡¯t fucking have a woman who is pregnant for me, Lev!¡± I yelled as another pain ripped through. This time it was stronger and I wished to just faint and forget everything. ¡°There is only one way to find out!¡± Fuck, I cursed under my breath, what is going on with me? Suddenly, I felt like my member was being split into two. I groaned once more, holding both my stomach and my cock. ¡°Boss, do you feel like your member is being split into two or maybe expanding?¡± Hell, yea! How the fuck did he know? ¡°Fuck, yes!¡± ¡°Boss, can you remember all the girls you have slept with? I mean one of them has to be pregnant.¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°You fucking with me, right?¡± I paused and looked at him, but he was dead serious, ¡°I wrap up okay. I don¡¯t want to ruin my chances with L.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s L?¡± He questioned. It¡¯s not possible. ¡°Cut it! No one is pregnant for me.¡± After what seemed like forever, the pains finally stopped. What the fuck was that? Chapter 24 Dante woke up the next morning feeling like shit. He felt like he had been hit by a train. He groaned, ring around, then walked into the bathroom to freshen up. ¡®I¡¯ll be damned if I go to work today. I fucking need a break, besides I¡¯ve been buried in my work ever since my wife left.¡¯ He mumbled that to himself. After doing his business, he headed back to bed, sleeping a little bit more. Dante walked into his study immediately after he woke up. He massaged his eyes as he stared at the heap of documents on his desk. It had been a tough day for him, made more difficult by his inability to locate L. He missed her, and he was fully aware that her departure was entirely his fault. He checked the clock after checking over some paperwork. It was already 1:00 a. m. He rose from his desk, winced at his backache, and walked out of his office. He proceeded directly to his room. He was ready to shower when thoughts of L making love to him for the final time shed through his head. He shook his head and tried to clear the memories of her. How soft her skin was against his. The noises she made when he was inside her. The way her kiss made him feel, her giggles as he teased her, her moans. The way his hands cupped her butt¡¯s cheeks and the way she always leaves him craving for more. He went insane. He needed a truce. At that very moment, he sumbed to an act he had sworn himself he would never perform. He picked up hisptop, crawled to his bed, and sat up against the headboard, his head against it. Since Dante married L, he has installed CCTV in her chamber. Each area of L¡¯s room was equipped with a camera. He pressed his fingers firmly against the keyboard. He pressed the enter key while closing his eyes. He noticed her arriving home from work, tossing her bag onto the bed, and removing her shoes. She made her way to the restroom. Dante was now debating whether or not he should watch her take her bath, but L emerged from the bathroom and began stripping off her clothing. Dante felt the familiar stirring in his crotch, and he smiled as he was about to jerk off, watching L. Despite his best efforts, his crotch was moring for freedom. He brought the video to a halt and let go of his rod. He then returned to his original location and clicked y once more. Just gazing at L alone, Dante, was already hard. He sat there as L took off her top and pencil skirt. She turned to theundry basket and tossed the garments in. She reappeared, dressed in a red thong and a red bra. This made Dante even harder. She removed her bra, leaving her firm round breast free, and Dante groaned and rubbed his shoulders in frustration. He clenched his jaw. He gazed at her stunning breasts, and his cock bulged in anticipation of his attention. L entered the bathroom, and Dante stood there watching her clean her teeth. He panned the camera and his gaze was now fixed on her breast. As he watched her boobs sway back and forth, he began stroking himself. He grimaced and began reviewing the CCTV date. It was a week after he had taken her virginity. He stood there and watched as she entered the shower and removed her thong. Dante¡¯s grasp on his cock tightened. L entered the shower with a sponge in hand,thered it up, and began showering. Her breasts protruded from beneath her arms, which soared high above her head. Dante gasped, his lips licking as he quickened his pace. She had finished her shower and was going to step out of the shower. She licked her lips, and Dante expanded the view. Her body was thrown back into the shower ss, her head pointing upward. She licked her lips once more before squeezing her sex and sighing. Dante wasn¡¯t paying attention to the performance, but when he heard her moan, his gaze returned to theptop screen. He re-watched the video and saw L begin to touch herself. He moaned in unison with her when she moaned. ¡°Fuck L! What are you doing to me?¡± As he watched her pump herself on the screen, he began pumping himself too. L¡¯s hand began to brush her clit and moved up and down on her clit gradually. She then lowered it to her sex, then began rubbing up and down in a leisurely motion. She pressed her middle finger firmly against her pussy. That sight drove Dante insane. He hissed. He was startled when he heard her scream his name. ¡°Dante!¡± ¡°Christ! Yes baby, call my name again.¡± He unleashed a roar from his thin lips. His hand was pounding furiously on his cock at this point, and he was enjoying what he was seeing on the screen, and L yelling his name added to the excitement. L dipped her finger in and out of her sex. She was now close and Dante was too. As she neared her climax, she shoved her fingers in and out five times and yelled out Dante¡¯s name. Dante growled, rapidly pumping his fist up and down. When L yelled his name, he responded with a groan and exploded on his pants. As he watched her lick her lips, he smirked maliciously. He took a few deep breaths and groped for the nightstand, dialing Elvi¡¯s number. Dante: Elvis, find my wife! Elvis was stunned after checking the time. Wondered why his boss would call him by that time to ask him to find his wife. He was feeling sleepy, so he forgot that it wasn¡¯t a random person calling him, but his boss. Elvis: Do you know what time it is?N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Dante: I don¡¯t care, find my wife! Chapter 25 ~DANTE¡¯S POV~ I sat up in bed, blinking my eyes open. I was awake. My eyes felt sweaty, and I massaged them with my fingers as I pushed myself out of bed, kicking off the bedsheets. In an instant, I could feel my eyes bing more irritated. I groped for my phone on the nightstand, thinking Elvis had sent me a message informing me of my wife L¡¯s whereabouts. Regrettably, there was nothing but missed calls from Candice. I checked the clock and realized I had plenty of time to work out. I dashed to the bathroom and took care of business as fast as possible. Then I dried my hands and face before exiting the bathroom and entering my walk-in closet, where I started searching for a towel so I could head to my gym, but then I couldn¡¯t find any of the towels. I got annoyed as I¡¯ve never run short of towels, ¡®Why am I paying helpers if they can¡¯t get a single thing straight?¡¯ Annoyed, I went to the side of the closet where I keep L¡¯s clothes when shees to visit. A towel caught my eye in one of the drawers, so I shoved my hand inside the drawer and then pulled my hand out of the drawer after grabbing her towel. However, my hand was also grasping another soft piece of material along with the towel. A picture dropped out of the towel when I flipped it around but didn¡¯t pay attention. It was the soft material that drew my attention. I was able to identify what I was clinging to very instantly. My heart stopped beating and my lungs went dry. It was one of L¡¯s undies that was clinging to the tips of my fingers. Christ! How am I supposed to concentrate when I know that my walk-in closet contains a drawer with L¡¯s underwear? I had no idea L sported such a sultry pair of underwear till now. As I dropped the towel to the floor, I found myself hanging onto L¡¯scy thong for dear life. I ced the small thong in front of my nose and inhaled her aroma through thecy thong. I jerk my head up and take in the delicious scent of my wife. Sniffing her thong brought me into apletely new realm of experience. My mind had been racing with a slew of naughty thoughts when I scented the thong again and groaned. Before putting it back in the drawer and stooping down to pick up the towel on the floor. The photo caught my attention as I was grabbing the towel. It was a sepia-tone picture. I¡¯m stumped by this image. What exactly is this grey-colored thing? Why is it so insignificant? Cereb 1. 84 cm, CM, NF, GA? Cereb 1. 84 cm, CM, NF, GA? What the fuck is this thing? I took the picture and stuffed it back into the drawer, on the opposite side from where her underwear was kept. The drawer containing L¡¯s underwear is suddenly my favorite ce to be. The moment I started walking out of the closet, I came to aplete stop. What was that teeny-tiny ck-and-white image? Not wanting to feel like a creep, I shook the thoughts of that unknown picture out of my head. I¡¯m quite aware that I¡¯ve been a creep in the past. I used to wake up in the middle of the night to watch L sleep and take in her facial shape and every nuance, especially when she was on her period. I¡¯ll be keeping a tight eye on her whenever her facial expression changes while she¡¯s sleeping. That was incredibly endearing. I went out of the closet with a smirking expression. In the end, I walked out of the room and headed straight for the gym. I don¡¯t like going to the gym outside of my house. Women would be eye-fucking me, left and right, so I created my own personal paradise in my home. It was perfectly satiated, exactly to my liking. I began exercising. Pictures of L stroking herself in the shower flooded in, but I threw them out the window as fast as I could. It¡¯s been three days since I first started looking at the surveince footage. My body was soaked with droplets of sweat following my workout. What good is a gym for a man if he doesn¡¯t have a barbell? I went for it anyway, despite the fact that I was sweating after counting to 100. I waspletely satisfied at this point. I ced the barbell down and returned to my room, panting hard and fast, with my chest heaving profoundly as I drew breath into my lungs. I am having a meeting with Jiang Wang from Wang Inc. Well, well, my darling Candice, you¡¯ve gotten yourself into a pickle. After a quick shower in the bathroom, I returned to my closet. I settled for all ck and made my way back to the nightstand. The moment before I was ready to get my phone, my assistant rang. Dante: Talk to me. Lev: Good morning, Boss. I¡¯m here. Just a reminder. At 9:00 a. m., you will meet with Jiang Wang of Wang Inc. This morning, Dante: Get Candice to be my assistant today. Inform her that you have to go somece else. Oh, and Lev. Don¡¯t say anything about Wang Inc. to her. Just say I have an important meeting. Lev: Are you sure about this, boss? I mean, that girl and Jiang¡­ Dante: I am sure, Lev, hope you are ready. I¡¯m on my way down. I descended the stairs and entered the kitchen, where I went for the coffee machine and brewed myself a double espresso. I sipped my morning narcotic and made my way out of the house. Lev was waiting for me outside. I sat in the backseat while he took over the steering wheel. He remained silent for the rest of the drive to my office. I know he had a sneaking suspicion that I was up to something nefarious.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Chapter 26 There is no doubt that Dante was up to no good. His unwavering devotion to Candice vanished into thin air. The fact that Dante¡¯s sentiments towards her had altered since L vanished into thin air. And that his love for her had changed as well was not a surprise to Candice. After all, the man only loved L. All she wanted was to get him closer to her, but trying to do it with her two hands was like trying to move a sturdy building with a hammer. When Lev called her, she thought that she would be given L¡¯s position, since she had started to attend meetings with Dante. Despite the fact that she was still upset over what had transpired at the hotel that day, Candice was enthusiastic about the meeting. The only thing that came to her as she prepared for the meeting was that L¡¯s position was hers. She dressed to impress for the meeting. **** ~Dante¡¯s POV~ I was in the middle ofpleting some paperwork when Elvis called me out of nowhere. Elvis: I¡¯ll go right to the point because I know you¡¯re already annoyed, so please bear with me. There are three more people who have registered their names under yours. I can only see the number. I can¡¯t see who they are and their age. Someone is trying so hard for you not to find your friend. Dante: My wife! I yelled, ¡°L is my wife, not my friend. Yes, we used to be friends, but she is now my wife, which is a major change. And I¡¯ll make it a point to track her down. I am not going to stop looking for her until I locate her.¡± Elvis: Yea, your wife. She registered three people in your name. Rtionships and other important things have been safeguarded, and I am unable to decipher the codes. You should still take my advice and start to follow your mother. Your mother appears to be aware of Mrs. Monroe¡¯s whereabouts. While I was still on the phone with Elvis, the door to my office swung open. I locked my gaze on the slender person that walked into my office without knocking. Why the fuck did I remove the codes? Codes will stop nonsense like this. She was really stunning. That the thing in front of me was a whore had almost slipped my mind. Me: Thank you, Elvis. Follow up on my wife¡¯s whereabouts. She needs toe home to me, her husband, she really needs to stop ying games. I made certain Candice heard the terms ¡®wife¡¯ and ¡®husband¡¯ loud and clear. The phone call came to an end, and I pulled my gaze to meet hers. I exchanged a kind smile with her. ¡°You have a breathtakingly gorgeous appearance today, Candice.¡± ¡°You think so. I wasn¡¯t sure if you would like it. L told me you like it when a woman dresses in ck.¡± Ahh, so she wants to be L now? Did this woman just make a passing reference to L with her dirty mouth? She caused me to lose a woman who meant so much to me with her greedy games. ¡°Follow me. Let¡¯s go and wait for the gentleman in the meeting room.¡± I watched as she swayed her ass with confidence,pletely oblivious to what I had in store for her. She pulled open the meeting room door and walked into the room, and I trailed behind her. After approximately five minutes, the meeting room door flew open to show a dashing Chinese gentleman. He¡¯s cute. The man walked with such a sense of self-absorption. ¡°Mr. Monroe, I apologize for my tardiness.¡± As soon as the man finished speaking, he turned to face the woman in ck, whose mouth dropped instantaneously and her eyes widened. Jiang acknowledged her with a friendly smile. ¡°Candice,¡± he greeted her, reaching out his hand to her. Candice extended her hand to him. They exchanged handshakes, and I sat in my chair and extended an invitation to Jiang to take a seat with my hands.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Babe, can you please bring coffee for me and Mr. Wang?¡± I could see the widening of each of their eyes. Jiang drew his gaze to mine, but I was not ready to let him get the better of me now. This woman duped me for years and eventually caused me to lose my wife. I caught a glimpse of her putting her outfit together and exiting the meeting room. Despite the fact that he was enraged, the man chose to remain silent. This is my building. If he doesn¡¯t want my money, he is free to drag his ass and leave. Candice returned with the coffee just as Jiang was informing me about the services they would like to provide for my organization. Jiang and I came to a mutually beneficial conclusion. The gentleman was an excellent businessman. I would be stupid to lose such a perfect business partner over a pussy. He was an expert at his job. He handed the paperwork to me. I read through the contract and was pleased with what he was offering, and I would be willing to pay for such a service in the future. ¡°Candice, could you please retrieve my pen from the left drawer in my office?¡± Candice came to aplete halt and did not move at all. She should thank God I am a businessman with a reputation. If not, I could have said, the drawer where you left your earrings. However, the babe I called her was enough for her martial arts boyfriend to know I had my share. I could see she was trembling because her hands were sweating. Herposure, on the other hand, was immediately restored, and she was back from my office in no time. When the man¡¯s face contorted into an exaggerated smile, it was clear he had already put two and two together and it gave him a fucking four. The way he tilted his head to face thedy in ck caught my attention. His eyes glowed with venom. Jiang and I exchanged signatures, and we formally concluded the meeting and bid our farewells. I returned to my office and requested that the human resources department deny Candice any benefits since I knew she would fabricate an illness in order to pursue Jiang. I advised them that if she continued to press the issue, they should refer her to my office for further assistance. After about 15 minutes, the door to my office flew open, as I had anticipated. ¡°Babe, I¡¯m not feeling great right now. I need to go home.¡± ¡°Oh, babe, I¡¯ve already received a call from the human resources department¡­ I called thepany doctor for you. Please make yourselffortable on the couch. He will be here at any time.¡± ¡°Dante!¡± she screamed angrily at the top of her voice. In order to meet her eyes, I pulled my gaze forward. ¡°You did this on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What did I do, babe?¡± ensuring that my gaze remained fixed on my MacBook. She made a stomping motion with her feet. ¡°Never mind,¡± she said, ¡°Are you feeling better now, babe?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good, head back to your office. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the doctor you are feeling better. Would you like some water?¡± She scoffed and left. Chapter 27 ~Candice¡¯s POV~ My brain is fried, and I have no idea what to do next. I¡¯m out of options at this point in time. Dante shattered my life, which is how I ended up here. I am a girlfriend who is nothing less than a housemaid. Dante made it clear that he didn¡¯t want me, but I forced myself into this house on the pretense that I had no ce to go and I owe some people money, hence I can¡¯t rent a ce. He doesn¡¯t even show the slightest bit of interest in me. L has been gone for over 2 years now, but Dante won¡¯t give me a chance, he instead fucks hookers while I am here, staying with him and waiting for him every month. I made dinner, arranged the table, and awaited his return. Well, he mighte back, or he might note back. We rarely dine together. Oh well, I forgot to mention that he doesn¡¯t even touch my food. I lied to him just to be closer to him, in hopes that he would stop talking about L and look at me, but I failed, he loves L. Ever since I moved into this house for the second time, he has only touched me once. That was 2 weeks after L vanished. I chuckled at the thought, as he avoided looking at my face entirely. He fucked me from behind, not to forget that he called me L. I initially believed it was his customary insanity, but now I know better. Dante is head over heels in love with L. He cannot stand me, he cannot eat my food, and we are unable to live together as boyfriend and girlfriend. He informed me that I had blown my opportunity to be Mrs. Monroe and that I should forget about it. We rarely have a conversation without him insinuating that everything is in my head. How is it possible that it is all in my imagination when he appears to despise everything about me? Initially, I assumed it was because of Jiang, but it turns out that Dante couldn¡¯t give a damn about me. I expressed my regrets to him and asked. I wanted to move in with him so that we could take our rtionship to the next level. He epted, of course, with the pretense of being stranded. He didn¡¯t know I wanted us to fix our rtionship. I remember telling him I wanted us to fix our broken rtionship. He agreed, but he didn¡¯t have time for anything. Since I arrived here, I¡¯ve been cooking, and he¡¯s only touched my food once. He doesn¡¯t eat at home. My head is spinning with frustration at why he can¡¯t get the sted ring off his finger. Dante used to propose to me a lot, but right now we don¡¯t even talk. He is too preupied to listen to me if I initiate a conversation. I¡¯m not sure how we got here. I¡¯m not allowed to enter his room. I asked him to use the room that L had been upying before she left because it had a lot of space. He gave me a big fat, ¡®NO,¡¯ and then locked that room.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. I ced a bottle of wine on the table. I¡¯ve been wife material, even going so far as to request that the cook no longer prepare dinner, but all of my efforts have been futile. When he strolled in, I was almost finished with the table setting. ¡°Wee, babe.¡± He didn¡¯t respond in any way. Rather than that, he simply looked me in the eye with disgust. He had a really chilly expression on his face. His frigid expressionnded on the bowl of rice that I was putting on the table at the time. ¡°Are you expecting visitors?¡± He asked, his face still cold. ¡°No, this is for you and me. I would appreciate it if you could join me for dinner.¡± He nted his brow at me, as if I¡¯d said something bizarre, or more precisely, something I¡¯m not allowed to speak. ¡°Since when did you and I start sharing dinner?¡± I wanted to shout, I am his fucken girlfriend, at least I hoped, and he is always fantasizing about someone who isn¡¯t here and I have to beg to have dinner with him. I gulped everything and gathered my wits about me. ¡°Please.¡± I pleaded. He took a long, hard look at me from head to toe before eventually opening his mouth. ¡°Okay.¡± He went upstairs to take a quick shower, which gave me some breathing room to figure out the best way to approach him. Because if I say something wrong, it might piss him off. He made his way downstairs and sat across from me at the table. He reached out for a bottle of wine and poured it into a ss for himself, swirling his ss and gulping down the wine, his gaze never leaving mine during the entire process. How is it possible for someone to be so stunning and yet have such a hostile perception? I realized after ten minutes that he had not touched his food. ¡°Are you not going to eat it? It¡¯s amazing.¡± He took another swig from his drink and swirled it. ¡°I¡¯m sure it is.¡± With a sarcastic smirk, he stated. I made no attempt to force the matter. His constant search for ways to embarrass me was something I was well acquainted with. I was on the verge of bawling in front of him, but I managed to keep it together. I don¡¯t even know what kind of rtionship we have, but I clearly know that I am forcing things. He made it clear, but I had hope. Since the day I moved in with him, he has been making me feel bad about myself. He rarely returns home, and suspicions circte that he is dating his newly recruited assistant. I had a nervous breakdown at the prospect of him cheating on me. ¡°What is this, Dante?¡± Do you have no time for me? Are we not girlfriend and boyfriend?¡± He set his ss of wine on the table and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands across his chest and staring at me as I ranted. Probably, he¡¯s taking pleasure in this. His attitude toward me is perplexing, and I fail toprehend why. I sacrificed everything for him. ¡°I gave up everything for you, Dante, for us to work. I resigned from work for you and me to work on our rtionship. I cook for you every day, but you don¡¯t touch my food. What is the reason for all of this?¡± He took a sip of his wine from his winess and swallowed it whole. His chair was pushed back against the table, and he sat back in his chair after setting the wine ss on the table and pouring another ss of wine into it. No one asked you to y wifey. I heard him mutter that. ¡°Are you sure you want me to answer that?¡±A mocking smirk appeared on his face as he asked the question. Then I nodded at him. And then he locked his gaze on me. This time, however, his expression was lethal. When I nced at him, he didn¡¯t blink, not even once. He clenched his jaw, and his gaze remained fixed on me. Then he took another gulp of his wine. ¡°Very well then, I will answer all your questions. First and foremost, let¡¯s get one thing straight. Did you give up everything for me? Who asked you to do it? Did I? I don¡¯t remember telling you that you must quit your job. Did you say you quit your job for us to work? Who is us? You did it for your own benefit. You quit your job for your own selfish reasons, so don¡¯t you dare tell me you quit your job for us to work. Just who the fuck is us? Should I remind you that I¡¯m a married man and do you want me to divorce my wife to make it work with you? Who are you? What can you offer that my wife cannot offer me?¡± ¡°Dante! L isn¡¯t your wife!¡± I screamed. L can go to hell in a handbasket. ¡°Says who?¡± ¡°Me!¡± I eximed. ¡°Well, L is my wife and the only woman to upy the master bedroom. As I was saying before, you interrupted me. I didn¡¯t ask you to resign. Your actions were driven by your own self-interest rather than mine. Secondly, you say, ¡°I don¡¯t eat your food. I¡¯ve hired cooks to cook for me in my home, so if you¡¯re interested in applying for the role of chef, please do so before entering my kitchen and ordering my cooks around. They cook for my taste, and you are not in any way close to the taste, so stop cooking because I will never eat it.¡± I had reached a point where I could no longer bear the insult. When I gazed at the man in front of me, tears streamed down my cheeks. I was prepared to take a chance on us. Yes, I¡¯ve been out and about fucking and having a good time. But I left it all because I realized I loved him. I¡¯m here in this sted house like a good little wife for him. However, I will never be regarded as a valuable individual. ¡°Thirdly, you say you moved in with me so we can work things out. What do you want to work with a married man? Are you that shameless? Or, more precisely, desperate. When you told me you wanted to move in, I thought you were stranded. I was under the impression that you had nowhere else to go. I thought your Jackie Chan boyfriend might have chased you out. As a result, I have offered you a room. Did you wish to put some heat on my bed? Ahh, that¡¯s what you wanted. This is a real bummer! I was under the impression that you were stranded. If you are not stranded, no one is forcing you to stay here. You are free to gather your belongings and leave.¡± This man doesn¡¯t see anything good in me. Perhaps I should return to work so that he would see my worth and will be able to finally let go of that L girl. I pledge to God that if I manage to see L before he does, I will ensure she remains in her current location. Dante is mine, and I will go to great lengths to ensure our rtionship seeds. ¡°Can I then have my job back?¡± ¡°Well, apply for a position just like any other employee. I have my doubts, though, that your previous post is still open. You may make an attempt and submit an application. Maybe the HR team might have something for you. Though thest time I checked, we only had positions for cleaners.¡± ¡°But I am your girlfriend. Why should I go through that process?¡± ¡°Girlfriend? Oh dear, when ites to mypany, you apply like everyone else. No one receives special treatment.¡± He rose from his seat and drained the remainder of the wine from his ss. ¡°Oh and Candice, if your intentions of being in my house were to seduce me, maybe you should leave. I don¡¯t appreciate such nonsense, and again, stop going to my kitchen. You are a guest here and guests should know their ce in one¡¯s house, right?¡± He ced the winess on the table and headed upstairs. How am I ever going to be able to tame this obnoxious jackass? Chapter 28 ~L¡¯s POV~ Where am I? And what causes the gloominess of the atmosphere? My head is throbbing. I feel like I¡¯ve been struck by something, but who did it? Panic took over me instantly. ¡°Hello!¡± I yell as I move my head in different directions in search of the light. ¡°Hello!¡± I yelled out once more, and this time I heard my voice reverberate several times. I was startled when I recognized the sound of a voice that I hadn¡¯t heard in almost two years. My husband¡¯s voice. ¡°You got pregnant and ran away from me, Lolita.¡± I got goosebumps from his deep, booming voice. He has changed and be ruthless. He used to be considerate, but now I can¡¯t even take a breath in his presence without feeling suffocated. I fought the desire to look at him while tightly closing my eyes. I know that this beast still takes up a lot of space in my mind, my body, and my soul, and I despise it. I fought the urge to look at him while tightly closing my eyes. ¡°Answer me, Bunny!¡± His thunderous voice rippled across the room, and it made me shiver. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to open my eyes. I can¡¯t even breathe in his gaze. No, I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t look at him. Can I fight for myself? What excuse do I have? That I was unloved or that he didn¡¯t keep his promise? Is that reason enough to make it an excuse that I ran away with his children? I heard a loud bang, which made me jump from where I was. He punched something hard, then growled again, ¡°You stole two years from me, Lolita.¡± That is unforgivable. One year to watch your sexy little tummy expand, your cunt expand.¡± Cunt, he is sick! He continued, ¡°One year to be a father to my kids. Do you think you deserve to be with them?¡± I was ready to respond when all of a sudden, I heard reverberating footstepsing in my direction. I felt my heart pick up. I didn¡¯t need to turn around to know he wasing for me. I got back on my feet and started running. I was running without a destination in mind but didn¡¯t get very far because I couldn¡¯t tell where I was headed. I gasped as I felt myself colliding with something, or rather someone. When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar face. Dante was staring down at me. With one hand, I was hauled up. My legs were floating in mid-air as he choked me. I was praying for my dear life. A forceful kiss that felt like ¡®You are mine¡¯ swallowed my screams and my gaping for air as I was being choked and kissed at the same time. ¡°I am your breath, and you are mine, Lolita.¡± He breathed air into my mouth. I was being choked, but I was turned on as he forced me to breathe in his minty air. With my body pressed against the cold wall, I begged, ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Please! Will your please bring back the lost years? Lolita, you made me into the monster I am today. You broke my heart by running away from me.¡± He loosened his grip on me. ¡°You broke every promise you made and never kept any of them!¡± I responded in kind. ¡°Aaah, and that gives you the right to take my children away from me, Bunny!¡± A ghostly smile appeared on his face. This was a whole new Dante. He was different and ruthless. Suddenly, he turned on the light, and I saw Candice smirking at me while carrying Mia. ¡°You did an excellent job, L, and now I am a mother of three.¡± What¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°Let my daughter go, you bitch!¡± ¡°You have no say in the matter, L. They are mine, and Candice is in charge of raising them.¡± ¡°You lie!¡± I felt my whole body tremble as he stared at me and smirked. ¡°You made me this way, Lolita!¡± ¡°No, go away,¡± I screamed. ¡°You can¡¯t run from me, Bunny. You are really pissing me off now, Lolita. My Lolita, I will find you and I will take my children away from you. You will be left with no choice but to follow me home where you belong. I have many ways to punish you, Bunny. Sexually, financially, emotionally, and physically.¡± I gasped as he grabbed my breasts and squeezed them so hard. My gasp turned into a scream. I sit up straight and take a deep breath. I raise my palm to my chest, attempting to calm my racing heart. I looked around my room, but I still didn¡¯t feel relieved. I jumped out of bed and dashed to my children¡¯s room. I switched on the light from the wall and rushed to Mia¡¯s bed. My lovely daughter was sleeping soundly. I checked my two boys, and they were also sound asleep. I felt a creeping sense of dread throughout my body. If Dante ever finds out about them, will he take my children away from me? My body was drenched in salty sweat. I didn¡¯t want to start crying in front of my children for fear that they might wake up, so I went back to my room. I tried to get back to bed, but my body was sweaty and so were my sheets. I threw the nket off of me and walked towards the window. Still breathing heavily, I went outside through my sliding door and onto my balcony to catch some fresh air. I sat in my rocking chair, trying to think while ncing at the sky. I sat in the chair, still watching the ck storm clouds that nketed the sky. There were no stars or even the moon to be seen. I took out my phone, and it was one a. m. I groaned, knowing there was no way I was going to get any more sleep after that nightmare. Dante will surely kill me if he ever finds out that I lied to him. I have been checking the news about him and he has changed entirely. He appears more cutthroat and has reverted to his yboy persona. I¡¯m not sure I can put my trust in him with the kids. Maybe I should tell him about the kids and tell him that we can¡¯t work. Why hasn¡¯t he submitted the divorce papers? I sweep my hair back, attempting toprehend Dante Monroe. I don¡¯t have a copy, so I can¡¯t submit it, and if I send him the divorce papers now, Dante will surely start looking for me and possibly want a meeting with mywyer. If he meets with mywyer, it will be the end of me because he will start following thewyer. I am stuck with him, not by choice. Maybe I should tell him about the kids just to avoid his fury. I held my phone in my hand and hid my caller ID. I heard the phone ring, and after a while, he answered. Dante: Hello That voice, I paused and didn¡¯t say anything. I could hear him sigh. Dante: L, are you there?N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. How did he know it was me? L: Yea, I¡¯m here. I want to tell you something. After pausing, I lowered my head, shut my eyes, and took several deep breaths. Dante: Tell me where you are. You can¡¯t do this to me, L. You are my wife! I panicked when I heard him yell, and I hung up the call. How could I be so na?ve? Why did I call him? He will track me. He¡¯s going to look into the phone call. With trembling hands, I quickly dialed his mother¡¯s phone. She was very quick to answer the phone. Martha: Hello, baby. Are you all right? L: I called him. Martha: Oh no, baby, it must be very hard. Stop crying. I¡¯ll take care of it for you. For the time being, take your SIM card from that phone and dip it in the water. I¡¯m going to call my guy right now to get rid of all the traces. I know it¡¯s difficult, but you must try. But if you want to work on your rtionship with him, you will have toe back home. Do you want to return home, L, because if you aren¡¯t ready and you continue calling him, things could spiral out of control? Dante is my son, and he has some lessons to learn. L: I know and I¡¯m sorry. It will never happen again. Martha: Don¡¯t say that, L. I know you love my son and I know you will still call him. Whatever decision you make, I will always support you. Now get some rest and stop overthinking. What a strange dream. I haven¡¯t dreamt about Dante in a long time. Thest time I dreamt about him was when I was pregnant. Why now? I looked up at the sky, my thoughts slipping away from Dante. I walked into the room, grabbed a nket, and went to one of the patio couches to sleep. Chapter 29 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ I groaned as my hangover pressed against my skin and skull. My hand is resting on what seems to be an ass. I fought the urge to open my eyes as I remembered shit. What the fuck did I get myself into today? My heart pounded in my chest as I recalled. I was drinking and Candice was at the same bar. I really can¡¯t end up with Candice. If I ever fucked her, I might as well die. Is my hand resting on Candice¡¯s ass? Naa, even in my drunken state, my cock wouldn¡¯t even perk for Candice. My body doesn¡¯t react to that woman. I opened my eyes to find myself in a strange room. Where am I? At least I¡¯m convinced it was not Candice I fuckedst night. I removed my hand from the ass and rubbed my temples to soothe the pain I was experiencing in my skull. I look over at the honey-blonde woman sleeping next to me. I raise the nket, and I¡¯mpletely naked, and so is she. I took her in. Gorgeous eatable ass. I turn my head slightly to the side in order to have a better glimpse of the wholesome butt floating in the air. That is absolutely something I could bury my face in. I¡¯m sure I did. As well as my dick. I chuckled at the idea of burying my face and dick on the butt next to me. I watched as she rolled over and gave me a full view of her breasts. That is something I could suck on all night long. I know I did, and I¡¯m sure I slid my cock between those sisters as well. Her nipples were standing up from the coldness and her legs spread slightly, giving me a peak of what I fuckedst night. Fresh, bare pussy. l like. I dipped my finger into her dripping pussy. I could fuck her all night long. I looked at her nightstand watch, which read 5 minutes to 1 a. m. I hurriedly pressed my face on her twins while pinching them. I hear a phone buzzing on the floor, and I scramble to pick it up. Me: Hello There was a pause on the other side of the line. I knew it was my wife. It has to be L, my wife. She can¡¯t sleep. She misses me, but pride prevents her from admitting it. She wants to punish me. But I think it¡¯s enough now, but at the same time, I don¡¯t want to scare her off. I exhaled a sigh.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Me: L, are you there? She¡¯s probably wondering how I knew it was her. She always called mete at night with no caller ID and said nothing most of the time. She has been calling me for the past two years. I have a feeling there is something she wants to tell me. I often wonder whether she started sleepwalking because she would call and then hang up. L, however, has never sleepwalked before. I could hear her breathing bing more strained. She was hesitating about something. Me: Tell me where you are. You can¡¯t do this to me, L. You are my wife! I cursed under my breath, knowing that she would panic, which she did, and quickly end the call. I didn¡¯t bother tracing her because I¡¯d been tracing her calls for the past two years and they were untraceable. I sighed and turned to face my one-night stand. I smacked her huge butt. She was facing the other side of the bed with her pussy in full view for me to take. I feel helpless thinking about my wife not wanting me to find her. One thing I know is that I am not divorcing her. I slid my cock into my one-night-stand pussy and she moaned in her sleep. I couldn¡¯t get enough of the way her hot pussy wrapped itself around my cock. She started wiggling her butt for me as I thrust my way deep into her pussy. She was wild, shoving my ass into my thighs and thwacking our skins like a frenzied beast as I pounded her from behind. She finally woke up and climbed on top of me. She was a freak in bed. A good fuck as well. Too bad she had a butter face. I really don¡¯t want to see the face right now because it would be a turn off. I forced her to lie on her stomach. I took her from behind again, this time mming deep into her. I mmed my cock in and out, making her scream in glee. I swung back and forth as her hot cunt engulfed my dick, strangling it with my release gushing to my tip. Though my thoughts were elsewhere, my body was bursting with thumping, thumps ttering around in overpowering pleasure. L flooded my mind like a cyclone destroying the earth. My one-night stand began bucking on my cock as if her life depended on it. As my muscles strained in thest seconds, I slowed my pace and pounded it into her harder. With one more harsh m, I burst into the condom. Then I slept with my cock still buried deep in her massive butt. The following day, the buzzing of my phone woke me up. My head was hammering as I gently opened my eyes. When I saw the caller ID, I frowned because I knew I waste for something. Me: Hello Lev: Mr. Monroe, we have a trip to Ozark. Me: Okay, except I don¡¯t know where I am. Lev: It¡¯s all right, Sir. I know exactly where you are. I¡¯ll take care of the paperwork. I¡¯ll send someone to bring you some clothes. Me: No, Lev,e get me. I¡¯ll take a shower at home. Lev: Okay, I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes. After thanking Lev, I sought to find my boxers, which I had thrown somece in the intensity of the moment the night before. When my gaze returned to her massive buttocks, I wanted to bury my face in them again. Nice ass! Well done, Dante. Smirking down at her, I gather the rest of my clothes and slip them over my body. I tried to find the door and, to my luck, I found it and slowly opened the door without waking her up and walked outside to find Lev waiting while shaking his head. The drive to my house wasn¡¯t long. I hate this. Mr. rk sold me the hotel, but I had to repair everything. I offered that old man money to fix up the hotel to my taste, but it¡¯s taken years. It¡¯s no surprise that the hotel never worked for him. He is too slow for my liking. When I saw Lev, he was all set for our vacation at Ozark. I¡¯m not sure why I bought the hotel; it¡¯s nothingpared to the properties I own and invest in now. That hotel is sucking the life out of me. I sighed, collected my luggage, and dashed to my car. We arrived at New York International and immediately boarded my private jet for Ozark. Now I have to face that annoying woman. I mean, I always make it clear that she¡¯s not my type and that I love my wife. She almost forced me to have supper with her and her kid thest time I was there. Damn, I can¡¯t do that. Hell, it¡¯s not happening. Since she is only an agent, she must confine herself to professional matters. Fucking her is off-limits. I don¡¯t mix business with pleasure. I think I¡¯ve been nice. I have to put her in her ce. I¡¯m not looking to fuck some Ozark slut. Hell no! Chapter 30 ~L¡¯s POV~ I breathed the lovely scents of the ocean breeze and the trees as the peaceful breeze stroked over my skin. Yoga on a beautiful morning was rejuvenating. The ocean¡¯s lovely waves showered salty water on my face. I wiped my brow with my hand as I peered into the blue depths of the sea as the sun soared into the sky to conduct its daily duties. It delivers the full effect of medication while listening to the rhythmic pulses of the waves breaking into the dunes. I lie t on my yoga mat, wanting to be closer to nature. As I continued to lie down on the yoga mat, I turned on some music and put on my earbuds, and coast to coast by Westlife began to y. I smiled, as this was mine and Dante¡¯s favorite song. We were huge fans of Westlife and the Backstreet Boys. The music transported me back to those days. Three small munchies pushed themselves on top of me as I was going to get up and get ready for work. Iughed, enjoying the sensation my children were giving me. I really love them with every fiber of my being. They started running around in the dunes, and I started chasing them. We got tired of our little eutopia, then we headed back to the house. Ruth and Evelyn took the kids to the bathroom to bathe them, and I went to my room so I could also take a hot shower and head to my shop. I went down the stairs once I was finished, and the kids were ready to go to kindergarten. I opened the car and Ruth took them inside. Every parent was dropping off their children as I drove to kindergarten. As I was about to head out, I suddenly heard voices I couldn¡¯t avoid. ¡°She might be the richest woman in town, with a fancy car and a fancy house, but she pretends to be married.¡± Mavis had a smirk on her face when I turned my head to see who was talking. She will never leave me alone. ¡°Urgh, I¡¯m sure she is married.¡± Mavis made a remark. ¡°If so, why is she always with Doctor ckwood? Does she want him to father her children?¡± The other woman with Mavis scoffed, ¡°She might wear the most expensive brands, but she is lonely with 3 bastards.¡± I might be lonely, but no one calls my children bastards. I walked over to the woman with Mavis,pletely enraged. p ¡°No one calls my children bastards, do you understand?¡± I saw her shaking her head. Mavis caught my eye. She acted as though she was a saint. She hates me because of Mason. ¡°As for you!¡± I pointed my index finger at her. ¡°I am not interested in Doctor ckwood. If you so much want him, you can go after him without doing all this. I won¡¯t be nice next time.¡± I said to her as I walked away. The people in this town are too much. I got behind the wheel and drove to my shop. ~Dante¡¯s POV~ ¡°Mr. Monroe, is the hotel to your liking now?¡± June would do anything to strike up a conversation with me, and it¡¯s starting to annoy me now. Lev gave me a sidelong nce. He could tell I was so annoyed. For fuck¡¯s sake, I didn¡¯t use my private jet to get to Ozark only to be annoyed by this woman. Is she really expecting me to tell her that I¡¯m not interested? Can¡¯t she read between the lines? I know I am a jerk and fuck anything, but can¡¯t she see a ring on my finger? I rolled my eyes and bid my goodbyes to Mr. rk. At least there is progress now with the hotel. I requested that Lev drive June home. I know she came without her car on purpose so that I could drop her off at home. Never in a million years would you see me doing that. Thest time I did that, she wanted me to stay for supper and meet her daughter. I mean, for fuck¡¯s sake, why would I even tell her that I¡¯m not interested when she can clearly see I left the table and headed back to my suite. For fuck¡¯s sake, I couldn¡¯t even eat, for fuck¡¯s sake with that woman busy pressing her breast every second she got. What is it with women? As I entered the exclusive elevator, I ordered room service so I could eat in peace, not in pieces. I didn¡¯t even know when I arrived at my suite out of annoyance. The ding alerted me to my surroundings. I went right to the shower. When I came out of the shower, I heard a doorbell, and I opened it for the person. I signaled to them to leave the food at the Terrance. After some time, I went into the Terrance to finally eat in peace. I worked the knife back and forth into the dish of well-done steak, eventually slicing thest piece. I shoved it into my mouth. I poured myself a ss of red wine. My doorbell rang again as I was ready to cut the second slice of my steak. I went into the door as I opened the door and, as I did so, June stormed into my suite. ¡°Monroe, Mr. I thought I should bring some wine so we could celebrate!¡± She gasped excitedly. Fucking great!N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Lev told me he dropped her. Why has she returned? I closed the door and headed to the terrace. Lord help me. I never once wanted to be rude to this woman, but she was starting to get on my nerves now. ¡°I thought you stated you were full when you were by the lobby, Mr. Monroe.¡± Yea, because you are fucking annoying! She then looked me dead in the eyes, as though there was something on my face. ¡°Mr. Monroe?¡± I made a hum. ¡°What¡¯s the name of your wife? I have a friend whose children resemble you. She has triplets and is Mrs. Monroe.¡± This moron will go to any length to strike up a conversation with me. I put my fork and knife down, having abruptly lost my appetite. ¡°What do you want, Miss ckwood?¡± ¡°I wanted us to celebrate.¡± ¡°Listen here. I don¡¯t like it when people disturb my peace, Miss ckwood. I am not interested in you. Like I told you before, I am married and I love my wife. Even if I wanted to cheat on her, it wouldn¡¯t be with someone like you. I hate it whendies hurl themselves at me. What exactly do you want from a married man?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Monroe. I thought you felt the same way.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t, and I never will. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯d like to finish my meal.¡± She nodded her head and left. Fucking great! Chapter 31 ~L¡¯s POV~ ¡°Wake up, mom!¡± yelled one of my sons. ¡°Wake up, Mom!¡± I sighed and sat up. I examined him closely to see which of my boys he was. I smiled when I realized who he was. ¡°Good morning, Kai.¡± He giggled as I hauled him up. ¡°OK, baby, let mother prepare you for school, okay?¡± I noticed his face turning pale. I was clueless about the cause, but I could tell that he was making a valiant effort to construct a sentence. However, when he was unsessful, he simply began sobbing. ¡°Oh my poor thing, what¡¯s wrong with, baby?¡± When the others heard him screaming, they all started crying as they walked into my room. I hate seeing my children weep, but what is the problem? I seated them one by one on top of my bed and got down on my knees to be at the same level as they were. ¡°Okay, children, now we are going to y a game. Okay, I¡¯ll ask you a question, and if it¡¯s true, you¡¯ll nod, and if it¡¯s not, you¡¯ll shake your head to the sides. Are you ready?¡± They all nodded at the same time. ¡°All right, let¡¯s get started. Would you like to go to school?¡± They all began to cry and shake their heads. I was taken aback, but just as I was going to ask them more questions, I heard a doorbell ring. ¡°Okay, children, mommy ising, okay.¡± I went down the stairs to open the door, and as I did, June walked in with an annoyed face. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s wrong with her, but she¡¯s not looking good. She looked pissed. ¡°Morning June.¡± ¡°Morning, I¡¯m rushing to work, but there is something I really need to talk to you about.¡± I fixed my gaze on her. ¡°Okay.¡± That¡¯s all I could say to her. ¡°Listen, L, I know that your work has been demandingtely, but taking those kids to school isn¡¯t a good idea right now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you know what the kids are going through in school, L? They are two years old; they don¡¯t need to go to school. The teachers aren¡¯t even trying to help. Your kids are being bullied in school, L, because people think they do not have a father.¡± ¡°What!¡± I was taken aback. It¡¯s no surprise they don¡¯t want to go. Why can¡¯t the residents of this town just leave me alone? ¡°You¡¯ve got Ruth and Evelyn, L.¡± They can look after your kids. They¡¯re only two, and you don¡¯t want to leave them in such an unhealthy environment. For now, you can let them y at home or find a tutor. You can send them to kindergarten when they are four, but it is not healthy for them right now. I almost pped Mavis yesterday when I was picking up my daughter.¡± I brushed my hair back. For a week, my kids were dull and didn¡¯t talk much, so this was the case. I took a look at June.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Thank you so much, June. I couldn¡¯t have known. I knew those women often picked on me, but I had no idea they¡¯d go so low as to pick on my children.¡± June fixed her gaze on me. I had a feeling she had more to tell me. Then she jumped onto my couch. ¡°What now?¡± She exhaled a sigh. ¡°I tried so hard for him to like me, but that man thinks I¡¯m annoying and he kept telling me I wasn¡¯t his type.¡± ¡°Mr. Monroe, again,¡± I grumbled. She gave a nod. June loves the man, and all she can talk about is how much he loves his wife and doesn¡¯t want to even give her a single nce. She¡¯s tried everything to get his attention, but nothing has worked so far. The man is truly wicked. Why can¡¯t he just tell her straight that he doesn¡¯t like her? ¡°I am so ashamed. I¡¯ve never been turned down by a man like that. All he does is tell me about his wife. My wife this my wife that. Come to think of it. Why don¡¯t you want to tell me your husband¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Just know he¡¯s Mr. Monroe, but definitely not the Mr. Monroe you have been meeting.¡± She sighed in defeat. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to face that arrogant man.¡± ¡°Just act normal and stop chasing after him.¡± ¡°You are right; let me get to work.¡± I simply wanted to let you know that I don¡¯t think it was a good idea to send kids to that school. Why not try the school beside the hotel? Maybe the teachers might be professional.¡± ¡°No, June; for the time being, I shall employ a tutor for them.¡± She gave me a peck and left. Just when I thought I had forgotten about my past, this town would always rub it in my face that my children were bastards. I sighed and made my way to the kitchen. How can I possibly be a bad mother? I mean, I had no idea people were saying hurtful things to my children. I decided to make them breakfast today. Normally, I leave these things for Ruth and Evelyn since my shop is always busy. I cook for them on weekends. My children enjoy omelets and fruit sd. When I was done, I called them. As I watched them eat, my heart was pounding. ¡°Nice Mama.¡± My sons can at least create aplete phrase, however, my girl is a touch sluggish. Mia is having difficulty forming sentences. As I watched them eat, I smiled at them. It¡¯s entirely my fault. I put us in this position. Maybe I should have gone to a different town or maybe remained in New York City. I grumbled and requested Ruth bring myptop. She went down the stairs and handed me theptop. While my children were eating, I decided to look for a live-in tutor. I think that would be better. After posting an ad for a live-in tutor, an idea struck me, and I beamed at my children. I took out my phone and called Matthew to let him know I¡¯d be gone for the weekend. After they were done eating, I took them on a trip. We drove to Ozark¡¯s eastern outskirts. I¡¯ve been here for almost three years and am still unfamiliar with the ce. I didn¡¯t know that Ozark had a ce like this. Thanks to Ruth, my kids and I got a perfect ce for our pic. I looked at the back seat and the three little munchies were busy ying throughout our drive. My gaze was drawn to the pic basket Ruth had prepared for us. It was a beautiful sunny day, ideal for a pic. I parked my car beneath a massive oak tree and went down to open the door for my children. Kia yelled out while I was doing so. ¡°Look, Mom, it¡¯s Uncle Mason¡¯s car.¡± I grinned and looked in the direction Kia pointed, and to my amazement, it was Mason¡¯s car parked beneath the same oak tree. My kids jumped out of the car and went to Mason,unching themselves on top of him. He was taken aback at first, but when he saw them, he smiled. ¡°Surprise!¡± Mia eximed. Oh my God, why did she say that? He¡¯ll think we followed him here. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Mason finally spoke. He rose to his feet and kissed me on the cheek. ¡°You look stunning.¡± He said to me and went back to ying with the kids. I don¡¯t know why, but I found myself heated. Why would something like that make me blush? What was that? Stop it, L! I mentally pped myself. I mean, Mason is a great guy, but I can¡¯t possibly bring myself to be a burden to him. I¡¯ve got three kids. Wait a minute, where are all these thoughtsing from? Am I falling for Mason or it¡¯s just years of no sex killing me? I mean Dante and I only did it twice. I shouldn¡¯t be having these kinds of thoughts. Chapter 32 ~L¡¯s POV~ I went to my trunk, took out a pic nket, and ced it a little further away from Mason. I¡¯m not sure I trust how I¡¯m feeling right now. I shouldn¡¯t be feeling this way towards him. I then began unpacking our lunch. Thanks to Ruth, she made light meals for our pic while I was busy looking for a live-in tutor. She made hot dogs and some watermelon. I noticed the kids were still ying with Mason. So I took back the lunch and stuffed it back into the basket. I reclined on the nket, taking in the scenery around me. The sky was blue, and the fresh flowery aroma brought by the air was so soothing. I still can¡¯t believe I made it this far. I heard someone approaching, and I turned my head to find my little girl lying beside me. We stared at each other for a while before returning our gaze to the sky. Then I felt a little peck on my cheeks. I smiled at her and lifted her up, and she started giggling. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say you were running away from me.¡± Both my daughter and I turned our heads to find Mason staring down at us. I put my daughter down and stood up. ¡°W-why would I want to run away from you?¡± he smirked. ¡°You tell me, L. We are friends, and you found me here. Instead of joining me, you kept your distance.¡± He was right, but right now I really don¡¯t trust the heat I¡¯m feeling and I don¡¯t want toplicate things for my children. I need to find a way to divorce Dante. Then I can start feeling what I¡¯m feeling right now. Besides, it¡¯s not going to be easy to find someone who will love me with my kids. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just needed some space.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything. Mia began giggling as Iy next to her and hoisted her up the same way I was. ¡°Where are the boys?¡± ¡°Oh, they are ying games inside my car.¡± My boys love Mason¡¯s car because, in the back seats, he installed some tablets with a lot of games. Maybe I should do that too because the boys love it. Mia then decided to follow her brothers. It was just Mason and me. We kept staring at the sky, and he was telling me about how June had been going on and on about being rejected by Mr. Monroe. ¡°I mean, my sister is gorgeous; why would he reject her so harshly?¡± ¡°Maybe June was trying too hard and making it obvious.¡± ¡°Yea, maybe you are right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfect here,¡± I said as I turned my head to Mason¡¯s side, only to find Mason staring right back at me. We kept staring at each other for what seemed like forever. ¡°You know, L, if you didn¡¯t have that ring on your finger, I could have kissed you right now.¡± I was speechless and couldn¡¯t think of anything to say, so I bit my bottom lip and stared at him. What am I doing? God help me! ¡°Stop doing that because I¡¯m going to forget that ring and kiss you for real.¡± I can¡¯t do it with Mason. He¡¯s a friend of mine. I¡¯m not going to cross the line with him. I need to figure out how to keep him from getting the wrong idea. ¡°You¡¯re so charming, Uncle Mason. Don¡¯t me me for staring,¡± I murmured as I looked away from him. ~Lev¡¯s POV~ Dante was in his suite, probably busy with some paperwork, and I wanted to go out and explore the town. We¡¯ve beening here for about 2 years now. Since the boss is busy, I will have to explore. I went to the receptionist and asked her where I could go to rx, and she said that there was a park 15 kilometers away from the hotel. I climbed into my car and drove to the park. I just want to take a long walk without being disturbed. When I got to the park, I parked my car beneath one of the oak trees. I removed my suit jacket and tossed it on the back seat before locking the car and starting to walk. I noticed the same wild, lovely flowers that were so tempting, and I sat next to them, gazing at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s so pleasant in here,¡± I thought to myself as I gazed up at the clear blue sky above. Iid back and rxed, but then I noticed someone peeing behind the wildflowers, and the pee was shooting in my face. I got up, ready to yell at the person, but it was a kid. ¡°Can¡¯t you see you¡¯re showering me with pee?¡± ¡°Sorry, uncle,¡± the boy said in an angelic voice. Then he looked up at me, and I froze. My eyes went wide. The boy looked just like my boss, Dante. I crept up to the boy and stroked his lovely face. He then smirked. I dropped dead. He smirked, just like Dante. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Tyler Monroe.¡± Tyler Monroe? Is this just a coincidence? He has the same surname as Dante. I shook my head. Maybe it¡¯s just a coincidence. Do you want to sit with Uncle? ¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°The..¡± He could finish his sentence, and he finally pointed to the ground as he was struggling to form a sentence. I managed to understand what he was trying to say. What a thoughtful child. Just like his father. Urgh, Lev, stop it! I mentally pped myself for thinking such. He couldn¡¯t be Dante¡¯s son. He was trying to tell me that the ground was wet from his pee. So I moved further away from the wildflowers and he sat with me. ¡°Where is your mother? Is she not going to be worried about you? ¡± I asked, and the boy shook his head. Iid down and so did he. ¡°You are beautiful, Tyler. Where is your dad? ¡± ¡°I-don¡¯t-know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s OK. Do you mind taking a picture with Uncle? ¡± he giggled and came closer, then I took two pictures. I don¡¯t know what is going on, but this boy is so much like him. Wait, was L pregnant? Naa, she couldn¡¯t be. But then what was the deal with Dante havingbor pains two years ago? Could it be that it was the day this boy was born? What is happening? I brush the thoughts away while I enjoy the view and the fragrance that came with the wildflowers. It was a beautiful day for a pic. I had to get back, so I told the boy, and he ran back to one of the cars that were parked under one of the oak trees in the park. I stared at the car as though something was amiss. My heart suddenly got heavy for no reason. I didn¡¯t stay any longer. I drove back to the hotel and went to Dante¡¯s suite. When I went in, he was busy with some paperwork. I looked at him, hesitating if I should tell him or not. But then if I keep this to myself, I won¡¯t be able to forgive myself. ¡°What are you doing standing there staring at me? Do you like my ass? ¡± ¡°Naa, it¡¯s not too soft, it¡¯s too muscr. I like soft ones.¡± He groaned. ¡°Do you think L was pregnant when she left New York?¡± Chapter 33 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ ¡°Do you think L was pregnant when she left New York?¡± I continued typing, without even sparing him a nce. ¡°Could you please quit bringing up L? She ran away from me and it¡¯s been 2 years now.¡± ¡°Why did she suddenly flee a few months after you guys crossed the line? You¡¯ve been dating Candice for a while now, and she¡¯s never run away. Why did she flee after you two had slept together?¡± ¡°Stop it, Lev. I don¡¯t want to talk about my rtionship with L with you.¡± He pressed his phone against my palm.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Then exin this to me.¡± I drew my gaze to the photo on Lev¡¯s phone. Holy shit! ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°Who is this child?¡± ¡°Are you dump? This boy looks exactly like you. You should have seen the smirk on his face.¡± ¡°Stop it, Lev. That small boy might be anyone¡¯s son. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°Dante think! Damn it! Why did she suddenly run away after all those years without saying anything?¡± ¡°I have to go to work, Lev. Please exit through the front entrance.¡± ¡°Okay. At the very least, I told you, and God knows I¡¯m right about this. By the way, his name is Tyler Monroe.¡± He said as he closed the door. Tyler Monroe, well, his father could be a Monroe. I mean, Monroe is a poprst name. I kept working, but my thoughts wandered to that annoying woman. She said I looked like one of her friend¡¯s children, but Lev only saw one. That boy is not my son; it could be one of June¡¯s friends¡¯ children. I kept doing what I was doing till my mind wandered back two years to when Lev inquired if there was a girl pregnant with me. That boy Lev showed me could also be around two years old. Naa, diffidently one of June¡¯s friend¡¯s children. He couldn¡¯t possibly be mine. Then there was the grey picture that had fallen off L¡¯s clothes. What was that picture? I have never seen anything like that before. I will ask Lev when we get home. It¡¯s been a long fucking day, and I am so tired now. My eyelids were weary when I gazed at myptop. I tried not to be distracted by too many things. But I¡¯m thirsty right now. I turned off myptop and went to the bathroom to take a shower. After showering, I put on some sweatpants and poured myself a ss of scotch, and went to the balcony to think. I don¡¯t know why, but Lev¡¯s question is still hunting me. ¡°Do you think L was pregnant when she left New York?¡± L isn¡¯t like that, and if ever she was, she would make sure to tell me. I don¡¯t want to think about it too much. Maybe I should wait for myst meeting tomorrow with that annoying woman and ask her more about her friend. I gulped down my drink and went straight to bed. I got up the next morning and headed to my private gym. I went directly to the shower after the gym, then put on my suit and headed to the boardroom. Lev was already waiting for me near the entryway when I arrived. He took myptop and led me inside. June was already sitting far away from me. Exactly like I¡¯ve always wanted. Before I told her how annoying she was, she would always make sure she sat next to me. Just the fact that I was able to put her in her ce makes me happy. ¡°Mr. rk is running behind schedule. I¡¯ll go make coffee while we wait.¡± June said. This old man is starting to irritate me now. I have an appointment in New Yorkter today, and this dude is already squandering my time. Now I will have to fucking reschedule my appointment because of him. June got up and came back five minutester with a tray filled with four cups of coffee. I honestly don¡¯t know why she¡¯s still here. I mean, she¡¯s an agent. I bought the hotel. What is she still doing here? Does she also work for Mr. rk? I followed Lev¡¯s lead and grabbed one of the cups. I took a big gulp of the coffee, not caring that it was still steaming hot, and then immediately spit it back into the cup. It was a disaster! It tasted like shit! It tasted like animal shit, not that I know what animal shit tastes like. ¡°Mr. Monroe, is everything okay?¡± Iid the cup aside since I didn¡¯t want to tell her she makes the worst coffee. ¡°Mr. rk is lucky. I¡¯ve already bought this hotel in this God-forsaken town. If not, I could have left a long time ago. I hate people who don¡¯t keep time. I don¡¯t even know what I saw in this hotel because it¡¯s way out of my taste.¡± I watched as Lev sipped his coffee and spat it out. ¡°I would advise you not to give anyone your coffee, Ms. ckwoods. Some folks may take offense.¡± Lev remarked that he had never before spoken critically about someone else¡¯s efforts; this was new of him. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. I¡¯ll take these back.¡± She said as she collected the tray. My thoughts turned to Mrs. Monroe, her friend, as I watched her stroll. She came back and waited with us, but now I had to make sure Mrs. Monroe wasn¡¯t my L. I stared at her, unsure where to begin, but I knew I had to ask her. ¡°Ms. ckwood? What was your friend¡¯s name again?¡± She looked at me, confused, and I went on to say, ¡°Mrs. Monroe, what¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°I believe Mr. Monroe and I agreed that we wouldn¡¯t talk about anything other than work.¡± Fucking fantastic! I didn¡¯t force it. I deserve it. But then I don¡¯t regret putting her in her ce, because I am not fucking anyone in this godforsaken town. The stupid man finally arrived. The meeting went well, and now all I have to do is wait for an opening, which will take approximately 2-3 months, and I won¡¯t be meeting this horny woman. Once we were done with the meeting, we headed to the airport and to my private jet to go back to New York. When I arrived at my vi, it was already after midnight. Candice was standing outside as I was about to go inside. It seemed like security hadn¡¯t let her in. As Lev drives, I roll down my window. ¡°What is going on?¡± Candice began crawling on her knees right away. ¡°Please, Dante. I¡¯m stranded. I don¡¯t have a ce to stay. I can¡¯t pay for my rent anymore, as I no longer have a job.¡± ¡°And so?¡± ¡°Please let me stay with you. I swear I¡¯m not going to do anything dumb.¡± I exhaled a sigh. I could tell she was stranded, but one thing I am certain of is that she will try one of her old tricks. ¡°Come on in. I will help you look for a ce to stay. You can¡¯t stay with me any longer.¡± She rose to her feet and went inside. I¡¯m not sure what happened, but she no longer has a car. I noticed a few months ago when I was trying to check if she had no idea where L was. One night, Dante, you will send her to a hotel or anything. Her presence here may raise eyebrows. What if L returns and begins to suspect Candice and I are a couple? That is something I cannot afford. When the car arrived, I directed one of the maids to the west wing of my house. I¡¯d like her to be as far away from here as possible. Chapter 34 ~Candice¡¯s POV~ It¡¯s been four good years and Dante won¡¯t even spare me a nce. I was stranded 2 years ago when things with Jiang didn¡¯t work out, even after I broke it off with the two of them. I was trying to see which of the two men would chase after me, but no one did. I stayed six months without the two of them, and I ran out of cash. The first person I went to was Jiang, but he chased me away without hesitation. Then Dante took me in because he believed L might call me. We live in the same house, yet I hardly ever see him. I cook for myself while he dines like a king on his side of the vi. He has not given up searching for L, even though all of these years have passed. I¡¯m not sure what kind of rtionship they had, but it seems to have been very strong. It is more powerful than what he and I shared. I have been trying to at least get closer to him, even if it¡¯s just to have lunch with him, but he will never look at me that way. At first, he couldn¡¯t even talk to me. This time around, he just greeted and passed. He made it clear from the start that he wanted nothing to do with me, and if I ever crossed the line, he would send me packing. I left my room and headed to the main vi because I saw Lev there and I knew Dante wouldn¡¯t embarrass me in front of him. I entered the dining room and sat with Lev. I greeted Lev, and he just looked at me and nodded. He has always been a man of few words. Dante came down the stairs, and I could tell how disgusted he was to see me at his dining table. I know I am not wee, but L isn¡¯t here, and it¡¯s been four years already. I have been staying here for over a year, going on for 2 years. I am always making excuses when he tells me to move out. I want to fight for him, but it is hard, especially when he knows all the men I dated. Thest time he called me a gold digger. Well, who wants to date a broke man? It is confirmed that there is a reason why Dante is keeping me here, but love is not part of it, or even fucking. Thest time I went to a club and pretended to be drunk and I asked the bartender to call Dante, I have never been so embarrassed in my life. He told the man he wasn¡¯t a driver. I should request an Uber. That¡¯s how I knew this man had no feelings for me, not even sympathy. One of the maids brought food to the table. The woman greeted Lev and Dante but didn¡¯t even bother greeting me. He hired new maids, a chef, and cleaners. He probably told them I wasn¡¯t the madam of the house. It¡¯s no surprise they didn¡¯t even greet me. I swallowed hard and cleared my throat. ¡°Good morning, Dante.¡± Greeting him seemed to have triggered something in him, for he told Lev right afterward that they would eat at work. As he got up and took his suit jacket off, something fell from the jacket. I picked up the piece of paper, wanting to give it to him, but what I saw there was enough to send me to an early grave. I looked at him and I noticed he didn¡¯t see that something had fallen off his jacket. Then my gaze was drawn to Lev. He wasn¡¯t preupied withpleting his coffee. I watched the two men leave, and I rushed to my bedroom to sob. Dante got ady pregnant, but who? He is always going on and on about how he loves L, yet he got someone else pregnant who isn¡¯t me. Who could it possibly be? Here I was thinking that L was my biggest obstacle, but Nah, there is another bitch who is even expected. I fixed my gaze on the picture in my hand. Strange enough, the ultrasonography picture didn¡¯t have dates. I can¡¯t tell when it was taken, and there is no name in the picture. All I can see is that the person is 13 weeks long. Who is Dante seeing behind my back? I have been sweeping all his one-night stands, making sure everyone knows their stands, but this is a kick in the guts. I lost him, not even to that girl L, but to someone else, and the person is pregnant. I sighed and sobbed some more. I will make sure that whoever it is, vomits the child before it is born. ~Dante¡¯s POV~ I think there is no hope of finding L. I kept Candice in my house because I thought that she might know where L is, but to my disappointment, she has no idea, and all this while she has been acting as though she knows where my wife is. Candice is really starting to get on my nerves. I instructed her to remain in the west wing, but she kept crawling back to my vi. I really can¡¯t stand her. I kept her because I thought she might know. Knowing that witch, even if she has known, she will make it a mission to ensure that I do not find L. I sighed and leaned back in the backseat of the car.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°You know, you dropped something from your suit jacket today, but I saw Candice picking it up on the floor. I thought she was going to give it to you, but she proved me wrong, as usual.¡± ¡°What? Something from my jacket?¡± ¡°Yea, it seems like a piece of paper.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s this other picture I don¡¯t understand. I found it on L¡¯s things. I wanted to show it to you. Maybe you might have an idea of what the picture was.¡± ¡°Well, Candice picked it up and hid it. I guess I will never see the picture again, huh?¡± ¡°Please get me a 1-bedroom condo when we return from ourst trip. Pay the rent for six months. I want her out of my house. I think she¡¯s at it with her games again.¡± ¡°All right, sir.¡± Chapter 35 ~L¡¯s POV~ I woke up early today because it¡¯s my kids¡¯ first day at school. I decided to look for a live-in tutor after their tragic experience two years ago, and Grant has been really helpful with the kids. Grant is a middle-aged man who has been working as a tutor for the better part of two decades. His teaching technique is unique, and believe me, he is amazing. Grant will continue to be their tutor. I¡¯m not going to let him go. He is unrivaled. I ripped open the nket and made my way to the kitchen. I was freezing. When I looked out the window, it was snowing. I sighed, knowing I¡¯d have to make soup to keep my kids warm. So I ended up settling for butternut soup. After I was done preparing breakfast, I noticed my kidsing down. ¡°Good morning, Mom.¡± Tyler greeted me as I was preparing breakfast for them. ¡°Good morning, sweetie,¡± I said, as Mia walked up and kissed me before sliding into her chair. ¡°Hey, Mama.¡± ¡°Morning, sweetheart. How was your night?¡± ¡°Great mama.¡± I began to serve them, but then looked up to check if Kai wasing down. But he wasn¡¯t. ¡°Where has Kai gone?¡± ¡°Mom, he¡¯ll be down in a second. Could I please have the soup?¡± Tyler gave me a puppy dog look. While I was busy dishing out breakfast for them, Kai came running down and leaped up to kiss me. ¡°Good morning, mother.¡± ¡°Hey, baby, you look great today.¡± He smiled and ran his fingers through his hair.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Always mom. Always.¡± Iugh at how cute he is while trying to y cute. Kai is quite a charmer. His words can melt any soul. They all started eating while I waited for them to finish so I could take them to school. ¡°Did Dad love butternut soup, Mommy?¡± I wentpletely limp. My little girl has always been the inquisitive type, constantly wanting to know what happened to her father. She was curious about everything about him. I opened my mouth and closed it. ¡°Eat your food, Mia!¡± Kai forewarned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, brother.¡± Kai and Tyler are like mature people. They don¡¯t act like people their age. While my little Mia is a curious soul full of questions, when they were done eating, I went inside to put on a jacket. I opened the door and the bitter cold stung my eyes as I stepped onto my porch. My legs were blown up by a gust of wind. I sighed. It was bitterly cold. Thank goodness it wasn¡¯t too chilly, and the snow wasn¡¯t too deep. I hate driving in snowy weather. ¡°Kai, Tyler, and Mia hurry up; we don¡¯t want to bete on your first day at school,¡± I called out to them as I went into my garage to bring the car closer. I parked the car in front of my porch and waited for them. They all emerged in less than 5 minutes, but they had changed their attire and were not wearing gloves. Kai opened the door for Mia, who went inside, while Tyler crept in through the other door. I had to ask them after Kai slid into the car because it was extremely freezing and there was no way they were going to make it through the day. ¡°Why did you go and change to dress lightly and you don¡¯t have your gloves? It¡¯s freezing outside.¡± I raised my concerns at that point, and Kai was quick to answer. ¡°Oh mom, it will only snow for 30 minutes and the weather won¡¯t be too cold after that.¡± ¡°Where did you get that from?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom, we will be fine.¡± Tyler chimed in. I sighed and started my car. I chose to drive gently because I couldn¡¯t see much of the road. I drove by a traffic light near my house, muttering to myself about how I was going to make my kidste for their first day of school. I decided to take them close to Lolitta hotel. The name was changed a few months back. It used to be known as the Ozark Central Hotel. The teachers at the kindergarten are professionals, so I am confident that my children would love the school. My vision began to fail me. I could see the traffic signal¡¯s dim red light. I checked the time and decided to pick up the pace a little to make it to the traffic light on time, but I collided with another car that I hadn¡¯t seen. I yelled along with the kids and checked to see whether they were okay. To my surprise, my kids were just fine and staring right back at me, asking me if I was fine. I couldn¡¯t answer. I chastised myself silently for driving. I mmed my head on the steering wheel and breathed a sigh of relief when I realized my children were safe. I went down to check on the car I hit. As Kai said, the snow had stopped and the sky was bing clearer. As I took a step toward the car in front, the front door of the car opened and a slender man came out of the car. A sports car? Holy shit, that must have cost a fortune. I mentally pped myself for being so careless. The man didn¡¯t make a fuss. He took a step closer and came to aplete stop. ¡°Are you all OK, ma¡¯am?¡± In a deep, raspy voice, the man questioned. He made no movement. He just asked without moving an inch. I looked up to respond to the man, but he was looking in the back of his car. Then he spoke again, ¡°It is not severely damaged. I can still drive it.¡± Then he cocked his head in my direction, and the world came to a standstill. I want to run, but my legs can¡¯t even move. Dante! Dante was standing in his glorious flesh, staring right at me. What exactly is he doing here? He didn¡¯t move either. He looked at me and took a step back. Standing for a couple of moments with my eyes squeezed tightly shut, praying that when I open them again, Dante won¡¯t be there, that this will all just be a horrible nightmare. It feels like it is. That, though, would be cliched and far too fortuitous. After almost 4 years and a few months of not seeing each other, all I could see in his eyes was dread. I quickly took in his appearance. His blue orbs were staring at me, and he looked deadly. His jet-ck hair was smoothlybed into ce. His shoulders had grownrger and more muscr. One could tell he was a gym person. He stood tall, wearing all ck. While I was still taken aback by his unexpected appearance, Kai rolled down the window and yelled, ¡°Mama, are you hurt?¡± I headshot to meet Dante¡¯s gaze while screaming at the back of my head that Kai didn¡¯t step out of the car, but my boy stepped out and started assessing me. It¡¯s as though God wanted my children to meet their father today. Both my sons had the same hairstyle as their father. Dante¡¯s eyesnded on Kai, and I was secretly praying that Kai wouldn¡¯t look at him, but knowing my son and his overprotectiveness, there was no way. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry. My mom is always careful while driving. It may be the snow. I apologize on her behalf.¡± As Kai called me ¡®Mom,¡¯ Dante remained expressionless, as though he knew Kai was his. Kai then looked up, and the father and son exchanged their first gaze. There was no denying it. Kai¡¯s gaze traveled first from his father to me, then back to his father, who was still frozen in one ce. ¡°Mom, why does he look like Tyler? Is he our father?¡± I froze, wishing the earth would open and swallow me whole. ¡°Kai, is mommy, okay?¡± Tyler asked as he opened the door, trying toe down. ¡°No! Stay in the car!¡± I shouted, looking at Dante, who hadn¡¯t moved an inch, then back at the car so that Tyler wouldn¡¯te down, but of course, the two remaining in the car were both worried. Tyler came out of the car along with Mia, who ran to me while clutching my leg, crying. I leaned down to stroke Mia¡¯s hair and wipe her tears, assuring her that her mother was OK. ¡°Are you okay, mama?¡± Tyler asked, and I saw Kai trying to walk toward Dante. Panic took over me. Dante hasn¡¯t moved an inch, most likely because he¡¯s in shock. ¡°Kai! Get back to the car now!¡± ¡°But mother! He is my father!¡± I froze. It¡¯s over. It¡¯s all over. I needed to act quickly. ¡°Who told you that?¡± I yelled at him while I was still having both an external and an internal breakdown. Mason¡¯s car came to a halt, and he called out to the kids as he got out of the car. He quickly took them inside his car and came back to drag me into his car. ¡°Are you all right, L? You must be really shocked,¡± Mason asked. I couldn¡¯t find my voice. It¡¯s as if I was programmed to speak for a particr amount of time and then couldn¡¯t. He closed the door, and he went towards Dante. The vehicles were not far apart. I could hear everything. ¡°I am so sorry, sir. I need to get them to the hospital first. I¡¯ll return to discuss the damages. Could you please take this?¡± Mason stated as he put his business card in Dante¡¯s hand. ¡°Kids first. I hope you understand.¡± I watched as Dante checked Mason out and scoffed. ¡°I understand. How old are your children?¡± Dante asked with the same expressionless face. ¡°Oh, no, they aren¡¯t¡­¡± He paused and continued, ¡°They are four, sir.¡± Dante¡¯s gaze traveled to me. My heart started pounding in my ears while my pulse thundered in my neck, making it hard to swallow. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the car. You can go ahead.¡± He said as he eyed me. ¡°Are you sure, sir?¡± Dante gave a nod. ¡°Thank you very much, sir!¡± Mason said joyfully and dashed back to his car, where he drove away. When I peeked out the window, I saw Dante smirking devilishly at me. I knew it was all over right then and there. He found me. Chapter 36 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ It was snowing outside, which meant that the skies were great and the people¡¯s moods were gloomy. Today I¡¯m feeling extremely sluggish. I am clueless as to the reason. In the entirety of my existence, I have never before experienced weakness on this scale. I stood up from my chair and went to the balcony. The slow, gentle morning breeze always has a soothing feeling when it caresses my face. One of the reasons I enjoy my balcony. Too bad I won¡¯t be standing for long today because it¡¯s a bit freezing today. I returned inside and went directly to the shower. When I was finished, I walked to my desk and began sorting the hotel reports, separating thepleted reports from the unfinished ones. As I did so, they began to pile up. I took a deep breath after finishing all the reports. I needed some coffee. I put on my suit jacket, got in my car, and began hunting for the nearest coffee shop. As I drove, my mind wandered back to when Lev told me that Candice had picked up the photo and that I had given her enough time toe to me with the photo, but she never said anything to me. Which meant she was sure no one saw her. It is now very clear that Candice cannot be trusted. I came to a halt at the traffic lights after noticing a coffee shop not far from the traffic lights. I stroked my temples, unsure what to do with Candice and her schemes. Lev has been looking for a condo for her, but I don¡¯t think she merits my sympathy. One thing is certain if she saw that photo and decided to hide it, it means she knows what that picture is. My ocean of thought was disturbed when someone suddenly crashed into my car in the back. The loud bang was then followed by screams. Whoever crashed my car had children in their vehicle. The fucking snow But when I looked outside, the skies were now clearer and no longer gray. They had a bluish hue to them in some lights. When I got out of the car, I noticed ady looking over my vehicle, perhaps concerned about the cost of the damage. I chose not to make a fuss. idents happen all the time, right? I took a step closer to check my car and also make sure thedy and the kids were safe. ¡°Are you okay, ma¡¯am?¡± I asked her without moving an inch while I checked my car to make sure it wasn¡¯t badly wrecked. I could still drive it and possibly take it to a mechanic for a good repair. I could feel thedy¡¯s gaze on me. Probably trying to check if I was okay too or maybe worried about my car. ¡°It¡¯s not severely damaged. I can still drive it.¡± I smiled and cocked my head in her way, not wanting to make her feel embarrassed about the situation. Bunny! My wife was the woman who bumped into my car. I could see the desire to run written all over her face, but her legs didn¡¯t appear to be up to the task. I kept looking at her, and before I knew it, I was lost in her lovely amber eyes all over again. Her chestnut eyes dazzled me all over again. You would just want to just drown in them. Her pale cheeks revealed that she, too, was in shock, as I am right now. I have a lot of questions right now, such as why you fled. What was that picture I found in her clothes? I had many questions for her. She was even more stunning than before. She is, even more, curvier than ever. What the fuck is she doing? What about those kids? Whose are they? I watched as she squeezed her eyes tightly, her hands forming into fists. Then I heard a child¡¯s voiceing from her car. ¡°Mama, are you hurt?¡± Mama? I watched as her eyes widened and her attention moved to mine, then to the car. What is she trying to hide? Wait, a minute¡­ Did she meet someone and get pregnant while she was still married to me? My thoughts were immediately interrupted by the sound of the car door opening, showing a little boy, perhaps 4-5 years old. The boy¡¯s hair was styled in the same way as mine was. He rushed to L, more like trying to protect her and wanting to make sure she was okay. I heard a sighing from his mouth once he was sure L was okay.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry. My mom is always careful while driving. It may be the snow. I apologize on her behalf.¡± For the second time, the boy addressed her as ¡äMom.¡ä The boy finally looked up at me, and my world came to aplete halt. The boy was looking at me, all confused like I was. L, why? Why did you do this to me? There was no denial; the boy in front of me was the spitting image of me. I was about to cry, but I couldn¡¯t do it in front of my son. With whom was she raising my son? She stole 4 years from me, four years of being a father to my son. L remained where she was, not moving an inch. This time, she was facing the ground as though she was counting her toes. ¡°Mom, why does he look like Tyler? Is he our father?¡± Tyler? Our father? What on earth is he talking about? Wait¡­ Tyler Monroe? The boy Lev told me about 2 years ago? If he is not Tyler, it means L gave birth to two boys. Is that why he said ¡®our father?¡¯ So I got twins, and she kept my sons away from me for four good years. Who the fuck does she think she is? I then heard another voiceing from the car. ¡°Kai, is mommy okay?¡± I stumbled back a bit. So, the boy in front of me is Kai, and the other one is Tyler. Wait, I remember when I was in high school telling Little L that if I ever had a boy, I would name him Kai ¡®Mkai¡¯ or Tyler, and if I ever got a girl, I would name her Mia or Kiara. Why did L have to inflict such pain on me? I could hear someone trying to open the car door. ¡°No, stay in the car!¡± L yelled. Is she also trying to deprive me of seeing my sons now? How dare she? But the boy came out, and a girl followed him and started crying while holding L¡¯s leg. Lforted the young girl by bending down and gently stroking her hair before wiping away her tears. Who does the girl belong to? ¡°Are you okay, mama?¡± Tyler inquired, but I realized Kai was already approaching me, and I feltpelled to sprint to him and give him a bear hug. But my legs failed me. I will never forgive L for all of this. Even if she didn¡¯t want to be with me, she could have at the very least informed me that we had sons or that she was pregnant. But she chose to rob me of all these years. I¡¯ll never be able to forgive her. I am quite disappointed. No matter what her reasons were, I deserved to know. I fucking had to know I was a father. My life could have been better. I wouldn¡¯t be fucking around knowing I had kids. I could have been a father to my children no matter what, dick aside. Why did she do this to me? My gaze shifted to her. I had feelings of dread, pain, and betrayal all at the same time. I was furious to the core. I will never forgive you for this, L. You will have to pay for all these years. You will have to give me back all the lost years. I don¡¯t fucking care what your reasons are. I had every right to know. From where she was, I could feel her trembling. Then the little girl turned to look my way and, God, my world stopped. She was mine. I fucking had an angel, and L chose to keep them away from me. ¡°Kai! Get back to the car now!¡± She screamed. ¡°But mother! He is my father!¡± I froze. My son knew I was his father. I couldn¡¯t put into words how thrilled I was. ¡°Who told you that?¡± She screamed. Then a car pulled over, and a guy got out of the car. ¡°Mia, Kai, and Tyler board the bus! Now!¡± When I red in that direction of the guy, my stomach turned, and my blood began to boil. Another man was busy raising my children, and she didn¡¯t dare tell me about them. I smirked. She will bear the brunt of my wrath. Then the guy came back to drag her into his car. He closed his car and walked toward me. ¡°I am so sorry, sir. I need to get them to the hospital first. I¡¯ll return to discuss the damages. Could you please take this?¡± He said as he shoved his business card into my palm, then he continued, ¡°Kids first. I hope you understand.¡± I watched the idiot trying to y dad, but then it was for my kids. I will let this slide. I scoffed unwittingly. But then again, who cares? ¡°I understand. How old are your children?¡± I watched as he thought of what to say to me. ¡°Oh, no, they aren¡¯t¡­¡± He paused, then continued, ¡°They are four, sir.¡± My gaze shifted to my little Bunny in the car. I smirked wickedly. She will pay a high price for this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the car. You go ahead, my attention never leaving my Bunny inside his car. ¡°Are you sure, sir?¡± I gave a simple nod in agreement. This guy is starting to annoy me now. Fucking leave and take my kids to the hospital! ¡°Thank you very much, sir!¡± Like a little boy who has just gotten a girl to like him back, the guy turned and left. The man started the car and drove away, but my gaze remained fixed on my Bunny. Bunny, I¡¯ll make you pay. You will beg for me to take your life instead. You hurt me so dearly, Bunny. I took out my phone and took a picture of her car registration and sent it to Elvis. Me: Find out where the car¡¯s owner is staying. Chapter 37 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ I couldn¡¯t think clearly. I stood there watching Dr. ckwood¡¯s car drive away until it was out of sight. That much I know now that I¡¯ve checked the business card in my grasp. I close my eyes because I don¡¯t want to do anything reckless. I climbed into my car and began driving without knowing where I was heading. I have been a father without my knowledge. Lev was right; someone was indeed pregnant for me. I swear to God, L, I¡¯m going to hurt her in the worst way possible. When she became pregnant, we were friends, husband, and wife. But she never fought for us. She served me with divorce papers and took my children away from me. Even though I was a jerk, I deserved to know. This exins her mood swings and reluctance to eat. Howe I didn¡¯t notice? Why did she sleep with me before fleeing if I was nothing to her? Did she think I wanted a life with Candice? Yes, I know I told her we shouldn¡¯t have done it at first, but when she came to my room that night, I feltpelled to pursue a rtionship with her; I wanted us to remain husband and wife. She never gave me the opportunity to tell her that I didn¡¯t want a divorce, that I wanted her and us together. But right now, I am going to serve her with those divorce papers and take my kids away from her. She does not deserve my sense of empathy. I will hurt her in the same way that her acts have hurt me. A car honking behind me interrupted my train of thought. When I looked up, the traffic lights were all green. I don¡¯t even know where I am. I looked around, unsure which direction to proceed. I took out my phone, wanting to use maps to go back to the hotel, but my phone was off. ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed. I took a right turn and kept driving. I then noticed a floral shop. I pulled over near the flower shop, wanting to ask for directions back to the hotel because my phone had died. Lolita¡¯s Boutique I grinned because the boutique shared the same name as my hotel. That reminds me, I named that hotel after her. I need to change it. I will never forgive her treachery. Never! I walked into the flower shop and was greeted by a middle-aged man. That man¡¯s eyes widened when he spotted me. ¡°You have to be Mr. Monroe.¡± I looked at the man, puzzled as to how he knew who I was. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s only that your triplets resemble you so much. I thought Mia looked like Mrs. Monroe, but looking at you, I know better. The girl looks like you. Just like the boy.¡± Great L, just great! Now, what do I say to this old man now? I¡¯m at a loss for words with him, and he appears delighted to have met me. So I just nodded and smiled. To what, I don¡¯t fucking know. I took my time looking at her shop, which was serene and weing, just like she was, my Bunny. But why did she then open a floral shop? I chuckle at how well-nned everything is. She didn¡¯t want to meet me, so she went to a flower shop. She couldn¡¯t have hidden for all these years by herself; someone was helping her. But who? ¡°Um, Sir, I¡¯m Matthew. I am the manager of the shop.¡± He remarked this as he extended his hand for a handshake. ¡°You can call me Dante,¡± I said to him as I smiled. ¡°Oh my God, you grin like your kids.¡± I¡¯m d you finally came, sir. You see, your children went through a lot. They were bullied because people thought that L wasn¡¯t married. They were all convinced she was pregnant out of wedlock. In this town, when someone gets pregnant out of wedlock, they are too judgmental. Mrs. Monroe has been through a lot with the kids. I remember her taking them to school for two years. They were bullied, and the teacher didn¡¯t do anything about it. They were dubbed bastards and other derogatory names. Mrs. Monroe sought a live-in tutor as a result, and the children have been homeschooled ever since. It was not long before she found a suitable school for them close to the hotel. What was that name again? Yea, Lolita. The teachers there are professionals, unlike the first school.¡± I took a peek at the man. He appeared to be ecstatic. I wanted to silence him, but I also wanted to learn more about my children. So I let him speak. ¡°It¡¯s rather amusing that the names of this boutique and the hotel are the same.¡± He stated. ¡°Because it belongs to me. It was named after my wife.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange. Mrs. Monroe never mentioned the hotel belonged to her husband.¡± Adymented as she entered the shop through what seemed to be the back door. ¡°It¡¯s no surprise. Mrs. Monroe took people¡¯s criticisms about her children personally, and she hated bragging. She owns the most luxurious house and car, yet she does not behave like some of the others here.¡± said the man. ¡°You¡¯re right, she¡¯s quite down to earth.¡± ¡°Um, I am actually on my way back to the hotel, but my phone is dead. I am still not familiar with this ce.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, Mr. Monroe, I¡¯ll point you on the right route.¡± The man said as we went outside and he started to direct me. I bid my farewell as I got back into my car, and I could see thedy gasping as she saw my car. Oh, how I hate being the center of attention. I drove back to the hotel, following Matthew¡¯s directions. The man was amazing. I went into the underground parking exclusively for me and changed my car. The school, I need to pay the school a visit. That school and the hotel now belong to me. When Mr. rk sold the hotel. He included the school in the deal. Time to show my face to those teachers. I got in my car and drove to school. I entered the principal¡¯s office, introduced myself, and he showed me around the school. I noticed some children were busy nting trees. As we were about to leave, I heard someone yelling behind me. ¡°Daddy!¡± I turned to find my boy, except I didn¡¯t know which one he was, Kai or Tyler. I closed my eyes and opened my hands for a big bear embrace. But then, I started to hear giggles. I opened my eyes to see my little girl in my hands and her brothers were just standing there, staring at us. ¡°Mia! ¡°Didn¡¯t I see him first?¡± ¡°Oh shut up, Tyler. You can still join us.¡± ¡°Come on, boys, don¡¯t just stand there. Come give Daddy a hug.¡± They all came in, and we were in a group hug. This felt like heaven. Thank you, L, for keeping them. One thing she has done right, but still, I won¡¯t forgive her for taking them away from me. After a moment, I pulled away from the embrace and nced at them. I can¡¯t believe how much they resemble me. There were no words to describe the happiness that I am experiencing at this very moment. Our brief reunion was cut short when the principal asked a question. ¡°I had no idea your children were enrolled at our school, Mr. Monroe.¡± I didn¡¯t want to raise suspicions. Not wanting to know what was happening between me and my wife, I smiled and looked at the principal. ¡°Oh, absolutely. They started today.¡± ****** ¡°Hey, why did you lie to me?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°About those triplets. You said they were bastards.¡± ¡°Oh, those were taken out of our school by their mother because she lied about being married. She keeps calling herself Mrs. Monroe, but no one knows her husband.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t tell the truth. Her husband is Mr. Monroe. The big shot! The guy who bought the school and the hotel is her husband, and he is her with her kids. They called him Daddy, and they looked just like him. Next time, check your facts. I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t follow your order because I could have lost my job today. After all, those kids are my boss¡¯s kids.¡± The teacher said and hung up. Will Dante forgive L for her betrayal? Don¡¯t you think they both talk of betrayal too much forgetting that they are both wrong? Who do you think is wrong here? L or Dante?This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Chapter 38 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ I awoke the next morning ncing at the wall clock. The time was 8:00 a. m. I had a look around my suite and, boy, was it a mess. I use the inte button to summon Lev. I told him toe to my suite in 30 minutes. I went to take a shower. I dressed after showering. As I was busy trying to pick up all the papers strewn across the carpet and organize them ordingly, Lev walked in. ¡°Damn, your suite looks like shit.¡± I nodded, not knowing where to start. Only if I¡¯d paid attention to him all these years. He was right about the pain. At the time when we found out, three people were registered under me. But then, who has been helping L all this time? Her family? Naa, thest time I called them they were in Vietnam and the mother even called me her son-inw, which can only mean that she didn¡¯t know. I mean, we always call each other. She could have informed me. She loves me too much to keep such information from me. L¡¯s mother was the first person I told about my yearning for L, and she didn¡¯t argue with me; instead, she simply told me to wait until she was 18. Even so, when L was 18, she kept asking me If I had confessed, I would tell her I still had unfinished business. She has never once judged me. When I had my first girlfriend because I thought she would oppose my dating L, I told her I was seeing someone and it wasn¡¯t serious. L and her mother are not close. She can call L, but she will ignore her calls. L, on the other hand, has never dodged my mother¡¯s calls. Maybe I should call her and tell her she has grandchildren now. No, it won¡¯t do. She¡¯d wonder why I¡¯d kept it from her all these years. I mean, I¡¯d been lying to her for years when she inquired about L¡¯s well-being. Perhaps I should go to Vietnam and tell her I lied to her. I despise this because my lies have finally caught up with me. I¡¯m a father, and I had no idea about this. It¡¯s not something I can discuss with her over the phone. I sighed as I neatly set the papers on myrge wooden desk without meeting Lev¡¯s gaze. I went behind my desk and sat down. ¡°You were right about everything.¡± I finally spoke. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°When you told me someone was pregnant for me 4 years back, about Tyler.¡± ¡°So Tyler is your son?¡± ¡°Yep, and there is more.¡± ¡°What exactly do you mean, there¡¯s more?¡± Lev inquired, his expression troubled.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°June ckwood is L¡¯s friend. I haven¡¯t confirmed it yet, but I encountered a man that resembles June. Because they resemble each other, I am confident he is not her husband. The guy is a doctor, and I think I know why she hesitated to tell me about her friend the other day. It seemed like her brother wanted my wife and she knew that if I ever knew who her friend was, I would be in the way of her brother.¡¯ ¡°I still don¡¯t understand you.¡± ¡°June¡¯s brother wants my wife, or he is already dating her,¡± I voiced out. ¡°What?! L isn¡¯t like that, and you know it. Perhaps he has feelings for her. So, are you going to bring L home?¡± ¡°No, I am going to take my kids home.¡± ¡°Kids, what exactly do you mean, kids?¡± I closed my eyes and braced myself for the st. ¡°L gave birth to triplets.¡± Lev took a few steps back. ¡°Yea, Lev, I am a father of three and I just found out yesterday.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what led her to betray me like this, but one thing is for sure. I am taking my kids away from her. This is a betrayal I did not expect from her. L is a perfectionist who is wless in every way. But I never imagined she would betray me. No matter what her reasoning is, Lev. I fathered those kids. I had a right to know. I went crazy when she left me. I went as far as not submitting the damn divorce so she coulde back, only to find out that she didn¡¯t submit on her end either. 4 years going to 5 years now Lev. Will you be able to forgive anything like that? They are my children. Even if she had decided to flee, she could have left a clue or told me that she was pregnant. We could have had a happy family life, Lev. She was my first love. Forget about the fact that I slept with other people while waiting for her. We made a promise. I know I let her down. But L knew she was going to end up with me no matter what.¡± I exhaled a sigh. ¡°I admit it took me a long time to actually man up to my own feelings. Imagine fucking every girl while thinking of that one girl. Her deep ck hair and her innocent amber eyes. The girl who consumed me from the start, whose body I sought at all times, whose warmth I required at all times. Even when she was young, I would make sure to sleep in the same bed as her because I knew she was my princess. When I was heartbroken, I would make sure I slept close to her because I knew she would never break my heart, but look where I am. She broke me beyond repair.¡± I¡¯ve never told anyone how dear L was to me, and yet here I am fighting back tears by spilling my heart out to Lev. I keep an eye on him as he opens and closes his mouth. He may be speechless, but he has never seen me like this. When she left, I was broken, but this is worse than death. ¡°What she did was extremely wrong, but why don¡¯t you sit her down and hear what she has to say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time for her exnations, Lev. Whatever it is, it will only serve as an excuse.¡± I checked the time on the wall. Elvis could have sent me her address by now. What is it that is taking him so long? I pulled out my phone and, as I was about to text him, a message from him was disyed on my screen. Elvis: 336, Ocean View, Ozark. But Dante, this address and the car belong to your wife. Did you know that? Me: Yeah, she bumped my car yesterday and ran off. I looked at the time once more. I had to see her, but I didn¡¯t want to see her when the kids were around. I don¡¯t want my children to watch us arguing. I¡¯m not going to get into a fight. I am just going to take what is mine and she can carry on with her life. The kids are currently at school right now, so I took my car keys and headed to the underground garage, slid inside my car, and drove to the address. When I reached the gate, a man came in and his eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Mr. Monroe. I¡¯ll open the gate for you.¡± He spoke with a big grin on his face. Thank God no one had to ask me who I am because my kids look like me. I drove up to her porch and parked my car. I saw a ringing doorbell and hit the button. I heard the door creak open and my L gasped, her big amber eyes boring into mine. ¡°Dante.¡± Chapter 39 ~L¡¯s POV~ I knew I was in deep shit when I bumped into him. What exactly was he doing here? My children look like him, and I can¡¯t hide that. I tried everything I could to keep my kids from getting out of the car, but it was all in vain. He now knows he has three children. I feel bad for not telling him, but I had no other choice. He chose Candice over me. He wanted to be with her, so I gave him what he wanted. It was difficult, but I had no choice. I couldn¡¯t see myself dragging over him with Candice. He seemed not to be holding on to what we promised each other, so I had to go away. I needed peace, and remaining in New York was never going to be peaceful. I was lucky that my car was fixed the same day since it wasn¡¯t a huge crash. I drove to the shop without wanting to think too much about today¡¯s incident. After parking my car, I proceeded inside, where I was greeted by Matthew and Carol, who were both smiling to themselves while they worked. ¡°Good day, Carol.¡± ¡°Good day, Mrs. Monroe.¡± She replied with the brightest smile I¡¯d ever seen on her face. I approached Matthew, who was singing as he sorted the flowers. Matthew never sings. What¡¯s with him? ¡°Good day, Matthew.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Good day, L. How was your day?¡± ¡°Not bad,¡± I responded. ¡°Oh, how would it be bad when Mr. Monroe is in town?¡± Carol chimed in. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked with my eyes shut, hoping it was not what I thought it was. ¡°Oh, Mr. Monroe came by earlier this morning. Mrs. Monroe, your husband, is extremely hot and resembles your children.¡± Carol stated. I¡¯m doomed! I yelled at the back of my head. ¡°He stopped by to get directions back to the hotel. He stated that his phone was dead. Oh, and why didn¡¯t you tell us your husband named that hotel after you, L?¡± I didn¡¯t want to raise any suspicions because I have no idea what hotel they were alluding to. So I smiled and answered. ¡°You should know who I am by now. I hardly talk about things like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no wonder the hotel and this boutique have the same name.¡± I wentpletely still. The Lolita hotel as well as the school. Oh my God, my children. Does he know they are going to that school? I can¡¯t bring myself to ask these questions, as they will know that something isn¡¯t right. I looked at the clock and realized it was already time for me to go pick them up. ¡°Oh, I have to get going. I have to pick up my children.¡± I said that as I rushed outside, praying that Dante wouldn¡¯t know a thing. I drove to school and waited in the parking lot. I was a little early, so I took my time looking around for Dante, but he was nowhere to be found. I waited until one of the teachers approached me with my children. She was beaming with delight. Why? I¡¯m not sure. ¡°Good day, Mrs. Monroe.¡± I simply nodded my head. I looked at my kids and noticed that they were happier than ever, which made me wonder why. ¡°How are you doing?¡± I said to the teacher, and she bent slightly as she responded. ¡°I¡¯m well, ma¡¯am, thanks for asking.¡± Why did she bow a bit and did she just call me ma¡¯am? I put the thought aside, and thedy spoke again as I was ready to get into my car. ¡°By the way, your kids look exactly like your husband.¡± I froze and looked at her anxiously. ¡°Mr. Monroe. The school¡¯s proprietor.¡± I curse ever saying I was married because right now I can¡¯t afford for people to know that Dante and I have just met since I ran away while pregnant. ¡°Mr. Monroe seems to love his kids. He was here throughout their session. I¡¯m envious of you, ma¡¯am.¡± I chuckled and waved goodbye to the woman. I got in my car and began driving. I walked by an ice cream shop, expecting that my children might tell me more about what happened earlier on with their father today. After buying the ice cream, I gave them. Mia was so excited when the boys just looked at each other and back at me. ¡°What is it, mom?¡± Kia asked. I sighed, knowing that they knew I wanted something from them. Unlike Mia, the brothers are far too intelligent for their own good. ¡°I heard Daddy dropped by to see you all.¡± I eventually said something. ¡°Ho, mommy, my daddy is so cool. He is the best father on the.¡± Mia chimed, ¡°But mommy, howe he neveres to see us?¡± She went on. I¡¯ll be a lousy mother if I start criticizing their father. After all, he only found out about them today. For him to take time out of his busy schedule to be with children indicates that he wants to be a part of their lives, but do I want him to disrupt the tranquility that I have been able to keep all these years? Yes, I still want him to be part of his children¡¯s lives, but knowing Dante, he is too cold and only used to warm up to me. Not even Candice changed him. ¡°Daddy has been quite busy. But he¡¯ll be seeing you all a lot more now.¡± I said with a forced smile. I don¡¯t want him seeing them. I want to run again, but for how long? ¡°Yeah!¡± Mia was happy, and so were the boys. What if Dante wants all of the kids to himself? No, he wouldn¡¯t do that to me. He might be shocked and angry, but he will never take them away from me, will he? The next morning, I didn¡¯t want to take them to school since I knew he would see them. However, this is their future, not mine. They needed to go to school. I drove them myself, hoping not to bump into Dante. Once I was done, I sighed and drove back home. I went upstairs to take a shower. I was walking down the stairs when I heard a doorbell ring. I ran down the stairs. I squeaked the door open and breathed his name. ¡°Dante.¡± Chapter 40 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ There she is, standing at the door as though she had seen a ghost. Did she think I wouldn¡¯t find her even after bumping into my car? Maybe. My shoulders tensed as I stared at her. A pinch of annoyance washed over me, along with a slew of bottled emotions. My dark eyes were fixed on her, the woman who had stolen nearly 5 years of my life. We just stood there, staring at each other. No one said a word. We were just looking at each other. She looked terrified. She ought to be. I¡¯m not here to eat; I¡¯m here to im what is rightfully mine. She looked confused. ¡°At longst, Bunny.¡± She backed up a few steps. She was trembling. Why should I care about how nervous I make her right now? I want my children and she is not going to stop me. I will take them away from her and let her feel how I felt all those years ago. I was a father without even knowing it. As if she could even go a day without them. Does she realize how difficult it has been for me to not see them since yesterday? I want to see them every day. They are entirely mine. ¡°Are we going to stand here or will you invite me in?¡± ¡°Ce in, please.¡± She said, with a shaky voice. She escorted me into a sitting area. We came to a stop beside her couches. I watched as she nervously looked at me from head to toe as I plopped down on the couch. I sat and spread my legs wide and crossed my arms over my chest. She swallowed nervously and sat on the couch opposite mine with everything in her trembling. That is something I would not fucking miss. I had many questions for her. Quite a lot. She squeaked her head to the side, her lower lip biting. ¡°Do you want something to drink?¡± When I stared at her, my blood started to boil. How could she do this to me and act as if I¡¯m here to drink? Well then, if she wants me to drink, I¡¯ll drink. ¡°Scotch.¡± I roared. She nodded and stood up ufortably. She took a few paces beforeing to a standstill. ¡°How about something a little less strong?¡± She said, looking everywhere but me.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Scotch.¡± I roared. She didn¡¯t push; instead, she swayed her way to one of the shelves and returned with a bottle of my favorite scotch and two sses in her hand. She sat everything on the table. I wasted no time and poured the amber drink into the ss. Amber, just like her eyes. While whirling the drink, I sipped it. ¡°Start talking,¡± Imanded, and she bit her lower lip and poured a drink for herself. Now I¡¯m left surprised because L never liked the drink before. ¡°If you were in my shoes, pregnant and rejected, what could you have done?¡± She¡¯s making excuses, and that pisses me off. ¡°Start talking,¡± I stated again, my gaze fixated on hers, challenging her to fucking tell me yet another fucking excuse. She tried to reach for her ss. I chuckled at the back of my mind because I noticed that she was trying to act bravely by pouring that drink. She said nothing for a long, fucking painful minute. She swallowed the knot in her throat and fisted at the fabric of her skirt. She gazed up at me, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sorry! Like hell, she¡¯s sorry. Will her sorry bring back all the years? Will her apologies bring back the chance to see my children grow? Will her apologies make up for the missed pregnancy check-ups? Like hell, she¡¯s sorry! When I looked at her, she was gripping her skirt and shaking hysterically. This woman does not merit my sympathy. I came all the way here for her to exin what led her to do what she did to me, and all she could say was ¡®sorry.¡¯ No exnation whatsoever. Does she think she can do as she pleases and get away with it without exining? She should make me understand why the fuck she ran away with my children. Why am I even wasting my time with her? ¡°I¡¯m taking my kids, and when you are ready to talk, you know where to find me.¡± ¡°Dante, please. I can exin.¡± ¡°L, start talking!¡± I said as my eyes drifted to the diamond ring I gave her on our wedding day. She may be my wife, but she does not have the authority to make decisions for me. She remained silent and started sobbing. ¡°Crying won¡¯t give me back the lost years, Bunny. I will give you 2 days. Tell the kids that they will be staying with me from now on. Make them understand. I think you are pretty good at that, considering you told them I was busy all these years. Don¡¯t even think of running away from Bunny, because I will find you. I have more than one reason to track you right now, and if I do, I will make sure you don¡¯t get to see them again.¡± I said this as I rose to my feet, but L quickly went down to her knees. ¡°Please, don¡¯t take my children away from me.¡± ¡°They are mine too, L.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t want me.¡± ¡°You ran away, L. You didn¡¯t give me the chance. We could have been a happy family. You took all that away from us. You forced me to sign the divorce papers while you were pregnant. You didn¡¯t say a word, L. This ispletely your fault. You ruined our lives. I will be taking the kids in 2 days¡¯ time.¡± I started to walk away, but she grabbed me by the back. ¡°Please. I am still shocked. Give me time. I will tell you everything.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to be shocked, L. I get to be shocked. I just found out I am the father of three children yesterday. I should be shocked, not you. L, you are thest person to be shocked. Two days and that¡¯s all I can give you, L.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°You have no right to ask me that, Lolita,¡± I said as I removed her grasp from my waist and walked out. Chapter 41 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ I can¡¯t believe her. Sorry! Sorry, that¡¯s all she had to say after taking my children away from me. I got into my car and drove off from her ce and headed to school to see the only three people who matter in my life right now. I don¡¯t want children to believe Dad isn¡¯t involved. I want them to know that I love them and that I willy down my life for them. I arrived at their school and took them with me. We took a drive around town. I¡¯m not even sure where I¡¯m taking them. I don¡¯t even know what my children like. Thanks to L. ¡°Do you want something to eat?¡± ¡°Daddy, can we have some ice cream?¡± Mia spoke up. ¡°What about you boys? Do you want ice cream as well?¡± I watched as they exchanged nces and screamed for pizza at the same time. Iughed at how cute they were. So, I first went to a pizza ce, and there was an ice cream shop just outside the shop, so it was easy for me not to run around with them. ¡°Daddy, are you going to leave us again?¡± Mia inquired. ¡°No way, princess. Daddy loves you both so much and I will never leave you. I will never leave you guys. You hear me?¡± They all nodded, and I gave them each a peck on the cheek. My thoughts wandered to their mother as they ate. She might be worried if she didn¡¯t find them in school. But I don¡¯t have her phone number. Then I thought of calling the doctor to ask for her number, but that would raise suspicions. I took my phone off the table and phoned the school, who promptly sent me my children¡¯s profiles. I scoffed as I looked at her phone number. She doesn¡¯t even deserve me telling her that I took them. She should suffer, but then again, that would be like hurting my children. When I called her, she answered right away. L: Dante. So she still has my number and lets me suffer like that. Me: I took the kids. I¡­ She wouldn¡¯t let me finish.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. L: Dante, you said you¡¯d give me two days. It¡¯s not even three hours. Why are you doing this? She irritates the shit out of me. Me: Listen, don¡¯t push me. I called you because I thought you¡¯d be worried. I wanted to spend some time with them before I left, and now you¡¯re making a huge issue about it. You know, I could have decided not to call you. L: I¡¯m sorry. I thought you took them without letting me talk to them. Every time, all she says to me is, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± There is nothing else. All she says is ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Fucking fantastic! I went back to the kids, and they seemed to be having fun. I need to take them back. When we arrived at L¡¯s house, she was waiting on the porch and raced to hug them as they got out of the car. When I called out to them, they all nced at me. I knelt down to their level. ¡°Listen, Daddy is going back to New York, but..¡± Kai refused to let me finish. ¡°You lied to us. You said you would never leave us. You¡¯re leaving now. You don¡¯t want us?¡± I froze and nced at the person who had caused all of this chaos. I want to strangle her, but that would be too simple. Mai began to cry and ran inside, followed by her brothers. ¡°Are you happy, L? My children think that I was there all the time, but never cared about them. Now my little trip to New York seems like I¡¯m abandoning them. You must be enjoying this.¡± ¡°How many times do I have to say sorry?¡± She screamed. ¡°Are you raising your voice at me, Bunny?¡± I said as I slowly got up, and she took a few steps back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to yell at you.¡± ¡°Sorry, seems like the only thing you are good at, Bunny,¡± I said as I walked up to her while she took a few steps back till her back was pressed against the wall. ¡°You fucking make me look like I have no idea what I¡¯m doing with my kids.¡± ¡°Why are you putting all the me on me, as though you wanted any of this?¡± ¡°Look at that, my Bunny has turned into a Flemish Giant rabbit. She can talk back.¡± ¡°I expressed my regret. What else do you expect from me? Can¡¯t you imagine for a second that this could be your fault as well? Why should I bear the brunt of the me? You said that shouldn¡¯t have happened, that it was a mistake! Should I have told you that our little mistake created babies? You wanted Candice, so I left for you to have the life you wanted with the woman you love.¡± ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m sorry as well. Since you made me look like an inept father to my children, it seems that I¡¯ll be staying for a while. I need to exin to them that I¡¯m returning to take them permanently. It seems like the best opportunity to take them now. I mean, do you even deserve to say goodbye? Well, I didn¡¯t get to say goodbye to you and them those years ago.¡± She started to tremble. But I¡¯m too mad to care. Nothing hurts more than seeing your children cry over something over which you have no control. I walked inside and stared at her. ¡°Show me their rooms.¡± ¡°I will take you to them.¡± ¡°Well, then, lead the way.¡± She looked at me with her teary eyes, but I didn¡¯t care. Does she even know how badly I want to cry right now? She fucking has no clue because she thinks my children don¡¯t matter to me. I walked into the boys¡¯ room and saw them trying to make Mia stop crying. ¡°Daddy, you said you would never leave me. Can you take me with you?¡± I wentpletely still. They wanted to go with me. ¡°They will bully us if you leave. Daddy, please. I want to be with you. I promise to be a good girl.¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself this time. My eyes welled up with tears. I knelt down and hugged her. ¡°Mia, daddy wasn¡¯t leaving you. I made a promise, and promises are meant to be kept. I wanted to go home and prepare a room for you and your brothers. But you know what? The three of you can be sleeping with daddy while your rooms are being renovated, is that okay?¡± L caught my eye. She was on the verge of copsing. ¡°Could you please help me pack their clothes, Mommy?¡± She seemed to be strong, but I knew she was shattered inside to hear them wanting toe with me. She nodded and went out to pack their clothes. **** I watched the three of them sleeping in my bed, and I smiled. I was exhausted, but I needed my mother¡¯s help with them. I know she will be excited to know she has grandchildren, especially with her favorite daughter, L, and not to mention that our fight will finally end. She has refused to see me since L left. I hopped into my car and drove to our family¡¯s house. I parked my car outside and headed inside. I greeted some of the housekeepers as I walked my way into her room. Her door was slightly ajar. I walked closer as I was about to go inside her room; I heard her voice. She seemed to be on the phone. ¡°Come down, L. What do you mean, Dante found you? Where are my grandchildren? Are they with you?¡± I froze. She knew¡­ Chapter 42 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ I was left speechless and frozen in one ce as I stood there, unable to contain the wrath that was building within me. ¡°What exactly did you say?¡± I watched her as she spun around and, with a gasp, dropped her phone on the floor. ¡°Dante.¡± ¡°What did you just say, mother?¡± She began to bite her nails, then clutched her gown as if her life depended on it. She was striving for some sort of equilibrium as she trembled backward. ¡°What is going on here?¡± My father entered the room. His eyes moved from my trembling mother to mine. ¡°Care to exin what is happening here?¡± I waited for my mum to open her mouth and exin why she had done what she had done. ¡°I-I can exin.¡± I sneered at what she had stated. ¡°You can exin? Listen, I don¡¯t want to see you ever again, and you will never see your grandchildren ever again. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Dante, please allow me to exin. You¡¯re to me for everything!¡± She screamed. ¡°And I deserve to be kept in the dark? I am their father! Stay away from me and my children!¡± ¡°Children!¡± my father eximed. ¡°Ask your wife what she did.¡± I said to my father while turning to my trembling mother, who seemed to have a lot to say, ¡°Stay the fuck away from me and my kids. You are the worst person ever!¡± ¡°Dante, I know you are angry, but you cannot take those children away from L.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare tell me what to do; you are nothing to me. You will no longer receive any allowance and will never ess any of thepany¡¯s resources because you have abused your power. I¡¯m out of here.¡± I said as I started to walk away. ¡°You and L have children?¡± When my father asked, I came to a standstill. ¡°Yes, I had no idea about them before yesterday. Your wife thought that my children were better off without their father.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°What is he talking about, Martha?¡± ¡°Honey, I can exin.¡± ¡°How old?¡± ¡°4 years.¡± ¡°Martha, you are the worst. How can you keep anything like that from us, let alone me? Damn it, I¡¯m your husband!¡± I turned my eyes to my mother, filled with fury, hatred, and a slew of other feelings I couldn¡¯t understand. Tears streamed down my cheeks. The worst type of betrayal is that of a mother. I had faith in my mum. I knew I was wrong when she cut ties with me, and I needed to find L. She left because of me, but hiding my children is something I will never forgive. I hate them, all of them. I climbed into my car and headed home. I had a shower, and when I was finished and ready to sleep, my daughter woke up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, baby?¡± ¡°Can I sleep in your arms, Daddy?¡± The simrities between the two make me think of her mother. I¡¯m sure she had a nightmare. I drew her into an embrace. ¡°Do you want some milk, princess?¡± She nodded and grinned. ¡°Okay, let me go get your milk. I¡¯ming.¡± ¡°Daddy, can I go with you?¡± She said while gripping my hand. How can I say no to her? She¡¯s such an angel. As we walked to the kitchen, I carried her in my arms. I ced her on the counter. ¡°Princess, don¡¯t move. Daddy wants to warm your milk.¡± She giggled when she saw me pour the milk into the cup and heat it. After preparing the milk for her, I watched her drink the milk, and she took me back down memoryne when L was nine. My daughter drinks milk at night too, and she takes it after her. My Bunny. I wonder how she is doing. I brush the thought away. I shouldn¡¯t be worried about her; she didn¡¯t worry about me while raising them all by herself. The next morning, I woke up and decided to work from home since I hadn¡¯t found a school for them and they were still getting used to the ce. I entered the kitchen. I had no idea what they liked, so I asked the cook to cook whatever she could before they woke up. While I waited for them, I made myself some coffee. After a few minutes, Mia came down, all cleaned up. ¡°Good morning, Daddy!¡± She stated this as she jumped up to kiss me. ¡°Good morning, princess.¡± ¡°Daddy!¡± I didn¡¯t bother looking because I recognized the voice. ¡°You have a child?¡± ¡°What are you still doing here? I thought I told you to leave my house.¡± ¡°Answer me first.¡± ¡°Why are you, my wife? I don¡¯t remember owing you any sort of exnation.¡± ¡°Princess, who helped you dress up?¡± My daughter was still staring at Candice with her big, beautiful eyes when I asked her. ¡°Kai and Tyler always choose what I wear.¡± I chuckled. I, too, used to choose what their mother had to wear. We were still waiting for Kai and Tyler toe down while the cook set the table for breakfast. I was thrilled because she cooked almost everything. Mia chose strawberry and vani pancakes right away. I smiled at how she couldn¡¯t wait for her brothers. ¡°Good morning, Dad.¡± I looked at him closely and saw it was Tyler. ¡°Morning, Tyler, how was your night?¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Morning.¡± That¡¯s all Kai said. In every sense, Kai resembles me. Tyler is abination of coldness with a tinge of sweetness. ¡°You have three children. Who is their mother?¡± I became enraged. I don¡¯t want my first breakfast with my children to be ruined. ¡°Thomas!¡± I yelled, and he rushed in,ing to a halt not far from the table. ¡°Bring everyone here, from the guards to the cleaners.¡± I need everyone to arrive within the next 5 minutes. He nodded, and everyone was standing by us within 5 minutes. ¡°Anyone who would dare to open the gate for this woman under any circumstances would be fired with immediate effect. These are my children and you will treat them as though you were treating me. As for that woman, make sure she parks her belongings and leaves my house within the next 20 minutes.¡± ¡°Dante, I have nowhere to go. I can help you take care of your children!¡± ¡°What makes you think my children don¡¯t have a mother?¡± ¡°Who is their mother?¡± ¡°Thomas, the 20 minutes start now. Drag her out if you want, but I would like to eat my breakfast in peace.¡± That¡¯s what I said as I saw them haul her out of my house. I don¡¯t have time to listen to her stories. She always has an excuse when it¡¯s time to leave. I don¡¯t want anything that wille between me and my children. Chapter 43 ~L¡¯s POV~ I wept and sobbed It all seemed like a dream. Perhaps if I close my eyes tautly and then open them, I¡¯ll discover it¡¯s nothing but a nightmare and then sigh with relief. My longshes fanned across my cheeks as my eyes closed firmly, and I wished for it all to be a bad dream that I desperately wanted to wake up from. I blinked and opened my eyes. There was no such luck. I had no one else around me. I was all alone. My kids were gone. He took them. He took them, as though I wasn¡¯t the one who had raised them. Why did he take them without giving me a chance to tell him how I felt? Not even a chance to say anything. I was still stunned that he had tracked me down. I couldn¡¯t muster the guts to tell him what was on my mind. I let him take my children away from me like a fool. They are mine. He didn¡¯t want me. He made that so clear. I couldn¡¯t be selfish and ruin his rtionship with Candice. I wanted him so badly. I wanted him to be part of our lives, but it was impossible. He told me that I was a mistake. How could I have told him that he was about to be a father? My children are my entire world. I really can¡¯t go on without them. The worst part is that I can¡¯t even fight. I was wrong. He deserved to know, but I was terrified when I found out I was pregnant. I, the mistake. He was happy, and I was all alone and scared. What if he could have coerced me into aborting them? I was so terrified. Back then, he could have done anything. I had no idea what to do. I was wrong for not telling him, but he built this huge wall between us. It was far from simple. Watching him so happy with Candice was enough torture. I couldn¡¯t tell him. It¡¯s not like he made it easy for me to tell him.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Here I am, crying my heart out. I have nothing. I have nothing to live for. I should just end it. I stood up and walked to my balcony, holding the railing, being urged to throw myself down and end it all as if my life was worth nothing. Possibly, it wasn¡¯t worth shit at the moment with my children not around. Jump and let Candice mother your children. A voice whispered to me. My dark hair billowed in the breeze, pping across my face as if to tell me not to leap and end it all. For the umpteenth time, I pondered how I had ended up in this perilous predicament. How I lost everything in less than 24 hours. My children are my pride and joy. A mother¡¯s pride is her children. I now have none. He took it all away. A solitary tear slid down my cold cheeks at what were probably thest moments of my time on earth. They say in death, your life shes before your eyes. I haven¡¯t seen any shes so far. My head dared not tilt backward to look for anything that might distract me, for the effort might be too much in my dangerous position, and that action might very well be myst. I sobbed no stop. Last night, I asked Ruth and Evelyn to go home because there was nothing for them. My kids were not around. It dawned on me that this was no joke; if I jumped, it would be the end of everything. I lose. I lose my children to Candice and Dante. I have to fight. I can¡¯t just give up. Mia, Kai, and Tyler are my children. In my daydreaming, I almost lost my footing. I quickly descended. I am going to fight. I¡¯m not going to let them win. Candice will never mother what is mine. Never. I went back to my room and had a shower. I am going back to New York City. My doorbell rang when I was busy packing my luggage. I dashed down the stairs to open the door, only to be greeted by Mason¡¯s lovely face. ¡°Hey,¡± he said with an awkward smile. Unlike him. ¡°Hey, wannae in?¡± ¡°Sure thing. Um¡­ ¡± He began and hesitated as he nced at me, then brushed back his dirty blonde hair. I raised a brow at him. ¡°So Philip ditched me. We were supposed to go hiking with the gents and they had other ns.¡± ¡°Oh boy, and now you are all by yourself?¡± ¡°Not really. I was able to persuade June toe. She will, ording to her, be bringing some friends as well.¡± ¡°So you want me toe along?¡± ¡°Yeah, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Sure, um¡­ Can I meet you at your house? Please let me some time.¡± ¡°Sure, we¡¯ve got at least two hours before we have to leave, so take your time, but don¡¯t bete.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I replied, as Mason shut the door behind him. Maybe this is what I need before I can face the devil. I need to build up the courage to win this war between me and my husband, and this hiking is just what I need. I made my way up the stairs to change. I was busy deciding on what to wear when another ringing doorbell rang. I dashed downstairs again, and this time it was June. ¡°Hey, I was sent toe and make sure you don¡¯t gette.¡± ¡°Oh really? That sounds like Mason.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Okay, missy, let¡¯s head upstairs because I¡¯ve been tossing everything aside. We went to my room, where I was still dumping everything I had chosen after fitting. But why is that? I wasn¡¯t going on a date or anything; I was going hiking with my friends. ¡°Hey, where are the kids?¡± I held my breath and exhaled, then opened my mouth, but something told me I couldn¡¯t trust June with this one. As a result, I lied. ¡°They went with their grandmother.¡± ¡°Wow, that was very thoughtful of Martha. You needed a break.¡± Why would I need a break from the one and only thing that matters in my life? Don¡¯t get me wrong, June still has feelings for Dante. Even though she acts like she¡¯s over him, the good thing is that she has no idea that he is my husband. I¡¯m not going on a date; I¡¯m going for a walk in the woods. That was something I said to myself in the back of my mind. I ultimately chose ck high-waisted pants, a white tank top, and a ck hoodie. I looked at myself in the mirror and I was ready to go. ¡°All ready,¡± I said to June. ¡°A short could have done better with that hoodie.¡± ¡°I know, right, but then I don¡¯t want any scratches on my body. Let¡¯s get going.¡± I was okay at first with Mason inviting me, but today, for some unknown reason, I don¡¯t feelfortable around June. But why? Why do I feel like this hike is going toplicate my life for good? I really don¡¯t feel good about this hike. It¡¯s as if something was about to go wrong. Chapter 44 ~L¡¯s POV~ I¡¯m not supposed to be here. I should be in New York, exining myself or fighting for my children. I don¡¯t feel good about this hike, yet I am here. Two guys joined us, and I now know that Logan is the tall one who is about the same height as Mason, and Matteo is the one who is one foot shorter than them. Everyone else was a little faster than I was. My body was with them, but my thoughts were in New York, with my children. Mason came to a halt and grinned down at me before taking my hand in his and interlocking our fingers as we followed the well-worn trail through the tall pines. For a while, we walked in quietly. The only sound was our feet crunching through the logs and leaves being thrown across the walkway, punctuated by the caw of a crow overhead. Mason came to a halt and stared at me again. ¡°Something the matter?¡± I wanted to tell him everything, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to open my mouth and say, ¡®I came here because this might be ourst day together.¡¯ I am here because this is a way to say goodbye to them. I don¡¯t know how long it will take to convince Dante that the children are better off with me. June and Mason have been like family to me, so I came here before I could go to NYC because I value our friendship. Although with Mason, it¡¯s a little different. ¡°What exactly are you thinking?¡± His question jolted me out of my reverie. I shook my head and smiled at him. ¡°Do you go on a lot of hikes?¡± I asked, my gaze fixed on him. ¡°Yes.¡± I enjoy trekking. My family and I trek together all the time. My father showed me a lot of hiking trails around the northern Ozarks and the eastern side. Trekking with my father is more enjoyable than hiking with the rest of the family. Because we are men, my father and I will go all out. But we would be cautious anytime we were with mom, June, or the rest of the family.¡± He came to a halt. ¡°Look at that!¡± He said something, excitedly pointing to something, and I followed his finger. As we approached the clearing, the burble of the stream blended with the silence of the woods. The trees open up, allowing sunshine to reach the grass. Larkspurs appear near the water¡¯s edge. That scene reminded me of the first time I went trekking with Dante. ¡°Hey look!¡± He said this while looking passionately in the direction he wanted me to look. ¡°Oh, my goodness! What do you call those? They are beautiful.¡± ¡°I know, right? Those are calledrkspurs. I was curious, like you, the first time my mother showed them to me,¡± he stated. ¡°Larkspurs! So those arerkspurs?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± He clung to me and back hugged me. ¡°And you know the meaning ofrkspurs, mydy?¡± I shook my head, relishing the warmth of his hug as well as his beautiful, masculine fragrance. ¡°Larkspurs represent the strong bondof love. It represents an open heart. The bluerkspur represents dignity and grace. The pink one symbolizes fickleness, love, and affection. White symbolizes happiness and joy, and thest one is the important one; my Lolita. The purplerkspur. Everywhere you go, you always see that one. Think of Dante Monroe and I¡¯ll be waiting for you. ¡°What exactly does it mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s you and I.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Oh,e on, tell me!¡± ¡°When my Bunny grows into a giant rabbit, she will know the meaning ande back home, right where she belongs. No matter where in the world she is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair, Prince Charming. You always use that line on me. ¡°L, are you okay?¡± ¡°The purple one. What does it symbolize?¡± ¡°First love.¡± My eyes went wide. I was his first love, and so was he. Why did he make me go through so much if he felt the same way? I inhale a deep breath of pure mountain air and pine before removing a nket from my backpack and putting it on the grass. I flop down and pat the empty ce next to me. I was buried in my own thoughts as I nced down at my hands. One thought in particr, ¡®First Love¡¯, means that Dante was actually expressing his feelings for me, but indirectly. Did he give up when he saw I was taking too long to catch up? Mason softly snatched my arm and coaxed me down next to him so we could lie face to face. I pulled in a long breath, seeking to calm my hammering heart¡¯s rapid rhythm. Mason began to trail his finger along my jaws, his gaze fixed on my mouth. My lower lips trembled as my breathing became more rapid. He leaned forward, his lips pressing against mine. I was in a trance. There was one attempt at a kiss that I prevented by pulling away from him. I remember that day, like yesterday, my children were bullied at school. They were two years back then, and I took them to a park. I couldn¡¯t kiss Mason that day. I made an excuse. But I didn¡¯t move today. He slid his hands around my waist, pulling me close and capturing my lips again as I melted into him. I encircled his neck and ran my fingers through his hair. He sucked on my lower lip, softly nipping it. I moaned softly and regained myposure immediately. I stood up and started to walk away. This is not something I should be doing. Dante and I are still married. Mason is a wonderful person, but I can¡¯t do this to him or with him. Make him fall and still run back to Dante. I just can¡¯t picture myself as that kind of person. ¡°L!¡± I could hear him yelling after me. He took my hand in his and back hugged me. ¡°Why are you holding back? You knew how I felt from the start. I might not have told you, but you knew how much I cared about you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m married, Mason.¡± ¡°Where is your husband? I have never seen you with any man. You keep wearing that ring, but I have never seen your husband. It¡¯s almost as though he doesn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m lying?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± He sighed, ¡°It¡¯s been four years, L, four good years. I¡¯ve always been there for you. I wanted you from the first day Iid eyes on you. That day, we had a small kettle fight at the supermarket. I was alreadypletely smitten with you. I didn¡¯t mind that you were pregnant, and I certainly don¡¯t mind that you have three children. I love your children, L, and I love you.¡± ¡°Mason, stop!¡± I broke the hug and stood in front of him, staring at him. I am married. I can¡¯t do this with him. He closed the gap between us and kissed my mouth with his ravenous lips just as I was about to speak. ¡°This is not lust, L. If it was lust, it could have ended a long time ago. I wanted you to be ready to move on, and please don¡¯t use your husband as an excuse because you and I both know he¡¯s just a husband for the sake of namesake.¡± I froze. What the fuck am I going to do now? Chapter 45 ~L¡¯s POV~ Despite thete hour, there is a pleasant warmth in the air. With nary a breeze in sight tonight, the lingering coolness from a cool day hangs over the mountain. I felt Mason wrap his hand around my waist and wanted to draw back, but he begged me not to. We were sitting on top of a rock. He reclined back, his weight supported by a tree trunk. He opened his legs and motioned for me to sit between them. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t know what it is that makes you keep holding on to your husband. But I¡¯m not giving up on you, L.¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to kill you if he finds out.¡± I sneered at my own assertion. Will he? Does he even care about me at all? What matters to him is Candice?¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to die for you, L.¡± He lifted my chin so that I could face him. I could feel his cock pressing against my behind. No, L. This is inappropriate. He leaned in to press his lips against mine with a gentle kiss. I sighed and parted my lips, giving him ess to his exploration of my mouth. What the fuck am I doing? My body stiffened. This is wrong. I¡¯m still a married woman. No matter how much I hate Dante at the moment, this isn¡¯t right. I got up and Mason pulled me back, but this time I stood my ground. ¡°Listen, Mason, I can¡¯t do this right now. My husband and I are still married, regardless of our distance.¡± He wouldn¡¯t let me finish. He pulled me to him and imed my lips once more, ¡°Stop talking. Nothing in this world is going to make me give up on you, not even your words or your husband.¡± He leaned in for a deeper kiss, and his hands grabbed my waist. I shut my eyes. I want this. God, I¡¯m so confused right now. I want to be with my husband, and right now, this feels wrong, but I want this. It¡¯s been four years since someone has touched me in this way. I closed my eyes again and let out a whimper, then melted into his arms. I felt Mason¡¯s hande up to my jaws as he gently turned my head toward him. I was still wondering if this was right or not. His eyes glistened in the reflection of the outer world. He dragged me into his arms while sucking on my lower lip and iming my mouth. I separate my lips as he pushes his tongue inside while his hands glide under my hoodie in search of my breast, and I pull away. ¡°I¡¯ll have to find June.¡± ¡°Yea, right June. She said two of her friends were joining us. She¡¯s most likely with them right now. Go find her. I¡¯ll go with the boys.¡± The sun was lowering slowly behind the hills. I left Mason to go look for June. I chose to go to where we had parked our cars. As I got closer, I heard voices from behind one of the cars. June¡¯s voice in particr. I quickly put my bag inside Mason¡¯s car and went to check if she was okay after closing the truck. Before I could walk to the other side of the truck, I heard her say something that stopped me in my tracks. ¡°These pictures might not mean so much to Mr. Monroe. L hasn¡¯t fallen for Mason, but I can guarantee you she has feelings for him. I¡¯m not sure why she¡¯s holding back.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s because of her husband?¡± Someone made a remark. ¡°Look, we are not sure if Dante Monroe is her husband. The pictures I sent of her and Mason kissing should be enough for us to know if he is her husband. He¡¯s going to get furious and call her.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you are using your brother to have a chance with Mr. Monroe. God, Mason is going to kill you if he ever finds out that you took pictures of him and L.¡± A different voice from the first one made a remark. ¡°Argh, this is so annoying. Mason is supposed to be mine, but he is busy with a married woman who has three children. Oh God, how I hate that girl.¡± The first voice made another remark. ¡°What if Mason finds out June? Are you not scared?¡± The second voice inquired. There were a few chuckles as my heart cracked. I put my hand on my mouth to keep my sobs from escaping. ¡°June, you yed her so well that the fool thought you liked her. I mean, she thought you guys were friends.¡± How could I have been so clueless? How could she do this to me? Was I seriously that stupid? My heart felt like someone had squeezed the life out of it. Hearing her speak about how much she detests me caused my eyes to well up with tears. My head was pounding. I couldn¡¯t breathe¡­ I should have trusted my gut feelings. Why am I here? I should have been in NYC with my kids and trying to make my husband understand why I ran away. Now, I would look like aplete idiot in front of Dante. I just gave him enough reason to raise my children with Candice. I ruined everything. As I clung to my chest, trying to breathe, as tears streamed down my cheeks.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°L.¡± Mason breathed out, ¡°Why are you standing there?¡± He paused, ¡°Wait, are you crying?¡± After Mason¡¯s statement, I came face-to-face with June, who had lost her footing and whose eyes had widened. ¡°L.¡± She breathed out. ¡°Ohe on, June, at least she knows how much you hate her now. Otherwise, why would you send pictures of her and Mason to her husband?¡± Mavis came out with her friend Olivia. I swallowed the lump in my throat harshly. So this is what betrayal feels like. Did Dante feel this way after learning he was a father? Because I feel as though my heart has been wrenched from its ce. Because of this, I may never see my children again. I¡¯m not going to be able to defeat Dante right now. A cheating wife, he has proof, and I have nothing. I just heard about his scandals. There is no proof. He has pictures of me and Mason. I am finished. ¡°Does it even matter?¡± I mumbled something to my stupid self, hoarsely. Mavis and Olivia were exchanging looks while June was staring at the ground guiltily. She¡¯s only feeling guilty because I found out about her schemes. ¡°June, what¡¯s going on here? Why are Mavis and Olivia with you? Are these the two friends you¡¯ve been waiting for? Mason finally spoke. I gave June one final look, and I turned around and started walking away, but Mason grabbed my hand and said, ¡°L, what happened?¡± I shook him off. ¡°Ask your sister.¡± That¡¯s what I muttered as I walked away, my eyes welling up. June has no idea what she has done. I was still trying to find a way to exin my actions to Dante and now this. Wow, well done, L! Chapter 46 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ I sat at the table with my three children and their grandmother for dinner. It¡¯s a relief that the kids haven¡¯t started asking for their mother yet. I don¡¯t want anydy toe into my home and raise my children. Their mother has done an outstanding job raising them. If she can do it alone without any help, I can do it too. I watched as L¡¯s mother eyed me. She hasn¡¯t said a word.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°How was your trip, mother?¡± ¡°Not too shabby. I couldn¡¯t let you fly out of the country since you told me you had children. However, who is their mother?¡± So it is true that none of them resemble L. I thought my angel looked just like her mother. ¡°Meet Kai, Tyler, and Mia, Mother. Your grandchildren.¡± She didn¡¯t push the conversation; we continued eating till Mia spoke. ¡°Daddy, I don¡¯t like this. It doesn¡¯t taste good.¡± She remarked this while picking out the peas. Realization dawns on L¡¯s mother as she looks at Mia and how she was selecting the peas. L doesn¡¯t like peas either. She had been removing peas from her food since she was a kid. Catalina rose from her chair and stared my daughter in the eyes as she brushed her hair. Then I noticed a single tear fall from her eyes. ¡°Oh my angel, you are just like my daughter. Your mother never liked peas, either.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Catalina gave a nod. ¡°Daddy, when is mommying?¡± I wentpletely still. What should I say? I don¡¯t hate my wife. I want to teach her thatmunication is the key to everything, including rtionships, which L and I failed terribly. We talked about anything, but never about our rtionship. We could have gone a long way if she had trusted me with all my ws and told me, but she didn¡¯t, so she ran away. ¡°Yea, where is L?¡± Catalina spoke up. ¡°She lives in Ozark,¡± I said, giving her a pleading look not to press the matter in front of the children. Kai and Tyler know something is not right, but they are not asking. I don¡¯t want to prove them right, but I also don¡¯t want them to worry too much. ¡°Dad, can we y games after dinner?¡± ¡°Of course, but only for 2 hours and then you go to bed. Do we have an agreement?¡± They both smiled at me and kept eating. They eat almost anything, whereas my little angel is a finicky eater. They dashed into their gaming room after eating, leaving Mia seated at the table with her arms folded. ¡°What exactly is it, my angel?¡± I asked her as I sat close to her. ¡°Tyler and Kai have everything, but Daddy didn¡¯t buy me any games.¡± ¡°Are you certain about that?¡± She nodded. ¡°Why don¡¯t you follow your brothers to the game room and see for yourself?¡± ¡°I had been there the day before. There were no games for me, only books.¡± She said, why she was still folding her hands. I leaned in and whispered something to her, ¡°Really?¡± I agreed by nodding. ¡°Oh my God, Oh my God, Yeah!¡± she screamed and started running towards the game room, but stopped and ran back to me to give me a kiss. ¡°I love you, Daddy! You are the best!¡± She said as she ran to the game room. When she entered the room, the screams got even worse. Iughed at how cute she could have been looking at her games. ¡°You¡¯re extremely wonderful with kids, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t given a chance to raise them or even know I had kids.¡± ¡°What exactly do you mean?¡± ¡°L got pregnant and ran away.¡± ¡°What, are you guys not supposed to be married?¡± ¡°We were married, but your daughter decided that I had no right and took off while pregnant.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yea, I just found out I was a father five days ago.¡± I came to a halt and nced at her. ¡°I¡¯ve been lying to you, mother. That is why I wanted to visit Vietnam and apologize to you. I haven¡¯t seen L in almost 5 years. My children are four years old now. She ran away from me while she was pregnant. I had no idea that she was pregnant. She nned everything right in front of my eyes and then flew away.¡± ¡°Did she not trust you because of the way you married her? I thought you said you wanted to tell her that you wanted to be with her and not your girlfriend?¡± ¡°Yea, but she never gave me a chance. She fled away with my children. She is not even willing to exin why she did it. So yea, mother, I don¡¯t know her reasons.¡± ¡°That is not right. That¡¯s not how I brought up L.¡± A voice spoke out from behind us. ¡°What do you mean, you didn¡¯t raise L that way? Could she have waited till Dante was certain he wanted her? Do you have any idea how she felt while pregnant and watched her husband have an affair with Candice? She could have lost those children if she had stayed. What would you have done in her position? Sit around and hear Candice moan Dante¡¯sname every night. Is it even possible for you to be a man?¡± My mother came to my house after warning her not to set foot in it. ¡°Hello to you too, Martha. My Dante is a man; he scored three goals at the same time. What exactly do you mean by ¡®is he even a man?¡¯ But she didn¡¯t have the right to leave with his children. She was expecting! And besides, it¡¯s not like she didn¡¯t know about Candice. She should have waited for Dante to settle his differences with Candice so they could be together. Dante has feelings for her, not for Candice and L knew that, but like a coward, she ran away.¡± ¡°Are you listening to yourself, Catalina? It is a pregnancy! It can not be hidden. The bump grows every minute, if not seconds. Do you know what that evil girl could have done to L and my grandchildren if she had found out L was pregnant? Dante wasn¡¯t man enough; he was a little bitch with no balls!¡± ¡°What did you call my son?¡± ¡°I gave birth to him, remember?¡± ¡°I seem to be doing a better job than you, don¡¯t you think, Martha?¡± ¡°Well, I did a great job with L while you were busy with people that matter to you!¡± ¡°Stop it, you both!¡± ¡°What, does it hurt Catalina?¡± ¡°Stop it, you two. Your grandchildren are in that room. They could hear you both yelling at each other like a pair of rabid wolves. What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± They both remained silent and stared at each other like wolves ready to pounce. ¡°I had no idea L gave birth to those children, but I believe I can be a greater mother than she was.¡± Everyone turned around. ¡°Hell no!¡± Martha and Catalina both yelled at the same time. ¡°Thomas! I roared.¡± ¡°Oh Dante, I drugged him. So that bitch got herself pregnant with your kids and took off. Well, we will raise them together.¡± Chapter 47 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ Both Catalina and my mother were utterly unable to contain their rage. They walked up to Candice and pped her on both cheeks. L¡¯s mother ps her right cheek, while my mother ps her left. ¡°You have no right to call my daughter a bitch. How on earth did you fall for this thing without manners, Dante? How can a fellow woman open her mouth to call another woman a bitch? Unless you¡¯ve got a cock, because as long as you¡¯ve got a pussy, you are a bitch!¡± I gasped. I¡¯ve always known she had no filter, but never once thought she would talk like that. ¡°Catalina!¡± My mother screamed. ¡°What, Martha? She just called my daughter a bitch!¡± ¡°Our grandchildren are in this house. I¡¯ve never liked you, but I¡¯ve never had the guts to kick you out of this house. But I do right now. L is Dante¡¯s wife, and you are a nobody. Why do you keep hovering over my son like a fly? Don¡¯t you have some pride? Get the hellout!¡± I hate my mother right now, but I have to agree with her on this one. It¡¯s been 4 years and I¡¯ve never shown interest, but she still thinks she has a chance with me. What the fuck does she want fromme? I really can¡¯t afford my children to see her here.¡± ¡°Dante and I are in love.¡± ¡°Look, I have no idea what you want from me, but I¡¯ve never given you a reason to think I want you in my life. Thest time I told you that you would regreting to my house, I wasn¡¯t joking.¡± I took out my phone to dial a number. Me: Detective Louise, I just caught an intruder inmy house. She drugged all my staff, and I¡¯m not sure what she gave them. I¡¯d also like you to get a restraining order against her. ¡°Dante, please. L is not here. The children need a mother.¡± With great venom, a voice boomed from the entrance.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°And what gives you the impression that you can mother my children?¡± L What exactly is she doing here? Isn¡¯t she supposed to be hiking and possibly fucking her boyfriend? I know that if I bring that up right now, she might leave and we won¡¯t get to solve our issues. If she¡¯s here, it seems she¡¯s ready to talk. I almost lost it when June sent me photos of her kissing that Doctor boyfriend of hers, but there is something that caught my attention and maybe I will not make a fuss about it. The caption of the message, however, made me overlook the kiss.L and Icked trust, but I am not going to repeat history. She didn¡¯t trust me enough to tell me she was pregnant because I was still busy entertaining Candice. This time it¡¯s her with June¡¯s brother. I trust her, even with our differences. I won¡¯t lie, the kiss really knocked me in the guts. I will trust her and wait for her to tell me whatever it is. If she has moved on with him, she will say it to me herself. It burns to see her kissing another man, but I¡¯ve been involved in much more embarrassing situations than that. I just want her to tell me what led her to run away. If we can talk about that, we can discuss our future living arrangements. ¡°You bitch, you stole Dante from me.¡± L gazed around, evidently looking for her children. When she didn¡¯t see them. p! She has never been violent in her life. Ever! She has changed. Did the children change her or is she just full of anger? ¡°I am married to Dante. Regardless of the circumstances, I slept with my husband. You don¡¯t get to call me a bitch. You had no intention of marrying him in the first ce. How many wealthy guys have you been pursuing while I covered your tracks? Did Dante ever ask you about any of the hookups you had? Do you know why? I was busy being a friend to you and to him. You never loved him; you simply liked being known as Dante Monroe¡¯s girlfriend and the perks that came with it. You didn¡¯t want to be seen with him because you were having too much fun with other men. Did you ever hear anything like that, anywhere, or that I told Dante about your affairs? I was a friend, your friend, and his friend. I became an altruist because of the two of you. As long as I¡¯m still married to Dante, this is my house and I want you out of my house. I was going to let you stay and continue fucking your lover, but you were busy trying to im my children when I strolled in through that door. Now get out!¡± What happened to her? Why is she so full of anger? Is it because of Candice¡¯s ims or something happened on that hiking shit she went on? Did she call me her husband? I had to take a second look at her. She did, and she still wears the wedding ring I gave her on our wedding day. Then what was that kiss about? I turned my gaze to Candice, who used to think L was a pushover. There was no sounding from her. She was speechless, her secrets were out.My mother and her mother both had their mouths open. ¡°We apologize for arrivingte, Mr. Monroe. We were preupied with preparing the restraining order you requested.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, Louise.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, you need to sign here. You are not to be seen anywhere near this house, Mr. Monroe¡¯s children, and his wife. If you are ever seen anywhere closer, we have the right to arrest you and charge you with drugging Mr. Monroe¡¯s employees and entering his house even after being warned. Do you have any objections?¡± ¡°Not at all, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Good, now sign here and get out!¡± ¡°I might have called the police today because you are a woman. The next time you show your face around me, I will treat you like the animal you are and use force. Trust me, I won¡¯t dither.¡± She signed it and walked out with her bags. Since L got her, she hasn¡¯t looked at me. I don¡¯t care; now that she¡¯s here, she¡¯ll exin why the fuck she ran away with my kids. I turned to face my mum. ¡°I thought I told you not to set foot in my house. ¡°Get the hell out!¡± I yelled. ¡°Catalina, get out!¡± I can¡¯t believe L is chasing her own mother out. ¡°Your mother is my guest.¡± ¡°I also invited your mum toe over.¡± Do you have a problem with that?¡± ¡°This is my house, woman!¡± ¡°Our house, therefore you can¡¯t make decisions alone, I am your wife, remember, Mr. Monroe?¡± What is wrong with this woman? I really can¡¯t believe her. Does she want to y wife now? Isn¡¯t it toote for that now? I mean, she was busy kissing that boyfriend of hers a day ago and I¡¯m supposed to be okay that she¡¯s ying wife now? For the millionth time, I have to tell myself that it¡¯s for the kids. Besides, I can¡¯t afford to be like her, especially since I¡¯m still waiting for answers from her. For the sake of my children, I¡¯ll let it pass. Wife, my foot. I am going to strip her of that title very soon. Chapter 48 ~L¡¯s POV~ This is the biggest mistake I¡¯ve ever made in my life. One of them, at least. It¡¯s been four years and eight months since I left home. I¡¯vepletely forgotten what it¡¯s like. But here I am, in the center of Ozark Regional Airport, awaiting my flight back to New York. I¡¯m surrounded by individuals who are excited about a voyage to who knows where, but all I see is dread. I neglected my children and went on that hike with Mason and June. That could have been nned for all I know. June did a wonderful job of sending those pictures to my husband, Dante. I had a moment with Mason. I don¡¯t regret it, but at the same time, I can¡¯t jump into a rtionship with him while I still have unresolved issues with Dante. Dante wasn¡¯t meant to find out about Mason and me in this way. Not that I¡¯m dating him or anything, but I am still Dante¡¯swife, and now I have given him yet another reason to take my children away. I am not sure if I like Mason, but I sure did enjoy the kiss. Will Dante chase me out of the house because of what happened with Mason? Am I even ready to face Dante? But then again, I can¡¯t live without my children, so I have to face the devil himself. After all this time, I¡¯m not even sure if the pain is worth it. I shouldn¡¯t feel awful about kissing Mason, but I can¡¯t shake the feeling that I¡¯ve been duped. And, like an idiot, I went along with it. Was Mason involved in that ridiculous game as well? June gambled with my children, not realizing that her actions would cost me far more than she could have imagined. How can a woman pretend for that long? It¡¯s been a long time. I guess she¡¯s a pro. However, why did she do it? To get Dante out of the way so that I can be with her brother? Or to get rid of me so she can be Mrs. Monroe? Or was it just for fun? Does it even matter now? But then Dante saw those pictures, and he didn¡¯t call me. Am I safe at all? As the ne pitched in the sky, I was busy preparing a speech about how I was going to tell him how he wasted my time all those years, how he made me think we were on the same page, and also how it felt hearing Candice moan his name while I was carrying his children. I will face him and take my children to Ozark or anywhere else on the globe. Ozark, everything I thought I knew about that small town, was a lie. I lived a lie for almost 5 years. I have nothing that matters there. Or Mason. Is it fair to give him the benefit of the doubt? What if he knew about all this? Nothing is worth it anymore in that town. But maybe, just maybe, if Mason didn¡¯t know of his sister¡¯s schemes, I would have something to get back to. But, on the other hand, do I really like Mason that much? When someone shouted that we werending, I snapped out of my trance.N?velDrama.Org ? content. The airport was crowded. I dragged my luggage and headed outside. The cool, warm breeze stroked over my skin, and all I could think of was smelling the ambiance of the ce I once called home. Come to think of it, I really have no home. I tried to make New York City my home, but I was betrayed. I, too, attempted to make Ozark my home, but I was betrayed once more. Wow, I face betrayal everywhere I go. Now it will look like I ran away from Ozark because of what June did to me, or did I? When my cab driver arrived, I gave him my address. The car came to a halt in front of Dante¡¯s mansion. I peered at the massive gate as one of the guards approached the car, looking fatigued. I pulled down thewindow. ¡°Oh my God, Mrs. Monroe,e on in.¡± ¡°What happened to you?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± He suddenly came to a halt and nced at me. ¡°Actually, Mrs. Monroe, Mr. Monroe, gave orders to Ms. Candice not to set foot in this house. But that woman kept pressing, so today she drugged us and went inside the house. Mrs. Monroe, I¡¯m so delighted you¡¯re back. At least after all these years, Ms. Candice will finally know that Mr. Monroe meant it when he got rid of her.¡± I was taken aback. Why wasn¡¯t Dante with Candice? I assumed they were in love. This is fascinating. He told me I was a mistake and yet he couldn¡¯t be with her. I turned to face the guard. ¡°How long ago?¡± ¡°Since you¡­¡± He came to a halt and stared at me again. ¡°Run away.¡± This does not make sense. I rolled down my window furtheras the car drove inside. I got out of the car, and the driver assisted me with my luggage. I paid him and left him a generous tip. I hauled my luggage in and went in. Before I could call out for my children, I heard a certain familiar voice trying toy im to my children. ¡°Dante, please. L is not here. The children need a mother.¡± I was enraged. I wished I could choke her to death. How could she? Is she aware of everything I went through to bring those children into the world? ¡°And what gives you the impression that you can mother my children?¡± I noticed her surprised expression as she turned. She wants Dante back and wants to use my children. She was my friend, but I¡¯m done ying friend to people who will and have never considered me one. I was merely a pawn in her games. ¡°You bitch, you stole Dante from me.¡± I looked around to see where my children were. I mean, I¡¯m being called a bitch and my children could hear that. And I didn¡¯t want them to witness this side of me. I¡¯m done being an altruist. I am not a pushover anymore. If not anything,she knew everything about me and Dante. She knew there was more to our friendship. She once told me he called her by my name when he was banging her. When I saw that the coast was clear, I walked up to her. p! I looked at her, daring her to call me a bitch again. She, however, did not. She was surprised, and I took the opportunity to tell her how pathetic she was. Not that I was any better. No, I wasn¡¯t. I took my time and saw Catalina standing right there, staring at me. A woman who has never been a mother to me. Then I looked at Martha. I almost dashed over to hug her and cry my heart out. But then, if I have to win this, I will have to use the wife title. Anything for my children. Chapter 49 ~L¡¯s POV~ As Dante and I were battling to see who could maintain their gaze the longest, I saw that our mothers were looking at each other. My mom swallowed and cleared her throat. ¡°Martha, I think we need to catch up. How about lunch?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel hungry.¡± I know she doesn¡¯t want to leave me with Dante alone. To be honest, I don¡¯t want to be near him, at least not right now. ¡°L,¡± he said, pausing to make sure I was staring at him. ¡°To my study.¡± ¡°I have to take my bags to my room f¡­¡± He cut me off. ¡°Now!¡± I was stuck in ce. He walked a few steps up the stairs before stopping to look at me. He looked at me with pessimistic eyes, which frightened me, and then raised an eyebrow. I left my belongings and followed him. He went to his room while I went to the study. The study was cold, just like its owner, and the thought of me being alone in the study with him sent shivers down my spine. I¡¯m not sure why he wanted to see me alone in his study. I had a quick nce around. It was still the same; nothing had changed. On the wall was a picture of our wedding day, and on top of his oak desk was a picture of us when I was nine and he was sixteen. I took the picture and stared at it for a while, thinking about how everything went wrong. I was deep in thoughtwhen the door opened. Itcausedme to turn ande face-to-face with Dante. I carefully ced the picture where it was as he walked in, holding some documents. ¡°Sit.¡± Hemanded, and I gulped silently and gave him a nod. I sat and crossed my legs over one another, cing my arms on either side of the chair. He took the picture I was looking at and threw it carelessly into the bin. I felt a pit in my stomach. He threw the documents my way and cleared his throat. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I finally found my voice while leaning forward to inspect the document. ¡°Living arrangements.¡± My eyes widened at the curt tone of his voice. I knew it woulde to this, but I didn¡¯t expect it to happen so soon. My entire strategy has been ruined. He didn¡¯t even allow me to settle. ¡°The kids are mine.¡± I nibble on the inside of my cheeks and nibble on my bottom lip. ¡°Do you have sperm, L?¡± I was still staring at the document on the table. Looking everywhere but at him. I was wrong to flee in that way, but he doesn¡¯t get to take my children away from me, as if he gave me a choice. He told me I was a mistake. So technically, my children were also a mistake. ¡°Look at me when I¡¯m talking to you. Do you have sperm?¡± I eventually raised my eyes to meet his dark gaze. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m d we are on the same page. My sperm, my kids.¡± He gathered the document in his hands before hurriedly tossing it in my direction and rapidly went through the documents. A tear escaped my eyes as I went through the document. No, he can¡¯t do this to me. I shook my head nonstop andcleared my throat, trying to say something, but couldn¡¯t. I tried to summon confidence by pressing my tongue against the roof of my mouth and sping my hands together, but all I did was shake. I separated my hands and rested them on my jeans and locked gazes with him. ¡°What if I refuse to sign this?¡± He crouched forward to close the distance between us as mybreath hitched from the proximity. My hands hastily clung to the chair while his breath fanned my face and I thickly swallowed. He stared at me with a stoic expression. I couldn¡¯t read him. I hate it when I can¡¯t read people. He held my gaze, and I was quick to look away. ¡°Technically, we are divorced, though not submitted. But tomorrow, there will be nothing holding me back. You get your freedom, and I will continue to raise my children.¡± ¡°Are you trying to cut me off from their lives?¡± ¡°You do not have the right toe to my house and tell me what to do. You no longer have that right. You can see them once a month. At the very least, I¡¯m still polite. You kept them for four good years without my seeing them. You are heartless, but since I¡¯m being civil and for the sakeof you raised them. Once a month is enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to sign this,¡± I said. He gave me a stern look. ¡°We can, however, go to court. Not even the judge will rule in your favor, Bunny.¡± I gulp a ball of spit as my heart speeds inside my chest and the organ beats irregrly, leading me to breathe harshly. I sat there watching as he strolled majestically to the window and gazed into the horizon. Then he turned to the minibar and picked up a bottle of scotch, poured it into a square tumbler, then opened the mini-bar fridge, and put some ice into his scotch. He swirled the liquid in the tumbler. The only sound in the study was the sound of the ice cubes ttering against the sides of the tumbler. It was clear that he was irate. He does that when he wants to cool his temper. He doesn¡¯t want to show me how angry he is. The man is reserved. For some reason, I wanted to provoke him to see why he was so reserved. ¡°What if I tell the judge that my husband was busy sleeping with my best friend while I was pregnant and that was one of the reasons I ran away?¡± He smirked as he slowly turned to face me. I rise from my seat and suck in a deep breath, exhaling shakily. ¡°Do you have any evidence?¡± I wentpletely still. The only person who can testify is Candice. Knowing Candice¡¯s obsession with him, she will testify against me to win his love. I am doomed. He continued, ¡°The only person who can testify against me is Candice, whom the public has never seen me with. Her words, against mine.¡± He was right. Candice had no photos of her and Dante. There is no evidence that they were dating. Only his family was aware, but there was no evidence. ¡°If you keep on pressing, you will have to pay the ultimate price. I have the power to remove you from my children¡¯s lives.¡± I couldn¡¯t stand up straight. I was trembling. Not only did his threats utterly destroy me, but they also gave me goosebumps. I can¡¯t afford to lose my children. My eyes welled up with tears. I gazed at him as I lifted the document. He had no sympathy at all. I signed and rushed out of his study, but I needed to tell him something. So I turned back and saw him holding two documents as I carefully opened the door to his study, one of which was unmistakably the one I had just signed. I watched as he sat at his desk and called someone, telling them toe and collect the divorce and living arrangements. My entire existence was on those two documents. I stood there watching him put the documents in one of the drawers. He was done with me. Dante Monroe was done with me. Not that I am worried about him not caring about my feelings. He sipped the rest of his drink and ced the ss on top of the desk. I slowly walked away to one of the guest rooms. The following morning, there was a ruckus that jolted me awake. I was so annoyed since I wanted to sleep some more. ¡°Who the fuck broke into my study and stole my documents?¡± I heard Dante¡¯s voice as I woke up. The door to my room mmed shut, revealing an enraged Dante. ¡°Did you take the divorce papers and living arrangements?¡± I yawned. ¡°Is that why you came into my room without knocking? What if I could have been naked?¡± ¡°Did you fucking start a fire in the firece?¡± I let out another yawn. ¡°So many questions at once,¡± I said, as I stretched out my hands, ¡°I took all the documents, and as for the fire, that¡¯s where the documents ended up.¡± ¡°You did what?¡± ¡°Those were your arrangements, not mine. You coerced me into signing a document stating that I would be allowed to visit my children once every month. As much as the sperm was yours, I carried them for nine fucking months. When ites to my children, you don¡¯t get to tell me what to do. You cheated, not me. You told me I was a mistake. That means my children were also a mistake. Do you want me to keep going since I have a lengthy list of things I wish to say to you?¡± He held me by my clothes. He was mad. One thing I know, he can be wicked to me, but he will nevery his hands on me. ¡°What exactly did you say?¡± He breathed out while his nose red like a mad dog about to attack its prey. ¡°You don¡¯t get to fuckingtell me what to do when ites to my children. They are mine. I would rather die than see them once a month. I went through shit pushing them out of my vagina and you get to set the rules? You must have lost some screws in your fucking head, Dante Monroe. Until we settle this, I am not signing shit!¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Chapter 50 ~L¡¯s POV~ I expected Dante to respond to my outburst, but he didn¡¯t. He just looked at me, speechless, at least I assumed. But one thing was clear: he was furious. After he had left my room so suddenly and silently, I sprinted to m it shut and braced myself against it as I did so. I clutched my chest tightly. What was that? I don¡¯t understand why my heart is beating so fast. What is this strange sensation spreading across my chest? Wait, do I still have feelings for Dante? Naa, he wants to take my children. I can¡¯t possibly still care about him, can I? But if that¡¯s the case, then why am I sweltering from the inside out? It¡¯s as if a fire was started all around me, which is making me extremely hot and causing a lot of sweat toe out of my pores. Why am I even thinking about this? It¡¯s not like we have dealt with all this before; we ran from how we felt. My feelings for him wouldn¡¯t just vanish. At the end of the day, he is still my husband, despite the fact that he hates me so much. I eased my way out of the door and made my way to the bathroom, where I remained for a while before getting into the shower. I had high hopes that it would bring some relief to my overheated body and my severely overcooked brain. After a shower, I changed into clean clothes and went downstairs to prepare some food. When I woke up, I was so hungry that my stomach was making all kinds of strange noises. I sped through the morning routine of making breakfast and setting the table. My children eventually made their way down, and when they saw me for the first time since I had arrived, they rushed up to me and gave me a big group hug. ¡°We missed you, mommy!¡± they shouted in unison, and I gave them each a kiss. The head maid told me that they were starting school today. They¡¯ve been homeschooling for a while now, and they¡¯ve finally found a school. It is upsetting to learn that Dante was able to get everything in order while I spent years stumbling around in search of a good school for them. ¡°Alright, you all sit down and eat before you gette to school.¡± ¡°Yes, mom,¡± they all said at the same time. They started to eat. I heard footsteps approaching, and I looked up to see Danteing downstairs. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look at him. I lowered my head and avoided him. I really wish that he would stop acting like such an idiot in front of the children. He walked over to the coffeemaker, made himself some coffee, and began to make his way back up the stairs. The kids were staring at me as if I¡¯d done something wrong. Mia pursed her lips and folded her hands, staring at her father and then back at me. I needed to act quickly. If I don¡¯t, they¡¯ll know we¡¯re not getting along. ¡°Good morning, Daddy!¡± I eximed. I know it¡¯s stupid, but I can¡¯t let the kidsthink otherwise. I watched as he turned and looked at me as if I had said something moronic. Yea, probably moronic. I tilted my head towards the children. He saw their looks, and he immediately started to walk down, grabbing a chair. ¡°Morning, honey.¡± His calling mehoney was dragged, but I didn¡¯t care. Even if we divorce, I don¡¯t want my children to feel empty. Since he showed up in their lives, he had to act like a father, not a boy. He then turned his gaze to the children and greeted them. They smiled and began to eat. There was no way food would settle well in my stomach with him sitting at the same table as me and with so much tension between us. Dante didn¡¯t eat anything; he was just sipping his coffee. He didn¡¯t even bother looking at me.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Kids, it¡¯s time to get to school,¡± their driver said, and the kids jumped to their feet and followed him. Dante stood up and walked up the stairs as soon as they were out of sight. This is not healthy for either of us. As much as I don¡¯t like talking to him, this has to stop. ¡°Do you mind sparing me a minute?¡± He stopped waking and stared at me with so much anger on his face. His dark gaze warned me not to push any further, but we can¡¯t keep doing this in front of our children. He threw his cup, which flew and hit the wall. As the shattered pieces hit the ground, I jumped a little. My heart shattered along with that cup. With no words, he kept going. I trembled in one spot and wouldn¡¯t move. Why is he so enraged at me, as if everything is my fault? I was still feeling chills running down my spine. I began to clear the table, but the head maid intervened. ¡°Mrs. Monroe, I have known the two of you since you were both growing up. You guys used to have the best rtionship. What you did was wrong. But you also didn¡¯t think much about it, as there was another woman. Please give him some time. Four years is a little too much. He loves his kids, and maybe, just maybe, he could have been a good father to them while watching them grow. He didn¡¯t have the opportunity. Right now, he feels like you were punishing him for using the kids. He doesn¡¯t know that you have your reasons. Even so, Mrs. Monroe, he deserved to know. He loved you. He never loved Candice. When you left, there was no Candice and him. He wanted you. He went crazy searching for you, but when he had nothing, he was like a madman. Imagine just how he feels now, knowing that you didn¡¯t just run away alone but his kids.¡± She looked at me with pity, but I didn¡¯t want pity. We need to talk itout. ¡°Leave the tes, go talk to him.¡± I don¡¯t know if what she¡¯s saying will work, but I will have to try. ¡°Mrs. Monroe, it might have started off crazy, but there is a reason for everything. Just like you married him instead of Ms. Candice. Now go.¡± ¡°Thank you, Jane,¡± I said as I climbed the stairs. I went towards his study, but I had no courage to face him. I turned around and returned to my room. I was ready to lie down when someone knocked at the door. It¡¯s probably the head maiding to ask me why I didn¡¯t go to his study. I answered the door with a small, grateful smile, but it slipped and vanished when my gaze was drawn to the person standing across from me. My heart was racing. My palms began to sweat. What exactly is he doing here? Before I could say anything, he opened his mouth, ¡°You were standing outside my study. What were you looking for?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I was in a daze, but after a quick scolding of myself, I stood straight and gave him a nod. He frowned. I could tell that he did not possess the slightest bit of patience. ¡°What did you want?¡± I felt nervous, and I started to bite my lower lip. I was at a loss for words. I stood there for about 3 minutes while just staring at him, with no words whatsoever. ¡°Um, it¡¯s about.¡± ¡°Forget it. Next time, if you are not ready to talk, don¡¯te near me.¡± He took a few steps. ¡°And L, get out of my house.¡± I quickly raised my eyes to meet his gaze. ¡°But why?¡± A tear escaped. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be part of my children¡¯s lives or mine.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to choose whether you want me in their lives or not. I gave birth to them! Stop making me feel bad for what I did. You said I was yours. You said you would wait for me to grow up. You made a promise to me that you never kept. Now I have to get out of my children¡¯s lives. Why? Because you say so? Never! You would rather kill me! You are here ying the victim every day. What about me? My childhood sweetheart called me a mistake. Slept with all kinds of different women, even when I was of age. He forgot everything about his promise. I didn¡¯t make that promise, you did!I fucking waited for you to see me as a woman. But all you did was confuse me more. Yes, you were my first. But did you care to ask me how I felt, Dante? Every fucking thing was about you. Even now, you are making everything about you without giving me a chance to exin. Just what the fuck do you want from me? Do you want to take me to court? Fucking take me to court! You ruined my life and every day since you found out about the kids, you¡¯ve been ying the victim. Fuck you! And fuck your heart. Fuck you, Dante Monroe.¡± Without even realizing it, I started hitting him. ¡°You said I was a mistake. You wanted to be with her. Should I have told you about my pregnancy? You could have thought I wanted to use the pregnancy to keep you. You can go to hell. I¡¯m taking my kids with me. You don¡¯t even have the right to take them and start giving me orders. My children and I are a mistake to you!¡± ¡°L! L, stop. You are hurting yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather die than give you my childr¡­¡± Everything went nk after pouring my heart out. Chapter 51 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ ¡°You don¡¯t get to choose whether you want me in their lives or not. I gave birth to them! Stop making me feel bad for what I did. You said I was yours. You said you would wait for me to grow up. You made a promise to me that you never kept. Now I have to get out of my children¡¯s lives. Why? Because you say so? Never! You would rather kill me! You are here, ying the victim every day. What about me? My childhood sweetheart called me a mistake. Slept with all kinds of different women, even when I was of age. He forgot everything about his promise. I didn¡¯t make that promise; you did! I fucking waited for you to see me as a woman. But all you did was confuse me more. Yes, you were my first. But did you care to ask me how I felt, Dante? Every fucking thing was about you. Even now, you are making everything about you without giving me a chance to exin. What the fuck do you want from me? Do you want to take me to court? Fucking take me to court! You ruined my life, and every day since you found out about the kids, you¡¯ve been ying the victim. Fuck you! And fuck your heart. Fuck you, Dante Monroe.¡± I felt anger well up inside me as soon as these words left her mouth. I just waitedfor her to continue, as I wasgenuinely interested in where she was getting to. But what happened next surprised me; she began hitting me. She was hurting herself without even realizing it. ¡°You said I was a mistake. You wanted to be with her. Should I have told you about my pregnancy? You could have thought I wanted to use the pregnancy to keep you. You can go to hell. I¡¯m taking my kids with me. You don¡¯t even have the right to take them and start giving me orders. My children and I are a mistake to you!¡± She may not understand, but Ipletely understand her, and that still doesn¡¯t give her enough reasons to flee with my children. Four years is a long time. I loved her, but right now, I am beginning to question my love for her. Is she hoping that all of her outbursts will persuade me to listen to her? That I¡¯d be wrapped around her fingers and she¡¯d be able to walk her way back into my heart? But that is never going to happen. I am far too intelligent to be caught up in her game. She can cry for all I care. I lost four years of my life and she gets to cry every time we have a conversation? But then there are so many things going on in my mind while I try to wrap my head around what she just said. I am stopping her from hurting herself while looking at her as she continues to do what, oh yeah, vent. I don¡¯t know if she thinks her hands will cause any harm to me. But,shit! She was hurting herself. She couldn¡¯t even see that she had begun to bleed. ¡°L! L, stop. You are hurting yourself.¡± She shook her head. . ¡°I¡¯d rather die than give you my child¡­¡± Then she passed out. How dramatic. I wanted to lether hit the ground. Maybe she would be quick to wake up from her slumber. Even after everything. She is still the mother of my children, so I quickly grabbed her and carried her to her room. I put her in bed and left. After a few hours, she started to walk down the stairs. I was having my lunch since I didn¡¯t eat breakfast. I listened for her footsteps as she made her way downstairs, and she stopped when she realized I was watching her. I sipped my wine while I stared at her. I¡¯m going to make her life miserable. Since she doesn¡¯t want to leave my house, I will make her leave. I still don¡¯t think any of the nonsense she¡¯s spewed is enough for her to cut me off from my kids for thestfour years. I will make her divorce me on her own. She walked down the stairs and grabbed a seat, cing her phone on the table. Her phone began to ring. Mason, her boyfriend, She gave me a look. Her hands were trembling. I had to raise an eyebrow at her. I¡¯m getting this feeling that this is going to be an interesting call. ¡°We are not husband and wife anymore, regardless of your refusing to sign the divorce papers. Don¡¯t let me be in the way for you and your doctor boyfriend.¡± She tried to say something, but all she did was open and close her mouth. I was about to say something else, but she cut me off. ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Well, if you say so, I mean, I¡¯m divorcing you and if you continue to avoid him, he will leave you, too. You will end up all alone with no man by your side.¡± ¡°More important than any man are my children.¡± Is she high on something? Where did all this confidencee from? ¡°I am not interested in renegotiation. I¡¯ve been gracious enough to let you hold them. They do not belong to you. You called us a mistake. Why the fuck would I tell you that I am pregnant after you called me that? I can¡¯t negotiate for my kids. Divorce me and I¡¯ll go my way with your mistakes.¡± Okay, she¡¯s high ¡°I¡¯m not going to sit here and drag the children with you. If you want to be part of their lives, you can stay here, but mind your own business. Who I fuck shouldn¡¯t be any of your business. But I will not bring a woman in front of them till I am sure of the woman. That also applies to you.¡± I stood to my feet. ¡°If you stay, of course. But if you don¡¯t want to stay and want them to yourself, feel free to take me to court.¡± I sipped thest of the wine. ¡°And L, keep your boyfriend far from my kids. If I see him around, what is mine, I¡¯m going to kill him. The children are mine,not his. If you want to see him, go to him. I don¡¯t want him toe into my house. Trust me, if I find him here, I will not hesitate to shoot.¡± I saw that as I walked away. I have no problem with Mason, but I do have a problem with him lingering around my children and pretending to be their father. If he tries that nonsense, I will kill him. Chapter 52 ~L¡¯s POV~ Sadness, emptiness, detachment, and rage are all emotions that I¡¯m experiencing. Right now, I am at a stage where my body is numb, my mind is numb, but my heart, my heart, is bursting at the seams right now. He wanted to make my life miserable. I don¡¯t me him; I me myself for holding on to his promises. I was blindly giving myself to him because I thought he hadn¡¯t forgotten his promise. The first time I thought he hadn¡¯t forgotten his promise. I knew the promise had long been forgotten the second time I slept with him, but because I loved him and the idea of marrying the only man I¡¯d ever loved, I voluntarily gave myself to him as a form of goodbye. For all these years, because of him, I lost my happiness, and my kids lost their father. I gave my children the love that he should have been giving them and the duties that should have been fulfilled by him because I didn¡¯t want them to think about him, at least not yet. One thing is for sure, I hate him. I hate Dante Monroe. He used to be my everything, but now the only thing I feel for him is hatred. He has no respect for me. The only thing keeping me in this God-forsaken house are my children and the apparent fact that if I try to take him to court, I will lose. I have no proof that he cheated on me. I can only go on with what I¡¯ve heard. He, on the other hand, has proof of me kissing Mason, which can be used as evidence against me. Those images alone could cause me to lose everything. He¡¯s currently using that against me. I have no one who can help me, not even his mother. Nobody has evidence that Dante dated Candice. If I ask Candice for help, she will betray me. She is far too cunning. I walked down the stairs and found him eating with the kids.N?velDrama.Org ? content. I stared into those eyes, which had previously appeared in my dreams on a nightly basis; now, having them in front of me with so much rage in them is surreal. I pulled a chair backward and took a seat. ¡°Good morning, Momma!¡± It was said in unison by the children. ¡°Good morning, kids. How was your night?¡± ¡°Good!¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to go to school, kids.¡± When their driver announced it, they immediately followed him. The absence of the children at the dining table brought about an eerily quiet and vacant atmosphere. I don¡¯t want to talk to Dante. We ate in silence for the rest of the meal. I swallowed and cleared my throat. ¡°I will stay, not for you, but for the sake of my children.¡± He cut me off. ¡°Do you think I love you that much for me to trick you into staying here? You think so highly of yourself, woman.¡± He remarked, but I don¡¯t have time to be sitting here and talking about the same thing with him. I ignored his remarks and continued. ¡°As I previously stated, I will remain here only for the sake of my children, but how long before you kick me out of their lives?¡± ¡°Till I get married.¡± It hurts to hear him talking about marriage while he fails to see reason with me. My reasons are excuses to him. I still don¡¯t have the answer to why did he fucking make those promises. ¡°So I have to be here till you find a wife who will take over the role of a mother to my children.¡± ¡°If you look at it that way, yes. I can¡¯t remain unmarried, you know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your love life, as that is none of my business, but¡­¡± He cut me off. ¡°I¡¯m d you realize it¡¯s none of your business, so why are you bringing it up?¡± ¡°My children! My children are my business.¡± ¡°If you have sperm, of course, you will have a say, but at this point, you just opened your legs, and I poured in my sperm and turned to children. So you epted the sperm, which wasn¡¯t yours since you have none.¡± ¡°So you want to kick me out of their lives once you find a mother for them? Is that what you are saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved you got it. Look, if you want to fight, I don¡¯t have the energy. You can park your bags and leave.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Tears welled up in my eyes, something I never wanted to do in front of him, but my children are my life, and he is threatening to take them and find them a mother. I might have had a chance in court if June hadn¡¯t sent those pictures to Dante. But now I¡¯ll bebeled as a cheating wife and unfit mother. I removed my wedding ring, which was analogous to removing my heart from its ce. ¡°You gave up your parental rights the day you called me a mistake. You may be their father, but to me, you are nothing more than a sperm donor. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for me to keep this ring while you¡¯re looking for a wife.¡± As I stood up, I ced the ring on the table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I burned the divorce papers, but I¡¯m not sorry I burned the other agreements. I would go to any length for my children. Make another divorce agreement. I will dly sign as long as there are no conditions regarding my children. I will never allow another woman to raise my children, marry, have children with your wife, and leave what is mine.¡± I took a few steps back and paused. ¡°I never thought we¡¯d get to this point, and I never thought I¡¯d have so much hatred for you, and it feels so good to finally say it. I hate you, Dante Monroe. You might feel like you have everything under control but have just lost everything.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hate you because you¡¯re the mother of my children, but I hate the day I thought you¡¯d make a good wife, and I regret ever seeing you as a woman.¡± I closed my eyes and walked back inside my room, locked it, and poured water into a bathtub. I undressed and nakedly walked into the bathtub. I closed my eyes and let everything go¡­ Chapter 53 ~L¡¯s POV~ I never in a million years imagined that my married life would be like this. I never imagined that I would live in a fairytale, but here I am, married to the prince charming of all my fantasies. The one and only man I have ever wanted from as far back as I can remember wanting him. The man who is most emphatically not my knight in shining armor. When I was younger, he was my knight in shining armor,but I suppose things change as people get older, and their hearts change along with them. I shook my head and started tough at my pathetic self. I am trapped. Dante Monroe had me where he wanted me. How much pressure is too much for one person to handle? If I could just get an answer to this question, maybe I¡¯d have a better idea of how much longer it will be before Ipletely lose my mind. Why is it that whenever I make an effort to bring some semnce of order to my otherwise chaotic life, something unexpectedes up, and things get even moreplicated than they were before? Choosing to stay with Dante despite the challenges involved is not a simple task. I never imagined that we would get to this point where we would fight to the extent that we are doing right now. Being awake doesn¡¯t help me much to rx. How can I unwind when my children are involved, and it irritates me that I am being cornered? I wish I could just sleep and never wake up, or sleep and wake up when all this is over. I wish we could just make peace for the sake of our children. We don¡¯t have to be husband and wife, but this is no longer healthy for either of us. I have taken so many insults and disrespect from Dante for the past months since he took the kids, which automatically forces me to move back to NYC. But right now, all I want is peace. I heard a gentle knock at my door. ¡°Pleasee in.¡± Dante walked in and Igotup from the bed, knowing that whatever conversation we were about to have would lead to a fight. ¡°How are you doing?¡± I quickly raised my head to meet his gaze. Okay, this is very odd. Is he seriously greeting me? Does he want to kill me now? My surprised expression might have rmed him. ¡°I came in peace.¡± Dante and peace are not friends; chaos and Dante, perhaps! So I want you to attend a party with me tonight.¡± I think Dante Monroe has just lost some screws. I am still looking at him to tell me what this is about. ¡°Elvis, my friend and a colleague of mine, just got married, and he is having a get-together with his family. His mother knows I¡¯m married, so she requested me toe with my wife.¡± For the sake of our children, I wanted to ask him to hire a girl to act as his wife. Maybe this might be a chance for us to make peace. ¡°What exactly are you thinking?¡± He inquired while I was still considering the possibility of us putting our differences aside. ¡°You¡¯re speaking to me normally.¡± ¡°L, please let¡¯s just try to get along for the sake of our children.¡± I¡¯m d he¡¯s sick of it as well. ¡°Do they know we are getting a divorce?¡± ¡°No, nobody knows except you and me.¡± I simply nodded. ¡°Do I need to get the kids ready, or is it just me and you?¡± ¡°Elvis¡¯s mother wanted to meet them, but due to the nature of the party and thete hour, I told her they wouldn¡¯t being.¡± I studied his face for a moment, which is not giving anything. ¡°Okay, I wille.¡± He left and closed the door behind him. The curious soul in me agreed for two reasons. 1. Why all of a sudden did he change and ask me to get along with him for the sake of the children? 2. He could have asked anyone, but he asked me. I maye to regret itter, but for the sake of our children, I need to get along with him right now. We might have our differences, but Dante would kill anyone for his kids. One thing I will always respect him for. I was wrong about him when it came to the kids, but he is an amazing father to our kids. Perhaps this party, or whatever it is, is exactly what we need to get along. While I was preupied with the party, Dante texted me that he would be picking me up at 7 p. m. Since I came back, he has returned to the office, which leaves me to take care of our kids while I try to find my way back to the field. I decided to give Matthew and his wife the flower shop, and they have done fantastically well. Mason and I haven¡¯t spoken since I left Ozark, and June hasn¡¯t either. It was already time. Dante sent me a message telling me he was waiting outside. I settled for some high-waisted blue jeans, a beige polo neck, and some 5-inch ecru ankle boots. I headed outside. As I walked towards the car, Dante came down and opened the passenger door for me, and he walked around to the driver¡¯s side and started driving. ¡°You look beautiful,¡± heplimented. He¡¯s really acting weird. Why is he being so nice to me? ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need a hospital?¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly so nice to me?¡± I finally asked. Heughed. ¡°L, we can fight all we want, but that is not going to change anything. We are tied together forever, whether we like it or not. We are the parents of three wonderful children who need the care and attention of both of their parents. We can at least try to get along, even if we aren¡¯t together anymore.¡± I stroked his brow with the back of my hand. He lightly pushed my hand and continued, ¡°I¡¯m fine L, I haven¡¯t forgiven you. I¡¯m just trying to make this work for our children, so don¡¯t get any ideas.¡± Wow!N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Chapter 54 ~L¡¯s POV~ ¡°Are you bipr?¡± I blurt out. He did not answer my question; instead, he continued driving. One moment, he¡¯s extremely kind to me, and the next, he acts like the devil. It¡¯s confusing because I don¡¯t really know what he wants, and if he still wants an exnation from me, he won¡¯t be getting one. I¡¯m done exining myself to people who see my exnation as an excuse. ¡°You are being nice and acting like a devil at the same time,¡± I spoke up. ¡°And you should be thankful because I¡¯m still gracious.¡± He will never stop making me feel as though I owe him something or as though I must first inquire with him whether it is safe for me to take a breath. It¡¯s as though I am at his mercy. His gaze was fixed on the road; I didn¡¯t even notice that he had arrived at the house or that the car had stopped moving. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± He made the announcement while disying absolutely no expression. I tried to open the door for myself, but he stopped me and went to the passenger¡¯s side to open the door for me. At least some things haven¡¯t changed. I am only taking this much because of my kids. He led the way and rang the doorbell. An old woman opened the door to wee us. ¡°Look at you, dashing as ever.¡± Dante smiled and gave the woman a hug. ¡°Um, this is L, my¡­ wife.¡± He said as he motioned his hands my way. ¡°Oh, hi. My name is Grace. Elvis¡¯s mother.¡± She embraced me, then turned to Dante and said, ¡°You sure know how to pick the good ones.¡± He smiled once more, this time with genuine warmth. Elvis¡¯s mom was nice. We talked for about an hour and a half before she introduced me to Elvis¡¯s wife, Cassie, who, like Elvis¡¯s mother, was a pleasant person to be around. I stayed with her for a little over an hour. ¡°Let¡¯s get you inside the main party,¡± Cassie uttered those reassuring words while maintaining a cheery expression on her face. We walked inside, and as we walked, I was thinking about what could go wrong today. What if this is all Dante¡¯s game? ¡°Hi Caroline, this is L, Dante¡¯s wife.¡± Thedy was beaming, but as soon as the name ¡°Dante¡¯s wife¡± was mentioned, her smile faded and she withdrew her hand, as she wanted to extend it for a handshake. This is beginning to feel like a trap. ¡°Um, Caroline¡¯s all that,¡± Cassie said, as a way to make me feel better. I pursed my lips and slightly nodded my head, trying to understand and also find a way out of this trap.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Why did I fucking think that Dante would have a change of heart? The sudden change in behavior was a sign, and I fucking let my guard down. ¡°So you are the woman who is stuck with Dante?¡± The Caroline girl finally spoke. ¡°Caroline, stop it!¡± Cassie forewarned. ¡°Yes, I am the woman stuck with Dante.¡± Caroline gave me a friendly smile. ¡°I like your courage, though.¡± She said as she sipped her wine, ¡°But I¡¯m curious. How does it feel to stay with a dead, gorgeous man who can¡¯t even touch you and who has never seen you as a woman but as a friend? I¡¯m curious about how it makes you feel. You¡¯ve always wanted more, haven¡¯t you?¡± That was a p in the face. Who is this girl, and how did she know all these things she¡¯s saying? I was just about to speak when someoneinterrupted me. ¡°Oh, Caroline, there you are.¡± a voice I can recognize anywhere. ¡°Oh, I see you¡¯ve met L, my ex-friend. The woman who ruined my life is getting what she deserves, and I¡¯m d she¡¯s getting it. I mean, you are with Dante now, and L is just his wife for namesakes. And you, Caroline, have his body to y with. As usual, L, Dante would never choose you. You are only a friend and a burden. Having three children with him doesn¡¯t mean you get to keep him. Look at you, even with the kids, you still can¡¯t keep him.¡± I¡¯m not sure whether I should cry or run. Why did Dante bring me here, knowing his girlfriend would be here? Was he bringing me here to hurt my feelings in this way? And Candice, wasn¡¯t she supposed to have a restraining order? ¡°And who exactly is this?¡± Cassie asked. ¡°Oh Cassie, this is my friend. Oh, new friend Candice! We just happen to have amon goal.¡± So I am the goal. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Caroline, but I don¡¯t remember having Candice on my invite list.¡± Cassie made a remark. ¡°Oh, Candice came with her boyfriend; I didn¡¯t invite her.¡± ¡°Who is her boyfriend?¡± ¡°Jiang Wang, the president of Wang Inc.,¡± Caroline said. ¡°I don¡¯t fucking remember inviting a Wang.¡± ¡°Oh, honey, that¡¯s true, but your cousin and my boyfriend are friends, so he wanted to see Jiang, and he asked us toe here. It¡¯s a pity he¡¯s not here yet.¡± Candice made a remark. ¡°Your boyfriend knows my cousin?¡± Cassie asked, and Candice nodded. I have no idea who this Caroline girl is, but I am absolutely certain that Candice is manipting both her and Mr. Wang in order to get whatshe wants, which is Dante. Dante is the man who is going to earn a great deal of my loathing from this point forward. I thought we were going to work together for the sake of the kids, but not anymore. I think I have taken too much. I am never going back; if he wants to keep the kids, he can keep them. When they grow up, they will ask for their mother. I am done. I took a step back, and Caroline spoke before I walked away. ¡°Oh L, are you running away againbecause you can¡¯t handle the truth that you are an unwanted wife and that you will never warm his bed? L, you¡¯re so pitiful! You¡¯ll always be a friend who tricked him on your fake wedding night and got yourself pregnant.¡± I¡¯ve reached my breaking point; this is the maximum I can take. As I turned to leave, I identally bumped into someone and looked up to see a Chinese guy who wasn¡¯t by himself. There were two other people with him. He was with¡­ Mason¡­. Chapter 55 ~Mason¡¯s POV~ Unfortunately, I was unable to make it to the wedding of my cousin who recently got hitched. My mother insisted that I attend the get-together that he had invited me to, despite the fact that I had already turned down his invitation. So here I am at the international airport in New York City. I¡¯m thinking of one person, L. She walked away without saying anything. I called her a few times to exin that I didn¡¯t know what June was up to and that I wasn¡¯t a part of it. I know she thinks I betrayed her, but I never expected my sister to go so low. I mean, this is L. She had been our friend for over 4 years, and my sister ruined everything. Now L thinks I was part of it. One of the reasons she wouldn¡¯t answer my calls, or so I thought. I haven¡¯t spoken to June since that day, and I have no ns to do so. She squandered my chances with L. I like L. I waited for years, but my sister took it all away in just one day. I had hoped that she would finally let go of her husband and look at me at least once, and when she did, June happened. With my hand, I brushed my hair back. I feelpletely helpless. I don¡¯t even know how to locate her. My ride arrived, and I climbed inside. I then received a phone call from my friend Jiang, who informed me that he had arrived at the party. Jiang and I met while I was hiking with my dad, and the guy fell from the top of the mountain, and when we found him, he was in bad shape. The guy was crazy. Who goes for a solo hike in the woods? He fucking thinks this is China. That thought makes meugh because that¡¯s exactly what I told him when he opened his eyes. He started to act as though he owed me something. So I told him that instead of feeling obligated to me, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just be friends?¡± And we¡¯ve been friends ever since. The car arrived at the vi, and I met with my aunt outside while she was heading to her home. I haven¡¯t seen Elvis and his wife in three years. Cassie was his girlfriend at the time. She also refers to me as her cousin. Cassie is like a little sister to me. She is wise, unlike my dumpy cousin. Aunt and I exchanged a few greetings, and she invited me to pay her a visit before returning to Ozark. Elvis greeted me; he was with Jiang. He took me to my room and then to the main party. As I was entering the party, I heard a girl talking, and I didn¡¯t like her words. ¡°Oh L, are you running away again because you can¡¯t handle the truth that you are an unwanted wife and that you will never warm his bed? L, you¡¯re so pitiful! You¡¯ll always be a friend who tricked him on your fake wedding night and got yourself pregnant.¡± The L girl turned to walk away, or rather, ran away, and she bumped into Jiang, and he held her by her hand so that she didn¡¯t fall. She looked up at him, but her gaze was drawn to mine. It was her. My L. She looked at Jiang and muttered a thank you as she made her way outside. I looked at the girl who was hurling insults at her. I didn¡¯t know who she was. I didn¡¯t know any of the girls there except for Cassie. ¡°Mason! Oh my God, you made it!¡± she said as she hugged me, but my mind and body are somewhere else. I wanted to run after L. ¡°Cassie.¡± I returned the hug. I turned to look at Elvis, and he exined the situation to me. Cassie also borated on the situation. I knew L would be crying wherever she was. I dashed outside in search of her. ¡°Don¡¯t fucking touch me; this is exactly what you wanted. Is this your way of torturing me because of the children? You brought me here to make fun of me?¡± L yelled. She was so ovee with emotion that she was unable to even speak. Shit! She was crying. My gaze then moved to the man she was speaking with. It was him. The car she bumped into that day was her husband¡¯s car. ¡°What are you talking about, L?¡± The man asked. ¡°You won, Dante. I don¡¯t want any of this; you are punishing me because of the kids, right? You nned all this! You know what, Dante? You can have the children; find them a mother. You promised to make my life a living hell. Thank you very much. Get the divorce papers for me tomorrow. I¡¯ll put my signature on them. And you can take everything I have ever worked hard for. Take it all, Dante. I don¡¯t want anything to do with you. I am done. If you don¡¯t get me the divorce papers, I will serve you with one.¡± She screamed. Is she going to give up her children? But why? What exactly is going on? L genuinely loves her children; they are her entire world. What did those women say to her that caused her to give up everything so quickly? ¡°L, what are you talking about?¡± The man asked. ¡°Stay the fuck away from her. Are you even a man?¡± I barked, and the man turned to face me. I saw hatred in his eyes. Oh yeah, the fucking pictures June sent to him. ¡°Stay the fuck away from my wife.¡± ¡°Soon to be ex-wife and¡­¡± He didn¡¯t let me finish; a blownded in my jaws, and I backed up slightly. I tried to throw a punch his way, but he caught it, and another punchnded on my stomach, and my face and a kicknded on my leg, which made mend on the ground with a loud thud!Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Why is he so violent? Is he trying to work through his problems by venting his frustrations on me? I looked around, but there was no sign of L. ¡°She¡¯s gone,¡± I yelled, and he looked around. ¡°Fuck!¡± He released his grasp on me and turned to face me as I was getting on my feet. ¡°Stay the fuck away from my family!¡± He barked and started walking, so I guess he was going to look for L. ¡°Not after what I witnessed today. I was enthralled by the scene. I¡¯m not going to leave them alone.¡± When I told him, he turned to hit me, but Elvis intervened. ¡°Enough! Both of you!¡± Elvis yelled as he separated us. If anything, L will be mine soon. Chapter 56 ~Maya¡¯s POV~ I moved to a position where I could see out of one of the windows in my bedroom and took in the scenery outside. The rays of the unrelenting southern sun are reflected brilliantly by the water of the ocean. The sea waszily making its way up onto the beach, and I couldn¡¯t wait to put my bare feet in the warm sand and let my worries wash away. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been here. The lush greenery that surrounded the house gave off the impression of possessing curative properties, which helped ease the strain on my already-overburdened heart and put my mind at ease. Ozark was eerily quiet and serene. Calm is something that iscking in my life and is the one and only thing I require at this precise moment: tranquility. My life has recently been nothing but a farce, chaos, never-ending rage, and regrets. I redirected my attention to the scenery and tried to take some pleasure in it so that I wouldn¡¯t have to concentrate on how Dante was making my life very hard. The view was so beautiful that I could have stood there all day. It¡¯s been two days since I left New York City. Call me a coward, but one can only take so much. Since this is what he wants, I will give him what he wants and walk away. I love my children, but I also want peace. I want to be free, but he won¡¯t listen to me when I try to reason with him, and I¡¯m tired of fighting. He can have it all. I want to close this chapter of my life and begin a new one that does not involve anything to do with Dante Moore. The love of my life. Who could have predicted that the one person to whom you have devoted your entire life would one day cause you to regret ever falling so deeply in love with them? Love can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. I was blind, but not anymore. I want peace, and peace is what I will find. I am leaving today, and mywyer is waiting for me. It¡¯s time to end this. Upon my arrival in New York City, I had a meeting with the attorney who had drafted the papers for my divorce from Dante. ¡°Are you certain that you don¡¯t want anything from him? I mean, he is taking your children from you.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°No, if I want to start a new chapter in my life, I will have to start it with nothing that belongs to him.¡± The man gave a small nod. As I was about to leave the restaurant, I saw the man who Dante and I had met at his house the other day. Mason was the next to arrive. I stopped dead in my tracks; he was supposed to be in Ozark. What brings him here? ¡°L!¡± I looked up when he called out to me as I was trying to put the documents in my bag, but everything was scattered all over the floor. When he saw my documents, I noticed a smile on his face as he bent down to assist me in picking up the papers. ¡°So you¡¯re finally a free woman?¡± The question was posed, but before I could respond, Elvis made his way over to where we were standing. ¡°Mrs. Moore, it¡¯s fancy seeing you here.¡± making sure that his cousin knows that I was someone¡¯s wife. At least he was loyal. ¡°Hi, sorry I had to leave the party early. Elvis, it was great finally getting the chance to talk to you.¡± ¡°Please, do bring your children around; my wife and I would be more than happy to have them around.¡± I let out a nervous smile. I had no way of letting him know that Dante and I would be legally separated in a little over an hour¡¯s time. It was impossible for me to do so. I took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Please do have a great day.¡± As I was about to leave, Mason grabbed my hand. ¡°L, are you finally going to give me a chance? I mean, you are now divorced, and there is nothing stopping us from being together, right?¡± I looked at him; I didn¡¯t know how to answer him, and I still don¡¯t know what I want. One thing that I am certain of is that falling in love with anyone at this time is not something that I want to do. I want to find myself. I have been lost in the idea of having a happy ending with Dante for so long, and right now, that fantasy is gone. There was no Dante and L. There will never be Dante and L. Mason¡¯s hold on my hand was broken by Elvis, who retook control of the situation. ¡°I would advise you to behave yourself. This woman is someone¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°But..¡± Elvis cut him off. ¡°But nothing.¡± He said as he grabbed Mason¡¯s hand, leading him outside of the building. I took a deep breath and calmed myself slightly as I held the divorce papers in my hands. Because of what I am about to do, the lives of my children are about to be turned upside down; it will appear as though I am giving them up, but God knows I love them more than anything in the world. But I can¡¯t continue like this; I can¡¯t keep on suffering and trying to prove a point or even make Dante understand the reason I had to walk away and leave everything behind. I am done exining, and what I want is peace. I walked out of the restaurant. The oppressive heat of November in New York City was a major factor in the death toll. But the good thing about it was that the mornings and evenings were eased by thete autumn breeze. As the sun¡¯s rays hit me in the face, I made my way toward the rented car and set off in the direction of Dante¡¯s office. After I arrived, I found a parking spot in one of the many vacant lots, and I parked the car there. I unlocked the door, stepped out, and then proceeded to make my way to the front desk to speak with the receptionist. ¡°Oh, L! Oh, my goodness!¡± I looked up to see Charlotte, thedy who has been the receptionist since I started to work for the firm. She seemed pleased to see me. I expended the same amount of energy on her. I immediately gave her a bear hug and then asked her if she had seen Dante around, to which she responded that she had. I headed to his office. When I knocked, I heard him say, ¡°Come in.¡± I didn¡¯t even bother greeting him because we had nothing to talk about and I just want this to be over with. I mmed the divorce papers down on the table in front of him and said, ¡°I would like for you to sign those divorce papers and get it over with; I do not want any of your money or anything else from you because you intend to use the children as leverage against me in this divorce proceeding. You are free to keep them as well.¡± He stared at me as if I had a pair of balls growing out of my face. I. Am. Done. Chapter 57 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ L has left, and she is now somewhere outside of New York City. She is currently in Ozark. I don¡¯t really know what went down at that party. I went out to make a phone call, and when I came back inside the house, she was already leaving. After everything that happened that day, she approached me with the proposal of ending our marriage. It seems like even the universe is against us. I am aware that we argue every time she is in the house, but I miss seeing her sneak around the house in an attempt to make herself something to eat while she is avoiding me. The house seemed so much emptier without her. The children will not stop asking about their mother, so I have no choice but to lie to them about where she is. I hate lying to them, especially with Kai and Tyler seeing through my lies. I don¡¯t know why those two boys behave like adults. They miss their mother, and I miss her, too. Strange, I know, but the idea of seeing her and my kids under the same roof appeals to me, a sad reminder of what could have been if she trusted me and told me she was pregnant. Fuck, I miss her. She¡¯s been back in my life for eight good months, and I¡¯m already hooked on what could have been all over again. I just can¡¯t see past her betrayal. Since she was gone, I attempted to call her to exin what had happened, but her phone was turned off. I heard a light knock on the door. ¡°Pleasee in,¡± I ordered, and the door opened to reveal a concerned Kai. ¡°Are you okay, son?¡± I asked, and he closed the door behind him. He looked nervous and started pressing his fingers together. I knew he was nervous because I used to clench my fists when I was nervous when I was younger. I smiled, knowing that my son behaves simrly to me. ¡°You nervous.¡± He nodded when I pointed. I smiled once more. ¡°You guys fought again, didn¡¯t you?¡± I wentpletely still. L and I have been doing everything we can to keep everything hidden from them. And what the fuck does he mean again? I swallowed and cleared my throat. ¡°What do you mean, again?¡± And how on earth would he know all of this?This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°When we were in Ozark, each time we asked of you, mom would say you were a busy man and that you loved us more than anything. I knew that was a lie. When she was lying, she never looked us in the eyes, and you are doing the same. Daddy, can you please bring mom home?¡± I stood up in my chair, speechless. I hugged him and apologized for my and his mother¡¯s actions. ¡°She will be back by today, son. We didn¡¯t fight.¡± Another lie on my part. I left my study with him and headed to the office. It was at noon when my door flung open and I watched as L threw the divorce papers at me. My expression was filled with regret. I did this. I fucking caused this. Caroline was a one-time thing, and I had no idea she knew Candice. I Dante fucking fell for Candice¡¯s schemes yet again. I don¡¯t me L for not trusting me. I¡¯ve been nothing but a pain, but still, I can¡¯t bring myself to forgive her for keeping our family apart. If she had trusted me and told me she was pregnant, I could have been a good father and a good husband. But she thought she knew the answers to everything. She thought I would choose Candice over my own children. I know I was an ass after our wedding night, but still, I deserved to know. Signing these papers with this hatred and a lot of unsettled issues between us won¡¯t work. I can¡¯t tell her I won¡¯t sign them because she¡¯ll be peeved. There is no trust between us. She thinks I was part of what happened the other day. I am many things, but I will never do that to the mother of my children. Even if we have nothing else to say to each other, the fact remains that she is the one who gave birth to my children. That will never happen to her under my watch. Candice got under her skin, and now she hates me for what I didn¡¯t even do. ¡°About 5 years ago, you didn¡¯t trust me. You ran away because you were under the impression that you knew what was best for me. Today, yet again, you are running from your problems. Five years ago, you made our children fatherless, and today you want to make them motherless. Is this what you want?¡± I paused, and she stood there without a word, tears threatening toe out. ¡°You believe someone who whispered something to you, and as a result, you want to give up on your children. You believe the person who whispered to you because you just can¡¯t trust me. You didn¡¯t trust me 5 years ago, and you still don¡¯t trust me now. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re making the same mistake again, L?¡± She didn¡¯t answer me, but I¡¯ll be damned if I allow her to judge me and have her view me in that way. ¡°Five years ago, you thought I loved Candice more than you; you thought my vows were not valid. All I ever wanted was for you to be patient with me while I ended things with Candice, but you served me with divorce papers and ran away. Why?¡± She bit her lower lip and averted her gaze from me. I did a little, leaning back in my chair and looking at her; it was obvious that she was getting anxious at this point. ¡°Look, I know after our wedding I did some things and said things I wasn¡¯t supposed to say. But this is childish, L. You didn¡¯t even make an effort to listen to my side of the story, but you already made the assumption that I had taken you there on purpose to embarrass you. Why do you always have to think the worst of me? I will sign these papers, but I would prefer to do so in an atmosphere where there is no animosity or unresolved conflict between us.¡± That was what I said as I grabbed my phone to make a call to Lev. Dante: Lev,e to my office to pick up L. The kids need her. I hung up the call and looked at her. ¡°They have been asking about your whereabouts. We will discuss this further when I have the opportunity, and if you so desire, you are free to break the news to them on your own that we are going through a divorce.¡± She just stood there in one ce till Lev arrived, and she followed him home. I pressed my inte button. ¡°Charlotte, please cancel all my meetings for today and get mywyer to meet up with me at 4 p. m. Get the people whose cars L rented toe and collect their car in our parking lot.¡± I got off the phone and powered down myputer after I finished the conversation. I need serious help. Chapter 58 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ I was on my way to meet mywyer with regard to the divorce when I received a call from Lev reminding me of the Japanese project. I cursed because I hadpletely forgotten about it. Fuck, what was my PA doing? Thest few times I¡¯ve seen her, she¡¯s been a total mess and very unprofessional. It seems like all she thinks about is my cock. I have seen the way she looks at me. I will fucking have to fire her, very ipetent. I turned my car around while I called mywyer to cancel, as I had to prepare those documents. L managed those documents back then, and she is very knowledgeable about the Japanese market. This was five years ago. That deal was secured by her single-handed efforts, and now that it has expired, we need to find a way to reinstate it, but I have no fucking idea what to do. When I got home, I found her sitting down to dinner with the children. They looked happy seeing their mother; I was supposed to be at that table with them, but I couldn¡¯t because I needed to work. I greeted them and offered each of them a perk before apologizing for the fact that I wouldn¡¯t be able to join them for dinner. Thanks to traffic, I arrived homete. As soon as I entered my home office, I threw everything out of the way and sat down at my desk. There is no way in hell that I will be able toplete this task by myself. I would have to ask for L¡¯s help. I sessfully worked off a portion of the deal, but there was still a section for which I required L¡¯s input. L was that good. After checking the time, I headed downstairs to prepare some coffee for myself, but when I returned, she was still seated at the table with her phone in her hand. ¡°Um, L. I would need your help. We had a contract with the Japanese thatsted for 5 years, but since it has now expired, we need to provide them with a new proposal so that we can continue to work with them for a few more years under the original terms of the contract.¡± I cut to the chase, and she kept pressing her phone while answering me. ¡°When do you need me?¡± ¡°As in, like yesterday,¡± I said as I brewed my coffee. She nodded, and I went back into my study. I was feeling a little anxious as I sat at my desk, and I found myself fidgeting more than usual while maintaining my focus on the entrance to the space. This was not a good idea, was it? But then I don¡¯t have much of a choice, do I? My ipetent personal assistant didn¡¯t help either. The project is due in three days, and nothing is in ce. I needed to work with four eyes on her. My ex-wife, I mean, wife, at least for now, and today was so hellish. Normally, I could have done this on my own if I had the time, but my personal assistant threw me off the bus. My stomach is in knots whenever I think about spending the night putting on work alongside L. Since her return eight months ago, L has been tormenting me, unknowingly. She had been filling my head with images of her alluring curves, and I couldn¡¯t get them out of my head. Since she came back, I made her believe I have been seeing someone. But in reality, I couldn¡¯t. My eyes have been on her and her alone. No one elsees close to her or how she makes me feel. Since she has given birth to our children, she has somehow managed to be even more stunning and curvier. I have no idea why this has happened. I have always been quick to pick fights with her so that my mind wouldn¡¯t wander toward the direction of how my name would sounding from her mouth while I was banging her. I keep having dirty thoughts about her. I had so many fantasies about taking her against every surface that was possible that I began to feel as though I was going crazy. Call me a creep, but that was the only way, and I think I¡¯ve gone too far because I have been served with divorce papers.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. My feelings towards her are not supposed to be like this at all. She betrayed me and kept me away from my kids for four good years. What in the world is she to me? Why, after all these years, am I still unable to let go of the desire to be with her? She has been messing with my thoughts since we were kids. Even after her betrayal, I haven¡¯t been able to find a solution. I have been trying to dissuade her froming closer to me because I want her so badly. I made several attempts to get rid of her, but I was unsessful. Her presence draws me to her like a ma. No one can be like her. I thought that if I caused her pain, it would make me feel better about the betrayal that she hadmitted against me, so I tried to cause her pain. However, seeing her in pain caused me to feel pain as well. I did everything in my power to make her life a living hell, but all that I seeded in doing was making my own life a living hell because, in the course of hurting her, I ended up hurting myself as well. It¡¯s impossible for me to forget her; she¡¯s just too memorable. My heart beats only for L and no one else. Growing up, she never got hurt watching me with different women, even after holding on to the promise I made to her. At this point, she probably doesn¡¯t even notice when I cheat anymore, because she¡¯s grown ustomed to it. My wife is unmoved. She exudes an air of self-assurance that gives me the willies and makes me want to run and hide. Her self-confidence scares the shit out of me. My wife drew me in. Had I craved to touch her, taste her, kiss her¡­. I shook my head violently in order to get rid of those indecent thoughts. She will soon be my ex-wife. I can¡¯t have such thoughts about her. But there¡¯s this question that keeps popping into my head: am I, Dante Monroe, willing to let her go for good this time? I let out a sigh and rested the back of my head against the back of my chair while massaging the bridge of my nose. This should not be happening at all. It¡¯s not normal. How is it that one person can have such a tenacious grip on my mind without even trying? Even though I make every effort to avoid her, she has been and always will be the one; however, I have no choice but to let her go. Without a doubt, there is something about her that continues to entice me. Perhaps it was my broken promise or the trust. I mean she betrayed me. I was startled when I heard a soft knock on the door, and I immediately straightened up in my seat. I had to clear my throat before I could strongly encourage her toe inside. Does she want to kill me? I thought to myself as L walked into my study wearing a very short dress while I was trying so hard not to give in to temptation. Is she trying to get under my skin? Is she attempting to extort arge sum of money from me? My mind was a mess, more of a mess than it was before. I drew my gaze away from her. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m here, so let me know how I can help.¡± I stared at her; she was nervous. Her fingers were ying nervously with her thick, long ck hair that was left cascading down one shoulder and falling into her cleavage. Her cleavage¡­ My God! This woman has grown so much that right now she is such a temptation. ¡®My L¡¯. I dangerously pushed forward to follow the course with my eyes. I fucking gave myself a sole moment to gawk at her, or what is mine, nearly gulping out loud. Damn, this is going to be a very long night. The dress exposed so much skin, so much to drool over¡­ Wait, a minute¡­ Is she trying to seduce me? Chapter 59 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ By the time L and I had done half the project, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I was hard as fuck, and I needed a release. L was just standing there doing her thing, and I felt like I was slowly crumbling on the inside. Veins were already popping out on my face. I needed her. Fuck, I wanted to bury my face between her round, sinful butts. Hell, this is getting out of hand, and the wood in between my legs is begging for attention. Whether it was voluntary or not, L was driving me crazy, and I couldn¡¯t give in. I just can¡¯t give in. She was driving me absolutely insane with those tantalizing curves, swinging for me in every way that was physically possible. Her delicate skin was so revealed to me, and her rosy, delectable lips were so close¡­ Fuck, I want her lips wrapped around my cock. No, Dante! I let out a yell into the space behind my head. The direction in which my thoughts were wandering was starting to scare me; it was dangerous. It¡¯s far too dangerous for my own good. It had never been so difficult to resist temptation. I¡¯d devour her right here on top of this desk if I didn¡¯t have an excuse. I swallowed hard and cleared my throat. ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry. Maybe you can order some pizza.¡± I wasn¡¯t a little hungry. I am fucking hungry, and not just for pizza; I want to be balls deep. I don¡¯t want to be balls-deep in some pussy; I want to be balls-deep in my wife¡¯s pussy. ¡°All right, let me go get my phone.¡± I watched as she swayed her butt. Hell, I am in deep shit! Thank God she left, because it was getting quite impossible to suppress my indecent cravings. I hurriedly exited my study as soon as L finished walking out of the study and closed the door behind her. I needed to cool down. I sprinted to my room, mmed the door behind me once I was inside, and then leaned against the wall in my room while taking a few long, slow breaths. ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered out loud out of frustration as I adjusted my cock in my pants while simultaneously uttering the word. The fact that I could see L¡¯s curves and butt so clearly was not something that was supposed to turn me on in this way. That wasn¡¯t supposed to set off any reactions in my cock, but holy hell¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but think about how those legs used to be wrapped around my waist while I dove deep into her as she moaned out my name. I couldn¡¯t help but remember it. How her gorgeous eyes widened when I gave her her first orgasm, how those legs used to worship every inch of me. Her little dress hugged her curves perfectly while the buttons were strung around her tits. I let out a groan as I hurried into my bathroom, stripped off all of my clothes, and then, butt naked, I entered the shower. I turned on the cold water as I held the end of my cock and began riding solo, with thoughts of L running through my head. Thest time I did this was when I started watching the footage in her room. Before that, I hadn¡¯t done it in a while. I can¡¯t believe she is right here and I am here pumping myself. Fuck! I mumbled something under my breath as loads upon loads of cum poured out of the tip of my cock. I stood in the water for a few minutes to cool the hardened wood. Once I was done, I changed into some gray sweatpants and a vest and proceeded to my study, hoping to use work to get this erection to go away. Even after a cold shower, I¡¯m still hard as fuck. At this point, all I can do is cross my fingers and hope that she doesn¡¯t notice the bulge in my pants. She came back with a box of pizza and ced it on the desk. While she was doing so, she bent down slightly, and holy fucking hell, her thighs were to die for. What the fuck is the matter with me? Why am I so turned on today? I readjusted my cock and forced some air into my lungs before continuing. ¡°Um, maybe you should go change that dress you are currently wearing,¡± I suggested. The fuck Dante! There is nothing wrong with that dress; you are just horny! ¡°Excuse me?¡± Did I have to be rude because I was a goner? Shit! ¡°It¡¯s a little short.¡± After I had finished saying it, there was a brief pause, during which she scrutinized my every move and then scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was out of line.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°I¡¯m d you know.¡± The fuck! When did she ever be so cold toward me? Did I fucking just lose touch? We started eating the pizza, but an angelic voice jolted us: ¡°Mommy, Daddy, you are cheating. You have to give me one piece before I go wake Kai and Tyler.¡± I choked on my pizza; shouldn¡¯t she be sleeping? How the fuck am I going to get off of this desk with a hard-as-hell cock like this in front of my daughter? I managed to muster a timid smile. Why the fuck did I do that for? ¡°Um, you suggested pizza, so talk to your daughter,¡± L stated. You fucking have no idea. I can¡¯t talk to her; there is no way my daughter is seeing this bulge. Never, ever! ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I spoke in a whisper. ¡°What exactly do you mean, you can¡¯t?¡± ¡°The situation isplicated.¡± ¡°What isplicated? Is it ever difficult to exin to your daughter the story behind why you ordered pizza?¡± I pulled her in close to me, bringing her to the point where she could feel my breath on her skin. ¡°The. Situation. Is. Complicated.¡± I said to her, signaling my cock. She flushed bright red when she saw MY SITUATION. Fucking fantastic! She bent down to talk to Mai, but the sight worsened my wood. Why the fuck are my eyes on her ass? They reached an agreement, and the kids will be getting pizza tomorrow for lunch. When she stood up, drops of pre-cum were now leaking and staining my sweatpants. I am a fucking goner. Chapter 60 ~L¡¯s POV~N?velDrama.Org ? content. Dante is an extremely twisted individual, one who is both very dark and twisted at the same time. Since he asked for my help with the Japanese contract yesterday, things have been a little awkward between us. As if staring at my ass wasn¡¯t enough, the man fucking got a boner in front of his daughter. He probably won¡¯t be turned on by me, right? I mean, he hates me. I just want to get it over with this project so that he can sign the damn divorce papers. In order for us to finish the project today, he made the decision to work from home. However, I have no doubt that they will ask him to travel to Japan. They did the same thing to me five years ago. The timing couldn¡¯t have been better for me; they were looking for someone who prioritized family. They have such a strongmitment to traditional family norms that Dante would have to find someone else to y the role of his wife. I¡¯m not sure how they are going to take it, as then they knew we were married. If they ever ask him to fly to Japan, I will have to make sure he is aware of that fact. I brushed everything away and entered his study wearing only my nightgown. I enjoy being liberated. The children have already been dropped off at school. I wanted to drink some water before we could start, but Dante¡¯s study has a bar fridge. I rapped on the door and opened his study door, barely looking around. ¡°Good morning. Sorry for beingte. I could do with some water.¡± My eyes followed him to the fridge, where he pulled out a bottle of water, popped the top, and drank it. Oh, he¡¯s such a gentleman! I approached the fridge and bent down a little so I could grab a bottle for myself. I could feel him watching me, and when my head tilted back, I caught him staring at my ass. When he noticed he had been caught, he gulped down everything from the water bottle. I walked over to the desk while popping the lid and twisting it. I took a fewrge gulps, trying to quench the dryness of my throat. ¡°Tell me about when you were pregnant and the difficulties you faced. Your cravings. Tell me about everything.¡± As I was screwing the lid back on, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a nervousugh. ¡°Noodles! I loved noodles. It¡¯s funny how the kids loved noodles, just like you and me. I couldn¡¯t even get a taste of the food before I threw up whenever I tried to eat something that they didn¡¯t like. The second and third trimesters were the most challenging throughout the entire pregnancy. I couldn¡¯t bend down to put on shoes or panties because I couldn¡¯t bend down. When I was alone, I often found myself crying and wishing that someone were there tofort me. I had to switch over to using only the shower because I was no longer able to use a bathtub. It was tiring and amazing at the same time. When they started kicking, I felt like they could feel my struggles.¡± Fuck! I feel as though I may have divulged a little bit too much information. Dante was sad, sad that he didn¡¯t get to witness any of it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Imented. I observed that he appeared to be upset, but he just stood there as though thinking about something. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you didn¡¯t get to watch any of it.¡± He then went to the minibar in his room, took out a ss, poured some scotch into it, and drank the entire thing in one sitting. He is furious and is making an effort to control his anger. When ites to our children, we are constantly at odds with one another. ¡°Um¡­ I think I will have toe back after some time.¡± I said as I fumbled with my footing in an attempt to take a step. ¡°No, go on.¡± My eyes widened in surprise when I realized that he actually was interested in hearing about everything. ¡°Did you take pictures?¡± He required, the color of his eyes turning redder and more bloodshot. Even though he was angry, he was still interested in hearing everything. I was afraid he¡¯d snap at me, so I went to get my pregnancy journey album. ¡°I can show you.¡± I interpreted the slight glimmer that appeared in his eyes as a sign that he was interested, and consequently, I went into my room to retrieve the album. When I came back, I handed the album over to him. The first picture is from the moment I found out I was going to be a mother for the first time. He was unable to tear his eyes away from the picture. ¡°Did I make it hard for you to open up to me when you first found out?¡± I nodded when he asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± What! Am I dreaming? ¡°What was that?¡± He looked in my direction. I knew he hated repetitions, so I looked away. ¡°Were you scared?¡± He asked and paused. ¡°When you found out you were pregnant. Were you excited?¡± ¡°Not really. I was not scared, nor was I excited. We were husband and wife, more like an unwanted wife. You wanted her, not me. You stated unequivocally that it should not have happened, and that it was a mistake. As soon as I found out, I immediately began making preparations to terminate the pregnancy.¡± I jumped back a little bit and covered both my eyes and my ears as he smashed the ss of scotch that he was holding against the wall. I was startled by the sound. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought you wanted to know all of it.¡± He shifted his gaze to the window, staring into space. ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. I just feel¡­¡± He inhaled deeply and swallowed. ¡°What made you decide to keep them?¡± ¡°At first, I thought it was just one. The day I went to make an appointment for an abortion, they performed an ultrasound, and that¡¯s when I found out there were three of them. After that, I started to feel anxious and started to avoid you because I knew that if I told you the truth, it would destroy the rtionship that you had with Candice, and maybe you would have noticed the changes that had taken ce in my body. ¡°I see, did you ever think that what I had with Candice was more than what I had with you?¡± I wentpletely still. What was he on about? He noticed I wasn¡¯t saying anything and continued paging through the album. ¡°You were big and beautiful.¡± I honestly don¡¯t know where this conversation is headed, but I¡¯m d we¡¯re having it. Maybe he will find some closure, and maybe I will too. I smiled at hisment. ¡°If you think that is big, you should wait till you see pictures of myst week. I couldn¡¯t move.¡± I said as I took the album from him and started paging, ¡°Look at that, I look like a hippo.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh at my appearance. ¡°Oh,e on, you were the sexiest thing alive.¡± I came to a halt and looked at him; our eyes met, and for a brief second, I was unable to recall who I was. I waspletely absorbed by those eyes. How did we end up here? The Japanese project was supposed to be our focus, but we ended up working on something else. He cleared his throat and swallowed, then continued, ¡°Can I borrow this?¡± He said as he raised the album up. ¡°Of course, you can keep it. I¡¯m going to go get some coffee, then we can start working.¡± ¡°You go ahead.¡± He said this as he began to look at the album with zeal. After taking a few steps, I came up against something solid, which caused me to stumble. I looked up to find Dante standing way too close to me and catching me before I fell. How the fuck did he get here? ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He stated that his voice had be huskier. When Dante looked at me, my heart stopped in my chest, and I felt a chill run down my spine. Wait! Is that lust I see in his eyes? He was fucking staring at my boobs. I swear I could feel the intensity ratcheting up a notch between us. I am imagining things again. I moved back a little when I realized how close we¡¯d gotten in those few minutes. I attempted to walk again, but he grabbed my hand this time, which triggered a sensation at the base of my spine that I had not experienced in a very long time. ¡°Thank you for telling me about your pregnancy journey. It meant a lot to me. And thank you for being a wonderful mother to our children. You are awesome, Bunny. I¡¯m sorry for everything.¡± What? Thest time he called me that was way back. ¡°You¡¯re a great father too, Dante, and I¡¯m sorry too,¡± I said and started walking toward the door. I had a distinct impression that Dante was following my every move. I just wanted to make sure I wasn¡¯t hallucinating, so I looked back and saw him staring at my assagain. Once he noticed, I caught him staring. His eyes quickly moved up to mine. I turned around just as fast, not wanting to initiate anything with him, but then a smile erupted on my face. Why the fuck does he keep staring at my ass? Chapter 61 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ I¡¯m in a lot of trouble! Having to work alongside L has been an excruciating experience. I¡¯ve reached the point where I¡¯m not sure if I can continue to take it anymore. I¡¯ve tried to ignore my desire to be with her, but it¡¯s hard to ignore what my heart desires right now. Maybe I am at fault after all. Perhaps I was the one who made it difficult for her to tell me she was pregnant. I¡¯m not sure if I was ever unapproachable, but it could have been my fault, after all. I just can¡¯t get over how she makes me feel. I have been riding solo to like 3¨C4 times daily, and it¡¯s fucking not enough. I¡¯m in desperate need of a regr release, but if I go looking for it anywhere else, the process will be thrown offpletely. It would be the same as starting overpletely from scratch. I don¡¯t know what is going on, but one thing I know is that there is still hope for me and L. Even if we do end up getting a divorce, it won¡¯t be because of any animosity between us; rather, it will be because the marriage just wasn¡¯t a good fit for either of us. I don¡¯t want anything wrong to happen to her, but if that jackass named Mason tries to stand in my way, I will resort to more extreme measures than simply throwing a punch. When she came back, I didn¡¯t want her to see how much her kiss with Mason had affected me. I didn¡¯t want her to know how deeply I felt about it. I was a mess, and she was mine, my wife. That was a hard blow to the guts. My wife kissed another man, June¡¯s brother. There is something not quite right about them. They sent a picture to me to gauge my reaction, and when I didn¡¯t provide one, the jerk in question decided to fly to New York City. I sighed and took a sip of my scotch. Then, my phone started to ring. I answered the phone without giving it much thought, but as soon as I did, I recognized that the person on the other end was speaking English with an Asian ent. They were my business associates. In spite of the fact that my thoughts were upied with images of L¡¯s naked body, I cleared my throat and adopted a tone that suggested I was serious about the matter at hand. When I was done with the call, I knew I was in deep shit. They want me to travel to Japan, and they want me to bring my wife with me. I mustply with their request. L won¡¯t agree because she doesn¡¯t look at me that way anymore, and I don¡¯t want to mess it up with her; at the same time, if I asked someone else to y my wife, it wouldn¡¯t sit well with her. I mean, she is still my wife. I waited after I heard a gentle knock at my door and then I opened it. When I heard that, I immediately knew it was one of my children. ¡°Good morning, Daddy!¡± Mai screamed as her brothers pursued her. I¡¯m not sure why they came to see me today. However, that angelic good morning, Daddy! Is everything. ¡°Hey princess.¡± She gave a shy smile. ¡°So..¡± She smiled once more, reminding me of her mother. Mai was the most adorable child I¡¯d ever seen. She is my girl, just like her¡­ Stop it, Dante, you were a dick! She¡¯s had it with you. Is she? ¡°So,¡± I said asI mimicked her. ¡°We would like to go to the amusement park with you and mom; please don¡¯t say no, Dad.¡± Tyler chimed in. ¡°An amusement park; have you talked to your mom about it?¡± They all shook their heads. They wanted me to talk to L about going to an amusement park. How the fuck am I going to talk to her without getting a boner and ending up riding solo? Shit! ¡°How about you guys inviting your mom? I mean, Daddy is busy with some work.¡± ¡°What am I being invited to?¡± L asked as she got into my study, holding a file project. I am so d she is here because L knows how the Asian market works. ¡°We were wondering if mommy could join us for pizza?¡± Kai answered, and I froze. When did they begin to lie? They said amusement park just now; now it¡¯s pizza. ¡°Please, mommy, don¡¯t say no.¡± Mai pleaded. ¡°Okay kids, we will go have pizza tonight. Do you guys mind if I talk to your dad?¡± she said, and they all smiled as they walked away, the boys winking at me. What was that all about? I turned my attention to the woman in front of me, and it appeared as though she was making an effort to keep some distance from me. But why is that? She handed the file over to me. ¡°I went through every page, and I¡¯m confident they will love it. But that¡¯s not the only reason I am here.¡± I cocked my brow at her. ¡°I am fully aware that you had a lot on your te with the project and everything else that went along with it, but let¡¯s not lose sight of the fact that this is not the primary motivation for my return. I would really appreciate it if you could sign the divorce papers.¡± She is still there; how the fuck am I supposed to put off dealing with this situation if she believes that I was involved in whatever transpired at Elvis¡¯s house? She is still hurt and mad, but she is just done. If she is, I don¡¯t me her. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to deal with the divorce because I haven¡¯t had time. Would it be too much trouble for you to hold off until I figure this out?¡± I said, and I could see she was not happy, but why? Does she have a boyfriend now? ¡°Since we have some extra time on our hands at the moment, I won¡¯t mind if I sit here with you while you go over it.¡± She is done. ¡°Look, L, I have a lot of things running through my head right now, and thest thing I need is to talk about this stupid divorce.¡± I did not intend to lose my cool; it was a spontaneous reaction. ¡°Stupid, divorce?¡± She spoke louder than before. ¡°You say it¡¯s stupid; does that mean you think my freedom is stupid? I got up from my seat and walked over to her, quickly covering her mouth with my palm from behind as I did so because the children might be nearby. Wrong move, wrong fucking move, because I immediately got a boner. Fuck! Despite the fact that my cock was pressing against her jeans, I had no choice but to talk to her. ¡°Look, I know that the fact that I haven¡¯t signed the divorce papers has caused a lot of tension between us. I have had a lot going on recently. The divorce will be finalized with my signature soon. I just had the idea that we could release the tension that had been building up between us and part ways amicably rather than in shards. I just want to know more about the kids and what they were like. It hurts like fuck to hear everything when I was supposed to be there. I am trying here, L. I¡¯m sick of all these cats and rats squabbling with you. I am tired of it. I just want to know everything. I¡¯m desperate for closure, damn it!¡± ¡°What closure? Are you talking about this?¡± She yelled as she turned back and started pointing at my hard as fuck dick. I forced a hard swallow. She has no idea that I haven¡¯t fucked a soul since I met her in Ozark. She sees me as this pussy, hungry man, and my dick isn¡¯t helping matters. ¡°I know this is inappropriate. But you have to realize that I am a man with needs-needs that I am attempting to repress because I have made such a mess of my life and it is entirely my fault. I fucked up, okay? I did, and I am not signing those divorce papers when you and I are like this, L.¡± ¡°You want me to stick around so you can get into my skirt?¡± ¡°What?¡± I wentpletely still. Yes, I want her. If all I wanted was to get into her skirts, I could have done it the first time I got a boner. ¡°You have been getting a wood every time I¡¯m around, staring at my ass as though it¡¯s one fine piece of art. And you still want me to remain under the same roof as you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because no one elsees close to how you make me feel, L. And I have no idea if I will sign those damn divorce papers if I¡¯ll ever find someone who will give me a boner without even trying. We fucked up, L. You fucking ran away, and I was busy fighting what my heart wanted; the day I wanted to tell you everything was the day you ran.¡± ¡°Tell me what?¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Tell you that, it was never Candice. I was with her because I was scared you wouldn¡¯t look at me the same way. I was concerned that you had been reading too much about my most recent affairs in the newspapers and magazines, or possibly watching too much television about my life as a womanizer. I thought you had given up on us. I will never forget my promise, L. I was just scared that you might have seen enough to make you forget everything about us. One of the fucking reasons, when you were of age I didn¡¯t say anything. I said I would wait for you to be a woman, but by the time you did, I was already rotten, and I felt sicking back to you because you were this innocent girl, and I had been hurting all over again. I didn¡¯t know you were waiting for me. The only time I knew was the night of our wedding, and I felt like shit! I didn¡¯t know what to do, and I ended up saying things that hurt you. Never in a million years, was itCandice,L. It has always been you.¡± She retreated a few paces while wiping away the tears that were forming in her eyes. ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. You didn¡¯t want me.¡± I took a few steps towards her and stood right in front of her with my stupid cock, making matters worse for me. She will definitely think it¡¯s my cock talking, not me. ¡°It¡¯s always been you.¡± I maintained eye contact with her. ¡°Then prove it!¡± She said as she walked out of my study, and right now I am going to be wooing after Mrs. Monroe! Chapter 62 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ Bloody Suzuki Industries! Mr. Suzuki¡¯s demands are too high. The man fucking wants me to fly to Japan. Not only for the sake of the alliance but also because the man wishes for my wife and me to be guests at the wedding of his daughter. Thank God I could convince L to apany me, which, of course, would be hell on earth. I have to fucking give a speech about marriage. Hell, I know nothing about marriage. My marriage is, well, I¡¯m not sure if I have one. My marriage of five years hasn¡¯t even gotten off the ground yet. I fucking know nothing about being married. Which is, of course, wonderful considering that my wife and I tried to run away from our feelings. I married the love of my life five years ago, yet the fucking marriage hasn¡¯t started. L and I are back to square one if not zero. We are just at the beginning of our marriage. Hell, I haven¡¯t enjoyed anything about this marriage. It¡¯s as though ours was a fucking arranged marriage. The only thing that will always make me cherish her is my kids and my love, which I once took for granted. L and I attended the damn wedding. At this very moment, I want nothing more than to finally put pen to paper and sign the damn contract. The man hasn¡¯t mentioned anything about the contract to me. Now I¡¯m here at this bar, chugging shot after shot, trying to quell the desire to demand sex from my wife because if I do, I¡¯ll fucking reach a dead end, the end of the road. Now I¡¯m trying to quell the desire to demand sex from my wife because if I do, I¡¯ll fucking reach a dead end. The end, which is thest thing I need right now is to screw up my chances of getting together with her. On the dance floor, there was lively dancing going on. The bride and groom were not there. They appeared to be in a good mood, which was in stark contrast to the wedding that I had with L. When I married L, I was afraid of many things, one of which was my feelings for her, which I had spent a lot of time and effort trying to bury over the years. I was afraid that I would hurt her. I was terrified of myself; I didn¡¯t have the confidence to rely on myself around her. My body has craved her since she was 16, but I told myself I would wait until she was 18. At the age of eighteen, her curves began to torment the living shit out of me, and her voice was like music in my ears. The way she licked her ice cream made me have drops of pre-cum. Hell, L has been a source of temptation for me ever since we first met. After a while, I stopped going to sleep at her house, but every morning I would wake up with her wrapped around my arms and her head resting on my chest. It was torture, pure torture to my horny self. I eventually stopped going to sleep there. There was no point in avoiding her because I would always end up waking up next to her, regardless of whether I was in my room or hers if I did so. The truth is that our love for one another was the root of our problems; it drove a wedge between us. Right now, she¡¯s full of anger and wants nothing to do with me or my horny self. Once more, I searched the fucking dance floor, but I couldn¡¯t find L anywhere. She hadn¡¯t arrived yet. This wedding reception is beginning to sap all of my energy, and I feel myself bing more and more exhausted. I just want to go back home and try to get my shit together. I scanned around yet again, but there was still no sign of my wife or Haru Suzuki and his wife. I want to dance, but not with some chick, but with my wife. If I were to have the audacity to dance with another person, L might get the impression that I hadn¡¯t changed, and then I might lose her and the kids. There is no way I will lose my family, especially my wife and my kids. This marriage has to work. When I turned to look around, I noticed Mr. Suzuki and his wife giggling together in a corner of the room. The bastard is lucky, while I am still trying to prove I am a better man. ¡°May you do me the honor, Mr. Monroe?¡± Hell, fucking NO! For as far back as I can remember, Haru Suzuki¡¯s first daughter has been fixating her eyes on me. Since I¡¯ve been here, the woman has been swarming after me like a flea on a dog¡¯s back. She seems to be obsessed with me. I might be in Japan for her father, but I¡¯m not here to entertain her now, am I? ¡°No, you may not.¡± She grimaced as she held out her hand to me in the air, waiting for me to take it. She retracted her hand slowly. I am saving my first dance for my wife. ¡°Mr. Monroe, that is not the proper way to treat ady.¡± She did so while speaking with an ent that was traditionally Asian and pursing her lips. I am not here to babysit people¡¯s feelings, am I?This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s not how you talk to a married man, Ms. Suzuki. There are a lot of men in the area, and some of them might be just dying to dance with you at that event. You can try them. Why should you choose a man who is already taken?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a dance, Dante.¡± ¡°Mr. Monroe, to you.¡± The words were difficult for her to swallow. This is how I speak to her since I have known her and her obsession with me. ¡°I¡¯m saving the first dance for my wife. Please excuse me.¡± I said as I led her away from my presence. Then I noticed that everyone¡¯s eyes had turned towards the entrance, which was most likely the entrance of the bride and groom. I didn¡¯t bother looking, but the sneer that Hinata Suzuki gave me was impossible to miss. Then I turned my head toward the entrance and was greeted by my lovely wife, wearing a cocktail dress in a lovely soft jade green color. The dress had ace top that fell away into a very sexy silk mermaid-style dress with a high split up her thigh. I was immediately taken aback by her appearance. Now that¡¯s some yummilious food served for me, Mrs. Freaking Monroe. My ride or die. As soon as she walked through the door, I couldn¡¯t help but look in her direction. The beast inside of me began to stir, and I started walking toward her because I did not want anyone else to take her away from me. I gently sped her delicate hand in mine and nted a passionate kiss on it. ¡°You look dangerously beautiful, Bunny.¡± When I call her Bunny, this name does something to her. I know; I just fucking know. She swallowed hard and blushed a bit. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Monroe.¡± Mr. Monroe, am I her business partner or what? Chapter 63 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ ¡°May I have this dance, mydy?¡± says the Asian-ented guy as he pushes her towards him, causing me to loosen my grip on her. I blinked and opened my eyes to meet my worst nightmare, Shin Suzuki. No, Bunny, he doesn¡¯t get to get the first dance; I am your fucking husband, damn it! You must be wondering why Shin and I don¡¯t see eye-to-eye. To tell the truth, this is a very lengthy tale, ¡°Seems like I can finally have that dance, Mr. Monroe.¡± Fucking no! Hell fucking no! I didn¡¯t do anything more than just stand there and give Hinata a look that said, ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking get the message,¡± and then I walked away. I found myself walking toward Mr. Suzuki, the man who fucking needed to call his children into order. My wife is the target of one of them, while I am the target of the other. ¡°Dante Monroe, you sure have a beautiful and talented wife, and a smart one at that.¡± He said this as he sipped his champagne and raised his ss. It makes no difference to me; we have to talk about the contract right now. Despite the fact that patience is not one of my stronger traits, I have maintained myposure. ¡°The contract¡­¡± I was cut off by the man. ¡°About that, it has been finalized; rumors have it that your wife is no longer a part of thepany, so I wanted to confirm, which is why I called you down here, and oh my God, L Monroe proved me wrong. ¡°About that, it has been finalized; rumors have it that your wife is no longer a part of thepany. She presented her ideas in the same manner as she did five years ago. However, this time she was as tough as a nut, and she reduced the shares I was entitled to receive. But, boy, she made me an offer that I couldn¡¯t refuse, even though it meant giving up 10% of the share I had in the business. L is much clearer in articting exactly what it is that she wants.¡± L closed the deal for me. She did it! But how? She handed in her resignation; how the hell did she manage to sign the contract when she was no longer an employee of the Monroe Group? Because I didn¡¯t want Mr. Suzuki to get the impression that my marriage was on the verge of failing, I cocked my head to the side and gazed adoringly at my wife. I¡¯m a quarter of the way through my divorce. ¡°She sure is a charmer, that one.¡± I made a remark. ¡°And a keeper; you are one lucky man, Dante Monroe. Don¡¯t hurt her.¡± I looked at the man, and he was right. I can¡¯t afford to screw this up. I need L like I need air to breathe and water to survive. My ride or die I turned my head directly toward Shin, and the motherfucker grinned at me as he jerked his head quickly toward the curve in L¡¯s neck. I stared at Shin for a good minute. Breath Dante! Don¡¯t do anything stupid. I had to repeat that to myself. Shin and I have a history, and he has never liked me. It¡¯s not like I like him too. I once fucked his girlfriend senseless when I came down to Japan a few years back to meet with his family for the first time. He took me out to show me the city; it was his father¡¯s order. We had too much to drink that night. The girl came to me. I was drunk, and she told me she was single. I mean, I fucking met the girl at the same club Shin and I went to, how the fuck was I supposed to know she was his girlfriend and that she lied to me? Shin has been obsessed with everything that belongs to me. It seemed like he really liked the girl. But that girl is just a bitch. Now he wants my wife, but the good thing is I will be getting rid of him soon. I was walking close to them when I noticed that his hand was dangerously close to her ass. L, however, stomped right on his foot and then stalked away from him as soon as she saw what was happening. Shin looked more than pissed off, not that I cared anymore. I smiled. She¡¯s mine, buddy!Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. I was halted in my tracks when I heard the clicking sound made by a champagne ss, and everyone else turned their attention to the person who made the clicking sound. ¡°Today my third daughter got married. I couldn¡¯t be happier with how everything has turned out, so I invited a young couple from the state toe and talk to us about how they¡¯ve managed to stay sessful throughout the years. Mr. Monroe, please kindly share with us.¡± Fucking great! I scanned around, looking for one particr person, my wife. When I did finally locate her, she had her eyes fixed directly on me. I walked up to her, probably anticipating what I had to say about marriage because L and I know nothing about marriage. ¡°Marriage isn¡¯t for two perfect people; it¡¯s for two imperfect people who walk hand in hand through the good times and the bad on their way to bing perfect together. Through the process of marriage, we converge toward amon goal of perfection. I was probably around 16 years old when I first met my wife, and she was probably around 9 years old at the time. When she approached me, I saw her as this annoying girl who had just moved next door, but she asked me something at her age that I couldn¡¯t turn down. No brother has ever hurt their princess, so I granted her wish. When I first met her, I found her to be very annoying; however, as time went on, she grew on me and became someone I looked forward to seeing every day. She made me want to do better. As more time went by, I started to realize the importance of keeping my promise. We were friends and still are. She is the most stunningly beautiful woman I have ever had the pleasure of beholding. As tears welled up in her eyes, I said this while holding her hand. ¡°If you want to have a happy home, let her have the upper hand in every argument. Let her be in control; allow her to do the things that make her happy and spoil her.¡± the audienceughed. I paused and looked at her, hunger evident in my eyes. I fucking can¡¯t take it anymore. I want her, ¡°I love you, Mrs. Monroe. You are the missing piece in my puzzle; I would be nothing without you. You and our kids mean the world to me.¡± When she smiled, something went to my dick; it became rigid, and I could feel drops of pre-cum leaking from the tip of my dick. She smiled again, and the same thing happened. I smashed my lips into hers and hungrily imed her. She was mine, and I am not going to give anyone else the opportunity to take what is mine. Chapter 64 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ I don¡¯t want to go overboard, but I just can¡¯t keep control of myself, especially with Shin relentlessly trying to take what¡¯s rightfully mine. I pulled away from the kiss and looked directly into her stunning eyes, searching for any sign that would indicate that I shouldn¡¯t continue doing what I was doing, but I saw nothing. I looked around, searching for one motherfucker, and when I finally found him, he was seething withrage. I started to roll my sleeves up; I don¡¯t care if this is his house, but I will fucking beat the living shit out of him. That idiot¡¯s hand was dangerously close to my wife¡¯s ass. ¡°Shin, if you so much as brush against my wife one more time, you will deeply regret it.¡± I fired. ¡°Dante.¡± As I turned my head to look at her, I noticed that her stunning eyes were fixed on me, and the way she spoke was extremely seductive and sensual in my ears.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°You are mine.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything; she just nodded and directed my face to hers, and then we stood there staring at each other as though there were no other people in the hall. ¡°Breath,¡± she said as she held my gaze. She just fucking asked me to breathe when I¡¯m hard as hell. I don¡¯t know how the hell I¡¯m supposed to keep my cool when Shin wants her. Again, I pressed my lips against hers, and this time I didn¡¯t care who was watching; I didn¡¯t fucking care. I just want her, and I want everyone on this fucking to know that she belongs to me. Mine to im, mine to do whatever the fuck I want with her. All mine. I saw a table and hurled her up so she could sit on top of the table as I kissed her. I could hear gasps behind me, but I didn¡¯t care. I could make out some people murmuring, ¡°Go get a room.¡± I pulled away from the kiss and looked at her for a moment. ¡°We need a room,¡± I said, and she nodded. I couldn¡¯t wait any longer, so as we exited the wedding reception, I hoisted her up on my shoulders and carried her like a bride. We couldn¡¯t take our hands off each other. It¡¯s confirmed that L and I can¡¯t do without each other. We wasted our time trying to do the right thing by walking away from what we both knew we couldn¡¯t walk away from. Since the moment Iid eyes on her, L has been mine to own. How the fuck did I waste so much time to realize that it has been her all along? It has always been her and her alone. No one elsees close to my Lolita. She interrupted the kiss and took a few breaths before speaking. ¡°Put me down.¡± She stated while smiling. Her voice and smile sent an unknown message to my erect cock. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± I did as I was ordered, and L ced her long leg on my shoulder, disying a shaved kitty for me to devour. She knew I couldn¡¯t take it. I saw an open door and shoved her inside, pressing her against a wall, flinging her up, my tongue walking its way to her cunt. I could hear a shudder running down her spine, forcing me to drop a few pre-cums. Fuck! I cursed as I startedpping at her folds. Jesus knows how I missed this and the things I fantasized about doing for her. I now have the opportunity to do it for her. I grasped her ass for better ess, but what urred next startled me: L pushed me down, and I fell on a sack of cement. Construction site? I thought, but who cares? Her pussy was now on my face. She sat on my face and began unbuttoning my pants, holding my rigid cock in her mouth as she began to suck the living daylight out of me. We were both moaning and grunting. I haven¡¯t felt this fantastic in a long time. I have been riding solo since she came back while watching her touch herself in thoughts of me. I was close, and so was she; she started to shake on top of me, and I pressed her to my face, not wanting her to shy away from her climax; I wanted it all. I was close, too. ¡°Dante!¡± Her voice sounds like music to my ears. ¡°That¡¯s it. Cum with me, sweetie.¡± She started to shake violently, but never did once her mouth left my cock. She kept sucking, and her juicended right inside my mouth whileI shot my load inside hers. L made sure she swallowed everything and cleaned me up with her tongue. She is daring, and I want her right now. I want to be inside her. We got up as we chuckled to ourselves at what we had just done inside a room that looked like it was under construction; cement was all over our clothes. She straightened her dress, and I did the same with my pants. I pulled her towards me and started kissing her again as we proceeded to our hotel room. I don¡¯t want this moment to end. I want it tost forever. We got outside our suite and started looking for the card to ess the suite, with my lips never leaving hers. But suddenly someone cleared their throat. L and I brokeoff the kiss, and we turned ourgaze toward the person. ¡°Mason!¡± L shouted out. What the fuck is he doing here? Is he following us now? And why the fuck does he lookhurt that L and I are making out? I switched my focus to L; she seemed horrified. I finally found the card to open our suite. ¡°Let¡¯s head inside.¡± L couldn¡¯t move from where she was. ¡°L,¡± I calledout. ¡°Dante, I can¡¯t.¡± She finally foundher voice, which had been gone since this guy, Mason, turned up. ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t?¡± I asked, and continued, ¡°Are you fucking in love with this guy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Dante. I am confused.¡± ¡°What!¡± My cock immediately went cold, and panic swept over me. What does she mean, ¡®she¡¯s confused?¡¯ What just happened a few minutes agomeant nothing to her. I started to see red. I should fight; I should fight for my family, but I don¡¯t even have the strength to do so. ¡°Do you want to talk to him?¡± I asked with pain evident on my face, but I couldn¡¯t show any of it to the two of them. She nodded. I eventually found the confidence to look at the guy in front of me, not missing the sneer on his face. ¡°Take care of her,¡± I said as I swiped the hotel card and went inside. Chapter 65 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ Whoever said, ¡°When you love someone, you have to be willing to let them go,¡± was most certainly making fun of me. I did let her go to her boyfriend, or whatever the fuck she calls him. I just fucking let the love of my life go. The events of today reaffirmed the fact that L is the most important thing in my life. I seriously doubt that she will ever go through anything remotelyparable to what we did today with that dickhead. Why does he have to show up everywhere? Who told him L and I was here? I am confident that she wille back. It hurts that she chose him after what we¡¯ve just shared. I am not going to fight for L; she knows where her home is. Her home is with me and our kids. If she wants to try a new dick, she can go ahead and do just that, but in the end, she wille back home to us. I went to bed with a smile, knowing that she would eventuallye back; it was just a matter of time. The following morning, I got up bright and early and headed to my personal jet without bothering to give L a call. The ne was flying back to New York City. My children were already asleep when I got home, so I didn¡¯t wake them up. I blew each of them a kiss before retiring to my bedroom for the night. But how can I sleep? How can one pretend that they are okay when they are actually dying on the inside? Pain is all I feel-not the physical kind, but the emotional kind. The heart-wrecking, soul-destroying, and ego-destroying kind of pain. L hurt my ego so much in front of another man, and right now, I feel like my heart is about to explode. I feel like I¡¯m going to burst! Just when I thought we were making progress, this happened. Not having her around is a void in my heart that cannot be fixed; the only solution is that shees back home. I have been many things, but I have never experienced a heart-wrenching pain like this before. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that she would end up choosing someone else over me. Why does it have to hurt so much? Will I ever be okay emotionally after this? This is like a hole that burns deep into your heart; a hole that makes you think there is no way in the world that you will ever be okay again. Just when I thought things couldn¡¯t get any better, another man came along and stole my wife away from me, and I did nothing to stop it. Did I make the right choice? Are men not supposed to fight for their families? But I fucking stood there and did nothing but willingly offer her to her boyfriend. Not even the damn sleep ising. I can only make out shades of red and darkness when I close my eyes. I have a lot of ideas on how to end that guy, but that would make L hate me. Half my soul is missing, and I will never be able to fill in the empty space. I went to my study and poured myself some scotch as I thought of different murderous methods I should use to end that fucking bastard, but then I realized that hurting that motherfucker meant hurting the love of my life. It hurts me that I believed the foolish proverb that says, ¡°If you love her, you will let her go, and if shees back, it means that she¡¯s yours.¡± I let someone I loved go because I believed that saying. What if she doesn¡¯te back? I down the rest of my scotch in one gulp because I don¡¯t want anything to detract from the optimistic attitude toward my wife that I¡¯m working so hard to maintain. The fucking heartache is unbearable. I know I¡¯ve been hard on her for keeping the kids away from me, but I thought we had passed that chapter. I heaved a sigh and walked into my bedroom to get some sleep. As I be gradually aware of the sound of my rm, my eyelids begin to flutter open. I let out a muffled groan just prior to turning the damn thing off. I heaved a sigh, got out of bed, and looked at the clock that was hanging on the wall. It was 7:30 in the morning. I can, for the first time in history, make breakfast for my kids. Since their mother won¡¯t be here, at least for now, I can bribe them with my cooking. I quickly exited the room and made my way toward the kitchen. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Monroe.¡± One of my helpers greeted me. I am such a bad boss at home that I don¡¯t know most of my workers. So all I did was nod and go on with my business.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Please skip breakfast for today; I will prepare it.¡± The look on her face conveyed surprise. Noodles are the only thing that they have ever seen me prepare, and that was over six years ago when L was still here, so thises as a bit of a shock to them. Since she left, I¡¯ve hated preparing it myself and have preferred to just buy and eat whatever nonsense people make. I looked around, not knowing what to prepare. ¡°Mia! Kai! Tyler! Come on, we are going to bete.¡± I didn¡¯t fail to notice the bewilderment on either of their faces. I have never before taken either of them to a school. I will never get used to the angelic quality of Mia¡¯s voice when she says, ¡°Morning, Daddy.¡± ¡°Morning, my princess, cereal to toast?¡± I decided to take advantage of the situation and ask, She smiled at me and gave me a kiss while saying, ¡°Toast, Daddy.¡± ¡°What are you guys going to have?¡± ¡°Cereal sounds good,¡± Tyler said, and Kai nodded. I made breakfast for them, and we sat down and started eating, then I dropped them off at their school. I went to work after seeing them off at their destination. As soon as I got to my office, I started going through some files. My office door was flung open as I was working on some of the files on my desk. Standing there was the only woman who could make me bow down and beg her toe back home, but I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯m going to do that. She entuated the curves of her breasts with a shirt that was high-waisted and a skirt that was worn at a high waist. ¡°Morning, Mr. Monroe. I would like for you to sign these documents.¡± I leaned back in my chair and took her allin. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they are not the divorce papers because there is no way that I will ever divorce my wife. After extending my hand to her and taking the file from her without uttering a word, I immediately began examining the contents of the file. It was the final agreement of the contract with the Suzuki family. I opened the drawer, took out a pen, signed the document, and then handed it back to her. After that, I closed the drawer. ¡°Is there anything else you would like me to assist you with today, Mrs. Monroe?¡± ¡°No, sir, that would be all for today?¡± That was her response. ¡°You are excused.¡± She nodded and walked away. This is going to be fun. I forgot that, for her to secure the contract, she had toe back to work. I am going to be wooing Mrs. Monroe. I will remind this woman of the things she¡¯s missing. This is going to be a jolly good time. I let out a slow breath as I leaned back in my chair and grinned wickedly at the potentially disastrous ns for an office romance that I had in store for my devoted wife. Chapter 66 ~L¡¯s POV~ When Mason showed up out of nowhere, I felt like I was a deer that had been startled by a headlight. Mason and I shared a kiss, but we¡¯ve never brought it up in conversation since then. I am confused. Call me stupid for leaving Dante in that situation; I didn¡¯t want Mason to think otherwise. I shouldn¡¯t have to worry about how he feels, but Mason has been there for me when Dante was not. I can¡¯t just disregard him like he¡¯s garbage, but there is this question that won¡¯t leave me alone that keeps nagging at me: ¡°Do I really like Mason that way, or was it the kiss because it has been so long since I kissed someone?¡± Can I, L, spend the rest of my life with Mason? I am confused. I have no idea what it is that I want at the moment, and I have no one else to me but that damned heart of mine. Mason and I left for his suite but ended up sleeping in separate rooms. The next morning, he kept talking about why I kept on giving Dante time while I hadn¡¯t given him any since ourst kiss. You might call me crazy, but I enjoyed the kiss. However, I have never expressed an interest in having a romantic rtionship with him, and that is something I cannot disclose to him at this time. ¡°So you are still Mrs. Monroe, and you are now working for him?¡± Here we go again. I don¡¯t know what is wrong with Mason; he has never been the jealous type, and why all these questions? I left Dante and went with him; isn¡¯t that enough for him to know that I am willing to at least try? I left my family, my kids are my life, and here I am in this hotel suite being asked, ¡°Why am I still Mrs. Monroe?¡± ¡°Mason, since when have you been the jealous type?¡± ¡°Since the day you kissed me and never gave me a chance, we kissed L, we kissed, but the next day you ran to your fucking husband who doesn¡¯t even appreciate you. A man who only wants to get in your skirts!¡± The man screamed. I could not move from where I stood. Why was he screaming at me like that? I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on with him. When I looked at him, I could tell that he was feeling guilty about what he had just said. ¡°L, I¡¯m sorry, I just don¡¯t get it. You had a great life in Ozark, you and the kids, but you moved back in with him. You shared a house with him, and now you are working for him. It¡¯s almost as if your whole life is centered on him. Let¡¯s go back to Ozark, just the two of us.¡± ¡°Mason, look, there is no way that it can just be the two of us; you do realize that I am a mother, right? I have three kids who need their mother.¡± I attempted to continue, but he interrupted me just as I was about to say something else. ¡°And a husband who needs his wife, right?¡± This is a rhetorical question. ¡°Mason, Dante is still my husband. I left my husband standing outside his suite and chose to go with you if that isn¡¯t enough for you. Then, I¡¯m not sure what to say. I think you are going a little too far with this conversation. I have to remind you, I am a married woman, Mason, a married woman!¡± I yelled. I have never yelled at him before, and neither has he. ¡°If this is something you want, then when we get to New York City, we should start sharing a room. Stay with me for a week.¡± ¡°What? Is that some kind of trial?¡± ¡°No, I just want you to give me time, L. Perhaps we should continue working on what we started in that forest. L, my love for you is deep and sincere.¡± My pupils drew further apart. How is it even possible for him to make things even more unclear to me? He was supposed to be a friend, and I don¡¯t even know what I feel for him. ¡°Mason, I have work to do tomorrow; we need to get to New York City as soon as possible.¡± He seized my hand and then pressed his lips against mine as he kissed me. I lost myself for a while. I really don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing; there is Dante, and now Mason wants to be in my life. Dante¡¯s love is toxic; he doesn¡¯t want to take ownership of anything. Mason has turned into something else-so controlling. Hold on a second¡­ I¡¯m not sure why I¡¯m letting him kiss me. Won¡¯t I regret thister? Something is wrong. Why is Mason so demanding all of a sudden? Who told him where Dante and I were? Is it possible that Mason was aware of everything June was doing the whole time? What exactly is going on here? Why is he suddenly so interested in me? I mean, I have known all along that Mason wanted me, but right now, he is being so possessive of me. It¡¯s not like him at all to be so aggressive. Mason and I made our way back to New York City, and on the way there, he made a reservation for a suite at one of Dante¡¯s hotels. I have no idea why he decided to go to Dante¡¯s hotel. I mean, there are a ton of hotels in New York City; why does it have to be the one that is owned by my husband? What game is Mason ying? Is it the assurance he needs? Or is this some sort of game? And what the heck was he thinking when he selected a suite that only had one bedroom?This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. The night came, and we headed to bed. Because I had nothing else to wear for the evening, I borrowed his shirt and put it on. Can I, L, sleep in the same bed with a man without having sex? After not having a dick for the past six years, I was practically on the verge of sleeping with Dante again yesterday. I am aware that I reached the climax, but unfortunately, that was not enough. What if I end up sleeping with Mason today? What if I make love to him andter discover that he is not the one for me? Will Dante forgive me? What if he turns this information against me again and this time keeps the children permanently? And why the fuck did that idiot willingly give me to Mason? I can¡¯t believe I am actually mad that he didn¡¯t fight for me. Shit, I am confused, very confused, and I am scared I might end up making the wrong choices. Since I am considered legally married, I need to be careful that Mason and I do not step over the line into an adulterous rtionship. However, why is Mason being so demanding at the moment? Who told him our suite number and the exact location? Chapter 67 ~L¡¯s POV~ I made my way to the bed and hesitantly positioned myself next to it. I know my husband isn¡¯t a better man, but Dante didn¡¯t deserve this. I am so confused right now, and I feel like I am also making the same mistakes he did. But even so, I¡¯m not entirely sure if I love both my husband and Mason, or if I just like the way the two of them make me feel. Am I with Dante because of the kids, or because I actually do love him? Do not misunderstand me; there was a time when I would have done anything to get his attention, but things are not the same as they were before. Dante struck me where it hurts the most, and as a result, he caused me to question both my self-worth and whether I would ever be enough for him, as well as whether our promise was pointless in the first ce. I know he apologized, but did I really forgive him, or was my feeling for him pressuring me or the desire to getid after a long six good years bothering me? Even though I am only human, I have to put aside my lust and think rationally right now. I¡¯m not sure how I feel about Mason; in fact, I¡¯m not even sure why I decided to follow him here in the first ce. My train of thought was broken up when I heard someone clear their throat and say, ¡°L, I know I¡¯ve been a dick to youtely, but I really need you to understand that it breaks my heart to see you with him.¡± He pulled my face to his and kissed me, shoving his tongue down my throat as he kissed me senselessly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the way I behaved with you. I bought some hazelnut cream; let¡¯s eat it while we watch a movie. What do you say?¡± What exactly did he rmend that we consume while we watch a movie? Shit! I have to stop thinking about the kisses that I keep getting from Dante and Mason because they are both making me feel confused. Mason went to the refrigerator and then returned with ice cream in his hand. We sat on the floor as we watched a movie on Netflix while eating ice cream. I couldn¡¯t put my finger on what was wrong with the ice cream, but I could tell that something was off about it. Mason did not eat any of the ice creams, and he exined to me that this was his way of apologizing for being such an ass. After finishing the ice cream, I started to feel a little lightheaded, but I didn¡¯t get up from where I was sitting on the floor. After watching the movie for fifteen minutes, I noticed that I was beginning to sweat. When Mason¡¯s hand came to rest on my left thigh, I immediately felt a strong desire for his other hand to touch my right thigh. Something is wrong. I stared deeply into Mason¡¯s deep blue eyes and his mouth, which was ttened into a thin line and got wet instantly. I began to find him to be the most attractive man on the, and I desired him at that very moment. My hand moved along his jawline and across his full lips as I did so. I took my finger off his face and ran to the bathroom, sshing some water on my face. My whole body is on fire, and I have a terribly nauseated feeling. The sudden urge to throw up overwhelmed me just as I was making my way out of the restroom to approach Mason and ask about the vor of the ice cream. I vomited. It was bad enough that I was sweating excessively and having a strong desire to getid, but on top of that, I had my head buried in the toilet for the better part of three hours. When I was done, I went back to the floor where I was and found Mason on his phone. ¡°I wasn¡¯t feeling so good.¡± He gave me a grin as he looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, babe. I will be with you shortly,¡± he said as he continued with the conversation. For how long has he been on that call for him not to notice I was actually in the bathroom for a good 3 hours? Mason couldn¡¯t stop looking at his watch, as if he were awaiting the arrival of something or someone. He then ran his finger through his dark blonde hair. After he finished talking on the phone, I looked over at him and noticed that his pants were suddenly too tight. He came to sit where I was. ¡°Sorry, that was the hospital; they will need me in 3 days.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I am a bit disappointed. Even though I had been sick for three hours, he was still on call without even noticing it. The sensation of his hand moving over my thigh sent shivers down my spine. I was drenched as Mason pressed his lips against mine while his hands worked their way into my bare sex. He had mepletely submerged. I should have let him have his way with me. I mean, I really need to getid, but I just can¡¯t seem to do it for some reason; something just doesn¡¯t feel right. But I still can¡¯t push him away. I let him insert his finger inside my pussy and a gasp escaped my lips, but Mason swallowed it. He started to pump in and out with his hand, and I was a moaning mess. But this is wrong, no matter how much I enjoy it. Mason used his other free hand and started to search for my nipple, but I jumped and stood up. ¡°I am truly sorry, Mason. I can¡¯t do this. I am still a married woman.¡± ¡°What the fuck are you talking about, L? I thought we both wanted this.¡± He yelled, ¡°And besides, wasn¡¯t he eating your pussy two days ago?¡± My eyes went wide. ¡°What? What did you say?¡± Something is not right. ¡°How do you know what happened two days back?¡± He ran a hand through his hair. ¡°It was just a guess, L, so you did get muffed, huh? And I have to wait for the stupid divorce?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember being in a rtionship with you, Mason, and I don¡¯t remember ever telling you that you needed to wait. I am so sorry. Coming here was a mistake.¡± I said as I went into one of the walk-in closets to take my handbag and the clothes I was wearing, but as I was about to walk out. I was ovee by dizziness, and my legs were unable to support my weight. I toppled to the ground, and darkness engulfed me. Help¡­ was thest thing I whispered.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ***** Do you think Mason is innocent as we thought he is or is he ying some sort of game? Chapter 68 ~Mason¡¯s POV~ I don¡¯t get it; I just don¡¯t fucking get it. What is so special about that bastard? I mean, I¡¯m a doctor. I might not be a billionaire, but I am a man. Why can¡¯t she see me as one? For how long am I going to settle for a kiss? Just a kiss-I can¡¯t fucking bonk her. How the fuck did I get here? Dante was supposed to remain in New York and fuck around like he used to. Now, he fucking showed up in Ozark and stole what was mine. What I have worked hard for, L is mine. Mine to taste, to tease, and to make scream. L, why did she have to be pregnant with that bastard? When I first saw her in Ozark, I knew she would be mine. But when I saw the pregnancy, everything changed. I knew I would have to take care of her and her kids. At first, I didn¡¯t have a choice, but then when Dante showed up, I was happy he took them and it would be just me and L, just the two of us. But she rushed to New York the next morning after setting my heart on fire. After leaving me wanting more, she ran back to that man. Dante is the problem-a problem I must solve. I will make him cry now and beg me to let her go. L was supposed to love me, me, Mason! Me, alone. Peaking at her and that bastard making out was a sword piercing in my heart. My heart bled and was destroyed into a million pieces. How can she suck a dick like that? Her pouty lips were supposed to be wrapped around my cock, not his. She can¡¯t even kiss me without telling me she¡¯s married. Fucking marriage. Why are they not divorcing? L and I were supposed to be living together, having a happily ever after. But right now, that seems impossible, and she is always thinking about that good-for-nothing husband of hers. I can¡¯t even make her forget about him, since she doesn¡¯t always give me a chance. I acted like a fool to her, and what I said to her wasn¡¯t right; that¡¯s not how a man should behave, no matter the circumstances. I shouldn¡¯t have said those things to her or questioned her loyalty to me. She left Dante willingly and came with me. I went out to get some ice cream to cheer her up. When I came back, I went to bed to lie down, and she came out of the bathroom wearing my shirt. Fuck, she was beautiful. With those long legs, the legs I am definitely going to bury my face in tonight. I will part those legs and stretch her virgin cunt. Well, technically, she is a virgin. She has not had sex for about 6 years, and I must be the first to enter her, not that bastard. Thinking about how long she stayed without having a cock made me get a boner. But the boner has to wait. L makes me hard in a way I can¡¯t exin. I have been having sex for God knows how long, but Mavis never made my cock hard like this. Mavis, argh, why am I even talking about her? She¡¯s not important. I cleared my throat and said, ¡°L, I know I¡¯ve been a dick to youtely, but I really need you to understand that it breaks my heart to see you with him.¡± I said as I pulled her into a kiss. God, she tastes so good. If her mouth could taste this good, what would her pussy taste like? As I kissed her, I made sure that I pressed her body hard against mine so she could feel my cock, which was now pressed against the material. I must eat her pussy today. I started to move my hips a little as though I were thrusting, making her feel what I would be giving her tonight: my hard, fat cock.¡°I¡¯m sorry for the way I behaved towards you. I bought some hazelnut cream; let¡¯s eat it while we watch a movie. What do you say?¡± She didn¡¯t hear what I said, but I guess the kiss made her feel things. I then went to the refrigerator, came back with the ice cream, and we sat on the floor while she ate the ice cream. The damn movie wasn¡¯t even ending. I was waiting for the shitty movie to end so my cock could be in between her legs as I devoured her pussy senselessly, but how could that happen when we chose to watch a 2:30-minute movie long? So I had to keep the fire burning. I ced my hand on her thigh and, God, the reaction I got was everything. She was feeling me, and she does have feelings for me. L has feelings for me, and that bastard is the only person standing in our way. She stared at me lustily. And God, all I want is for her to make the first move, and I will take her here and there. Her staring at me like that does something to my cock. She traced my jawline, and then her finger went to my mouth. A groan escaped my lips. I wanted her so badly right now that, as I was about to make my move, L ran to the bathroom. Fucking great! As I was about to follow her, my phone rang¡­ Mavis! I hate this. I told her to be fucking patient, but this chick has no patience! I answered her phone, but we ended up talking for what seemed like an eternity. I didn¡¯t even see when L came back. Just for how long was I on the fucking call? L said something, but I couldn¡¯t hear shit as I was trying to make up an excuse to go back to Ozark. What she said didn¡¯t seem like a big deal because the next thing I saw was a big smile on her face. That smile did something to my cock, because I had a tent instantly. I chose to sit close to her so she could see that I was fucking horny and wanted to be balls-deep in her. ¡°Sorry, that was the hospital; they will need me in 3 days,¡± I said, and she said okay; she seemed disappointed. Oh boy, she wants me just as much as I want her. We gonna fuck! We¡¯re fucking tonight! I didn¡¯t waste any time; I pressed my lips against hers, my hands working their way into her sex, and when I finally got a feel of her wet pussy, I couldn¡¯t control myself; I demanded ess to her mouth. She didn¡¯t want to open her mouth so that I could shove my tongue down her throat, so I started to pump in and out of her pussy, and she gasped; she gave me enough ess to devour her mouth. She started moaning. I don¡¯t want to waste so much time before she starts thinking about that bastard. I used my free hand to look for her nipple as I continued to pump her with my finger. As my hand was about to press against her nipple, she jumped and got up, brushing her hair back. ¡°I am truly sorry, Mason. I can¡¯t do this. I am still a married woman.¡± Here we go again! I lost it, fucking Monroe! ¡°What the fuck are you talking about, L? I thought we both wanted this.¡± I yelled, ¡°And besides, wasn¡¯t he eating your pussy two days ago?¡± Her eyes went wide as if I were saying something foreign. ¡°What? What did you say?¡± She¡¯s pissed. ¡°How do you know what happened two days back?¡± Just shut up. Let me fuck you. Let me touch you before he does! I ran a hand over my hair. ¡°It was just a guess, L, so you did get muffed, huh? And I have to wait for the stupid divorce?¡± I lied; I saw her. I saw how she was swaying her ass over his face as he ate her pussy; I saw how she was pumping his dick. I saw it all. I had to stop them from fucking, so I pretended like I just ran to them. ¡°I don¡¯t remember being in a rtionship with you, Mason, and I don¡¯t remember ever telling you that you needed to wait. I am so sorry. Coming here was a mistake.¡± She doesn¡¯t want me, but she is not leaving here before I get a taste of her. She left me standing with a throbbing cock; she wanted to go back to him and those bastards of hers. It was supposed to be me and her. I love her and her kids, but she can¡¯t keep doing this to me. I heard something falling hard. I ran to the walk-in closet and therey my baby, her pussy on full disy for me to devour. I moved close to her, slowly looking at her pussy as she remained on the floor, not moving. I opened her leg a bit so I could look closely at what I was going to devour, and as I stared, my cock started to drip pre-cum. I leaned closer to get a taste of her pussy¡­ but the damn doorbell rang. I should ignore it, but maybe it¡¯s essential. I left her lying down and went to open the door.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Hi, can I help you?¡± I said with the warmest smile ever, not wanting anything to spoil my mood. ¡°One Mrs. Monroe called requesting a bathroom to clean up.¡± Shit! When did she make that call? I can¡¯t afford to let these people suspect that I don¡¯t know anything about the call. ¡°Of course, she did. Come on in.¡± Fucking great! Chapter 69 ~L¡¯s POV~ As I nced at the time disyed on the wall of my office, I crossed my right leg over my left one and sat in a crossed-legged position. Nothing about the file that I am currently holdinges to mind at all. I reviewed the file multiple times from beginning to end. Everything was in order, but something was amiss. Today is supposed to be my first day at work. These documents have my signature, and I am Mrs. Monroe. Who is Mr. Monroe? I try to push the thought out of my mind while at the same time trying to remember where I signed these documents because, ording to Mason, today is my first day at thispany. Wait a minute, what is my name? Thedy from the HR department treated me as though I were this VIP person. Is Mr. Monroe an important person? I swat it away once more. I pulled myself to my feet, still holding the file, and walked toward an office. To my surprise, it seemed as though I already knew where the office was located. There is no way today is my first day at work. I didn¡¯t even bother to knock on the door; instead, I just opened it up and walked right on in. The man behind the desk didn¡¯t shout at me or look surprised at what I had just done. It was as though he was used to my barging into his office. The man, made me squirm in his presence; he stared at what I was wearing with no expression whatsoever. I looked up at him and suddenly found my voice, but still, there was something about his tranquility that oozed confidence, power, and wealth. ¡°Morning, Mr. Monroe. I would like for you to sign these documents.¡± He reclined further in his chair and turned his attention to me at that moment. I wasn¡¯t certain whether he had any questions, but all he did was stare at me. After noticing that I was starting to feel some awkwardness, I extended my hand to him, and he did the same thing as he took the file from my grasp. It seemed like my boss is a man of few words; the man didn¡¯t say anything after taking the file from me. He opened the drawer, took out a pen, signed the document, and then handed it back to me. After that, he put the drawer back in its ce. ¡°Is there anything else you would like me to assist you with today, Mrs. Monroe?¡± The question was posed, this voice, a voice that seemed like I had heard all my life. This quirkiness. It seems like I have witnessed it before. I feel as though I am familiar with him despite his haughty appearance. Did Mason lie to me about my first day at work? Why do I feel like I know how things work around here? ¡°No, sir, that would be all for today?¡± I responded. ¡°You are excused.¡± I nodded and walked away. As I walked away from my boss¡¯s office, I looked at the signature. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve seen this signature somewhere else before. As I walked back to my office, I bumped into ady with jet-ck hair and green cat-like eyes. She looked at me with an appalled expression before sweeping my entire body, beginning at my head and working her way down. Then she painted a sultry smile for effect. ¡°Hey there, J.¡± J? So my name is J. I was still trying to understand this J name that didn¡¯t seem to fit me at all. Don¡¯t get me wrong; J is a good name, but I was expecting something more Latin since I looked more Latin-was I adopted? Mainly due to the fact that a Latina like me would never have a name like that. I just shrugged it off and smiled at thedy in an awkward way. I don¡¯t like this woman in front of me. I don¡¯t know why, but I hate her. Don¡¯t ask me why I hate her because, as far as I¡¯m concerned, today is my first time here. Thedy smiled and started to confidently sashay her ass, and went to Mr. Monroe¡¯s office. Wait, Mr. Monroe? Why would my boss and I share the same surname? Argh, this is confusing; I am going to have a headache. I need to call Mason. Me: Hey, I think I¡¯m going to have a heart attack; a lot of things don¡¯t add up. You said today is my first day at work, but why do I seem to know my way around here, and ady just called me J? I sent the message to Mason, but instead of replying, he called back. As soon as I answered his call, I noticed that my breathing had be significantly faster. Mason: J, J, are you okay? Me: I can¡¯t breathe. Mason: Just rest; I will be there in 5 minutes.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. I clutched my chest as I walked faster to my office. I went to my chair, looked down, saw a ss of water, drained itpletely, and then I sat back down and rxed. A few minutester, Mason walked into my office and gave me some medication. ¡°Do I have to take all these at once?¡± He nodded, ¡°Mason, these are seizure drugs. Do I have seizures?¡± ¡°Yes, most of the time you behave like this when you are about to have a seizure.¡± ¡°What are the other medications?¡± ¡°Just drink first. I will exin it in a bit.¡± He said, and I drank the medication, but something wasn¡¯t adding up for me, so I had to be sure, so I asked. ¡°Mason, you said I was your fianc¨¦, but people call me Mrs. Monroe. Why? And the owner of thispany is Mr. Monroe; are we rted?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s because you are a Monroe; the human resources department made a mistake and added an R to your Ms. As for the owner of this establishment, yes, you are rted; he¡¯s your brother¡­¡± Chapter 70 ~L¡¯s POV~ It¡¯s been a week, and I still don¡¯t have a good grasp on what¡¯s been going on with me-the headache, the anxiety, and the strong urge to figure out what it is that is missing. Why does my boss always look at me as if I¡¯m forgetting something extremely important? If Dante Monroe is my brother, why doesn¡¯t he greet me? The only thing he does is gaze lustfully in my direction. That man eye-rapes me every time he gets a chance. Why would a brother be hard when looking at his own sister? I brushed it off and continued doing what I was doing. Mason has been gone for 3 days, and he¡¯sing back today. I called ahead and made a reservation at the restaurant located on the ground floor of the hotel. I went down the stairs and waited for my fianc¨¦ to arrive. It looks like there¡¯s a party going on downstairs, but it¡¯s more of a children¡¯s party. The decorations are appealing to the eye. While I was waiting, I asked for a ss of water to keep me hydrated, and just as the waiter was setting the ss of water in front of me, a woman approached me. ¡°Hey baby, I decided to stick around till you guys sort things out. I have been at the house since the birthday preparations started, but to my surprise, you weren¡¯t there. What is going on?¡± I looked at the woman. I have never seen this woman before. What preparations is she even talking about? ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met before. Who are you?¡± ¡°Your acting skills have gotten pretty cool; are you high on something?¡± It seemed as though she had me confused with another person. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I think you have mistaken me for someone else. I came here to wait for my fianc¨¦; he might get angry when he finds people he doesn¡¯t know around me.¡± The woman gave me a suspicious look while she leaned back in the chair that was supposed to be Mason¡¯s and folded her hands in front of herp. ¡°Mommy!¡± A young girl and two boys came running up to me as soon as they saw me. The girl jumped to sit on myp; I had the urge to push her away, but the girl kissed me and said, ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, Mommy. I miss you so much.¡± Then all of a sudden, my boss showed up with another woman, his hands stuffed deep inside his pockets as he eyed me with such intense hostility, as though there was something I had done wrong. I rose to my feet to show my respect to him. He¡¯s my boss, after all. ¡°Mr. Monroe, it¡¯s fancy to see you here.¡± His frown deepened, and for a moment he appeared perplexed, but then he resumed his icy gaze. ¡°Mother, what did you buy me for my birthday?¡± I turned my attention to the boy. He must be an angel in a state of confusion. I got on my knees and knelt down on his level. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The boy looked at me, then at my boss, then at the two women, one of whom was sitting with me and the other of whom had just walked in with my boss. His eyes became red, and it appeared as though he was about to cry. When he didn¡¯t give me his name, I just continued, ¡°Look, I am not your mother.¡± After saying that, I heard gasps, and the girl started crying and ran to my boss along with the two boys. I looked at Mr. Monroe. I should talk to him. He¡¯s my brother, after all, but I don¡¯t think this is a good time. The next thing I knew, I was getting smacked across the face. p! ¡°What the heck is wrong with you?¡± The woman raised her hand to p me again, but the other woman, who was with me, held her hand. ¡°Catalina, stop it! It is not worth the trouble.¡± Catalina? Why did this Catalina woman p me? ¡°You didn¡¯t even bother to call to wish them a happy birthday, and here you are telling them that you are not their mother. I never in my life thought that you would do something to hurt our children in this way; you didn¡¯t even bother to call to wish them a happy birthday. I have taken so much from you, L. I have been keeping my fingers crossed that you will eventually return home. But it seems as though I have been clinging to a hopeless dream all this time. I have no problem enduring any kind of discipline from you, but when ites to my children, I¡­ ¡± The woman interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. ¡°Dante, she is not L; she is right. We should get going.¡± Thedy gave me a wry grin before looking back at me and saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t get your name.¡± She uttered those words as she put her hand out for me to shake. ¡°J, J Monroe.¡± The woman smiled, but everyone¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Nice to meet you, J; I hope we can meet for coffee sometime. Here, take my card.¡± The woman gave me a business card, and there I got her name, Martha Monroe. Why does it seem like everyone is a Monroe? Is Martha Monroe rted to me? Mason appeared while I was in the midst of my struggle with my own thoughts. ¡°Hey, Hun!¡± He smiled and greeted me, but what caught my attention was how Martha looked at Mason. ¡°Martha, this is my fianc¨¦, Mason,¡± I said, then extended her hand to shake his. ¡°Doctor ckwoods, we meet again.¡± Mason appeared to be a little out of control, and for some reason, out of nowhere, he mentioned the need to use the restroom. I have no idea why. When Mason was on his way to the restroom, one of the other boys sprinted over to him and began calling his name. ¡°Uncle Mason!¡± Mason gave the boy a cursory nce before continuing on his way to the restroom without acknowledging his presence. The boy looked sad; he cast a re my way, and I could almost feel all the emotions he was feeling. I don¡¯t even know when I reached the boy, but I went to his level and gave him a hug. I don¡¯t know why, but I felt connected to him, and then the other two kids joined in the hug. ¡°Happy birthday,¡± I said to them, but before they could answer, my boss immediately took them off the hug. He seemed to be very angry. It¡¯s almost as if he had it in for me, But why? We worked well together, even with him eye-fucking me every time he got a chance at the office. Why does he hate me now? ¡°I don¡¯t y with my kids, L, and I don¡¯t want to see you near them ever again. As for your job, if you so wish, you can move back to Ozark and stay there for the rest of your life.¡± Martha cut him off again. ¡°What Dante meant is that you can continue working at the office so that you can see your family.¡± She smiled and dragged my boss as she shed me a grin.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Family? Chapter 71 ~Martha¡¯s POV~ I don¡¯t know why Dante and Catalina can¡¯t read faces; the two idiots were all about violence yesterday, and the little time I had with L told me everything I needed to know about what was happening to her. Although I can¡¯t say for certain, I have a sneaking suspicion that L is being drugged. How can she forget she has children? Those children are her life. After I had the impression that she and Dante were finally making headway, along came Mason ckwood, and I¡¯ve never had a positive impression of that boy. The first time I met him, he wanted to y dad to my grandkids and wanted people to believe L was his wife. One of the reasons I stepped in was because there was no way I was going to allow my grandchildren to have ckwood¡¯sst name. At first, I wanted to run a background check on him but stopped because he seemed pure. But now I regret it because no one is going to believe me when I tell them that L isn¡¯t our L. Dante is in pain, severe pain, to the point where he is beginning to give up hope. My son and I haven¡¯t had the best rtionship because of the kids. My not telling him about his children made my son hate me. I wanted him to grow up, and now my Casanova of a son is now a man. I will keep my fingers crossed and pray that he will see reason with me. As I was busy thinking about how I was going to break the news to Catalina and Dante, my phone rang. Line 1: Ma¡¯am, you were right; Mason booked a one-bedroom suite, and we were able to have ess to the suite. A week ago, when Mr. ckwoods booked the suite, Mrs. Monroe called and requested a bathroom cleaning. When our staff reached the suite, Mr. ckwood wasn¡¯t aware of the call, but he pretended he knew all about the call. The bathroom had traces of puke, and Mrs. Monroe was seen lying lifeless on the floor. We did help her up and gave her some water while Mr. ckwood continued watching Netflix, but to our surprise, when Mrs. Monroe woke up, she asked us who she was. Something didn¡¯t sit well with us, so we started searching the whole suite in the name of cleaning, but we found nothing. However, after 3 days, we found something big¡­ He took a pause. I want him to continue. L is my daughter, even if she doesn¡¯t be my daughter-inw; she was my daughter before she became my daughter-inw. There is no way I will leave her alone. She doesn¡¯t seem to know what she is doing. She is brainwashed to think her name is J. Martha: Carry on Line 1: Doctor ckwood is mixing drugs that can cause permanent memory loss, and these drugs can also cause brain damage. Instantaneously, my hand went to my mouth. How the hell can I convince that stubborn son of mine to take his wife back, even if he uses force? L is still his wife. Martha: Bring everything you found today. I said that and dropped the call. started pacing back and forth. The only person who can save L is Dante. I need to prove that, indeed, Mason is drugging L. Dear Lord, I hope and pray he hasn¡¯t touched her, because that won¡¯t sit well with Dante. I need to make sure that those medications are tested, but since that bastard seems to be on top of his game, I will have to find those medications in L¡¯s system for us to take action. Then use Dante, since he¡¯s the spouse, to forcefully take L home; probably whatever she¡¯s being given won¡¯t work for that long. After waiting forever, Dante and Catalina walked in. Catalina, as usual, didn¡¯t even greet us. She went straight to the point, or should I say, me shutting her up at the kid¡¯s party, ¡°Martha, what was all that about? That girl isn¡¯t my daughter; how can she do that to my grandchildren?¡± Dante remained silent throughout the entire exchange. Oh, how I wish he could understand what¡¯s going on behind the scenes! ¡°Catalina, the girl you pped wasn¡¯t your daughter, and she doesn¡¯t know any of us.¡± ¡°Here we go again with you trying to cover up for L; don¡¯t you get tired, Martha?¡± Martha: ¡°Here we go again with you trying to cover up for L.¡± ¡°I spoke to her, and I knew what was going on; I suspected when she told me her name was J, and she didn¡¯t know me at L. My L wouldn¡¯t pretend she didn¡¯t know me. My L would never hurt her kids; those children are her life. L called Mason her fianc¨¦, but she¡¯s still wearing your wedding ring.¡± ¡°What?¡± Catalina let out a loud exmation, but Dante did nothing but sit there and raise an eyebrow.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Mason is drugging L. I called the hotel, and they started to suspect him and found traces of some mixed drugs. The guy from the hotel will be here any minute.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have a lot on my te right now, and I won¡¯t be able to stay here and talk about that woman. L and I are over.¡± ¡°Dante, you are the only one who can save L; if it is true that Mason is drugging her, you will have to use force as her husband to take her from Mason. L needs you, Dante.¡± ¡°L needs me.¡± Heughed: ¡°My wife left me for another man, and you want me to help her? We were making progress, and she chose him over me. I was ready to make her remember what she was missing when she showed up at the office, but after yesterday, as far as I am concerned, I have no wife. Martha, never again call me when it has anything to do with that woman; do you understand?¡± He has never called me by my name; he¡¯s mad. He lost hope. He walked out, and now I just have to convince Catalina; she has to believe me; she gave birth to L. Chapter 72 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ Fucking great! Every time I¡¯ll be hearing about L, L, this L, that, can¡¯t I fucking get a break? I have made an effort to be a good husband, but it seems that no one appreciates the shit that I do. I went through shit because of that girl, in the name of love. Fuck love, fuck L, and fuck everything else in this world. Fuck it all. She dumped me for another avable dick without so much as a second thought for either our children or for me. We were supposed to be fixing our trust issues along with our rtionship. Every time there is a glimmer of hope for us, she goes and ruins everything. My na?ve mother thinks that she is being drugged, but in reality, they are just drugging themselves out of love for one another. After pouring another ss of scotch and consuming it all in one sitting, I got up and went to work. These days, I have absolutely no self-confidence, but having a ss of scotch in the morning helps me keep my head held high. The little confidence I had left in me, L, crashed it on our children¡¯s birthday. I arrived at work and went straight to my office. I am in no mood for anything at the moment. I just want to go to work and go back to my children without thinking about anything that has to do with pussies, especially one that belongs to a certain woman. I threw my bag on the couch and headed for my desk. As I was about to open one of the files on my desk, I received a call from Japan, bloody Suzuki Industries. Can I ever make these people happy? Mr. Suzuki: Mr. Monroe, we loved the second pitch that Mrs. Monroe submitted to our teamst Wednesday. We have been looking for apany to provide us with such goods, but none of thepanies could. I have no idea how Mrs. Monroe came to know about that project; we were just nning on dropping it due to ack of suppliers, but your wife found us; isn¡¯t that amazing?Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Wife? If there is one thing that can be said about that woman, it is that she is a whore. She abandoned both me and my children for another man. Now I have to y husband in front of this old man. Me: Mr. Suzuki, I am not sure what my wife proposed. However, please allow me some time to invite her in so she can talk to you with regard to the proposition. Mr. Suzuki: That sounds absolutely wonderful, Mr. Monroe. How the fuck would she go and propose something to Suzuki Industries without consulting me first? I really look like an idiot right now. I pressed the inte. ¡°Get L to my office now!¡± As I waited for L, Mr. Suzuki went on and on about his daughter and her new husband, how happy they are, and how they appreciated that I flew all the way from New York to Japan just for them. All I did was a nod to every fucking thing the man was saying. Can I tell him my wife is busy screwing another man when he¡¯s busy telling me about his daughter¡¯s happy marriage while the damn trip to Japan crashed my marriage into pieces? As I was about to tell the man to stop annoying me, L walked in. She seemed to be very sickly. Is she sick? She¡¯s sweating; I brush it off; it¡¯s none of my business. ¡°You called for me.¡± Her voice was weak. It¡¯s difficult for her to even stand. There is clearly something wrong with her. ¡°Yes, I did. Mr. Suzuki of Suzuki Industries is on the line with regard to the proposition you sent to them.¡± She looked confused. Her hand flew to her head. She tried to think hard but ended up sweating. No, she is not okay; is she pregnant? So she finally had a baby with that bastard. I ought to just walk away from her and mind my own business, but the fact remains that she is the mother of my children. Me: Mr. Suzuki, I think my wife isn¡¯t feeling well; can we get back to youter? I said, not waiting for any second for the man to answer me. I hung up the call. ¡°Wife, wha-t d-o you m-e-a-n wife, are yo-u, not my brother?¡± What the fuck is she talking about? How on earth would she call me her brother? Hell yeah, hell yea, I was once her brother, but I married her. I looked at her; she didn¡¯t look so good, so I rushed to her and carried her in bridal style, rushing her to the hospital. I shouldn¡¯t be helping her, but for the sake of our kids, I will. I don¡¯t want them to think I let their mother die while I watched. I waited a bit, as Emily was busy attending to her. Why should I wait to hear that she was pregnant with another man? I scoffed and started to walk toward the door. ¡°Dante, this does not bode well; I don¡¯t understand why L would take such medication.¡± I drew a breath, ¡°Isn¡¯t she supposed to be pregnant?¡± ¡°Are you mad? This is more serious, Dante. L is taking medication that is making her lose her memory?¡± ¡°What?¡± My mother was right, that bastard was drugging her. Did he rape her, did he force himself on her? What have I done? What the fuck did I do? It would have been better if I had listened to my mother. How the fuck will I ever forgive myself if something happens to her? Mason ckwoods, I am going to wreck him, and I am going to wreck anyone else who had anything to do with this mess. ¡°Run tests on her, and I want every trace of medication my wife has been taking, and please tell me no one forced themselves on her.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Chapter 73 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ ¡°Get me, Doctor ckwoods, now! Hunt him down if possible.¡±I yelled at Lev, but I was actually mad at myself. I was supposed to be her husband, her brother, and I knew her better than anyone else-not even her mother knew L more than I did. I failed her yet again. I kept failing her; when she became of age, I failed to confess my love for her but left clues for her. I told her how I felt so many times but in riddles. How the fuck was she supposed to know I meant I loved her? Like a coward, when she didn¡¯t get the riddles, I stepped back, and as I was thinking of how much of a coward I was, my thought took me down memoryne to when I took her hiking. ¡°Hey look!¡± I said while looking passionately in the direction I wanted her to look. ¡°Oh, my goodness! What do you call those? They are beautiful.¡± She said as she looked at me expectedly and lovingly. ¡°I know, right? These are calledrkspurs. I was curious, like you, the first time my mother showed them to me,¡± I honestly answered. ¡°Larkspurs! So those arerkspurs?¡± It seemed like she had heard of them but had never seen them before. ¡°Yep!¡± I clung to her and back-hugged her, hoping she would know how much I loved and cherished her, but I just couldn¡¯t tell her and ruin our friendship. I have been with different women, but none of themes close to the way she makes me feel. L is and will always be my home; I feel safe with her, and she makes me want to go back to my teenage life. How do I tell my best friend that I love her and that it has always been her all along? ¡°And you know the meaning ofrkspurs, mydy?¡± I continued, and she shook her head. I leaned closer to her neck and smelled her. God! I want to do a lot of things with her, but I am scared I will lose her, ¡°Larkspurs represent the strong bond of love. It represents an open heart. The bluerkspur represents dignity and grace. The pink one symbolizes fickleness, love, and affection. White symbolizes happiness and joy, and thest one is the important one: my Lolita. The purplerkspur. Everywhere you go, you always see that one. Think of Dante Monroe, and I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± For years, I thought she would go about and find out what the purple Larkspur meant because L was my first love. I wanted her to find that out as soon as possible, but it took ages. ¡°What exactly does it mean?¡± She asked, and I smiled as I kissed her forehead while answering her. ¡°It¡¯s you and me.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, tell me!¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°When my Bunny grows into a giant rabbit, she will know the meaning ande back home, right where she belongs. No matter where in the world she is,¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair, Prince Charming. You always use that line on me.¡± She was right. I always expected her to know everything, but L was just a girl, a girl who had only gone out with me every time. She never had friends to share anything with, she only had me. How the fuck was she supposed to figure everything out? I pressed the inte button. ¡°Get me the head of security.¡± I wanted to check everything that had been going around. There was no way Mason would being here alone. Someone who knew this ce helped him. It didn¡¯t take the head of security long to get to my office; he came with his assistant, and I told them I wanted all the footage from when L came to work. They kept searching, and, of course, I hired the best, and I got the footage. We started watching, and there I saw a woman I hated with a passion. She was supposed to be ying far from me and my family, ording to the protection order we made against her. So she was the one helping Mason? Why am I not surprised? I never thought that Doctor guy would stand this low. I brushed it away and continued watching, and I could see the smirk on her face when she looked at L. L looked confused, and it was evident that she didn¡¯t know who the woman was; this meant that Mason had been drugging her for a long time. I watched as Candice sashayed her fake ass and stopped right in front of L. She said something to L and walked away; whatever she said left L dumbfounded. ¡°Take it back; I want to hear what thedy said to her.¡± The security team did as they were told, and there I heard it. ¡°Hello, J.¡± Chapter 74 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ Why the fuck did Candice pretend to be entering my office for L? What the fuck is actually going on here, and what kind of game are they ying? I picked up my phone and dialed Lev¡¯s number. Me: Send the police to my office; make sure every employee leaves the premises early today. Lev: Yes, boss. Me: And Lev, did Doctor ckwoods touch my wife? Lev: No Me: What were the oues? Lev: Exactly as you had anticipated. Me: Good I hung up the call; I was fucking losing it. Even if we had issues, I should have fought for her; I should have been her husband, but what did I do? I let another man drug my wife; I doubted her. L didn¡¯t leave me for Mason; she never told me we were over. My inted sense of self-importance caused me to make a foolish decision. Shit! My attention was brought back to the present when I heard a knock on the door of my office, and there stood the person I secretly wished to mutte beyond recognition. I truly hate that motherfucker with a passion. He was supposed to be taking care of his patients in Ozark, but the bastard was here, busy drugging my wife. I sat behind my desk as the idiot sat on one of the chairs. ¡°Dante Monroe, we meet again.¡± He uttered those words with a sly grin on his face. If I were to cut him up, I would, but the truth is that he is just a shiny-suited cat trying to conform to my expectations. I like his confidence, though. I gave him a menacing look, and he trembled for a moment before regaining hisposure as my prey. The idiot is currently taking orders, and if I¡¯ve got this right, he might also be carrying a recording device and a microphone with him. Clever Emily entered the room with the forensic team, toting a file in her hand. My mother walked in just as we were about to begin the meeting, and she took a seat right away. I don¡¯t think I invited her to this meeting, but even if I had, I wouldn¡¯t have objected if she showed up. She quietly sat alone and watched. The guys from my security team walked in. ¡°Search him,¡± I said, pointing at Mason, and he stood up, wanting to put up a fight, but it was in vain as the two men had already started searching him, and as suspected, Mason had a voice recording device and a microphone. When they were done conducting a search on Mason, they left the room. Then Emily started. ¡°My name is Doctor Emily Anderson; I am the family doctor of the Monroe family and also an appointment doctor for Mrs. Monroe. Yesterday, Mrs. Monroe fell unconscious and had breathing difficulties. After taking a few tests on her, I found some unusual drugs in her system-drugs that I know very well that Mrs. Monroe wouldn¡¯t take. Hand in hand along with Mr. Monroe¡¯s assistant, Lev, we submitted the test to the forensic team, and there are traces of a lot of things that I will leave for the forensic team to exin. ¡°Benzodiazepines, statins, acetazmide, amitriptyline, fentanyl, and apomorphine-the list is long. All these drugs are used for different reasons, but they can cause memory loss. Whoever gave Mrs. Monroe, these drugs intentionally wanted her to lose her memory. Therefore, the individual should be questioned and detained in jail until further notice. ¡°Were these found in my daughter-inw¡¯s system?¡± My mother has finally spoken since she came in. ¡°Yes, Mrs. Monroe. His answer was followed by the flinging open of my door, revealing Lev and mywyer. Mason sat there smirking at me every time he got a chance. I pressed the inte button. ¡°Let them in.¡± After I had finished saying that, the police entered the room carrying a folder stuffed with evidence that Mason had been drugging my wife. ¡°Officers, this is the man that had been drugging my wife.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Dr. ckwood, you have the right to remain silent, and you can contact yourwyer.¡± Mason stood up even before thewyer had finished his sentence. ¡°J is my patient, and she has been my patient for over 5 years since she came to Ozark. Who exactly is Mrs. Monroe, seeing the name of my patient is J Akins? Already, J has put her name on a document agreeing that I should be her primary care physician. Due to patient and doctor confidentiality, I cannot disclose any relevant information. J is my patient, Mr. Monroe. I would like to request that you bring back my patient as soon as possible before I take it further with you.¡± When I realized the idiot had a n, it was no surprise that he was smirking at me while he sat there. My blood began to boil. This J Akins issue is to buy time while the forensic team finds out who she is and he can continue to drug L. Over my dead body, I would let this man take my wife and drug her to death. ¡°Mr. Monroe, since I am J¡¯s rightful doctor, you were supposed to call me when something happens to her. However, you called in your ipetent doctor to deal with a high-profile candidate.¡± He said while opening a file and shoving a piece of paper toward me, ¡°I have the right to ask for Mrs. Akins and leave this state with her.¡± ¡°Since you are calling her Ms. Akins and she is not Ms. Akins, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s only fair that the team does their job while we wait for her real name? You will take Ms. Akins if it is proven that the patient in question is Ms. Akins. I hope Doctor ckwood understands.¡± My mother spoke, but I could sense cruelty in her voice, anger, and all other emotions; she looked deadly. I am wondering if the stories I used to hear about her are true. She stood gracefully, and the detective approved for L not to be taken before it was proven she was indeed J Akins. ¡°I will agree to everything, as long as I get to meet my fianc¨¦.¡± I lost it; I walked around the table, not knowing how I reached where Mason was; however, my mother grabbed my hand as I was about to smack the idiot on the face and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, son, I¡¯ll take care of it, I¡¯ll be damned to see your hands dirty.¡± What did she mean? Chapter 75 ~Martha¡¯s POV~ ¡°I will agree to everything, as long as I get to meet my fianc¨¦.¡± The statement has been going over and over in my fucking head. I saw the pain in my son¡¯s eyes. He had suffered so much. When he found out that I knew about the children, I saw hatred in his eyes; however, at this point, he is hopeless, and Dr. ckwood has the upper hand. The police couldn¡¯t help; L couldn¡¯t remember anything. Twice I took the kids to her, and she doesn¡¯t recall ever having children. Seeing my children suffer in such a way is excruciating for me. It breaks my heart to see L inflict pain on her children without even realizing it herself. My eyes started to be teary, then bloodshot, and then tears followed. ¡°Martha, are you okay?¡± My husband asked, and I couldn¡¯t lie to him-my son¡¯s family was being torn apart by an obsessed boy. That boy has to pay. I dried my eyes with a tissue and stood up. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay,¡± I said as I walked into my bedroom and started packing my clothes in one of my travel bags. For far too long, I have been far too nice. Being nice isn¡¯t one of my hobbies. I am not a nice person that I know very well, but meeting Monroe changed me. He instilled in me the value of kindness, despite the fact that I detest showing kindness to others. However, I did so out of love for my family. I hate it when people mistake me for kindness. I¡¯m not kind; I¡¯m far from kind. I am one bitch that can go mad for a second and the next second you see meughing, call me a sociopath, yeah that¡¯s the right English word. I packed my luggage and dragged it out as my husband watched. ¡°Martha, where are you going?¡± I spun to face him; he knows me so well, and he also knows that I am up to no good. ¡°To find my brother.¡± His pupils became muchrger. ¡°Martha, we talked about this, and we came to the conclusion that you are never to step foot in your family again; you told me you wanted a new start, and I gave you a new start!¡± He yelled at me. I hate it when people yell instead of talking, and the only person who can yell at me is my son because his rudeness reminds me of my father and brother. Dante did not inherit his father¡¯s traits; rather, he inherited them from my family. Monroe is a gentle and generous man, just the person I needed to bring some light into my gloomy existence. He illuminated my path and showed me the value of generosity and kindness, but when ites to my family, kindness can take a back seat. I. Can. Kill. For. My. Family.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, and we agreed we would do anything for family.¡± ¡°Not like that. There must be another way,¡± I replied. His son, Dante, on the other hand, who has all of my family¡¯s genre flowing through his veins, has never been soft, in contrast to his father, who is always far too soft. ¡°Darling, I¡¯ve watched my family disintegrate in front of my very eyes. I am willing to do anything it takes to get my family back to a peaceful state, and that includes reprimanding my son when necessary. Why do you think I kept the kids away from that brat for all these years?¡± I went close to him, saying, ¡°He was not worthy of them, and now my family needs me. Candice, June, and Mason have to vanish into thin air for peace to reign.¡± ¡°Martha!¡± ¡°Anything for family, darling. I promised you that I would leave my past behind, but when someone disturbs my peace, I will fight back. I will give people a taste of their own medicine when they take on more than they can chew. I told you I would fight for what is mine.¡± ¡°This is Dante and L¡¯s fight.¡± ¡°One they cannot handle,¡± I answered, and I started walking towards the door. ¡°Your brother will kill them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n.¡± ¡°Martha!¡± He yells. ¡°Would you rather let me do it or my brother do it?¡± He let out a sigh of defeat. ¡°None of the Monroes will ever get their hands dirty,¡± I said as I walked out of the house, heading home. My family and I haven¡¯t been in touch; Martha isn¡¯t my real name. Martha was the name that Monroe thought would be appropriate for his queen, and I have to say that I really like it. More than Francesca, my name is Francesca Guerra, the ice queen. My name is well-known throughout all of Italy. When my name, my father¡¯s name, or even my brother¡¯s name is mentioned, people in Italy bow their heads. No one could melt my heart, but a softhearted man far from my leg did; he wanted the samend my family was eyeing, and I, the ice queen, melted the moment I saw that idiotughing. As soon as my ne touched down in Sicily, I was taken by one of my most reliable bodyguards straight to my father¡¯s residence. I motioned for the worker to take my belongings to my room, and then I went directly to my brother¡¯s office. I stormed in and found him with his ballspletely embedded in a blonde. ¡°Get out!¡± When the girl saw me, her eyes widened. She was one of the maids. My brother likes to employ blonde maids; he has a thing for blonde girls. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me in the least if he slept with each of the maids working in this house. Thank the good Lord that he didn¡¯t pull his pants down. While he worked on his pants, he kept his back turned to me the whole time. ¡°The prodigal daughter returned; I must say, sister, you have such a grand entrance. Who do you want me to kill?¡± He wondered aloud as he exhaled a cloud of white smoke into the atmosphere. Chapter 76 ~Martha¡¯s POV~ Antonio Guerra doesn¡¯t like repetitions, just like his nephew, so I went straight to the point: ¡°Dante, my son is hopeless and needs your help.¡± He looked annoyed. He took another drag from his cigarette and exhaled a cloud of white smoke from his mouth. ¡°You gave birth to a little wimp, didn¡¯t you?¡± I should p him for calling my son a wimp, but then he doesn¡¯t know the real story: ¡°A weakling just like the father, I told you to bring that boy home so I could train him the Guerra way, but now he is hopeless. Have you ever witnessed a Guerra who waspletely hopeless in your life?¡± He pounded his fist firmly on the table and said, ¡°Questa ¨¨ merda che ottieni sposando un uomo debole.¡± (This is the shit you get for marrying a weak man) he said as he led me to the dining room. ¡°Non mancherai di rispetto a mio marito,¡± (You will not disrespect my husband) ¡°Husband, you call that¡­¡± I didn¡¯t let him finish what he was about to say. ¡°Un¡¯altra par da tua ba e ti schianter¨°¡± (One more word from your mouth and I will crash you) I poured myself some of his scotch, ¡°Sit down, I need to tell you everything¡± he sat down and washed his hands, then use a tablecloth to wipe it as he listened to me. I told him everything-how it all started, how he fell in love with his friend and was scared to confess his undying love for her because he was scared he might lose her. I went on to tell him about his two failed weddings. I didn¡¯t hide anything from Antonio; he was family. In the space of fewer than five minutes, the look of hunger that had been on his face was reced by one of rage, which made his eyes look dark and cold and his face appear menacing. His body was now in a threatening stance. The woman who was standing next to him and about to put food on his te cowers in fear. He picked up the dining table and hurled it across the room in an impressive disy of strength. The table shattered into little pieces, and I went back. I have never seen Antonio show such hostility towards his opponents, but I get the impression that he is taking this fight very personally. I slowly raised my head to look in the direction the table went. The table crashed to the ground, shattering tes, cutlery, and sses, and leaving arge dent in the area where itnded. I could hear footsteps walking majestically up the stairs, and the maids and cooks cowered even more than they already had. Raising my head, I met with my father. ¡°Immagino che oggi debba essere Natale. Buon appetito.¡± (I guess today must be Christmas. Enjoy your meal.) He said as he walked toward me and my brother, ¡°Ciao, mia principessa.¡± (Hello, my Princess!) ¡°Ciao Padre.¡± (Greetings, father!) ¡°Sembra che mi sia perso festa, cosa mi sono perso?¡± (Looks like I missed the party; what did I miss?) My father said. He¡¯s old, but the man is as ruthless as his son; my brother went with him to his study. ¡°Clean this up!¡± I ordered the helpers and told them to fix the other dining room. After the dining area had been set up and was prepared for the meal, I walked in, took a seat, and waited for my father and brother to join me. My father never married, and just like my brother, my father never wanted his enemies to use a woman against him. So he settled for sex workers and mistresses. The two walked in and sat down. My father¡¯s attention was drawn to me at that moment. His eyes were dark and wild. Then a tablemp smashed into the wall just inches away from one of the maid¡¯s heads. Nobody made a peep or a sound. People still urinate in their underwear whenever my father walks into a room, despite the fact that he is no longer involved in the drug cartel business. My father was that terrifying. That is how merciless he is.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Come lo vuoi fatto, principessa?¡± (How do you want it done, Princess?) My father asked, and I smiled and poured myself a drink, sliding my hand into my handbag and cing a picture on the table. One of my father¡¯s employees took the photograph, scanned it, and immediately had the information that he required at his fingertips. ¡°Theresa June ckwood A 35 years old. Just one kid.¡± He continued to harp on the information he had gathered about June over and over again. ¡°Your call, my ice queen,¡± my brothermented. ¡°Car ident; I want her to never walk again in this life and make her mute; she talks too much for her own good.¡± I took another picture and shoved it their way. The image was captured by the man, and he scanned it. ¡°Candice Akins, 34 years old, a gold digger, always after rich men, an ex-employee of the Monroe industries.¡± These are the things that have been said about Candice Akins. As soon as the other person had finished talking, I did not squander any time. ¡°I want her to go mad, start picking up papers on the street, eat food from cabbage bins, and I want her not to have brakes when ites to peeing; I want her to pee on herself every time she wants to pee.¡± When I pushed thest picture in their direction, my brother howled, and the other person did the same thing as with the other two pictures. ¡°Mason ckwoods. A man in his 39th year. He worked as a physician in Canada for two years before having his license revoked because he developed an unhealthy obsession with one of his patients and began administering drugs to her. The woman was married but too bad for her. Doctor ckwood started sleeping with her while she was in her drugged state, and she got pregnant. The woman didn¡¯t know how she got pregnant because her husband was impotent. She went through a divorce, and after she settled down in Ozark, she started going by the name Mavis. When Doctor ckwood returned to his hometown, he forged his license and started practicing his profession as a doctor.¡± My eyes widened a bit, as I didn¡¯t know that Mason had done this before. Isn¡¯t Mavis the woman who is always insulting L every chance she gets? Could it be that the woman and Mason are now an item? ¡°This must be the boy drugging my nephew¡¯s wife.¡± I nodded and asked, ¡°How do you want it done?¡± ¡°I want him to shit on himself every time nature calls, I want him to pee on himself, I want him to be a vegetable, and I want him to never walk again in his life, and I want him to end up in a wheelchair.¡± ¡°Fallo sbavare,scia che le mosche si fiano strada ne sua ba.¡± (Make him drool, let the flies make their way into his mouth) My father said as he got up and headed upstairs. ¡°You badass, that¡¯s a lot of suffering. Why not pull the trigger?¡± My brother asked. ¡°My husband isn¡¯t going to be happy about it; they should just learn to live with it while they watch my children love each other.¡± ¡°I have a condition, sis, and there are no negotiations,¡± he said, and I looked him dead in the eye. ¡°What is your condition?¡± ¡°I get to meet my nephew.¡± Hell No! Chapter 77 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ I have been working on getting L to remember; even if she doesn¡¯t remember anything about us or me, that¡¯s alright with me; I want her to remember our children, at the very least. They are hurt about all this shit. I am hurt too. I wish I could just pull the trigger and end Mason ckwood, for trying to separate a mother from her kids. Mason took me to court but didn¡¯t win the case because I am L¡¯shusband. However, that cretin is always devising new schemes, and he never fails to persuade my wife that he is the man she is going to marry. As a result, I let that creepy mane over to my house because I know it¡¯s good for her health, but when ites to Mason, I can¡¯t let my guard down. I beefed up the security to prevent him from doing anything foolish in the future. However, even that cannot be relied upon because that cretin is always up to something sneaky.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. My daughter reached out to me as I was engrossed in my own thoughts, and she shouted out, ¡°Daddy!¡± I smiled and looked at her affectionately before picking her up and putting her on myp. ¡°Hey, my angel.¡± As soon as I brought my head up, both of the boys entered my room, got up on the bed, and sat down. ¡°Afternoon, dad.¡± They said it in unison. I nodded, knowing that I was about to be interrogated. ¡°Dad, does mommy hate us?¡± When Tyler asked the question, I waspletely taken aback. I should have known that it was only a matter of time before they started asking questions about their mother, but I had no idea that the questions they would ask would be like that. ¡°My son, your mother will never have hatred in her heart for you. She loves you so much to do that to any of you; you are her universe, remember?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying; she keeps asking us our names; she always seems lost; she can¡¯t even remember us. She told us she was not our mother!¡± Mia screamed as she began to cry out in pain. They have suffered for such a long time as a result of this. I knew from the start that bringing L home would be a big problem as she doesn¡¯t remember any of us, and I knew from day one that she would unknowingly hurt the kids, but I had no choice; I couldn¡¯t risk her getting drugged again. Even though I knew that our children would be affected, I had no choice but to let her return home. At one moment or another, I entertained the possibility that the children would be able to jog her memory, but my hopes were ultimately unfounded. ¡°Okay, children, you should not think that way about your mother.¡± I got up off the ground and helped Mia onto the bed. I pulled my hair behind my ear and thought of a way to exin to them that their mother wasn¡¯t feeling well as I swept it back with my hand. I sighed. ¡°Your mother fell and hit her head so hard that she can¡¯t remember any of us. But with time, she will, so please don¡¯t ever think that she hates us. She just can¡¯t remember us, and right now she needs us.¡± Their eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Is it going to be permanent, Daddy? When will she remember us?¡± Kai asked. ¡°No, kid, it¡¯s not something that willst forever.¡± I lied through my teeth, as L hadn¡¯t started responding to the treatment. No one knows the time frame, and no one knows if she is ever going to regain her memory. ¡°But you know what you can do; you can just y with her without asking her questions about her past; if we stress her, it might affect her recovery.¡± They nodded, and I walked into my closet, grab a tie, and started to put it on. ¡°Are you sure we aren¡¯t going to cancel this, dad?¡± Mai asked. ¡°Of course, and Daddy is ready to go out. Now get off my bed.¡± They all came rushing down and down the stairs together. It could have been nice to have Le with us, but it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea because it would only hurt the kids more. We went to the restaurant, ordered, and ate. I hardly eat these days. I didn¡¯t even know how to help L. I wish I had studied medicine at that moment because I could have known what to do and how to help her. She puts in a lot of effort as well and does ask questions about how she behaved while she was still living with me. I didn¡¯t lie to her; I told her everything we went through, but my telling her everything made her keep her distance. She used me of being unfaithful, which was true, and told me I didn¡¯t deserve her, which was also true. Both of these points are valid. I don¡¯t care if she hates me, but I want her to remember the children. She sometimeses to my room in the middle of the night. I don¡¯t ask her questions, I let her sleep on the bed. It¡¯s hard, but for some unknown reasons, my feelings have been cooperating. The old me could have fucked her senselessly, but right now my focus is on getting her to remember. I have been unfaithful to my wife on multiple asions; I truly do not deserve her, but there is no way that I will give up on our marriage. I managed to get awyer, and in the end, I managed to take L home with the ruling that I am her husband, and whatever she signed with Mason, she signed in her drugged state. The bastards still haven¡¯t given up. We can¡¯t really prove that it was Mason who drugged her. We tried to prove it, but they said if we ever saw him do it, I sat at the restaurant and watched my kids y in the kids¡¯ area. I smiled, but my smile was a half smile as a man in histe 40s sat down at my table without an invitation. I stared him down and gave him my undivided attention. In light of the fact that the man exudes ruthlessness and power, I really ought to be afraid of him, yet for some reason, I can¡¯t even bring myself to shrink in his sight. ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking you to sit.¡± I barked, and the man looked at me as if I were the most wonderful and fascinating thing he had ever seen. The furrow on my brow deepened as he ced his palm on the table and looked directly at me in the eye. Then an old man walks in, and suddenly the restaurant is dead silent; it is as if everyone has left and it is just me, the old man, who is now walking my way, and the kids ying. Someone pulled a chair for the old man as he sat down, also looking at me just like the other man; both men are terrifying, but for some reason, I don¡¯t give a fuck. They didn¡¯t utter a word the whole time they were staring at me in silence. They exchanged nces and then began to smirk at one another. ¡°Hello, Nephew.¡± What the hell! Chapter 78 ~Dante¡¯s POV~N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. What the fuck is he talking about? Thest time I checked, I had no rtives. I am not going to waste any more of my time sitting here and listening to their hogwash. ¡°Lev, get the car ready. I think it¡¯s time for us to leave.¡± I said, and he nodded, but the man¡¯s bodyguards blocked Lev from getting close to the kids. I do not y with my kids. I will take action against anything that poses a risk to their lives. My kids are the only thing that makes sense in my life right now. I folded my hands and looked at the two men in front of me. If they have something to say to me, they can go ahead and fucking say it instead of looking at me as though I¡¯m this fine art they haven¡¯t seen in their entire lives. I am ready to strike if they fucking make any move. ¡°Get the kids,¡± I told Lev; surprisingly, they let him go where the kids were, but the old man stood up and followed Lev. The man got down on his knees just as I was about to strike, and he affectionately touched my daughter¡¯s face. After that, I was able to calm down; when he saw my children, I was sure he was going to start crying. Both Kai and Tyler didn¡¯t appear to enjoy the presence of the man, so they chose to avoid it by walking past him. It seems as though the man is interested in Mia. ¡°Lei ¨¨ l¡¯immagine sputata de mia principessa di ghiio.¡± (She is the spitting image of my ice princess.) The man who had been sitting across from me eventually turned his head in their direction, but then he noticed Kai and Tyler. ¡°They look like you.¡± When the man did finally speak, his English was marked by an obvious Italian ent. I didn¡¯t answer, and the man went on, ¡°You must be Kai, and you must be Tyler.¡± I frowned. How the fuck did he know their names and how the fuck did he know who KaI is and Tyler is? Mia was brought back to the table by the elderly man, who then set her down on hisp. He signaled for all of his bodyguards to exit the premises, and then he instructed Lev to take the children with him. Lev chose not to cooperate, but I reassured him that everything was going to be all right. He took the children with him, and now I¡¯m sitting here with the two most terrifying men in the world. The elderly man lobbed three pictures in my direction. After turning them over, I found that the pictures were of June, Candice, and Mason. I threw the pictures on the table and waited for them to tell me what they wanted. Since they got here, the only thing they did was to make me feel their power, but I don¡¯t shudder, never, I am Dante Monroe. ¡°You¡¯ve been kind, and it drives me crazy when members of my family are kind to people they have no business showing kindness to,¡± He spoke looking at me dead in the eye, but I just stared at him back because I still don¡¯t know what he wants, and what the fuck does he mean by ¡°family?¡± ¡°Mi piace, anche quando ha paura di non darlo a vedere. ¨¨ un vero Geurra.¡± (I like him; even when he¡¯s afraid, he doesn¡¯t show it. He is a true Geurra,) says the other man in histe 40s, and the elderly man smiled. ¡°Why do you let people step on your feet every time they get a chance?¡± I really don¡¯t know where this conversation is going, but I am not going to answer. The elderly man continued, ¡°I hate it when I talk to people and they just stare at me; I believe I haven¡¯t started running mad, right? Because only mad people talk to themselves.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but keep staring at him. When I didn¡¯t answer, the older man got up really quickly and pinned me to the table with my two hands at the back. He should fucking tell me what the problem is. The man moved closer to me in an attempt to catch my gaze and whispered, ¡°Odio quando le persone mi mancano di rispetto e tu mi dai sui nervi, ragazzo. Quando ti parlo, mi aspetto che tu risponda. Sono chiaro?¡± (I hate it when people disrespect me, and you are getting on my nerves, boy. When I talk to you, I expect you to answer. (Am I clear?) I spun around really fast, pinned him the same way he did, and leaned closer. ¡°I don¡¯t fucking take orders from anyone; you showed up here and started spatting nonsense. Since you got here, you haven¡¯t told me what your problem is. You either tell me your problem or fuck off!¡± But to my surprise, the other one, who was in his forties, started smirking and cocking his head aside. ¡°I¡¯m Antonio Guerra, your uncle from Sicily.¡± What the living hell is he talking about? I know I have never asked my mom where she¡¯s from; her English is fluent, unlike the two men iming to be her family. The man continued, ¡°And this is your grandfather, Mattia Guerra.¡± They can go fuck themselves if they expect me to believe that crap because I¡¯m not buying it. I should leave, but somehow I feel like I can trust them. But why? After straightening out my coat, I sat down. ¡°What do you want?¡± After I inquired, the man, whose name I have since learned to be Antonio, smiled at me. ¡°I like you, but I despise it when a Guerra gives in to his feminine tendencies and bes soft like a woman.¡± He stated. What the fuck does he mean? I am not a Guerra; I am a Monroe. ¡°I am a Monroe. I don¡¯t care what you call yourselves, Guerra, or whoever you are; I don¡¯t give a fuck. I think you got the wrong guy.¡± ¡°No, Nephew, and you are going to piss me off. I hate it when people talk to me like they are taking a shit. But I¡¯ll let it pass. Guerras take orders from no one; we order people around to run errands. So now I get why you act so authoritatively; that¡¯s just the Guerra way. However, you are not going to speak unless I ask you to speak; you don¡¯t want to see me pissed. Boy, I bite.¡± He leaned back in his chair and looked at me intently for what seemed like an indefinite amount of time before finally breaking into a grin when I remained silent. ¡°I take it we have a deal; now you are my sister¡¯s kid. Francesca Guerra now goes by Martha Monroe. ¡± I froze. My mom had a family, and she didn¡¯t tell me?¡± Before you give me some annoying looks, I will tell you this: when your mother met that soft, annoying father of yours and ran away from home, your father¡¯s family didn¡¯t approve of her, and they disowned your father. The two moved to New York City and started over. You were born into a rogue lifestyle because both of your parents ran away, but that has changed. I hear someone has been drugging your wife.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop staring at them; to tell you the truth, they do resemble my mother. When the subject of my wife was brought up, my blood began to boil, and I found myself speaking to them. ¡°Yea, the idiot wants my wife to believe he¡¯s her fianc¨¦ and has made her forget she has kids.¡± ¡°What do you want to do with him?¡± The man iming to be my uncle asked. ¡°Pull the trigger.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s too easy; don¡¯t you want them to suffer the way they made you and your family suffer? A peaceful and painless passing away is far too merciful.¡± ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°Well, I was supposed to do it, but you are a man, and you need to teach ants how to behave around you. Now we are going to start with that doctor guy,¡± he said, throwing a file my way. I went through the file and found out that Mason was stripped of his license a long time ago in Canada because he became obsessed with a married woman, drugged her, and made her pregnant. The name of the woman is Mavis¡­ This is the same woman who always disrespects my wife. What game is Mason ying? I look at the two newfound family favorites and smirk. ¡°So here is the story. We want Mason not to go to jail. If we report him, he gets to go to jail and the bastard wille back and still do the same shit. We let him know that we know about his little secret and make him a vegetable. When he¡¯s vulnerable, we hit him where it hurts the most, we want him to be a vegetable, drool every time, his mouth must be open for flies to fly in and out of it, he must sit in a wheelchair for the rest of his life and shit and piss on himself every time nature calls and you are going to do it yourself, with our help.¡± I think I¡¯m going to love the Guerras. When I didn¡¯t say anything, he went on, ¡°I have a condition.¡± I looked up for him to tell me the condition, ¡°Don¡¯t tell your mom anything about this and I get to y chess with you every month. You name the ce and time of your choice. And don¡¯t you dare fucking tell me you can¡¯t y chess and poker.¡± I smiled at him, I am ready to fuck Mason up. Chapter 79 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ So it came to my attention that my mother used to be a prominent figure in a criminal organization, but that she gave up her former life when she married my father. It¡¯s no wonder she could get away with hiding L and the children from me. I heaved a sigh and thought about what my uncle had said to me-that he had gone to medical school and earned a doctorate. But he has never worked for anyone. To ensure that L is well taken care of in the interim, he will be spending the next week here at my house. He didn¡¯t have to; he had businesses to run, but it seems like this Mason issue pissed him off. My mother doesn¡¯t get to know that Uncle Antonio is around, and she doesn¡¯t get to know that I will be ying dirty for my family¡¯s sake. I let out a sigh and shifted my weight on the chair so that I could lean back. As I was about to pour some scotch for myself, someone knocked at my door. I ordered the person toe in. ¡°Hey.¡± She couldn¡¯t stop twiddling her fingers. She was nervous, and I could tell. I know her so well.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Hey, can we talk?¡± Please tell me you remember, even though there is nothing fancy to remember about us, but please just tell me you remember at least our children; they are suffering. ¡°Certainly, take a seat.¡± She sat down slowly while staring at me as if she suddenly recalled something important. I¡¯m crossing my fingers that she does remember. ¡°Umm, you said we were married, right?¡± She asked. ¡°Still are.¡± I raised my hand for her to see the ring on my finger. ¡°And that ring on your finger? I put it there myself on our wedding day?¡± ¡°Do you have pictures?¡± She inquired, What the fuck, Dante, why haven¡¯t you thought of pictures, even pictures of her while pregnant? She gave me that photo album herself. ¡°Yes, there were plenty, even when we were kids. We were friends before we were husband and wife.¡± She gave an awkward smile. Oh, how much I long for just one more glimpse of that grin. ¡°Do you remember what I was like when we were kids?¡± ¡°Well, annoying,¡± I said, and she raised her brows. ¡°At first, though, I noticed that I couldn¡¯t live without you, and I couldn¡¯t even go to bed without seeing your silly face. Basically, every night I would go around acting creepy. I used toe into your room solely for the purpose of watching you sleep and telling you stories while you were unconscious. You once pretended to be sleeping while I read the most irritating bedtime story I have ever read, and I caught a glimpse of a smile on your face while I was reading it to you. When I stopped, you asked me to continue. From there, I would read stories to you every night, but I would end up sleeping in the same bed with you.¡± Her eyes grew much more widely spaced. ¡°You used to sleep with a nine-year-old?¡± Here we go again. She will misunderstand me, just like thest time I told her about our miserable marriage. She used me of cheating and walked out on me. ¡°Yes, you are the one who started the whole sleeping-over thing every night. You would walk from your house to mine, iming you had a bad dream. So I will make you sleep, but when I want to take you back, you will beg me to let you sleep in my bed. We didn¡¯t sleep together; we used to share a bed every time, even when I had a girlfriend. We only slept together on our wedding day.¡± I had to rify that before she started judging me. ¡°How did you have a girlfriend? I thought we promised each other forever. When we first met, that¡¯s what you told me.¡± Ah, yeah. I really hope that she doesn¡¯t get the wrong impression of what I said. This L is judgemental, very judgemental. ¡°Yes, we did, and I kept the promise I made, but I was afraid that if I started telling her that I was waiting for her to mature, I might lose my friend. I stuck to the promise I made. So I hid my feelings for you and dated girls just to forget you, but I couldn¡¯t. It was always you who would creep into my mind at the most inopportune times. Every time I was with a girl, I would call them by your name.¡± It made herugh. ¡°Did I love you back?¡± I took a sip of my scotch and exhaled deeply as I did so. ¡°Yes, you did. You have never been honest about how you felt about me and have consistently pretended to have a boyfriend. I only found out that there was no boyfriend, and that you lied about having already started having sex on our wedding night. You were a virgin, and you didn¡¯t even tell me. After you left, I found a letter you hid, and in that letter that¡¯s when I found out that we loved each other, but we were both scared of losing a friend, so we kept our feelings hidden.¡± ¡°How did I meet Mason, and how did I be his fianc¨¦ while I¡¯m still married to you?¡± That question made me boil. I poured another ss after I finished what was in the first one, but other than that, I drank everything in one sitting. How the fuck do I convince her that that bastard lied? If I do that, she will say I am selfish and tell the idiot everything, and he will stoping around. Right now, I need him toe to my house and y her fianc¨¦. ¡°Umm, I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t really tell because you can¡¯t remember anything, but maybe by the time you fled to Ozark after finding out you were pregnant, you had already forgotten everything. However, after you returned, we continued to work on mending our rtionship while co-parenting our children together. I guess you were confused and lost your memory.¡± I fucking hate lying to her; at least it¡¯s a white lie. ¡°Perhaps we should give it another shot; the children appear to be offended that I don¡¯t remember them. I put a lot of effort into trying to remember everything, but I can¡¯t even remember anything about myself. Mason is the only person whose namees to mind. I remember that when I kissed him, we were hiking. That is the only thing I can recall, and it must have happened not too long ago because he is the only person I seem to remember. However, if you say that we are married, then perhaps we should try for the sake of the children.¡± ¡°No, you are your own person; I want you to stop thinking about other people and think about what you want. Stop being an altruist and put your happiness first. You don¡¯t want to be married; you just want to do it for the kids.¡± I said to her. ¡°But¡­¡± I cut her off. ¡°But nothing. I love you, that¡¯s true, but I have been selfish for a very long time. You own your happiness, L. Choose you before everyone else.¡± ¡°You hate me, do you?¡± You hate me because I can¡¯t remember you and the children! Am I not good enough?¡± Shit! Antonio, this better work! ¡°No, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, but right now, you don¡¯t remember anything, and I can¡¯t pursue a rtionship with someone who doesn¡¯t even know what my favorite color is.¡± ¡°ck! Your favorite color is ck; you love sports cars; and you love noodles!¡± I suddenly became unsteady, and the ss of scotch I was carrying slipped from my hand and shattered all over the floor out of shock. ¡°Bunny, do you remember¡­?¡± Chapter 80 ~Mason¡¯s POV~ When L suggested that they start over as husband and wife for the sake of the children, I stopped dead in my tracks. I was on my way to her room when I overheard the conversation that they were having, and it caused me toe to aplete stop. I frequently found myself standing by the entrance in order to improve my hearing of the conversation. I continued to listen while pressing my ear against the door of the room. ¡°No, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, but right now, you don¡¯t remember anything, and I can¡¯t pursue a rtionship with someone who doesn¡¯t even know what my favorite color is.¡± He said this guy is up to something. He imed her, and now he¡¯s rejecting her. Nah, I didn¡¯t buy it. ¡°ck! Your favorite color is ck; you love sports cars; and you love noodles!¡± In a state of shock, I took a few steps backward, and as my body began to heat up, I thought to myself, ¡°What the fuck?¡± How did she know that? I retracted my body into the same position I had been in prior to making the startling realization. ¡°Bunny, do you remember¡­?¡± Shit! Shit! Shit! I have the overwhelming urge to rip Dante Monroe apartpletely. Why, in the name of all that is holy, is it taking so long for them to bring me what I ordered so that I can keep this moron quiet while he watches me steal his wife? As I was about to pull out my phone when a p that made me see starsnded on my left cheek and I fell back a bit and found myself in Dante¡¯s study. ¡°Doctor ckwood, you might as well step inside so that you can get a good understanding of everything they are saying to each other.¡± The man continued while simultaneously stuffing both of his hands into his pockets and saying, ¡°Aaaa, you¡¯ve already entered.¡± As I searched for my phone, the left corner of my eye became as red as blood. ¡°Are you looking for this?¡± I cautiously opened my right eye, and there in front of me was my phone. I extended my hand and grabbed the phone, but the man didn¡¯t let go of his grip on the phone. Dear Lord, I need help here.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Mason, are you okay?¡± After waiting for a fucking three minutes, L asked me as she ran toward me while I bit the inside of my cheek. ¡°Aaaa, baby, I think I hit my head very hard on the door while I was searching for my phone. I apologize for the inconvenience.¡± I lied through my teeth. I was fucking eavesdropping. ¡°Are you also going to lose your memory? I¡¯ve heard that when someone hits their head that hard, their memory can be permanently damaged.¡± My patience with her is wearing thin at this point. The man who had just pped me continued to stare at me as though I were nothing more than a pet in his presence. This person gives off a vicious vibe, very cold and very calctive. Who is this man? ¡°No, baby, it wasn¡¯t that hard. I¡¯m going to need some ice,¡± I said. ¡°No, Doctor ckwood, this study has a fridge; let me get you some ice while you exin why you were sneaking around behind that door.¡± The man pointed at the door with so much venom in him, then he walked toward the fridge and brought ice for me. He isn¡¯t serious, is he? How the fuck do I exin that I heard them talking and that my fucking fiancee was begging another man to take her back? ¡°Aaah¡­.¡± I yelled, ¡°Oh my God, Mason, I think he might have hit the door so hard, I¡¯m taking him to my room.¡± ¡°Hold on just a second!¡± His thunderous voice makes me want to find a ce to hide until he¡¯s finished talking; who the fuck is this guy, anyway? ¡°He is not leaving till he exins why he was standing on that door eavesdropping on you, too.¡± The man questioned: I don¡¯t think Dante will be the one to take that drug; I think it will be this other guy; he¡¯s going to be a pain in the rear. ¡°Baby, I think I need to take a little nap,¡± I said to L. ¡°Let me take him to my room,¡± L said, and the man walked up to me and pressed my left eye so hard that a piercing pain erupted in me. I was unable to scream as he turned me to face him as though he were giving me a friendly pat, and the devil smiled at me in a mischievous way as he did so. ¡°I¡¯ll drive Doctor ckwood home.¡± He said that as he searched my pockets for my car keys, pulled them out of my pocket, grabbed my hand, and led me out of the study in an authoritative manner. This man is going to be a problem. He got in the car and told me to ¡°fucking get in,¡± which is something I ought to be doing because this is my car. He climbed into the driver¡¯s seat of my Porsche and cranked up the speed to 250 kilometers per hour. I truly hate speed; it makes my stomach turn. Why is this man making my life difficult? ¡°Doctor ckwood, where did you meet Mrs. Monroe?¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°The girl you say¡¯s your fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°Oh, we have been engaged for like 6 years now.¡± After I made that statement, the man cranked up the intensity to its highest level. 300 KM/H, oh my God! The car skidded to a screeching halt right next to my residence in what seemed like the blink of an eye. The man came down, and so did I. When I did, I threw up the burger that I had eaten before going to J¡¯s ce. I have a tight grip on my stomach. I am pleading with God that my intestines do note up with the vomit as well. ¡°Doctor ckwood, drink some water; you should be fine.¡± The moron straightened out his suit jacket and then got into another vehicle that was following us. Wait, how did he know where I am staying because I just bought this house three days ago? Chapter 81 ~L¡¯s POV~ I sat down and continued to read the story to them, and during that time, they were all attentive and asked a lot of questions. I don¡¯t understand what the problem is with me. I am busy reading this story, but my mind is not here. I have a lot on my mind right now, including the man who says he is my husband, but turned me down when I suggested that we start over together. I mean, I am trying with the kids, and despite the fact that I can¡¯t remember any of this, we should be able to make it work. ¡°Alright, kids, that¡¯s all for today. Your lunch will be ready shortly.¡± After I had finished speaking, both of them got to their feet and walked over to where I was standing so that they could kiss me. It is a fantastic feeling. Being a parent sounds like an incredible experience to me. But I can¡¯t really tell what happened to me that day in Mr. Monroe¡¯s study. How did I know what he liked, his favorite color too? Someone called out to me as I was still trying to figure out how in the world I knew that. ¡°L,¡± the person said to me. When I turned around, Mia was looking at me in a tender way while saying, ¡°I love you.¡± I felt like crying when she said that to me, but I brushed it off. ¡°I love you too, Mia.¡± She bolted for the door and followed her brother outside. ¡°You don¡¯t have to try so hard to remember, you know; it will just happen naturally.¡± He said as he eyed me. This man makes me feel so small in his presence, just like Dante, but Antonio is very friendly and likes to joke around. After cing the file he was holding on one of the shelves, he turned and began to leave the room. ¡°Do you think he hates me?¡± I started, and he immediately stopped in his tracksand nced at me. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Mr. Monroe?¡± I said. ¡°You mean your husband?¡± he asked, and I nodded. He came back and stood right in front of me, and I patted the empty space beside me. ¡°What gives you the impression that he actually hates you?¡± ¡°He rejected me yesterday when I proposed that we start afresh and see where it leads us?¡± I said, and he looked at me, somehow not surprised. ¡°Do you me him for rejecting that offer? I mean, a good number of average men would jump at the chance to take advantage of that offer.¡± I shook my head, and hewent on and said, ¡°That man loves you; you don¡¯t even remember him; you have no memory whatsoever.¡± That was a statement made by him, and it was urate. ¡°We can make new memories, but he just didn¡¯t want me. He told me to put my needs ahead of anyone else¡¯s. How am I supposed to prioritize my own needs when there are children involved? It is no longer pertinent to discuss myself. When you have children, it is impossible to choose what you want to do with your life.¡± I attempted to exin it to him in the hope that he would get it. ¡°It¡¯s possible that he wants you to learn more about yourself before you make any decisions regarding your love life. Don¡¯t forget there is still the J, name issue, and the fact that even when you are his wife, you are also Doctor ckwood¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡± I formed a frown. I am aware that I do not recall anything, but that particr part is highly improbable; how is it possible for someone who is already married to be engaged? Wasn¡¯t I supposed to get a divorce before I could start over with someone else? Mason has told me that he purchased the ring that I am currently wearing, and Dante has told me the same thing. Who among the two is telling the truth? Dante told me he would give me our wedding pictures. If at all, Mason is my fianc¨¦, he should have pictures of our engagement.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t really feel connected to Mason, not in that way. But with Mr. Monroe, it¡¯s like I have known him forever, and still, I feel like he is not a straightforward man. While Mason is open about anything and everything,¡± ¡°Are you able to kiss Mason without getting the impression that something is off?¡± Even though he asked, I never have sexual rtions with Mason; however, I do kiss him; however, the act of having sexual rtions with him is something that I simply cannot bring myself to do. Simply put, I can¡¯t go to bed with him. I mean, he¡¯s a really nice guy, but when ites to that particr aspect, my body doesn¡¯t react very well. He went on to say, ¡°Who do you want? Search your heart and know who between the two feels right.¡±, he said. ¡°Mr. Monroe feels a bit right, but he doesn¡¯t want me.¡± I started. ¡°Seduce him to want more of you; make him crave you till he gives in to temptation.¡± I blush; this man is going to put me in trouble. ¡°I ampletely clueless when ites to the art of seduction,¡± I responded in all sincerity, ¡°We¡¯re going shopping.¡± He ordered, and I looked at him, I was curious, so I asked, ¡°With you?¡± ¡°Is there something that¡¯s not quite right about that?¡± I smiled and shook my head. ¡°Get ready,¡± he said as he was leaving, and I began to gather the toys and put them in their appropriate locations as soon as I heard him say that. When I reached one of the shelves, I found a file that seemed to be the one that Antonio was carrying, but it didn¡¯t look that way. I saw him walking out carrying a file. I saw him go back to the same shelf and take out this file; maybe he left another file there. When I removed it, it promptlynded on the ground. The paper was being blown around by the breeze that wasing in through the window, and as it did so, it began to curl ever so slightly. I went bentdown to pick it up and I saw a report; it was about Mason. I flipped through the pages of that damn document while I read each and every word: Mason ckwood lost his practicing license and forged the license when he returned to the state; he was a doctor in Canada; I read it all about how he drugged a married woman and made her pregnant; my eyes widened as the realization hit me. Mavis, why does this name sound familiar? I ignore it and move on. After I had finished reading that piece of garbage for good, I realized that I had a lot of unanswered questions. Is Mason really my fianc¨¦, or did he drug me and make me believe we were engaged? Chapter 82 ~L¡¯s POV~ I don¡¯t really know what¡¯s wrong with Antonio or how the fuck he knows so much about seduction. He took me to a lingerie shop, and ever since then, I can¡¯t help but turn red whenever I¡¯m around him. I know the type I like, but how am I going to fit all this when he¡¯s with me? Is it even appropriate at all? ¡°Hey, L or J. Fuck, Mrs. Monroe sounds better. This is Bianca, a close friend of mine. She will help you out.¡± Antonio said, and I heaved a sigh of relief knowing that I was with a woman. I am a bit insecure when ites to my body, and I still feel like I have ws. I have body issues, and I feel like they make me lose confidence. One of the reasons I am not sleeping with Mason is that I feel like my boobs should have been bigger, I also have a few stretch marks on my boobs. Even though I am happy with the way I look, I sometimes wonder if I could have been more hourss-shaped. Even though Mason ims that my body drives him crazy, there are days when I just don¡¯t like what I see when I look in the mirror. Bianca showed me to a private room, where she took some measurements before returning to the shop to retrieve a number of lingeries for me to try on. ¡°Give this a shot.¡± When I looked at her, she had a smile on her face. ¡°Body issue, huh?¡± She asked and gave her a nod. And from what I¡¯ve picked up so far, Bianca has an Italian ent. ¡°How many kids have you got because, honey, you don¡¯t look bad at all? I have two kids, and Antonio is still crazy about me, even though we are not married or have kids together. I had body issues when I met him, and he taught me the art of being a mother and appreciating my body.¡± My pupils grew muchrger. ¡°You¡¯re Antonia¡¯s girlfriend?¡± She sighed and nodded in agreement. ¡°One of many.¡± I cocked my brow in her direction. ¡°Antonio Guerra belongs to no one; he can pick up any woman he wants; he¡¯s just like that, and besides, he¡¯s Antonio Guerra; he¡¯s never been married in his life. Have no children and have no intention of ever having any.¡± While carrying on with the conversation, I arched my brow once more and then began removing the clothes that I was wearing. ¡°How do you feel about that?¡± ¡°I had toe to terms with who he is and acknowledge that when he is in my presence, he belongs to me. However, when he is not in my presence, I have to let go of any preconceived notions I may have. At first, I used to fight him, and he told me no one could ever own him in this life, and then I also noticed that he was paying for my kids¡¯ tuition fees when he didn¡¯t have to. He has a good heart, but Antonio Guerra isn¡¯t a kind man; he¡¯s only kind to his family. You must be one of his new women.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a question or a statement, so I looked at her. She didn¡¯t look hurt or anything, so she said, ¡°Oh, honey, don¡¯t worry about me; I have done far worse than that. One day, I did something to make him angry, and he ended up calling me and forcing me toe to a hotel so that I could watch him fuck a blonde. He has a thing for blonde girls, except that you are not blonde.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Antonio¡¯s new girl. He¡¯s my doctor?¡± Sheughed as her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Antonio Guerra, a doctor?¡± She continuedughing; ¡°It¡¯s possible he studies medicine, after all.¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Why are you still with him? I mean, he cheats on you, and he has no respect for you.¡± She paused and smiled; she didn¡¯t seem to have any problems at all. ¡°When you try to move on from Antonio, you realize that you actually want the bad boy more than what you thought you wanted, despite the fact that Antonio is a devil and you should avoid him at all costs. So I made peace and epted my fate.¡± She gazed at me with such tenderness. I don¡¯t know how she does it; I certainly couldn¡¯t put up with it. When Mr. Monroe told me he was seeing another girl, even though I couldn¡¯t recall anything about the two of us together. Knowing that he is seeing someone else makes it impossible for me to get any rest. Wait, I don¡¯t understand why I¡¯m getting so worked up right now. I can¡¯t help but wonder if it¡¯s possible that I have feelings for Mr. Monroe. I brush it off. But then there is this point she made about how many kids I had: do I look like someone who has kids? ¡°How did you know I had kids?¡± I simply have to know; I need to be absolutely certain that I am a parent. Maybe I will try harder. One thing I know is that I want Mr. Monroe to like me, but I have no idea if those kids are mine. ¡°The stretch marks on your belly, thighs, and breasts.¡± After clearing my throat, I went over to where she was standing. I am not sure if I should open up to her about not recalling anything. After that, I just said to myself, ¡°Fuck it!¡± ¡°The thing is, I lost my memory and got caught up between two guys, one who ims to be my husband and the other who ims to be my fianc¨¦, and apparently I¡¯ve got three kids who just stopped calling me mom because I can¡¯t remember them. I feel like I am losing my family and also feel like I might be giving the wrong people my time. Also, I feel like my children are starting to hate me because I can¡¯t remember them. I¡¯ve been spending time with them, yet I feel like I am not spending enough time with my fianc¨¦, who could also happen to be a con artist. Bianca My mind is all over the ce, and I don¡¯t know if I am doing the right thing. My husband and my fianc¨¦ fought each other in court because of me, but the one who imed to be my husband won. My fianc¨¦ calls me J, and my husband and everyone else calls me L. I don¡¯t even know my fucking name.¡± After letting it all out, I was surprised to find that I had started crying without even realizing it. Bianca shifted close to me and gave me a hug. I started crying even more because I was so upset, but Bianca held me so tightly and didn¡¯t say a word until I had let it all out and my eyes had dried up. After that, I continued by asking, ¡°Is there a way for me to find out if I have kids without going to see a doctor?¡± After my question, Bianca started to reflect on the situation. Then she cast her gaze in my direction. ¡°Since you¡¯re notfortable with people looking at your body, I doubt seeing one would be a good idea, but you can find out now if you do actually have kids or not.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but grin at her remark. ¡°How?¡± ¡°I raised an eyebrow at her as she pushed a mirror in my direction and said, ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Go inside the restroom, open your legs, and check to see if you have stitches. There is no way you¡¯ll push three kids out normally without them cutting you. There is no way.¡± She then pushed the mirror away. I noticed it must have been a normal birth since your tummy is without a cesarean scar. So go in there and check your fanny, woman!¡± I went inside, took a few deep breaths, as I pulled down my panties, opened my legs, and ced the mirror between my thighs. I let out a scream and then I threw the mirror on the ground. The restroom door flew open, revealing Bianca¡¯s shocked face. Chapter 83 ~L¡¯s POV~ Everything is now crystal clear, perhaps even too clear for my liking. Even now, I have no idea how to approach this situation. The nerve of him! How dare they do this to me? I feel like crying, but then I can¡¯t really me anyone but myself. No matter how hard I try, I just can¡¯t seem to recall anything at all. ¡°You okay?¡± Bianca asked, and I responded in the affirmative, fully aware that our encounter wasn¡¯t a coincidence but rather predetermined by fate. Even though I can¡¯t remember anything from before, I now know the truth. As I went to pick up my bags, I found myself questioning whether or not anything of this nature is still worth it. I went out of the store and waved my hand to Bianca as I walked to the car and got inside. Antonio and I drove home, and I didn¡¯t say anything throughout the drive. When I got home, I found the kids ying, so I stood there and watched them for a moment before rushing upstairs to my room and locking the door behind me. I need some time to think about everything that has been going on. My feelings are all over the ce at the moment. I went into the bathroom, showered, and then changed into a different outfit. Bianca and I did a lot of lingerie shopping, including some clothes she considered sexy. I tried on one of the dresses, and although it clung to my curves and was just a tad bit too short for my taste, I knew that I had to do this. After pulling my hair back into a ponytail, I went outside and there I found Mason, the very person I had been searching for. I stopped midway in my tracks. ¡°Mason, can I have a word with you?¡± I said as I turned back to my room. I went and sat on top of my bed, and Mason came and sat next to me.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Hey there, sweetie, I heard that you¡¯ve been locking yourself up for quite some time now.¡± ¡°Yeah, my emotions are just all over the ce. Who told you I locked myself inside?¡± ¡°Mr. Monroe.¡± Mr. Monroe, is he trying to push me away? Why would he tell Mason that? ¡°Yea, I went out and met a new friend and learned some new things, first thing first,¡± I said to him as I got up from bed and opened one of the drawers to retrieve the document. I strolled over to him and thrust it into his grasp as I sat down next to him. ¡°Would you care to exin this, Mason?¡± After I questioned him, he started flipping through the pages of the document. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± He seemed rather calm about what was in the document, making it hard for me to read any emotion. ¡°That¡¯s not the point, the point is, I was said to have drugs that caused memory loss in my system and, apparently, I lost my memory and you, my supposed fianc¨¦, happen to have done the same shit to another woman called Mavis who, for some weird reason sounds family to me. Did you drug me, Mason? Did you drug me like you, Caroline Hudson?¡± ~Mason¡¯s POV~ Mason: I¡¯m running out of time. Line 2: What do you mean? Mason: She is beginning to question my motives as a result of information that has been given to her by an outside source. ¡°Answer me, Mason!¡± I was taken aback when she yelled at me, and as a result, I jolted a little bit in my seat on the bed. Since that Antonio fe moved in here, things have been getting more difficult for me; I can¡¯t even get L a ss of water to drink. This is all Antonio¡¯s fault. ¡°Look, baby, I¡¯ve never been to Canada. Why would I go there when Ozark is short of doctors? That doesn¡¯t make sense, baby boo.¡± It did not appear that she was buying it; rather, she appeared to be believing the document. ¡°Honey, there¡¯s no reason for me to drug you or anyone else.¡± She pressed her palms together against her chest. ¡°Mason, do I have kids?¡± I froze. What the heck is wrong with her? That Antonio guy, I should invite him for a cup of coffee. The idiot is standing in my way. ¡°Baby, you really need to get some sleep. I believe that you are worn out and confused, which is understandable on my part.¡± I remarked as I exited her room, just prior to her beginning to irritate me further. I descended the stairs and there in front of me was the very person I had been looking for. At this point, I don¡¯t really give a damn about anything. ¡°Antonio!¡± I want him to get out of the way. I called out to him and he raised his brow at me and looked at me disgustedly, ¡°Care to join me for a cup of coffee?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have friends, and maybe, just maybe, if I had any, they could call me by my name. It¡¯s Mr. Guerra to you.¡± He¡¯s cold, which is a good thing because I¡¯m about to turn him into a vegetable for standing in my fucking way. After that, he gave him a sneering look while maintaining a smile on his face. ¡°Coffee sounds good, ckwood.¡± It was he, who did some digging on me. He always calls me Dr. ckwood; today he just called me ckwood. I have to put an end to his yapping. I went into the kitchen and saw a coffee machine. After I had finished making the coffee, I went back to the spot where Antonio and I were sitting. I positioned the cup of coffee so that it was next to him, and then I positioned mine next to me. Line 2: It should be the guy; silence him. After reading the message and smiling at it, I looked up and saw that Antonio was already halfway through his cup of coffee. Satisfied, I drank mine, and it should start working any moment from now. When I looked at him, he smiled, which was the first time I had seen it. He stood up, straightened the jacket of his suit, and then began to leave. Then I began to feel as though my organs were failing, so he switched the coffees I was drinking. No! No! But when? When I gave it some serious thought, I realized¡­ The time I got a message from Candice, my phone fell to the floor because my hands couldn¡¯t carry it. Antonio came over to crouch down next to me while staring at me in an appalled manner. ¡°You are just a rat, ckwood. Be sure to bring your own equipment the next time you try to drug someone while they are at home, rather than using theirs.¡± He looked up and said, ¡°Oh, there won¡¯t be a next time because you are now turning into a vegetable.¡± Shit! Chapter 84 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ ¡°Look, a Guerra doesn¡¯t show weakness, and you are starting to piss me off.¡± I am no fucking Guerra; I am a Monroe. My uncle won¡¯t refer to me as a Monroe, and the fact that he won¡¯t is starting to get on my nerves. I hate it when L spends time with that bastard. I cringe every time I see her sh a grin at him, and Antonio is always nagging me to bring her closer to him. What if they end up making out in the end? I try to push the thought out of my mind. ¡°How do you expect me to be calm when she¡¯s in there with him? What are they talking about?¡± He looked at me with a repulsed expression. One thing that stands out to me about Antonio is that he despises being put on the spot with questions. He opened his coat and pushed a document in my direction before closing it again. I looked at him and waited for him to exin what was going on before proceeding.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°io cazzo odio gli idioti.¡± I wish I knew what he was saying, but I know he¡¯s cursing me. After taking a nce at the time disyed on his wristwatch, he asked, ¡°Do you want me to exin?¡± It was his question, and he was aggravated. I started flipping through the pages of the document, and when I saw what it was, my eyes grew extremely wide. ¡°Where and when did you get this?¡± I asked. ¡°The day he was eavesdropping, I pped him purposely so he could drop the phone, and now I have ess to his call log and messages. Your ex is the one behind everything. ckwood wants L; Candice wants you; and ckwood¡¯s sister wants you. The two women shouldn¡¯t worry about them; we will deal with themter. Mason¡¯s original n was to transform you into a vegetable, but now he is more concerned with getting rid of me. So we turn him into a vegetable before he turns us into one.¡± When I looked at my uncle, I became very enraged because he could see right through people. Meanwhile, Mason was busy plotting my demise, while I was just rxing and waiting for L to remember. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I will turn Mason into a vegetable.¡± I breathed in a sigh of relief and continued, ¡°I will end him myself.¡± Antonio shed me a grin, and I smiled back before I sat back in my chair and began to consider how I could defeat him. I¡¯m thinking about my kids and my wife, who doesn¡¯t seem to remember anything about us-not that there is anything good to remember about us. L and I, well, I don¡¯t know if we will ever work things out. I love her, but her happinesses first. If she wants to be with Mason, she can be with him, but I want to deal with him first so that no one else will ever be a victim at his hands. If she wants to be with Mason, she can be with him. I ced a few calls, and by noon I was looking at the medication that I would personally use to put an end to him before he can put an end to me. My train of thought was thrown off while I was trying to figure out how to drug him because Antonio and Mason were having a conversation. ¡°Antonio! Care to join me for a cup of coffee?¡± Coffee, I can. Drug his coffee. I waited for my uncle¡¯s response. My uncle harbors a deep-seated grudge against Mason, and if I hadn¡¯t known any better, I might have sworn that he was perfectly capable of pulling the trigger long ago. My uncle is a merciless man. I am not sure if what I hear about them is true, but I can¡¯t help but think it¡¯s true. ¡°I don¡¯t have friends, and maybe, just maybe, if I had any, they could call me by my name. It¡¯s Mr. Guerra to you.¡± The cold manner in which he addressed Mason almost made meugh, so I pulled out my phone and sent a text message to him. Dante: Agree Antonio: Drink coffee with this thing? Oh, for Pete¡¯s sake! Dante: Agree ¡°Coffee sounds good, ckwood.¡± As soon as I heard him say that, I bolted for the kitchen. However, just as I was about to turn on the appliance, Mason walked in, and I hid, then I noticed that Mason had tampered with one of the drinks. Even better, Dante: switch the drinks. I sent a message to my uncle. If I hadn¡¯t taken action right now, my uncle might have ended up as a vegetable. I was in such a good mood that I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I dashed back to my study. The sound of someone hitting the ground with a resounding thud came to my attention in a short amount of time. After that, I overheard my uncle talking. ¡°You are just a rat, ckwood. Be sure to bring your own equipment the next time you try to drug someone while they are at home, rather than using theirs. ¡°Oh, there won¡¯t be a next time because you are now turning into a vegetable.¡± Mission one is 30%plete. ~L¡¯s POV~ Even though Mason kept telling me to rest, I simply was unable to do so. I had to get up because something just didn¡¯t seem right. I was surprised to see Antonio standing there as I pulled the handle on my door. ¡°Antonio! What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Are you still interested in luring that boy into bed?¡± I shyly smiled and nodded. ¡°Do it quickly; he¡¯s currently working on his study.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about¡­¡± He cut me off. ¡°Your presence is enough; the boy is crazy about you. Just do something sexy. That dress you are currently donning is sufficient.¡± He said that and left. I went downstairs and made coffee for him, quickly climbed back up the stairs, and headed to his office. I pounded on the door and waited for him to invite me in before entering. I walked in and began to catwalk my way into his desk. I ced the coffee on his desk while making sure my breasts were alluring enough. When I noticed that his eyes were glued to my breasts, I let out a sigh of relief. I watched as he swallowed hard and cleared his throat. ¡°If there is anything you will need, I¡¯m just a call away,¡± I said as I reached over to his desk, picked up a pen, and then purposefully threw it on the ground. I knelt down to pick up the pen, but what I saw caused my heart to pound in my chest and gave me a chill down my spine. He was hard. As soon as I stood up, I could see the lust in his eyes. I needed to get out as quickly as possible. He¡¯s staring at me the same way he used to back in the office. I quickly turned around, but I was thrown on top of the desk before I couldplete the turn. When did he get to me this fast? While I was wondering what was going on, he greedily took my lips, and like a whore, I let him into my mouth. Chapter 85 ~L¡¯s POV~ The need to be taken by Mr. Monroe was bing unbearable. It was meant to be a seduction, but it ended up turning into desires instead. The origins of my desires are a mystery to me; I just can¡¯t seem to put my finger on them. All I know is that when Mr. Monroe grabbed my ass. I wanted more. The need to have one¡¯s needs met awakens from its momentary slumber within. With a lopsided grin, he leaned closer to me and said, ¡°You are ying with fire, Mrs. Monroe. The need to part your legs and bury me deep inside you is bing irresistible, Mi Amor.¡± His voice, all raspy and masculine, was too much for me to bear. I looked up at him, feeling desperate and helpless. What the fuck is wrong with me? He looked so possessive, ready to take me, but hesitating. No! I don¡¯t want him to hold back; in fact, I want him so badly that all I can think about at the moment is him kissing me hungrily as he did before. I don¡¯t want him to hold back. A hostile grin formed on his face as he clenched his jaw. That sight was enough to send me into a frenzy. ¡°I can¡¯t do this with you, L. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing.¡± He said while his big hands were still grabbing my butt cheeks. It felt as though his hands were making res that trailed down my body and collided in the space between my thighs. My windpipe was parched, my cheeks were flushed from the pool that was threatening toe out of my sex, and I bit my lips to keep from gasping for air. But it was all for naught because the sound of his voice was like adding fuel to a me. I longed for a greater number of his touches. I held his gaze, but he wasn¡¯t buying it, so I crashed my lips on his and wrapped my legs around his waist while using the duty desk for bnce, arching my back a little so I could feel his bulge. A groan escaped his lips. Yeah, baby, touch me. Do not speak; rather, maintain your grip on that butt. ¡°No, not like this.¡± He released his hold on me. His trousers were like a tent. Evidently, he wanted this, but something was holding him back. He brushes his hair back, walking around with his harder cock. Then his gaze moved to the pool that was situated in the space between my legs. I didn¡¯t dare look up. He¡¯s looking at me like that seemed to be intensifying the need and magnifying it, making me burn hotter with the need for his hard rock cock in between my thighs. The cup of coffee that was lying on the table came into his line of sight, and he snatched it up as quickly as he could and drained it all in one swallow. I looked up at his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing even faster as he drank the whole thing up. I squeaked; I couldn¡¯t take it. My panties were suddenly damp, my stomach clenched, and my core throbbed uncontrobly with the need to be taken. I don¡¯t know what this feeling is, but it doesn¡¯t feel foreign; all I know is that I am not leaving this study without him taking me. Every muscle in my body was tense and in need of being touched. I pulled the hem of my dress up to my waist and raised one leg while still sitting on top of his desk. I slid my hand in, and it brushed against my clit. I was on the verge of losing it. My breathing got heavier, which made Mr. Monroe turn my way, and the sight he saw made him curse. ¡°Fuck!¡± I started massaging myself while holding his gaze; I couldn¡¯t stop. The need was consuming me. I couldn¡¯t keep anything straight in my head. I could not stifle the moan that came out of my mouth as I touched my wet lips and slid one finger in before beginning to pump myself in and out, which infuriated the man who was standing in front of me even more. I really don¡¯t know what is wrong with me, but there is no way I am leaving this study. The tension, the need, the fire-it was agonizing. I was going to explode, my mouth opened wide and ready to explode in front of him, but Mr. Monroe rushed towards me, imed my lips, removed my finger, and reced it with his, and with just one pump of his finger, it sent me into a frenzy. As I exploded, I was hit by a barrage of waves of pleasure, one after the next. He slowly pulled his finger out, and I moaned in frustration. I wanted more of where that came from. ¡°I want more.¡± I managed to break the kiss and speak because there was no way I was just going to kiss; I wanted his finger inside me. ¡°You can¡¯t remember us, but your body can surely remember the things I used to do to it.¡± He let out a growl. There was amusement in his tone that made me think I knew this feeling. ¡°You might not remember me, but your body didn¡¯t forget this.¡± He growled again, pinching my clit and sending me into yet another frenzy with a loud scream. ¡°Who am I to you?¡± I bit my lip so hard, not wanting to embarrass myself even further. ¡°Say it.¡± Hemanded, his tone aggressive and possessive. ¡°Husband,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t really sure if he was, but one thing I¡¯m sure of is that I want more of where those waves of pleasure areing from. ¡°Name.¡± He breathed out.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Mr- Mon-roe.¡± I sputtered. ¡°My name.¡± He growled, inserting a finger into my wet lip and thrusting it violently, ¡°Say it!¡± I bit my lips together so tightly that the only thing that came out of my mouth as I exploded was his name. ¡°Dante!¡± I screamed his name. ¡°Good girl.¡± Chapter 86 ~L¡¯s POV~ As I screamed his name, my heart came dangerously close to bursting through my chest. My legs are jelly-like. He grabbed my face and forced me to look at his face before releasing his grip. As he brought my finger close to his nose and then to his mouth in order to taste me, he had a look of torment in his dark eyes the entire time. ¡°You taste divine, Mi Amor.¡± He uttered those words in a low, husky whisper. Those words got me even wetter. He pulled me closer to him and I felt the swell of his bulge, this time needing attention, my attention. I moaned and started to rub against his swollen bulge. ¡°Easy, Bunny.¡± The sound of his voice caused a sudden and intense arousal in my pussy. He pressed his lips to my neck, and instead of leaving wet, soft kisses, he started to lick. Every glistening drop of sweat that he ingested, he ingested it. I was unable to take it any longer, so I began to thrash about violently against his bulge. ¡°If you keep doing that, I¡¯m going to fuck the living daylights out of you.¡± He breathed hot air into my neck, which caused the pool of liquid that was between my legs to spill even more. I felt helpless to resist anything, not that I wanted to resist; the need ensnared me; I wanted Mr. Monroe in all of his glory. He breathed hot air into my neck again. The sensation of his bulge pressing against my wet underwear caused me to moan with pleasure. My brain was foggy, and all I could think about was the need to have his enormous cock buried in between my thighs. His hands wriggled their way under my dress and into my underwear beforeing into contact with my naked butt cheeks. My abdominal area began to press against his lower body before I was even aware of what I was doing, causing him to let out a gratified groan. My arms encircled his neck, and I felt an overwhelming desire to touch him, feel him, and consume him. I needed to press every part of my body against his. I desired him more than I have ever desired anything else in the history of the world. He kept kissing me without holding the ces I wanted him to hold the most, not taking off his clothes to fuck me senselessly. He didn¡¯t want me. He just wanted to kiss me, make me hornier, and leave. ¡°You don¡¯t want this, do you?¡± He smiled in a way that implied ownership and gave me a knowing smirk. He didn¡¯t respond, but instead, he pressed his throbbing member against my thigh. I had to fight back the urge to let out a gasp. He was dry-humping me on top of the table, and all I wanted was to tear his clothes off and feel his skin against mine. My mouth opens slightly, and I let out a breath. As he continued to dry-hump me, I could feel my eyes beginning to close. His fingertips skittered across the wet surface of my lips. As his throbbing bulge rubbed against my aching sex, I began to shake as the tremors tore through me. My face flushed, and I moaned as he slipped one of his fingers into my mouth. I drew him closer to me because I didn¡¯t want him to hesitate. As his fingers explored me, I felt a twinge of pain mixed with pleasure. A thrill ran up my spine as I watched Mr. Monroe unzip his pants, not pulling them down enough for his manhood to spring free, and shifted my wet panties aside as he finally slid his cock inside me. My breath hitched, eyes widened, mouth wide open, and formed a shape of an O. ¡°I want you to look at my cock as it thrusts in and out of your pussy.¡± I blinked so many times in just a few minutes, trying to understand what I was feeling. I looked up at him, but Mr. Monroe didn¡¯t want me to look at him; he wanted my eyes on his cock, so I slowly looked down and watched as he pulled out, then thrust back in, hard. I yelped as I felt him even deeper inside me as he mercilessly pumped in and out of my pussy. As he began to move more quickly and cruelly, his hands tightened their grip on my butt cheeks. He was relentless. The force of each thrust he made sent electric sparks down my spine, causing me to arch my back while simultaneously flying my free hand to his head and grabbing hold of his hair in order to pull him deeper into me. He was pushing me to my absolute breaking point. After that, he halted and gently brushed my face before saying, ¡°Now, look at me.¡± Hemanded as he thrust back in, then briefly pulled back and looked me in the eye as he slowly slid out of my dripping folds. ¡°Look at me.¡± He sputtered. As soon as Iplied with what I was told, he reinserted his dick into my pussy and ensured that he confined me to him in such a way that it was impossible for me to move. With each new thrust, he made it harder and more rapid than the one before it. Hitting me hard in my most sensitive spot, my toes curled up, and I started to shudder. My lower abdomen started to feel like it was being crushed by intense pressure. I wailed to the heavens, threw my head back, and rolled my eyes all the way to the back of my head as I did so. He grabbed my hair and started to pull it so I could face him. With that, he started to fuck me, pouring me harder and faster while his lips captured my bouncing, pert mounds and sucked them. He was fucking my brains out. He pushed me to the highest peak. My hands moved back to his head, and I tightened my grip on his hair, pulling his head up so he could seize my breast. When he did, I pressed my lips on his and tightened my long legs around his waist while his cock kept devouring my clit. I could feel his cock twitching inside of me, and as he pressed down on me, my walls tightened up in response. ¡°Fuck!¡± He let out a groan. His speed increased, and he began to pound harder and faster, mercilessly sending me into oblivion as my perception began to blur and I started to see stars. As I was sinking deeper into the ocean of euphoria, I started to yell his name as I dragged him along with me. I was unable to stop shaking, and after a few quick strokes, he exploded inside of me as well.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Crack! We both looked back, and there sat Mason ckwood in a wheelchair, drooling saliva. Chapter 87 ~Mason¡¯s POV~ I have a deep-seated, abiding loathing for Antonio Guerra. He beat me at my own game; I spiked his drink, but he switched drinks when I least expected it. The house even had a wheelchair ready for me. It¡¯s hard for me to believe I¡¯m in this predicament. He dragged me all the way to Dante¡¯s office and then abandoned me there, fully aware that I would remain silent even if I had the willpower to do so. That one man had everything well thought out. He knew L wanted Dante and he left me here to watch as they fucked each other¡¯s brains out. I got to see everything, including everything that I yearned to im as my own. Her long legs were wrapped around Dante¡¯s waist, further tormenting me because I could never have her, touch her, or even feel her presence. Antonio made sure of it. He made me watch it all as they hungrily devoured each other. As I watched the show, I couldn¡¯t help but let a tear fall down my cheek. My cock couldn¡¯t even get hard; Antonio made sure I was a dead man sitting in the wheelchair the entire time he was torturing me. After doing some research, I discovered that he is a mafia boss in Italy; it is no wonder that he gave off such a terrifying impression. I had a lot of ns for him, but he was one step ahead of me in every aspect of the game. At this point in time, I am unable to write, walk, or eat anything on my own. Worse yet, there is no cue because I did this to get rid of them so that no one could ever help them or cue them again. Right now I¡¯m sitting here drooling and urinating on myself. Even speaking is impossible for me because my mouth is always wide open. This is a terrible omen. I didn¡¯t even get the chance to finish my little experiment with L; she meant not to remember anything, but now she seems to be recalling some of the things very quickly. Who is helping her? ~Candice¡¯s POV~ Call me paranoid, but something about today doesn¡¯t feel right. I don¡¯t know for sure, but ever since I got that call, I¡¯ve been gued by this foreboding feeling that just won¡¯t go away. I just can¡¯t seem to shake it. I scanned the restaurant and walked in, as I didn¡¯t see anything unusual. I snagged a seat in the vicinity of the window with the intention of being able to observe everyone who entered and exited the restaurant. A waitress came over to assist me, but before I could give her my order, my phone went off with a flurry of notifications. June ckwood I wasn¡¯t the sharpest, but for some time now I¡¯ve been noticing the way she calls out Dante¡¯s name. It¡¯s like a moaning out of her mouth every time she says his name. ¡°Give me a sec,¡± I said to the waitress. She nodded and waited. June: Mason wants to eliminate Dante and have L. If he kills him, your fight will be in vain. It made me grin. Considering that she has nothing to gain by disclosing this information to me, why would she do so? I gave the waitress in front of me the friendliest smile I could muster and then proceeded to ce my drink order after looking at her. ¡°I¡¯ll have a Mimosa.¡± I tried to do some calctions while sitting back and rxing on my chair, but 1 plus 1 did not give me a fucking 2, and the numbers just did not add up at all. I heaved a sigh and waited for my drink. What is June¡¯s agenda? After what seemed like an eternity, my drink was finally brought to me, and I guzzled it down in one sitting, which caused the girl¡¯s eyes to be very wide. ¡°Another one,¡± I ordered. And with that, she was gone in a sh, and I¡¯m still trying to figure out why Mason changed the strategy we had originally devised. He got to have L, while I got to have Dante. I can¡¯t fucking believe that I had to sleep with him first for him to agree. That guy is a swine, but I managed to get what I wanted out of him. L believed it when I told her that her name was J, and Mason got to convince her that she was his. Dante, that man isn¡¯t a fool. It is difficult to win his approval, and I haven¡¯t even had the opportunity to be more than five paces away from him. Mason was supposed to make him forget L, just like we made L forget him. I get to y mommy to their children and convince Dante that the children are ours. The idiot, however, wants to throw a wrench into my ns.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Here you go, ma¡¯am.¡± The waitress remarked as she ced the champagne ss on the table. She looked at me briefly before turning and walking away. I swirled the champagne flute, took a sip from it, and just as I was about to set it on the table, the man of my dreams walked in. Looking all inhuman, I lost an adonis to a dump girl like L. An adonis is something that I simply must possess for the rest of my life. He was decked out in a pricey tuxedo. Expensive in the same way as the owner is. His dark hair was disheveled, as though he had just gotten out of bed, and an aggressive grin was stered across his face. Oh, how I adore the grin on your face. I have to admit that the sight of him alone was enough to make me wet. He looked around and didn¡¯t see who he was looking for; then his eyesnded on me, but he didn¡¯t acknowledge me. I don¡¯t me him; he hates my guts. I reached into the bottom of my ss and fished the orange out. I then popped it into my mouth and seductively rolled it around on my tongue while allowing thest drops of orange juice and alcohol to drip out before crushing it between my teeth. Dante chose to sit far away from where I was, so I picked up my ss and approached his table. ¡°Mr. Monroe, you continue to exude an air of sophistication.¡± I offered apliment. He eyed me with no expression whatsoever. ¡°You don¡¯t look bad yourself, Candice.¡± I smiled as I pulled a chair for myself, knowing that Dante Monroe would only pull a chair for L. No one else is ady in his eyes except for that bitch. So I raised my butt a little high for him to see what he was missing before sitting down, uninvited. ¡°Waiting for someone?¡± I asked, and he cast me a questionable re that suggested, ¡°Why the fuck would you care?¡± After that, however, he gave a slight nod and said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m waiting for my girlfriend.¡± I wrinkled my brow in consideration of him. ¡°Girlfriend?¡± ¡°Yea, June ckwood.¡± What? What do you think Dante is up to? Chapter 88 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ I took a seat and waited for June ckwood, but in all honesty, she was just there to talk about the Lolitta hotel and not love, and I don¡¯t like women who are that desperate. I had the impression that the woman had moved on from the fixation she had on me, but learning that she and her brother had nned it all was a royal pain in the ass. The picture that was sent to me wasn¡¯t a mistake; Mason knew all about it and acted innocent all along. June, right from the beginning, was very forthright about her goals, which is one trait of an overly ambitious woman that I have never liked. I looked over and saw Candice picking up her flute and beginning to walk in my direction. Let the game begin. Because I despised her with such a burning rage, I made sure that I sat in a location that was a great distance away from where she was seated. Just the sight of her makes my stomach turn. ¡°Mr. Monroe, you continue to exude an air of sophistication.¡± She was kind enough to offer apliment. When I looked up at her, I had absolutely no expression on my face at all; however, I had to keep reminding myself that I was doing it for the sake of my family. My wife, my children, and the children who will follow after them. ¡°You don¡¯t look bad yourself, Candice.¡± I kept my expression neutral and watched as she smiled and pulled a chair out for herself while I remained seated. ¡°Waiting for someone?¡± She inquired, and my response was to give her a look that was meant to convey the question, ¡°Why the fuck would you care?¡± For my family ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m waiting for my girlfriend.¡± she furrowed her brows at me. ¡°Girlfriend?¡± ¡°Yea, June ckwood,¡± I answered. I didn¡¯t miss a chance to see her menacing face; she looked like she was about to explode, but what does it matter? ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll excuse myself. Have a lovely day, Dante.¡± After saying that, she got up and went back to her table. ~Candice¡¯s POV~ I could literally feel the anger rising in the pit of my stomach. It took everything I had not to scream out, everything that was building up inside of me at the same time. Behind my eyes, I could feel my own tears beginning to glisten. I had no control over the muscle cramps that were ripping through the headache that I was carrying on the inside of my body. I couldn¡¯t believe it; I just couldn¡¯t. Because I have been constantly digging my nails into the table in front of me to muffle a scream or convince myself not to go out and buy a gun and shoot someone, my nails are getting dangerously close to bursting through my skin. I hate being double-timed. I made it abundantly clear to June ckwood how I felt about Dante; I stated that I would kill for that man, and right now, the idiot is asking for it. June ckwood was aware of my feelings. I hate being tested. How did I get here? Uninvited, a man stood in front of me, adjusting the jacket of his suit, and then sat down. ¡°Jealous much?¡± He inquired, and my response was a fit of hystericalughter, as though he had just said something so hrious that it wet my panties. Have you ever been in such a desperate need to be distracted from the reality that the only thing you could do to keep your adversaries from realizing you were defeated was tough out loud? That is exactly what is going on with me, and I have no control over the situation in the slightest. The man in front of me bore into me, making me feel nervous, and he spoke again: ¡°I can make it all go away.¡± Then he settled one hand on the table while the other was in his pocket. ¡°Sorry, who are you?¡± I asked, and he continued to bore me. ¡°What is it that you can make go away?¡± ¡°Tesoro, everything-the pain, the rage. You can be free of it all. I am that good.¡± This individual exudes death, danger, and everything else associated with the sentiment ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me.¡± His eyes are opaque, which makes it difficult to decipher the expression on his face. He had a strong jawline, something that wasn¡¯t difficult to notice. His characteristics were exceptionally dominant. It¡¯s as if he doesn¡¯t have a heart or a soul. Everything about him screams ¡°Devil, evil, Diablo.¡± He is the embodiment of all three. And yet I am dining with him; maybe he could help me end June ckwood. ¡°Candice.¡± I introduced myself by extending my hand for a handshake, and the man quickly said, ¡°No.¡± The man had a harsh look, almost stern, and there wasn¡¯t the slightest wee on his face. I continued to extend my hand, but the man got even angrier: ¡°Non mettermi a prova.¡± Trantion: Do not test me. I took my hand back and asked, ¡°How are you going to help me?¡± He gave me a friendly smile before drawing a silver gun from his pocket and passing it to me. ¡°Kill her; the dead won¡¯t have sex, won¡¯t they? It¡¯s like she just wants to jump him to prove a point. If she¡¯s dead, she won¡¯t get a taste of his cock, would she?¡± He continued, ¡°The ckwoods were ying you,¡± which caused my eyes to widen further. He extended a hand, and a man shoved a file into his hand, and he slid the file my way. ¡°You were never in the game; they were ying you. Everything was about them all along.¡± After making that statement, the man stood up and started moving in the direction of the exit. ¡°Please, let me at least have your name,¡± I said as I stood up, but the man continued to walk away with power oozing from every stride he took. I have no idea, but even if it were just for a night, I would enjoy running my hands over every muscle that he possesses. I don¡¯t know why. Focus Candice!This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. I slowly sat down. At least in the midst of all this drama, I still remembered who I wanted: Dante Monroe. I made mistakes, but I would do anything for that man. Even if it resorts to killing someone. I will do it! A light breeze ruffled the napkins on the table and kissed my exposed nose, blocking my view, just as I removed the napkin. I observed June putting her breasts forward in an attempt to attract attention. She intended for his gaze to be drawn to her breasts, and it appeared to be working. Ipletely lost it when the man licked his lips. I was losing him. I am losing Dante to that country girl. My blood pressure skyrocketed, and I felt a surge of adrenaline course through my entire body. I opened the envelope the man gave me, and there I saw Mason¡¯s call history and messages. His messages to me and other people, Mason and June, were ying with me this whole time. I looked at the silver gun the man handed me, and I couldn¡¯t control my anger. First, he slept with me just so he could get his way; now he¡¯s betraying me for his sister. I despise acts of treachery. I hate it with a passion. I got up, aimed the gun at June ckwood, and pulled the trigger seven times, ending her misery of life. No one could ever have what was meant to be mine-not June and not even L. Chapter 89 ~Candice¡¯s POV~ I pulled the trigger, and I shot June ckwood out of anger, but what drew my attention was the sinister smile that Dante Monroe gave me at the moment of the shooting. It doesn¡¯t make sense. It just doesn¡¯t. After giving it a lot of thought, I came to the conclusion that I had been tricked. Was that enigmatic, horrifying man sent to me by Dante? No! Dante is far too easygoing. I took a look at the pool of blood that had just been caused by me. I was supposed to be nowhere near Dante and his family. Despite this being stated in the protection order that was issued against me, Dante and I had a perfectly normal conversation today, but why? Wait¡­. He knew of my ns. Where the fuck is Mason ckwood? As I was still pondering about Mason ckwood, the man who gave me the silver gun walked in with Mason ckwood in a wheelchair, mouth wide open, as though he were gaping for air, except he wasn¡¯t. The man was drooling, and one could tell he couldn¡¯t do anything for himself. For how long has he been in that wheelchair? Mason¡¯s eyes traveled to my hand; I was still carrying the gun. Then his eyesnded on his lifeless sister. Tears started toe out of his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t talk, scream, or move; he was just there. The man pushed Mason, left his wheelchair next to where I was standing, and went to sit down with Dante. ¡°I¡¯ll have a Bloody Mary; it¡¯s very bloody in here,¡± The man said as he looked at Dante and smiled. Then the two men were staring at my pathetic self. The police arrived just as I was about to run away from the scene, and they caught me before I could get away. Blood. Blood was everywhere, and I began to regret my actions. Dante yed me; he knew I was obsessed with him and knew how far I would go for him. He made me kill. I tried to run, but I was toote; the police had already arrived. ¡°Candice Murray, you are under arrest for the murder of June ckwood, for a conspiracy against Mr. Monroe and his family, and for viting the protection order that was issued to you,¡± said the officer. My hands were cuffed while I was pinned against one of the tables. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I was yed; they made me do it.¡± The woman did not pay attention to what I was saying; all she did was drag me outside while I watched Dante, and the man who had given me the gun grinned devilishly at me. I did what they wanted me to do, and I am paying for it because of my anger issues. ~L¡¯s POV~ I sat on top of my bed thinking of how Mr. Monroe makes me feel. I want everything he does to me with those burning hands of his every day. Ever since our make-out session the other day in his study, I have been going to his room every night, wanting more of what he did to me that day. Call me crazy; I still remember nothing, but I want him. I want this. Antonio has already left, and I have been feeling a little better, though some might say I¡¯m trying way too hard for my own good. All I want is to remember. It is imperative that I recall him along with the children. Right now, I know he is my husband and that the kids are ours. At least, now I know I have kids and have been trying my best to be their mom. After hearing a gentle knock at the door, I invited the person standing on the other side of the door toe inside, and then Mia entered the room.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Hey L.¡± She starts. ¡°Hey, baby girl, are you ready for today?¡± She nodded. Since Antonio had left, Mia and I had been engaging in our own private sessions. Antonio advised me not to try too hard because everything would fall into ce at the right time, but I am desperate; I want to love everyone around me the way I ought to. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love them, but right now it seems forced because I can¡¯t remember them. Mia has been telling me stories of how I used to treat them and what I liked. She gave me a photo album while shing a friendly smile at me. After that, she sat down next to me and smiled while she waited for me to open the album, which I eventually did. The first picture appeared to be a snapshot from the moment I learned that I was carrying a child. The second one appeared to be the moment that I realized there were three, which was then followed by pictures documenting every stage of my pregnancy. My head started to hurt, and although I wasn¡¯t sure what was causing it, I didn¡¯t want to stop. Whatever it takes for them. Then I saw a picture of myself on the hospital bed carrying two children and Martha carrying one. I looked at that picture way more than I should have, and tears starteding out of my eyes unknowingly. I kept staring at the picture, and I got way too emotional. ¡°This is me, this is Tyler, and grandma was holding Kai.¡± Mia spoke, and for some reason it seemed as though I knew who was who. My headache continued to worsen, and blurred pictures appeared in the back of my mind. I then fell out of bed and hit my head very hard on the floor; thest thing I heard was Mia screaming for help. Chapter 90 ~Dante¡¯s POV~ When I heard my little girl scream, I was in my study; I immediately ran out of the studyand went to the location from which she was screaming. When I entered L¡¯s bedroom, I found her lying on the carpet. I picked her up and ced her on the bed before dialing Emily, our family physician, as quickly as I could. She didn¡¯t squander a single second. Emily was not able to provide any information regarding L¡¯s memory because that was not her area of expertise, but she did check on L and let us know that she was doing fine. I couldn¡¯t leave her room because I wasn¡¯t sure if she was going to be okay. The children were in the same state of anxiety as I was, and they refused to leave her room. Even though L doesn¡¯t remember anything, I know that she has been trying her best for the children, and there have been times when I¡¯ve gotten the impression that she¡¯s being too hard on herself. Since we had our first passionate encounter in my study, L and I have been unable to keep our hands off of each other. Each and every night, she would visit me in my bedroom. Even though she couldn¡¯t remember, she begged me to let us give it a shot, anyway. I had no choice but toply with her request because, after all, she was my wife. Mason moved back to Ozark; June was six feet under; and Candice-I still have ns for her, but she will nevere between me and my wife. ¡°Daddy, are you sure she¡¯s going to be all right?¡± While I was giving my son Kai a peck on the forehead, he asked, I reassured him, ¡°Boy, Mommy is going to be all right.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Can I sleep with her?¡± I gave Kai the go-ahead to climb up on the bed, and he did so just as he was cing his head in L¡¯s arms. L opened her eyes, took a few seconds to take in her surroundings, and then her gaze settled on Kai. ¡°Kai, what are you doing here? Are you okay, baby?¡± What? L had a hard time telling the difference between Kai and Tyler. Does it mean she remembers? When she looked at me, a single tear rolled down her cheek before falling to the floor. After that, she turned to look at Mia and Tyler and told them, ¡°I¡¯m okay, guys.¡± That was thest thing she said. Still looking at L, Kai couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she had any idea who he was, given the fact that she had previously referred to him as Tyler. I really hope she remembers. ¡°L, are you okay?¡± When Mia questioned L, thetter arched a brow in response. After that, she responded, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay, Mia.¡± ¡°Would you like something to drink? Perhaps some water or fruit juice?¡± I inquired, and then she responded, shattering every one of my hopes and dreams. ¡°Naa, it¡¯s okay, Mr. Monroe.¡± I didn¡¯t want to show how disappointed I was to my kids, so I walked out of the room and went straight to my study, poured myself some scotch, and started drinking. It hurts, it¡¯s hurts that she doesn¡¯t remember me, us and our lives together, our children. I know I shouldn¡¯t beining, but it hurts to sleep with a woman you love but who can¡¯t remember anything about you. The door to my study suddenly flew open, revealing my irate mother, and I was still thinking about the situation L and I were in. She was with my uncle and grandpa. ¡°Ti ho detto di guardarlo da lontano!¡± She pointed a finger at my uncle and my grandpa. Trantion: I told you to watch him from afar. ¡°Have you seen me before? Or this grizzled old fellow?¡± My uncleinquired while rubbing his chest and directing our attention to my grandfather. I knew she was crazy, but never for once thought she would bring them back here after what happened. ¡°Um, mom, who are they?¡± When I asked her, she did not respond but instead looked at me, then at my uncle, and finally at my grandpa. The two men¡¯s expressions were as icy as ice, but that was on purpose so they could demonstrate to my mother that we had never actually met. Her gaze eventually returned to mine, at which point she continued speaking. ¡°They are not important.¡± She said as she kicked up her heels and walked away. I turned my attention to the two men standing in front of me. I was concerned that someone might overhear our conversation, so I shut the door and started speaking in a low voice. ¡°The whole Antonio Guerra was caught by Martha; what happened?¡± ¡°Francesca Guerra, the ice queen, wants something. She gets it. Don¡¯t underestimate her; she knows we¡¯ve met, but if we all say otherwise, she has no proof of that.¡± ¡°In regard to the games that ur once a month, you can count on my participation. Let¡¯s test the heir to the Guerra empire to see if he possesses the same shrewdness as his family.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smirk; these two are clearly at the top of their game and won¡¯t stop fighting until I give in. ¡°Dante Monroe Guerra, you should be content now.¡± They smiled and left; they wouldn¡¯t want the ice queen toe back and find us talking. After I had spent some time drinking by myself, I went back to my room, took a shower, and then looked at the clock hanging on my wall. It read 21:30 p. m. I sighed as I was about to enter my bedsheets, and then I realized that L was the person who had knocked on my door. I invited L toe in, and then, Holy shit! The night is going to be a very long one for us. Chapter 91 ~Dant¡¯s POV~ L stood there, kicked the door behind her, opened her gown, dropped it on the floor, and presented herself to me like the feast that she is. I didn¡¯t wait to be told; it was time to please her. It was impossible for me to shake the feeling that she had forgotten all about me. I forced that thought to the back of my mind, stood at my feet, wrapped my arms around her, and pulled her into my chest, feeling her naked skin brush against my naked chest as we were both exposed.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. I bit into her neck, and she let out a whimper as I did so. That one groan expelled from my mind every unfavorable thought that had been bothering me. But how can I? How am I supposed to ignore the fact that she doesn¡¯t remember who I am? ¡°I wish you could remember our promise, what you are to me. I wish you could remember how I used to do everything for you like a fool in love but could confess my love for you.¡± She did not provide a response. She turned around while she was in my arms, and the sensation of her filthy ass rubbing against the fabric of my boxers made me horny as hell. I gave her a dominant kiss while raking my finger through her hair, turning her so that she was facing me, and pressing my lips forcefully against hers. I made sure to leave gentle kisses on her neck, nipping and sucking my way all the way down to her sweet spot. I could feel shockwaves trailing in the wake of my soft kisses against her skin. She seized my mouth with ravenous intent. When she opened her mouth, she let out a small gasp, and I quickly took advantage of the opening by exploring the inside of her mouth with my tongue. I couldn¡¯t get enough of the way she tasted, so I kissed her with an insatiable appetite. It¡¯s always like this when she touches me; I can¡¯t control how I feel. L was giving me her absolute best kiss, and I responded by giving her the same amount of energy that she was giving me. Our tongues wrestled in our mouths, making her moan against my lips. I kissed every inch of her, and she was mine-except she doesn¡¯t remember me. I kissed every part of her. I wish I could fuck her into recalling everything. I lowered myself to her level and began licking and kissing the skin of her breasts, which caused her to groan. I took one of her erect nipples and put it in my mouth while I yed with the other one, rubbing and pinching it with my index finger and thumb. She cried out in pleasure. I used my free hand to grab and press her butt, and she lifted her leg up for me. After that, I loosened my grip on her butt and resumed my assault on her breasts. After that, I came to a halt, stood up, and began walking around her. I could feel chills running up and down her body as she waited in anticipation. I lifted her off the ground and positioned her on the bed while my rock-hard cock gently scratched the skin of her pussy lips. I turned my head to look at her before returning my focus to my cock. In one swift motion, I viciously stuffed my cock inside of her. ¡°Fuck, Dante!¡± She wailed up to the heavens in her anguish. My member pushed into her crudely. I lubricated her by taking her in quickly, deeply, and forcefully, without wasting any time at all. I savagely mmed into her over and over again. Right now, I just wish the thrusts would provoke her memories. I gave it my all for my children and for us. I wanted her to feel every glorious inch of me-the same cock that got her pregnant. The same cock that took her innocence, and the same cock she craves every night. I was rough, and that made more fluids gush out of her sex, bathing my cock and provoking me to even go deeper. The deeper, the better. She encircled me with her legs and arched her back, absorbing more and more of my presence as I plowed deeper and deeper into her with my long, forceful strokes. ¡°Oh God, Dante!¡± When her name was spoken, the sound that it madeing from her mouth was like music to my ears. I rolled her over so that she was lying on her back with her stomach pressed against the mattress, doing everything I could to jog her memory. Hold on¡­ She¡¯s called me Dante twice now. I choked her, enough for me to plunge deep into her sex. I pushed harder and more quickly than ever before, giving it my all. ¡°Fuck! You are so fucking tight,¡± I gritted out into her ears. She let out a wailing scream as she was ovee with bliss. Her pussy walls became more constrictive and started to clench and unclench my cock as a result. She trembled and rolled her eyes back as I fucked her absolutely senseless. She was dragging me along with her to the cliff, and I stiffened as I started to find my release. As I trembled on her back, she yelled out my name, and I responded by increasing the pressure I was applying to her neck. I released her, and shey on her stomach, and I fell on top of her, dressing the inside of her pussy with my seed. I started kissing her and then biting the back of her neck. She turned to face me, and as our gazes locked, she started, ¡°Hi! My name is L.¡± Out of shock, I got up, showing her my naked glory. All of me. ¡°My name is Dante.¡± I wanted to be sure she was going where it all started; a tear slipped into my eye in anticipation. ¡°May I join you in a game?¡± She remembers. My wife. My Bunny, My Larkspur, she remembers us. ¡°How old are you?¡± I asked her and gave him a puppy-dog expression,ing down from bed, and she came to stand in front of me. ¡°You¡¯re so adorable when you do that,¡± I said, as I wiped a tear that was trailing down her cheek. ¡°I am nine years old.¡± I hugged her as if my entire life depended on that hug. ¡°Well. I¡¯m a sixteen-year-old; do you wish to y with your older brother?¡± She nodded and hugged me back. ¡°When did you remember?¡± ¡°When Mia gave me the album,¡± she answered. I wanted to ask her why she didn¡¯t tell me, but I didn¡¯t want to miss an opportunity to apologize to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, L. I¡¯m sorry it took me this long to realize it has always been you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s always been you, Dante.¡± ¡°When did you remember?¡± I asked. The End Thank you for reading. 1 Jensen Packard opened the door to his house and stepped in. He dumped his phone and keys to the table. He removed his suit and dumped it on the nearest chair. Then he walked to the bar¡­ Taking a bottle of red wine and a ss. Then he went back to the sitting room and dumped those on the table as well. He walked to the kitchen. He headed straight for the refrigerator, took out a carton of juice and lifted it to his lips. He drank half of it, then stuck it back inside. He went to the back door. Through the windowpane, he looked out into the dark night and after a moment heard a flurry of movement outside, followed by a frantic scratching at the woodwork.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Rufus¡± He pulled the door open, and arge gray dog burst into the kitchen in a st of cold air. ¡°Hey buddy¡± he said. ¡°I missed you too¡± Jensen reached down to pat the dog on its head. ¡°You have an awful breath, do you know that?¡±. He scratched the dog¡¯s wiry head andughed. ¡°And you are a bit of a scruff bag, too. If you ever hope to interest that little Pekingese down the road, you will have to do something about yourself¡± He heated up some food for Rufus. While Rufus ate. He grabbed something to eat from a cab. Then he walked back to the sitting room and sat down. He poured out a ss of wine. He raised the ss to his mouth, took a long drink and set the ss down on the table. It was moments like this that made him wish he could cook, or at least had someone around to do it. He always said he didn¡¯t need a cook. His sister ine wasn¡¯t so far away. His brother Dillon was close too, though he had a family now. They had wanted to remain close together. Just as they were when they were kids¡­ After their parents had died in a crash. Besides, they all loved the town, so they all stayed. And so he hadn¡¯t seen the need to hire a cook. Well right now he wished he had¡­ Too bad he didn¡¯t know how to cook. The smooth vor of the wine was on his tongue, but what he craved was egg sd sandwiches. There was nothing he could do about what he wanted, so he did the only thing he could do¡­ He ate a whole damn bag of barbecue potato chips. He was tired. After working tirelessly for months, his building ¡®Crimson Bay¡¯ was ready. He was happy, but very tired. His phone on the ss table buzzed. He ignored it. He was not in the mood for any more work today. And he was sure the text was about work. What else could it be about? He was tired and right now, he was going to rest. After so much work, he deserved it. He would check the text tomorrow. Whoever it was from. He left the sitting room. He needed a shower. But he didn¡¯t think he had the strength to get into the damn bathroom. So he didn¡¯t even bother to shower. So instead he went straight to the bedroom. Hey on the bed He fell asleep. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Katherine Kavell stared at her phone. It had been an hour since she had sent that text¡­ And yet no reply. She began to pace her living room. She began to regret her actions. Maybe sending that text wasn¡¯t such a good idea at all. She sighed. It had taken her hours¡­ Actually days to bring herself to send that text. This was all Jon¡¯s fault. She thought. This was his stupid idea from hell. He was the one who came up with the idea of texting Jensen. Jensen Packard¡­. Who she hadn¡¯t seen in years¡­. Five years to be exact. They hadn¡¯t even spoken to each other¡­ In five fucking years. And she had just texted him.. Asking to have lunch with him next week. Like nothing had happened between them. Like they had remained friends these past years. Like they had kept in touch. Honestly she would be surprised if he replied. In fact she didn¡¯t even expect him to. And yet the fact that he had done exactly what she expected bothered her a lot. She had let her brother Jonathan talk her into this. She shouldn¡¯t have. She realized that now. ¡°Trust me¡± Jon had said. ¡°Jensen¡¯s new building is going to be perfect for you. You gotta see it, dear, it¡¯s amazing¡± ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea?¡± she had asked. ¡°Considering how things ended between us¡± ¡°Chill¡± Jon had replied. ¡°That was five years ago¡­ nothing actually happened. You guys were the ones who made such a big deal. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not going to be a problem¡± Of course he would think so. He and Jensen had been friends since forever. And so she had let him talk her into it. Katherine stared at her phone again. Still no reply. She was getting pissed¡­ At Jensen for not replying¡­ At herself for listening to Jon and at Jon for bringing up such a stupid, stupid idea. She was going to have to yell at someone. And that person was going to be Jon. He really was going to get it from her. She knew he was just trying to help her. But his help was making her look stupid and feel so terrible about herself. She wanted to scream into a pillow. A noiseing from the hallway interrupted her thoughts. She turned. Her eight year old son, Timothy stood at the doorway. ¡°Hey mom,¡± he said. ¡°Hey sweetie,¡± she replied. ¡°Why are you up?¡­. You should be asleep¡± ¡°I heard a noise¡­ It woke me,¡± said Tim, scratching one leg with the other. ¡°Oh¡­ Must be me then¡± Katherine said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I woke you up¡­ But you need to go back to sleep honey¡± He frowned. ¡°Why are you up, mom? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, not really¡­ I was just waiting for a text¡­ Or a phone call¡­ I¡¯m not sure what I was expecting really¡­ but it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s nothing really¡± ¡°Is it about us moving?¡­ You are not changing your mind now¡­ Are you?¡­ You know I really want us to live close to Uncle Jon¡± Katherine smiled ¡°Yes¡­ I know that¡­ And No¡­ I¡¯m not changing my mind¡­ So let¡¯s get you back to bed¡± 2 She walked towards him. Taking him by the hand and they both walked back to his bedroom. She would have preferred to carry him. Buttely he had been letting her know he wasn¡¯t a little boy anymore. He wanted to be treated like a big boy that he was. Katherine smiled as she thought of it. He was one of the reasons she was moving. He loved Jonathan and he was always sad everytime Jon visited them and had to go back. His excitement when she told him they were moving was so great. She couldn¡¯t bear to disappoint him now. So they were moving. Five yearster. Back to her hometown. Back to Jensen Packard. She wasn¡¯t going to like this. Of course she wanted to get closer to her brother too. He was the closest thing Tim had to a father right now. And she knew Tim needed one. She wanted Tim to have one. The problem was Jensen Packard. She wasn¡¯t sure about seeing him again. And judging from the way he ignored her text. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t crazy about the idea of seeing her either. Katherine tucked Tim back into bed. ¡°Good night honey¡±. She said. ¡°Want me to sing a luby?¡± ¡°Mom¡± he said. ¡°You know I¡¯m too old for that¡­ But thanks anyways¡± ¡°Fine¡± she replied. ¡°But just so you know, You are never going to be too old for me dear¡­ You are always going to be my little boy. Just so you know¡± Tim smiled. ¡°I know¡­ Thanks mom¡­ Good night¡± ¡°Good night sweetie¡± Katherine returned to the living room. She picked up her phone from the table. There was no need waiting for Jensen to text her back. He clearly wasn¡¯t going to. She would just have to find another ce. She went to her room. She undressed and took a quick shower. Time to go to bed¡­ And maybee up with a n B. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Jensen woke the next morning. He had to go back to work. But he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to work on an empty stomach. He needed food. And not just something he bought at a store. He wanted something home made. He fed Rufus, took a shower, then got dressed quickly. He left the house and got into his car. He thought of stopping at his family house. The one Dillon and his family now lived in. But he decided against it. They were probably dealing with preparing the kids for school right now. Probably best not to distract them. He went to his sisters apartment instead. If anyone was going to have food at her ce, it was ine. She was a great cook. And he had a key. So he could let himself in even if she wasn¡¯t around. She was. But let himself in anyway. ine wasn¡¯t in the living room. Maybe she was still asleep. He thought. He wasn¡¯t going to bother her. So he headed straight for the kitchen. He opened her fridge. There was some left over chicken in it. Great. He thought. He knew he wasn¡¯t going to be disappointed. He took it out. He was heating it up when he heard footsteps. nie was up. From behind him a voice said. ¡°Hello¡­ Man who doesn¡¯t live here¡± Jensen smiled. He turned around, the smile still stered on his face. ¡°Well¡­ Good morning to you, dear sister¡± he said, trying to sound normal¡­ And failing. ¡°Good morning¡­ The fact that you have a key doesn¡¯t mean you should abuse the privilege¡± nie said, trying to look pissed. Jensen went on smiling. ¡°And you just barge in here and eat my food!¡± nie continued. ¡°You suck¡­ You know that?¡± ¡°Ohe on¡± Jensen said. ¡°I was hungry¡­ Damn it¡± ¡°Then get a wife¡­ Or a cook¡­ Dummy¡± nie replied. ¡°Maybe you should set me up with one of your friends then¡± ¡°Yeah I don¡¯t think so¡­ It didn¡¯t work out before and it won¡¯t work out now¡­ You seem to find a reason to ruin every rtionship you get into¡­ And you want to know why I think you do that?¡± Jensen rubbed his chin, pretending to give her question some thought. ¡°No¡­ Actually I don¡¯t¡± he replied finally, transferring the food into a te and sitting on one of the chairs. He took a huge bite and smiled at ine. ¡°Hmmmm¡± he said, his mouth full. ¡°This is good¡±. ine rolled her eyes and continued anyways. ¡°Because you still think about her¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention that name, ine. I mean it¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I simply said her¡­ But you know who I¡¯m talking about. And the fact that you won¡¯t even talk about her is the reason why you are never going to be able to get over all this¡­ You have to forget about her¡± How could he forget. He thought. Forgetting about her seemed to be the one thing he couldn¡¯t do. The one thing he throughly sucked at. But she was in the past now. She made a decision. One that had hurt him so damn much. But it didn¡¯t matter now. ine kept talking. ¡°You have to find someone else you know. And not all those one night stands you usually have. A nice, meaningful rtionship with someone¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te here so we could talk about this¡± Jensen said ¡°But we are going to talk about it anyways¡± ine replied. ¡°You have to find a way to move on¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about I have moved on¡­ A long time ago¡± ¡°No you haven¡¯t¡± ¡°Fine¡­ Can you just shut up.. Please¡± ¡°Okay¡± ine said as she left the kitchen. ¡°Please finish your food and leave¡­ I will see youter¡­ And you better don¡¯t leave that te in the sink unwashed¡± Jensen smiled. That was exactly what he intended to do. And that¡¯s what he did. He left the te right there in the sink. He and ine were very close, and he enjoyed torturing her. She did the same to him whenever she got the chance though. He got into his car and drove to his Office. While Dillon handled the family business., He had concentrated on starting his. And now he was almost done. When he got to his office he took off his suit, cing it his chair headrest. Then he took out his phone. He had a text message. He remembered his phone buzzingst night. He remembered he hadn¡¯t checked the messagest night because he was so tired. Who had texted him? He thought. He opened the text. It was from an unknown number. 3 The message read: Hi Jensen, I know this is out of the blue so¡­surprise! It¡¯s been a while, huh? I know¡­ Guess we have both been really busy. Anyway, Jon told me you are opening a brand new building back at home. Congrats on all your awesome aplishments, by the way. It is actually the reason why I am texting you right now, but I don¡¯t think we should discuss this in a text or on the phone for that matter. That is why I would love for us to meet next week and discuss this in person. You pick any day you will be free and I will be there. I do hope I hear from you soon. Best, Katherine Kavell. Jensen frowned. Memories he had fought so hard to suppress rushing back at him. Anger zed in his chest. Singeing. Devastating. He had to hand it to her, he thought. The woman had a lot of fucking nerve. So this was how she was going to y it? No ¡®How have you been all these years?¡¯ Acting as if nothing had happened? Like they had barely known each other? Like everything was okay between them? As if they had simply¡­fallen out of touch and she was initiating a reconnection while she had a few minutes to spare in her busy day? Well, he could do cool and impersonal if that is the way she wanted it. Hell, he was a master at it. He thought. He decided to ignore the text. Keep her waiting. Ignore her like she had ignored him. Keep her waiting like she had kept him waiting. Wondering if she would evere back. Well now she wanted to see him¡­ But it was just because he was opening his new building. If not for that he wouldn¡¯t have heard from her. He was really mad at her. He put his phone away and pulled hisptop closer. Determined to get to work and ignore the text¡­ Maybe even forget about it. But that was impossible. He couldn¡¯t concentrate. Now that he had read that damn text. He kept thinking of her. What the hell did she want? How was she? He wondered. Was she still as beautiful as she used to be? He didn¡¯t doubt that one bit¡­ She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen¡­ With an amazing heart¡­ Until she had crushed his. ¡°Damn you, Kat,¡± he muttered under his breath. He stopped working and rxed in his chair, then closed his eyes. Letting himself do something he never let himself do for years ¨C think about her. Her long brte hair, her big ck eyes, her lips -lips he tried so hard to keep from kissing-and failed, her sexy body. She was gorgeous. His mind drifted to the first time he saw her. It was a long time ago. He had been eight years old and he had gone to her house to y football with her brother Jonathan. Jon had been his best friend ¨C still his best friend. Although Jonathan used to say Katherine stole Jensen from him. Katherine had been four then, and she was hell bent on joining the match. Which Jon didn¡¯t want¡­ And he asked her to leave. But Katherine wouldn¡¯t listen. She was very, very stubborn. She insisted she was going to join. When Jon had captured her in a headlock to teach her a lesson and force her to leave them alone. Jensen had gone to her rescue.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Free of Jon¡¯s hold, Katherine had stared up at him with wide, adoring eyes, and the damage had been done. She had followed him around from then on. He didn¡¯t want that. Didn¡¯t want some little girl following him around. It was embarrassing. So he had done everything he could to discourage her. She didn¡¯t take a hint though. The next time he was fourteen and she was ten. He was on an errand for his father, walking down the gravel path that cut from his father¡¯s cabin. She was hanging upside down from an old tree, her skinned knees hooked over a low thick branch. She was swinging back and forth, so her long braids dangled like ropes. The whole time she hummed while she blew the biggest pink bubble he had ever seen. He didn¡¯t know you could hum and blow bubble gum at the same time. As he walked past her, there was a loud pop. ¡°Where are you going?¡± she swung up so she was straddling the branch with one leg, while the other dangled down. Her palms propped up by her body and she stared down at him. Dust fell all over him and scowling, he wiped off his face and head. He frowned. On the same level as his nose was a pair of blue canvas shoes. He slowly looked upward along her legs and knees to the small indignant face, which looked like a doll. She blew another bubble, sucked in and popped out in an obnoxious way. ¡°I asked where you were going¡± she repeated like she was the queen of some ind. ¡°None of your business, Kitty,¡± He said, trying to annoy her. It worked. Jensen turned his back on her and started to walk away. She jumped out of the tree and appeared beside him. ¡°My name is not Kitty,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that¡± He grunted some response and kept walking. ¡°You are such a grump,¡± she said. He stopped and looked down at her. Her expression dared him to ignore her again. He started walking away again and she kept up with him, not saying anything, but he could feel her studying him. He looked at her finally. All he saw was an expressive face and a pair of frowning ck eyes. ¡°Go away,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not a baby, you know¡± she piped. ¡°I know a lot of things¡± ¡°Oh really¡± he said sarcastically. ¡°Yeah¡± ¡°Things like what¡­ Kitty?¡± he asked. ¡°I dunno,¡± she replied. ¡°Anything¡± He almostughed then. She was so weird. He thought¡­ And kinda funny. ¡°Go ahead¡±. She said, ¡°Ask me something¡± He stood, looking at her face staring up at him with a look that dared him to argue with her. Which he wasn¡¯t in the mood to. Didn¡¯t want to. He could have called her bluff. But he didn¡¯t. He knew all about pride. It was something he understood. He turned away from her and went on his way. She didn¡¯t follow him. 4 She was such a pain in the ass. He was Seventeen¡­ And she was Thirteen. Jensen discovered that she had an annoying habit of popping up at the worst possible moment. Really embarrassing moments. Like when he was at the back of his house drinking one of his dad¡¯s beer. Or when he was making out with some girl behind the old well. One time he chased her, all the way to her house. He was determined to teach a lesson¡­ Teach her not to mess with him. But when he caught her, he just couldn¡¯t. He let her go. Then watched as she tried to dust the sand off her clothes. Her face red. He smiled. ¡°Kitty Kat¡± he said. She answered by calling him a dork. One time she stole a pack of cigarettes from him and broke them all in two. He wasn¡¯t even smoking them, he just carried them around to look cool. He didn¡¯t know what to do with her. It was hell. She wore make up now. He told her it was ugly and she looked silly and that she was trying too hard to look older. She told him he looked like a geek. She pissed the hell out of him. And all her brother Jon did wasugh. That¡¯s how Katherine was. Annoying. He had to get used to it. Jonathan said. But annoying as she was. She baked the best cookies he had ever tasted¡­. And cupcakes. And when she realized he like them, she always brought him some everytime she baked. She would pack them in a shoe box lined with wax paper and bring them to him. Sometimes she brought them to school for him. As they grew older he realized she cared about him¡­ She liked him. He knew that. And he liked her too¡­ But just as his best friends little sister¡­ He told himself then. She wasn¡¯t his friend. He wasn¡¯t going to be friends with some kid. Then he had lost his parents¡­ And it had hurt like hell. No one had ever seen him cry.. But she did. All his family members, friends and well wishers were at his house. Everyone one had some consoling words for him. Words that didn¡¯t make him feel better one bit. Some said ¡®Let me know if there is anything I can do for you¡¯ and then walked away before they even found out of there was anything they could do. Some of the women brought food¡­ Anything to make him eat something. But he wouldn¡¯t touch anything.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. His grandfather was going to take care of him and his siblings now. He didn¡¯t have appetite to eat anything. He had felt sick inside. Empty. Dead. And then he opened the door to find Katherine standing there with a box of cookies. She hadn¡¯t said a word. No ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss¡± or ¡°let me know if I can do anything¡±. She had just stared at him with her big bright eyes and handed the box to him. They both left the house. Went to the a spot on the path leading to the river. And they sat on a rock together. She sat so close he could feel the warmth from her where their shoulders almost touched. They didn¡¯t say anything. Just ate the cookies. The cookies and her presence had made him feel better -for a while. Then he remembered his parents. He was never going to see them again. Nothing was going to ever change that. Suddenly he wanted to be alone¡­ He wanted to run and hide from everything. From everyone. And so he told her to leave¡­ She did. And then he had sat there and sobbed in his knees. He thought he was alone. Then he heard a movement. She was back¡­ Or she had never left. He stared at her. He was mad at her for staying. He didn¡¯t like that she had seen him cry. But he didn¡¯t have the strength to yell at her, though he wanted to so bad. She folded her hands and hung her head. She walked right up to him and sat down again. Then she did something he had never expected. She cried with him. They got closer after that day. Close enough to make Jonathan a bit jealous. He often told Katherine to go hang out with her own friends. But she didn¡¯t seem to mind. She helped him get over his parents death. And he looked after her at school. Like he took care of his sister. Sometimes they walked to school together or took the bus together. He remembered sitting with her on the bus one day. Her friend Eva hadn¡¯te to school that day. She was sitting alone, looking out the window. He didn¡¯t like the way she looked so he had left his friends and came to sit with her. She was so happy. She still followed him around a lot . But it didn¡¯t annoy him as much as it used to anymore ¨C though it did sometimes. He still called her Kitty Kat. And she told him everytime not to. But he still did because he loved to tease her. She looked so funny when she got pissed. That rock by the river became their spot. They went there together with some of her cookies. And they ate and talked and argued about almost everything. Like why the sky and the ocean was blue and how nes flew and why engines need oil. They talked about a lot of silly things too. When he was leaving for college she was very upset. She cried. She didn¡¯t want him to go. He was going to miss her too but he was also excited about going to college. They kept in touch for a while¡­ But then the calls and texts became less frequent and then they stopped. Jonathan told him she left to live with one of their aunts when she got into college. He didn¡¯t see her for years after that. Next time he saw her he had graduated from college and he was back home. He was supposed to join Dillon at their parentspany. But he knew deep down that he wanted something of his own. He hadn¡¯t expected to see her. Nobody told him she was back. 5 He was Twenty five and she was twenty one. He was going on some errand for his grandfather or something -he couldn¡¯t remember what it was. Because the moment he saw her walk down the beach toward the dock he had forgotten what he was supposed to be doing. He was hidden in a group of trees. Oh yes -he remembered now -he was cutting wood from a tree that had fallen when he heard the hinges squeak and a screen door m. He cast a quick nce toward the house where a girl in a bright blue bikini came down the front porch steps and crossed thewn. He leaned a shoulder against a tree and just watched her. She had a great body. He had thought. Then he recognized her face. He couldn¡¯t believe it. It was Katherine Kavell-kitty Kat. He stared at her, his mouth open. Gone was the awkward teen who wore too much make up and followed him everywhere and annoyed the crap out of him. She was taller now. And her shape ¨C that blew him away. He shook his head in disbelief. Annoying little Katherine Kavell ¨C The annoying pest who thought she knew everything, spied on him, had seen him cry and became his best friend. Well she wasn¡¯t so little anymore. He was amazed at how much she had changed. He felt a stab of something earthy and carnal go clear through the center of him. The ax he was holding slipped from his hand and hit the ground with a dull thud. He swore under his breath and shifted slightly. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. And he didn¡¯t want to. So he just fed his eyes. Her hair was longer and straighter¡­ It brushed her shoulders as she walked down to the end of the dock where a red and blue beach towely spread out and a radio yed a tune. He leaned against the tree and crossed his arms, then drew out a breath slowly, kind of a half whistle of amazement that a girl could be put together that way. She was so hot. She bent over and tossed something on the towel. He groaned and closed his eyes. He heard the music throbbing through the air with the same beat that his heart pounded. He opened his eyes because he couldn¡¯t hide any longer. He had to see her. He couldn¡¯t deny himself the sight of something so beautiful ¨C so wonderfully made. So he stared. She was standing with her toes curled over the edge of the dock, her stances stiff and straight, her arms raised high, ready to dive. He shoved himself from the tree and moved down toward her. This time things had changed ¨C he was following her. That was kinda funny. He thought. Remembering how many times he had told her to go away and leave him the hell alone. Or how many times he had to chase her away. Now he was the one doing the following. He smiled. She dove in. When she hit the water, his breath caught and held as if he had to hold his own breath along with her. He walked faster, down the dock toward the water. But when he reached the towel, he stopped. He stood there staring at the rings of water she left behind, while the music from the radio red out over the cove. Her head broke through the surface, sleek and wet. He bent and flicked down the volume on the radio, then he straightened and waited until she turned in the water. She froze the instant she saw him. Her eyes widened. She looked surprised. ¡°Jensen,¡± she said. Her voice was older and throaty. It made him think of things like smooth soft skin and hot deep kisses. He took two steps to the edge of the dock and squatted down, resting a hand on his thigh. He didn¡¯t say anything¡­ He just looked at her and enjoyed the view. He didn¡¯t get to see this everyday. Hell ¨C he had never seen her like this. The air grew hotter and tighter and felt heavy. She swarmed towards him. He reached out a hand to her.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Hi there, Kitty Kat,¡± He said, smiling. She put her hand in his and he straightened, pulling her up with him while he watched the water run down her body. She had changed so much. Developed the right curves in all the right ces. Sunlight drenched her, outlining her petite figure d in the hot blue bikini Damn. That was an honest to god figure she had there. The curves and indentations were enough to make his mouth water. And his mouth watered. He was surprised. He had never thought of her this way before. Up until then, she had been little Kitty Kat. His best friend¡¯s sister who followed him every where and pissed the fuck out of him. His friend who had been there for him in her own way when he lost his parents. His personal pain in the ass. And speaking of asses¡­ His gaze hooked on her body. He was sure the round ass was gonna be enough to make his stomach howl out. For a split second, he imagined bending her over, pulling that bikini off and sinking something- a part of him into her. And his groin throbbed in agreement. He licked his lips and her eyes followed the movement. She stood so close to him, so close that all he had to do was lean forward and their bodies would touch. Chest to chest. Hip to hip. Mouth to mouth. He had a strange andughable version of them touching and steam suddenly fogging up the air around them. He grinned. She was much taller now. No longer the little Kitty Kat. But it didn¡¯t matter how tall she was because he was still taller and she still had to look up at him. She slid her hand from his grip, turned away and grabbed the towel She used it to cover herself while she awkwardly pretended to dry off. Taking her time. He could almost see her mind spinning. He wanted to know what she was thinking. She looked ufortable¡­ Good to know he wasn¡¯t the only one. 6 He hadn¡¯t moved, only watched her. He said nothing until she finally nced up at him. He gave her a long look she would have to be blind not to understand. And she got it. Her face flushed and she looked down quickly, rubbing the hell out of her legs so she missed the grin he had to bite to hide. She straightened then, still holding the towel. She raised her chin a little, defiant and challenging, the Kitty Kat he remembered. He smiled. A moment passed. A minute or two. Neither said anything. They just stood on the dock and looked at each other under the warm and unpredictable sunshine. He felt like a thirsty man staring at an icy cold beer. She returned his look, then whispered his name in that raspy grown up voice he felt go all the way through him. ¡°Jensen,¡± she said softly. Just Jensen ¨C his name was all she said. And he was lost. ¡°Hey Kitty -¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me that anymore¡±. She said, ¡°Kitty Kat¡± He said again. And she smiled. A beautiful smile. A smile that made him think of things -things he wanted to do to that mouth of hers. Things he shouldn¡¯t be thinking of. Jonathan would have his head if he ever voiced that he was having thoughts like these about his little sister. He forced himself to concentrate. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were back,¡± he said. ¡°Jon didn¡¯t tell you?¡± she asked. ¡°No. He didn¡¯t¡± he replied. ¡°Well I just got back the day before yesterday¡­. So I haven¡¯t been around for too long¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to see you again, Kitty,¡± he said. ¡°Really good¡±. ¡°Yeah you too¡± ¡°So how¡¯s college?¡± he said ¡°It¡¯s great¡­ Just one more year left¡± she said. There was that silence again. And they just stared at each other till he said. ¡°You look hot¡±. She squinted up therge shadow that he made outlined by the bright sunlight. ¡°Yeah¡± she said. ¡°No umbres on this side.¡± He grinned at her.¡± I meant hot as in good looking ¡± he said.¡±And different. You look different -good different¡± Her reaction amused him. He had always loved watching her blush. It was always so funny. ¡°Oh¡­ Uhhh¡­ Thanks¡± she said. ¡°You have changed too¡­ And you look great too¡± ¡°I know¡±. He said, still grinning. ¡°You know I like that bikini too¡­ Looks good on you¡± He allowed his eyes to roam freely. And her hands tightened on the towel. Heughed. ¡°You are at the beach, Kat¡­ You don¡¯t need a cover up¡± ¡°Yeah right¡± she replied blushing again. Then she started to walk away. He caught her arm so she turned. Her eyes fell on his hands. He released her. ¡°You don¡¯t seem like the Kathy I knew,¡± he said. ¡°The Kathy I knew was never shy¡± He just said it to tease her. He was feeling just as self conscious as she was. He just did a better job of hiding it. ¡°I¡¯m not shy¡± she said ¡°Yeah right¡± he said grinning. She stared at him. Some determined look in her eyes, and he saw little Kitty Kat in there. Kitty Kat who made sure she never lost an argument, annoying little Kitty Kat. Then before he knew what she intended. She reached out and shoved for all she was worth. ¡°What the¡­.¡± he couldn¡¯tplete the sentence as ¡®hell¡¯ drowned in a mouthful of water as he mmed in the water. He came up sputtering a few secondster and red up at Katherine who stood where she was, an unreadable expression on her face. ¡°Damm it!¡± he said. ¡°what the hell was that for?¡± ¡°You seemed a little hot around the cor and I thought you needed to cool off¡­¡± ¡°By drowning me?¡± he asked ¡°If memory serves me well, you are a better than average swimmer.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t changed one bit¡­ Have you?¡± he asked, smiling. ¡°Well, you will just have to see,¡± she replied. She didn¡¯t wait for him to get out. She just walked away. And he was content to just watch her leave. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- He went home thinking about her. It was weird. He had thought. How he suddenly couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her. And his thoughts about her had taken a different direction entirely. But he didn¡¯t bother so much about it. It was just because he hadn¡¯t seen her for a while. He was reacting to seeing her again so suddenly. Maybe it was a little crush that was going to go away soon. But it didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t bother much about that either. It was Katherine Kavell, who followed him everywhere. He didn¡¯t have to worry about it. She was going toe for him soon. But she didn¡¯t. Maybe she was just busy. He thought. Some dayster, he met her at Mrs Jackie¡¯s store. She had spotted him and he had spotted her. They had exchanged the usual pleasantries¡­ And then ¨C Nothing. Even when they met at a wedding. No stealing nces at him. No asking him to dance. No bugging him to go anywhere with her. No following him around. No showing up at his house with a box of his favorite cookies or cake. No inviting him to do anything together. He had waited and waited. He waited for a week. That had been a long week. The longest week of his life. He had difficulty sleeping. He had barely eaten. He had spent his time thinking. He was worried. He wondered. What the hell had happened? Then he went to her house ¡®to see Jonathan¡¯. He saw her alright. She said hi. And still¡­ Nothing.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. It was starting to piss him off. It pissed him off because he had just confirmed what he had started to suspect. Namely that she no longer carried a torch for him. He decided to make a move. He asked her if they could hang out together sometime. She agreed. And boy! How happy that made him. They had a great time that day¡­ And days after that. Time seemed to pass quickly. On days when it rained and everywhere got misty, they walked on the beach together, not minding the moodiness of the weather. 7 They swam on the cove where the water was shallow and warm enough to enjoy. One time they hung out in a sailboat¡¯s small cabin,ughing at the weather and eating a Lunch of egg sd sandwiches and barbecued potato chips she had brought along. Yearster, he couldn¡¯t eat barbecued potato chips without thinking of that day -without thinking about her. They spent so much time together. They talked about everything. About school. About poetry. About music and movies they loved. They talked about life and death and dreams. One day they went to their childhood favorite ce. The ce where she had seen him cry. The ce that had be their favorite spot. They stayed out there tillte in the evening, and when they decided to go back, on their way he pinned her against a tree and did the one thing he had wanted to do since he saw her again on that beach. He pinned her against a tree and kissed the hell out of her. She gasped when he did it. But then her arms had looped around his neck and drew him closer. She had kissed him back with the same intensity. Then he unhooked her bra and felt her up. It was amazing. When it came to women, Jensen had never been a man to turn tail and run the other way. He liked women. Hell, he loved them and he wasn¡¯t the least bit shy about it. He loved the silky feel of a woman¡¯s hair trailing between his fingers. The softness of her skin against his lips during a deep, hot kiss. The rasp of her nails up and down his back as he plunged deep inside her body. The soft sweet, breathless sound of her voice as she begged for more. Yeah¡­. He loved women all right. As thoroughly and as often as possible. And they loved him.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. He never got into serious rtionships. He preferred living in the moment. He loved his freedom and so he never put a name on any of his rtionships. He wasn¡¯t ready for something serious and he didn¡¯t want to hurt Katherine. But he could hardly control himself around her. All he had to do was touch her and both of them burned up. When he was with her didn¡¯t seem to care about anything. He didn¡¯t seem to care that she was his best friend¡¯s sister. He didn¡¯t care that he was four years older than her. He didn¡¯t care because when he kissed Katherine Kavell, nothing else in the whole goddamn screwed up world mattered. He learned the true meaning of wanting a woman that month. He learned the dark side of sex. The forbidden guilt and hunger. He would lie awake at night so hard from the mere thought of her that he couldn¡¯t sleep. And when she would look at him in that way she did, with those big beautiful eyes, as if he knew the answers to ask the questions in the world, he felt real and alive, as if he could take on the whole world just for her. Those had been special times, times when he had taken her in his arms and kissed her until the world melted from existence. How he had wanted her! His need had be a desperation, a narcotic that had briefly seduced him into believing that magic and miracles could exist. Then one night at their favorite spot they kissed again -one of those intense mind blowing kisses and Katherine had wanted to go all the way. He wanted to too. So much that it hurt. But he knew what she wanted. She wanted something constant and he wasn¡¯t sure he could give that to her. He didn¡¯t think he was ready for a bigmitment. And he knew what it meant to her if she gave herself to him. Katherine fancied herself in love with him. She had wanted a happily ever after, and there had been no such thing in the cards for him. He cared about her and he didn¡¯t want to hurt her. Couldn¡¯t bear to do that to her. So he had left. He remembered her standing there, her long, dark hair hanging down her shoulders, her naked body shimmering in the moonlight. His senses had sharpened then and he had drunk in the sight of her, from the faint stirring of her hair to the goose bumps that had chased up and down her arms, to the pucker of her ripe, rosy nipples. He had smelt the vani and sugar scent of her perfume. He had tasted the surprise on his own tongue and he had felt the sharp tightening of his groin. That night it had taken everything not to give in to that overwhelming urge to cross the few feet distance between them and kiss her for all he was worth. He had wanted to. Hell¡­ He had wanted her. So much that it hurt. But he had seen her heart in her eyes and he had known that taking her then and there would have meant taking a lot more than just her sweet, delectable body. That had been thest time he had ever seen her naked. It was thest time they hung out-alone the way they used to. She went back to school and for a while he tried to contact her, but she wanted nothing to do with him and she never picked his calls or replied to any of his texts. Then he stopped trying. He had to ept the fact that she didn¡¯t want him in her life any more and he decided to respect her decision. The next time he saw her she was twenty three and she was dating some guy named Mitch. He disliked the guy immediately when he met him. In fact he hated him. He had no idea why he did though. He just did. The thought of her being with someone else pissed the hell out of him. He knew he didn¡¯t have any right to feel the way. He had had his chance and he had walked away. Besides he was hanging out with some girl named Erica then. And he had tried so hard to act like it didn¡¯t bother him. But it did. 8 He tried not to let it bother him much. Till Jonathan had told him she nned to move away for good ¨C with Mitch. What the hell? He couldn¡¯t let her do that. Even if she was doing a damn good job of hiding it he knew she still had a thing for him. He saw it in her eyes whenever he saw her, the sharp intake of her breath whenever he was close to her, with the way she did everything possible to avoid him. He couldn¡¯t let her go. He forgot about his decision to respect her wish and he went after her. And so he told her. The night before she left. Told her he wanted her to stay¡­. Begged her to stay. She didn¡¯t want to listen. She said Mitch cared about her and she was going to try to make it work between them. In his opinion Mitch didn¡¯t care about her like he did. Mitch didn¡¯t deserve her. And he told her that.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Telling her that hadn¡¯t helped matters. Because she had gotten angry at him. She told him he had no right to tell her who she should be with. He had no right to say Mitch didn¡¯t care about her. But did he? He asked himself that question a million times. And he didn¡¯t need anyone to answer that question for him. He didn¡¯t have any right to say that to her. She was right. He had hurt her. She had given herself to him and he had walked away. It didn¡¯t matter that he was just trying to protect her. She left the next day. And at first he was sad. And then his unhappiness gave way to anger. Anger at himself at first and then angry at her for leaving. She had ns that didn¡¯t include him. And he hated that. He didn¡¯t want to hear or talk about her. Jon had understood that he was hurting and he did exactly what he wanted. Except that despite not seeing or talking to her for five years. She remained with him. Memories of her imprinted in his head -in his heart. The truth echoed through his head through his body. He had thought about her. Many times. Too many times for a man who had vowed to leave the past behind and forget about her. But try as he might, he had neverpletely forgotten about Katherine Kavell. She had been the one person who had made him smile, and the only person who truly understood him and cared about him. The one person who was always there -the constant in his life. His best friend. Even if he never admitted as much to her. She had known. She had seen it in his smile. Hell, she had seen it in his frown when he was hurting over his parents death. He had told her to get lost, but she had known he had really wanted her there. She knew that he had needed her, and so she had stayed. But she left in the end. And now she was back and she wanted to meet. She had texted him that impersonal way that made all that anger return. She had texted after five good years, wanting to talk about business. So straight to the point. Taking a deep breath, Jensen forced the memories from his mind. To dwell on such things now would only weaken his resolve. And he had tried to forget about her for far too long to allow that to happen. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Jensen opened his eyes and mmed hisptop shut. To hell with work for that day¡­. Thanks to Katherine. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to get anything done. Not with that text sitting in his inbox. Waiting -demanding a reply. He got up and left the office. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Katherine had just dropped Tim off at school. As much as Tim loved the idea of moving, he was going to miss his friends. But he was such a friendly, likable person and she knew he wouldn¡¯t find it hard to make new friends. She returned home. She had a great deal of packing and boxing up to do. Her new house was ready. Her brother Jonathan, sweetheart that he was, had helped her with the house hunt¡­ in fact, he had handled almost everything for her. She hadn¡¯t even seen the house yet. Just pictures. But she wasn¡¯t bothered. She trusted Jonathan to find her a good,fortable ce to live. If anyone could do that. It was her brother Jon. It would also be nice to move close to her parents. They alwaysined about the distance anytime they came for a visit. Now Tom would not only have Uncle Jon, but grandma and grandpa as well. She smiled. The only thing that bothered her now was Jensen. He hadn¡¯t replied to the text she had sent him the previous night. He sure was taking his sweet time texting her back. She had a feeling he was doing it on purpose. Ignoring her. This was all Jon¡¯s fault. She told herself again. She sighed. The sound of her phone ringing interrupted her thoughts. She picked up her phone and checked the caller ID. It was Jon. Speaking of the devil. She muttered. She picked the call. Holding the phone to her ears. ¡°Well thanks for your stupid, wonderful idea, Jon¡±. She said sarcastically. ¡°Ermm¡± Jon said. ¡°Am I missing something?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°You are sure gonna be missing something when Iy my hands on you, Jon. Maybe a finger¡­ Or two¡­ Maybe even a leg¡± Jonughed. ¡°What¡¯s up, sis?¡± he asked. ¡°Your best friend, Jensen¡­. That¡¯s what¡¯s up. He has refused to text back. I told you this was a bad idea¡± ¡°Hey¡± Jon said. ¡°Rx okay. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s probably because he is busy. It¡¯s nothing to worry about¡± ¡°That is not true. How busy could he be? Too busy to send a text? A text that wouldn¡¯t even take up to twenty words. It wouldn¡¯t even take up to ten minutes of his time. We both know he is ignoring me. He clearly doesn¡¯t want to meet with me. And now I have to start looking for another ce when Ie over there.. Which makes everything so much harder¡± ¡°Rx, Kathy,¡± Jon said. ¡°Do you want me to call him? It¡¯s possible that he might have just forgotten about it. And you are just jumping into conclusions¡± ¡°I¡¯m not jumping into anything, Jon¡­. And if you dare talk to him on my behalf, you are a dead man¡± Jonughed again. ¡°Fine¡­ I will let you handle it yourself, bossdy. Say hi to Tim for me¡± ¡°I will,¡± Katherine said and hung up. She sighed deeply. If Jensen wasn¡¯t gonna text back. She could find another way. 9 One day, Eight hours and¡­six minutes. That was how long the text had been sitting in Jensen¡¯s inbox. He detested that he was reduced to even knowing how long it had parked itself in his consciousness, taunting him with its presence. Taunting him with that gut twisting mix of hope and bitterness he thought he was finally rid of. He detested the fact that it had taken just one text from her to reduce him to this. He hated that she still had that effect on him. After five damn years. How he wished it were one of those mundane work texts or emails he had be so adept at passing to his assistant to deal with. Then, from a safe distance, it would have been so easy to tell her to handle it. Or, better yet, delete it. But here it was. Not handled. Not deleted. And about as far from mundane as it could get. Not when he had already read the text. Not when he had already read her name: Katherine Kavell. Just that name alone brought memories back. He tossed his pen onto the desk in disgust and shoved his chair backwards, swiveling away from the offensive text for good measure. Fuck this. Who the hell did she think she was? Not a single word in five years. Then this? He had held out for almost two days. Long enough for her to know he wasn¡¯t going to jump. A fragile but wee burst of satisfaction settled his ire a little. She needed to know he wasn¡¯t the same person who had stumbled away that night ¨C that night he had asked her to stay. A pathetic, emotional wreck. That man was long gone, after years of living on the edge. In his ce was someone he respected better but didn¡¯t always like. A man whose future and focus were as steadfast as a striking sledgehammer. He might have deluded himself into thinking he was different once upon a time, that he could be softer. It had just taken a little longer, and ironically her help, to make him ept his true self. Ruthless. Competitive. Take no prisoners. Crazy ambitious. And yes, sometimes, utterly selfish in his quest to achieve all the above. So why wasn¡¯t that ruthless selfishness directing his finger to the delete button? One quick tap and she would be erased and forgotten as definitely as she had erased and forgotten him. He could deny it as much as he wanted. But it couldn¡¯t change the fact that he had missed her terribly. His reaction to her text was enough proof. Urggg¡­ He hated this. Teeth gritted, he fought and irritatingly lost the fight,pulsion swiveling him back around, he picked up his phone which was on his desk. He looked at the message icon on his screen. Open me. Open me. It seemed to say. With a tight curse, he clicked on it, and he read her message again. His eyes devoured the words. ¡°I would love for us to meet and discuss this in person¡± her text read. He cursed that traitorous little flip in his gut when he lingered on those words. He sighed. If she was going to be impersonal and so formal. He was going to do the same. He clicked reply and began to type a message to her with more force than was necessary. He typed: ¡°Kat -¡± No, scratch that. Best keep things formal. He erased that. He typed: Katherine, It is a surprise. It¡¯s been what¡­ four¡­ Five years?¡­ I think. You will have to remind me how long it¡¯s been if we meet in the future. Sadly, my schedule is really tight, so I don¡¯t think we will be able to meet. Maybe some other time. Or you could text me -about whatever it is you want us to discuss. It could make this go even faster. You could also contact my staff¡­ It might be something they would be able to handle. If it is, then maybe we don¡¯t need to meet after all. Best, Jensen Packard. He hit ¡®send¡¯ with onest smug little stab at the button and lounged back in his seat. There¡­. He thought. He was done with that. An hourter his glee turned to ash. He got the message delivered text on his phone. Letting him know she had sessfully received his message¡­ Almost immediately. Most likely read it. Anticipation rose like an unstoppable tide inside him, only to crash back as the seconds ticked by without a further response. What did he expect? Contrition? Hell, an apology? A plea for him to grant her wish for old times sake despite his rightful disappointment in her? He didn¡¯t know why he was so eager to see her reply. Why he was feeling disappointed when he didn¡¯t get any. That¡¯s it¡­ He thought. He needed to go get his brain checked out. Delusion soured his mouth. She probably read his text and decided to ignore him again. He thought. Just like she did five years ago. Walking away like he meant nothing to her. She probably decided that she didn¡¯t need him anymore. Why would she need a helping hand from him when she could reduce grown men into drooling schoolboys with a flick of her long, seductive eyshes? Another sensation stabbed, this time the acrid Jealousy he thought was long in his past. Fuck it. He rose from his desk, determined to put greater distance between himself and his phone before he did something foolish-like text her again. The ping of an iing message arrested his movement. He picked up the phone. The text was from her. It read: Sorry for taking up your precious time, Jensen. And thank you for asking me to pass my request onto your staff. I¡¯m sure they can handle it. But I just felt it was better to talk to you directly. You know¡­. Since we used to be really close in the past. Excuse me for saying this, and perhaps it¡¯s just in my imagination, but you sound¡­cold and distant. But¡­whatever. I¡¯m moving back into town in a few days so I guess I will see you soon. I will contact your staff. But I still think we should meet in person. Please let me know when you have a few minutes from your really busy schedule to see me.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. And since you asked me to remind you, it¡¯s been five years and two months since west saw each other. 10 Jensen was torn between grinning at her sheer nerve and cussing at her unsubtle hints that his response was in any way defective. Okay. So maybe he was a little rude. He could admit that, but It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t deserve it. He thought. But even at that, his gaze remained riveted on a particr line: I¡¯m moving back into town in a few days.¡­ She wasing back. So even if he didn¡¯t meet with her. He was definitely going to see her again. And that was something he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to do. He sighed. ¡°Damn you, Kat,¡± he muttered. ¡°Damn you¡±.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Katherine realized that she was boxing up the kitchen stuff with a little more force than required. She stopped, and took a deep breath. It wasn¡¯t her fault. No one could me her. Jensen and his stupid attitude was capable of making anyone lose it. The nerve of the man. He was refusing to meet her, not because he was busy like he said. She knew he wasn¡¯t. He was doing it on purpose. Ignoring her. Being annoying as usual. Being cold towards her. Like he was the only one who had something to be angry about. Well she did too. She sat on one of the kitchen stools and then she thought about Jensen. And how she had had such a huge crush on him. Openly infatuated with the best looking boy in school¡­. her brother¡¯s best friend. Right from when she was just a teenager. He never noticed. Or maybe he did and he just hadn¡¯t cared. She didn¡¯t know. She had done everything possible¡­ Everything she could. But he never took the hint. Never looked at her the way she wanted. He was so busy with all the cheerleaders and being popr to take any notice of her. She tried to be his friend. She remembered baking him those cookies and cakes, bringing them to his house. Even one time she and Jon had gotten into a fight because he kept stealing the cookies she was baking and eating them. She had managed to save some of the cookies from Jon and she had packed them up in that box and taken them to Jensen. She remembered Jon teasing her about her crush on Jensen and their motherughing and telling Jon to leave her alone, yet she didn¡¯t mind. As long as Jensen liked her cookies and cupcakes. She always loved the way he loved eating stuff she baked. So she did that for him a lot. Her own stupid way of letting him know how much she cared about him. He noticed her alright.. But not in the way that she wanted. She ended up in the ¡®friend-sister zone¡¯ She had been persistent, and he had been nice, but it hadn¡¯t made him see her as anything other than a friend, his best friend¡¯s sister. He never saw her as more than that. She had enjoyed those moments they spent together. On their favorite ce, sitting on that rock, talking about everything. Going almost everywhere together. It had hurt so bad when he left for college. She had missed him terribly. She had tried to keep in touch but soon she started to feel like she was bothering him. Most of the time when she called he was always busy doing something or about to go somece. He was obviously enjoying college life and she honestly didn¡¯t want to bother him. Eventually, the calls and texts reduced and then finally stopped. He was having a great time over there and she had to understand that she didn¡¯t fit into his world anymore. It got easier after she went to stay with her aunt and after she got into the college. At least she didn¡¯t have to live in a ce where she was constantly reminded of him. And everything had been fine till she got back. She tried to stay away from him. But then he came over one day and asked her to hang out with him. And then it all came back again, all those feelings she had locked up came rushing back again. But this time it was different because Jensen had felt the same way. At least that was what she thought. She remembered the first time he kissed her. It was amazing and she was the happiest girl alive. She remembered sneaking off to that little cabin to be with him, almost every day. So she spent the entire holiday falling in love with him all over again. Till that night he had walked away from her. Letting her know he couldn¡¯t be with her. He wasn¡¯t ready for something like that¡­ He couldn¡¯t give her what she wanted¡­ He had told her. All that time they had spent together had clearly meant more to her than it did to him. She had cried her eyes out that night. Her heart felt like it was going to break in half. Then she decided she was done with her feelings for him. She had dated Mitch, and she had honestly thought he cared about her. Till she found out that he was cheating on her a yearter after she left with him. So maybe Jensen was right about Mitch not caring about her. He was angry because she had left with Mitch. But she didn¡¯t give a fuck about his feelings right now. She was mad at him too. He was the one who walked away from her first. And she wasn¡¯t going to stay just because he asked her to¡­ she had honestly thought Mitch had cared about her. Her life had felt a bit empty after that. She had a good job. She was paid well but it still kinda felt empty. Till Tim came along. She hadn¡¯t nned to adopt. All she had done was volunteer to help at an orphanage. They were understaffed and she had juste to help, bringing some toys with her to visit the children. And then she saw Tim. He was three years old then. So little, and he had the most beautiful smile that did things to her heart. How could anyone not want such a cute little thing? She had thought. She visited more times after that. She found out she loved being with him, she loved caring for him and carrying him. She had decided to adopt him. It was the best decision she ever made. The sound of her phone beeping made her snap out of her thoughts. She checked and saw that she had a new message. A reply from Jensen. 11 It read : I didn¡¯t know you were moving back. That¡¯s good news¡­ I guess. Anyways, we could meet in my office on Monday. One pm.. I guess you already know where my office is. If you don¡¯t, get Jonathan to tell you. Katherine stared at her phone for a while. The man hadn¡¯t changed. He was still as arrogant and annoying as before, maybe even more annoying.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. She realized a part of her was hoping he would refuse to meet her. Now that he had agreed to meet her she was nervous. How the hell was she going to handle seeing Jensen Packard after all these years. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Katherine sighed as she got closer to her parents house. It had been a long journey. And definitely not easier when Tim had asked ¡°Are we there yet?¡± like every fifteen minutes. Their stuff had arrived two days ago, thanks to Jonathan. He took care of that too, and Katherine was so thankful. What could she have done without him? She had sold almost all the furniture. She was going to get new ones. So the stuff to move wasn¡¯t that much. She drove right into thepound and packed the car. Then she got out and helped Tim out. She looked around. The whole ce looked the same. Just the way it always looked. It was almost like she had never left. Her parents had obviously not changed one bit. They liked old things. She thought smiling. Her thoughts were interrupted by her mother¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh, Kathy, thank heaven you are here.¡± Tim was already running towards her mother. ¡°Grandma¡± he yelled as he ran. Giving her a really tight hug. ¡°Hello sweetie,¡± her mom said. ¡°I¡¯m so d you both are here¡­. How are you, Timmy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, grandma,¡± Tim replied. Delia Kavell threw herself into Katherine¡¯s arms and hugged her fiercely. ¡°You are here, Kathy,¡± she said. A hint of amusement lightened Katherine¡¯s expression. ¡°Did you doubt I would, mom?¡± she responded, wrapping her mother in a gentle embrace. She was a tiny creature, Katherine thought, smiling, brimming with passion and energy and emotion. She was also a woman who inspired unwavering devotion. Katherine had spent her life watching as she charmed those around her with unconscious ease. Some singr quality reflected in her soft hazel eyes and shy, weing smile could win over even the most hardened cases. ¡°Well¡± her mom said. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I wasn¡¯t worried that you might change your mind and decide not to move¡­ And you can¡¯t me me for doubting¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say the thought didn¡¯t cross my mind¡± Katherine replied. ¡°But even if I wanted to stay, Tim wouldn¡¯t have let me. He has been so excited, I knew I couldn¡¯t take this away from him¡± ¡°Oh¡­ You both are going to have such an amazing time here¡± Delia said, hugging Tim again. ¡°You know I have always wanted us to stay together. This ce is amazing, I still don¡¯t understand why you left in the first ce.¡± ¡°I know mom¡­ I know¡­. but I¡¯m here now¡± ¡°Oh yes you are¡± Delia said, as she kissed Katherine¡¯s cheek, hugging her again. ¡°Hey hey¡­ I like hugs too, you know¡± a voice said from behind them. They all turned to see Katherine¡¯s father, Jonah Kavelling towards them. ¡°Grandpa¡± Tim yelled again, running to hug him as well. ¡°Wow¡­ You are so big now¡± he said, running Tim¡¯s head. ¡°What have you been feeding my boy, Katherine?¡± he said jokingly. ¡°I always tell mom I am big¡± Tim replied smiling, obviously happy someone said he was big. ¡°But she won¡¯t listen¡­ You see mom, what have I been telling you?¡± ¡°Hi dad,¡± Katherine said as she rushed forward to receive his kiss. Jonah Kavell -one time barrister-atw- and still vastly interested in legal matters, was a remarkable man. He had arge mustache. It had fascinated Katherine ever since she could remember and never failed to distract her attention when he was talking to her. She remembered how annoyed he had been one afternoon -on her tenth birthday -when she had broken a ne of ss in one of the windows. Her mom had told her to go to his study for a ¡®talking to¡¯, and her father had lectured her for half an hour only to find that she had not been listening to him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, daddy¡±. She had said. ¡°I was looking at your mustache. It is so wonderful¡± Her father had been so ttered that he had ceased to be angry and he had wiggled the ends for her to make herugh. Katherine smiled at the memory. Dear daddy. She thought. ¡°Oh¡­ I have missed you guys so much¡­¡± she said. ¡°When is Jon going to be here? I thought his house wasn¡¯t so far away?¡± ¡°Oh it isn¡¯t¡­ But I think he is just taking his sweet time. You know how your brother is¡± Delia replied Katherine smiled. She knew. ¡°You are looking a bit pale, dear¡±. Her father said as they entered the house ¡± ¡°No I¡¯m not¡­ You say that every time I¡¯m away from home¡±. Katherine replied. ¡°He¡¯s right, honey,¡± her mom supported. ¡°I think you have been working too hard. You haven¡¯t been eating well¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true mom¡± ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s a good thing you are both here now¡± Her mom continued like she hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°I will bring you food everyday¡­ I know you bake and you are a great cook but I doubt you have time to eat them¡± ¡°You can bring us food every time, grandma,¡± Tim chipped in. ¡°I will eat them.. You know I love your food¡± ¡°Awn sweetie,¡± Delia said smiling. ¡°I will do that, hun¡± Just then Jonathan came in. ¡°Hello¡± he said as he walked in. ¡°Uncle Jon,¡± Tim said. Jumping from his seat and running to Jonathan. Jon hugged him back tightly. ¡°Yeah¡­ Such a big man¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re d you are here right? ¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Tim said excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m d you are here too, buddy¡± He moved towards Katherine and gave her a peck on her cheek. ¡°Wee back, sis,¡± he said. ¡°Thanks Jon¡±. Katherine said. ¡°For the house, for helping with the moving.. For everything. You are the best¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I know I am¡±. Jon said smiling. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m a bitte¡­ I had to drop Kate at her ce¡± Kate was Jonathan¡¯s fiance. ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­ We just got here¡± Katherine said. ¡°Well¡­ Good thing you are here now¡±. Delia said. ¡°Let¡¯s eat and then help Kathy get her things from the car. Then she and Tim can go to bed¡­ I¡¯m sure they must be very tired.¡± Katherine couldn¡¯t agree more. She was tired indeed. 12 Maybe agreeing to meet her wasn¡¯t such a good idea. Jensen thought. It was Monday, and he was in the office. He couldn¡¯t get anything done. He realized he had been having difficulty getting anything done since she had sent him that bloody text. She was constantly on his mind and he found himself always losing focus. His secretary knocked and entered his office ¡°Sir¡± she said. ¡°Yes, Mrs Geller¡± he answered, her presence making him snap out of his thoughts. ¡°There is a Miss Kavell here to see you, she says you are expecting her, but I checked and she doesn¡¯t have an appointment.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Let her in¡± It wasn¡¯t going to take long. He just had to hear what she had to say. Straight. Sharp. To the point. Sayo nara. Goodbye. Maybe seeing her once again was just what he needed to get over her -to get her out of his mind once and for all. Jensen grimaced as he awaited his first glimpse of Katherine Kavell in five years. The door opened. His first reaction was a filthy curse at just how wrong he was. Thinking seeing her again was going to help him get over her. Merely looking at her, he knew that wasn¡¯t going to be possible. She looked amazing¡­ Vibrant. Vivacious. So fucking beautiful. Dressed in a blush pink floaty top and skin-tight, chocte coloured leather trousers, she was a magnificent vision, powerful enough to cken his jaw before he caught himself and pressed his lips into appropriately neutral, downright unfriendly lines. Her curvy hips and beautiful legs were bnced on sky high heels matching her trousers and, with thatbined with her long hair and wless make up The woman could turn heads wherever she went. He thought. She carried herself differently. She had developed poise and sophistication. She had grown into her stunning looks. The girl he had once known had be a woman. Jensen felt his breathing fracture into useless silent hups as he stared. She effortlessly projected an ingrained confidence and inner strength he had secretly envied since they had known each other. Although he never told her that. He watched Katherine saunter towards him, that heart stopping smile curving her luscious lips. He stayed put, he just sat there and stared at her. Maybe because he didn¡¯t trust his legs to hold him if he stood. He let here closer, looked deeper into her stunning eyes to spot the first signs of wariness. Right in front of his desk, she stopped. ¡°Hello, Jensen¡± she said in that amazing voice of hers. Jensen dropped his pen on his desk and narrowed his eyes, almost deluding himself that minimizing his vision would lessen her physical impact.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Hi, yourself.¡± he replied. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you,¡± Katherine murmured. Jensen gritted his jaw against the evocative effect of her voice. Warm honey. Sultry nights. Hot tangled sheets. The stuff of a thousand wet dreams. All forbidden best friend territory. Except they weren¡¯t best friends any more. Hell, they weren¡¯t even friends. So he raised an eyebrow, deliberately, but didn¡¯t answer. The faintest flush stained her cheeks. A little appeased at that reaction, he waved towards a chair. ¡°Please sir¡± he said. She studied him for one second longer, either reacquainting herself with his face or assessing his mood before taking the seat he had offered. Jensen swallowed involuntarily at the rich, flowery scent that trailed her. Damn¡­. It was annoying but he gave himself a pass. Katherine looked around. A sea of royal blue carpet covered the floor. The desk was vast and there were some fascinating etchings of Brisbane, in its early days, framed in gold on the walls. At the other end there was a brown leather buttoned three piece lounge suite set about a coffee table. He watched as she looked around his office, examining every square inch of it. Yeah, definitely the wrong move, agreeing to see her. He thought. When she was done, she faced him with another tentative smile. ¡°Your office is amazing. Very stylish. Very¡­suave.¡± she said. Jensen nodded briskly, totally dismissing the pulse of warmth that attempted to steal through him. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said. ¡°Would you like a drink? I have white wine. Or can I offer you something else?¡± No reason not to be civil before the takedown began. He thought. She shook her head. ¡°White wine is fine, thank you.¡± she replied. Katherine watched as he produced two sses and a bottle of wine from his drawer. He hadn¡¯t even smiled at her or looked happy to see her one bit. ¡°Are you sure you want me here, Jensen?¡± she asked suddenly. He froze, then stared at her, frowning. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t imagining it.¡± Katherine said. ¡°You are cold. And distant. And seriously pissed off with me. So why agree to meet me, Jensen? If you were going to be this way, why didn¡¯t you just tell me to go to hell with whatever I wanted to discuss with you?¡± she demanded. One thing he had forgotten about her. Katherine always shot from the hip, no holds barred. It was one of the things that used to annoy him when they were little¡­ And then something he had grown to admire. But he was determined to do this on his terms. He shrugged. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want to ignore you. I wanted to be nice.¡± he said. Katherine stared at the wine he offered her. Then she looked back at him. He was watching her. She took the ss and held it. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure I want to talk to you if you are going to spend the whole time ring at me.¡± She said, ¡°You are a grown woman, Katherine, I¡¯m sure you can take it.¡± he replied carelessly. ¡°I can. But I don¡¯t think I want to¡± she challenged without losing an ounce of warm seduction from her voice. It really was the most maddening thing. He thought. Irritated, he shrugged again. ¡°You are the one who reached out. You are the one who wanted to see me. And unless I¡¯m mistaken you want something from me, correct?¡± She opened her mouth, most probably to deny his crisp assessment. But just then his secretary knocked. Katherine was d for the interruption. For a moment he didn¡¯t say anything, just stared at her. Long enough to make her feel ufortable, then he looked away. 13 ¡°Come in¡± he said and his secretary walked in. ¡°These are the files you requested sir¡± she said, dropping some files on his table. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said. ¡°I will let you know when I¡¯m done with them¡±. She walked out and he bent his head, focusing on the files his secretary brought as he went through them. Katherine took the opportunity to study him as he worked. He was dressed in a light blue shirt, his suit hung on his chair headrest. The first two buttons of his shirt opened, his exposed chest revealing some of his chest hair, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows. His hair looked amazing, dark and wavy. She had this annoying impulse to run her hands through it. His arms impressed her, they looked so damn strong. He looked so big. Being alone in his office made her feel so small. He still looked so damn good. His lips were still sexy as hell. She shouldn¡¯t be thinking this. She told herself. His physical attributes were nothing to her. But she just couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°When you are finished, do I get my turn?¡± Jensen asked so suddenly. Katherine lifted her eyes from his chest to his face. ¡°pardon?¡± ¡°Do I get my turn to scope you over as thoroughly as you are looking at me? It might get sloppy if we tried to ogle at each other at the same time, don¡¯t you think?¡± Katherine wanted to hide under the table that very moment. She didn¡¯t like him saying she was ogling him. She averted her eyes and was relieved when he changed the topic. His question made her blush. ¡°I wasn¡¯t ogling,¡± she said. ¡°Yeah right¡­. What did you want to talk to me about, Katherine?¡± he asked. ¡°I need a space in your building for theunch of my cupcake store.¡± she said. She paused and when he didn¡¯t say anything she continued. ¡°My team have researched several locations and they all agree your building will be perfect for my needs. Jonathan agreed too. I also heard you haven¡¯t yet epted a bid for the ground and first floors. If that is true-and I really hope it is -I would love to be considered for an initial five year lease of the space.¡± He watched her. She had the sexiest lips he had ever seen. He thought. He had this annoying image of her lips around him-in a very specific ce. The sound of her voice bringing back memories, making him think of¡­. ¡°Jensen?¡± He snapped back into focus. ¡°Yeah?¡± he asked stupidly. ¡°Are you listening to me?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, of course I was,¡± he replied. ¡°Why did you choose my building¡­ Of all the ces you could go to.. Why here?¡± ¡°I already told you. Jon said it was a great ce for me¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it is a good idea,¡± he said abruptly. Katherine was surprised. She knew he was angry with her. And she had anticipated that he might have said no. But still she was surprised. ¡°You are not even going to think about it?¡± she asked. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea¡± he repeated. ¡°And Why do you think that, Jensen?¡± she asked. Trying her best not to let her disappointment show on her face. ¡°You really need to ask¡­ There is a lot of history between us¡­ And not good ones¡± ¡°Not good ones?¡± Katherine repeated. ¡°Okay¡± he said. ¡°Maybe good ones¡­ But they didn¡¯t end well and I don¡¯t think I want a constant reminder of it everyday¡± ¡°Look Jensen,¡± she began. I have a lot to do. I have a lot of furniture shopping to do, moving in, and then setting up this store. I don¡¯t have time to start looking for another ce. Plus¡­ I promise I will try my best to stay out of your way¡­ If seeing is such a terrible thing¡± He didn¡¯t say anything. They stared at each other for a while then when it seemed like he wasn¡¯t going to change his decision she stood. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you for your time, Jensen¡± She grabbed her bag, determined to leave before she did something crazy like beg him. He was being a stupid asshole, and he knew it. He had no right to be that angry with her and even if he did, he was being so childish about it. His voice stilled her movement. ¡°Sit down, Katherine, ¡± he said. She turned around. ¡°What for?¡± she asked. ¡°You already said no. You want me to sit so you can exin why you said no and reject me some more. It is alright, Jensen. I understand. No hard feelings. I will find some other ce¡± ¡°Sit down¡± he repeated and when she didn¡¯t he stood suddenly, then walked up to her. He stopped right in front of her.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Five years and that is all you have to say to me? You juste in here, to talk about some space in my building like everything has been okay with us? Damn it, Katherine.. Do you have any idea how terrible I felt after you left?¡± he asked. He stood so close she could almost taste his breath. She wanted to move away from him. But she didn¡¯t want him to know just how much he affected her. So she stood right there. She wasn¡¯t going to let him intimidate her. ¡°Well¡­ Is there anything else you want me to say?¡± she asked The side of his mouth moved upwards. He was smiling? Why the hell was he smiling like that? She thought. She didn¡¯t remember saying anything funny. ¡°You left¡­ Kitty¡± he said. ¡°I asked you to stay¡­ Begged you to stay¡­ And you left anyway.. With him. And now youe back¡­ Acting like everything is okay between us¡­?¡± There was something about him¡­ She thought. Something about the way he called her ¡®Kitty¡¯ that made her heart flip. He was the only one who called her that. She hadn¡¯t even realized how much she missed him calling her that. Weird because all she had ever done back then wasin about him calling her that. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have gone with him¡±. He said. ¡°Oh really? Why not? Because you didn¡¯t want me to?¡± 14 ¡°Yeah that¡¯s right,¡± he replied carelessly. ¡°And because of what you felt for me ¨C what we felt for each other. When I came near you, you felt an excitement so intense that you ceased to breathe -like you are feeling right now. You wanted me just as much as I wanted you. And that should have been enough to make you stay¡± He looked so angry. Katherine thought. The look wasn¡¯t just in his eyes. It seeped through every shrug, every curl of lips she thought were the most perfectly created set of lips on earth. She looked deeper, pathetically desperate to find something else. Something more. A reminder of those semi carefree years when they would walk together, talk about anything for hours, and resume conversations the moment they saw one another again. But the man she knew had been reced by a harder, edgier version of a Jensen Packard. Maybe it really was a bad ideaing to see him. He grimaced and for some reason stared at her mouth for an eternity before his gaze swept away. ¡°How long have you held this¡­grudge, Jensen¡± she asked. He didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Four and a half years, give or take.¡± he said. Katherine¡¯s heart dropped to her heels. Arge part of her had hoped he would say that of course he didn¡¯t hold a grudge. That she was being silly. That his cold messages and general attitude were her overactive imagination. But they weren¡¯t. His stark wordsnded and burrowed deep, robbing her of breath until she tightened her gut against the acute loss. ¡°Then why am I here, Jensen?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just tell me to piss off if you don¡¯t care any more?¡± ¡°Because you have always been as stubborn as a mule when you get an idea into your head.¡± he replied smoothly. ¡°Anyone else who believed I was cold and distant would have taken their business elsewhere. Instead here you are, thinking you can turn this around. Or is it because you want to lend credence to the assertion that I¡¯m important to you?¡± His tone chafed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a lie.¡± she said softly. ¡°I never lied about that. You were important to me¡± ¡°Yeah. Right.¡± Irritation snapped his spine straight. ¡°Watch it, Jensen,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°or you will seriously piss me off with that tone that suggests I¡¯m lying. You don¡¯t want to believe it, then that is up to you and that cynicism you wear like a second skin. I know my truth. As for the implication that I have ulterior motives for not taking my business elsewhere, you are right. And why should I? Jonathan checked out your ce before I came here. He said it was perfect for me, and I believe him. So pardon me for not wanting to cut off my nose to spite my face. I am not a liar, Jensen. You know that¡± He appeared nonplussed for a moment.¡± ¡°Fine. Calm down. Are you quite done?¡± he asked. ¡°No.¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m not done talking, Jensen¡± His lips tightened but he didn¡¯t forestall her. He just stared at her. She had let too many things go for far too long. She thought. First by being too afraid to ever dig beneath the surface with Jensen to what she had really wanted. Then with Mitch and all the signs she should have heeded when things had started to go bad and he had turned from sarcastically cruel to deliberately verbally abusive. She watched Jensen. Outwardly, he appeared unaffected but years long experience had taught her that his still waters run deep and dangerous. He was also ufortable about something. She turned and picked up her ss of wine still on the table. She took arge gulp of her wine, and totally denied it was for courage, even though it was. ¡°You have no right to be pissed at me Jensen¡± she said finally. ¡°I don¡¯t?¡± he asked. Sounding kinda surprised. ¡°Yeah that is right, you don¡¯t¡± she moved even closer to him, looking up at him. She was aware of every cell in her body, every stretch of heated skin as she had never been before. Also aware of his intense scrutiny as his gaze raked her from head to toe and back again. She was treading dangerous, familiar waters. She didn¡¯t know where she was getting the courage from, but she guessed it was from the anger beginning to boil inside her ¡± ¡°You think you are the only one who has something to be angry about? Don¡¯t you? Well, I do too. And I don¡¯t me you for not realizing that because if you weren¡¯t such a selfish asshole, you would?¡± Jensen smiled. And it annoyed her the most. She didn¡¯t want him smiling and looking happy. She wanted him to hurt like she was hurting right now. ¡°What about that night you walked away from me, Jensen? Did you ever stop to think about how I felt then? Huh?¡± she asked.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°I never stopped thinking about it, Kat¡±. It was the first time he had called her that in a really long time. He thought. he wanted to resent the shortened nickname that reminded him so much of their past. Ofughter and secret angst. Of beauty and betrayal. Of daring to stretch the limits of friendship and ending up with nothing. Katherine blinked. She didn¡¯t want him calling her that. Too many memories. Her tongue slid out almost of its own ord. She licked her lower lip, and Jensen¡¯s gaze followed the slow,nguorous movement with eyes that grew steadily heated. His thumb rose to her chin, drifted at leisure over her lower lip as he continued to watch her with dark, hooded eyes. ¡°I never stopped thinking about it¡­ I did what I thought was right¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t what to hurt you¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter because you did anyway. And you don¡¯t see me throwing a tantrum like you are doing right now. How is what you did that night any different from what I did?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the same,¡± he said. ¡°Oh yeah, then what the hell makes it so different?¡± ¡°I thought I was protecting you, Damm it¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t need you to do that for me. I was more than capable of taking care of myself and deciding what I wanted. I didn¡¯t need you to protect me from anything¡­ In Fact, if there was someone I needed to be protected from, it was you¡± 15 ¡°You left with Mitch because you wanted to get back at me?¡± Jensen asked. ¡°No¡­ Why the hell would you even think that. I¡¯m not you. You are the one who has been holding a stupid grudge. I left with Mitch because I thought he cared about me and I wanted to try to make things work between us. Just like I told you that night. I wanted something meaningful with someone and he was there¡­ And you weren¡¯t¡± ¡°You should have stayed when I asked you to,¡± Jensen said. ¡°You knew you wanted to be with me. You went against your every instinct and left with that bastard.¡± Hurtnced deeper through Katherine. ¡°How dare you?¡± she said. ¡°Oh,e off it. I know you. Sometimes maybe even more than you know yourself. You think I didn¡¯t see the doubt on your face when we talked that night? You knew he was wrong for you, that you were making a mistake. And you left with him anyways¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°So I was supposed to stay and then do what? Join your endless list of women? No thank you¡± He stared hard at her. His eyes seemed to bore into her. ¡°Mitch was a fucking asshole and he didn¡¯t fucking deserve you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ And you did?¡± she asked. She looked right back at him. Daring him to answer. ¡°You were too busy for what I wanted¡­. And you stepped up at the wrong time.. Expecting to abandon everything for you¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. He exhaled harshly. ¡°Damn it, I don¡¯t have time for this.¡±. ¡°Oh really you don¡¯t?¡± she asked. ¡°Then I ask you again, Jensen. Why did you invite me here? I may be stubborn but I don¡¯t trespass where I¡¯m not wanted. If you don¡¯t have time for me, then why did you agree to see me? You could have ignored my message, you could have continued your grand empire building. So why didn¡¯t you?¡± He stilled as if her words had turned him to stone. For the longest moment, they stared at each other. When she was sure he wasn¡¯t going to say anything to her, she decided to leave. She had already done the one thing she didn¡¯t want to do. Talk to him about their past, she hadn¡¯te to see him for that. But she was already so angry she wanted to hit him. ¡°You know what?¡± she said. ¡°Fuck you, Jensen¡±. She tried to walk away from him but he moved so suddenly. He grabbed her arm, stopping her movement. Katherine didn¡¯t know what she expected from Jensen but she sure as hell didn¡¯t expect what he did next. He cupped the back of her head and hauled her against him. His mouth covered hers in a hard kiss. He thrust his tongue between her lips, spearing deeply but briefly, before immediately releasing her. ¡°You can have the space, Kat. Whenever you are ready¡± he said. ¡°And I apologize for the rudeness. I sometimes do that without thinking. It¡¯s a bad habit of mine¡± He stepped away from her and walked back to his chair behind his desk, leaving her speechless. Katherine just walked out of his office. Her lips still damp and throbbing from his kiss. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The days seemed to fly past. Katherine had a lot to do, from shopping for her new house, to finding a new school for Tim, to buying equipment for her new cupcake store. Right now she was in front of Jensen¡¯s building, waiting for him. They had agreed to meet there like thirty minutes ago, and yet he wasn¡¯t there. She had called him and he said he was on his way. A part of her was beginning to think that he waste on purpose. She also hadn¡¯t been able to stop thinking about thest time she saw him and the fact that he had kissed her. A part of her dreaded seeing him again, but she knew she had to get used to it because there was no way she could avoid him entirely now that they were in the same town and she was taking a store in his building. She had to admit the kiss had felt really good. It reminded her of the good times they spent together and she had tried so hard to keep him out of her mind. Fifteen minutester, Katherine watched a gleaming navy blue Bentley that looked brand spanking new drive into thepound. She watched Jensen as he got out of the car. Looking really good ¨C as he always looked. She wore a filmy ck blouse dotted with coin spots of pale grey over a ck camisole and a fitted ck skirt that came to just above her knees. Her legs gleamed smooth and long beneath sheer stockings. She rested one hip against the boot of her car, her head slightly cocked as she watched him, the corners of her incredible lips slightly tilted as if he amused her. ¡°Wow!¡± she said as Jensen got closer to her. She couldn¡¯t help gazing at his car admiringly, her ire dissolving somewhat. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about cars but this is something else!¡± she said. ¡°Yes, a beauty, isn¡¯t she?¡± Jensen replied. ¡°So damn ssy-if she were a girl I could marry her.¡± Katherine had tough. He watched her. He had missed hearing herugh, watching her face light up. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, though some tendrils had escaped. She reached out and brushed a runaway curl from her cheek. He was jealous of that curl. She noticed him watching her and straightened. ¡°Ermm¡­ Thank you for amodating me, Jensen¡± she murmured, tucking a clutch the same color as her shoes under one arm. ¡°I know you probably have more important things to do right now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright¡± he replied. ¡°I will try not to take much of your time¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, really, Kat¡± ¡°¡®It¡¯s a beautiful building, Jensen,¡± Katherine said. Sincerity oozed from her and for a moment she was the woman that was once his close friend. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said. The word emerged gruff. She smiled and that illusion grew. What the hell was he doing wanting to smile back? He thought. She had ruined them. Ruined what they had. He stared at the truck beside her car. ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh just equipment,¡± she replied. Then she added when he stared at her. ¡°Oven, mixers, pans, molds, stuff like that¡± ¡°Yeah I get that¡±. He said. ¡°You are not nning on doing all the moving yourself, are you¡± ¡°Are you saying that you don¡¯t think I¡¯m strong enough?¡± she asked jokingly. ¡°No I¡¯m not. I just think it¡¯s going to be a bit too stressful for you¡± Sheughed. ¡°Jon ising with some guys to do all that.. But thanks for your concern.¡± 16 They entered the lobby and Jensen waved the senior guard away when he offered to escort them. ¡°This way,¡± he said. He strode across the atrium to the bank of lifts set against the east wall. She kept up, her heels clicking in tandem with his. ¡°When is the opening of the building?¡± she asked. ¡°Unofficially, it¡¯s open,¡± he replied. ¡°Businesses are moving in but the official ceremony is two weeks after your opening.¡± He stabbed the button for the lift, and waited for her to precede him when the doors slid open. She strolled to the back of the carriage, turned and rested her shoul-ders against the polished mirrored wall. She angled her body in a way that subtly thrust her chest and hips forward and it was all he could do not to drool at the lush disy of her figure. Damn, everything about her turned him on. It was going to be a huge fucking problem. The doors opened directly into the store and, relieved, he stepped onto the polished floors. On either side of the entryway were already fitted ss and cabs that would disy her cupcakes and cookiese opening day.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°So cakes huh?¡± he said as they entered. ¡°I remember you were really good at baking when we were kids. You used to bring them to my house. They were really good. Remember what I said the first time I tasted one?¡± Katherine smiled. ¡°You said¡­ ¡®Hey¡­ You should be a chef¡¯ and I said ¡®okay¡¯. ¡± ¡°I would really like to taste them again¡­ I honestly can¡¯t wait to¡­ If that¡¯s okay with you¡± he said. He tried not to think about the fact that it wasn¡¯t just her cupcakes he wanted to taste. He wanted to taste every inch of her body. But he didn¡¯t mention that. They stared at each other and smiled at the memory. He stared at her hair. He wanted to grip handfuls of it and rub it against his face. He could smell her perfume in the air. Katherine¡¯s hair. Katherine¡¯s perfume. He was far too aware of Katherine. Then suddenly ufortable, he looked for something to distract him. He asked. ¡°So have you moved into the new house?¡± ¡°No not yet. It¡¯s gonna be next week though. I wanna be through with the house so I canpletely focus on this store¡±. ¡°You need some help¡±. He asked. ¡°No, not really. Jon is really taking care of almost everything. Plus my parents are going to help¡± ¡°I want to help, Kat¡±. He said. Katherine stared at him. Not knowing what else to say. ¡°Sure Jensen. You can help. Thanks¡±. ¡°Alright. Just let me know when¡± he said. ¡°I guess I will leave now. I got stuff to handle¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Katherine said. She paused then added. ¡°Actually, there is another matter I feel we should clear up¡± She lowered her eyes. From his angle, her ck, long eyshes looked like they had been painted onto her cheeks with a fine brush. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have kissed me that day at your office. It was¡­ ermm.. Should I say unprofessional¡­ What I¡¯m trying to say is that¡­ Nothing like that can happen again¡± He deliberately waited to respond until she lifted her eyes back to his. ¡°I would have to be a blind eunuch not to notice that you are a beautiful woman, Kat. And just so you know, I don¡¯t go around kissing every woman I see¡± he said. Her deep swallow was audible. ¡°I understand¡­¡± She said, ¡°No you don¡¯t understand¡± ¡°Then why did you kiss me, Jensen?¡± He smiled wryly, tilting up the side of his mouth. ¡°Because you pissed me off,¡± he said. ¡°How?¡± she asked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t having a good day to begin with, thanks to your text¡± he said sarcastically. ¡°Then you came along, dressed to kill and yelled at me. I don¡¯t appreciate being yelled at¡± ¡°And vice versa. You pissed me off too¡± ¡°Then you should have pped me when I kissed you,¡± he said. ¡°You didn¡¯t give me a chance.¡± Jensen sighed. The conversation hadsted ten times longer than the kiss, and he was ready to drop the subject. It made him ufortable. He didn¡¯t know what had motivated him to kiss her. The only thing he was sure of was that he didn¡¯t want to know. ¡°If the kiss bothered you so much, then maybe you should have gone to some other ce for your store.. But you are still here¡± he said carelessly. He regretted saying that immediately he did. She didn¡¯t reply, just stared at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said that¡± he said softly. ¡°It¡¯s fine Jensen,¡± Katherine said. ¡°I¡¯m trying to start my life here again and I don¡¯t want to bring back memories.. especially those that could ruin things for the both of us. Can we just agree that it shouldn¡¯t happen again?¡± she asked. ¡°No,¡± he replied. Katherine stared at him. ¡°No?¡± she repeated, clearly surprised. ¡°Yeah that¡¯s right¡­ No¡± he replied. He stepped closer. ¡°Let¡¯s get this straight, Kat. I¡¯m not sorry that I kissed you and I¡¯m not going to promise you that it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Katherine opened her mouth to say something. But no words came out. He smiled. ¡°See youter, Kitty,¡± he said. Then he was gone. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Jensen parked his car in his driveway and walked to his front door. Before he could open it Rufus came running towards him, barking in delight. Jensen smiled. It was nice to be weed home. At least someone was happy to see him. He thought. Thinking of Katherine. He looked at Rufus, then he bent and scratched the animals behind his left ear. ¡°Where the hell were you off to, Rufus¡± he asked. ¡°Or were you on your way home? Were you out to see that pekingese again?. Rufus stopped panting and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Oh yeah? Did you get any?. Rufus whined. Ruefully, Jensen said. ¡°I know the feeling buddy¡±. He remembered how he got Rufus. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- It was a few months after Katherine left town and he was still mad as hell ¨C at everything. He hade home one day to find a dog curled on his front step. And it had pissed him off even more. He had chased the dog away. But he hade home the next day to find the dog there again. It was being stubborn. Well, he could be stubborn too. 17 ¡°Are you still here?¡±. He asked angrily. ¡°Can¡¯t you take a hint?¡± With the toe of his shoe, he nudged the stray dog aside as he unlocked the door. ¡°Beat it,¡± he said. But the dog looked at him with sad eyes andy back down on the step, and rested his head on his forepaws. ¡°Suit yourself¡± Jensen grumbled. ¡°But don¡¯t expect me to feed you¡± He mmed the door so hard when he got in. He moved to the kitchen. Taking a soda from the refrigerator, he stood and drank half the soda in one swallow. He rolled the cold can against his forehead. He didn¡¯t want or wee anything in his life that made him feel or think. He was so pissed. He felt hollow and empty, and he liked it that way. He nned to keep out that way. Did that stupid dog think he was running some kind of shelter or something? ¡°Damn it¡± he muttered. Minutester, he brought some food to the dog outside. For some reason he just couldn¡¯t let it go hungry. ¡°Don¡¯t even get used to it,¡± he said and went back inside. Except Rufus came back. And Jensen kept feeding him, no matter how much he said he didn¡¯t want the dog around. One day he got home from work and he almost crushed Rufus with his car. Rufus had darted out from nowhere and ran straight in the car¡¯s path. Jensen mmed hard on his brakes. ¡°You stupid dog,¡± he shouted through the window. ¡°I could have killed you¡± Hearing his voice, Rufus skidded to a halt on the pavement. He cocked his head and looked at the car, then charged toward it in a frenzy of glee. Jensen opened the driver¡¯s side door. Rufus leaped into hisp, licking his face and thumping the steering wheel with his wagging tail. ¡°Dumb dog¡±. Jensen said. ¡°Get off me. You sink. You need a fucking bath.¡± he shoved Rufus off hisp and dropped the car into gear again. He cast the animal a sidelong nce. Rufus was giving him a love sick look. His tongue was lolling from one side of his mouth. He was panting hard. ¡°I have told you so many times not to love me, but you don¡¯t listen, do you?¡± he asked. He began to realize that he kinda liked the dog. He had somehow gotten attached to the dog. He watched for him and worried about him until he showed up again. He reached out and scratched the dog¡¯s ears. ¡°You like that huh?¡± he asked. ¡°Maybe having you around is not so bad,¡± he said. So he let Rufus stay. And he was d he left him, because Rufus turned out to be such a goodpanion and he became such an important part of his life. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C He walked into his house, with Rufus at his heels. He went to his room to undress and when he came out, he met ine in his sitting room. ¡°What the hell?¡± he said, looking surprised. ¡°What?¡± ine asked, sounding like it was perfectly normal for her to be in there and he was overreacting.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°What the hell are you doing in here?¡±. Jensen asked. ¡°And how long have you been here?¡± ¡°Not so funny when someone just barges into your house, huh, is it?¡± ine asked. ¡°So this is some kind of pay back?¡± he asked ¡°Ermmm¡­ Yeah kinda¡± ¡°Well I really hate to break it to you, dear sis, but you suck at this, it¡¯s not funny and I do not appreciate it¡­. Get out¡± ¡°No,¡± ine said. She picked up the remote and turned on the TV. Jensen stared at her. ¡°You know I can make you leave right? Believe me I will do it¡± he paused, then asked again. ¡°How long have you been here anyways?¡± ine sighed. ¡°Rx, I just got here¡­. I really don¡¯t want to know or walk in on whatever weird stuff you¡¯ve got going on in here¡­ God knows what¡± Jensen picked up a pillow and threw it at her. He went to the kitchen and returned with some chips in a bowl and drinks. Then he sat on the other couch. ¡°So what brings you here, sis?¡± he asked grinning. ¡°Boy trouble?¡± ine rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah¡­ Like I would evere to you for that¡±. ¡°Hey..¡± Jensen said, feigning annoyance. ¡°Are you calling me a bad big brother or what?¡­ That isn¡¯t nice. You know I can mess up any guy who gives you trouble, right? Just give me a name¡± ineughed. ¡°Yeah. I know you. You love getting into fights.¡± ¡°Not true.¡± Jensen said. ¡°I can¡¯t even count the number of fights you got into in high school. And one time for Katherine. Remember, mom was so pissed that day.¡± Jensenughed. ¡°Yeah¡­ I remember¡± he said. ¡°And that brings me to the reason why I¡¯m here. I heard Katherine Kavell is back in town¡± ine. Jensen merely stared at her. Then he said, ¡°So?¡± ¡°I also heard she¡¯s taking a store in your building,¡± ine said. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you that¡­ How do you even know that stuff?¡± Jensen asked. ¡°It¡¯s a small town, Jensen. People talk¡± ine said. ¡°But actually Dillon told me¡± ¡°And you came here to gossip¡­ As usual. Maybe I should just stop telling Dillon stuff.¡± ¡°Yes. I came to talk about it¡­ Not gossip¡±. ine said, rolling her eyes at him. ¡°I thought we were talking about you¡­ And boy trouble¡±. Jensen said. ¡°Wonder how the topic suddenly became about me¡±. ¡°I never said I had boy trouble¡± ¡°Yeah right,¡± Jensen said. ine ignored him, knowing he was just trying to change the topic. ¡°So what¡¯s going to happen now?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡± ¡°What¡¯s gonna happen between you and Katherine now that she is back?¡± ¡°What kinda question is that? Nothing is going to happen¡± Jensen replied. ¡°Do you think letting her get that store in your building is a good idea? I mean, you are going to be seeing her a lot¡­ Kinda¡± ¡°So?¡±. Jensen asked. ¡°You know why I¡¯m asking¡±. ine said. ¡°After she left, you were such a mess. And I¡¯m kinda worried about you, Jensen. I hated seeing you that way, and it might seem like I¡¯m not minding my business but I¡¯m just trying to look out for you. I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt that way any more.¡± 18 Jensen smiled, it was cute. How she worried about him. He got up and went to sit on her couch with her. He gave her a hug and peck on her cheek. ¡°I understand, ine¡±. He said. ¡°And I appreciate you worrying about me and looking out for me. But you don¡¯t have to. Believe me I¡¯m fine. I promise¡­ Okay?¡±. ine gave him a look. ¡°That¡¯s what you used to say after she left. You said you were fine when you clearly weren¡¯t. You were clearly hurting and you shut everyone out¡± ¡°Well I am fine now.. And that¡¯s not going to happen this time. I¡¯ve got this¡± ¡°Are you happy that she is back?¡± ine asked. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know, ine,¡± Jensen replied. ¡°Why do you ask? It doesn¡¯t matter¡± ¡°You still love her, don¡¯t you, Jensen?¡± ine asked. ¡°No¡­ I mean. It doesn¡¯t matter. All I¡¯m doing is letting her get a store in my building, ine. Chill okay, It¡¯s not that deep¡±. ¡°Sure,¡± ine said. ¡°If you say so¡±. But she didn¡¯t believe him one bit. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Mom, can Ie to see your store after school today?¡± Tim asked as he ate his breakfast. Katherine¡¯s father, Jonah, was also at the dining table. ¡°That would be nice, honey,¡± Katherine said. ¡°But aren¡¯t you going to be tired after all the school work?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ Don¡¯t you want me toe see your store?¡± ¡°Of course I do, honey.¡± Katherine said. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you stressing yourself too much, that¡¯s all. You coulde on Saturday¡± ¡°Alright. But it¡¯s no problem, Mom. I can stille today¡± ¡°You know there are no cupcakes there now, right?¡± Katherine asked, smiling. ¡°Rx, Mom. I know¡± Tim said. ¡°Okay. So I wille pick you up after school then¡± ¡°Or maybe I could just take my bicycle,¡± Tim said. ¡°No, sweetie. I don¡¯t think so¡±. ¡°But Mom¡­.¡± Tim began ¡°I said no. Now finish your breakfast. You are going to bete.¡± ¡°Hey, pumpkin. You should let him¡±. Jonah said. ¡°But Dad¡­.¡± ¡°It is not that far, honey. And nothing ever happens in this town. You know it¡¯s safe. I remember when you were little, you¡­.¡± ¡°Okay, okay Dad.¡± Katherine interrupted. ¡°No need for that¡­ I guess I can let him go¡± ¡°Yayyyy¡± Tim said excitedly. ¡°But just today. I don¡¯t want you riding your bike all over town. And youe straight to the store¡± ¡°Thanks mom. Thanks grandpa¡± Tim said as he left the dining table to get his school bag. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Damm it, damn it, damn it¡± Timothy Kavell said as he kicked the t tire of his bicycle. ¡°Shit¡± he cursed again. He luxuriated in saying all the words he heard from movies and grown ups sometimes. If his mother caught him talking like that, she would ground him for a week at least. Or take away his video games. But no one was there with him now. So he let fly with another round of vulgarities. His mom didn¡¯t want him riding his bicycle to her store. And now, with this stupid t tire, she would say she was right and she wouldn¡¯t let him ride his bike there anymore. Timothy looked down at the bike balefully. If he rode on it, he would ruin it the most. His mom was surely going to find out about the bad tire. So there was no need to hide it. So he decided to just roll it to the store. A car sped past him, sending up a cloud of dust. Timothy waved the dust out of his face. He was so angry, so he shot the driver the finger. Immediately, the brake lights of the car shed on. ¡°Oh no¡± Timothy thought fearfully. He was in big trouble. To his further mortification, the car began backing up. ¡°Oh shit¡± another trouble for him. Today was definitely not his day. He thought. He licked his lips and waited. The fancy car rolled to a stop beside him. The passenger window lowered. Timothy wanted to run. But he didn¡¯t want to look like a wuss, so he stood right there. ¡°Hey, little man,¡± the driver said. Timothy swallowed a wad of nervous spit. ¡°Hi¡± he said, trying not to sound too scared¡­. And failing. ¡°Did you just give me the finger?¡± the driver asked. Timothy¡¯s knees turned to jelly. He suddenly had to pee real bad. ¡°Yes sir¡± Tim managed to answer truthfully. ¡°You know that is not nice, right?¡± the man asked ¡°Yes I do?¡± ¡°So why did you do it?¡± ¡°You raised a lot of dust, sir. I think you were speeding.¡± Tim said. ¡°Look I¡¯m sorry, kid. I was kind of in a hurry. And when I saw you it was already toote to slow down.¡± he nodded towards the bike. ¡°Looks like you are in trouble ¡± ¡°My tire went t.¡± Tim said ¡°Where are you headed? ¡± ¡°Crimson bay. My mom¡¯s store.¡± ¡°Your mom?¡± the man repeated. ¡°Yeah. Miss Katherine Kavell. We just moved here so you might not know her. Though my mom is from around here¡± ¡°Hmmm¡± The man said and looked at Tim more closely. ¡°I¡¯m actually going to the same ce. Would you like me to give you a ride there?¡± ¡°Oh. No. Thanks. I will just¡­¡± ¡°You bike will fit in the trunk¡± ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know, sir. Don¡¯t worry¡± ¡°Rx. I promise you are safe. Your mom and I know each other. Actually we have known each other since we were little. I don¡¯t know if she mentioned me to you ¨C I¡¯m Jensen Packard¡± ¡°Oh. I think I have heard her talk about you with my Uncle Jon¡± Tim said. ¡°Yeah that¡¯s right. So don¡¯t worry you are safe with me. I promise¡±. Tim knew he wasn¡¯t supposed to ept rides from strangers, but this man knew his mother and he knew his mom knew him. And he didn¡¯t have to be stuck on the road. So he epted the ride. He put his car in the trunk and got in the front seat of the car. It was a really cool car. ¡°Thanks. Mr Packard¡± Tim said. ¡°Hey, just call me Jensen¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Oh. Alright. Thanks¡­ Jensen¡± Tim said smiling. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Timothy. But my mom likes to call me Tim. Sometimes Timmy¡± The way he made thement made Jensenugh. ¡°What would you like me to call you then?¡± Jensen asked. ¡°Timothy¡­ but everyone already calls me Tim so I guess that¡¯s okay.¡± Tim replied. 19 Jensenughed again. ¡°So do you like it here, Tim? How has it been since you moved?¡± Jensen asked. Yeah I guess I like it. I have always wanted toe here. So I can be with my grandma and grandpa, and my Uncle Jon. But mom didn¡¯t want to at first. I was so happy when she finally changed her mind¡­ I kinda miss my friends though but my mom said I can make new ones¡± Tim said. ¡°And how¡¯s that going?¡± ¡°Pretty good I guess¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. And now you can count me as one of your friends¡± ¡°Really?¡± Tim asked. ¡°Yeah. Sure. Your mom and I used to be really close when we were little¡± ¡°Well, she never told me that. And you never visited us.. Why didn¡¯t you?¡± Tim asked. ¡°Well. Sometimes life just separates people. People just you know¡­ Lose touch. You understand?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I do, but I guess it¡¯s the same with my friends I had to leave behind¡± said Tim. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. You are a smart kid. I like smart people¡± Jensen said. Tim smiled. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said. Jensen couldn¡¯t help thinking. Katherine had a son. The little guy should be like nine¡­ Or ten. Did she have a kid in college and he didn¡¯t know?. Who did she have the child with? Was it Mitch? Was that the reason why she decided to leave with him? Was that why she wouldn¡¯t listen when he asked her to stay?¡­ because she didn¡¯t have a choice? He looked at Tim. The kid had dark hair, just like Katherine¡¯s. But he couldn¡¯t detect any more resemnce. How could Jonathan not tell him? He didn¡¯t need anyone to answer that. He knew why. In his anger he told Jon he didn¡¯t want to talk about Kathy. And Jon understood he was mad and he had done what he wanted. But now, for the first time. He regretted making that move. They got to his building and Tim got out of the car. ¡°Thanks, Jensen,¡± he said. ¡°You are wee,¡± Jensen said. I¡¯ming up with you too though. I want to speak with your mom ¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Tim said. When they got to the store Katherine was on the phone. She looked at Tim with very angry eyes and then her eyes fell on Jensen. ¡°It¡¯s okay, mom¡±. She said to the person on the other line. ¡°He is here now¡±. ¡°Hi mom,¡± Tim said cheerfully. ¡°And just where the heck have you been, young man?¡± Katherine asked angrily. ¡°Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?¡± ¡°I had a t tire on my way here mom. That¡¯s why I¡¯mte.¡± Katherine drew Tim closer and wrapped her arms around him. ¡°Mom,¡± Tim muttered. ¡°You are smothering me¡± ¡°You should have called me, Tim,¡± Katherine said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry mom. I didn¡¯t think about it¡± Tim said. ¡°Jensen saw me and he gave me a ride¡± ¡°Jensen?¡± Katherine repeated. ¡°It¡¯s Mr Packard, Tim¡± she corrected. ¡°Well¡­ He asked me to call him Jensen¡± ¡°You see, that¡¯s the reason why I didn¡¯t want youing here by yourself¡± Katherine said. She was so aware of Jensen. And why the hell was he just standing there like that staring at them? ¡°Well I¡¯m safe, mom,¡± Tim said. ¡°Nothing happened¡± ¡°And you know better than to ept rides from strangers, Tim,¡± Katherine said. ¡°But he is not a stranger. You know him. And he knows you. I thought it would be alright¡± Katherine saw Jensen smile, and she frowned. ¡°But you know you can¡¯t just believe everyone when they say they are not strangers, Tim. I just want you to be safe, okay? Do you understand me?¡± ¡°Alright mom. I¡¯m sorry¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay sweetie, where is your bike?¡± ¡°In Jensen¡¯s trunk¡± Tim replied. ¡°I will get it out for him when I go down,¡± Jensen said. Katherine nodded. ¡°Did you thank Jensen for the ride?¡± she asked Tim. ¡°Yes mom I did. Can I go look at the rest of the building now, mom. It¡¯s so big?¡± ¡°Yes. But please be careful¡± Tim ran out of the store. Leaving Katherine with Jensen. ¡°Nice kid,¡± Jensen said. ¡°I like him¡± ¡°Thanks¡­. Thanks for giving him a ride¡± Katherine replied. ¡°I was really getting worried¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. Said Jensen. He hesitated, then added. ¡± I didn¡¯t know you had a kid, Kat ¡± he added. ¡°Jonathan didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°No he didn¡¯t¡± ¡°Oh¡± ¡°You never mentioned it to me either, Kat,¡± he said. ¡°Well, Jensen, we hadn¡¯t spoken to each other in five years¡­ And I didn¡¯t think I needed to. Are you saying I should have mentioned it because I wanted this store?¡± ¡°What?¡± Jensen said, sounding surprised. ¡°Not everything is about the store, Kat. I just¡­ I don¡¯t know. I guess I just wanted to know¡±. ¡°Well, now you know¡±. Katherine said. ¡°Is he Mitch¡¯s kid?¡± Jensen asked without thinking. He knew it wasn¡¯t his business. But he just had to know. He didn¡¯t know if he could stand the fact that she had a child with Mitch. He already med himself because she left. ¡°What? No.¡± Katherine replied. ¡°And it¡¯s none of your business¡± ¡°So you won¡¯t tell me¡­. Who is his father?¡± ¡°I adopted him four years ago, alright? He was just four then. And he is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I¡¯m proud of him¡± ¡°You should be.¡± Jensen said. ¡°He¡¯s smart and I can see you both love each other very much. I see it in the way you look at him and the way you were so worried about him.¡± Katherine stared at him. She didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°So how¡¯s the setting up of the storeing?¡± Jensen asked. ¡°Great,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°All the equipment is set up and ready. I can focus on other things now¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°My house¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s tomorrow right?¡± he asked ¡°Yeah, it is¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°So I will see you tomorrow then. I will meet you at your parents house, right?¡± ¡°Thanks Jensen. But really you don¡¯t have to¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me there?¡± he interrupted. ¡°No¡­. I mean yes. Of course I would appreciate the help. I just don¡¯t want you to stress yourself over it. Like I told you before, I have my parents, Jon and I¡­.¡± ¡°I want to help, Kat,¡± he said, moving close to her. ¡°Just let me¡­. You don¡¯t have to fight me about everything, Kat. We aren¡¯t kids anymore. You haven¡¯t changed one bit, you know.¡± 20 ¡°I¡¯m not fighting you, Jensen¡± her voice was hoarse, almost in a whisper. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to be considerate. I know you probably have a lot to do and I don¡¯t want to waste your time¡±. Katherine said. He raised one of his hands and a finger brushed her chin. ¡°Being considerate would be to let me do whatever the fuck I want. I want to do this. And it¡¯s my time, Kat. I will waste it however I like¡­ So you will let me help you, Kat¡­ Deal?¡±. He extended his hand. She took it. ¡°Deal¡± she repeated. Her hand was small. Jensen thought. It was cool, dry and soft. The feel of it left an impression after he released it. His eyes seemed to see right through her. Katherine swallowed. He did everything with the same intensity ¨C Talk, stare, kiss, touch¡­. maybe make love. She tried not to think about it. It was the one thing they never got to. ¡°I¡¯m d Tim isn¡¯t Mitch¡¯s kid, Kat. I¡¯m not saying I would like him less if he was, but I¡¯m d he isn¡¯t.¡±Jensen said. He stepped away from her. ¡°I will get Tim¡¯s bike out of the trunk and keep it somewhere he can find it. Bye Kitty¡± he said smiling. ¡°Bye Jensen¡± she replied. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Katherine was thankful for her family. If it wasn¡¯t for them, she didn¡¯t know how she would have been able to handle moving into her new house. The house was ready. They helped with everything. All she needed to do was move in. When she saw it she had fallen in love with it right away. Right now she was ready to leave, but her family was taking their sweet, sweet time having breakfast. ¡°Are you guys just being unnecessarily slow to piss me off?¡± Katherine asked as she came into the dining room. ¡°Honey, are you sure you are full?¡± her mom asked. ¡°Here¡­ Have some more eggs¡± ¡°Yes of course I am. You guys won¡¯t be able to lift anything if you get too filled up. I¡¯m also worried that Jon is never going to be full. Jezz, didn¡¯t you eat at home?¡±. Katherine asked and Timughed. ¡°Rx, sis,¡± Jon said. ¡°I need my strength, you know¡±. ¡°I¡¯m sure you do¡±. Katherine said sarcastically. ¡°Except when you finish all that food you won¡¯t be able to stand¡±. The doorbell rang. ¡°Could you get that, Kathy,¡± Delia said. ¡°Sure¡±. Katherine opened the door to find Jensen standing there. ¡°Hello, Kitty,¡± he said cheerfully. His eyes took in her tight Jean trousers and her shirt. Katherine rolled her eyes. ¡°Hi, Jensen,¡± she replied. ¡°You don¡¯t look so happy to see me,¡± He said. ¡°I told you I wasing, didn¡¯t I?¡±. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t happy to see you¡±. ¡°Oh really? So¡­ You always roll your eyes like that when you open the door?¡± he asked. ¡°Fine, Jensen. But that is not the point. Are you ever going to stop calling me that?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Calling you what?¡± he asked innocently.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Katherine raised an eyebrow His hands moved to his jaw. ¡°Ermmm.. No¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a habit I can¡¯t seem to stop and¡­ the name suits you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if it does¡­ And it doesn¡¯t. That is not the point.¡± ¡°Yeah I know,¡± he replied. ¡°But I¡¯m trying to make it the point. Are you going to make me stand out here or are you going to let me in?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh. Pleasee in¡±. Katherine said as she stepped out of the way. Jensen walked into the house. ¡°Who is it dear?¡± Delia asked, then her face lit up when she saw Jensen. ¡°Good morning,¡± Jensen greeted. ¡°Hello, Jensen,¡± Delia replied. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. How are you?¡± Jensen replied as he nodded towards Jonathan. ¡°I¡¯m alright. Come join us for breakfast, dear. Katherine tells me you will be helping us today and you need your strength¡± Delia said. ¡°Oh it¡¯s fine. I already had breakfast¡± Jensen replied. ¡°But thank you¡± ¡°When is the official opening of your building?¡± Jonah asked. ¡°Ermm¡­ In a week¡± Jonah replied. ¡°That¡¯s good. Congrattions Son. And we really appreciate you helping Kathy today¡± ¡°Oh he always looked out for Kathy¡± Delia chipped in. ¡°Remember how close they were when they were kids? Oh, how Kathy followed him everywhere, I remember one time when -¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Katherine interrupted. ¡°You know what, since you guys are still eating, Jensen and I will just go and then you guys can meet us there¡± ¡°Alright dear.¡± Delia said. ¡°Jensen, you are sure you are not hungry? There is enough for everyone¡± ¡°He¡¯s a fine mom¡±. Katherine said, taking Jensen by the arm and almost dragging him outside. She released him when they got outside. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± she began. ¡°But my mom can be-¡± She stopped when she saw him smiling. ¡°What?¡± she asked. ¡°Can¡¯t wait to be alone with me, can you?¡± he said yfully. Katherine punched his shoulder. ¡°You wish¡­ Get in the car, you doofus¡± There was a trailer attached to her car so she could tow it behind her. ¡°Wow,¡± Jensen said as he opened her car door. ¡°Bullying¡­ Just like old times. I guess some things never change¡± ¡°Hey¡­ If anyone bullied the other it was you¡±. ¡°You followed me everywhere and made my life miserable,¡± he said. ¡°Well, I¡¯m d your life got so much better after I left¡± Katherine said as she got in the car. He got in too and she drove off. They were both silent. Katherine wanted to bang her head on the steering wheel. Maybe she was overreacting. But hearing him say his life was miserable when he was with her just made her think things. Things she didn¡¯t want to consider. Like maybe that¡¯s why he never looked at her the way she wanted. Maybe that was the reason why he had walked away from her when she had asked for something more. She kept her eyes on the road. She hated how they couldn¡¯t be together without the pasting up. She didn¡¯t want to think about it. Jensen finally broke the silence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I said that. You know I didn¡¯t mean it. You didn¡¯t make my life miserable, Kat¡± he said. Katherine thought she heard regret in his voice but she pushed that thought away. He didn¡¯t have anything to regret. His life was obviously much better. He was rich, he had his own business, his own building. She was sure he had women falling all over him too. She pushed that thought away. She shouldn¡¯t be thinking about that right now. She kept her eyes on the road as she drove. 21 ¡°It¡¯s no big deal¡± Katherine said, trying to act like she wasn¡¯t bothered¡­. And failing. ¡°Not really,¡± he continued. ¡°My life was actually really amazing when you were in it. We spent really great times together, you know. I hated it when you left. I still don¡¯t get why you had to leave.¡± ¡°I was doing the right thing,¡± Katherine said. ¡°Oh please¡± he said. ¡°You honestly still think leaving was the right thing. Your family was right here. I was here. The truth is you just couldn¡¯t listen. You are so smart and I just don¡¯t understand how you couldn¡¯t see just how bad Mitch was for you. Even after I told you¡± Katherine got really upset after he said that. ¡°You know, let¡¯s face it. That¡¯s the only reason why you are so mad at me, because I didn¡¯t listen to you. Oh God forbid Jensen Packard doesn¡¯t get his way¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.. And you know it. We had something amazing between us. It¡¯s not my fault you decided to throw it away because you were scared¡± Katherine ignored him and was d when they got to her house. She pulled into the driveway and got out. Jensen followed. She walked right in front of him and poked a finger in his chest. ¡°There was nothing between us, Jensen. You made sure of that. And if there was anyone who was scared, it was you. You were scared of responsibility¡­ That¡¯s why you turned me down that night. So don¡¯t put that on me¡± she yelled. Before he could reply. She walked away from him and walked to the front door. He followed her. He stood behind her as she rummaged through her purse with shaking fingers in search of her keys. ¡°Damn it¡± she cursed when she couldn¡¯t find them. ¡°Rx,¡± Jensen said, but she ignored him and continued searching for them. He sighed and took the purse from her. He fished through and finally extracted her keys and reached past her to unlock the door. Katherine brushed past him as they walked into the house. She dropped her purse and phone on the table and brushed past him again.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. She went to the truck, grabbed a box and carried it inside the house. Jensen watched as she dropped it on the floor. ¡°Listen to me, Kat¡± he said, but from the look on her face it was obvious she was going to ignore him. She was about to walk past him again when he stopped her. He grabbed her and pulled her towards him. ¡°Dammit, Kat,¡± he said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have left you that way. I¡¯m sorry that I hurt you, I didn¡¯t mean to but I thought that I was doing the right thing. You deserved better than what I had to offer you. I was so stupid back then. But then when I was ready you were with some other guy and I didn¡¯t know how to handle it¡±. His voice was quiet,ced with regret. His gaze darkened and sincerity glimmered in the dark golden depths. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have turned you down, Kat¡± ¡°And so you me me for not sitting back and waiting till you were ready. So I was just supposed to sit back and wait for you. You were pissed at me for doing the exact same thing you did. I was there for you, Jensen. Every damn time. Hanging out with you, being your best friend, bringing you cookies almost every day but you just couldn¡¯t look at me the way I looked at you. It was so obvious I wanted you¡­ How did you not see it? Or maybe you just didn¡¯t want to¡± Jensen knew he had to say something but he couldn¡¯t. He opened his mouth but no words came out. Katherine continued.¡±You were just too busy with all the girls, and having a good time to notice me. And when I finally thought you did, it turns out I was just someone you used to pass the time¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, Kat¡±. He said. ¡°I don¡¯t care Jensen. You have no right to lecture me about Mitch. You have no right to me me for the way things ended between us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what I said, Kat. I should have understood that you had feelings for me back then and I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t notice. That wasn¡¯t fair. I couldn¡¯t see what I had.¡± he paused, then added. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°What?¡± she asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me how you felt?¡± he repeated. Katherine hesitated. She knew it was partly her fault. She knew should have said something to him but she had been so scared of him rejecting her. Which was exactly what he did. The question pissed her off even more. ¡°Because I shouldn¡¯t have had to, Jensen¡± she yelled. She had rehearsed this moment in her dreams so many times when she had been so hurt. He had said he was sorry and she had proceeded to tell him what a low life scum bag he was. But now, with the regret swimming in his eyes. She couldn¡¯t seem to find the words. His words echoed in her head. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have turned you down¡¯. His admission sent a burst of joy through her head and sent a burst of joy through her. Not satisfaction or a sense of justice. But joy. As in, she still cared. After all these years, she still felt for him. She did. And she wanted him. Maybeing here and being alone with him wasn¡¯t such a good idea. She was so close to jumping his bones right now. She ignored the flutter in her chest. ¡°I need to start bringing those boxes inside. There¡¯s a lot of work to do¡± she said. She tried to move away but he wouldn¡¯t let her. He moved and blocked her path. She stared up at him. ¡°What?¡± she asked. Jensen didn¡¯t reply. She had really beautiful eyes. He thought. And they looked misty, like she was about to cry. He didn¡¯t want her to. He didn¡¯t want to be the reason why she cried. He stared at her, and he knew he was going to kiss her again. It was folly of the highest caliber. Considering the fact that she was really mad at him at the moment and seconds ago she looked like she wanted to scratch his eyes out. But he was going to do it anyway. And once he made up his mind, he didn¡¯t think anything could have stopped him. 22 He moved closer, reducing the inches that separated them, noticing the tip of her tongue as it snaked out to moisten her lips. Katherine swallowed. What was going on? She thought. What was he doing? The gap between them was closing, and instinct made her step backwards-away from his inexorable path towards her. He moved closer still. Katherine stopped moving and he grabbed her and pulled her against his hard body. ¡°J-Jensen! What do you think you are doing?¡¯ He heard her stumbled words with a triumphant kick of pleasure. He liked knowing that she reacted that way towards him. Even if she was trying really hard to act like she didn¡¯t want him anymore. She stared up at him with widened eyes. She put her hands against his chest to stop him. But that was a mistake because when she ced her hands on him, all she wanted to do was run her hands all over his chest and cling to him. He stared at her hard, then slid his arms around her. She didn¡¯t resist when he pulled her up tight to him. ¡°I¡¯m doing what I should have done that damn night, Kat. I shouldn¡¯t have walked away. Or maybe I did the right thing that night. I don¡¯t know. I only know there is no way in hell I¡¯m leaving today before I have kissed you.¡± Her fingers twisted into his shirt, just to make sure he didn¡¯t change his mind. She knew she should probably stop him, but she didn¡¯t. Every thought flew right out of her head. She wanted him to kiss her so bad. This was a bad idea. She knew. But right now, she didn¡¯t want to think. Nothing else mattered except being in his arms. He didn¡¯t move, waiting for her consent. She tugged on his shirt and lifted her chin. And just like that, his lips were on hers. His kiss was firm andmanding. In control. And skilled. Oh, so skilled. She had missed this so much. She thought. She parted her mouth and his tongue was inside her in a sh. She melted against him, trusting him to hold her upright, and he did, with a low growl of approval. Their mouths moved as one, in a dance as seductive as a tango. He took and she gave, then she rose on her toes and took from him, and his fingers gripped her waist and held her there. Her hands were eager to be part of the game and slid up so she could clutch the back of his head. Their teeth clicked together and apart and together again, and it wasn¡¯t enough for her. She wanted more, and she stretched even taller to meet him. To have a moment of control all for herself. As if knowing what she needed, Jensen bent his knees, then lifted her up so her head was above his. The kiss never broke, but now she was the one being demanding. She was the one taking over. Her hands cupped his face. He stared up at her with a fire that mirrored hers. Startled, she pulled back. Jensen let her slide slowly down to her feet, his eyes never leaving hers. He kissed her again, but this kiss was different. This was a kiss with more uncertainty in it, as if he was exploring some new territory where he had never been before. Tender, cautious and slow. He drifted from her lips to her chin, then down her neck and up to the tender skin below her ear, then back to her lips.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. She was drunk on him. Drunk on Jensen Packard. And she was hopelessly dependent. Craving her next fix before this one even ended. She moved even closer and put out her hand so her palm rested on his chest where his heartbeat thumped strong and hard. Her own pulse filled her ears with an echoing throb, pushing sensual heat through her limbs and into her erogenous zones. He made a noise that was feline and satisfied, predatory butzy. Almost a purr, yet a growl, too. Warning and weing as he drew her in with firm hands on her hips. She gasped at the hardness of his frame, the confidence in his hands, thenguorous way he nuzzled his nose against hers for one teasing second. It was a gentle urging to tilt her head so he could capture her mouth more surely. Thoroughly. Sensation mmed through her as he picked up right where they¡¯d left off years ago, the rush so intense it hurt. She had missed this ¨C missed him so much. Her nerve endings stung as though electrified. Her breasts grew full and tender, her lips became plump and sensitized. Her muscles ached with the effort to hold on to him when she felt weak, weak, weak. Her throat constricted with emotion and her lungs burned for oxygen. Deep between her legs, a pulsation of need started. All from a kiss. From the sweet rough rake of his mouth across hers. A swipe of ownership, yes, but of enticement. Come with me. Let me show you. He pulled her into a gentle collision that melted her on contact. So much seductive heat. Even his eyes glowed feverishly bright. That was what really affected her-his desire. The hardness of his muscled shoulders and chest triggered primal responses of female to male, but her delicate feminine ego exalted in the specific hardness that pressed insistently against the softness of her belly. She reveled in the color that gged his cheekbones. In the tension that pulled at his expression, indicating a struggle with his control. She wound her arms around his neck and gave herself up to that force. To him. She knew they couldn¡¯t go further with this -with what was happening between them. But at least she would have this. A memory. He set light hands behind her waist but let her continue to y. Allowed her to grantly indulge herself-to run her hands into his hair and kiss the corners of his mouth and slide her tongue along the smooth fullness of his bottom lip. She caught that sinful piece of him between her teeth as though it was exotic fruit and lightly pulled, forcing the sexiest noise she had ever heard to emit from his throat. 23 He was so hard, Katherine thought. She leaned her weight into him. It made her want tough with the heady power she had over him. She skimmed her nibbling mouth across the hardness of his jaw into the flesh in his throat, fingers digging at his cor to expose more of him to her busy mouth. She couldn¡¯t think of any other ce she would rather be at that moment but in his arms. The sound of a car pulling into the driveway brought them back to earth -back to reality. They stopped. Katherine moved a few inches away from him. Hurriedly adjusting her clothes and her hair. Trying to look presentable and hoping no one would be able to guess what they had been doing. Gosh. She thought. What the hell came over her. All it took was one kiss from him and she turned into that girl she was years ago¡­ Wanting him so badly. Turns out there were some things time couldn¡¯t change. She stared at Jensen. ¡°We should go outside,¡± she said. ¡°Ermm.. I don¡¯t think I can¡± he replied. ¡°Why not?¡± He didn¡¯t reply. He just looked down at the front of his trousers where his erection was still clearly visible. Katherine¡¯s eyes widened and he smiled. ¡°You idiot,¡± she said. ¡°There is nothing to smile about. My parents cane in any second¡­. with my son. You better go to the bathroom now¡± ¡°Fine¡­ Just rx a little, please¡± he said as he left. Katherine began to walk towards the door but before she could go out the door opened and Jonathan walked in. ¡°Jeez¡­ What the hell have you guys been doing since you got here?¡±. He asked. ¡°There are still so many boxes in the truck¡±. ¡°Ermmm¡­ Jensen and I were just looking around the house¡± Katherine said. Jonathan frowned. ¡°You have already seen the house,¡± he replied. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work¡± Her parents came in next followed by Tim. ¡°Alright¡­ Let¡¯s get these boxes inside¡± Jonah said. ¡°You and Jensen haven¡¯t even started,¡± Delia added. ¡°Yeah mom.¡± Tim said. ¡°I was actually hoping you would have started with the boxes. So all I would have to do is empty the boxes and arrange stuff¡± ¡°You are always looking for ways to get out of work Tim, but not today¡±. Katherine said. Just then Jensen emerged from the bathroom, nothing about him suggested that if her family hadn¡¯te when they did. They would both be¡­. Both be what? Katherine asked herself. She didn¡¯t like the answer to that question, but she knew that they might not have been able to stop themselves if they hadn¡¯t been interrupted. Maybe making love right there in her living room! The thought made her shiver. Jeez¡­ She had to get a grip. Getting involved with Jensen was a terrible idea and she didn¡¯t need anyone to tell her that. It hadn¡¯t worked out so well in the past and it definitely wasn¡¯t going to be different now. She would only get hurt and it would be terribly stupid if she got hurt by the same guy again. Her heart leaped inside, veins thrumming, twitching with lust, stunned, as she thought about those blissful minutes in his arms. That was his kiss! She had kissed him before. But she had tried her best to forget everything about him as much as she could. But right now she couldn¡¯t exin her attraction to him. It was like a gate had been opened inside her, and everything she had once felt for him was rushing back. If that was his kiss, what the hell would it be like to make love with him? she still couldn¡¯t help thinking. What would it feel like to be made love too by Jensen Packard? ¡°Hi, Jensen¡±. Tim said cheerfully. ¡°Hey, little man¡±. Jensen replied, patting him on his head. ¡°Thanks for helping us move in¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, how¡¯s everything going?¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Good. I joined the baseball team at school¡± Tim said. Obviously proud of himself. ¡°Oh that¡¯s nice, I could coach you sometime then if you want. I do it for my nephew sometimes. He ys too so you can join us¡­ We could y catch¡± ¡°That would be cool. Thanks Jensen¡± Tim said. ¡°You are wee, buddy¡±. Jensen said and he and Tim went outside to grab more boxes. Katherine sighed deeply. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Jonathan asked, watching her. ¡°You look.. I dunno¡­ Worried? Anything on your mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± Katherine said and walked to the kitchen, aware of Jonathan¡¯s eyes on her. Tim and Jensen were bing good buddies. She didn¡¯t need that. Tim was her son, and with this intense attraction she felt for Jensen, it would be harder to resist him if he and Tim started ying baseball and catch together. Focus. She told herself. All she had to do was focus on getting all those boxes in and cing the house in order. She could worry about Tim and Jensenter. They worked together for hours. She avoided Jensen throughout. She caught him many times staring at her, but that was only because she was stealing nces at him too. They took a break, then ate the lunch her mother had packed, then they resumed work. Before evening all the boxes were inside but some of them were still unpacked. She could finish thoseter. Soon her parents left, followed by Jonathan. ¡°Thanks for the help man¡± Jonathan said, patting Jensen on the back. ¡°No big deal,¡± Jensen replied. ¡°See youter¡± Katherine expected Jensen to leave soon too, but he stayed and helped some more. He and Tim were talking andughing like they had known each other for years. Like father and son¡­ Katherine shook her head, willing the thought away. Father and son-where the hell did thate from. She didn¡¯t know if she was happy or angry about the whole bonding thing. Soon Tim got really tired and she told him to go rest in bed. That left her and Jensen in the kitchen. Jensen watched Katherine, she had barely spoken to him all day since her parents interrupted them in the morning. And he didn¡¯t me her. He knew it was a bad idea hanging back after what had happened between them that morning. He remembered how hurt he had been after she left, leaving him terribly hurt. It had been really hard for him to move on after that. 24 Weeks ago he wanted nothing to do with her. Didn¡¯t even want to talk about her. Didn¡¯t want to feel anything for her. But right now the only thing he wanted to feel right now were the tantalizing curves of Katherine¡¯s body. He wanted to grab her and kiss her all over again. Finish what they started that morning. Take off her clothes and thrust deep and hard inside her, leaving his mark on her forever. He shook his head. That was a bad idea. And he needed something to upy his thoughts other than musing about what kind of underwear she was wearing under her clothes. Her voice interrupted his thoughts. ¡°Mmm?¡± he questioned. He looked up and stared at her, thinking how soft and kissable her lips looked. ¡°I asked if you would like to stay for dinner?¡± she asked him. ¡°No.. No¡± he replied hastily. ¡°Actually I think I should better get going¡± ¡°Oh really¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah. I have to go see ine anyways.¡± Jensen said.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Katherine nodded. ¡°Well, I really appreciate your help today, Jensen. Thank you so much¡­ If there¡¯s anything I can do for you.. Just let me know¡­ I owe you¡± ¡°You are wee, Kitty,¡± he said. A part of her wished maybe he would want to talk about the amazing kiss they had shared that morning. She didn¡¯t know why she even wanted to. She was definitely crazy. But it was clear from the way he turned around and left that she was the only one who was affected by the kiss. It was Jensen¡­ The man always had a way with women¡­ Of course he wouldn¡¯t be affected. Maybe it was all for the best. She thought as she returned her attention to the box. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Damn,¡± Jensen said as he rxed on one of Jonathan¡¯s couches to enjoy his beer. He hade over to Jonathan¡¯s house to hang out and they had spent the day ying video games. Tim was also there when he came, they had yed catch together and some video games too. But Tim was asleep now after wearing himself out. Jensen was tired too. ¡°Damn¡± he said to Jonathan who sat opposite him. ¡°That kid has a lot of energy¡± Jonathanughed. ¡°Yeah he does. Talks a lot too. But he¡¯s a good kid. Makes Kathy very happy. She loves him so much, seriously she¡¯s ready to have the head of any one who would try to hurt him¡± ¡°Yeah I can see that. I would be very protective too if I had a kid¡±. Jensen said, then he added. ¡°You never told me about him¡±. ¡°Hey, I wanted to, man. But you didn¡¯t want to hear anything¡­ It was kinda the same for her too. I didn¡¯t want to bother you. I figured it was better you guys figured things out on your own.. In your own way¡± Jensen sighed and Jonathan continued. ¡°And speaking of Kathy, what is happening between you two?¡± he asked. Jensen stared at him. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you would ask that,¡± he said. ¡°Hey¡± Jonathan said. ¡°I¡¯m talking about when we helped Kathy move. You guys were alone and when she came to the door to let us in, her face was all red and weird. You were nowhere to be found and then minutester you appeared. Look, I¡¯m not trying to be intrusive. Kathy is a grown woman. She can take care of herself. But I am just looking out for my sister¡­ And for you too. Believe it or not. Whatever happens, I don¡¯t want to see either of you hurt¡± ¡°Rx man¡±. Jensen said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt her. It¡¯s thest thing I intend to do.. And nothing is happening¡­ I mean¡­ I don¡¯t know if there is¡± ¡°Well figure it out quickly¡± Jonathan said. ¡°You are my best friend, and I trust you. If there is any one I want with my sister, it¡¯s you. That is all I¡¯m going to say. I don¡¯t need to hear any more details of what you both are up to¡± Jensenughed. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t bore you with the details¡­ not that there are any. How are the wedding ns going?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh.. It¡¯s fine¡±. Jonathan replied. ¡°Kate is handling most of it though. nning a wedding is not really my thing you know¡±. ¡°Yeah,¡± Jensen said, smiling. ¡°Actually, nning has never been your thing¡±. Jonathanughed. ¡°My family would strongly disagree with you man¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Mom¡­ Mom¡­¡± Tim¡¯s excitement prated the violet sprigged sheet covering Katherine¡¯s head. ¡°Wake up¡± He said. ¡°I know it¡¯s Saturday, but you have slept enough¡­ Jeez¡±. He pulled the sheet away from her face, and Katherine forced open one heavy lid. Her son¡¯s face lowered to hers, his eyes bright and eager. Milk mustached his upper lip, and dark curls tumbled down over the freckles on his forehead. When she moaned a protest, he said, ¡°I have been to grandma¡¯s already this morning, you know. I rode my bike¡± ¡°Tim,¡± Katherine said. ¡°You know I need my rest, right?. I had to work all week¡± ¡°And I go to school all week too. That¡¯s work too if you ask me¡± Tim replied. ¡°Yeah¡­. yeah¡± Kathrine said. ¡°Not really¡­ At least not like mine¡± She touched the vermilion superman logo across the boy¡¯s chest. ¡°What are you going to do today, Tim?¡± she asked. ¡°Mow grandma¡¯s yard with grandpa¡± he replied. ¡°Grandma even said she would pay me. Then me and Jerry and some other guys are going to ride our bikes to the ball field and practice¡± Katherine tugged her son¡¯s dark curls. ¡°You might run thewn mower around our yard too¡­ With my help of course¡± she said. ¡°Our grass is kinda long.¡± Tim frowned. ¡°I need to rest, mom.. I will be too tired to y¡± he said. Then his face lit up. ¡°Will I be getting paid?¡± he asked. ¡°Hey¡± Katherine said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to request a payment whenever you are asked to do something. I didn¡¯t raise you that way¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry mom¡±. Tim said. Then he added, ¡°Fine¡­ I will take care of it¡± ¡°And I will pay this time¡±. Katherine said smiling. ¡°But don¡¯t get used to this¡±. ¡°Yaay,¡± Tim said, hugging her. ¡°Thanks mom, you are the best¡± ¡°I know,¡± Katherine said smiling. Tim bounded out of the room, and minutester, Katherine heard the TVe on. 25 The sheer drapes fluttered at her open window, and a rooster crowed in the distance. The warm morning sliding into her bedroom matched the emotions she had been experiencing since thest time she saw Jensen. She sighed. Another day. But something was different, just like it had been since that day. Proof of that fluttered through her body, which felt restless and unfulfilled. She closed her eyes and saw Jensen Packard, once more felt his body against hers, his lips against hers. Kissing her, holding her and touching her so intimately. Her heart raced beneath her cotton nightgown. She stretched sensuously between the cool sheets, remembering the cotton covered hardness of his broad chest. ¡°Mom, are you getting up?¡± Tim¡¯s call cut into her memory, shattering it. Katherine sighed and got out of bed. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Katherine had to go drop some things at her store. She also had to cook and do someundry. So much stuff to do she couldn¡¯t spend the day resting like she had nned. She sighed as she parked her car. Tim was probably still helping her dad with hiswn. She told herself. She walked into the house and found Tim on the couch, munching on a sandwich. His freckles were festooned with des of grass. ¡°Hi mom,¡± he said. ¡°Hello,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°Did you mow grandma¡¯s grass or roll in it?¡±. She asked, smiling. ¡°Oliver and I had a grass fight,¡± Tim replied. ¡°I thought you were gonna be helping Grandpa?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Yeah I did,¡± Tim replied. ¡°Oh.. Well you should go shower. And you shouldn¡¯t be here alone just because you know where I keep the key¡± Katherine said. ¡°And you really shouldn¡¯t be sitting on the couch right now, Tim, with that sandwich and with grass all over you¡±. ¡°Sorry mom¡±. Tim said as he stood up. He finished his sandwich, then he started walking out the door. ¡°Where are you going, young man?¡±. Katherine asked. ¡°I can¡¯t take a shower now, mom.¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going over to grandpa¡¯s, he and Jensen agreed toe help us with ourwn¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± Katherine asked, dumping the bag she was carrying on the table. ¡°Yeah he came over to grandpa¡¯s with Uncle Jon, then he decided to help us¡± ¡°Oh really?. Why did he do that?¡± ¡°I asked him to,¡± Tim replied. ¡°You did what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, mom. You know, Jensen is so cool¡± Tim said. ¡°He is?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Tim replied. ¡°Really cool¡±. Katherine tried to apply the ng adjective to the man. He was incredibly good looking, he was rich, had a cool car, he worked hard and he had no problem getting along so well with Tim. All those things would matter to Tim. She began to remove the items from the bag. ¡°I guess you could call him cool¡± she deliberately kept her voice nonmittal. Tim continued. ¡°When I first met him, I thought he was kinda mean¡± ¡°Mean?¡± ¡°Yeah¡±. Tim said. Then he remembered that if he told his mom about giving Jensen the finger he could get grounded. So he added. ¡°He didn¡¯t smile a lot at first¡± ¡°Alright¡± Katherine said. ¡°Go on¡±. ¡°And you remember that day when he gave me a ride to your store, well after I took my bike, I took it to the stairs and was trying to ride it down the stairs¡± ¡°What?¡± Katherine yelled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mom. Please don¡¯t get mad. I won¡¯t try to do it again, I promise¡± ¡°You could have hurt yourself badly¡± Katherine said. ¡°I know mom. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡± Tim said. ¡°Well I didn¡¯t know Jensen was still around, so he saw me and he yelled at me¡± ¡°I¡¯m d he did¡±. Katherine said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have tried to do that. It is dangerous¡±. ¡°That¡¯s what Jensen said too. He told me that people who flirt with getting hurt like that have shit for brains.¡± ¡°Timothy!¡± Katherine yelled, giving her son a strict look. ¡°He said it, mom, not me. I¡¯m just telling you¡±. Tim said. ¡°Oh really,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°What other expressions have you picked up from him?¡± Tim grinned. ¡°I think he says stuff like that when he is angry. I think he likes me, mom. And he said I could meet Rufus sometime¡± ¡°Rufus?¡± Katherine repeated. ¡°His dog,¡± Tim said. ¡°You didn¡¯t know he had one? Anyway, he told me to get the hell down from those stairs -that¡¯s what he said mom.¡± he said when Katherine gave him a strict look. ¡°Then he took my arm and kinda shook me and asked me didn¡¯t I have a lick of sense and didn¡¯t I know I could break my neck or something¡­.. I told him I wasn¡¯t a kid but he said ¡®You aren¡¯t grown either and while you are around here, you will do what I say¡¯. He was kinda scary, you know, cos he talked all quiet, you know?¡±. ¡°Yes I know, ¡± Katherine said. She had seen Jensen lose his temper before. Many times when they were kids. He had gotten into fights, one time for her. And she knew how strong he was¡±. ¡°He didn¡¯t hurt you, did he?¡± she asked Tim. ¡°Hell no-I mean, heck no.¡± Tim replied. ¡°But he apologized for grabbing me. He said when he saw what I was trying to do he was scared shitless.¡± Katherine frowned at the words he was using and Tim grinned at her guilelessly. It was fun to be saying words he was ordinarily forbidden to use. ¡°I have to go now, mom¡±. Tim said. ¡°Look,¡± Katherine began. ¡°There is no need for Jensen to help with ourwn, you and I can¡­.¡± It was of no use talking because Tim was already out the door and she really had no strength to go after him. It was obviously a joke. Katherine thought as she walked into the kitchen. Tim had told her but for some reason she was still surprised when her dad¡¯s car pulled into her driveway and he stepped out with Jensen and Tim. Katherine watched them. She watched as Jensen brought a mower from the trunk of the car. Only a pelt of ck hair tapering into his trousers covered his sweat sheened chest. A pair of her dad¡¯s sneakers covered his feet. A grin was pasted on his face. She saw her father moving to the front door. Soon she heard hime in. ¡°Kathy¡± he called as he entered. ¡°Hi dad¡± she greeted. ¡°Just grabbing your mower,¡± he said. ¡°Dad,¡± Katherine began. ¡°Really, you and Jensen don¡¯t have to. You guys already helped us move in. I¡¯m sure Tim and I can handle this one.¡± 26 ¡°Oh it¡¯s no problem, sweetie. Go ahead with whatever you are doing, dear¡±. Jonah said. Knowing him, Katherine knew it was useless to try to argue. She just couldn¡¯t understand why Jensen was helping¡­ Again. Well, at least they were getting the work done. She murmured to herself. She returned to the kitchen to continue with her cooking. She heard thewn mower cross and recross thewn outside the kitchen window. She nced outside to view their progress. Jensen was riding thewn mower past the window. His hair, slightly rumpled, gleamed as the mower crossed from a shadow into a patch of sunlight. He looked like any other neighborhood husband doing his chores while his wife prepared the meal. She watched Tim hop along beside the mower, obviously giving directions. Jensen signaled ¡®gotcha¡¯ with his thumb and index finger. Tim swooped, gathered a handful of grass and threw it at him. The grass caught Jensen full on the face. He brushed it off himself, smiled at Tim, and called something to him. Tim matched his smile and threw another handful. Shakily, Katherine braced a hand against the counter. She closed her eyes and listened to thewn mowerplete another pass. This was really too much. She decided. This best buddies thing with Tim and Jensen was not what she needed right now. ¡°Mom!¡± Tim erupted into the kitchen minutester. ¡°Guess what? Jensen let me sit in his car when he moved it next to grandpa¡¯s house. You know, he told me he used to be a major league pitcher. You know that, right? Since you both went to the same school. Well, he said he¡¯s going to help me practice before the game at school.¡± Tim rambled on. Then he added.¡± Let¡¯s eat, mom. I¡¯m hungry. Can Jensen stay too?¡± ¡± Look Tim, Jensen is¡­ ¡± ¡°Jensen is what?¡± a voice said. Katherine turned around slowly to find Jensen Packard standing in her kitchen. She reached out just as Tim¡¯s body collided with her own, his arms going around her.¡± Mom, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s great that he¡¯s gonna help me practice?¡± he asked. Automatically, Katherine hugged him, mesmerized by therge, bare chested man behind him. ¡°Great¡± she managed to say. ¡°Just great¡±. Tim¡¯s excitement warmed her. He acted as if Jensen were his personal discovery, a fantastic new friend. The hero worship shining in his eyes reminded her of how she felt about her father when she was little. She understood. Tim didn¡¯t have a father, which made him an the more vulnerable to Jensen¡¯s friendly overtures. Katherine rested her cheek on the top of Tim¡¯s head. Jensen not only knew how to make her ache for him, but he also knew how to befriend her son. Her arms tightened around Tim. ¡°It would be nice if he yed with you, Tim. I think it¡¯s okay¡± she said slowly, regarding Jensen coolly. ¡°I knew you would think so, Mom,¡± Tim said as he slid from her arms. He sprinted outside. Jensen¡¯s body filled the kitchen as he came closer to her. ¡°Hi, Kat,¡± he whispered softly. ¡°Hi, Jensen,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your help today, really, but you didn¡¯t have to help with thewn. I was actually going to do it with Tim.¡± ¡°Oh what the hell are you talking about¡­ It¡¯s fine¡± Jensen said. ¡°I like helping you¡­ And I really like Tim.. And besides I have an ulterior motive¡­ Maybe like ten ulterior motives¡± he said smiling. Katherine nced away. His bare chest was distracting. She remembered being pressed against that chest, his amazing lips on hers and then him leaving without even bothering talking about it. Like it wasn¡¯t a big deal. It wasn¡¯t really. She had reminded herself that many times. Her problem was that she always thought that things meant more than they were. That was why she got hurt in the first ce. And now she was doing it again. Except this time she was in control. And she wasn¡¯t going to let him get in her head -in her heart. So she was going to push him away before things got out of hand. ¡°You know, I¡¯m so d you used that particr turn of phrase. It reminds me to tell you not to use foulnguage around my son¡±. She said, turning to the dishes in the sink. ¡°Have you been eavesdropping on my conversations with Tim?¡± Jensen asked. ¡°Certainly not,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°He quotes you. He thinks you are bloody marvelous¡± For some reason that gave him a rush of pleasure. ¡°Really? He thinks that?¡± he asked. ¡°Really.¡± Katherine replied. ¡°So watch what you say around him¡±. ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything he doesn¡¯t hear on TV,¡± Jensen said. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Katherine said as she turned from the dishes to face him. Her voice was a bit loud. ¡°That is not the point. I don¡¯t want him saying stuff like that. Period. He is my son and you will do as I say¡± ¡°Fine¡­ Fine. I¡¯m sorry¡±. Jensen said. He looked surprised as hell. ¡°I guess I¡¯m so used to saying stuff like that. I will try to control what I say around Tim, okay?¡±. ¡°Thank you¡± she said and returned to the dishes. Hoping he would leave. He didn¡¯t though.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Is something bothering you, Kat?¡± he asked, moving closer, which was exactly what she didn¡¯t want. Obviously yelling didn¡¯t make him leave. She had lost it. So much for not letting him know how she felt. She put on her ¡®I don¡¯t give a damn face¡¯ and looked at him straight in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m fine, ¡± she said. In his eyes she saw concern for her¡­ Or maybe she was just seeing what she wanted to see. She looked away. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound fine to me. Are you angry about something?¡± he asked. ¡°No¡±. She said, but she forgot that Jensen knew her so well. ¡°Wow.¡± he said. ¡°You have always been a terrible liar¡±. ¡°Shut up,¡± Katherine said. Heughed. ¡°What¡¯s the problem, Kat. Talk to me, please. Is it me? Are you still mad about thenguage thing with Tim?¡±. ¡°No I¡¯m not,¡± she replied. ¡°Just go¡± Jensen cursed under his breath He didn¡¯t want to leave without knowing she was okay. He studied her with clinical detachment. she was a stunning woman¡­ She always had been. Her eyes met his without flinching. He liked that about her; he had from the start. Of course, there were other qualities he liked, as well. 27 Her mouth was the most kissable he had ever encountered and her skin the softest he had felt. Even her hair suited her to perfection. He half smiled in appreciation as he eyed her elegant topknot. Tendrils had escaped to curl with fiery abandon about her temples and the nape of her neck. And that¡¯s when he saw beneath the surface. Her hairstyle mirrored her nature, he suddenly realized. She struggled to attain the appearance of severity and restraint, but couldn¡¯t quite achieve it. Equally, she fought an unending battle between the tempestuous aspects of her nature and the need for rigid control. On the surface, she appeared perfectlyposed. But underneath smoldered an inferno that probably terrified her, that threatened the calm, orderly existence she¡¯d built. With new insight, he looked at her again. And in the end it was those soft eyes that gave her away-betraying her uncertainty, her desperation, her passion, as well as her unwavering strength and determination. He wanted this woman. He always had. Though he had realized it realte. But she was here now. And he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to let her go this time. He wanted to feed those sparks of inner rebellion, to release the delicious fire she kept tamped inside and to be scorched by the heat of it. Keeping all those emotions bottled up couldn¡¯t be good for her, and he decided then and there to find a way to demolish her control. Hell, he¡¯d probably be doing her a favor. In the meantime, he had to find a way to alleviate her fears. As though in response to his thought, her scent drifted to him. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Jensen,¡± Katherine said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I was rude before¡­ I¡¯m really grateful for your help.. I really am¡± ¡°Look, Katherine,¡± he began. But just then they were interrupted by Tim. ¡°Mom, isn¡¯t the food ready?. I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Oh it is,¡± Katherine said. ¡°I will bring it to you in a minute, dear¡± Tim¡¯s feet were nted on the floor. ¡°Are you okay, Mom?¡± he asked. ¡°You look hot, and mad, and¡­. something¡± Katherine sighed. ¡°I¡¯m fine Tim¡± ¡°Is Jensen staying? ¡± he asked. ¡°No, kiddo, ¡± Jensen replied.¡±Not today. I was just saying good bye. I will see youter¡± ¡°Alright¡± Tim said as he left the kitchen. ¡°Bye Jensen¡±. ¡°I guess I better leave now,¡± Jensen said. ¡°I left my car at your dad¡¯s house¡± ¡°Thanks for your help again, Jensen,¡± Katherine said. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Kat. I¡¯m d I could help¡± he said. ¡°But before I leave¡­ I have something to ask you¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Remember when I told you I had ulterior motives?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah¡± Katherine said, lifting an eyebrow and looking puzzled. Jensen smiled. ¡°The official opening of Crimson Bay,¡± he said. ¡°I want you to go with me¡­ As my date¡±. Katherine stared at him wide eyed. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Jensen.. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea¡±. ¡°Why not?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, Jensen. I don¡¯t have to exin this to you¡±. ¡°Yeah you don¡¯t¡± he said. ¡°Because there is nothing to exin. Remember when I helped you move in and you said you owed me?¡­. Well, I decided to collect¡±. Katherine couldn¡¯t help her smile. ¡°That¡¯s not fair, Jensen and you know it¡±. He shrugged, feigning innocence. ¡°Gotta do what I gotta do, baby,¡± he said. And after giving her a peck on her cheek, he was gone. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- It was Monday evening. Katherine dropped Tim at her parents house and got into her car. She hadn¡¯t really thought about what she was doing till she was on her way to his house ¨C Jensen¡¯s house. She stared at the box on her passenger seat. Maybe this wasn¡¯t such a good idea. She thought. Maybe she should have waited for him toe to the store and then given it to him then. Going to his house seemed so¡­ personal. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind. She would just give him the box and leave. It wasn¡¯t such a big deal. Soon she was parked in Jensen¡¯s driveway, trying to muster her nerve to get out of the car. Was he even home? Stupidly she hadn¡¯t even called him. She got out of the car, carried the box with her, rang the doorbell and waited. Seconds passed, and she rang again just to be sure he had heard. Then she breathed a sigh of relief to hear footsteps from inside the house. When the door opened, Jensen was standing on the other side, his hair disheveled and his chest bare. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did I interrupt something?¡± she asked, feeling foolish for not considering the possibility that he had someone with him. ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t call,¡± she said hastily. ¡°I should have¡­ Maybe I will just see you¡­..¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Kat.¡± he said. ¡°You didn¡¯t interrupt anything. Pleasee in¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Katherine said as she walked in. ¡°Your ce is nice,¡± she said. ¡°Thanks. I gotta say I¡¯m surprised to see you.¡± he said, then there was concern in his eyes. ¡°Is everything okay, Kat?¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Yeah. Yeah. There¡¯s no problem. Everything is fine. Ermm, actually, I just came to give you this¡± she said, giving him the box. ¡°It¡¯s a thank you for helping me move in and helping with thewn too. I want you to know that I am grateful¡± Jensen opened the box and smiled. ¡°Cupcakes¡­ Just like before¡± he said and Katherine nodded. ¡°I¡¯m really going to enjoy eating these¡±. Katherineughed. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to, Kat,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯m d you brought them. Thanks¡± ¡°You are wee¡±. He took one of the cookies and bit into it. ¡°Hmmmm¡­ Damn¡± he said, closing his eyes. His tongue moistened his lower lip, and for some seconds Katherine was jealous of that cookie. ¡°This tastes good. Just like I remember, maybe even better.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Katherine said yfully. ¡°Maybe you and that cookie should get a room¡± ¡°Maybe you and I should,¡± Jensen said. He watched her reaction with amusement. An indulgent smile spread across his face. Katherine stared at him. His dark,pelling gaze held her captive. Shocked by the intensity of feelings that washed through her body, she felt suddenly dizzy. ¡°Can I get you something to drink?¡± he asked. The sudden appearance of arge, shaggy and exuberant dog effectively sent all thoughts flying. In a blur of noise and motion, the dog bounded up to greet her, and she staggered backward under its assault. Paws on her shoulders, eyes level with her own, the dog panted happily in her face. With a grin, she returned it to all four feet and bent to pat its head. Then she looked up at Jensen. 28 He was smiling. ¡°He likes you,¡± he said. Katherine let Rufus smell her hand, he licked it and she scratched him behind the ears. ¡°He must really like you too,¡± she said. ¡°And watch over you.. I guess¡± ¡°Some watchdog¡± Jensen remarked. ¡°If that¡¯s how he reacts to every stranger whoes here then I¡¯m screwed¡±. Katherine smiled, and straightened. Then she answered his previous question. ¡°No, I don¡¯t need to drink anything. I just came to give you that. I should go now¡± ¡°Hey,e on, Kat,¡± he insisted. ¡°You can¡¯t juste here, stay five minutes and then just leave. Are you avoiding me?¡± ¡°No,¡± Katherine said. ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ A feeling, I guess. Are you scared I might kiss you again?¡± he asked suddenly. ¡°What.. No¡± Katherine replied. ¡°If you had told me sooner that you didn¡¯t like it ¡­¡± he began. ¡°I never said that I didn¡¯t like it¡± Katherine said. Only after she heard her own words did she realize what she had admitted. Their eyes connected, soundlessly but jarringly. She drew in a swift breath. It was no armor against the intensity of his gaze. ¡°So you like it then?¡± he asked gruffly. ¡°No,¡± Katherine said. ¡°I mean¡­¡± she lowered her gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should be talking about this, Jensen¡± She heard him drop the box on the table. His trousers brushed against a chair as he scooted forward. ¡°Why?¡± he asked. ¡°That is my business,¡± Katherine said. ¡°And now it¡¯s mine,¡± he said, raising his voice.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Bravely, she flung up her head and red at him, then wished she hadn¡¯t. His forearms were propped on the edge of the table, and he was leaning forward slightly. His hair, his bare arms, his wide chest, his face and his eyes, all exuded a masculinity that both fascinated and repelled her. ¡°This subject is closed,¡± she said huskily. ¡°And I say it¡¯s not,¡± Jensen said. ¡°Have dinner with me¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Katherine said. ¡°Dinner. Let¡¯s have dinner. Let¡¯s go to dinner together. You and I¡± he said. ¡°You mean like a date?¡± ¡°Exactly like a date¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡± ¡°Why not?¡± he asked. ¡°I thought we already agreed I would go to the party with you. That should be enough¡­ And I just brought you cupcakes too¡±. ¡°We will go on a date after the party¡­ At the party there will be a lot of people around¡­ That doesn¡¯t really count as a date to me. Why do you keep saying no?¡± he asked. Katherine was tired of this. ¡°Maybe I just don¡¯t find you attractive¡± she said angrily. ¡°Lies, Kat,¡± he said. ¡°You want me. You and I both know that. And I want you too. Ever since that day you walked into my office. I haven¡¯t been able to stop thinking about you since thest time we kissed. Do you have any fucking idea how hard it was for me to get some sleep that night? I have taken so many cold baths I¡¯m already questioning my sanity. And I know you feel it too. You nearly fainted when your breasts came up against me that day, and the expression on your face when you discovered I was hard defied description. You can¡¯t deny that you were affected by that kiss¡± ¡°I was just caught up in the moment,¡± she said, breathing hard. He linked his fingers at the back of her neck beneath her hair where her skin was dewy from the heat. ¡°That is another lie, Kat,¡± he said. Ducking his head, he whisked his lips across hers. ¡°You said yourself just now that you liked my kiss¡± ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± she said stubbornly. ¡°Liar,¡± he whispered. He touched the corner of her lips with his tongue. It was thrilling, terrifying. His teasing caress made her hot and dizzy. His size and strength overwhelmed her. He felt and smelled masculine. His maleness both seduced and repelled. She fought the appeal and terror of it. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t do this, Jensen¡± she begged against his seeking lips. His fingers yed a tantalizing dance down the length of her spine to cup the curve of her hip. ¡°I love the way you respond when I kiss you¡­.. I always have¡­ ¡± he said. Then he added ¡°¡­.. Like this¡±. He captured her mouth with his. The heat simmered between them, then exploded, consuming her in a fire she had no hope of containing. An instantter she realized she didn¡¯t want to contain it. She wanted to feed the mes, burn higher and hotter and brighter until nothing mattered but the pleasure that could be gained from this timeless moment. She let her fingers roam his hard, wide chest, tugging him close, satisfied only when she could feel the swift, strong beat of his heart beneath her palms. His arms felt like corded steel, his hold as unrelenting as his nature. After all this time, she shouldn¡¯t still want him so desperately. She should resist, fight the trap he had sprung. But the truth was, she had been waiting for this to happen since that kiss at her house. After five years, she discovered she hadn¡¯t forgotten a thing. Not his smooth, intoxicating vor. Not the firm, warm feel of his mouth. Not the soul jarring response of her body to his bold touch. She traced his bottom lip, knowing by his shiver that he found their embrace as affecting as did she. He lifted his head, taking that lovely mouth with him, and she cried out in disappointment. But he shushed her with hard, stinging kisses to the corner of her lips, along the line of her jaw, down her chin and neck¡­over the tops of her breasts. The sound of her phone ringing made them stop. Reality returned in a cascade of harsh breathing. Katherine opened her eyes. Jensen moved away from her to the window, his back turned to her, his shoulders rising and falling in a rapid movement that attested to his scramble for control. Katherine adjusted her clothes hurriedly then left the room to answer the call. Minutester she returned. Jensen was sitting on one of the chairs, eating one of the cupcakes. He stood when she returned. ¡°I have to go,¡± Katherine said. ¡°Work stuff¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°I will pick you up on Saturday. What time will you be ready?¡± he asked. ¡°Eight o¡¯clock is fine,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°Eight it is,¡± he said, giving her a wink. 29 Katherine pulled the chicken breasts she had been thawing all day out of the fridge just as Tim burst into the kitchen. ¡°Mom, can I go to Oliver¡¯s house to y with legos?¡± he asked. She gave him a quick smile. ¡°Sure. But not now, dear. After you have eaten.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Tim called as he dashed back into the living room. ¡°We can, but not yet¡± she heard him say, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile. She pulled a knife from the butcher block holder and started slicing. Jensen shed into her head and she put the knife down. She didn¡¯t want to identally cut her finger off if she wasn¡¯t concentrating fully on what she was doing. She wasn¡¯t sure what to make of this weirdness. It wasn¡¯t just that getting involved with him was a bad idea-it was these strange feelings he aroused inside her. Making her acknowledge that she was a woman with needs and feelings. Well, except she didn¡¯t want to have needs and feelings. Theyplicated everything, and she was looking to keep her focus on her son only. Getting distracted by a guy wasn¡¯t going to allow her to do that. Was it okay if she was both parents to Tim? So far she was trying her best. She inhaled sharply at the little voice, then picked up the knife and resumed slicing the chicken. A crash sounded from the living room as blocks hit the ground, closely followed by loudughter. It made her smile. Obviously they had decided to y here. No, she wasn¡¯t wrong to keep her focus on her Tim. Not at all. He wouldn¡¯t be small forever and she was right to keep him at the center of her world. Her phone rang. A quick nce at the disy revealed it to be her mother.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Katherine washed her hands quickly and grabbed the phone. ¡°Hi, Mom,¡± she said, tucking the phone under her ear and reaching for a skillet. ¡°How is your day going?¡± Her mother¡¯sugh rolled over the connection. ¡°Same as always, dear. Nothing new¡± Katherine smiled. She knew she had made the right decision moving back. They chatted for a minute, then Katherine said, ¡°I¡¯ve got to get something going on the stove. I¡¯m going to give you to Tim.¡± It took only a moment to set them up, and she returned to the kitchen to get the chicken going. When she went back out to the living room, she heard them allughing, and was happy that her mom was closer now. ¡°Okay, Tim, it¡¯s my turn. Say bye to Grandma.¡± she said. Tim did, and Katherine picked the phone up. ¡°What did he talk about? Legos?¡± she asked her mom. ¡°Mmm, somewhat. But mostly about a dog. And Jensen.¡± ¡°Jensen?¡± Katherine¡¯s mind wentpletely nk. Her mom, of course, pounced that very minute. ¡°Are you dating him?¡± Delia asked. There was no censure in her mother¡¯s voice, only a gentle curiosity. Horror rushed through Katherine, followed by a sort of emptiness. ¡°No. No, of course not, Mom. Why would you ask that?¡± She tried to keep her tone light, keep this conversation from going any further. Delia¡¯s sigh carried over the connection. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you? It¡¯s not a bad thing, Kathrine. You¡¯re young. Gorgeous. There¡¯s no reason why you shouldn¡¯t.¡± Katherine let out a littleugh, but it sounded forced. ¡°Of course, I know that mom. But I¡¯m not dating anyone¡­ Not yet¡± ¡°I remember how close you both used to be¡­ And you had such a huge crush on him¡­ He likes you too¡± Delia said. ¡°You need someone to take care of you and Tim, Kathy¡± A powerful sorrow pressed on Katherine¡¯s chest. ¡°I can take care of us.¡± she said. ¡°Of course you can. And you do. You do a wonderful job of it. But who takes care of you, dear? And don¡¯t say you do,¡± Delia added. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about physical care of yourself and you know it. I¡¯m talking about the emotional. A partner to share the day to day with. You don¡¯t have to be alone. I haven¡¯t wanted to say anything, but since this is the first time Tim mentioned anyone outside of your little circle, I thought I¡¯d ask.¡± Katherine stabbed at the chicken with the spat. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom,¡± she said, even though the thickness of her voice belied her words. She swallowed hard. ¡°I take care of myself just fine. And Tim just likes Jensen¡¯s dog. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I know he is avable,¡± Delia said. She wasn¡¯t giving up. ¡°How old is he by the way?¡± Now Katherine had tough at the hope in her mother¡¯s voice. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how old he is, Mom. Older than me, yeah, but not by much. And I¡¯m not interested enough to know if he¡¯s avable. He¡¯s not interested in me. At all.¡± Was that too much protesting? She thought. Goodness. She shook her head. Good thing her mother couldn¡¯t see her. Delia made a little noise. ¡°Mmmm¡­ Your father told me he helped him with yourwn¡­ And he also helped you move in¡­ I just thought¡­ Okay, maybe he was just being friendly. Just promise me, Kathy. Maybe it¡¯s not Jensen, but if onees along, don¡¯t hide from it.¡± ¡°Fine, Mom,¡± Katherine said. ¡°Are you going to stop now?¡± Deliaughed. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°I will stop¡± Katherine sighed. While part of her knew her mother was right, part of her resisted it so hard because it was a step into the unknown. And it seemed silly as an adult to be afraid of the unknown. But she controlled what she could, and right now she kept everything as safe as she could. With as little risk to them as possible. Bringing in someone new- especially Jensen- ran the risk of upending everything and leaving them swinging in the breeze again if he should decide to leave. She¡¯d been through the soul sucking pain of loss already. She wasn¡¯t risking going back to that. ¡°I appreciate your concern,¡± she said carefully. ¡°But I think I¡¯ve got everything under control. I can¡¯t make any promises about possibilities, Mom, but I will try. I think that¡¯s all I can do right now.¡± There was the slightest of pauses. ¡°Then that¡¯s all I can ask for. I love you, honey. I just want what¡¯s best for you.¡± Delia said. ¡°I love you, too,¡± Katherine said. ¡°And I know you do.¡± She hoped her mother wouldn¡¯t push this, wouldn¡¯t keep at her to pursue something she wasn¡¯t in any way ready for. Wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d ever be ready for it. 30 ¡°I¡¯ll let it go,¡± Delia said, in a voice that made it clear she didn¡¯t want to, and Katherine had to smile. ¡°But I¡¯m still hopeful, honey.¡± ¡°You can be,¡± Katherine said, because it would make her mom feel better. ¡°Ermm¡­ I also wanted to tell you that I will be bringing Tim over tomorrow night. The official opening of Crimson Bay is tomorrow. I hope you don¡¯t mind¡±. ¡°Oh that¡¯s fine¡­¡± Delia said. ¡°Always happy to spend time with my grandson¡± ¡°Thanks mom,¡± Katherine said. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°That was a great speech, Jensen,¡± Katherine said as Jensen came back to the table. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said. ¡°Dance with me¡­ Please¡± ¡°Again?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Hell yeah¡±. He held out his hand and Katherine took it smiling. He took her to the dance floor and held her close. She put her hands around his neck and breathed in his scent. ¡°Those cakes on disy look delicious¡± he said as they began to sway to the beat of the music. Katherine giggled. ¡°They are not for you, Jensen,¡± she said. ¡°I really loved those ones you gave me the other day¡­ When do I get another batch?¡± he asked. Katherine smiled up at him and he grinned back at her. ¡°Anytime you want¡± she said sweetly. ¡°But you should know, you are going to pay for the next batch¡± ¡°I have no problem with that,¡± he said. ¡°I intend to eat as much as I can. It¡¯s been a long time. They look delicious and so it¡¯s worth it¡±. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. ¡°Not as delicious as you look though¡± Katherine shivered. She focused her gaze on his throat, unable to meet his eyes. Heughed softly. ¡°Am I making you ufortable, Kat?¡± he asked. ¡°Like you don¡¯t know¡± Katherine said, ring at him. ¡°Well I enjoy doing it. I don¡¯t know why. I guess it¡¯s because I know it bothers you so much¡± he said. ¡°So you are saying that you enjoy torturing me?¡± He moved his head to one side, looking thoughtful. ¡°Hmmm.. A little bit¡­ Yes¡± he said smirking. ¡°You really look amazing though. Have I told you that tonight?¡± Katherineughed. ¡°Yes, you did, Jensen. Twice tonight to be precise. Thank you. You look good yourself¡± He made a sound in his throat and Katherine swallowed. For one thing she was enjoying his hand on her a little too much. In the restrictive confines of her bra, her nipples tightened, her skin felt flushed, and electric tingles pulsed in her clit. Bad nipples. She thought. ¡°Ever been to the top of this building?¡± he asked after a while. ¡°No I haven¡¯t¡± Katherine replied. ¡°Whenever Ie here I just go straight to my store, Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s extremely beautiful up there¡­. especially at night. I know you would love to see it. Come with me¡± he said. He released her and for a few seconds Katherine missed the warmth of his body against hers and the way she felt in his arms. She brushed the thought away. ¡°What about the party?¡± she asked, when he wrapped one hand around her waist and began to move towards the door. ¡°They won¡¯t miss us,¡± he said. ¡°I have given the speech and the party will be over soon¡­e on¡± ¡°What about ine¡­ and Jon?¡± she asked. ¡°They are too busy with their dates to give a fuck about where we are¡± he said. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go¡± Katherine nodded and followed him. They left therge hall and walked toward the lift. He stabbed the button for the lift, and waited for her to precede him when the doors slid open. His eyes followed the sway of her hips as she moved. Damn. He thought. Did she have any idea how sexy she was? They walked through the ss encased atrium at the very top of the building and arrived in front of a wall of ss with the city spread out below them. The view was simply breathtaking. Across the bay, the city sparkled like precious gems tossed on an endless nket of ck velvet. Dazzling and magnificent. ¡°Wow.¡± Katherine said, her eyes feasting on the beautiful sight before her. ¡°It¡¯s something, isn¡¯t it? Takes my breath away every time Ie here¡± he murmured, ¡°It¡¯s one of the reasons why I like it¡± ¡°I can see why you like it.. It¡¯s beautiful¡± said Katherine ¡°how did you know I would like it too?¡± she asked. ¡°Oh I just knew,¡± he replied casually. Katherine smiled, ¡°You seem to think you know me so well.¡± she said. ¡°I do know you,¡± he insisted. ¡°really well¡± ¡°Nah you don¡¯t¡± He didn¡¯t say anything, just stared at her with those imprable eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say anything?¡± Katherine blurted. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to say anything. You are in the mood to argue a point just to prove you are right. You are not. Leave it alone.¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not going to distract me by starting an argument, Kitty. Not tonight. And not here. Let¡¯s just enjoy the view.¡± He stepped behind her and caught her shoulders. For the longest time they basked in the view, his head aligned with hers as he pointed outndmarks. But slowly heat and tension built, her heart racing with other sensory delights she wanted to fulfill. When Katherine turned away from the view, he was waiting. With her back against the ss, she stared up at him. ¡°Thanks for bringing me up here¡± she breathed. Her voice barely a whisper. ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡±. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m d you are back, Kat. How has it been since you moved back?¡± ¡°Pretty good I guess,¡± Katherine said. ¡°Not much has changed here really. Except that I have a son now¡±. He nodded. ¡°Tim¡­ Smart kid¡­ Very energetic¡­ Talks a lot too¡± he said and Katherineughed. ¡°Yeah. He could be really tough to handle sometimes¡± she agreed. ¡°But he is amazing. I don¡¯t regret any decisions I made concerning him. He loves your dog too. He has been talking about Rufus since he saw the dog at Jon¡¯s house. He has always wanted one¡±. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to coach him and some of his friends from his baseball team sometime next week. I hope that¡¯s okay with you¡± he said. ¡°It is,¡± Katherine said. ¡°And I really appreciate it.. You helping like this¡± ¡°But?¡± he inquired, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t want me around Tim?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He sounded disappointed. ¡°No it¡¯s not that¡± Katherine said quickly. ¡°You have helped so much and I just don¡¯t want to bother you. Jon can help him. I¡¯m just saying¡±. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I like Tim. I wouldn¡¯t mind having a kid like him¡± Katherine smiled. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°Did you and Mitch n on adopting together?¡± he asked, before he could stop the words. ¡°¡­ Before you broke up? Were you guys really that serious?¡± A part of him dreaded her reply. 31 Katherine looked at the floor. Talking to him about this was hard. Since she had given him a big speech Five years ago about how Mitch cared about her. ¡°No¡­¡± she said. Her eyes were still on the floor. ¡°I adopted Tim months after we broke up. Things got sour pretty quickly between us¡­ And Mitch became¡­ Ermmm¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Jensen frowned. He touched her chin and lifted her head gently so she could face him. Katherine looked up into his fevered scrutiny. ¡°Did he hit you?¡± he asked tightly. Katherine shook her head before the volcano in his eyes could erupt. ¡°No it¡¯s nothing like that. Mitch didn¡¯t¡­abuse me. At least not the way you think¡± she sighed. ¡°He just became¡­ Harsh and verbally abusive. He became distant. Very different from the guy I left with¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you got hurt¡± Jensen said, his hand moved from her chin and he gently cupped her face. ¡°But I¡¯m kinda d because it kinda brought you back here. I never really understood why you left. I love this ce. I could travel as much as I want but I always knew deep down that this is where I belong¡­ With family. How can you bear to tear yourself away from this?¡± he asked. He moved away from her to stare at the city below them. Katherine watched him. ¡°You really love it here, don¡¯t you? Her question made him turn. ¡°Yeah I do?¡± Katherine nodded. ¡°I can see it in your eyes and the way you talk about the ce. I don¡¯t even think you¡¯re aware of how your face lights up when you¡¯re looking down there¡±. ¡°I guess I¡¯m a bit protective¡­ Can¡¯t let things that matter to me slip away,¡± he said, knowing he had to be honest right now, that he needed to answer more than just the question she¡¯d asked. ¡°I love this ce more than anything because it¡¯s thend I grew up on. My parents loved this ce as well, they were buried here. The rest of my family is here, and it¡¯s thend I want my children to grow up on.¡± Katherine¡¯s face was soft, her eyes locked on his. She had grown up here too. But she wasn¡¯t as attached as he was. She understood that he wanted to feel some kind of connection to histe parents. Family meant so much to him. It did to her too. Katherine sensed more than saw his shrug. ¡°I guess I just wanted something different,¡± she said, answering his previous question. ¡°I wanted adventure. I didn¡¯t want to be tied to one ce. And most of all I didn¡¯t want to stay in a ce that reminded me so much of¡­¡± ¡°Me¡± hepleted for her. He was sorry that he had hurt her, even if he hadn¡¯t meant to. He had med himself after she left. He wanted to touch her, to connect with her physically and show her that he did care about her. Katherine¡¯s breath snagged somewhere between her lungs and her throat. She didn¡¯t want to look at him but he had his eyes on her. Looking at her like he could see through her. God, he was turning her into a basket case. She found herself meeting his gaze. She nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah.¡± she agreed. ¡°And I really thought Mitch cared about me and I felt that I had to give it a chance to see if it could work out between us¡± ¡°It was really hard when you left. It took a lot for me to get over you. And now that you are back here, I realize I never did get over you¡­ Completely¡± Jensen said. ¡°It was hard for me too. But I had to leave¡± Katherine said. ¡°Stop saying that,¡± he said. ¡°You didn¡¯t.. Have to leave. Damn it. I wanted you to stay. Hell, I told you to.¡± Katherine moved away from him. ¡°And like I told you before, I wasn¡¯t just going to stay because you told me to. You had your chance and you walked away from me¡± ¡°To protect you, damn it¡± he said. ¡°God, I really hate you sometimes, you know that?¡± Katherine said fiercely. ¡°No, because you don¡¯t. You want to pick yet another emotion to hide behind because you are afraid of this one. That¡¯s what you do when you realize you want me. You get scared¡±. ¡°I am not afraid¡­ Oh, fuck you, Jensen¡± she said angrily. He moved towards her and leaned forward into her space, his gorgeous lips curved in a sexy smile as his gaze raked her face. ¡°Finally , something we both agree on,¡± he said softly. Katherine breathed deeply. She stalked to the ss wall. She stared blindly at the view, her thoughts scattered to the wind. She heard him move secondster and she didn¡¯t need to look to know he was directly behind her. Firm hands arrived on her waist, drawing her back into his body, and fool that she was, she went. ¡°You can scream if you want to, get it all out of your system,¡± he whispered in her ear. Katherine dropped her head and let out a long, frustrated growl. The movement of his chest told her he wasughing at her. ¡°Guess I should count myself lucky that you still don¡¯t believe in violence, huh?¡± he mused. She turned around swiftly. Intending to give him a piece of her mind. But she was not prepared for what he did next and he took her by surprise. He kissed her. A hot, wet, breath stealing kiss. Shock beat through her for the next few seconds as his lips nibbled at hers. But then he reached out, hisrge hands sliding around her waist, and her surprise faded amid the sudden tidal wave of lust that broke over her. She slid her hands up and around her shoulders, his neck, and buried her fingers in his hair. His mouth nted more fully over hers and his tongue plunged deep to tangle with hers. The kiss heated and shifted into overdrive as his hands slid down to cup her bottom and pull her tight against his hard crotch. He rubbed her back and forth and she shuddered. He felt so good. So right. Fate. The word echoed in her head as she slid her hands inside his suit jacket and pulled his shirt from his pants then she stroked his bare skin. He reached between them and cupped her breast. He stroked the fullness through her dress before sliding his fingers toward the gaping neckline. Then traced the path where her plump skin plunged beneath the fabric and she trembled. His touch moved higher, following the strap that fastened around her neck. He paused over the hook and for a long moment, his hand cupped the back of her head and he simply kissed her. Deeply, thoroughly, his tongue stroking in a frenzied rhythm that picked her up like a tidal wave and carried her along for the ride. 32 Jensen hadn¡¯t meant for the kiss to get so intense. All he had wanted to do was to calm her down a bit. To taste her beautiful lips for a few seconds. But it had escted. It had always been that way with them right from the beginning. Those had been special times, times when he¡¯d taken her in his arms and kissed her until the world melted from existence. Anytime he touched her, they couldn¡¯t seem to keep their hands off each other. All rational thought flew right out the window. He loved the way she always responded to his touch¡­ Like she was made just for him. Like right now. Katherine relished the taste and texture of him. A moan of protest curled up her throat when he finally pulled away. Her brain barely had time to register the fact that he had unsped the halter top of her dress and the material now bunched at her waist. Her bare breasts trembled from the sudden rush of air and she felt a moment of self consciousness. But then he caught one nipple between his thumb and forefinger and squeezed, and a bolt of pleasure pierced her brain. Her lips parted on a gasp and then he kissed her again. Her hands dropped from his shoulders and traced a path down the hard wall of his chest. She pressed her palm over his erection, feeling him through the fabric of his trousers. She was this close to the zipper when his phone rang. They moved away from each other. He took his phone from his pocket and checked the caller ID. It was ine. ¡°It¡¯s my sister,¡± he said as they arranged their clothes. ¡°I guess we should go back¡± ¡°Yeah we should, ¡± Katherine said, breathing hard. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah I¡¯m fine,¡± she said. She was aware of his hand on the small of her back as they headed for the hall. ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡± ine asked when she saw theme in. Her gaze went from Jensen to Katherine and then back to Jensen. She frowned ¡°You know this is your party, right? We shouldn¡¯t be looking for you¡± ¡°Yeah I know¡± Jensen replied. ¡°Rx¡­ You are overreacting¡±. Jensen gave the final speech and said goodbye to most of the guests. Then he returned to Katherine who was at the bar. ¡°Getting drunk?¡± he asked, slightly amused.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Yeah I am,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°I needed that.¡± He smiled. ¡°Does it have anything to do with me?¡± Katherine gave him a look. ¡°You really have to ask?¡± ¡°Well, are you ready to leave? Or do you want to drink some more?¡± he asked. ¡°No, I think I have had enough. Take me home¡± Katherine said. The ride home was really quiet. Except for when Jensen, out of concern, asked her if she was really okay. To which she replied that she was fine. They got to her house and Jensen packed in the driveway. ¡°Where is Tim?¡± he asked. ¡°He¡¯s with my mom,¡± Katherine replied. They both got out of the car and he walked her to the door and went in with her. Jensen had barely had time to shut the door behind him when Katherine backed him up against the nearest wall. Before he could draw another breath, her mouth covered his and her small tongue thrust between his parted lips. He moaned. She wanted him all right. He thought. The proof of that stood trapped within his arms, evidenced by the tant desire reflected in a pair of pansy soft eyes. He didn¡¯t fall back against the wall and demand to know what she was doing. He didn¡¯t push her away. He didn¡¯t do anything, except¡­kiss her back. His arms gathered her close and he kissed her with even more intensity. The kiss seemed to go on forever and when he finally pulled away, Katherine couldn¡¯t seem to catch her breath. He moved away from the wall and grabbed her. In seconds, he released the halter of her dress and stripped her, baring her to him. His big hands lifted, cupping her, molding her to him. To his pleasure. And hers. She grasped his shoulders, clung to him, her ability to think, to move, to breathe a thing of the past as he lowered his head to her flesh. All she could do was stand there with increasingly wobbly knees and receive each lick, suckle and draw of those sensual lips and tongue. And enjoy them. Unable not to touch the lure of his hair, she swept her fingers over his head. ¡°Oh,¡± she whispered. ¡°Fuck, Kat , you are so beautiful.¡± he said. Pulling his mouth away from her breasts, he dragged a hot, wet path up her chest, her throat, until he recaptured her mouth. This kiss was hotter, wilder, as if the tether on his control had frayed, and suddenly, her one purpose was to see it snappletely. Her fingers found his nipple and she squeezed gently through his shirt. She was rewarded by a deep moan from him. With a small whimper, she trailed her hand over his shoulder, chest and torso, not stopping until she cupped his rigid length through his pants. Damn. She shivered, both need and feminine anxiety tumbling in her belly and lower. He more than filled her palm. Reflexively, she squeezed his erection. God, he was so thick, hard¡­big. A rumble emanated from his chest, and hisrger hand covered hers, pressing her closer, sping him tighter. His hips bucked against her palm in demand, and she dly obeyed. Even as his mouth ravaged hers, she stroked him, loving the growl that rolled out of him. Wanting more. Impatient, Katherine attacked the sp of his pants, jerking them open and tugging down the zipper in a haste. Nothing mattered but his bare, pulsing flesh in her hand. Touching him. But just as she reached for him, an imcable grip circled her wrist, stilling her frantic movements. She stared up at him, her eyes hot and luminous, mirroring the desperation he felt inside. But there was something else -the insecurity she tried so hard to hide since she got back. It was still there because she was still there. Still the same Katherine Kavell. Still hopelessly and desperately in love with him. The thought struck and his heart missed its next beat. ¡°We can¡¯t do this, Kat,¡± he said. ¡°Not yet¡±. Then he moved a few steps away from her. 33 Katherine felt her heart sink. She couldn¡¯t believe it. She had made a fool of herself again. She had given herself to him and he had turned her down¡­ again. She really needed to get her brains checked. How she managed to get turned down twice by the same guy, she couldn¡¯t understand. Panic gripped her and pumped her heart faster. She fought to get a grip on the emotion pushing and pulling inside her. She found her dress and hastily fixed her clothes. But it was fine. She thought. There would be no falling apart, no moping around, no feeling her heart shatter into a million pieces because her heart was not -repeat not -involved. She was going to handle the situation like a mature adult. Get herself together. When she was reasonably decent, she exhaled. No need to embarrass herself any further. She started for her bedroom door, but he moved so swiftly that she didn¡¯t even manage to take more than a step towards freedom. ¡°Wait, Kat,¡± he said. ¡°Get out of my way¡± Katherine said. She felt her voice crack and she tried to move away from him again. He didn¡¯t let her. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t have to say anything. I just want you to listen¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± she replied. ¡°Get out of my way. Get out of my house¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving till you listen to me.¡± he said grimly, propelling her against the wall and trapping her there with his arms. It reminded her of the past few minutes and she felt tears threaten again. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. ¡°Did you just kiss me to humiliate me? To prove some sick point?¡± Jensen shoved his fingers through hair she had gloriously disheveled, his eyes still a touch wild as they roved over her. What the hell was she talking about? He asked himself. ¡°You have got what you wanted,¡± Katherine continued. ¡°You can sleep soundly tonight knowing you have proved whatever point you wanted to prove. Let that be enough for now. It¡¯s fine, I have no one but myself to me for this¡±. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to prove anything of the sort, Kat. Believe me. You have no idea just how much I want to make love to you. So much that it hurts. But it¡¯s not the right time. I don¡¯t want this to be a spur of the moment thing. And you have been drinking. I want it to be something amazing. I don¡¯t want you to think about thister and regret it. I just want it to be right¡­ For you.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now, Jensen. Just let me go¡±. Katherine said. He released her then, but he still stood right in front of her. ¡°What if I just want my friend back?¡± he asked. ¡°I miss you¡±. He stared at her in that unique way that always made her skin feel tight and raw and exposed. That way that said he saw and knew much more about her than he should. But while in the past she would have dropped her gaze, mumbled something along the lines of never mind or whatever, this time she met his gaze full on. But she said nothing. ¡°Have dinner with me, Kat.¡± he said. ¡°Please, after Tim¡¯s game. You can pick the day. There¡¯s still a lot of tension between us and I want us to fix that. I want to do this right this time.¡± ¡°I have to go to bed, Jensen. You should leave. You have already stayed too long.¡± She said, ¡°Fine¡± he said as he moved away so she could walk to her bedroom. ¡°But we are not done, Kat. And I¡¯m not giving up¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Showered and dressed, Katherine felt much better. It had been a long day at work. And she had toe to the park for Tim¡¯s game. The full length mirror reflected the thin straps supporting the red and white striped knit top. The blue shorts were brief, age ttering to her long legs. A pair of treasured, worn sandalspleted her outfit.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. She tamed thest willful tendril at the nape of her neck and checked the single clip that bound her hair atop her head in a loosely twisted knot. She nced again at the reflection of her oval face, framed by wisps of curling hair and selected a seductive perfume then swirled the spray over her body. A sweep of mascara lengthened hershes, emphasizing her luminous green eyes. She grinned at the mirror. ¡°That looks good, old girl,¡± she said to herself. She added a dark blusher beneath her cheek bones, and called, ¡°I¡¯m ready, Tim. Come on, let¡¯s go¡± Sprawled on the living room floor in front of the TV, Tim answered, ¡°I¡¯m ready, mom. Jensen is alsoing, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure he is, ¡± she replied, rolling her eyes. She was tired of all this talk about Jensen. It wasn¡¯t helping her at all in her quest to not think about him. She had done her best to avoid Jensen since that night after the party. He and Jon had been helping Tim and his team practice and he had promised toe watch Tim y so she didn¡¯t think she was going to be able to avoid him much longer. ¡°Come on, Tim,¡± Katherine said as she emerged from her bedroom. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡± The parky in a grove of huge trees. Their shadows swept across the manicured field with its line marked baseball diamond. This evening, the soft breeze smelled of barbecues and freshly mowedwns. Holding a ss of lemonade carefully in one hand and swinging her canvas bag in the other, Katherine walked to the bleachers while Tim joined his teammates. ¡°Have fun, honey¡± Katherine yelled as he went. ¡°I will,¡± he yelled back. She sat on the metal bleachers, breathed the evening air appreciatively, and sipped her drink. Other parents were there, engrossed in gossip and periodically checking their smaller children in the yground next to the field. ¡°Hello, you¡± ire Be slid next to her. ire had two sons, one of them yed on Tim¡¯s team. Dressed in cutoffs and a blue polka dot blouse knotted under her breasts, her blond hair carefully swept back, ire presented an earthy picture. She and Katherine had known each other when they were kids, though they weren¡¯t so close. They had gone to the same school too. Now ire worked as a real estate secretary. 34 ¡°Oh, hello. ire¡± Katherine replied. ¡°Your sons dragged you here too, huh¡± ¡°Oh, yes,¡± ire replied. ¡°Oliver has been so excited about this. If I missed it, he would be so upset¡± ¡°Same with Tim. But it¡¯s good to be out for something else apart from work¡± Katherine said. ire nodded in agreement. ¡°So what¡¯s new, Katherine?¡± she asked after a moment. Katherine grinned at her. ¡°Absolutely nothing, ire, except the heat¡± she replied. ire squinted over her first puff of a cigarette. ¡°I know good and well that something is new. I heard you have a store at Crimson bay. A friend of mine saw you with Jensen at the party. So how is it being reunited with your ¡®best friend¡¯ from high school?¡± she asked.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Katherine sighed. She knew ire. She would pick at facts until she arranged them to her satisfaction. ¡°Why are you saying best friend like that?¡± Katherine asked slightly amused. ¡°You know why,¡± ire replied. ¡°He¡¯s a hunk. Always has been¡­ Right from high school. And he isn¡¯t married. I know you had a thing for him back then, and vice versa. He isn¡¯t married, you¡¯re not either¡­ So..¡± Katherine sipped her drink stoically, aware of the gleam in ire¡¯s eyes. She imagined ire¡¯s inner delight as she acted as matchmaker. ¡°A lot of things have really changed in the past five years, ire,¡± Katherine said in a voice sounding like chipped ice. ¡°It¡¯s not the same anymore¡±. ire snapped to attention. ¡°That may be true, but it doesn¡¯t matter. He is a doll, Katherine, and you know it.¡± Katherine gnawed on a piece of lemon rind. ¡°Not from where I sit¡±. She said, ¡°Mmmmm¡± ire¡¯s syble sounded skeptical. ¡°I get it. He didn¡¯t fall for your cool cucumber act, did he?¡± she asked. ¡°What?¡± asked Katherine. ¡°Cool cucumber act?.. I have never heard of such a thing¡±. ¡°Oh hun¡­ Sure you haven¡¯t¡± ire replied. ¡°I know you and I know how you were in school. Jensen is a real man. That touch me not routine of yours will just fire him up¡±. ire¡¯s shoulder nudged Katherine¡¯s, urging her to look in the direction of her nod. ¡°Well, speaking of the devil,¡± she said. Jensen¡¯s car slithered in and out of shadows as he pulled into the lot and parked next to the bleachers. Katherine¡¯s stomach tightened as she forced herself to watch the Reds and Blues warming up and ireughed at her reaction. ¡°Things are not the same indeed¡± she saidughing. Jensen looked nothing like a businessman this evening. He appeared at ease, perhaps even a little excited, as he eyed the boys on the field. He moved to the field to speak to Tom and Jerry, his nephew. Probably about the game and then he left. Katherine scolded herself for wondering where he was. She didn¡¯t care. It was even better if he left. She concentrated on the field. ¡°Hello, ire. Nice to see you again¡±. Rumbled a too familiar voice directly next to Katherine. She stiffened immediately. Damn this reaction to him. She muttered. Even though his bare arm brushed hers as he sat down and the expensive aftershave rose to her senses. Katherine stared resolutely at the teams on the field. She chewed another ice cube and studied her red tinted toenails, determined not to flinch as his shoulder bumped against hers. ¡°Hi, yourself. Good looking¡± ire answered over Katherine¡¯s head. Jensen edged closer to Katherine, his lean hip touching her softer one. ¡°Mind if I sit here, Kat?¡± he questioned amiably. ¡°I¡¯m going to watch the boys and talk to their coachter¡±. Again his hips nudged hers. Katherine took another mouthful of ice cubes and ced both elbows on her knees as she ignored ire¡¯s happy chirp and Jensen¡¯s rumbling, deep responses. Casually, he propped his Nikes on the bleacher before them, inches from Katherine¡¯s sandal d feet. His hair flecked thigh brushed the slenderness of hers, and she moved fractionally away from the heat. From under dark brows, his nce at her mocked the movement, and his mouth curled slightly. Jensen leaned forward, hands together, elbows braced on his knees and Katherine¡¯s stomach tightened ominously. She was so aware of every damn move he made. It annoyed her. She forced herself to watch the game in progress on the field. ¡°Strike¡± the umpire called. On the pitcher¡¯s mound, Tim grinned proudly. Katherine jumped to her feet and called between the cup of her hands. ¡°You can do it, Timmy. Do it again¡±. She sat down and found Jensen grinning at her. She elbowed his ribs. ¡°Stop that, Jensen,¡± she said. She wished she could take the white toothed grin, roll it up, and stuff it down his well muscled throat. Another strike slid by the batter. Tim¡¯s triumphant freckled face was wreathed in pleasure. Jensen turned to Katherine and asked pleasantly. ¡°Having a good time, dear?¡± then he added seriously. ¡°Tim¡¯s got a good good arm, Kat¡± ¡°I know that¡±. She snapped. Then she added calmly. ¡°Thanks for helping him practice¡±. ¡°Oh it¡¯s fine,¡± he replied. ¡°I like practicing with him and Jerry. I¡¯m beginning to think I¡¯m overdue for a dose of simpler things. I actually enjoyed mowing thewn with him and your dad. In fact I¡¯m looking forward to a lot of things. That includes kissing one very attractive woman and gaining her trust ¡± Beneath the cover of the growing darkness, his fingers walked up her spine. He gently explored the straps of her blouse until she shifted and arched her shoulder away from his hand. He smiled.¡±You know Kat, you can be a real torment. You are stubborn. But you are fascinating to watch when you talk to Tim. There is a softness in your expression, a glow that makes me ache. I want you, Kat. I know you want me too and I want to feel you melt beneath me when we make love. ¡± The heat of his breath stroked her flushed face. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy¡­¡± A cheer for a Homer drowned out the rest of his words. ¡°Strike¡± came the umpire¡¯s call. Jensen leaned against the bleacher behind them, a long arm curved around her stiff shoulders, his hand holding her still. The sweep of ckshes flickered as he watched the game. Katherine fought for control as she tried to pull from his grip. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, Jensen,¡± she said. His head turned as he followed a runner from second base to third, then on as the boy flew from third to slide home. The arrogant profile was set. ¡°I¡¯m going to touch you, Kitty Kat¡± he said casually ¡°if you will remember, you melt each time I do¡­ Like that day at your house. I wanted to spread you out on the floor and taste you so bad. I still want to. I told you we weren¡¯t done, didn¡¯t I? I told you I wasn¡¯t giving up¡± 35 Katherine sucked in a deep breath. He studied a batter¡¯s stance. ¡°Your legs look sexier in shorts. Long and smooth and tan. Warm, creamy, silk, inviting¡­.. And from where I sit, I can just see down¡­.¡± Katherine¡¯s hands flew to her chest and held the gaping knit top to her breasts. He smiled. ¡°Someday, Kitty Kat,¡± he said. ¡°Someday¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be a someday, Jensen,¡± she snapped. ¡°Not anymore.¡± ¡°Oh Yes there will be¡± he stated quietly. His confidence annoyed her. ¡°And we are going to put the past where it belongs,¡± he added. Katherine stared at him. But the words would note. The rugged face and intense eyes obliterated everything right out of her mind.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Jensen curved his fingers about her upper arm just enough to touch her breasts. ¡°You are fighting yourself, Kat¡±. His smoldering gaze slid mockingly over her rigid body. ¡°That¡¯s right, Kitty. You are going to have to admit what you feel in my arms. It¡¯s going to get even better. I¡¯m not letting you go this time. I was stupid enough to let that happen five years ago. But it¡¯s not going to happen again. This time we will not be flirting on the edge of passion, Kat, but plunging hard into its fiery depths. ¡°We are done, Jensen,¡± Katherine said. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we stopped that day. Thanks to you. It reminded me that having anything to do with you in that way is a bad idea. I¡¯m not going to let you hurt me again¡±. She wrapped her shaking fingers tightly around the ss. ¡°Hey, Jensen¡­ Did you see my curveball?¡± Tim asked, flinging himself down next to Katherine. ¡°I sure did. You have got a good pitching arm. But you have to learn how to snap your wrist. Your turn up to bat. Your coach is motioning for you¡± ¡°Mom, are you watching me?¡± Tim asked. ¡°Yeah you are going great honey¡± Katherine replied. ¡°Keep it up¡±. ¡°Great¡± Tim raced for the te and Jensen¡¯s hand looped around Katherine¡¯s waist. His thumb stroked slowly over the delicate inner skin, his expression grim. Katherine didn¡¯t bother to fight him. She just didn¡¯t have the strength. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Come over to my house to celebrate Tim¡¯s win, Kat,¡± Jensen said after the game. His rich baritone sounded ragged, uncertain. He said it as though no one existed except the both of them. Katherine was silent. ire¡¯s sharp elbow jabbed Katherine¡¯s ribs. ¡°Say something dummy,¡± she whispered, smiling. But Katherine¡¯s tongue wouldn¡¯t move. The warmth of Jensen¡¯s eyes rocked the crumbling bricks of her resistance to him. ¡°Hmmmm¡± ire drawled. ¡°Tim, ask your mom if you can stay at my house tonight. You can borrow pajamas from one of my boys. You guys can camp in the backyard tent.¡± ¡°Yes yes. Oh Mom, can I?¡± Tim asked. ¡°Pleeeese¡­ Please¡±. Jensen¡¯s grin brought tingles. Mesmerized, she managed to say, ¡°Okay¡± After ire and the boys left, Jensen asked lightly. ¡°So, are you reallying?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Jensen,¡± she said, keeping her tone light. ¡°Why?¡± he asked. ¡°You know why,¡± she replied. ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea¡±. ¡°Fine,¡± he said, ¡°Then I wille to yours. I see you didn¡¯t bring your car. Why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to. And it¡¯s not that far¡± ¡°Then I will give you a ride,¡± he said. Katherine smiled. ¡°You always find a way to get your way Jensen¡±. Jensen shrugged. ¡°I have to reach out and take what I want,¡± he said. When they got to her house, Jensen came in. ¡°I really like the way you arranged the ce, Kat,¡± he said. ¡°I never really looked at it since. It looks so¡­. homey¡±. ¡°Thanks,¡± Katherine said. ¡°Can I get you something to drink?¡± she asked. ¡°Just water,¡± he replied. After Katherine got it and he drank, he said. ¡°You are somedy, Kat. I see it in Tim. Not many parents have the bond with their children that you two share, or respect for each other¡±. He reached for her fingers and held out loosely. His fingers locked with hers. His fingers tightened on hers, the broad palm rough against her smaller one. ¡°I admire you, Kat,¡± he continued. ¡°You have to be special to raise a son like Tim. And you are¡±. ¡°Thank you, Jensen,¡± Katherine said softly. It was so hard to resist him when he was like this. ¡°It¡¯s not always easy but I try. I think you are great too. Tim adores you. I gotta admit sometimes I actually get jealous¡±. Jensenughed. ¡°Really, you do?¡± he asked. Katherine nodded. ¡°Yeah. He talks about you a lot¡­ About ball practice.. About Rufus. I gotta admit it¡¯s annoying sometimes¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to be jealous, Kat,¡± he said softly. ¡°You can have me too¡­ Actually you kinda do already¡± Her body ached for him. She hated that she always responded to him this way. She had to fight this. She told herself. For her own good. But still she hesitated. ¡°Are you still mad at me?¡± he asked softly, his eyes on his shoes. ¡°About that night after the party?¡± It was weird seeing him like that. Jensen was always confident. ¡°No I¡¯m not,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make you mad, Katherine. That was thest thing I wanted¡±. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Jensen. I¡¯m sorry I got so upset. You did the right thing. I was a bit drunk¡± she said. Jensen nodded slowly and then he pulled her towards him and molded her close, struggling within himself. He knew he had to go slow -at her own pace. So she could learn to trust him. She brushed against him and his entire body clenched in response. He wasn¡¯t the only one affected, he realized in the next instant. Delicate color tinted Katherine¡¯s cheeks and her breathing quickened. She wouldn¡¯t react to him like this if she didn¡¯t want him. Gently, he slid his hand down the length of her spine, his palm settling into the hollow above her backside. The slightest amount of pressure set her tight against him. She moaned, the sound barely more than a breathless sigh. But he heard it. He heard it and knew what she wanted. ¡°You feel it, too. Don¡¯t you?¡± he murmured. ¡°Yes.¡± Katherine replied. The admission seemed torn from her. As though stunned by her own daring, she lifted her gaze to his, her eyes darkening like the sky before a gathering storm. But she didn¡¯t pull away. Her attraction was undeniable and impossible to ignore. Everything about her appealed-her full, lush mouth, her eyes, the rich full hair, the low, confidential pitch of her voice. ¡°You understand now, don¡¯t you?¡± he whispered against her lips. ¡°Understand What? ¡± she asked. ¡°Why I¡¯m not going to let you go. This is how it should be between a man and woman. You can¡¯t push me away when you still burn like this for me¡­ You always have. It¡¯s like you were made¡­ Just for me¡± 36 Thrusting his hand into her hair, he tilted back her head and covered her mouth with his. He didn¡¯t ease into the kiss, didn¡¯t bother with preliminaries, but stamped his ownership in the most primitive way possible. She instantly yielded, offering sweet surrender in the face of his determined assault. It was that unexpected capittion that almost sent him over the edge. With an incoherent murmur, her lips softened, parted, encouraging him to plunder within. He didn¡¯t need a second invitation. He forged a union between them, mating his tongue with hers. She trembled in his arms, clinging to him as though he alone sustained her. And he, heaven help him, worshiped her with both hands and mouth. Not now. He reminded himself. No matter how much he wanted to. Ultimately, it was that thought that restored his sanity. With a muttered curse, he dragged his mouth from hers. He had made a mistake touching her, he realized. He didn¡¯t want her thinking he just wanted her for sex. He was falling in love with her¡­ All over again. Desire had given her beauty a wild edge and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what she would look like after a night of passion. Just the thought of her in his bed, her glorious hair spread across his pillows and her silken limbs entwined in his sheets almost destroyed his control. Slowly, she opened her eyes and he saw then that she had be a me to his moth, a bewitching siren capable of enticing him to his doom. ¡°Ermmm¡± he said, releasing her. ¡°I should go now¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Katherine said. Stepping away from him. ¡°Thanks for the ride¡±. ¡°You are wee,¡± he replied. ¡°Sleep well¡±. After he left, Katherine shut the door behind her and leaned on it, trying to calm her leaping pulse. That had been a mistake. She couldn¡¯t seem to stop making those. For one thing, it looked as if she¡¯d been waiting for him to kiss her, which, okay, maybe she had. And the worst part was she really found him seriously attractive. Was she never going to get over the man? It was crazy that after five years, it was like her body had stored all memories of him. And all he had to do was touch her and she responded instantly. She covered her face with her hands. All she had to do was ignore it. Ignore him. Ignore the way he made her feel. Ignore the fact that she wanted him. Denial, denial, denial. It would go away. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be so hard. She sighed. She could rationalize until she was purple, but the fact remained that every time she was near Jensen her nerves did this bizarre little dance. It scared the heck out of her. She pushed herself off the door and made her way to her bedroom, turning off lights as she went. Nights weren¡¯t her favorite. Her bed was so big. Lonely. She pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it on the chair in the corner before walking into the bathroom to take a shower. She crawled into bed minutester and pulled the covers up to her chin. Loneliness. She¡¯de to ept the feeling as a friend, in a way. It was familiar now. She was done taking risks. Not with her Tim, not with her life and not with her heart. She couldn¡¯t take any more loss. She¡¯d give up whatever she had to in order to keep both of them safe. That meant keeping her distance from Jensen, because as long as he made her feel like this, he was most definitely not safe. In her dreams that night, Katherine ran from smoldering ck eyes, her legs trashing the sheets as Jensen Packard pursued her. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Tim¡¯s birthday was close, and he was super excited about his party. He usually had a small one, with a few friends, but Katherine had promised him a bigger one this year now that they had a house. She had even printed out invitations for him to give to his friends and it was all Tim could talk about recently. Katherine was excited for her little son too. But she wasn¡¯t sure how to go about nning this big party thing. And when she looked at Tim¡¯s list of things he wanted for the party, she got even more confused. So she begged Jon toe help her with it. She was outside cleaning the windows when Jonathan showed up. He parked his car and walked towards her. ¡°Hi Sis¡± he drawled. ¡°Hi Jon¡± Katherine said as she dropped the brush she was holding in the bucket. ¡°Thanks for agreeing to help me¡±. Jon shrugged. ¡°Oh it¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°As long as I keep getting those free cookies and cupcakes any time I want, I won¡¯tin.¡± Katherineughed. ¡°Besides, you know I will do anything for my nephew,¡± Jonathan said. ¡°So what¡¯s up with this list?¡± Katherine took the folded paper out of her pocket and she and Jon looked at it together. Jon smiled as he read. ¡°So it¡¯s not just me,¡± Katherine said. ¡°This is a bit crazy, right?¡± Jon nodded. ¡°Well, it¡¯s his birthday,¡± he said. ¡°Alright. You are going to help me with all that. And I will just concentrate on food and cake¡± she said and Jonathan nodded. Right then the front door burst open. ¡°Mom! I dropped the milk on the floor!¡± Tim¡¯s voice was half hysterical. ¡°I tried to clean it up but some of it got under the fridge. Katherine squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°Hang on,¡± she called back. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡°Oh, hi Uncle Jon¡± Tim greeted. ¡°Hi, buddy¡± Jon replied and Tim rushed back inside. Kathrine gave him a weak smile. ¡°Let me go handle this for you while you tackle the milk.¡± Jonathan said. There was a quiet humor in his voice and part of her wanted to respond to it. She bit her lip, then nodded. ¡°Thanks, Jon,¡± she said. ¡°No problem.¡± He turned back and headed for his car while Katherine hurried as best she could into the house. ¡°Tim,¡± she said when she entered the kitchen, noting therge puddle on the floor. ¡°What happened here?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He looked up at her out of his big blue eyes. ¡°It kinda fell,¡± he said softly. ¡°I can see that.¡± Katherine replied. It had been nearly a full gallon. Usually she poured some into a smaller container to make it easier for Tim to use, but she¡¯d forgotten about that in her hurry to go clean the windows. ¡°If your socks are wet, go ahead and change them while I clean this up.¡± ¡°Thanks mom¡± he yelled as he ran out of the kitchen, and Katherineughed in spite of herself. She cleaned up the milk and threw the sopping towels into the washer in the basement. 37 Katherine watched Tim as he opened his gifts with excitement written all over his face. She looked around with a smile on her face. Jon had done a great job arranging everything for the party and she was very grateful that son had the ninth birthday party he wanted. Tim was really growing up so fast. She thought. ¡°Who wants cake?¡± she heard her mother announce and secondster, kids were running towards her shouting ¡°I do¡±. Sheughed as they crowded around Delia. Her mother loved kids. Even when she was little, Delia always encouraged her and Jon to bring her friends over. Which Jon the food lover never failed to do. Her father sat in a corner, watching the kids with a smile on his face. Jon and his fiance, Kate were also present. Katherine had to admit, life was much better when you had your family around and you knew they would always be there for you no matter what. She reached out for one of the snow cones and when she looked up. The sight of Jensen¡¯s car almost gave her a heart attack. She hadn¡¯t seen him in a while. It was almost like he was avoiding her just as she was avoiding him. And he never called to ask her on a date again. Katherine didn¡¯t know if she should be relieved or angry at him. Well he was here now and while the kids were still crowded around her mother, Jensen went to chat with her father. Jonah Kavell loved Jensen Packard. He and Hank Packard, Jensen¡¯s father, had been friends before Hank died. They got along so well and Jonah saw Jensen as a son. Katherine watched them, everyone seemed to get along with him so well. Everyone except her. Her heart skipped a bit when Jensen looked in her direction. She scolded herself for getting caught ogling him. She turned away. But minutester, her heart nearly stopped beating when he stood up and began to walk towards her. A wrapped gift in his hand. Damn. What was the reason for this stupid reaction whenever she saw him? ¡°Hi, Kat,¡± he said when he got to her. ¡°Nice party¡±. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°Jon did most of the work though.¡± He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± he said, looking around. ¡°Well, you would know. Since you threw a lot when we were in school¡± Katherine said. He threw his head back andughed. The sound did things to Katherine¡¯s insides. She fought to concentrate. ¡°You can¡¯t me me, Kat.¡± he said finally. ¡°I think that was when I was going through my ¡®rebellious phase''¡±. ¡°Well you certainly had a lot of those¡± Katherine replied smiling. He nodded. ¡°God. I was so immature back then¡±. ¡°I¡¯m d you admit it now¡± ¡°Well, when you told me back then, you were trying to annoy me,¡± he said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to agree with you¡±. Katherineughed. ¡°You asked for it¡±. They were interrupted by Tim, whose mouth was filled with cake. A few crumbs were still on his face. ¡°Hi Jensen,¡± he said. ¡°You came¡± ¡°Well I wasn¡¯t going to miss it when you invited me personally¡± Jensen said, grinning and Tim smiled. ¡°This is yours,¡± Jensen said and gave Tim the gift he was holding. ¡°Thank you,¡± Tim said excitedly. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°Well I can¡¯t ruin the surprise. Go check it out yourself¡± Jensen said. Tim grinned, then he ran off with his gift. Yelling ¡°thank you¡±. Katherine ventured to the eastern side of the house where she had a little garden. Jensen walked with her. On the far side of the garden, there was an Oak tree. A swing hung suspended from one of its branches. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Tim invited you,¡± she said. ¡°He did.¡± he paused, then added. ¡°You don¡¯t want me here?¡±. Katherine turned to him. ¡°No¡­¡± she said, sounding surprised. ¡°I mean yes¡­ Of course I want you here¡­. ¡± she sighed and he smiled. Katherine continued. ¡°I mean you are wee here. Tim wanted you here and I¡¯m d you came¡±.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He nodded. Gingerly, Katherine sat down in the seat and gave the swing a desultory push with the toe of her sandals. Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes and let the dappled sunlight spill across her face. She breathed deeply of the sultry air, which was heavily scented with honeysuckle and gardenia. ¡°I see you still have a thing for swings and trees,¡± Jensen said. Katherine smiled. She opened her eyes. Jensen, standing with both hands in the rear pockets of his jeans, was watching her. His eyes looked darker than usual. He moved behind her, ced his hands above hers on the ropes, and began pushing the swing, not too vigorously, but enough to let the wind sift through her hair. ¡°No I don¡¯t¡± she denied. ¡°Are we really going to do this?¡± he asked. The tone of his voice suggested that he was chuckling. She lowered her foot and plowed a yard long furrow in the ground before the swing came to a stop. She had to angle her head far back in order to look him in the eye. The crown of her head came close to touching his belly. He didn¡¯t move, although the conversation would have been much easier if he had let go of the ropes and stepped around the swing to face her. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said finally. ¡°I kinda still do¡± He smiled. ¡°Thank you for admitting it, at least,¡± he said. ¡°You must think I¡¯m crazy¡±. Katherine said, although she wasn¡¯tpletely talking about the swing. ¡°I think you are¡­. Intriguing¡± he admitted after pausing to search for the right word. ¡°Infact, Kat, you confound the hell out of me¡± His voice sounded so intense forfort. She tried to make light of what he had said and divert the topic to him. ¡°You are a fairly puzzling character yourself¡± she said. He smiled then. ¡°Me?¡± he asked. ¡°Uh-huh.¡±Katherine said.¡±For example, for a bachelor living alone, you don¡¯t go out much. It¡¯s really different from the Jensen i knew growing up¡± ¡°I guess my job doesn¡¯t leave much time for the pursuit of pleasure,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m a busy man¡±. ¡°You don¡¯t see women¡± Katherine said before she could stop the words. He arched one of his eyebrows. ¡°Are you keeping track?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± she said quickly. ¡°I just had you pegged as a man who would frequently need femalepanionship¡±. God. She knew she should keep quiet, but the words kepting. ¡°You mean sex¡± he said. ¡°Yes, sex¡± she repeated uneasily. 38 Suddenly, the afternoon had be more torpid than before. Even the insects had ceased their droning buzz. The air was too muggy to inhale. Katherine became aware of her clothing, and every ce that it clung damply to her skin. Her hair felt heavy and hot against her neck. A butter colored sun beat down on the earth, which released its heat in rising shimmers. It was like being in a perfumed sauna-only they weren¡¯t naked. She became very conscious of how close to her Jensen was standing, how near her shoulders were to his hips. Mere inches separated their hands on the rope. His scent mingled with myriad others, but she could distinguish it. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said. He lowered his hands and moved away from the swing, keeping his broad back to her. ¡°I have to go now. I will go say goodbye to Tim¡±. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Mom¡± Tim said as Katherine tucked him into bed that night after his birthday party. ¡°Yes, sweetie,¡± Katherine replied as she covered him with his favorite nket. ¡°Thank you so much for the best birthday ever¡±. He said smiling. Katherine smiled back at him. He was so cute. Sometimes she couldn¡¯t believe that one day he would grow so big¡­. That one day, he wouldn¡¯t need her so much. He would always be her darling little boy. She kissed his forehead. ¡°You are wee, baby¡± she said as she yed with his dark curls. ¡°You have always been a good boy and you deserve it.¡± ¡°I really like my new bike, mom,¡± Tim said. ¡°Well, I saw that you needed a new one. Did you thank everyone for the awesome gifts you got today?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah. They were all wonderful. You know Jensen got me a very cool video game¡±. Katherine smiled. ¡°Really. That¡¯s nice¡± she said, then she added. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you invited him¡± ¡°Well, you said I could invite all my friends. And he¡¯s my friend¡± Tim said. ¡°I saw him when I came to the store after school one day so I gave him a card. Didn¡¯t you want me to invite him?¡±. ¡°Oh no honey. I¡¯m d you invited everyone you wanted, baby¡± Katherine said. ¡°Are you scared of Jensen, mom?¡± Tim asked suddenly and Kathrine looked at him, surprise written all over her face. ¡°No I¡¯m not,¡± she said. ¡°Why did you ask that, sweetie?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Tim said, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t really know. I just ¡­. I think he is really cool, mom. And he¡¯s your friend too, right?¡± he asked, looking at her with his beautiful eyes.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Yeah he¡¯s my friend¡± Katherine replied, wondering where those questions wereing from. ¡°And you like him?¡± he asked innocently. Katherine hesitated. She liked him all right. She nodded. ¡°I think Jensen likes you too, Mom,¡± he said finally. Then he turned andy on his side. ¡°Good night, mom,¡± he said sleepily. Katherine kissed him on his cheek. ¡°Good night, baby¡±. She went back to her room wondering if Jensen said something to Tim. She was sure he didn¡¯t. Tim could be funny like that sometimes. Was Jensen really just her friend? She asked herself. Of course he was, she answered her own question as she went to the bathroom. But did she usually kiss all her friends? Did she feel like her heart was sinking into her stomach every time she saw her friends? Because it certainly did every time she saw Jensen. She knew she had feelings for him. She could admit that to herself now. But did he feel the same way or was he just being the Jensen she had always known. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C He didn¡¯t need this crap. Such was Jensen¡¯s mood as he wheeled his car into his driveway that evening and turned off the engine. Apparently, Rufus was on another canine excursion. He wasn¡¯t there to greet him. It was just as well, Jensen acknowledged as he let himself in. He wasn¡¯t fitpany right now, even for a dog. When he got inside, he switched on the air conditioning unit and stood in front of the icy st of air as he peeled off his shirt and unfastened his jeans. Hey his forearms t against the wall above the air conditioner and rested his forehead on them. The air blew against his damp skin and stirred the pelt of hair on his torso. He couldn¡¯t understand Katherine. One minute she was kissing him and all over him and the next she was pushing him away. He loved her. He had never stopped loving her. He realized. And he wanted her. So bad that it hurt, but he didn¡¯t want to make her do anything unless she wanted to. He wanted her to want him as much as he wanted her. He wanted her to trust him. He had been a fool to let her go the first time. He couldn¡¯t make that same mistake again. But how was he supposed to get through to her? How was he going to make her trust him and open up to him? How was he going to convince her that he wasn¡¯t going to hurt her again? The first time he had kissed her when she returned, he had meant to teach her a lesson. To show her that he was every bit as good as his reputation maintained. Maybe punish her for leaving in the first ce. Even more, to turn the tables and remind her that she still wanted him¡­ She always had. But while she always responded as if she still did, she managed to act like it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Like it was just a physical attraction between. He loved that she was attracted to him. But he wanted more now. He adjusted the thermostat and went into his bedroom. He removed his boots, stepped out of his shirt, jeans and underwear and went to take a shower. Minutester he slid naked between the sheets of his bed. He stacked his hands beneath his head and stared at the ceiling. The questions in his head were still there, bugging him and refusing to go away. Maybe he should just try to get over her once and for all. He had tried that by staying away from her for almost a week and all it had taken was a few minutes with her and he was back to square one. ¡°Stop thinking about this¡± he muttered into the darkness. You don¡¯t have to care so much. He reminded himself. You are not her shrink or her lover. Maybe not even a would be lover¡­ ording to what she had told him that day at Tim¡¯s game. But still, Jenseny awake for hours, thinking about opening Katherine¡¯s heart and banishing her fears. 39 They were at Jonathan and Kate¡¯s wedding. Katherine sat very still in her chair with her hands folded tightly in herp. Enough. Done. She was simply not going to think about it-about Jensen-anymore. The wedding mass was in English and the priest was concluding the homily drawn from scripture on the subject of Christian marriage. Katherine stared resolutely forward, trying to focus on the words. On the spare beauty of this little Catholic church, where her brother was getting married to his beautiful bride. She tried to focus on the couple¡­ And not on the handsome best man standing there. The white frame church of the immacte conception was simple and charming, as white inside as out. It smelled of candle wax and lemon furniture polish, with a faint echo of damp outerwear and old incense. The worn pews were of oak and all of them were full. What mattered was Jon. Sweet, dignified, big hearted Jon. Standing at the in altar before themunion rail with his beautiful bride. ¡°All rise,¡± said the priest. Katherine stood up with everyone else. The priest made a little speech about the rite of marriage and proceeded to question both the brides and the grooms about their intentions-their freedom of choice and faithfulness, their willingness to ept God¡¯s great gift of children. And Katherine couldn¡¯t help it. Her mind relentlessly circled back to the subject of Jensen. It just made no sense, she kept thinking. He obviously wanted nothing to do with her anymore. She hadn¡¯t seen or spoken to him since Tim¡¯s birthday. And it was all her fault. She told him that was what she wanted¡­ And he had granted her wish. At the altar, the ceremony had progressed to the exchange of vows. Katherine stood a little straighter and tried to concentrate on the beautiful, familiar words. ¡°I, Jonathan, take you, Kate, for mywful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward¡­¡± Katherine knew she was making too much of this. She should just¡­ let it go. Let it be. Jensen wasn¡¯t bothering her any more. He was all about duty and keeping to his ¡°ce,¡± at the altar and minding his business. He¡¯d hardly spoken three words to her since they arrived at the church. Katherine released a slow sigh. It would be all right. She smiled a little, watching her brother. Kate was saying her vows now, her eyes only for her groom, her fine boned face seeming to glow from within. ¡°I, Kate, take you, Jonathan¡­¡± Yes. Truly. It was going to be okay. Katherine reminded herself. She would simply ignore him¡­ How hard could that be? ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Really hard. It was hard to ignore him. Harder by the hour, by the minute. By the second, for heaven¡¯s sake. She did try to ignore him, something so easily done with any other man. She tried so very hard not to turn her head his way, not to look at him. But it was no good. He seemed to be everywhere-and nowhere-at once. And she needed so strongly to pick him out of the crowd, to pin him in space, to know for certain where, exactly, he was. Katherine ached from the tension of waiting for Jensen to make some move on her. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to ept that he wasn¡¯t going to, yet how else could she exin the distance he had kept from her for the past weeks. He was with his sister, she kept telling herself, but surely no sister expected her brother to give her his exclusive attention. And ine had a date too. Besides, it hadn¡¯t been entirely exclusive. After the wedding ceremony, there¡¯d been a photo session outside the church. After that, Jensen had headed straight for the just married couple, shook Jonathan¡¯s hand, kissed the bride, a dazzling smile apanying his congrattions, but the smile hadn¡¯t been turned on Katherine. He hadn¡¯t even looked at her. She watched him talk with some other guys¡­ Watched all of them chuckle.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. And Katherine was left turning, lurching away. Stunned. Stricken, that Jensen could be almost friendly with everyone while behaving like a stranger around her. With her heart turning over with disappointment, she¡¯d watched him go to her parents and chat to them, then move to the side of a very stylish young woman. Katherine didn¡¯t know what to think of her worries about Jensen and his attitude. This was what she had wanted right? Then why did it bother her so much? Maybe Jensen, she had argued to herself, was probably waiting until she had some time to herself. Not that she was busy. She wasn¡¯t even one of the bridesmaids. There¡¯d been another much longer session with the photographer in the lovely garden setting at the house where the reception had been booked. The two storeyed home had wonderful verandas, their supporting columns skirted by ornate whitece iron work. Guests had been invited onto the upper veranda to watch all the formal posing in the garden while they were served cocktails and hors d¡¯oeuvres. Several times Katherine had felt Jensen¡¯s gaze burning into her, but when she¡¯d nced up at the on looking crowd, his attention was not focused on her at all. He took pictures with everyone butughingly declined posing for one with Katherine. And then he was gone again, leaving Katherine with the feeling he was avoiding any contact with her. She hadn¡¯t chased him, hadn¡¯t made a nuisance of herself. Had he guessed she had feelings for him? Did he fear she would chase him now? Make some kind of scene he¡¯d hate? She knew how Jensen was withmitments. Or¡­ her stomach cramped at the thought¡­ had he met some other woman he wanted to keep? Maybe that beautifuldy she had seen him with. Jensen was really good with women. It would exin why he¡¯d refused to be linked to her in a photograph. The torment of not knowing what he was thinking gued her all through the reception dinner. Despite his stopping by her table a couple of times to chat with some guests, Jensen didn¡¯t once switch his attention to her. The only evidence that he hadn¡¯tpletely forgotten about her and the intimate moments with her was the one long sizzling look outside the church when they first saw each other that morning, and that certainly wasn¡¯t being repeated. 40 Katherine doggedly ate what was put in front of her, assured Kate the food was great without knowing whether it was or not, forced adequate responses to the general chat at her table, smiled when a smile was expected. She sat through the speeches without hearing a word, though her gaze remained fixed on each speaker as though she was listening avidly. But she was dying inside, drowning in a sea of painful confusion and frustration. She could only hope no one noticed. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- It was her brother¡¯s wedding. Jensen grilled his teeth, fighting the surge of violence that urged him to wipe the smirk off the Kevin James face. He had obviously asked Katherine to dance with him and Jensen wanted to tear his arm from Katherine¡¯s waist, and break the fingers that were feeling their way up the erotic curve of her spine. ¡°She¡¯s very beautiful.¡± His sister¡¯s voice filtered through the battle roar in his ears. He wrenched his gaze from the couple on the dance floor and managed a foggy look. ¡°What?¡± he asked, not having caught what she was talking about. An amused smile teased his loss of rapport with her. ¡°You know what.¡± ine replied. ¡°Jonathan¡¯s sister, Katherine. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t noticed her. You¡¯ve been fixated on her all evening.¡± Jensen frowned, not liking to think his obsession with Kathrine Kavell was that obvious. He had been trying so hard all day to act like he wasn¡¯t bothered or watching her. ¡°She is¡­ very watchable,¡± he said, trying to brush the issue aside. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay with me, Jensen. I have a date, you know. And you know you want her. You always have. Feel free to pursue your interest in her. Seriously, I thought you were going to, what made you change your mind?¡± ¡°I realized that I don¡¯t have the time for it,¡± he stated dismissively. He knew she knew that he was lying. Her eyes gently mocked his assertion. ¡°Haven¡¯t you climbed your mountain?¡± ine asked him. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it get lonely at the top by yourself?¡± He mocked right back. ¡°Just because my best friend got himself married today doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m ready for it.¡± ¡°You make it sound as if it has to be programmed into your schedule.¡± ¡°For the best oue¡­ yes, it does. Nothing works well unless you¡¯ve nned for it.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Do you really think you can n love, Jensen?. That you can snap your fingers and¡­ hey presto! The woman you want as your partner for life will roll up and present herself just when you want her to?¡± He shrugged.¡±I¡¯ll put my mind to it when I feel the need.¡± Still looking highly amused, his sister said, ¡°You can¡¯t will it, either. It happens. You can¡¯t order the time, the ce or the person. It simply¡­ happens¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking chemistry, not love,¡± he answered dryly. ¡°Am I? Well, let me pose you a question, big brother. Food for thought. How many Katherine Kavell¡¯s have you met?¡± ine asked. He knew the answer. Only one. And one was too many, messing with his head, his life and his control. ¡°Are you really going to watch her slip out of your fingers for the second time?¡± ine didn¡¯t wait for a reply. It was his business, his decision. She pushed back her chair and stood up, offhandedly stating, ¡°I think I¡¯ll dance with my date now. You can stay here and sulk¡­ Watching her like a creep, or you can go get your girl¡±. She walked away and Jensen¡¯s gaze instantly targeted the dance floor. Jensen looked at the people on the dance floor.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Other couples were jigging apart, happily putting their own steps to the beat of the music. Not Katherine and her partner, who was all too conveniently no taller than she was. The guy had her thighs glued to his, and the hand now spread over the lower slope of the pit of her back was definitely applying pressure. A red haze of fury tinged Jensen¡¯s thoughts. He knew dancing wasn¡¯t on Kevin James¡¯ mind. More like wet dreams. The guy undoubtedly had an erection. Any minute now he¡¯d be dancing Katherine out the opened French doors, finding a shadowed ce on the veranda¡­ The thought annoyed him even more. His chair almost tipped over as Jensen erupted onto his feet. It had taken iron control not to make any connection with Katherine Kavell this time around, but be damned if he was going to let some other guy connect with her right under his nose. He barely stopped himself from charging like a bull, head down, nostrils steaming, horns lowered ready to gore. It was certainly how he felt. Katherine knew she should stop what Kevin James was doing. She¡¯d slid into a careless passive state, too drained of energy to bother forcing a break away from him. Nevertheless, being nice to him did not include allowing him this frottage on the dance floor. It was getting down right dirty and he was probably nursing ideas she didn¡¯t want to encourage. He was not the man for her. He never would be. And she didn¡¯t care about what ire said about her not grabbing what was avable. All too avable, Katherine thought grimly, screwing up the strength to make a few things clear to Kevin James. Just as she was lifting her gaze to his face, she saw a hand mp over his shoulder, a strong darkly toned hand, its fingers bent like lethal ws, digging into Kevin¡¯s suitcoat. Her heart instantly skipped a beat. ¡°Hey!¡± Kevin protested, loosening his grip on her as he half turned to face the threatened assault. Jensen Packard glowered at him from his intimidating height, the power of his physique a ready deterrent to any argument, though he didn¡¯t need it. The aggressive energy he emitted was enough to drop Kevin¡¯s jaw and kill any further words he might have spoken. ¡°Excuse me¡± Jensen grated out, his dark eyes zing a challenge that would have shriveled anyst scrap of foolhardy courage. ¡°This dance with Katherine is mine.¡± he said. Kevin not only didn¡¯t dispute the im, he didn¡¯t even check with Katherine if she wanted to be passed over to Jensen. He dropped her like a hot coal and back tracked off the dance floor, gesturing for Jensen to take her over. 41 Which he did, with a speed that almost swept her off her feet. Pressed to another male body-a very different male body- Katherine struggled against the flood of excitement it stirred, a rebellious sense of pride insisting that she shouldn¡¯t surrender to it willy nilly. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask my permission,¡± she said to him, her eyes defying his arrogance in assuming he could keep her waiting for hours and still do whatever he wanted with her. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± He returned her challenge with blistering mockery. ¡°You can reject me if you want to.¡± Katherine burned. From head to toe she burned with the need to be with him. But she was also very angry with him. ¡°How have you been?¡± she asked, moving to less contentious ground and being deliberately nd so he wouldn¡¯t know her whole body was a quiver from being in contact with his again. ¡°Very good. Work has been good¡± he answered, his chin tilting belligerently, his eyes zing with self determination . ¡®That must give you a lot of satisfaction,¡± She ran on, suddenly hating the fact that she¡¯d had no part in it, hadn¡¯t been invited to take any part in it. Hating that he had forgotten about her so easily. ¡°Yes,¡± he acknowledged, but the mockery was back, deriding this conversation, telling her it had no relevance. It goaded her into demanding some recognition of her as a person, not just the object of a desire he could pick up and put down as he liked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask me how I have been?¡± she said, knowing she sounded really stupid and a little bit desperate. She flinched inside. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to know,¡± he replied. Ruthless truth. Katherine averted her gaze from the intensely raw pration of his and writhed through the shame of blushing like a schoolgirl. ¡°It¡¯s trivia, Katherine, and it won¡¯t change anything,¡± he stated harshly. ¡°Well, my life might be trivia to you but it¡¯s not trivia to me,¡± she shed back at him, a fierce resentment surging at his dismissive attitude. His eyes narrowed, weighing the strength of her attack and whether it was worth his while to make any concession to it. ¡°So what do you want to tell me?¡± he demanded.¡±Give me the important highlights.¡± There were none. Things were going really well at work. She had a few little triumphs -but they were hardly huge highlights that would make her shine for him. Her personal life was virtually a void. She wasn¡¯t about to admit that her little kissing experience with him had put her off other men. ¡°I bought two goldfish for my store¡± she tossed out, not caring about his definition of trivia. He looked startled, then bemused. ¡°Two goldfish,¡± he repeated with mock gravity. ¡°Yes.¡± She tilted her chin to a challenging angle. ¡°And I bought a beautiful bowl for them to swim in.¡± His mouth burst into a wide, dazzling grin. Then he threw back his head andughed, startling her with his wild amusement. He sped her closer, whirling her around, his thighs driving them both across the dance floor in a flurry of steps that carved a path through the crowd of other dancers, out past the opened French doors and onto the veranda. The cooler night air did nothing to lessen the heat Jensen Packard generated in her. ¡°That wasn¡¯t meant to be funny,¡± she protested, feeling intensely vulnerable now that they weren¡¯tpletely surrounded by people. He had danced her down to the far end of the veranda, away from the other guests who were grouped around the door or leaning against the wrought iron balustrade nearby. His dark eyes twinkled amusement as he answered, ¡°Only you would tell me about goldfish, Katherine.¡± he said. His chest heaved against her breasts and his slowly expelled breath tingled over her upturned face. ¡°Only you¡­ Kitty Kat¡± he repeated, his deep voice lowered to a caressing murmur. Thinking of all the high flying women he probably met and dated. Katherine muttered, ¡°Well, too bad I don¡¯t lead your kind of exciting life.¡± He shook his head as though she hadn¡¯t grasped his meaning. He seemed about to say more, stopped, grimaced, then tly changed the topic. ¡°Where¡¯s Tim?¡± he asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him in a while.¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine. He left with my mother. No need to stay for the reception¡± she said, then she added. ¡°He is fine because he has me to take care of him. Don¡¯t ask about him like he got lost or something. You haven¡¯t seen him because you didn¡¯t want to¡± Jensen grinned down at her like she had said something funny.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Fair warning¡­ likest time¡­ and if she had any sense she would walk away from him right now. She was mad at him. For not showing up for so long and then grabbing her from the party like he owned her. Just like before, he had no intention of involving himself in an ongoing rtionship with her¡­ Unless there was someone else with her. That was the only time he showed up¡­ The only time he wanted her. Yet even knowing this, Katherine could not quash the feelings he aroused. ¡°I think I should go say goodbye to Jon and Kate before I leave¡± she said in a t tone, hershes sweeping down to hide the emotional conflict of wanting far more than he was ever likely to give her, yet not wanting to turn away from him. She stared at his bow tie sitting neatly at the base of his neck and wished she was a vampire, able to sink her teeth into his jugr vein and get into his bloodstream so powerfully he could never shake free of her. Her heart was thumping with the need to hold him to her any way she could. Her hands curled, the urge to w and dig in sweeping through her in a fierce wave, driving her nails into her palms to stop such primitive and futile action. ¡°Why do you need to leave?¡± he asked. ¡°You just said Tim was with your mom¡± ¡°Because I want to. I don¡¯t have to exin why to you. It¡¯s none of your business¡± she snapped. Remembering the hours of torment she had already suffered on his ount. 42 There was no chance of anything more than another brief encounter with him. He hadn¡¯t tried to reach her for so long. And now here he was, being an asshole. Acting like he owned her. She had to stop this and do the walking away herself. Before she gave her heart and soul to him again. Jensen Packard was never going to change. ¡°Is there a reason why you are mad at me right now?¡± he asked. She stared at him like she couldn¡¯t believe he had just asked her that. ¡°Screw you, Jensen,¡± she said. ¡°Get out of my way¡±. She tried to move past him, but he stayed right where he was, blocking her escape. She looked up at him and he grinned. He leaned towards her and said softly. ¡°You know I¡¯m getting a lot of mixed signals from you, Kitty Kat. It¡¯s really confusing¡± he murmured. ¡°First of all you tell me to leave you alone, and when I do you get so upset. Why is that? I really want to know.¡± His words jolted her into looking up, meeting the simmering warmth in his eyes. He was right. She knew this was also her fault. She felt angry. At herself and at him. ¡°Let me go, Jensen¡­ Please¡± she said softly. She felt tearsing and she wasn¡¯t going to embarrass herself any further by crying in front of him. She tried to push him, but of course he didn¡¯t move. Instead her hand met with the hot, hard wall of his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave, yet.¡± he said softly. Then his mouth curved into a sensual little smile. ¡°You look beautiful, Kat. Believe it or not, I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off you throughout the ceremony¡±. ¡°Oh really? Well you certainly did a good job of ignoring me¡± she said. ¡°Why is this all on me?¡± he snapped. ¡°Why am I taking the me for all of this? I tried. You kept pushing me away¡± ¡°I had a good reason¡±. Katherine said defensively. ¡°That¡¯s right you had a reason. Only it¡¯s not a good one¡± he replied. ¡°You were scared. You still are. You have to understand that you are not the only one with feelings, you know. And it hurts me when you push away like that. You have always been good at that¡­ Pushing me away¡­. Telling me you don¡¯t want me. And we both know you do. So I don¡¯t understand why you insist on fighting it. And just when I¡¯m trying to get you out of my head you show up¡­ With those eyes, your voice and¡­¡± ¡°Jensen¡­.¡± Katherine began, interrupting him. ¡°There it is,¡± he breathed. ¡°That is the same tone you use every damn time. The one that curls around my cock and strokes me until I¡¯m hard as a fucking rock every single time.¡± Katherine gasped at his words. ¡°Well, you can¡¯t me me for being cautious.¡± she said, trying to ignore the feeling his words aroused inside her. ¡°It happened five years ago. Damn it. And you got mad at me for holding a grudge when you are still holding on to the past. Using it as a barrier between us. Do you know how much I me myself for not being there for you? Do you know how much I me myself for those five long years we spent apart?¡­. We could have been together, Kat.¡± he whispered as he lowered his forehead to hers. ¡°We could have been together all those years, damn it.¡± Katherine opened her mouth but no words came out. He lifted his head and stared at her. His hand lifted and caressed her chin. ¡°I stayed away because I thought it was what you wanted.¡± he said very, very softly. ¡°I felt like if I kepting, I would just push you further away. And the thought of that scares the hell out of me. You confuse the hell out of me. I¡¯m always sure and confident about everything¡­ Except when ites to you. I keep thinking, what if you leave again and I never get to see you again. What if I never get to touch you again¡­ Or kiss you¡­ Maybe make love to you¡­ If you let me of course. Because I want to, Kat. So bad. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t think that¡­ I didn¡¯t think about it that way¡± she began breathlessly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t me yourself for what happened five years ago. We were both wrong. I guess I have been kinda hard on you. And I¡¯m sorry¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. His head dipped towards hers. A kiss wasing. Her heart catapulted around her chest. Her mind screamed that if she still had any doubts, this was the moment to stop him. But her whole body yearned to feel again how it was with him and when his mouth touched hers there was no thought left of pulling back. Anyst shred of denial and doubt was swamped by a rush of blood to the head, blood that sang for all the sensations she craved. Yes¡­ it was a lilt of exultation as the desire for passionate possession exploded between them. Yes¡­ it was a fierce throb of satisfaction as his arms crushed her into an intimate awareness of the power of his need. Yes¡­ it was a paean of triumph that all the barriers that had separated them were beingprehensively smashed. They kissed and were united in a deep inner world of their own. Feverishly iming all they could while they could-a savage feast of kissing, of touching, of immersing all their senses in each other. All Katherine she was aware of was how hard Jensen¡¯s chest felt against hers, how it made her breasts tingle and swell against her dress. His mouth was hard, expertly seeking a response from her and she gave him exactly what he wanted. She couldn¡¯t think¡­ About anything. Her brain seemed to be disconnected from her body and her mouth. She found her hands clinging to thepels of his jacket-clinging because her legs had turned to jelly. When Jensen¡¯s mouth moved away for one second Katherine heard a mewl of distresse from her throat as she blindly sought and found his mouth again. His hands moved-one down her back, the other to the back of her head. She could feel him loosen her hair, so that it fell around her shoulders. 43 Her world was reduced to delicious insanity. Jensen and his arms and his mouth on hers. So hot and demanding. The touch and slide of his tongue against hers made her legs clench together to stop the pulse throbbing between them. Liquid heat was spreading outwards from the very core of her being¡­and Katherine had no hope of wing back rationality or any pretense that Jensen wasn¡¯t blowing her mind to pieces. But it was never going to be enough out here on a public veranda in open view of anyone who chanced to look their way. That frustration did eventually break into the head-long rush to recapture all they had spent two long weeks remembering¡­ or trying to forget. Jensen was the one to eventually pull back. Katherine opened heavy eyes, her breathing hard and fast. Heart thumping. She felt hot and sweaty and desperately disorientated. As if her inner being had just shifted on some level and been reorganized. Jensen carefully made sure she was standing, and then dropped his hands and moved back. Face burning, she leaned on the wall. She couldn¡¯t even pretend she was unaffected. It would be the most obvious lie in the world. She closed her eyes. When she opened them, he was grinning down at her. And she couldn¡¯t help a smile. Jensen moved towards her again. ¡°Come home with me after the wedding is over, Kat¡± he breathed hotly in her ear. ¡°I want you¡±. Katherine shook her head. ¡°I want you too, Jensen. But my mom will be bringing Tim back when I get home.¡± ¡°Well, call her and tell her to let Tim sleep over,¡± he said impatiently. Katherine stared at him. Now it was her turn tough. ¡°This isn¡¯t funny, Kat,¡± he said, but he couldn¡¯t help smiling back at her. Katherine moved away from the wall and cupped his face. ¡°Not tonight, Jensen. Tim has been sleeping at my parents house a lottely and I don¡¯t want to keep taking advantage of the fact that they are close. Besides I don¡¯t want to rush this¡­ whatever it is¡±. He nodded. He didn¡¯t want to rush either. ¡°I will take you home after the wedding then¡± he said. ¡°I brought my car¡± Katherine said. ¡°Then I will follow you and make sure you get home safe¡±. He took her hand and began to lead her back into the wedding. ¡°Are you sure my safety is the only reason you wannae with me?¡± Katherine asked, smiling. ¡°Shut up¡± Jensen said. But he was smiling too. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Jensen, old buddy¡­¡± Jonathan said as he pped Jensen¡¯s shoulder and shook his hand vigorously.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Thanks for being here today for me, man. Really appreciate it.¡± Jonathan looked drunk with happiness. Getting married to Kate was certainly sitting well with him. ¡°You are hooked, man, but I guess the bait was worth taking,¡± Jensen said, grinning at his old friend. ¡°Right on!¡± Jonathan agreed smugly. ¡°Beat you to it, Jensen.¡± A typicallypetitive remark, but there was no race being run here. Not in Jensen¡¯s mind. He had never really thought about marriage though when he looked back at Katherine, his sister¡¯s words, did beg the question-how often was a guy struck as hard as this by a woman? He was aching to hold her again. Too bad she said it couldn¡¯t happen tonight. But maybe that would pass once he¡¯d had his fill of her. He wanted to be with her all right. But what if it was just strong chemistry between them? He asked himself. He didn¡¯t want it to be just chemistry. He realized that now. ¡°I guess you will be off as soon as Jon goes,¡± ine said. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. He tore his gaze from Katherine who was talking to ire to pay attention to his sister. She was literally standing by him now and he gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t stay on your mountain too long, Jensen,¡± she said wistfully. ¡°There¡¯s more of life to live. I¡¯m going to envy Katherine her little nephews and nieces. Jensen frowned at the sentiment she had never voiced before.¡± Seriously¡­ Where did thate from? Don¡¯t say those words to me again please¡­ It¡¯s kinda weirding from you. Now please, go find Dillon and pester him. Besides, you already have nieces and nephews from him.¡± ineughed. But she left. He shook his head as his gaze swung back to Katherine. Marriage and kids was a seriousmitment. Not that he didn¡¯t want it¡­ He did. He¡¯d give them his best shot when the time came but that wasn¡¯t now. Right now, he was going to focus on winning Katherine¡¯s heart as well as her trust. She was kissing Kate and Jon goodbye. The bride moved on to her parents- thest farewell. Katherine looked at him, her sexy dark eyes gleaming with the same sizzling impatience he felt. Mutual desire. No question she wanted what he wanted. And the pleasure¡­ Jensen sucked in a quick breath¡­ hours of it¡­ with Katherine Kavell. He wanted that so bad. And she was right. He didn¡¯t want to rush this. He wanted to take his time¡­ rediscover every inch of her. Soon she was walking towards the door on her way out. Jensen followed and caught up with her. His hand snaked around her waist. ¡°You weren¡¯t nning on leaving, without letting me know, were you?¡± he asked. Katherine smiled as they walked to her car, then she turned and faced him. ¡°Somehow I knew you weren¡¯t going to let that happen¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s right I wasn¡¯t¡± he said. He smiled and took her keys from her. Then he opened her door and she slid in. ¡°Trying to be a gentle man? Hmmmm, I think I like this side of you¡± she said. ¡°What are you talking about? I have always been a gentleman¡± he said. Sheughed. ¡°Better go now, Jensen¡± she said to him before she shut the door. Minutester, as she drove home, she looked in the mirror and he was right behind her. Katherine couldn¡¯t help but smile. 44 One weekter, Jensen pulled into her driveway as she was walking back with Tim from ire¡¯s house. ire¡¯s boys and Tim had had a ydate. Tim immediately went bug eyed when he saw Rufus. ¡°Maybe I can see the dog, Mom,¡± Tim said excitedly, and slid a look at Jensen¡¯s car. Uh-oh. Had they been conspiring over a way for Tim to y with Rufus? She wondered. She wouldn¡¯t put it past them. Tim and Jensen seemed to be getting closer. She wasn¡¯t too surprised when she walked into the living room one afternoon and Tim was on her phone with Jensen. He had picked the call when he saw the caller ID and saw Jensen¡¯s name. So she made a nomittal noise. ¡°Come on, Tim, let¡¯s get inside,¡± she urged, but Tim was still staring when Jensen got out of his car. So was she, but for apletely different reason. Watching him unfold his long frame made her pulse flutter. Goodness. She swallowed. ¡°Tim,¡± she said in her best warning tone, then wondered who the warning was really for-her or Tim? ¡°I wanna see the dog,¡± Tim said, nodding firmly. Jensen sent a grin in their direction before Katherine could say anything. ¡°Hey, Tim,¡± he called as he started toward them. ¡°You want to pet Rufus? If it¡¯s okay with your mom,¡± he added, with a look at Katherine. She stepped up quickly and spoke over Tim yelling ¡°yes!¡± ¡°HI Jensen,¡± Katherine said. ¡°Hey, Kat,¡± he replied,ing to stand in front of them. Rufus at his side. Jensen¡¯s eyes held hers, and Katherine couldn¡¯t suppress a little shiver. They hadn¡¯t really seen each other since the wedding. Both of them had been really busy with work. Tim spun to her and tugged on her coat. ¡°Please, Mom?¡± he begged, his eyes big. Everything in her screamed to say no. She didn¡¯t want Tim to start bugging her again about getting his own dog. But there was another reason now, and it had nothing to do with a dog or Tim. It wasn¡¯t fair to punish Tim because she had issues¡­ Or feelings for the dog¡¯s handsome owner. She relented reluctantly. ¡°Okay. But only for a minute.¡± she said. Jensen shot her a slightly lopsided grin. That wasn¡¯t so hard, was it? it seemed to say. You have no idea, she wanted to answer. The whole idea of being around him threw her off bnce. And she wasn¡¯tpletely sure this rtionship between him and Tim was a good idea yet. She wasn¡¯t sure about Jensen yet. What if something happened and they grew apart. He¡¯d move on and Tim would be hurt, and she wasn¡¯t putting her son through that pain. And she was way ahead of herself. She thought. All Tim was doing was petting a dog. And she and Jensen weren¡¯t really in any kind of rtionship. She watched Tim and the dog. Rufus leaned forward on his leash, tail wagging hard. ¡°He¡¯s very friendly.¡±Tim said, eyes huge. ¡°He likes it when I pet him.¡± He reached out and touched Rufus¡¯ dark coat. ¡°Hi, doggie,¡± He said softly. Katherine¡¯s heart squeezed. She¡¯d never hear the end of this from him. ¡°He¡¯s so soft,¡± Tim said wonderingly. He crouched down and slid an arm around Rufus¡¯ neck, and the dog sat down, tail still going. Jensen was on Tim¡¯s level now. ¡°He is,¡± he agreed. ¡°And he¡¯s got a very special story. Want to hear it?¡± Tim nodded, and something kept Katherine quiet. ¡°Some years ago, I was so, so sad because I lost my best friend,¡± Jensen began and nced up at Katherine, then touched one of Rufus¡¯ ears. ¡°Your friend died?¡± Tim asked, sadness in his eyes and voice. Jensen chuckled softly. ¡°No. She just left town. And I didn¡¯t know If I would see her again. I was very angry and sad, because I didn¡¯t do enough to stop her from leaving. So one day, I got home and I saw this guy¡­¡± he patted the dog. ¡°¡­. On my doorstep. I chased him away many times, but he just kepting back.¡± Katherine stared at him, down there with Tim and Rufus, and smiled. Knowing he was talking about her. She reached out and rubbed Rufus¡¯ head, as Tim was doing.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°I got tired of chasing him away and that¡¯s how he became my friend.¡±Jensen continued. ¡°I realized that I needed him, just like he needed me. He has been with me since then, and I love him. And he¡¯s very friendly with kids.¡± While his tone was light, Katherine saw the emotion in his expression. Understanding that she hadn¡¯t really thought about how he had coped after she left. ¡°Did your friende back?¡± Tim asked, his eyes big. ¡°Yeah,¡± Jensen replied and her heart flipped a little. ¡°After a while. But we are still working things out, you know, it¡¯s been so long¡± Jensen said. Tim nodded. Running his hand over Rufus¡¯ head. Jensen stood up. His words were directed at Katherine now. ¡°He likes Tim a lot too,¡± he said. ¡°He must know Tim wants a dog. Animals are good like that,¡± she suggested with a slight smile. Jensen shoved his hands in his pockets. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I hurt you when I left,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. Can¡¯t me you¡± he said quietly. Katherine reached out on impulse, andid her hand on his arm, wishing she could erase the haunted look from his eyes. He didn¡¯t look at her, but he did touch her hand with his free one. She snatched hers back and tucked it in her pocket. Time to change the subject and break the sense of intimacy. She cleared her throat. ¡°He¡¯s great with Tim, I agree. Whoa, Tim, we can¡¯t sit on the dog, honey. Pats only.¡± Jensenughed and slid her a sideways nce. ¡°You said he wants a dog?¡±he asked. Katherine sighed. ¡°Yes. Of course he does.¡± Didn¡¯t all little boys? He nodded. ¡°Not happening?¡± he asked. She shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re gone all day. I¡¯m at work and he¡¯s at school. That¡¯s a long time for an animal to be alone. I¡¯d hate to kennel him or her, and I¡¯d be responsible for walking, feeding, and cleaning up. I don¡¯t know if Tim can handle all that yet, and I have enough chores to see to as it is. So, no dog for us.¡± 45 ¡°Makes sense.¡± Jensen said. He didn¡¯t press or make her feel judged for turning down Tim¡¯s fondest wish. Jensen took a step closer and inclined his head so he couldn¡¯t be heard over Tim¡¯s giggling. The closeness raised goosebumps on her arms. ¡°I have missed you, Kat. I just wanted to stop by and say hi. It¡¯s been a while. I sincerely hope you haven¡¯t been avoiding me¡± Katherine looked down at the sidewalk, then back at him. ¡°No, of course not. I have just been busy, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m sure you have been too¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. He nodded. Letting him in meant he¡¯d be in her life, in Tim¡¯s life, with all the associated risks. She wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about that yet. Still, she knew he and Tim liked each other a lot and wasn¡¯t it fair to use her mixed feelings to prevent them from learning more about each other. So far he hadn¡¯t done anything to hurt Tim. In Fact he had been so helpful. Kinda like a Dad. Even if she wanted to stay away from him, she couldn¡¯t deny that the story about Rufus had taken a chunk out of her resolve. The man just knew how to get to her. He always had. ¡°Can you-can youe over for dinner? Tomorrow?¡± She asked. The words fell out in a rush, before she lost her nerve. ¡°It¡¯s not a date. Just to spend a little time with Tim. It won¡¯t be fancy. I¡¯ll make mac and cheese. From scratch. Or I can do something else if you want.¡± Realizing she was babbling, she fell silent, and wished the earth would swallow her up. Why had she blurted out that it wasn¡¯t a date? Of course it wasn¡¯t. He held her gaze. ¡°I like mac and cheese. And I ept your kind invitation.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded. Why on earth had she said the ¡®d¡¯ word? ¡°We eat early- what time do you get home?¡± she asked. ¡°I can be home by five thirty,¡± he said. ¡°So, say, by six? That¡¯s aste as I can hold Tim off,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± he said smiling and she smiled right back. She looked at Rufus, who was happilypping up the love from Tim. ¡°He cane, too. If he¡¯s well behaved.¡± she said. Jensen shed her that grin of his that she was starting to dread, because it made parts of her weak that had no business being weak. ¡°He is.¡± Jensen said. ¡°Okay, then.¡± she said. ¡°All right, Tim, time to go inside and get a snack.¡± ¡°Mrs Be gave me one before we left, and you say I can only have one snack before dinner,¡± Tim pointed out, and Katherine ground her teeth together. Every single other day, he wanted a snack every five minutes. Today, when she was willing to use it as a bribe, he failed her. Jensen shot her a look of amusement. ¡°Your mom¡¯s saying it¡¯s time to go, Tim,¡± he said smoothly, and she sighed. Apparently she was transparent, as well. ¡°And I¡¯ve got to get Rufus home, too.¡± ¡°Can I take him for a walk sometime?¡± Tim asked hopefully. Katherine frowned at him. ¡°Tim! Where are your manners?¡± she asked. He frowned back at her, then brightened. ¡°Pleaseeeee?¡± he said to Jensen. Jensen started to cough, which Katherine guessed was an attempt to hide augh. Her own lips twitched in spite of herself. ¡°While that¡¯s better, Tim, I meant that we don¡¯t just invite ourselves along. And it¡¯s time to go inside. We haven¡¯t even made it into the house yet and we¡¯ve been gone all day.¡± To Jensen she said, ¡°Thanks for bringing Rufus over. He clearly enjoyed it.¡±. He sent her a slow smile, as if he knew she was running away. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± he said. He gave Rufus a tug on the leash and the dog stood up reluctantly. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± he said softly. ¡°Yeah, see you,¡± she muttered as he walked away. She did not watch him go. Instead, she herded Tim up the sidewalk and into their own house. The usual chaos of shedding coats and boots and backpacks, and hanging everything up where it should go, made her feel as if she had three kids instead of one. But it wasn¡¯t enough to distract her from the fact she¡¯d invited Jensen to dinner. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°I want a dog like Rufus, he¡¯s a good dog¡± Tim said wistfully the next morning, and Katherine sighed. This was the hundredth time sincest night she¡¯d heard him mention a dog. ¡°I know, sweetie,¡± she said. ¡°But we can¡¯t take care of one right now. Did you brush your teeth?¡± When he nodded too swiftly, because she knew him so well, she pressed, ¡°With toothpaste?¡± He shot her a look that said busted and headed back to the bathroom. Katherine couldn¡¯t help but grin. He was a sneaky one, her Tim. She had to be very specific when it came to things he didn¡¯t particrly enjoy. Katherine helped Tim get dressed. He could do it himself, but most times he took forever¡­ forgetting to get dressed and ying with his toys. ¡°Doggie?¡± he asked again hopefully as he got dressed, and she tapped him under the chin, looking into his big beautiful eyes. ¡°Not right now, Timmy. Maybe when you are older.¡± To redirect him, she asked, ¡°Is your homework in your backpack?¡± He shook his head and Katherine frowned slightly. Then he trotted off in search of the book. Katherine shut her eyes for just a moment and leaned on the vanity. She was going to have to do something to shut down this dog thing. It was so hard to say no to him, but as she¡¯d told Jensen, they were gone almost all day. That wasn¡¯t good for a dog. They could probably manage a cat, but even that she felt guilty about. And none of it was easy to exin to a kid. Everything gathered, she herded him out the door, into the car and over to school. She left him with hugs and kisses, and headed to work. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Sneaking a little promotion here. Haha. You should check out my other book¡­. The name is HAPPY FOREVER AFTER. I¡¯m sure you will like it. Thank you. 46 ¡°Rufus,e on boy¡± Jensen whistled for the dog. After a moment it came bounding back, stick in it¡¯s mouth. It panted, eyes expectant, waiting for him to throw. ¡°You think I¡¯ve got nothing more to do, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked, as he ran his hands through the hair on the dog¡¯s neck. His mind drifted. He was supposed to be at Katherine¡¯s house soon. The dog barked at him. ¡°Sorry. I forgot¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve got your priorities, too, haven¡¯t you?¡± He flung the stick and grinned as the dog chased after it. He remembered his conversation with his friend, Matthew at his house earlier that day. ¡°She said it wasn¡¯t a date? Interesting,¡± Bonnie had said, and exchanged a nce with her husband, Matthew. Jensen looked up at his friend¡¯s wife-and then back at Matthew-sharply. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± he asked. ¡°Because if she has to frame it as a non date, she was thinking of it as a date.¡± Bonnie said. When he blinked at her, Matthew leaned over and smacked his arm lightly. ¡°Jensen, follow along. She¡¯s trying to make her boundaries clear. She¡¯s doing that because she is trying to protect herself.¡± Jensen tipped his chair back. ¡°Oh.¡± he said simply. ¡°I don¡¯t n to hurt her¡± Matthew raised a brow. ¡°Well, she doesn¡¯t know that. You want her right? And I mean for real, not those other kinds of rtionships you usually have.¡± Jensen nodded. ¡°Good. Then go for it¡± Matthew said. ¡°Just be careful.¡± Rufus came running back, the stick in his mouth. ¡°Come on, Rufus,¡± Jensen said. ¡°Let¡¯s get ready. We don¡¯t want to bete¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Katherine stared at the mess in the living room the next evening. It sure hadn¡¯t taken long for Tim to make it appear as though a tornado had mmed through his toys. It didn¡¯t matter, it didn¡¯t matter, she chanted in her head. This was just a friendly dinner. Still. She couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°Tim, can you please put the Legos back in the boxes? We don¡¯t want Jensen to step on them. Or the dog to eat them, for that matter.¡± She¡¯d let them leave the stic containers in the living room. To have it too clean was to risk having him think she¡¯d gone to a lot of trouble for him and it was just a friendly dinner. She was the one who had made a big deal of it and bbed that it wasn¡¯t a date. Clearly, she had some issues. The tter of the stic blocks hitting the boxes followed her into the kitchen. She¡¯d made mac and cheese as promised. From scratch, using her mother¡¯s recipe. It was a dish Tim loved, and it smelled divine. She had the fixings for a sd, as well. The whole meal was pretty easy, which was good, because she kept getting distracted by the thought of Jensen in her house, sitting and eating at her table. Deep breath. The timer went off, five minutes before he was due to arrive. She pulled the steaming dish out of the oven and ced it carefully on the stove top. ¡°Is it ready, Mom? I¡¯m hungry,¡± Tim said, standing a safe distance from the oven. ¡°Almost,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wash up and then Jensen should be here. We¡¯ll eat right after that.¡± ¡°All right!¡± Tim shouted as he turned and headed to his room. Katherine¡¯s smile slipped. Was she doing the right thing? What if they got attached, something happened and he had to leave? She had no reason to think he was staying. He hadn¡¯t said anything about wanting something permanent. ¡°Just a friendly dinner,¡± she mumbled to herself, and her pulse jumped when the doorbell rang. Sheid a hand on her belly and took a deep breath to settle her nerves as she walked to the door. She pulled it open and t out forgot to breathe. The man seemed to look even better every damn day. Lean waisted, narrow hipped six foot dream. The breeze tufted his dark hair until he looked rakish. Why couldn¡¯t he be short and dumpy? Or have the personality of a soggy noodle? Or at least not be so sted sexy. So bone meltingly attractive? He wore jeans and a id oxford shirt, and smelled so good she thought she¡¯d tip forward right into him. Rufus stood next to him, tail wagging like crazy. ¡°Hello,¡± she managed coolly, despite her jumping nerves, and sounded only a little breathy. ¡°Hi.¡± he replied. His voice was amused, and she snapped out of her idiocy and stepped back as Tim came running into the room. He held a bakery box. ¡°Cookies from your store. I got it earlier this afternoon¡­ Penny sold it to me¡­ When you weren¡¯t in. I figured that was better than wine, with the kid and all. Is that okay?¡± He was rambling too. And Katherine smiled. At least she wasn¡¯t the only one feeling so damn self conscious. He smiled back at her and came in. Katherine epted the box and shut the door behind him. A ss of wine might very well have taken the edge off this evening. But she was truly touched by his thoughtfulness. ¡°Perfect. Tim loves them. Thank you.¡± ¡°Hi Jensen,¡± Tim said. He came closer and zeroed in on the bakery box. ¡°Oh, Cookies!¡± he said. A pleading gaze swung from the box to her face. ¡°Can I have one?¡± he asked sweetly. ¡°Not until after dinner,¡± she told him, and nodded to Jensen. ¡°You can put your coat on the back of the chair there. Rufus is wee to hang out here.¡± ¡°Can I pet him?¡± Tim asked, and Jensen nodded, unsnapping the leash. ¡°Sure.¡± He said. He grinned as Tim practically fell on the dog. ¡°Good thing I had him wash up for dinner,¡± Katherine said with a rueful littleugh as she started for the kitchen. ¡°Oh.¡± Jensen stopped, looked back, chagrin clear on his face. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t think about that.¡± Of course he hadn¡¯t; he wasn¡¯t a parent. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Come sit down, Tim ,¡± she called over her shoulder. ¡°You can pet him after we eat.¡± To Jensen she added, ¡°You can have a seat.¡± But he followed her into the kitchen. ¡°I can¡¯t let you serve me,¡± he said, when she turned to protest. 47 He stood so close, all she could smell was his scent. His words were teasing, but his eyes were-well, not so much. There was a heat in them she wasn¡¯t ready for. She swallowed hard. There really wasn¡¯t anywhere for her to go if she stepped back. And darn it, she didn¡¯t want to step back. ¡°Um. Okay.¡± She spun around quickly and pulled the tes out of the cupboard. ¡°I¡¯ll dish it up, you can serve it. That work for you?¡± she asked. Her voice was a little too high and her hand a little too unsteady, so the tes rattled against each other as she set them down. Jensen stepped back and she moved around him to grab the sd. She pulled out two bottles of sd dressing, ranch and Italian. ¡°Which, if either, do you like?¡± she asked. ¡°Ranch is fine,¡± he said. ¡°Does Tim get any?¡± ¡°Tim is not really a fan.¡± she replied.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. He chuckled and the sound hit her down low. Very, very low. Goodness. She turned to the stove and managed to dish up the fragrant, gooey casserole without spilling any. Her handoffs to Jensen were carefully managed so she didn¡¯t identally touch his hand. If he noticed she was being overly careful in her movements, he didn¡¯t let on. ¡°What would you like to drink?¡± she asked him as she turned to the fridge. ¡°I don¡¯t really have any man drinks.¡± She hadn¡¯t stopped to buy anything, either, thinking it would be too much. In fact, she¡¯d done a great job of overthinking everything about what was supposed to be just a friendly dinner. He arched a brow as she put the half gallon of chocte milk on the counter. ¡°Man drinks?¡± he repeated. ¡°I can¡¯t have chocte milk, too?¡± Her face burned. That had been a stupid way to put it. ¡°Oh. Of course you can.¡± He moved in a little closer. ¡°I¡¯m just teasing,¡± he said softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Water is fine.¡± She busied herself with the drinks and was relieved when Jensen left the kitchen. She gathered up the sses and joined them at the table. Rufus, she noticed, hadin down underneath it. He didn¡¯t lift his head from his paws, but he did thump his tail. Tim was peering under the table. She managed not to smile. ¡°Tim, You need to eat, then you can y with Rufus. Okay?¡± Jensen jumped in. ¡°He doesn¡¯t mind waiting. I fed him before we came over here.¡± he said. To Katherine , he said, ¡°This is great. I¡¯ve been having mac and cheese from a box for a while now.¡± Katherineughed. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I tell my mom. It¡¯s her recipe. I don¡¯t prepare it a lot. Usually if Tim has mac and cheese, it¡¯s from a box. But this version-¡± she stopped herself from saying ¡® is for special asions¡¯ and finished ¡°-is forpany.¡± Tim was not to be deterred by small talk. ¡°We can¡¯t have a dog.¡± This was apanied by a sideways look at Katherine. She took a bite of her mac and cheese to cover her smile. Jensen nced at her casually. ¡°I wanted a dog when he was a kid, too.¡± Tim frowned. ¡°It¡¯s kinda hard to believe that you were a kid,¡± he said. ¡°You are so¡­ Big¡± Katherine nearly choked on her mac and cheese, and she heard Jensen¡¯s muffledugh. ¡°Of course he was, Tim,¡± she gasped. ¡°All grown-ups were kids once.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Tim said, looking serious. ¡°You okay, Kat?¡± Jensen asked, amusement in his gaze. . ¡°Fine,¡± she managed to reply. She reached for her water ss. Kids and their impable timing. Jensen told Tim stories about his childhood, before his parents died. About the dog he never did get, though not forck of trying, and Katherine was relieved Jensen worded things in such a way as not to encourage him to take matters into his own hands. Thest thing she needed was to have Tim decide to get a dog on his own, which was actually how his story about wanting a dog had ended. His parents had made him return the puppy. When the main course was over, she brought in the box of cookies and let Tim choose one beautifully decorated sugar cookie. Jensen had thoughtfully bought the cookies in the shapes of trains and trucks, which were a hit, of course. When Tim went to wash up, she began to clear the table. He helped her pick up the tes, but she shooed him out of the kitchen. ¡°It¡¯ll only take me a few minutes to do this.¡± she said. Also, she was far less likely to drop something if he wasn¡¯t right there, taking up all the air in the room and making her nervous. He put the tes in the sink. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go y with Tim, if that¡¯s okay.¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± she murmured, and tried not to focus on the rear view as he left the kitchen. She shut her eyes instead. Then opened them quickly when she realized how stupid she¡¯d look, standing there with her eyes closed, if he turned and caught her. Katherine heard the rattling of the Lego bricks as Tim opened the cartons, and then the chatter of their voices and the lower tones of Jensen¡¯s. It was such a happy sound, but it still made her heart hurt. It was like they were a family¡­ but they weren¡¯t. And she didn¡¯t realize how much she wanted one till now. She braced her arms on the counter and let her head fall forward. She shrugged her shoulders and focused on cleaning the kitchen. It was sweet of Jensen to make time for Tim. She went out there after she¡¯d put thest te in the dishwasher. Truthfully, she could have waited on cleaning up. It was a pretty simple meal. But it was a kind of buffer between her and these feelings she was experiencing toward Jensen, and she just felt like she needed to shore up her defenses again. It was something that she had gotten used to after getting hurt. By him and by Mitch. 48 Laughter-and a friendly bark-erupted from the living room, and she dried her hands on a towel before she went back out to see what was going on. She had to pause when she caught sight of them. Tim was on top of Jensen,ughing. and Jensen wasughing along with him. Rufus was in there, too, tongue lolling and tail going a mile a minute. Lego towers had copsed and scattered-maybe due to the tail-and she thought there was a block under Jensen¡¯s hip, but he never let on. Timughed gleefully, full on bellyughs that made her smile even as her heart stuttered. She made herself walk in there, and hoped her pounding heart wasn¡¯t obvious to Jensen. ¡°Wow, Tim, what are you doing to Jensen?¡± she teased, and he caught her eye with a wink. Her mouth actually went dry. If a man ying with her kid could make her all mushy inside-and it wasn¡¯t as if there weren¡¯t other people to y with him-what did that mean? ¡°I¡¯ve got him, Mom!¡± Tim shrieked, andughed his big babyugh. She opened her mouth to say something about indoor voices, but then closed it again. ¡°I see that. Don¡¯t hurt him, Tim,¡± she said instead, and heughed harder. She sat on the couch and tucked her feet under her and watched the show, amusement warring with worry. This¡­ bonding. It bothered her for some reason. Rufus came over and sat in front of her, his big head cocked to the side. She gave in and rubbed him between the ears. She felt all warm inside. She pped her hands to get Tim¡¯s attention. ¡°Okay, Tim , pick up. Time to get ready for bed.¡± Tim was bing so emotionally attached to Jensen, which meant he could get hurt. Jensen must have heard the slight edge of panic in her voice, because he looked up and caught Tim in a hug. ¡°You heard your mom. Let¡¯s get this cleaned up.¡± Over the grumbles, Tim picked up, then Katherine directed him toward his bedroom to collect his jammies and get ready for a bath. ¡°Thanks foring,¡± she said, knowing she was being unspeakably rude to practically shove Jensen out the door like this, but unable to stop herself. They both stood up and he walked towards her. Katherine felt her heart begin to beat faster. ¡°Thanks so much for dinner, Kat,¡± he said, and she couldn¡¯t meet his eyes. ¡°It was delicious and I¡¯m d you invited me¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± she managed to reply. This was the time when he was supposed to turn and leave, but he didn¡¯t move. He just stood there and stared at her, his eyes so intense. The raw desire ring from his eyes made her stomach quiver in anticipation. ¡°I¡¯m d you came,¡± Katherine said. She stood on her toes to nt a kiss on his cheek. His skin was warm and Katherine inhaled the sweet, intoxicating scent of him. She didn¡¯t know which one of them moved first, but the next second she was pressed tightly against his hot body and he was kissing her¡­. hard. He stepped even closer. One of his hands lifted, its fingers raking through her hair, dragging her head back so that it was tilted up to his.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He wanted her so damn much. He wanted herpletely. In every way. He didn¡¯t need to tell her how much he wanted her. He showed her. His mouth crashed down onto hers in a passionate plundering that incited an equally passionate response, want poured into her need to taste this man, have him tasting her, wanting more of her. She wound her arms around his neck, stretched up on tiptoe, pressed closer, trying to lock in every possible physical contact with him, reveling in the exciting heat of his big strong body, the tension in his muscles. He kissed her as greedily and urgently as she kissed him. When he sucked in air, she did, too, her pulse racing, her breasts heaving to the same rise and fall of his chest. Though even the slightest pause in this hectic intimacy hit a panic button. She didn¡¯t want him to stop, to pull away from her, have second thoughts about what he was doing. She kept a tight hold on him, her fingers thrusting through his hair, curling around his head, rabidly encouraging continuance. He kissed her some more, with a deepening eroticism that stirred her desire for him into a chaotic frenzy, every nerve in her body sizzling for the fulfillment of all he promised. His hands roved over her back, following its curves, curling over the taut mounds of her bottom, squeezing, lifting, fitting her more closely to him. No doubt about how strongly he was aroused. She felt his erection against her stomach and exulted in the tant physical power of his desire for her. Then he tore his mouth from hers and buried his face in her hair, rubbing his cheeks over it, breathing in the scent on it, tasting it with hot sensual kisses. And she pressed her own face into the warm hollow of his neck, savoring the smell of him, her sensitized lips picking up the rapid throb of his pulse beat there, enclosing it, sucking on it, excited by his excitement and wildly wanting to drive it higher and higher. They had to stop. She thought. ¡°Kat¡­¡± The hoarse whisper carried the sound of raging need, making her heart leap with fierce exhration. His throat moved in a convulsive swallow. ¡°Kat¡­¡± A stronger tone, harsh with urgency. ¡°Tell me-¡± intensemand ¡°-will you go out with me¡­. On a date? I want to have you to myself. Even if it¡¯s just for one night. I want¡­ I need you. Tell me you want the same thing¡± Katherine nodded. Unable to say anything. He nodded. ¡°I will be busy tomorrow,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you but just let me know which day you will be free. And I wille pick you up. Just make it this week because I don¡¯t know how long I can¡­ You know¡± She knew. And she smiled up at him. ¡°Mom!¡± Tim¡¯s call knifed through the sound of their breathing. ¡°Aren¡¯t youing?¡± 49 He appeared at the doorway and halted. He cocked his head to one side, his expression serious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. ¡°Did something happen?¡± Jensen edged in front of Katherine, shielding her flushed face from Tim¡¯s view. ¡°Nothing, son,¡± he said. ¡°I was just saying goodbye to your mom¡± The muscles shifting on his back mesmerized Katherine. She forced her dry tongue to move. ¡°Go back to your room, Tim. I will be there real soon¡± ¡°Okay. Bye Jensen.¡± Tim said and ran back to his room. After Tim left, Jensen turned back to Katherine. His smoldering gaze brought a flush to Katherine¡¯s entire body. The t of his hand chafed the stubble on his jaw. ¡°I love how you erupt when I touch you,¡± he said simply. Katherine could not meet his stare. ¡°You should go now,¡± she said. His maleness was still evident through his trousers. He followed her gaze and grinned at her. ¡°Good night, Kat,¡± he said. He swiftly snagged his jacket, snapped on Rufus¡¯ leash and moved toward the door. ¡°Good night, Jensen,¡± Katherine replied. She followed him and shut the door behind them. Then she could breathe again, once he wasn¡¯t taking up all the oxygen in the whole house. She rested her head on the door. Damn ¡­. The man could kiss. She thought. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°So. I saw Jensen Packard leaving your housest night¡± Delia teased her daughter the next morning, after Tim had gone to school. Katherine felt her face turn bright red as her mouth dropped open. She hadn¡¯t actually nned for this, on top of a night spent tossing and turning, and full of dreams of Jensen kissing her-kissing her, touching her, making love to her, dear God.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. It hadn¡¯t urred to her that someone¡­ Or worse, her parents would see himing or going¡­. especially her mom. And draw conclusions. It was even worse because she knew her mom wanted her to be with Jensen. ¡°Um. Yeah,¡± Katherine said, her recovery slow and awkward, but still¡­ ¡°He just stopped in to see Tim. Tim has been making a fuss about his dog and all¡± She busied herself with cleaning up the breakfast things and wished Tim hadn¡¯t gone to school yet. Her mother made a noise in her throat that could have meant anything. ¡°Okay.¡± said. ¡°Mom-¡± Katherine started, but her mother stopped her, holding up a hand. ¡°I know, Kathy. I won¡¯t say anything. Well, that¡¯s not true,¡± she amended, and Katherine had to smile. ¡°I¡¯ll say he is a great guy¡­. always has been. And I know you could use a great guy in your life.¡± Katherine¡¯s smile faded. ¡°I agree that having a good man is all right. But Tim and I are also fine just how we are.¡± Delia didn¡¯t push it, but her look said volumes. ¡°Are you?¡± she asked. Katherine nodded. Of course they were. She¡¯d worked very hard to be sure they were. It was her main priority. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to know,¡± said. ¡°But just so you know¡­ your father agrees with me¡± Katherine almost dropped the cup she was holding. She stared wide eyed at her mother. ¡°You talked to Dad about this?¡± she asked. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be a baby,¡± her mother replied. ¡°You are a grown woman. But actually, he brought it up himself. It¡¯s not a secret that you had such a huge crush on Jensen when you were kids. You guys were so close, I honestly thought you would end up together. But then you left. You know your father always liked Jensen too. Jensen loves his family, wants to be close to them always¡­ Just like your father. And I think it¡¯s great that he values family. We just think it would be good if you guys¡­. You know ¡± She gave Katherine a look she would be blind not to understand. Katherine understood and her face became redder-If that was possible. ¡°Oh Mom,¡± she said. ¡°Please stop. Well, since you are here and we are on the topic, I was wondering if Tim could stay with you and dad tomorrow night¡± ¡°If I asked why, would you tell me?¡± Delia asked ¡°Would you make a big deal about it?¡± ¡°You know I make a big deal about everything,¡± Delia said. ¡°So just tell me¡± Katherine sighed and rolled her eyes. But she couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡°Fine, Mom. I¡¯m going out with Jensen¡­.¡± Her mother¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­.. And before you start to overreact and start nning our wedding or how many more grandchildren you are going to have¡± Katherine continued. ¡°I want to know that it¡¯s just one date. No big deal right now¡­. So please¡­ stop looking like that Mom¡± ¡°Fine,¡± her mother said. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything¡± but it was obvious she wanted to. ¡°So can Time stay with you tomorrow?¡± Katherine asked again, trying so hard not tough at the look on her mother¡¯s face. ¡°Yes of course. Tim cane stay anytime¡± said. ¡°By the way, Jon called yesterday. He and Kate will be back this weekend¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Katherine was mixing the batter for some cupcakes when the lift doors opened and Jensen walked in. Behind her silence fell, and she knew without turning around that most eyes would be on him. That the female ones would widen, then linger far longer than was necessary. And because she didn¡¯t want to confirm and fight another wily jealous monster, she turned around and kept her eyes on him. Watched him nod a greeting at the crew before fixing his eyes on her. He was dressed casually in a simple polo shirt and dark chinos. With his cor upturned and his hair windswept, he looked positively rakish. ¡°Hey, you.¡± he said. This time Katherine¡¯s heart skipped twice as many beats. And when he reached her and she caught a whiff of his aftershave, different parts of her body came to rude, vital life. It took an effort or three to drag her gaze from the twinkle in his dark eyes. ¡°Hey, yourself.¡± she replied. ¡°Give me a few minutes to finish with these and I¡¯ll be with you, okay?¡± His gaze dropped to the batter in front of her. ¡°Want some help with that?¡± he asked. 50 Katherine stared at him. ¡°You want to help me bake?¡± she asked. Slowly, one sleek eyebrow spiked. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know my way around a mixer and batter?¡± Katherineughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you do.¡± She shoved it towards him. ¡°Have at it.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He frowned. ¡°Actually when I asked if you needed help, I meant do you have any already baked ones you needed help eating¡­ Now, that I can help with¡±. Katherine couldn¡¯t help a smile. ¡°Come in here¡± she said as she took off her apron and began to walk to her office. She felt his intense gaze singe her back as she walked away. He followed. Jensen watched Katherine move, the sway of her hips so damn attractive, her long, shapely legs extending in that way that only models and trained dancers could execute without appearing pretentious or awkward. Her small heels were a shiny rose gold color that drew attention to her delicate ankles. He wanted to grip those ankles so bad He thought. He wanted to spread her thighs and bare her wet, beautiful pussy to his hungry gaze. Was she wearing one of those mind blowing scraps of silk underwear? He wondered. Did she have a garter belt on under that short, red ck skirt whispering against her thighs? Jensen¡¯s mind was wandering. He knew that he should stop with those thoughts or risk having an erection right there in her office. But he couldn¡¯t help it. She turned around when she got to her desk and turned around. Jensen shut the door and faced her again. His gaze climbed up her body to the ck off the shoulder top baring her throat and the top of her cleavage, he shoved his hands in his pockets as the vivid image of those full, heavy breasts emzoned itself on his mind. Damn, he had watched this woman grow up. The girl and young woman he knew in school and when he had returned from college had been breathtaking when he had eventually forced his head out of the sand and acknowledged her womanhood. But the woman he was looking at now had an extrayer of tenacity to her. He had noticed it when she¡¯d first walked into his office when she came back. She had confirmed it when she had argued with him, then held her head high in the face of his less than ster behavior afterwards. He wanted this woman. He wanted to protect her. Take care of her. Love her. He wanted to make up for those years he should have done exactly that. Because she deserved it¡­ She was the most caring, loving, affectionate person he had ever known. The one person who has always been there for him. He should have never let her go. Damn, men sure must be all over her. How could any red blooded male not be attracted to all that sexiness. ¡°Are you just going to stand there and stare at me all day?¡± He heard Katherine ask and he shook his head, realizing he had just been standing there staring at her, while his thoughts wandered. He grinned at her and moved closer. ¡°I was thinking just how amazing you are,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Katherine said, but she was smiling. ¡°What makes you think I am lying?¡± he asked. ¡°I -I don¡¯t know¡± she stammered as he came to stand right in front of her. So close you could feel the heat from his body. ¡°I guess it¡¯s because¡­ You are really good with words¡± ¡°Oh¡± he said, looking thoughtful. ¡°You think I¡¯m ttering you. I¡¯m not. But if I was, tell me, how does it make you feel?¡± Katherine inhaled deeply, and tried to move away from him. But she was trapped between him and her desk, and when she tried to get away, he put his hands on either side, blocking her escape. He grinned down at her ¡°Where ya going, Kat?¡± he asked. ¡°I, ah, I just thought of something¡­¡± Katherine said. He stared at her for a few seconds. Then like a loud st, hisugh erupted, filling the silence of the office. She halted, a spark of suspicion beginning to form. ¡°What is so funny?¡± she asked. ¡°The look on your face, baby. It was so damn funny¡± He shook his head, and Katherine was so mortified, she wanted to die. She frowned and his hands left the desk andnded on her shoulders, holding her firm. ¡°Don¡¯t get all huffy now, Kitty Kat,¡± he said. ¡°We have something to discuss. Something really important to me.¡± ¡°You mean, you don¡¯t intend to taunt me anymore? My goodness, how gracious.¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve got a real smart mouth, don¡¯t you?¡± he said grinning. ¡°No, don¡¯t answer that. We both know the answer to that. I¡¯m sorry I teased you, but I couldn¡¯t resist. You¡¯re just too damn easy to fluster. You know I have always enjoyed doing it.¡± He turned her to face him, then tipped up her chin. ¡°Here, now, don¡¯t go blushing again. Not that you don¡¯t look cute when you do, but I really think we should talk.¡± he said. Katherine stepped carefully away, his nearness, his touch, affected her so much¡­ In ways no other man had ever affected her. Even after all his taunting, she still went breathless and too warm inside when he was close. ¡°I wanted to talk about our date. I know it¡¯s just been two days, and I told you to pick the date but I kinda couldn¡¯t wait anymore¡­ And to be honest I was beginning to worry that if I let you stay too long, you would think so much and then you would change your mind about going out with me ¡± Katherine chuckled. ¡°Why do you always jump to the conclusion that I would change my mind whenever we make ns?¡± she asked. He raised an eyebrow and gave her a look that seemed to say ¡®I think we both know the answer to that question¡¯. She understood the look. And then she smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t change my mind, Jensen,¡± she said softly. ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m actually looking forward to it¡± ¡°You are?¡± ¡°Are you just going to repeat everything I say?¡­ Or just keep asking weird questions?¡± she asked, clearly amused. He grinned at her. ¡°So¡± Katherine said, closing the distance between them. She ced a hand on his chest and looked up at him. ¡°How about tomorrow night?¡± 51 As nervous as a teenager preparing for her first date, Katherine soaked in a long bubble bath, then shampooed her hair beneath the shower. She rinsed and stepped from the tub. ¡°This is silly,¡± she said, mocking her image in the steamy mirror. A ruffle made an upward diagonal across her chest, leaving bare one smooth shoulder. Loose tendrils of hair teased her face, though the knot atop her head was tightly pinned. Katherine lightly dusted her nose with powder, swept blue and green shadow on her eyelids, and brushed hershes with mascara. She rummaged through her closet for the highest heels she could find, determined to shorten the distance between Jensen¡¯s head and hers. She found just the right ones and slid them on, then stood before the mirror. No wonder the sales girl had said this dress was like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, she thought. The front was prim and proper, but the back was pure sin. She added a dash of musky perfume at her throat and wrists.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°This was what he wanted,¡± she said to the mirror. ¡°And tonight I¡¯m going to give him just what he wants. Here¡¯s to you, kid. You look like a vamp rather than the mother of a nine year old boy¡± It pleased her that a man as sophisticated as Jensen trembled when he held her. He taunted her, bullied her, angered her. Yet there was a touch of flickering vulnerability about his rugged face that wrapped around her heart and tugged at her senses. When the bell chimed, Katherine took a deep breath and opened the door to find Jensen lounging against the frame. One hand rested over her head. Steel gray cks hugged his hips and sheathed his legs. A blue shirt emphasized his rigged, swarthy features. His smile was slow and devastatingly male. ¡°Hello beautiful,¡± he said huskily. ¡°You make the end of the day worth waiting for¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very cheesy line, even for you¡± Katherine said but she was smiling. The rich glow of his eyes intensified as he ced arge hand at the back of her neck and drew her against him. The purr slid possessively over her. ¡°One small kiss wouldn¡¯t be out of order at this point¡± he suggested with a hot gaze at her mouth. ¡°I suppose we are having dinner¡± she questioned formally and felt a slight twinge of satisfaction as the rugged features sharpened into a frown. She liked keeping Jensen off bnce. It was a small revenge for the damage he did to her nervous system. But his chuckle rumbled with delight. ¡°I love that sharp tongue of yours, Kat. I always have¡± he said as he locked the door behind them and escorted her to his sports car. ¡°It still catches me off guard sometimes. Which is one of the things I love about you¡± The t of his hand warmed get bareback, his thumb ying along her spine. In the car, his dark hands weighted her knee. Katherine basked in the heat of his palm for a moment, then eased out to the steering wheel. She would be ying his game soon enough. She just didn¡¯t want to make it too easy for him. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for everything you¡¯ve done for Tim¡­ And for me too¡± Katherine said. Jensen turned and shed her a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m d I could help¡± The restaurant he had picked wasn¡¯t far. It was very much a drop in ce, and knowing Kathrine for as long as he had, he knew she would like it¡­. And boy did he want her to! She was a simple woman who took pleasure in little things. She had always been that way. It was one of the things he loved about her. ¡°We¡¯re here¡± Jensen said when they arrived and they both got out. The front half of the restaurant was divided into a kitchen along one wall with a bench-seat along the wall facing it for takeaway customers to wait for their orders to be cooked. The back section had just two rows of five tables each side. They were led to the third one behind the kitchen, which provided privacy from the more transient customers. The table had aminated surface for easy cleaning. Paper serviettes were avable from a dispenser. Pepper and salt and various sauces were contained in a holder. A corked bottle of water stood by two drinking sses. If customers wanted to drink wine with their meal, it was a case of bring your own- information Jensen had received when he¡¯d first checked out the ce. An ice bucket could be provided and was. The waitress leaving the bottle in it after she finished serving them. He poured out wine into their sses and sipped the chardonnay-a fine Margaret River wine that he hoped would be to Katherine¡¯s taste. He wanted to please her¡­. wanted her to be pleased with him. And when she sipped hers and smiled at him, a smile of happy anticipation spread across his face. The waitress returned to take their orders. ¡°I love it here,¡± Katherine said, looking around. ¡°I knew you would,¡± Jensen replied simply and Katherine gave him a daring look. ¡°Think you have me all figured out huh?¡± she asked, but there was a hint ofughter in her voice. ¡°I do, actually,¡± Jensen replied. ¡°You seem to forget that we grew up together. We were really close then, you know. Friends first¡­. Then lovers¡­ You know, kind of¡­ Before everything went to hell¡± There was an intense stare in his eyes and Katherine swallowed hard. She was grateful when the waitress returned with their orders. ¡°Tim loves it here,¡± she said, changing the topic. ¡°He has always wanted to be closer to my family. I understand why you wouldn¡¯t leave. It¡¯s absolutely amazing here. I guess I forgot how good it was¡± Jensen grinned at her as he ate. ¡°You were running away,¡± he said. Katherine smiled at him. ¡°No I wasn¡¯t¡± she said defensively, then added when he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Okay maybe I was, but I had enough reason¡± He didn¡¯t argue with her, because he understood so it let that pass. They made small talks about their lives and jobs till a tune began to y and couples stood up and began to move to the dance floor. Katherine¡¯s eyes met Jensen¡¯s and she understood the look in them immediately. 52 ¡°Oh no¡± Katherine said and Jensen¡¯s grin grew wider. ¡°Hell, no, Jensen. I¡¯m a terrible dancer¡± ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± he said. ¡°I have seen you dance many times¡± he stood and held out his hand which she took and then he pulled her up and led her to the dance floor. ¡°You dance beautifully¡± Jensen said as he pulled her gently to him and one of his hands wrapped around her waist. ¡°Remember thest time we danced together?¡± he asked. Katherine grinned up at him. ¡°Ermm, Jonathan and Kate¡¯s wedding,¡± she said. Jensen smiled and shook his head. ¡°No I mean, years ago¡­ before you left¡± Katherine rested her hand stiffly on his shoulder as they started to move to the music, and her mind drifted back¡­. To when they were young and things had been perfect. It had been at a wedding too, the Kent¡¯s, she remembered. They hadn¡¯t attended as a couple, but she had been madly in love with him and had thought he felt the same way too. He¡¯d held her close and they had danced together. And she had felt like she was the luckiest girl in the world. In the arms of the boy she¡¯d always dreamed about. She was so engrossed with the thought that she almost, almost, forgot where she was and what she was doing. That was until a warm, rough fingertip found its way under her chin and tilted her face upward. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± He asked. ¡°Should I be worried about the fact that you¡¯re here with me but you¡¯re clearly thinking of something else¡­ Or someone?¡± he added softly. Hoping deep in his heart that wasn¡¯t the case. Her eyes snapped back to his, and she was taken aback by the intense color, and the way he looked at her, as if there was some part of her he was trying desperately to see. ¡°So what were you thinking about?¡± he asked, reminding her of his question. ¡°Jealous?¡± Katherine asked. She drew out the word with a smile, enjoying for a moment the control that it gave her. She didn¡¯t even know yet what she wanted to do with this tant expression in his eyes, other than enjoy it for a moment. ¡°Maybe¡± he said simply and she grinned at him. She let her gaze travel up from his cor, over a tanned throat, blond stubbled jaw and endearing nose. Up to a pair of dark intense eyes, and then blushed. She faltered for a second as she caught him looking down at her, and felt her cheeks warming under the intensity of his interest. She stilled, suddenly hyper aware of the pressure of his hand around hers, of his arm at her waist, the sound of him breathing close to her ear. Only the subtle squeeze of his arm reminded her she was supposed to be dancing. Forcing her feet to move, she nced up at him.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°I was thinking about us,¡± she said finally, trying to keep her mind focused on what she was saying, rather than on the confident way Jensen was leading her around the floor, or the scenting from his skin. Something salty, natural and that had, she guessed, never been anywhere near a Selfridges counter. ¡°Us¡± he repeated. ¡°Yes,¡± Katherine said. ¡°You asked if I remembered thest time we danced together. I do. It was at the Kent¡¯s wedding. My friend Eva was one of the bridesmaids. We were actually together¡­ I mean, we were hanging out a lot¡­ And ermmm¡­¡± ¡°Making out a lot¡± Jensenpleted, grinning at her as he realized she was blushing even harder at the memory. ¡°Yeah that¡± Katherine said huskily. ¡°And I remember we went to our favorite spot¡­ after the wedding. It was amazing back then. You know, I haven¡¯t been there in years¡­ Do you still go there? I mean, when was thest time you were there?¡± ¡°Very long,¡± Jensen replied. ¡°I went there a few times after you left¡­ Was trying to hold on to a part of you¡­ But it was just too painful and I wanted to move on. So I stopped¡­ I wanted to get rid of everything that reminded me of you¡± ¡°Oh¡± Katherine said. She focused her gaze on the cor of his shirt, unable to look at him though not knowing why. And then she felt his hand on her chin again, lifting her face so she could look at him. ¡°A part of me still couldn¡¯t forget about you¡± he said softly. ¡°No matter how hard I tried. You remained with me. It was really hard to let go. You¡¯ve been a constant in my life. You were always there for me¡­ Even when I didn¡¯t want you to be¡­ I was a fool to let you go.. And now you¡¯re here. Seeing you again¡­ I think that fate¡­ Or destiny¡­ Whatever it is, has brought you back here.. Given us another chance¡­ So we can start over¡­ Make up for all that time we spent apart¡­¡± Katherine opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She wanted Jensen. God knows she did But she didn¡¯t know what to make of his words. Didn¡¯t know if she could trust him. Did he really mean what he was saying? Over the years she had learnt to be a bit more careful about things like this.. About who she let into her life and heart. And she had Tim to think of how. ¡°I want you in my life, Kat,¡± Jensen continued. ¡°Now that you are back here, I realize how much I want you. I look at you and I realize that I want more out of life¡± ¡°Ermmm¡± Katherine began. ¡°I think we¡¯re getting a bit carried away in the.. Ermmm¡­ Moment. I honestly think we should slow down a bit¡­ We can¡¯t just decide like we did before¡­ We should be sure about stuff like this and I¡¯m not sure you have given this enough thought¡± Jensen smiled at her, cool and rxed. ¡°But you want to,¡± he said, as if he¡¯d just gained a small victory. She narrowed her eyes. She hadn¡¯t said that. ¡°What?¡± she asked. 53 ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want to get into this because you didn¡¯t think we had given it enough thought. But you never said you don¡¯t want to¡­ You do¡± he said. ¡°I know you, Kat. I¡¯ve been been watching you since you got back. Waiting for the right moment to catch your attention; wanting to know what¡¯s on that tablet of yours. I¡¯ve beenpletely hypnotized by you¡­ I always have been. And I know what I want.. I have given it enough thought. In Fact I¡¯ve thought so much about you I¡¯m beginning to think I might go crazy with being unable to think of anything else¡­. But let¡¯s forget about feelings for now, I want you, Kat.. Tonight¡­ In my bed¡± Katherine knew that if she had huge doubts about what he was asking from her and if she didn¡¯t want to get too involved, now was the time to walk away. She had responsibilities and she wasn¡¯t sure her heart could take another heartbreak, but she couldn¡¯t just walk away from him. Her heart rate was picking up again, though from desire or panic she couldn¡¯t tell. She couldn¡¯t just walk away from him because ¨C Ooh. His hand lifted to her face and his thumb began to explore her jaw, and dipped into her corbone in a way that made her melt. When she looked up and met his eyes, the danger there was obvious. But he spelled it out for her, anyway. ¡°I want to make you shiver like that again,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I could try here, but¡­¡± He stroked that magic spot again and she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself groaning out loud. ¡°You see the problem?¡± he asked, grinning down at her. She nodded, but¡­ ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°But-¡± The rest of her sentence didn¡¯t make it out of her mouth because his lips came crashing down on hers.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. He stepped closer, pulling her body even closer to him. The hand that was around her waist lifted, its fingers raking through her hair, dragging her head back so that it was tilted up to his. The raw desire ring from his eyes made her stomach quiver in anticipation. When he released her lips, she held onto him, her head buried on his neck, his chin on her head. ¡°Did everyone just walk away from the floor back to their seats?¡± Katherine asked after a while, chuckling. The music had ended and they had been so wrapped up in their kiss that they had failed to return to their seats with others. Jensen lifted his head briefly to look around. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right,¡± he said, chuckling too. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, Kat,¡± he added softly. He pulled her back and his arm dropped from her waist abruptly, but before she could mourn its loss her hand was engulfed by his and she was striding with him across the ballroom. When they reached the lobby, he whirled around, his lips stopping just inches from hers. Was he doing it on purpose? Tempting her until she lost her mind? ¡°You want this too right,¡± he said. It wasn¡¯t a question but a statement, his voice soft and enticing. The lilt of his voice was just charming enough topensate for hisck of modesty. Katherine couldn¡¯t do anything but nod and his mouth crashed down onto hers again in a passionate plundering that incited an equally passionate response, years of wanting pouring into her need to taste this man, have him tasting her, wanting more of her. She wound her arms around his neck, stretched up on tiptoe, pressed closer, trying to lock in every possible physical contact with him, reveling in the exciting heat of his big strong body, the tension in his muscles. He kissed her as greedily and urgently as she kissed him. When he sucked in air, she did, too, her pulse racing, her breasts heaving to the same rise and fall of his chest. Though even the slightest pause in this hectic intimacy hit a panic button. She didn¡¯t want him to stop, to pull away from her, have second thoughts about what he was doing. She kept a tight hold on him, her fingers thrusting through his hair, curling around his head, rabidly encouraging continuance. He kissed her some more, with a deepening eroticism that stirred her desire for him into a chaotic frenzy, every nerve in her body sizzling for the fulfillment of all he promised. His hands roved over her back, following its curves, curling over the taut mounds of her bottom, squeezing, lifting, fitting her more closely to him. No doubt about how strongly he was aroused. She felt his erection against her stomach and exulted in the tant physical power of his desire for her. Then he tore his mouth from hers and buried his face in her hair, rubbing his cheeks over it, breathing in the scent on it, tasting it with hot sensual kisses. And she pressed her own face into the warm hollow of his neck, savoring the smell of him, her sensitized lips picking up the rapid throb of his pulse beat there, enclosing it, sucking on it, excited by his excitement and wildly wanting to drive it higher and higher. ¡°Kat¡± The hoarse whisper carried the sound of raging need, making her heart leap with fierce exhration. His throat moved in a convulsive swallow and she looked up at him. ¡°Hmmmm¡± she replied. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the car¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Opening the passenger side door for her, Jensen helped her in, bending low to ask ¡°Where are we going? Your ce or mine?¡± he asked. ¡°Does it matter?¡± she asked and he grinned. She was right. It didn¡¯t matter but he didn¡¯t know why he got such a kick out of teasing her, especially because, honestly, if she walked away from him now, he¡¯d have to douse himself in liquid hydrogen to cool off. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my ce. It¡¯s closer. I have always wanted our first time to be there¡­ Plus I have an enormous bed and an incredible bathroom.¡± He said and winked at her while Katherine smiled slowly. ¡°I¡¯m catching the vision.¡± she said. ¡°Is it big enough to fit three people?¡± she teased back. ¡°Sorry, Ms. Kavell, not into anything kinky.¡± Jensen said. When her eyes widened, he took pity and grinned. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can make full use of it, just the two of us.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She said and ran the tip of one finger across his bottom lip. ¡°Now get in and drive.¡± she said. 54 She should be having regrets, or at least second thoughts. But as they drove into the night-Jensen¡¯s foot riding a little heavier on the gas pedal than required-she could only anticipate. He made her feel absolutely dizzy with desire. He wanted her. Just wanted her. Those dark eyes hadn¡¯t been appraising her worth; he hadn¡¯t been using any tried and true lines of seduction that had worked on the many women in his past. Her reservations had begun to dissipate when he¡¯d thrown that line about making her shiver. Unable to wait, she reached over and dropped her hand onto his leg. ¡°Uh-uh,¡± he growled. She ignored him, sliding her hand higher. But before she could capture the bulging prize she desperately wanted to trace with her fingertips, he dropped his hand over hers and squeezed. ¡°No baby,¡± he said.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to touch you?¡± she whispered, knowing the words were untrue. Despite the shadowy interior of the car, she could see just how much he wanted her to touch. And judging by the way he had felt when pressed against her, he had a lot to be touched. She shivered in her seat. ¡°Hell, yes, I want you to touch me.¡± he said. She twisted more, her other hand reaching for his hip. He couldn¡¯t stop her¡­couldn¡¯t drive no handed. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted you to touch for God knows how long. But not at the risk of both of us getting killed. I didn¡¯t wait this long for this night to be ruined¡± He nced over, serious, almost pleading with her to back off. ¡°Please, babe, we¡¯ll be there soon, I promise. I¡¯ve seen a lot of street wrecks to even consider doing something so unsafe, despite how much I¡¯m dying to feel your hands on me.¡± Babe. She liked when he called her that. Especially when he admitted his tant need in that thick, hungry tone. ¡°I want to spend the night inside your tight little body, not a hospital emergency room.¡± he said hoarsely. ¡°Wow,¡± she muttered, copsing into her seat. Blunt he may be, but the man definitely knew how to use words to their best effect. ¡°You okay?¡± Jensen asked. Voiceless, she merely nodded. One of her hands remained on his leg, covered by his. Jensen slowly lifted it to his lips. Pressing a soft kiss on her fingers, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you. I n to make you feel incredible all night long.¡± All night long. Oh, goodness. His tone had been sultry and full of promise. Her whole body was already on edge, thrumming and alive from that crazy hot encounter outside the restaurant. Now, with his sweet whisper washing over her, she went almost gooey with want. But not so gooey that she didn¡¯t realize she had one remaining coherent brain cell, which hissed a final word of caution in her ear. Unsafe, he¡¯d said. He wouldn¡¯t do something unsafe. God, she hadn¡¯t even thought about the safe sex aspect of this crazy, impulsive decision. She, who thought her way around every problem at least a dozen times beforemitting to a response, ¡°We have to use protection.¡± she said. His eyes widened and he nced over at her, his handsome face-hard ned, masculine, magnificent-spotlighted by the headlights of cars in the distance. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t. trust you. But in this day and age¡­I¡­ I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m trying to say¡± Jensen chuckled. ¡°Rx, I¡¯m not offended.¡± he said. Thank goodness. Katherine thought as she smiled back at him. d she hadn¡¯t ruined the moment. He returned his focus to the road. ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, I¡¯m also not hiding any unpleasant conditions. I am entirely healthy.¡± He said. She didn¡¯t really know what to say, so she simply replied, ¡°Great.¡± Then, since fair was fair, she added, ¡°For the record, I¡¯m absolutely fine, too.¡± He grinned and winked, breaking the awkward moment. ¡°Yes, indeed, you are, Kitty Kat. Absolutely fine.¡± Then there was nothing left. No barriers. No excuses. No doubts. They¡¯d reached his house and he was pulling into his garage. Their next stop would be his bedroom. After that, a night in the arms of the kind of lover womenpeted for. Dreamed about. And for this one night, he was entirely hers. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Wine?¡± Jensen asked Katherine when they got to his ce. ¡°Yeah sure. I can get it¡± Katherine said as Jensen touched a button and seductive music filled the room. ¡°Hmmm nice¡± Katherine said as she grinned at him. ¡°Prepared, are we?¡± He nodded and followed her into the kitchen, unable to let her out of his sight. He was dying to touch her. When she began to pour them both sses of the wine she had chosen, his phone rang and he excused himself to go answer as it was a work call. He took his ss with him. When he finished the contents of his ss in one gulp and walked back into the kitchen. Katherine wasn¡¯t there. He found her in the balcony at the back, her head down. Was she alright? ¡°Kat?¡± he called. The fact that she didn¡¯t respond was odd. Was she angry about something? He knew Katherine well. If he¡¯d pissed her off, she¡¯dsh out. If he¡¯d hurt her, she¡¯d cry. But herck of response was not like her. He stepped closer, caught a glimpse of the open box in front of her. ¡°Kat?¡± Finally, he reached her and turned her around to face him. She was standing before him covered in confectioner¡¯s sugar. Her cheeks were stuffed with beis and the box was¡­empty? ¡°You ate all of the beis? I bought like half a dozen.¡± A burst of powdered sugar flew into his face when she opened her mouth to speak. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she mumbled almost incoherently. He picked up a napkin and wiped his face. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Her lips and chin were white with powder. He poked one of her cheeks, and another puff of sugar flew out. ¡°I was worried when I called and you didn¡¯t answer. I thought something was wrong¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Are you alright?¡± he asked. She nodded, chewing rapidly. He poured her another ss of wine and pushed it toward her. Once she¡¯d sessfully swallowed the beis, she gulped down the entire ssful. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Hello, Are you enjoying this book? Of course you are, why else would you be here.. LOL Please check out my second book¡­ The name¡¯s HAPPY FOREVER AFTER and I¡¯m sure you will love it¡­ Thank you. 55 ¡°Don¡¯tugh.¡± she said, when she saw the look on his face. He covered his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m notughing. I¡¯m just a little¡­ shocked.¡± he said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t resist.¡± She grabbed a towel and scrubbed her mouth with it until her lips were red. He gripped her wrist. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so embarrassed.¡± She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop eating them. I guess I¡¯m a bit nervous¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to feel nervous. There¡¯s no reason to be. You have some¡­¡± Reaching out, he wiped sugar from the side of her mouth. She touched where his finger had been. ¡°I must look like a mess.¡± she said. ¡°Not even a little bit.¡± Her eyes softened, propelling him forward until they were almost touching. He framed her face with his palms, brushed her cheeks with his thumbs. Her sharp intake of breath spurred him on. Leaning forward, he nuzzled her nose with his. ¡°Jensen,¡± she whispered. The smell of sugar and dough on her breath mixed with the exotic scent of her perfume made him ache with need. Soon, he couldn¡¯t see anything around him or hear the sound of the ice maker dropping a round of cubes into the freezer. Everything simply faded away and Katherine was the only thing he was aware of. ¡°Are you afraid of what you¡¯re feeling?¡± he asked her. She swallowed visibly and nodded. ¡°Kinda¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t want to deny it?¡± he asked. Katherine¡¯s answer didn¡¯te in words. That didn¡¯t matter, though. He was fluent in her bodynguage, and he¡¯d heard her response loud and clear. She wanted him, too. He skimmed her jawline with his fingertips, watched her eyelids flutter shut. ¡°Talk to me, baby,¡± he said. Heid a hand on her chest, felt her heart beat fast beneath his palm. Opening her mouth, she said, ¡°Jensen, I-¡± Unable to stop himself, he leaned in and licked leftover sugar from her chin. Her lips parted more and he took full advantage, pulling her into a deep kiss. Her body was flush against his, her softness melding into his hardness as if they were meant to be like this with each other. She moaned low, raked her hands through his hair, digging her fingernails into his scalp. He wanted to explore every inch of her skin, see her in the throes of passion, immerse himself in her. Her body was fuel to the simmering fire building inside him. Her lips were soft, weing, addictive. Lifting her up, he set her on top of the table in the balcony. Eventually, he had no choice but to pull back, breaking the kiss to breathe. With hooded eyes, she looked at him as he lifted her gown up and then off. The strap of her bra fell over her shoulder and he slowly pulled it down. He took her nipple in his mouth, circling it with his tongue and suckling until she cried his name. He swept his hands over the quivering skin of her stomach before he brushed his lips against her navel and dipped his tongue inside. Katherine¡¯s head fell back as she sighed. ¡°Jensen, please.¡± she whispered. He traced the waistband of her panties with his tongue and he groaned, seeing the tiny piece ofce she had on underneath. After running his finger over the fabric, he gripped the stic and pulled it off, leaving her exposed, open for him. Jensen dropped to his knees, brushed his finger over her slit. She was slick with yearning, writhing under his touch. He massaged her to a quick climax, enjoying her hoarse cries as her orgasm ripped through her. He didn¡¯t even give her a chance toe down from her high before he leaned in and tasted her, swirling his tongue around her clit before taking it in his mouth. It didn¡¯t take long before she came again, this time so long and hard he had to fight his own release. But there was so much more he wanted to do. He wanted to take his time, love her thoroughly. Standing, he cradled her in his arms and carried her into the living room. Laying her on the couch, he peered down at her. She was glorious, glowing. He unbuttoned his shirt and tugged it off impatiently. Katherine reached out and unbuckled his belt, sliding it free. She unbuttoned his pants and tugged them and his boxers off. Her eyes shed as she took in every inch of him, her palms smoothing over the muscles of his legs and lower abdomen before squeezing his erection. Jensen groaned before he grasped her wrists. ¡°I don¡¯t want toe in your hand, baby. I want toe inside you.¡±he said huskily. He left her and checked his pants pockets from which he withdrew a condom and sheathed himself. Then he returned to her.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Katherine fell back on the cushions, pulling him with her. Nestled between her legs, he kissed her forehead, her nose, then finally her mouth, biting down on her bottom lip as he pushed inside her. They started slowly, familiarizing themselves with each other and finding a rhythm of their own. As they discovered their groove, the pace quickened and soon they were racing towardpletion. As much as he needed the release, Jensen wanted to savor this moment. She was everything. And he was all hers. There was nobody else, no expectations or obligations. They were in sync with each other. He had never experienced anything even close to this, and he wanted it tost as long as possible before the weight of reality crashed down on them. With that in mind, he whispered, ¡°Let go.¡± That was all it took. He watched her as she came. It took everything in him not to let her milk his release from him. He bit the inside of his cheek as waves of pleasure washed over her. A few secondster, she opened her eyes and smiled. He felt a shift near his heart as his chest tightened. She was so damn beautiful. And he loved her. All he had to do now show just how much and make her trust him again. 56 She ran a knuckle down his cheek. ¡°You are amazing.¡± she said. cing a finger over her lips, he said, ¡°I¡¯m not done with you yet.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Her eyes widened as he started moving again, thrusting in and out of her like there was no tomorrow full of exnations and excuses. This time, their lovemaking was slower, deliberate. ¡°Look at me,¡± hemanded softly. He knew he was close, but he wanted her with him when he came. With their gazes locked on each other, they found their release together. Jensen gave himself over to Katherine in more ways than one, and he knew there would be no turning back. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The next morning Katherine curled deep in the sheets. Somehow, the previous night, they had moved from the living room to his bedroom. A soft whack on her bottom became a sliding caress that ended in an intimate exploration of her thighs. She jerked upright, suddenly fully aware, clutching the sheet to her bare breasts. ¡°Oh!¡± she said. She red at Jensen¡¯s grin. He stood, feet apart, dressed only in his jogging pants. His ck hair glistened from a shower, the droplets still clinging to the mat of hair on his chest. ¡°Honey, for the way you moved against me all night, you deserve a swat on the bottom¡± he said. e on, get up¡± ¡°Are you always grumpy in the morning?¡± he continued when Katherine frowned at him. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. We hardly ate at the restaurantst night. I ended up eating all the cake in the fridge¡± He stared down at her so intently that Katherine¡¯s stomach contracted. ¡°I¡¯d like to get back in bed with you sweetheart,¡± he said. ¡°You look all drowsy and warm and inviting, even with that frown on your pretty face. Come on, I made breakfast.. Just eggs and toast. Nothing fancy¡­ I¡¯m a terrible cook, remember?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, I do. How can I forget¡± Katherine said as she got up and followed him to the kitchen. Jensen acted as if he woke up with a woman every morning, Katherine noted shakily as they ate the eggs and toast he had prepared. When he poured their second cup of coffee, he said. ¡°I know what¡¯s going through that mixed up brain of yours, Kitty Kat.¡± ¡°Tell me, then¡± she challenged over the rim of her cup. ¡°It goes like this : How am I going to get home? What will the neighbors think?¡± he grinned. ¡°You don¡¯t have your car and I¡¯m too big to hide, honey. So you have a problem, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°A very big problem.¡± she agreed. ¡°I can¡¯t act carelessly¡­ I have a son¡±. He sprawled in the dte chair, his long legs taking up a lot of space. He folded his hands behind his head and leaned back, appearingpletely at ease. His dark brows rose. ¡°It¡¯s a small town, and people do talk, right?¡± His tone was bitter. ¡°Do you regret spending the night in my arms, Kat?¡± he asked. She did not flinch from his direct gaze. ¡°No,¡± she replied. And she wasn¡¯t lying. Being with Jensen was amazing.. It was everything she had imagined it would be.. And more. ¡°I intend to have you on any terms, Kat¡± he promised gently. ¡°I need you now¡± His hand folded over hers. A fingertip caressed her palm. ¡°Blushing suits you, honey. But I don¡¯t want you harmed by gossip. I wish we were at your ce so I could just slip out¡­ But we¡¯re not, so just get dressed and I will take you home.. We will just be a bit careful next time¡­ If we can¡± he added, chuckling. ¡°A true gentleman¡± Katherine said, leaning forward to ept his kiss. It left her wanting more. His ebony eyes zed close to her own. ¡°Protective, yes. I don¡¯t want to see you hurt in any way. Last night was amazing¡­ I lost myself in your armsst night¡­ And it¡¯s barely enough. I want it to happen again¡± Katherine¡¯s cheeks heated. ¡°Oh¡± she said. ¡°Yes. Exactly¡± he murmured wryly. ¡°Chip has another gameing up. I told him I would practice again with him.¡± ¡°Thank you¡± Katherine said as she rose and slipped into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he said. ¡°I enjoy spending time with him, plus it gives me even more reasons to be around you. Come here¡­ I want my kiss or I won¡¯t let you leave¡± Katherineplied and momentster they were in his car and headed back to her house. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- A week had passed since their amazing evening together and they had been spending a lot of time with each other. Jensen felt something warm and soft against him. He shifted his weight toward the warmth and came in contact with solid flesh. He opened his eyes and saw the back of Katherine¡¯s head, her dark hair spilling over the pillow. Then the memories of the previous night came flooding in. Flesh against flesh, tangled limbs, hot kisses, even hotter sex. They¡¯d kept going until his leg muscles trembled and his body was spent. Then they¡¯d copsed on the bed, in each other¡¯s arms, and slept the night away. He yawned and stretched. From the window, light poured in. It was a beautiful day. Jensen loved mornings like this¡­ And since he and Katherine got together, the days promised to be memorably different if it yed out the way he hoped. He wanted to spend more time with her, and right now he was beginning to wonder if he could convince Katherine to let him spend the night again-maybe the whole weekend- at her ce¡­. Next to him, she stirred. Her leg moved against his, the satin skin of her thigh warming him, then she rolled onto her back and peered at him through half lidded eyes. In the morning light, with her makeup gone and her hair a mess, she looked amazing. ¡°Hey,¡± he said, his voice groggy from sleep. He was so mesmerized by her, even after all these years¡­. She had the power to make him lose his mind. She always had that effect on him. ¡°Hey, yourself,¡± she whispered, eyeing his bare chest. ¡°Did we, um, do somethingst night?¡± she asked yfully. ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± 57 Katherine¡¯s straight face gave way to a smile. ¡°Sorry, bad joke. Yes, of course I remember.¡± She traced his jaw with her fingers and then leaned forward and ced a kiss on his lips. ¡°Last night was fun.¡± she said. ¡°Mmm hmm. Do you have any big shopping ns, chores or anything urgent to do today?¡±Jensen asked. ¡°Actually, no ns at all other than hanging out with you.¡± Katherine replied. ¡°Tim is going to be at ire¡¯s house throughout today¡± This was his chance. Jensen thought. They had of course been sleeping together that week. But for some reason, he felt her hesitate anytime he spoke about feelings or any kind ofment. He wanted to bring it up again but there was a risk of overying his hand. She wore a blissed out expression, though, that told him now was the time, while the memories of their night together were still hot and vivid. He slid his hand across her belly, a featherlight touch that caused her nipples to harden. Up her rib cage his hand went, then to her breasts where he traced her ares with his fingertips. ¡°What do you say we spend the day in bed?¡± he asked. She smiled and arched her back, stretching her arms over her head. ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯ve got filthy intentions toward me.¡± Katherine said. She draped her leg over his and rolled onto him, resting her chin on his chest. ¡°I might say the same thing about you.¡± Jensen replied. She ground her hips against him, and he could feel the hot dampness between her legs on his thigh. Instantly he grew hard. ¡°I think I made my intentions pretty clearst night,¡± she said. ¡°Are you always so bold?¡± he asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer-that she was much too bold for her own good. And why that caused him a pang of concern, he couldn¡¯t say. It was probably the thought that she didn¡¯t want tomit to him that was bothering him. ¡°Maybe. Are you always so good in bed?¡±Katherine asked, distracting him from his thoughts. ¡°With the right woman. Yes¡± he replied. Though they had been together a number of times now,st night he had been on fire as he¡¯d never been before. That¡¯s what happened, he supposed, when he spent years wanting and trying to forget a woman he knew he shouldn¡¯t have let go in the first ce. She belonged with him. He knew that now. She just didn¡¯t know it.. Or she did and was fighting it¡­ He didn¡¯t want her to. She was even better than he had ever imagined. But there were still so many fantasies he¡¯d entertained. So many ways he¡¯d imagined taking her, pleasuring her, having her to do with as he pleased. He¡¯d need the whole weekend to do those fantasies justice, no doubt, and he¡¯d need just as much time to find a way to convince her to let him into her heart. ¡°I guess it would be tacky to not even get out of bed throughout the day¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I mean, as long as we¡¯re together¡± he said. ¡°Actually, maybe we could take this back to my ce. I¡¯ve got a dog who needs to be fed.¡± Thank heaven for dogs. ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Katherine said after a while, all casual and aloof, as though he hadn¡¯t just invited her to snoop around in his life. Her hand was traveling down his chest, and by the time she made it to his erection, he¡¯d forgotten what he¡¯d been thinking about. ¡°There¡¯s no big hurry. The dog can wait a few hours, but I, on the other hand¡­¡± he said, and pulled her closer. She gripped him and began to massage. Then she started kissing his chest, biting his nipples, moving lower, and lower still. Jensen closed his eyes and let all coherent thought fade away.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. She made it to his cock and drew him into her mouth again. Soft satin lips caressed, teased, worked him toward climax all too quickly. But then she slowed down, dragged her teeth gently along his length until he squirmed and shuddered and couldn¡¯t take another second of not being inside her. ¡°Stop,¡± he said, gasping. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± she asked teasingly. ¡°I like,¡± he whispered as he reached for a condom, opened the package and slid it on. ¡°I definitely like it.¡± He liked it too damn much. He grasped her arms and tugged her up on top of him. Gripping her ass and shifting her hips, he buried his cock between her legs and pushed himself inside her. She was hot, sweet, wet and tight, even better the morning after. For the first time since he¡¯d set this crazy n of getting with her into motion, he understood the biggest danger of all. It was the danger of her not returning his love. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Remind me again why my dad ising to this thing¡­ Whatever it is?¡± Katherine asked Jensen as he was manning the patio grill. Jensen looked up and smiled at her. ¡°Because I¡¯m a very loving, fun person to be around and everyone wants to spend time with me¡± he said, trying to look serious but unable to stop the grin that broke out on his face. ¡°besides I should be asking you¡± ¡°Huh, he invited himself over.¡± Katherine said. ¡°I told him about the grill.. Which was you and Tim¡¯s suggestion in the first ce¡­ He wasn¡¯t so interested ining until I mentioned that you wereing¡± ¡°So I was right the first time¡­ I¡¯m a fun person to be around¡± Jensen said. ¡°No¡­¡± Katherine said, hitting him lightly on his shoulder. ¡°I mean, as much as I want that to be the reason¡­ The thing is that my mom has been telling him stories about us hanging out a lot.. Which we have¡­ And he¡¯sing to see for himself and make awkward suggestions and conversations¡­ So just get ready¡± ¡°How awkward could he get?¡± Jensen asked as he shrugged. ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯m sure it isn¡¯t as bad as you think. You are overreacting. Besides, your Dad and I have always had a good rtionship. He likes me¡± 58 ¡°Oh yeah. I totally forgot about that¡± Katherine said sarcastically as Tim came to join them. ¡°Hmmmm¡± Tim said, sniffing the air appreciatively. ¡°It smells so good¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Jensen agreed. ¡°Good looking fish. Ever been fishing, kid?¡± Tim nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve never been fishing. I really want to see how it¡¯s done. And it kinda sounds like fun¡± ¡°It is,¡± Jensen said. ¡°My dad used to take me a lot when I was little¡± he stared down at Tim, then ced a hand on his shoulder. ¡°If you want, maybe I can take you some time, would you like that?¡± ¡°Oh why! Yes! Yes!¡± Tim yelled. ¡°Oh it¡¯s gonna be so much fun¡­ Maybe we can go camping too and stuff like that¡± ¡°Yeah sure¡­ If that¡¯s okay with your mom¡± Jensen said. He nced at Katherine, silently apologizing with his eyes for not asking her first. ¡°Please mom,¡± Tim said. ¡°Of course you can go, honey. At least I can have some time to myself when you do¡± Katherine agreed ¡°I will be in there¡± she said, before she headed to the kitchen, unable to get over how warm inside the sight of Jensen and Tim made her feel. She shook her head¡­ She had to be careful this time. She reminded herself. ¡°So how is school?¡± Jensen asked Tim. Tim said it was going well, telling Jensen that he had made a lot of friends and that he liked his team. ¡°So you don¡¯t miss your old school anymore then?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Tim replied. ¡°I like it here. It¡¯s small and fun.. And grandpa and grandma are here¡­ I like being close to them¡± ¡°You¡¯re a lot like me then,¡± Jensen said. ¡°I like it here for the same reasons¡­ Family¡­ I like being close to family¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring Rufus?¡± Tim asked.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know.. Nothing really. Maybe some other time then¡± Katherine poked her head through the back door. ¡°Everything is ready here¡± she said. ¡°Waiting for you menfolks¡± ¡°The fish will be ready soon,¡± Jensen called back. ¡°Mom,¡± Tim called. ¡°Can I take my bike and rush to Oliver¡¯s? , He said he would love toe¡± Katherine sighed. ¡°Fine¡­ But hurry. Take your bike¡± she said and Tim raced off before she couldplete the sentence. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he didn¡¯t hear anything after the ¡®Fine¡¯¡­. And he might not even return for a while¡± she added and Jensen grinned. ¡°He reminds me a lot of myself when I was little,¡± Jensen said. ¡°If you mean being stubborn sometimes and strong willed¡­ I agree¡± Soon the fish was ready and Jensen turned off the gas. He dished up the fish filets and carried the tter through the back door which Katherine was holding open for him. She bent down and sniffed the grilled fish, licking her lips in anticipation and Jensen said something that made herugh. She had changed clothes when she came in from work and now had on an outfit made of some soft, floaty, white material. She looked hot and exceptionally pretty. Jensen watched her face when they heard her dad¡¯s car pull into the driveway and he chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t look so devastated, Katherine,¡± he said. ¡°Your Dad and I get along real well You know that¡± He kissed the back of her hand and rubbed it against his cheek. ¡°Hmmmm. Soft like a baby¡¯s¡± The lines around his eyes deepened as he grinned. ¡°Stop teasing, Jensen. My parents are really good at overreacting. Get ready for a talk about his dream of a lot of grand babies¡± Katherine said. ¡°I will simply humor him then. He wants to have dinner with us. So let¡¯s let him¡± Katherine stood uncertainty in the middle of the room. A bottle of red wine and three long stemmed crystal sses waited on the kitchen counter. Beside her, Jensen¡¯s voice sounded gruff. ¡°Don¡¯t look so trapped, Katherine. After he goes home, maybe we will go dancing. You will be less tense after that¡± A small rap sounded at the door moments before Jonah Kavell stepped gingerly into the room. He had a nice height, like his son Jonathan. He had narrower shoulders and was slightly stooped and almostpletely gray haired, his face had a raw boned energy ¡­ And he liked tough¡­. everyone knew that about him and it was one of the reasons why Katherine loved her father so much. Amusement sparkled in his eyes and lined his handsome face. ¡°I think it might rainter tonight,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s good though. We need it. Keeps the fire danger down. Hello, Katherine. Son¡±. He rubbed his hands together. ¡°Is this going to take long? I was hoping to arrive when everything was ready¡± he said grinning. ¡°Do you have somewhere to be, Dad?¡± Katherine asked, unable to stop her smile. ¡°No. not really¡± Jonah replied and he and Jensen shook hands and they made some small talk about work. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s what I thought,¡± Katherine said. ¡°Come have a seat, Dad¡± Jensen winked at Katherine. ¡°We are ready, Dad,¡± Katherine said. ¡°I will get the dishes from the kitchen¡± ¡°No, let me,¡± Jensen said, stopping her movement. ¡°Chat with your dad a little¡± he added with a wicked grin as he loosened the apron he had tired around his waist earlier. ¡°Wee, Dad¡± Katherine managed to say calmly, despite Jensen¡¯s teasing. ¡°Where¡¯s Tim?¡± Jonah asked. ¡°At a friend¡¯s, he¡¯s supposed to be here soon¡± Katherine replied. Jensen poured three sses of wine and handed one to her dad and then to her. He rubbed circles between her shoulder des, his grin mocking her when she sidled away from him. ¡°Katherine¡± he said in his sexiest voice-or maybe that was just the way she heard it because she was always so aware of his presence, raising his ss in a toast. He lifted the ss until she drank from it, then raised it to his own lips, drinking from the exact spot marked by her lip gloss. Darkughter lifted the corners of his eyes over the rim. ¡°I know just how to stoke up the fire, don¡¯t I, dear?¡± he asked. ¡°Hmmmm¡± her father answered before Katherine could stoke up a reply. ¡°I think she knows that. You both have been very close since you were little¡± 59 When Katherine looked sharply at him, his dark brows lifted innocently, knowing Katherine was uneasy about his presence. He patted a space on the couch beside him. ¡°Come on, Kathy, sit down. Jensen said he can handle setting the table¡± Katherine sat beside her father and studied the depths of her wine ss, feeling like a broodmare. Of course she had feelings for Jensen¡­ But she didn¡¯t want to rush into things so fast and her family¡¯s assumption was a bit rming. Her father studied her. A blush stained her cheeks. Defensively, she met her father¡¯s contemtive gaze. He winked. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you on your toes,¡± Jonah said. ¡°Jensen too. Most women fall all over him. I know. You both are meant for each other¡­ Always have been. Only you could make him walk on eggs.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make too much of our dinner together, Dad,¡± Katherine warned. Her father¡¯s mouth tilted upward, reminding Katherine of her brother. She smiled inwardly. ¡°I know him, Katherine. You forget he has been here, even after you left. He¡¯s got the same determined look he gets when he¡¯s talking to me about work or fighting a corporate battle or bidding for a choice piece of property. There is something in the wind, dear. He loves you¡± ¡°Dad,¡± Katherine began. ¡°It¡¯s been two weeks and a few days. We haven¡¯t gone that far. You really are making too much of a simple dinner¡± ¡°Sure, honey. Sure¡± he agreed easily. ¡°Tim tells me Jensen coaches him sometimes¡± Katherine nodded and he continued. ¡°You are a fine mother, Kathy, honey. But have you ever thought about how lonesome life can be for an only child¡­ Without a father¡­ And you too¡± Katherine narrowed her eyes. ¡°Dad, would you mind if we talked about something else?¡­ Anything else¡­ Even fishing is allowed at this point¡± ¡°Nope. Sure don¡¯t¡± Jonah replied. ¡°Haven¡¯t been fishingtely. Was actually thinking of taking Tim with me sometime and hopefully now, my other grandkids from you¡± Feeling increasingly ufortable, Katherine sought to direct the conversation elsewhere, but her father used every excuse to bring the topic back to more grandchildren and getting a husband. She breathed a sigh of relief when Jensen stepped into the room bearing therge tter of food she had left in the kitchen. ¡°Okay¡± Jensen said. ¡°So I knew I said I could handle this alone, but you two could havee outside and kept the cookpany.¡± ¡°Like anyone is gonna believe that you did the cooking¡± Katherine said and Jensen grinned at her. Jonahughed. ¡°My ticker doesn¡¯t like rain storms. Even under a patio roof. Besides, Katherine and I have been talking about you¡± ¡°Dad..¡± Katherine began. ¡°Really?¡± Jensen said. ¡°What have you been talking about?¡± ¡°You know, the two of you. Obviously you both have been seeing each other¡± Jonah replied. ¡°Yeah¡­ But have you convinced her yet that I¡¯m a perfect catch?¡± Jensen asked, smiling at Katherine¡¯s ufortable look. He and Jonah didn¡¯t seem to mind her difort at all. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t know that already, Son, then you are not the man I think you are¡± Jensenughed loudly. Katherine blushed and Jonah led the way to the table. Dinner consisted of fish, steaks, baked potatoes, and a tossed sd. ¡°My wife is a good cook¡­. But so am I. We Kavell men know how to hold our own. Katherine is amazing at it too¡± ¡°Yep. I know that. How could I not¡± Jensen said.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Good,¡± the older man stated. ¡°My daughter is amazing. You¡¯d bettertch on to her¡± Jonah said. Jensen stared at Katherine¡¯s stricken face. She stared back at him. They were talking about her like she wasn¡¯t right there with them. ¡°How do you suggest I do that, Jonah?¡± Jensen asked. Katherine¡¯s fatherughed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to further embarrass her. Look, she is already pink¡± He lifted his ss in a toast. ¡°To you both¡± he said. He looked from Jensen to Katherine and back again, his eyes sparkling. Automatically, Katherine lifted her ss and drank. Jensen leaned back in his chair and slipped a hand to her knee beneath the table. ¡°I didn¡¯t really make anything fancy tonight.. Didn¡¯t have the time¡± Katherine said. ¡°I was rather busyst night and I didn¡¯t have time this morning either. Jensen took care of the fish and steak¡± ¡°It¡¯s really good¡­ All of it¡± Jonah nced at Katherine as Jensen¡¯s hand slipped upward, closing about her upper thigh. ¡°Something wrong, honey? Indigestion?¡± he asked. Katherine could not gracefully dislodge Jensen¡¯s light grip. ¡°No. Absolutely nothing. The dinner was actually very good¡± She looked sharply at her father when he snorted, then decided it was a smothered chuckle after all. ¡°I really enjoyed myself tonight..¡± Jonah said. ¡°That¡¯s because I really like teasing Kathy. But three is a crowd and we have to get on with it, don¡¯t we, Son¡± ¡°Get on with what?¡± Katherine asked suspiciously. He shrugged and pressed his hand intimately against her. ¡°Rx Katherine¡± Jensen whispered in her ear. ¡°Your Dad just means he requires a lot of rest and wants to go home. You are overthinking everything¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C After Jonah Kavell left, Katherine felt as though the tide had sucked the sand from beneath her feet. She faced Jensen. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Tim isn¡¯t home yet. I knew he was gonna end up ying. I have to call ire. Let me clear the table first¡± He regarded her steadily, the dark, sensuous fire in his face drying her throat. ¡°Rx. I¡¯m sure Tim is fine and it isn¡¯t evente yet. As for the tes.. It can wait¡­ I don¡¯t think I can ¡± he murmured. ¡°But¡­ You should go ahead and call ire, because I know you will be ufortable and worried until you do¡± Katherine grinned at him and went to make the phone call. When she was sure that Tim was indeed at ire¡¯s, she returned to the room. ¡°Is Tim alright?¡± Jensen asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Katherine replied. ¡°She said they were already having dinner when Tim arrived so she convinced him to stay. He will be back soon.¡± ¡°Told you there was nothing to be worried about¡­. Dance?¡± Jensen asked. 60 ¡°Oh. I guess you have decided to do it here since we can¡¯t go out. We have to wait for Tim toe home.¡± Katherine said as Jensen put on the music. He nodded. ¡°Yep I know that. Good thing we can dance anywhere¡± His palms skimmed the curved outline of her body from shoulder to hip, then he gathered her fully into an embrace. Katherine slid into his shoulders. ¡°Mydy,¡± he murmured. Their feet barely moved to the music. Katherine drifted with the soft strains. She was certain of only one thing: She ached for the man in her arms. He could be infuriating, domineering and chauvinistic, and despite her doubts about him, she had never felt safer, more desired, than at this moment. As the music curled around them, she snuggled nearer, her arms going about his waist, her palms t on the broad span of his back. ¡°Hey¡± he whispered huskily. ¡°I had good intentions for tonight, but you are destroying everyst one of them. Sweetheart¡­ ¡± He groaned. Katherine molded her body to his, breast to chest, thigh to thigh. His rapidly beating heart and the turgid pressure against her lower stomach demonstrated her affect on him. She reveled in his hardness. She ached for a single drugging kiss, fuel for the banked fires within her. Her fingers walked up his vertebrae in time to the music. Jensen Packard was about to be seduced. The thought made her smile. Her lips brushed his chest at the open cor, just where the intriguing ck hair sprang free. His heart hammered more rapidly beneath her cheek. ¡°Do you realize what you are doing Kat?¡± he whispered, his breath stirring the hair at her temple. She leaned back in the circle of his arms, moistened her lips, and provocatively parted them in a sultry smile. She traced his firm lips with the tip of a finger, sighing as he sucked it inside his warm mouth. A swallow traveled his strong throat, and the arms sheltering her tightened. ¡°Stop ying. You know we can¡¯t¡­ Do anything¡­ Tim is going to be home soon¡± he said. Katherine simply smiled and he growled as she rubbed her cheek against his chest. He tipped her mouth to his. Rough, trembling fingers stroked her chin, his rising excitement stirred her blood. She drew his mouth to hers and kissed him. At first, his lips were immobile. But as her tongue moistened them, his mouth parted to nt gently across hers. Too gently. ¡°You can do better than that, Jensen,¡± Katherine murmured. She nipped at the sensuous outline of his bottom lip, tasting her lip gloss on her tongue. His eyes gleamed, but he held her slightly away from him. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Katherine asked when she saw the look on his face. ¡°No. Not really¡± Jensen replied. ¡°But there is something I wanna ask you¡± ¡°Okay¡± Katherine said, noticing from the look on his face that whatever he wanted to talk about was important. They didn¡¯t move to sit down though, they stood where they were, the music still ying, her hands still around his neck, one of his hands on her waist, the other lifted to tuck her hair behind her ear. ¡°So¡± Jensen began. ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice that you urhmm.. Seem to be ufortable when someone¡­ Including me¡­ Says something about us being together. I gotta say it bothers me a bit. Is that you don¡¯t want us to be together?¡± Katherine stopped moving and looked up at him in surprise.¡±I never said that I didn¡¯t want us to be together.¡± she said. ¡°And I¡¯m not ufortable when someone mentions it. We have been seeing each other for a while now.¡± Jensen didn¡¯t look away. He stared at her. His eyes were really intense, like he wanted to see right into her. ¡°Okay¡± he said. ¡°Let me put it this way. When your Dad was here some minutes ago, and he talked about us being together, having a future together and stuff like that, you were clearly ufortable¡­ Why is that?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s been just two weeks and he is way ahead of us. We haven¡¯t even talked about something like that¡± Katherine replied. ¡°Okay, so why don¡¯t we talk about it right now¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡± Katherine said, she removed her hands from his shoulders and pulled away from him. He didn¡¯t stop her. Just watched her. ¡°Why not?¡± he asked calmly. Though what he wanted to do was grab her and shake some sense into her head. Make her see that they belonged together. That fate had given them another chance and he wanted so bad for them to take it. ¡°Like I said before. It¡¯s too early to have that conversation¡± Katherine said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it is. Come on, Kat. It¡¯s not like we met days ago. We have known each other since we were kids. We both know how we feel about each other.. I mean¡­ at least I know how I feel about you¡­ You probably feel the same way¡­ But just as always¡­ You are too scared to let go and give us a chance¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared of anything, ¡± Katherine yelled, losing her temper. Why couldn¡¯t he understand that she was just trying to protect herself. ¡°Yes you are,¡± Jensen yelled back. ¡°You are a very brave person. So strong and determined¡­ and when you see something you want, you are not scared to take a challenge. You are not scared to go for what you want. Except when ites to us. When ites to us, you be another person I don¡¯t even recognize you anymore¡± ¡°Well you can¡¯t me me for being careful this time. You can¡¯t me me for wanting to take things slow this time. You can¡¯t me me for not wanting to run off into the sunset with you this time because we had two weeks together. I¡¯m not a little girl anymore. I have a son. I have responsibilities and I can¡¯t just jump into something serious with you because it would be extremely stupid if I got hurt again¡­ By the same guy¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. 61 She whirled around. Determined to walk away from him. She had had enough of this conversation. Her first step was herst, because she felt him take her arm and pull her back towards him. She found herself pressed against his hard chest and she didn¡¯t want to be there. She couldn¡¯t think when she was that close to him. ¡°Let me go, Jensen,¡± she said breathlessly. He was so big, so dark, so powerful. So angry! She couldn¡¯t help herself. She automatically tried to back away from him. She couldn¡¯t. He was everywhere, looking as big and formidable as ever. New lines formed around his mouth and eyes. His gaze stroked over her, piercing through any protective barriers she thought to construct. He¡¯d always had a way of seeing right to the heart of her. ¡°No,¡± he said, His eyes zing, glittering with anger and frustration. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, Kat. Really, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still throwing that in my face. How many times do I have to apologize for that¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°That¡¯s the thing, Jensen. There is nothing to apologize for¡± Katherine said. ¡°I¡¯m not holding that against you¡± ¡°Except that is exactly what you are doing¡­ You can¡¯t let it go. You are punishing me for a mistake I made in the past and that¡¯s not fair at all.¡± Katherine closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She couldn¡¯t have this conversation. Not now. And even if she did, she didn¡¯t know how she could best exin her fears to him. ¡°Please Jensen. I don¡¯t want to talk about this right now. You know what, I think you should leave?¡± He opened his mouth to speak but there was a knock in the door that very second and Katherine was d for the interruption. She went to answer the door and outside stood ire and Tim. ¡°Oh hello, ire. Pleasee in¡± Katherine said, trying her best to sound as cheerful as possible. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I¡¯m bringing Tim home now. It was totally my fault. I invited him to stay¡± ire said as she came in. ¡°It¡¯s alright¡± Katherine said. ¡°Oh, hello, Jensen,¡± ire said when she saw Jensen. ¡°Hi, ire,¡± Jensen said simply. ¡°Urhmm, I didn¡¯t know you were¡­ Do you need me to take Tim with me? He can have a sleepover with my boys¡± she said as she turned back to Katherine when she noticed the tension in the room. ¡°If you need some time¡± she added quietly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Thank you, ire¡± Katherine said. ¡°But Jensen was just leaving¡± ire looked from Katherine to Jensen and back to Katherine. No one moved. They were both locked in a staring contest. ¡°Owkay¡± ire said. ¡°I think I will be leaving now. Good night. Take care Tim¡± After she left Tim began as he turned to Katherine. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I¡¯mte, mom,¡± he said. ¡°I know I should have been here¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, honey,¡± Katherine said. Thinking that maybe it was a good thing he hadn¡¯t been around. She didn¡¯t want him seeing this. ¡°Just go to your room and change into your pyjamas. I will be there soon. Make sure you take a shower and brush your teeth¡± ¡°Is everything okay, mom?¡± he asked. Even he could sense that something was wrong. ¡°You look really mad¡± he shifted his gaze to Jensen. ¡°Both of you,¡± he added. He didn¡¯t move. ¡°Do as your mom says, son,¡± Jensen said. ¡°Everything is fine, honey. Now go upstairs¡± Katherine said. ¡°Okay¡± Tim said as he went to his room reluctantly. Katherine turned to face Jensen. ¡°Kicking me out of your house, Kat?¡± he asked calmly, watching her closely. ¡°I told you I don¡¯t want to have this conversation, so yes, I am¡± ¡°Fine¡± he said, then he began to move closer to her. Katherine stood where she was, determined not to let him intimidate her. He stopped right in front of her. ¡°I will leave,¡± he said softly. ¡°Though I don¡¯t understand why you would want to give up something as amazing as what we have¡­ I don¡¯t understand why you keep letting the paste between us¡­ But can you look me in the eye right now and tell me that these past two weeks haven¡¯t been totally amazing? That it hasn¡¯t been one of the best you have ever experienced? Don¡¯t even think about denying it. Because I know you, Kat. I know how you felt¡­ You couldn¡¯t have faked the way you felt in my arms¡± Katherine said nothing, just stared at him, because she knew he was right . His eyes seemed darker with emotion or something else. She couldn¡¯t say¡­ They were really intense. He was close on her heels and she could feel the anger emanating from him. A wave of hurt hit her hard as she lowered her gaze to his shirt cor, unable to look into his eyes anymore. In this moment she realized that she truly loved him. She always had. Always would. Her chest hurt so bad that she couldn¡¯t breathe. But there was a picture in her head¡­ One that refused to go away¡­ One that stayed with her no matter how hard she tried to let go and one that made her put all these defenses around her. Her mind went back to the day when she¡¯d stood in front of him after she had told him how she felt years ago, devastated,pletely and utterly broken, while he told her he couldn¡¯t give her what she wanted. She heard his sharply indrawn breath, saw his broad chest lift, expand, and looked up to find his head bent towards hers. His hands mped around her upper arms. His gaze fastened on her mouth. Her own pent up breath parted her lips. Anticipation kicked through her mind, scattering all her wits. He was going to kiss her. Was she going to let him¡­ She wanted him to let him¡­ she was going to let him¡­ Despite everything. But he spoke instead. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you insist on doing this to us. But I can¡¯t force you into anything or make you do anything. If you are going to be with me, I want it to be your decision¡­ I want you to be all in with me, with no doubts and without holding back. I want all of you¡­ I want you to trust me¡­ You clearly don¡¯t¡­ So I guess this is it for us.¡± 62 He released her as swiftly as he had taken hold of her, and then he began to move towards the door. Over his retreating shoulder he said. ¡°You know where to find me if I can do anything for Tim. Good night¡± Minutester Katherine sat on the couch, unable to move. Wondering if she had made the right decision¡­ Had she lost him forever because she couldn¡¯t let go of her fears. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- He didn¡¯t need this crap. Jensen thought as he got into his car. Starting the engine, he pulled away from Katherine¡¯s driveway and into the road at a pace faster than safe. For a moment anger ruled. Then he deliberately slowed down. He would not take his anger out on others. He shouldn¡¯t hurt anyone in his anger. How could she not see that he loved her and wasn¡¯t going to hurt her¡­ At least not again. They had known each other long enough for her to know that he wouldn¡¯t lie about how he felt¡­ They had spent enough time together for her to know that. And since she had returned he hadn¡¯t given her any reason for her to doubt him. He was all in with her. But he was also furious with himself for letting himself care so much. It was one of the reasons why he never let himself get too close in his previous rtionships. Caring makes you open to getting hurt. It made you vulnerable and he did not like feeling that way. He drove on, when all he wanted to do was turn the car around and go back to her ce, grab her and shake some sense into her head. Make her believe that they should be together. But he knew he couldn¡¯t. Thest thing he wanted was to make her do anything she didn¡¯t really want to. This had to be her choice. He didn¡¯t want to talk her into anything. He clenched a fist and hit the top of the car. He had been thinking that the two weeks had meant something to her as it did to him. But obviously it didn¡¯t¡­. or least she wouldn¡¯t let it. When he got home, he sat in the car staring into space for endless minutes, feeling numb. One minute the woman was all over him, the next she didn¡¯t want to be with him. The images of them together over the past weeks danced in his mind. He could hear herughter, see the sparkle in her eyes. He wanted her¡­ She made him so damn happy. Evidently she wanted him too. But when he offered what she clearly wanted, she threw up that icy armor of hers and tly refused him. Jensen shoved his fingers up through his hair. ¡°Christ¡± he whispered. He recognized Katherine¡¯s foolishness because he was guilty of it himself. Years ago he hadn¡¯t realized how much he wanted to be with her¡­ Till he had lost her. Soon Rufus came running and barking. He smiled and opened the car door and Rufus jumped into hisp as soon as he stepped one foot outside the car. He scratched Rufus behind his left ear. ¡°Hey buddy¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re here. Thought you would be with yourdy friend down the road¡­. Gotta hold on to what you have, buddy. Unless you are having girl troubles too?¡± he asked, looking at the dog¡¯s face. Rufus made a sound like he understood. Jensen smiled. ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± he said. ¡°Women. Reallyplicated set of people. Come on. Let¡¯s go eat our feelings¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Two weekster, Katherine wheeled her car into her driveway. Tim was out on the frontwn, practicing his moves with a ser ball. ¡°Hi, mom¡± he greeted. ¡°Hey, honey,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°How are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Watch this, mom¡± he said. He maneuvered the ball across the yard. When he was only a few feet away from her, he kicked the ball hard, straight into the trunk of a pine tree. ¡°That¡¯s a score¡± he shouted, raising his fists above his head in a sign of victory. ¡°Easy to do that without any opposition¡± Katherine said, as she folded her hands across her body. Tim shoved several locks of sweaty, ck curls off his forehead. ¡°Huh?¡± he asked. Katherine smiled ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡­ Ermmm, try it again with me acting as goalie¡± she said. ¡°Okay!¡± Tim yelled again. He retrieved his ball and carried it back to the far side of the yard. Katherine kicked off her high heels and assumed a challenging stance in front of the tree. ¡°whenever you are ready¡± she said. Instead of taking a direct route as he had before, Tim weaved his way across the yard, adroitly maneuvering the ball with fancy footwork. Katherine stood ready in front of the goal, but he pulled her off center with a tricky maneuver, and before she could recover he kicked the ball into the tree trunk. ¡°Point,¡± Tim cried. Katherine couldn¡¯t believe it, but then again she had never been good at sports, in fact she was horrible at it. Always had been. She smiled at the memory. Baring her teeth, she lunged forward, tackling him, and following him down into the grass. ¡°Foul! Foul!¡± Tim cried,ughing. Katherine tickled his ribs. Heughed, But he surprised her again by rolling to his side and throwing her off him. She sat up, panting. ¡°When did you learn to do that?¡± she asked. ¡°Wow, only a year ago, I could hold you down for an hour without any effort¡± ¡°I¡¯m growing,¡± Tim said. She looked at him with maternal pride. ¡°You certainly are,¡± she agreed. ¡°How much do you weigh, mom?¡± Tim asked. ¡°How indelicate!¡± Katherine said, feigning annoyance and Timughed. ¡°No really. How much¡± he asked. ¡°About a hundred twelve pounds¡± Katherine said smiling.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m gonna outweigh you soon¡± Tim said and Katherineughed. ¡°Yeah¡± she said. ¡°You will. You are going to grow really big. I know that. I see it already. And you are amazing at this ser thing¡­. and baseball too. Such a good athlete. I¡¯m so proud of you¡± ¡°Thanks, mom. Jensen taught me almost all of it¡± he said. ¡°He always tells me to practice if I want to be good at something. Is gonnae to my game this evening?¡± he asked 63 ¡°What In the world are you two doing?¡± ire¡¯s voice said. She had just arrived with her sons and was watching them. ¡°ying ser. I lost¡± Katherine said ruefully. Tim bounded to his feet and held her hand as she pulled herself up. ¡°You know they have a game tonight right? And that you are ying the wrong sport?¡± ire asked. ¡°Yeah¡± Katherine said. ¡°It was just for fun. I just got home. You are early¡± ¡°Yeah I am,¡± ire agreed, but I thought we could hang out a bit before we left. If you don¡¯t mind. Sometimes I just need some space from the house, you know ¡± Katherine knew. She understood. So she smiled and nodded in agreement. She needed that sometimes too. ¡°But¡­.¡± ire continued, ¡°Since you both are busy with your game, I will just sit around and watch¡­ Maybe until half time¡± ¡°Very funny¡± Katherine remarked as she trudged towards the front door. ¡°You arete, we are done with the game. Alright,¡± she called to Tim who had started another game with ire sons, ¡°Get inside, you need to shower and rest before your game this evening¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ire called to her boys to get inside too. ¡°I will pour you a coke,¡± Katherine said to ire. ¡°¡­ Unless you need something stronger,¡± she added. ireughed. ¡°No, coke is fine¡± she said, as she came into the house. Three hourster, they were off to the game, Tim and Oliver dressed in their red and gray baseball uniform. They kept peering out of the window, talking and clearly looking excited about their game. Katherine and ire watched them and exchanged nces while smiling. This evening, the soft breeze smelled like it always did¡­ It smelled of barbecues and freshly mowed grasses. Katherine and ire got their usual lemonade drinks while Tim and Oliver rushed to join their team. Went to stay with some of his friends he saw at a corner. The bleachers were filled with parents already so it took them a minute to find a ce where they couldfortably watch the game. Minutes after they settled in their seats Tim came running back to them. ¡°Is something wrong, Tim?¡± Katherine asked, worried she might have forgotten something. ¡°Your game will be starting soon,¡± she said. ¡°Jensen isn¡¯t here yet,¡± Tim said. Katherine stared at him. Lately he had been wanting to know why Jensen wasn¡¯ting around any more. And it wasn¡¯t helping when all she wanted to do was try to move on and stop thinking about him. Tim wasn¡¯t making this easier for her. ¡°Look, honey¡± she began. ¡°I told you before, Jensen is a really busy man. He has a job, and sometimes adults just have to focus on their jobs.¡± ¡°But he told me he woulde for all my games so he would see how I was doing with everything we practiced. He didn¡¯te for thest game either, and now he won¡¯t evene see us at home anymore. Did something happen?¡± he asked sadly. ¡°Does he not like me anymore? I know I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, did I?¡± ¡°Oh of course you didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡± Katherine said, as she pulled him closer to herself. This was the reason why she had been ufortable with Jensen and Tim¡¯s bonding. She had been worried about how Tim would be affected if things didn¡¯t work out between them. And now it was happening. She knew Tim was very sensitive, and she hated that this was also her fault that he was feeling this way. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, sweetie,¡± she said when she released him. She cupped his face so she could look into his eyes. ¡°Sometimes, honey, people just need space, and sometimes they could just be busy, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m sure Jensen still likes you. How could he not? You are the sweetest human being I know. How could anyone not love you?¡± Tim smiled, and she was d to see it. ¡°Fine,¡± he said, ¡°Maybe after the game, I will call him and tell him all about it,¡± he said. Katherine nodded. ¡°Sure. Just do your best out there on the field, honey. And have fun¡± ¡°I will¡± Tim yelled as he ran back to join his team, his good mood seemed to be back and Katherine breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°So¡± ire began as soon as Tim left, ¡°What exactly happened between you and Jensen Packard. Why exactly did you two break up?¡± she asked. Katherine gave her a look and returned her attention to the field. ¡°I told you before, ire, I don¡¯t want to talk about it, ¡± she said, hoping that ire would take the hint and drop the topic, but knowing ire, she knew that was not going to happen and she was proved right when ire continued like she hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°Come on,¡± ire said. ¡°You know not talking about it is not going to make you feel better. You look weird anytime I ask you about it and Tim is also affected with whatever happened between the both of you. I gotta tell you, when you told me you guys were together, I thought it was destiny bringing you guys back together.. I thought it was beautiful and I was happy for you. You looked so happy. But then y¡¯all break up¡­ Seriously?¡± Katherine inhaled deeply. ¡°He was rushing into the whole thing¡­ Going at a pace I guess I wasn¡¯t ready for. And it seems like even my parents were in it too.. Rooting for us to¡­. I don¡¯t know how to exin it to you, ire. But I just got confused, and to be honest, scared. Jensen and I have been down this road before and I guess I just have trouble trusting himpletely¡­ I don¡¯t know if you understand me, maybe it sounds crazy to you, but it¡¯s just the way I feel¡± ire nodded.¡±I understand,¡± she said. Katherine closed her eyes slowly and opened them again. ¡°I hate talking about this,¡± she said. ¡°I avoid talking to my mom about it especially. Whenever I think about him, I just feel sad and angry¡­ At myself because I feel like I ruined something great with him because I couldn¡¯t let go of my fears and at him too¡­. for not understanding that maybe I just needed some time. I don¡¯t even want to see him¡­ And maybe it¡¯s a good thing that he¡¯s keeping his distance.¡± 64 ¡°Well¡± ire said ¡°Get ready to get really angry then¡± Katherine frowned, not understanding what ire had said. ire nodded to her left, smiling and Katherine¡¯s gaze went in that direction. And there was Jensen Packard. Just walking down there, obviously looking for where to sit so he could watch the game. God! What the man did to her. Katherine thought. Just looking at him did things to her insides¡­ Made her feel things she couldn¡¯t exin. The formal business suit and crisp white shirt she was used to seeing him wear were gone and in their ce he was wearing jeans and a checked shirt. The cords hugged the long, lean lines of his legs, and as Katherine felt her nce drawn helplessly along the length of him, she was aware of certain disturbing sensations prickling warningly inside herself. It was so unlike her to be aware of any man and yet with Jensen it waspletely different. That night he had left her house was thest time she had seen him. She knew that he had been avoiding her and she honestly didn¡¯t know how she felt about it. It was always that way when it came to Jensen. She was confused about everything concerning him. She was so engrossed in her assessment of him, that she didn¡¯t know that he had seen her and was staring too till her eyes met with his. When, hot-cheeked with embarrassment she managed to drag her gaze away, it was with the ufortable knowledge that he was every bit as aware of her reaction to him as she had been herself. It was right there in his eyes. The sexual awareness between them had been something Jensen would have had to have been blind not to see. He had experienced it before- it had always been that way with her or at least he had been on the receiving end of it before, he reflected cynically. A man did not make it to his age and status in life without being on the receiving end of a fair amount of feminine advances, but he had been coolly clinical in all his dealings with the female sex, sleeping with them, enjoying them sexually, but not allowing himself to be emotionally involved, except when it came to Katherine Kavell. And so here he was reacting like an overgrown schoolboy to a woman who had rejected him. Shuddering slightly as much in shock as her own overwhelming reaction to him as anything else, Katherine returned her attention back to ire, who had been watching her the entire time with a smile on her face. ¡°Wow,¡± ire said. ¡°You could cut the tension between you guys with a knife. Can you both just fix whatever it is that¡¯s bothering you guys and stop tormenting each other for nothing?¡± Grimacing faintly at herself for her almostpulsive attraction and curiosity about him, Katherine turned her attention instead to her surroundings. Back to her son¡¯s game, back to cheering him. That was what she was here for. She focused her attention on Tim till the game was almost over, then she saw Caroline, a single mom whose son was in Tim¡¯s ss,e to sit with Jensen. Caroline wore Italian Italian leather heels, white linen pants which hugged her hips and clung to her legs. Her top revealed part of her chest and brought several of the fathers present at the game to attention. Her hair framed her beautiful but petnt face. Jezz. Katherine thought. Who the hell dresses like that to a game. It didn¡¯t matter. She told herself. Jensen could do whatever he wanted now. But she realized that he mattered a lot when she saw Caroline slid a hand to his muscled thigh, her fingers squeezing slightly. Katherine felt a knot in her stomach. Felt it tighten, but stubbornly attributed it to the tart lemonade. From beneath the veil of her eyshes, she watched Jensen¡¯s strong hand remove Caroline¡¯s and ced it on herp. ire watched both Katherine and Jensen with amusement till she couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and sheughed out. ¡°What?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Could you want him more?¡± Caroline asked, her eyes gleaming. ¡°I have been watching you. You looked so angry when Care came to sit with him and now you are about to squeeze the life out of that cup. Fix things with Jensen please. I hate seeing you this way¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Katherine didn¡¯t reply because she didn¡¯t know what to say. She couldn¡¯t deny that seeing Jensen with another woman made her want to punch something. So she forced her attention back to the game till it was over and Tim came running towards them. ¡°Did you see? Did you see me, mom?¡± he asked excitedly. ¡°Yes, honey,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°I saw. You did amazing. I¡¯m so proud of you¡± Tim beamed as ire¡¯s sons came to join them too. ¡°And see, Jensen came too,¡± Tim said. ¡°I knew he would. He watched the game too. Come on, I wanna go say hi¡± Katherine knew disagreeing was useless as Tim was already on his way to Jensen. So she and ire followed. She watched Tim fling himself on Jensen and felt a pang in her heart. She watched Jensen hug him back. ¡°Did you see me?¡± Tim was saying when she got there. ¡°My team won¡± ¡°Yeah I saw, kiddo. You did great. I¡¯m proud of you¡± Jensen replied. ¡°You didn¡¯te to myst game,¡± Tim said. ¡°I really wanted you to but mom said you were probably busy that¡¯s why you couldn¡¯te¡± Jensen looked up at Katherine before he returned his attention back to Tim. ¡°Yeah¡± he agreed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little man. I just had a lot of stuff to take care of. But I came today so am I forgiven?¡± Tim smiled and nodded. ¡°yeah,¡± he said. ¡°Alright¡± Katherine said. ¡°You guys go wait by the car¡± Tim and ire¡¯s sons raced towards the car while ire chatted with one of the parents. ¡°HI,¡± Jensen said to her. ¡°Hello,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°Thanks foring for Tim today. He¡¯s been wanting to see you and asking after you for a while now that I have honestly run out of things to tell him¡± 65 ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Jensen said. ¡°I told him I woulde see him at his games and I realized that whatever happened or whatever is happening between us shouldn¡¯t stop me from keeping my word¡± Katherine nodded. ¡°How are you? I mean how have you been?¡± she asked. She knew he had been hurt thest time they had talked, and she didn¡¯t want him to be. She cared about him. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Jensen replied. ¡°Been working a lottely, traveling, tryna clear my head¡­ Stuff like that¡± Katherine nodded. She understood. Hurting him had never been her intention and right now as she looked at him, all she wanted to do was pull him into her arms. But she wasn¡¯t sure that was a good idea and considering how angry he was when he left her house that day, she was sure he would probably reject any show of affection from her. He would probably mistake it for pity. So she looked away. Jensen watched her. Watched the hurt in her eyes disappear behind the curtain that hid all her emotions. The emotions he¡¯d once been able to read as easily as he did his favorite books. She had no idea how much he wanted to shake her. How much he wanted to crack that perfectly logical, reasonable veneer she wore like a shield. Her phone rang that instant, breaking the spell and bringing them back to reality. ¡°Excuse me¡± she said to him while she withdrew her phone and lifted it to her ear. ¡°Hey mom,¡± Katherine said. ¡°Kathy,¡± Delia¡¯s voice said. ¡°You have toe down here¡­ Quickly¡± Katherine froze at the fear in her mom¡¯s voice. She had never heard her mom sound this distressed¡­ Except¡­ She forced herself not to think about it. It couldn¡¯t be happening again. ¡°Mom,¡± Katherine said. ¡°You are scaring me. What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± Her mom began to sob and Katherine got even more scared. Jensen watched the expression on her face. It wasn¡¯t good and as always his instinct was to help her¡­ To protect her. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± he mouthed to Katherine but she didn¡¯t reply. Her face went white, like the blood was being drained from her body.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°It¡¯s your dad again, Kathy¡± Delia was saying on the other end. ¡°He hasn¡¯t been feeling good for two days now so we went to the hospital. The cancer is back, honey and the doctor said it¡¯s really bad. Jonathan and Kate are here already. We have been trying to reach you for a while now. You have to get here now, honey¡± Katherine nodded, unable to speak. It had been years ago¡­ Eight years ago since her father beat cancer¡­ They had celebrated it back then. And now it was back? Just like that? Out of the blue? And it was bad? What exactly did that mean? How bad was it? Was her father going to die? The thought of that happening gave her chills. Suddenly Jensen was right in front of her, holding her by the shoulder and she was grateful for it because she was sure her legs were beginning to feel like jelly and she wasn¡¯t sure they could hold her up anymore. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Kat?¡± he asked, concern written all over his face. ¡°It¡¯s my dad¡± Katherine said, shivering. ¡°Mom said he¡¯s in the hospital. It¡¯s cancer. It¡¯s back. After all these years it¡¯s back, Jensen. And It sounds bad. Oh my God what am I going to do? I¡¯m freaking out¡± Jensen pulled her into a hug. And Katherine sobbed quietly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Kat¡± he said as he ran his hands down her hair. ¡°But let¡¯s get you to the hospital first. It might not be so terrible. Let¡¯s get there and find out exactly what is wrong. I cane with you¡­ If you need me to¡± Katherine nodded. ¡°Please do,¡± she said. She wasn¡¯t sure she would be able to make it to the hospital alone. Her legs shook and she began to imagine the worst. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ire asked as she came to join them. She looked puzzled when she saw the tears in Katherine¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s my Dad, ire,¡± Katherine said. ¡°My mom called. He is in the hospital and I have to go see him. Will you please take Tim home with you. You can take my car since you didn¡¯t bring yours¡± She handed her keys to ire. ¡°Jensen will take me to the hospital,¡± she said. ¡°Of course, honey,¡± ire said. ¡°Anything you need. Call me if there¡¯s anything you need me to do¡± ¡°Thanks. Let me talk to Tim before I leave¡± Katherine said. She went to Tim and told him she had to leave for a while and he had to go with ire. Normally, he would have dly gone with ire as he loved having a sleepover with his friend, Oliver. But he noticed the sadness in Katherine¡¯s eyes and wanted toe with her. Katherine didn¡¯t want him to see his grandfather just lying helpless in a hospital bed. She couldn¡¯t imagine what the sight might do to him and she didn¡¯t want to put him through that trauma. ¡°You can¡¯t right now¡± Katherine said. ¡°It¡¯s really important and you can¡¯te with me right now. But I promise I will be back as soon as I can, honey¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Tim said reluctantly. ¡°Good,¡± Katherine said. She kissed him and after ire left with the kids, she returned to Jensen. ¡°Alright¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡± They got into the car and Jensen drove off. ¡°Hurry, please¡± Katherine said, her eyes fixed on the road like she was trying to teleport them to the hospital. ¡°Now, rx, babe,¡± Jensen said, now so used to calling her that he couldn¡¯t stop the word froming out. She didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°I¡¯m gonna try to get us there as fast as I can but not at any risks. You won¡¯t be able to do much for your father if you end up in a hospital bed yourself¡± Katherine nodded but she prayed silently for this to be some kind of bad dream. That she was going to wake up soon and this would be forgotten. She felt Jensen take her hand, his eyes reaching out to her¡­ Assuring her that everything was going to be fine. And she was d that she had him with her. 66 When Katherine and Jensen got to the hospital and Katherine saw her father, her heart broke into many pieces. Just seeing him there, lying down, looking fragile and vulnerable brought hot tears to her eyes. He was asleep so they all went outside his room to talk¡­ Not wanting to wake him up. ¡°What are the doctors saying?¡± Katherine asked, letting her tears flow freely now and making no effort to stop them. ¡°How is the cancer back? He looked fine. He has been fine all this while. How can it juste back? How bad is it? There has to be something they can do right? I mean, they are not just gonna sit back and let him die right? Isn¡¯t that like¡­ Supposed to be against thew or something? They have to try something¡­ anything¡± Jensen took a hold of her arm and rubbed it soothingly. ¡°Calm down a little bit, Kat,¡± he said softly. ¡°I know you are scared, but one question at a time. They can¡¯t answer a million questions at once¡± Katherine nodded slowly, but she could barely hear him. Her heart was beating fast and all she could think about was the image of her dad in that bed¡­. The fact that she could be saying goodbye to her father real soon. And she wasn¡¯t prepared for that¡­ But then again, is anyone ever prepared for something like that? Delia had tears in her eyes and Jonathan left them to sit while Kate went with him. He seemed at loss for words. Katherine understood his need to sit. She was finding it harder to hold herself up as she felt her legs getting weaker. ¡°He hasn¡¯t been feeling too well for a while¡­¡± Delia began. ¡°We didn¡¯t think it was anything serious so we decided not to bother anyone about it. No need to cause unnecessary panic.. He wasn¡¯t feeling well yesterday either. When it continued today and got worse we decided to bring him here. The doctor ran some tests. He said the cancer is back, Kathy¡­ And this time it¡¯s really bad¡± Katherine took a deep breath. Determined to find something positive to hold on to in this terrible situation. This couldn¡¯t really be happening ¡°Okay.¡± she said. ¡°So when are they gonna start treatments?¡± ¡°They said there is not going to be any treatments this time, honey¡± Delia replied. ¡°Why not?¡± Katherine insisted. ¡°Maybe chemo¡­ Something has to be done¡± ¡°They say it¡¯s spread so much Kathy. There¡¯s not going to be any form of treatment. They say all they are going to do now is make himfortable.¡± The tears flowed freely this time. Katherine wrapped her hands around herself. Unable to believe what she was hearing. It was a dream¡­ It had to be. A very bad dream. She repeated in her head. She had to do something.. Maybe pinch herself and wake up somehow. ¡°I¡¯m so so sorry, honey,¡± Delia said. ¡°How long does he have?¡± Katherine dared to ask. ¡°How long before we have to say goodbye?¡± ¡°He has months¡­ Maybe two¡­ or three¡± Delia said. She pulled Katherine into her arms and they sobbed. A minuteter, a nurse came to tell them that Jonah was awake. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can go in there¡± Katherine said, still sobbing after she released her mother. ¡°I can¡¯t see him like this¡­ I ca.. I can¡¯t¡± Jensen cupped her face in his hands, and lifted it up so she could look at him. He hated seeing her this way. She was hurting and there was nothing he could do to make her feel better. All he could do now was be there for her. Make her understand that she wasn¡¯t going to be alone in this. He couldn¡¯t believe Jonah was dying either. The man was like a father to him. ¡°Hey¡± he said. ¡°You have to go in there. You have to go see your father. He¡¯s a strong man. We both know that. And I know that¡¯s hard but he needs you right now. You have to be there for him and you have to be strong. And I¡¯m going to be here too¡­ In case you need me¡­ You understand?¡± Katherine nodded slowly. Feeling like she was in some kind of trance. She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief Jensen gave to her and then she braced herself and walked in with Jensen. The rest of the family were in the room already. Delia sat in a chair beside the bed, holding her husband¡¯s hand, smiling at him and the sight was just too heartbreaking. Kate and Jonathan were on the other side of the bed. Katherine stood in the middle of the room, her feet seemed glued to the spot¡­ still finding it hard to believe that it was really her father lying sick in that bed. He was a strong man. Always had been. He had beat this sickness before and now it was back to take him. Thest time she saw him he was perfectly healthy¡­ And now¡­ Jonah turned his head towards her. ¡°Are you gonna stand there all day, Kathy?¡± he asked. A smile on his face. And Katherine melted¡­ Knowing him and knowing that he was going to be strong through this too¡­ For himself and for all of them. ¡°Hi dad,¡± she said. She moved closer this time, Jensen behind her and then she sat on his bed and took his hand. Which she brought to her cheek. ¡°Oh dad,¡± she said. And the tears were back again.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Oh¡­ no no no. Don¡¯t do that¡± Jonah said. ¡°Listen to me Kathy. I don¡¯t care what the doctor and his tests say, okay? I¡¯m going to beat this. I beat it before, and I¡¯m going to beat it again. I¡¯m going to be around for a long time, pumpkin¡­ No one and nothing is going to get rid of me that easily¡­¡± Katherineughed then, her eyes still wet, but a bit encouraged by her dad¡¯s optimism. She was still scared but he didn¡¯t seem to be, and that gave her hope. If anyone was going to beat something like this, it was her dad. He was the strongest man she knew. And she wanted to hold on to anything¡­ She wanted to hold on to any form of hope. Because that was all they had right now. 67 Three weekster¡­. Jensen Packard draped his left wrist over the steering wheel and patted hisp with his right nervously as he drove to Crimson Bay. At this time of the night there was little traffic. It was mindless driving, which was very good, because Jensen¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t on driving. He missed Katherine. He had traveled for a business meeting a week ago but he had cut the trip two days short. Unnecessarily he had driven for six hours to get home tonight when tomorrow by noon would have done just as well. There is absolutely no reason he wasing home so early, except for the fact that there was someone he was eager to see. Which was a bit stupid considering the fact that she probably didn¡¯t feel the same way. The fact that he still loved her and thought so much about her scared the hell out of him¡­ Scared him so badly that he almost talked himself into turning his car around and going back and staying away from home for a while. He hadn¡¯t wrestled with the notion for long, however. ¡°For one thing¡± he said aloud to himself. ¡°Walking away from problems like that is a cowardly way to deal with them¡± And he liked to face his problems¡­ He loved challenges¡­ Loved how he felt when he finally beat them. But the difference right now was that most times he already had a n. But this time, with Katherine, it was different. He had no idea how to get through to her and he was confused as hell. He couldn¡¯t walk away now even if he wanted to. He thought. Katherine needed him. She was still pretty shaken up about her father¡¯s condition. She was hurting¡­ Really badly. He hardly saw her now. Even at work, she came around once in a while.. ording to her staff. She worked from home mostly and spent time helping her mom look after her dad. He visited Jonah everytime he could and even then, he hardly saw her. Jonah was back home now with his family and apart from a brief hi and hello he and Katherine barely spoke. And he couldn¡¯t me her, she was going through a lot and he understood. He understood how angry at the world he had felt when he lost his parents. She had been there for him at such a terrible time, and now he was going to do the same for her. She was dealing with this in her own way¡­. They all were. He was scared of losing Jonah too¡­ But he wished she woulde to him forfort. It was on one of these visits that he and Jonah had a talk about Katherine. Jonah said he knew he loved his daughter and Jensen admitted he did. He poured his heart out to Jonah. He loved Katherine so much¡­ So much that it hurt that she wouldn¡¯t believe him or give them a chance. ¡°You gotta show her son¡± Jonah had said. ¡°Women aren¡¯t thatplicated¡­ They seem that way when you don¡¯t understand them though. She just thinks she is protecting herself. Women love security¡­ And she needs to know that you can give her that. She needs to be convinced that this time it¡¯s for real. She loves you too, Son. I know she does. The both of you belong together¡­ Things will work themselves out eventually. They always do¡± She loved him? Lately Jensen had his doubts about that. He knew she felt something for him¡­ He knew by the way she looked at him and by the way she kissed him¡­ But love? He wasn¡¯t entirely sure about that. And how exactly were things going to work out? He had no idea. He wondered how Tim was doing. The little guy knew his grandpa was sick and he was greatly affected by the news. He had actually thought of bringing Rufus to help cheer Tim up before he traveled. But he had changed his mind and taken Rufus to Dillon instead. Katherine had a lot on her te right now and he didn¡¯t want to add to that. A week ago, Katherine had apologized for Tim following him around when he came to visit Jonah. She thought the boy had made a nuisance of himself by getting in Jensen¡¯s way and asking questions. But actually, he was ttered whenever Tim tagged along beside him. His questions and observations were sometimes humorous, other times astute. In spite of himself, he always looked forward to seeing Tim again¡­ And also Katherine. He had avoided thinking about it during the six hour drive, but now, when he was only a few minutes away from his destination, he feltpelled to acknowledge the real reason for his rush to get back home. He was eager to see Katherine and he was worried about her. And of course he wanted to be around for Jonah. In case he was needed for something¡­ Anything. He wanted to help. Maybe he should have picked up a woman while he was out of town. It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. He was a free single man but he didn¡¯t understand why the thought of being with another woman made him feel like he was cheating on Katherine. If he had taken a warm, willing woman to bed, maybe he wouldn¡¯t be so edgy. Maybe he would be able to get over her once and for all. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t be looking forward to seeing Katherine. Maybe his cock wouldn¡¯t be so hard with just the memory of how she looked, how she tasted and the perfect way she curled around him when they made love. Damn.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. He wheeled his car into the gravel track leading into the Crimson Bay. He just had to get some files from his office before he went home. He parked the car and got out stretching, then he paused when he looked up and saw the light on inside the building and Katherine¡¯s car parked out front. The light wasing from her store. ¡°What the hell is she doing out here at this time of night?¡± Jensen asked himself He got into the elevator and went straight to her store. Hoping she was okay and something bad hadn¡¯t happened to her. ¡°Katherine?¡± he called but he got no reply and he became even more worried. He removed his key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock. The door swung open silently. 68 He went inside the store. She had obviously been working. He thought as his eyes took in the pans and other equipment that had stains of batter in then. Why did she decide to work sote instead of waiting till the next day? And where was Tim? He wondered. Probably with his grandparents then. He went into her office. Katherine¡¯s heady on top of her desk. She was asleep. Jensen tiptoed forward. ¡°Katherine?¡± he called. She didn¡¯t stir. Her head was pillowed on her extended arm. His eyes were drawn down to her hand. She had very slender fingers. He thought. Her hand was delicate and, in response, fragile looking. Her beautiful hair was a riot of wavy disarray, spilling across her arm and the paperwork she had fallen asleep over. It was inky ck, the perfectplement to her fairplexion. There was a faint blush on the cheek that was turned up. Her brow was as smooth and glossy as she one painted onto a China doll. She was deeply asleep and she breathed through slightly parted lips. Jensen¡¯s desire to touch her was a visceral ache. He debated with himself on what he should do. She wouldn¡¯t wee being found in such a vulnerable position. It would be awkward for them both and might affect their already very fragile rtionship, which he didn¡¯t want to jeopardize further under any circumstances. She obviously wasn¡¯t in any difort. All things considered, it would be best to leave her as she was. His car was outside too, If she woke up and noticed that he was there, she coulde to his office and initiate a conversation if she wanted to¡­ Though he highly doubted that she would. Otherwise they would see each other first thing in the morning.. He couldn¡¯t go home now knowing that she was there. He saw no reason for themp to be shining full on her face, however, and leaned across the desk to switch it off. The instant the office went dark, she woke up. ¡°No!¡± she shouted. She shot out of the chair, nearly knocking heads with him. ¡°Kat, it¡¯s me,¡± Jensen said softly. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± she said. She fumbled with the items strewn across her desk. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Jensen asked, clearly surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± she repeated. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him too! If you touch him, I will kill you¡± Jensen, bewildered by her violent reaction, looked down at her outstretched hands and saw the cold glint of metal. ¡°Rx, Kat,¡± he said calmly. ¡°It¡¯s me, Jensen¡± He reached for themp switch. Attempting to put the light back on so she could see him clearly. ¡°No!¡± she said. She made a jabbing motion toward his belly with the letter opener. ¡°Fuck¡± he swore. She was obviously still asleep. He realized. Or so disoriented that she didn¡¯t realize what she was doing. Before one or both of them got hut, he lunged across the desk and grabbed her hands. The telephone crashed to the floor. Paper work scattered like autumn leaves in a high wind. Katherine screamed. They fought for control of the letter opener. She fell against the wall behind her. Knocking an art picture off its hook. It fell and crashed to the ground. The sses scattered on the floor. He twisted her hands, but she wouldn¡¯t release her grip on the letter opener. Even though she seemed to be imbued with superhuman strength, he knew he must be hurting her. He would apologizeter. He thought. First, he had to keep her from ripping a hole in his gut. He finally got a firm grip on both her wrists and swung them up above her head. He mmed his body into hers, pinning her between himself and the wall. She slung her head wildly from side to side. ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt him. You will have to kill me first¡± she said. ¡°Kat¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you. I won¡¯t let you take him¡± ¡°Katherine!¡± Jensen shouted. It was as though he had entered her nightmare and pped her awake. She ceased struggling instantly. Her head became still. Her breast rose and fell drastically against his chest. ¡°Who is it?¡± she asked. Jensen breathed a sigh of relief. He could feel her rapid breath on his face. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± he replied. ¡°it¡¯s Jensen¡± ¡°Jensen?¡± Katherine repeated. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he said. ¡°Jensen¡± ¡°Yes¡± Exhausted, he bent his head over hers, resting it on her forehead while he sucked in drafts of air. He released her wrists. When he did, her arms fell lifelessly to her sides. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked hoarsely. She nodded. He stepped away from her and clicked on themp. The letter opener still in her hand had a serrated de. It could have been deadly. He thought. ¡°Fuck, Kat¡± he swore. ¡°What the hell were you trying to do with that damn thing? What the hell is going on with you?¡± He asked. Katherine dropped the letter opener onto the desk and simultaneously copsed into her chair. ¡°Protect myself,¡± she said softly. She was pale, trembling and breathless, but otherwise seemed no worse for wear. Seeing that she was alright. Jensen allowed himself to get mad. ¡°What the hell, Kat?¡± he said. ¡°You damn near gutted me¡± Katherine propped her elbow on her desk and pushed a handful of hair out of her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t have sneaked up on me¡± Jensen sucked in a deep angry breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t sneak up on you, damn it¡± he said. ¡°I made a hell of a racket outside. I called your name twice. I got worried when you didn¡¯t reply so I let myself in¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± Katherine asked.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to startle you,¡± he replied. ¡°Oh, so you leaned over me like you were going to smother me¡± she said. Jensen let loose a string of curses. This woman was so damn good at getting to him. He was angry and pissed about her attitude. But he was still worried about her reaction. ¡°What are you doing here anyway? What time is it?¡± Katherine asked, apparently still confused from being awakened so abruptly. 69 ¡°It¡¯s kindate,¡± Jensen replied. ¡°Just after twelve¡± ¡°Oh, God,¡± she said. She picked up the telephone off the floor and put it back on the desk. Then she searched her bag and withdrew her phone. While she called her mom to apologize for noting back and checking on Tim, Jensen stood at the edge of her desk, ring at her. ¡°I¡¯m d you arrived when you did. I wasn¡¯t nning on staying here for so long¡± she said after the ended the call and put the phone on the desk. ¡°I was working¡­ Was nning on delivering some cupcakes to a customer very early tomorrow morning¡­ Or should I say this morning then¡­. I must have slept off when I decided to look at some paperwork¡± ¡°What the hell were you thinking of to stay out here by yourself in the dark?¡± he asked angrily. ¡°You are lucky it was me who came through that door¡± ¡°The door was locked, Jensen,¡± Katherine said. ¡°As though that would stop anybody who wanted in badly enough¡± he said. ¡°Well, nothing tragic happened, so let¡¯s just forget about it, shall we?¡± she said. That belittling tone of hers never failed to set his teeth on edge. As she came around her desk, he blocked her path. ¡°We will forget it when I say it¡¯s time to forget it.¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not safe for a woman to be out here alone, away from home, after dark. Don¡¯t do it again¡±. Katherine stared up at him. Challenging him with her eyes. ¡°May I remind you that you are not in a position of authority over me. You can¡¯t tell me what to do¡± she said. ¡°Damn it, forget about who is telling who what to do,¡± Jensen said. ¡°This has nothing to do with that. Besides, the only time you say something like that is when you know that you are wrong¡± Her eyes zed up at him. ¡°If it had been anybody but you, the security guys would have alerted me of the danger¡± ¡°Oh really,¡± Jensen said sarcastically. He lowered his head close to hers. ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Katherine replied carelessly. ¡°Well, for your information. The security guys are out there doing their jobs and if someone found a way to sneak in here, they might not even be able to help you. Jezz, you could even be in danger from the security guys themselves. What if one of them decided to go crazy or something like that, huh? Jensen asked. Katherine stared at him. Irritated and embarrassed, she nced away. ¡°I appreciate your concern for my safety,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself,¡± he said angrily. ¡°I¡¯m not all that concerned. I¡¯m just trying to talk a littlemon sense into somebody who obviously has shit for brains¡± Her head came back around swiftly. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like that. You have no right to¡± Katherine said. ¡°I¡¯m just looking out for you, damn it¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not okay to be out here like this by this time. And it¡¯s not something the Katherine I know would do¡± he said. Katherine rolled her eyes and grabbed her phone which she put into her bag. ¡°Well, I guess you don¡¯t know me then. That¡¯s one of the problems you have, thinking you know everything about everything. I¡¯m leaving¡± she said. She tried to move past him again but he stopped her. He took the bag from her and dropped it on the desk, blocking her view. ¡°What the hell is going on with you, Kat?¡± he said, clearly concerned. But Katherine was so angry. Angry at herself, at him and at the world so she forced herself not to care. ¡°Nothing is going on with me. I¡¯m perfectly fine¡± she said. ¡°Now let me go¡± ¡°You are not fine,¡± Jensen said. ¡°We both know that. You are out here alone, working at night and sleeping off in your office. You look stressed. Your eyes look sad and swollen. Have you been crying? Are you sick? When was thest time you slept?¡­ I mean like really well¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business¡± she said. ¡°Get out of my way, Jensen.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± he asked. ¡°Home¡± she replied He didn¡¯t move. ¡°It¡¯ste. You should stay here. You can leave early this morning. You definitely don¡¯t look like you are in the right frame of mind to be driving. And what was the deal with the letter opener? You were having a terrible nightmare. You could have hurt me or yourself with that damn thing. Do you want to talk about it?¡± he asked. ¡°No I don¡¯t.¡± Katherine replied. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Like you said, I was just a nightmare. Nothing serious¡­ And I definitely don¡¯t want to talk to you about it¡± ¡°When did the nightmares start?¡± Jensen asked. ¡°None of your business. Are you even listening to me? I¡¯m not your problem. You don¡¯t have to care. I don¡¯t want you to care. I don¡¯t need your help. I don¡¯t want you around¡­ So just leave me alone¡± ¡°Well, I care, damn it, Kat,¡± Jensen yelled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­ I don¡¯t want to care¡­ Especially when you act like this. Because I know you are going through a lot right now. I have been there, and I know what it feels like to be mad at everyone and everything. I understand¡­ And that¡¯s why I care¡± Their eyes locked for a few seconds and then Katherine looked away. She grabbed her bag again and tried to walk away from him but she bumped into his hard chest instead.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Jensen ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He had had enough of this. So he did the only thing he had been wanting to do for a very long time. He grabbed her arms and crushed her body against his. He was tired of thinking¡­ So he didn¡¯t think at all. He kissed her¡­ hard. He slid his fingers into her hair and tilted her head back. To his surprise, her breath rushed out of her mouth. He felt it against his lips, tasted it. The tip of his tongue flicked across her lips, then he pressed it into her mouth. 70 She was stunned. He could tell. Her body became as inflexible as a gpole and she stopped breathing. He didn¡¯t let her non participation deter him, however. His tongue dipped into her mouth, then withdrew, again and again. Katherine let out a strangled gasp before she raised her hands to clutch his arms. He tasted of whisky and danger. An altogether intoxicatingly adult mix. Had he been drinking? She wondered. But the thought didn¡¯tst long in her head as Jensen continued to explore her mouth. She was aware of how hard Jensen¡¯s chest felt against hers, how it made her breasts tingle and swell against her dress. His mouth was hard and ruthless, punishing her and expertly seeking a response so that he could humiliate her some more. Katherine knew in some distant part of her brain exactly what was happening, but that part of her brain seemed to be disconnected from her body and her mouth. ¡°Kat¡± Jensen whispered. As he spoke her name the fingers of one hand threaded into her thick silky hair as the other wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer to him. She had to drop this. She thought. ¡°Jensen stop!¡± she said when he released her lips for a second, but his mouth took hers again and she knew, with a frantic silent scream, that the magic was still there. She couldn¡¯t evade him, there was nowhere to go, and, bent over her as he was, his body had trapped her more securely than any chains. The kiss shot through the nerve-endings all over her body in an explosion of sensation, molding, drawing her, emptying her of everything but him; She tried to fight it, to jerk her head away, but he was too strong for her and then, as the kiss became deeper and he plundered that intimate territory she had never given to anyone else but him, she didn¡¯t want to resist. The dizzy, helpless submission his passion had always induced rose like a phoenix from the ashes, sensual, powerful, elerating her heartbeat and causing her to strain towards him, reveling in the feel, the smell of him as he fitted her into his body until she could feel every inch of his hard frame. She couldn¡¯t believe she had been without the touch, the feel of him for weeks. Like an addict who thought she had conquered the habit only to find its pull stronger than ever, she shuddered desperately against him, his obvious arousal firing her to new heights of ecstasy. He seemed gripped by the same sort of madness, murmuring incoherently against the softness of her mouth, his lips moving frantically over her face and throat as his body trembled against hers, a storm of pent up emotion devouring the long lean body until the tremors that were shaking his limbs reached through to hers. ¡°You¡¯re mine, you¡¯re still mine, you¡¯ll always be mine¡­¡±. He said. As his voice, urgent and filled with a mad exultation, pierced the spinning whirlwind that had her in its grip, she froze in his arms, a biting wave of humiliation and shame breaking over her head and draining the color from her face. Returning to her lips, he angled his head and kissed her deeper than before. Heat and lust concentrated in his loins. Oh how much he had missed her. He groaned over the intensity of the ache, the potency of the pleasure. He dropped one hand to her ass and lifted her front against his. His erection nestled in her cleft. He rubbed it against her. She moaned. His other hand moved to her breast. It was firm, full and perfect. Everything about her was perfect. Her nipple responded to a stroke of his thumb. He wanted to put his mouth to it, even through her clothes, and he lowered his head to do so. ¡°No,¡± Katherine said. She wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to go down this road with him again. Especially now that she wasn¡¯t thinking straight because of her father¡¯s condition and her emotions were all over the ce. She backed away from him so quickly that she stumbled, lost her bnce, and careened into the far wall. She folded her arms across her chest and moved her hands up and down her arms as though trying to scrub them clean. Her eyes were so round that white showed all around the rming dark irises.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No. Please. Jensen. No¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t. We can¡¯t do this¡­¡± bbergasted, Jensen took a step toward her. ¡°Katherine, I..¡± he began. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. Don¡¯t¡± Her voice rose to a hysterical pitch, and she thrust a hand out in front of her to stave him off. Jensen raided his hands in a sign of surrender. ¡°Okay. Okay¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t. I won¡¯t touch you. I swear¡± He had never seen her like this. Something was wrong with her. He just knew. He could see it in her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid of me, Kat, ¡± he said. ¡°You are not afraid of me. Are you, Kat?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No I¡¯m not,¡± she said softly. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s cool, right?¡± he asked. ¡°Now stop looking at me like that and let¡¯s talk. Katherine nodded. She stopped rubbing her hands up and down her arms, but kept them crossed over her chest. Her eyes looked lost and sad. She was definitely not okay. Jensen knew that. ¡°You are not okay. Are you, Kat?¡± he asked. Katherine simply nodded in agreement. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jensen asked. ¡°You don¡¯t look good. Your eyes look really tired and sad. When I came in you were having a terrible nightmare. When did that start?¡± ¡°Since I found out about my dad,¡± she said. ¡°That long huh¡± Jensen said. ¡°Have you told anyone about it?¡± ¡°No¡± Katherine replied, as her eyes grew misty and she let the tears fall. Not bothering to hold back now. She just couldn¡¯t anymore. ¡°But the dreams, they freak me out so bad. I usually see my dad¡­ And it¡¯s like he¡¯s been pulled into this big ck hole¡­. He looks like he¡¯s in a lot of pain. And whenever I see him like that, I try to help him. But I can¡¯t no matter how hard I try.¡± 71 ¡°And then I wake up¡­ And when I do I¡¯m scared, Jensen. Because it reminds me that he¡¯s dying. My father is dying. And there is nothing I or anyone else can do about it. I try so hard to be strong but I¡¯m not. We are all just sitting around waiting for him to die, Jensen¡± Jensen moved forward then and pulled her into his arms. She clung to him and he hated that he couldn¡¯t fix this for her. But he understood. He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. ¡°Everything is going to be okay soon, Kat,¡± he said. Katherine sniffed and pulled away from him. ¡°How?¡± she asked. ¡°How is it going to be okay? I can¡¯t handle this. Jonathan is out there, acting like a man and trying to suck it up and mom¡­ She¡¯s hurting. She¡¯s hurting so bad. But she¡¯s out there acting like she can control this¡­ Like it¡¯s just one little family problem. And Tim,¡­ how the hell do I find a way to tell my son that his grandfather is never going to get well like he keeps hoping for? How do I tell him that his grandpa is dying? I can¡¯t, Jensen. I can¡¯t. I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m worried. He¡¯s my father. What am I going to do without him? I can¡¯t control this situation and I wanna scream¡­ I want to punch something¡­ I¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ ¡± ¡°Shhhh¡± Jensen said as he held her again. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, Kat. And I tell you that it won¡¯t hurt. It will. It will hurt like hell. But you are a strong woman, so I know once you get over the grief, you will be able to start over again¡­ You will get through this. All of you. And then you will feel better. Your father loves you and he¡¯s surrounded with the people he loves. It¡¯s not the final moments that matter but the moments that lead up to them¡­ And I know you have had lots of amazing moments with him. So I know he wouldn¡¯t want you hurting like this, so pull yourself together, and be with him, make him happy, make him smile. Focus all your energy in doing that right now. I know he wouldn¡¯t want you feeling this way¡­ Sometimes bad things just happen and you can¡¯t control everything¡± Katherine looked up at him. And he smiled down at her. She smiled back, grateful that he was there with her. She smoothed her hand on his chest gently. ¡°Thank you, Jensen,¡± she said softly. ¡°For everything. For being here. For being there for my father. I notice how youe to visit him and I see that you make himugh.. And happy. I¡¯m grateful for that¡­ And I¡¯m really sorry I tried to gut you with a letter opener.¡± Jensen giggled and she couldn¡¯t help but giggle too. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said. ¡°Good thing I could stop you.¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Katherine agreed. ¡°We don¡¯t want more people in the hospital. Jensen nodded. He stared at her. She was staring at his lips. He knew what she was thinking about. He was thinking about it too. Her fingers slid slowly down his chest and gripped his arm. He wanted to kiss her again, but this wasn¡¯t a good time. ¡°Jensen¡± Katherine began. ¡°That kiss¡­.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to talk about that right now,¡± Jensen said. ¡°Yes. We do¡± Katherine replied. ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. We shouldn¡¯t have let it. If we are going to move on, we shouldn¡¯t let things like that happen¡± Jensen stared down at her. Feeling the anger and sadness returning. ¡°And is that what you really want, Kat? To move on? Because that¡¯s not what that kiss told me. Why do you insist on lying to yourself?¡± ¡°That was just a moment of weakness. I can¡¯t properly deal with this.. With us.. Right now¡± she said. ¡°And I¡¯m not asking you to, Kat¡± Jensen yelled at her, the anger in his eyes zing. ¡°You are the one talking about it. We kissed. We had a moment. You are going through a lot right now and I¡¯m willing to let you have all the time in the world before bringing up the topic of us. I understand that you can¡¯t make decisions right now because you have a lot on your mind right now¡­ I understand because I love you. Damn it. That¡¯s right, I said it. I love you in case you haven¡¯t figured that out already¡­ And it¡¯s because I love you that I can¡¯t be selfish with you¡± Katherine swallowed hard and Jensen continued. ¡°I was hoping to tell you this for the first time in a different way¡­ Maybe in a more romantic way. But things keep getting in the way. First you push me away and now this¡­ With your dad¡­ I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m having this conversation. Look, you shouldn¡¯t leave tonight. Please stay for a few hours. It will give you some time so you can rest and get home safe. I will be in my office. Call me ore over if you need anything.¡± Katherine opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. Not that it mattered because Jensen didn¡¯t wait to hear whatever it was. He was gone. And she put her hands around herself. He was right. She shouldn¡¯t have brought up that kiss. And this wasn¡¯t the right time.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He loved her. He said he loved her. It was something she had often dreamed of him saying to her when they were growing up. And now he did¡­.. What next???. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°You know you didn¡¯t have to call the doctor right?¡± Jonah said to Katherine and Delia after Delia hung up the phone. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t we?¡± Delia asked as she dropped the phone and brought the te she was holding on the little table. ¡°Yes,¡± Katherine agreed. ¡°We want you to befortable so we are going to call everytime we feel there¡¯s a reason to¡­ So don¡¯tin.¡± ¡°Yes captain¡± Jonah said yfully and Katherineughed. ¡°I will be in the kitchen,¡± Delia said before she left the room. Katherine brought the te to him and Jonah took a huge bite of his sandwich while Katherine watched him. She wanted to spend every little time with him. 72 ¡°If you are waiting for me to give you a bite of this sandwich you are going to be very disappointed, honey. I¡¯m not sharing this with you¡± Jonah said and Katherine burst intoughter. Oh! This was one of the things she was going to miss about him. His sense of humor. His free and beautiful and loving soul. Katherine felt tears threaten, but she definitely wasn¡¯t going to cry right now.. And certainly not in front of him. ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry dad¡± she said. ¡°You can have all of it. Maybe even more of you want¡± Jonah shook his head. ¡°No. This one is enough¡± he said. ¡°How¡¯s Tim?¡± he asked. ¡°He¡¯s fine. He¡¯s at school¡± Katherine said. ¡°He is worried about you. Keeps asking me every night when I tuck him if you are getting better.¡± ¡°I know. He asks me the same thing every time he¡¯s here¡± Jonah said. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kathy. I know you are hurting¡­ and I know it¡¯s nothing easy for you. But I have made my peace with this. I had a full life¡­ I had a wonderful family. A loving wife and two beautiful children and a great grandson. As far as I¡¯m concerned my life was amazing¡­ Because of all of you¡­ And if I could do it all over again, I wouldn¡¯t change a thing¡­ Because it was perfect¡± Katherine took and held his hand in hers. ¡°Oh dad¡± she said softly. ¡°Oh don¡¯t get that way with me. No tears okay?¡± He said and Katherine nodded. Although she wasn¡¯t sure she could keep it in much longer. Jonah continued. ¡°I want you to look after your mother.¡± he said. ¡°She is gonna need you¡­. And you are gonna need someone to look after you too. Give Jensen a chance¡± Katherine raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh I see you both have been catching up¡± she said and Jonah smiled. ¡°He loves you,¡± he said. ¡°I love him too, dad¡± Katherine said. ¡°I didn¡¯t end our rtionship because I didn¡¯t care about him. I just didn¡¯t know if I could trust him and right now I don¡¯t want to think about it because I have other things to think about¡­ Like¡­¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Jonah asked. ¡°Me? Honey I don¡¯t want you putting your life on hold. When I¡¯m gone you are going to need someone to take care of you. Someone to hold you. Someone you can lean on for support¡± ¡°I have my family,¡± Katherine said. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this right now, Dad. Nothing is going to happen to you. You still have some time to stay with us. I refuse to believe otherwise. Now I want you to rest. Get some sleep.¡± Jonah said nothing. He just nodded slowly. She helped him getfortable on the bed and put the covers around him. When he closed his eyes, she took a seat and held his hand. And only when he fell asleep did she let him the tears fall. She watched him sleep. In almost two months, she could see how much the sickness had affected him. He looked paler now. He was dying and nothing could be done about it. Delia came into the room and found her. Katherine tried to wipe her eyes quickly but she was too slow and her mother saw. Delia came closer and ced her head on her daughter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright¡± she said, and Katherine knew from her voice that she was deeply hurt but she was trying so hard to be strong for all of them. ¡°How, mom?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°How is it going to be okay without him? Do you really believe that?¡± Delia smiled slowly while she stared at her husband. ¡°I have to honey,¡± she said. ¡°I have to believe that we are all going to be fine. Because the alternative is just too damn depressing¡± That very minute, Jonah woke with a start, like he just woken from a terrible nightmare. He looked around and stared at the both of them. His eyes wide. Katherine leaned forward and held his hand tighter. ¡°Dad?¡± she called. ¡°Are you alright? Do you feel alright? Talk to me¡± Delia sat on the bed too, asking the same questions. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Jonah said finally. He reached out and touched Katherine¡¯s cheek gently. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± ¡°Oh okay. Good¡± Katherine said. ¡°You startled us.. Do you feel any pain¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Jonah interrupted. ¡°I mean that I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t feel sick anymore. I¡¯m healed. The cancer¡­ it¡¯s gone¡± Katherine looked startled and confused. ¡°Honey¡± Delia began, taking a hold of Jonah¡¯s hands. ¡°You have to calm down¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Jonah said again. ¡°I need both of you to believe me,¡± he turned to Katherine. ¡°Do you believe me, pumpkin?¡± he asked her. Katherine nodded. Not knowing what else to do. ¡°Good,¡± Jonah said. ¡°Now go get your brother¡± Katherine stood up and raced out of the room. Jonathan was somewhere in the house. She called out his name. She was still rushing down the hallway when she heard her mother scream. She stopped moving and turned around. That didn¡¯t sound right. She ran back to her father¡¯s room and what she saw when she opened the door and stepped into the room broke her heart into many pieces. Delia held her husband¡¯s hand in hers, tears all over her face and Katherine didn¡¯t need anyone to tell her that her father was gone. Her legs seemed rooted to the spot and when Jonathan came into the room and rushed to their father¡¯s side, Katherine still stood where she was. Her father was dead. He was gone. She was never going to hear him talk or see him smile ever again.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. And that realization brought the tears back to her eyes. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Jonah Kavell was being buried today. Three weeks after his death. Jensen had visited the Kavell family as often as he could. Offering his help in every way¡­ Making sure that Jonah Kavell got a befitting burial.. Because he deserved it. He had lived a good life. Katherine was a mess. She looked tired and sad. Her eyes were swollen thest time he had seen her. And seeing her hurting so much broke his heart. 73 He never brought up the topic of them since that day at her office. She had more important things on her mind so he just focused on helping. But today, when her father was being buried. Jensen was totally stunned by Katherine¡¯s appearance that morning. Not only was she wearing a curve hugging ck suit with a flirty little frill at the bottom of her skirt- drawing attention to the feminine shapeliness of her calves, fine ankles, and feet shod in sexy ck high heels- but her hair was¡­positively mesmerising. He had arrived at her parents house the previous day so he could help ensure that things went well and all throughout breakfast he could not stop looking at her hair. Since her father¡¯s death she wore it in pigtails or scraped into a knot, tightly confined, with a hat or cap crammed over it more often than not. It had been a while since he had seen it like this-lustrous dark waves springing softly from her head, cascading into curls that bounced alluringly around her shoulders. It looked so vivid against the paleness of her skin, and formed an amazingly rich, sensual contrast to her somber attire. Her face seemed different, too. Maybe it was the startling beauty of her hair framing it, or the subtle touches of make-up- brows penciled a shade darker, a smoky shadow applied to her eyelids, enhancing the shape and size of her eyes, lending a more feminine mystique to their sharp directness, and the red-brown lipstick certainly added an enticing lushness to her mouth. Katherine always looked striking. But today, he simply wasn¡¯t prepared for¡­stunning! She wore a double strand of pearls around her throat. It looked amazing on her. He should be thinking of the man they were burying today, not his daughter. Jensen scolded himself. Jensen tried to keep his mind focussed on paying hisst respects to Jonah Kavell. Yet even at the funeral service his attention was split. Katherine sat beside him while Tim sat with Delia. And every time she bent her head he was distracted by the rippling flow of her hair, the scent of it reminding him of fresh lemons, slightly tart but light and refreshing,pletely unlike the erotic muskiness of other women¡¯s perfume. Not that he was interested in other women. And she stood beside him as her father was buried. With the extra elevation of her extremely high heels, the top of her head came up to his chin. She held herself with very straight and tall dignity and consoled her mother when she saw her cry. Jonah would have been proud of her, he thought. Afterwards, when they returned to her parents house, Jensen could not stop his gaze from following her every move-greeting the guests who¡¯d flown in to attend the burial ceremony, graciously listening to what they wanted to say, serving them with drinks or food. Many people he didn¡¯t know hade, but she knew most of them and their connections to her father. Some of the people who were there knew him, weed hispany, and chatted to him. Somehow it wasn¡¯t enough. He wanted to be at Katherine¡¯s side, sharing the responsibilities of outback hospitality, familiar with everything that was familiar to her. The sense of being an outsider grated on him, especially when Katherine¡¯s attention was courted by young men. Men who were smitten by the way she looked today. Men who won kind smiles from her. Men who might be eager to offer themselves as partners, given some sign of encouragement. Jensen¡¯s charm started to wear thin. A previously unknown possessive streak hit him, driving him to insert himself into the private little t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºtes these men sought with Katherine, making his presence at her side felt and forcibly acknowledged. Though that didn¡¯t work too well. He found himself viewed as a curiosity, not a threat to their interests. He managed to hold himself back from yelling at one of the men to stay away from her. And he reminded himself that she wasn¡¯t even his. Perhaps he was less than subtle in cutting out one guy who was definitelying on to her. Katherine threw him a look of exasperation and grittily dered, ¡°I do not need you standing over me, Jensen. I can handle myself¡± His eyes zed. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re not sour on all men after all, just me¡± he shot back at her. Her eyes widened. Jensen realized he sounded jealous. He was jealous. He wished he¡¯d given in to the temptation to kiss herst night when he had found himself alone with her for a minute, kiss her so hard she wouldn¡¯t be thinking of giving any other guy the time of day.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. He wanted to grab her arm and haul her away from everyone else right now, have her to himself, convince her that he was the man for her. But was he? And was that the right move? He could end up damaging their already fragile rtionship. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to be as good a hostess as my mother,¡± she said, her chin lifting in defiance of his criticism. ¡°Right!¡± Jensen said angrily. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± He backed off, sternly reminding himself of thepany they were in- the people were here for Jonah. However, he spent the rest of the day simmering with frustration, though he took considerable satisfaction in the number of nces Katherine threw his way. She¡¯d well and truly disturbed him. Let her be disturbed, too! He was d when all the guests were gone and he could busy himself helping with the cleaning up, chatting with Delia in the kitchen, feeling a little bit at home, trying to keep her busy and helping her not dwell on the fact that she had just buried her husband. The family picked at leftovers, king out in the sitting room once the homestead was back to normal. The consensus of opinion was that the burial had been all it should have been for a man of Jonah Kavell¡¯s standing-a man who would be sadly missed by many. Emotional and physical fatigue gradually took its toll, people trailing off to bed until there was only Jensen and Katherine left in the room. 74 He was sprawled in an armchair. She was on a sofa, one elbow propped on its arm roll, legs up, her stockinged feet bare of the shoes she had kicked off. It was a pose that seductively outlined the very female curve of waist, hip and thigh, and Jensen found it difficult not to let his gaze linger on it. He expected her to leave. Lately she avoided being alone with him. Any moment now those legs would swing off the sofa, take her away to the privacy of her room, and it was probably better that they did, save him from making a fool of himself. He watched her feet, waiting for them to move. She wriggled her toes. His gaze dropped to the shoes lying beside the sofa, noting the long, narrow shape of them. ¡°Cramped feet?¡± he asked. ¡°They¡¯re not used to wearing fashionable shoes,¡± she drily admitted. ¡°I usually wear stuff like this once in a while. My life is basically taking care of my job and Tim. I don¡¯t get to wear these a lot¡± ¡°Want me to massage them?¡± he asked. ¡°Is that a big brotherly thing to do?¡± she asked, referring to his overprotective attitude earlier. The mocking taunt whipped his gaze up to meet the smoking challenge she was directing straight at him. Katherine could no longer contain the furious frustration that had been welling up in her all day. Her father was gone. She thought she had made peace with that fact. She had decided to bury her father today and move on. And she had been able to all day, but now, for some reason she was getting angry and letting out all out. ¡°I am not your little sister and I do not need you to watch over me¡± she threw at him in seething protest over how he had acted with herst night, he had held her hand and kissed her forehead as though she were a baby, keeping close to her today, ready to be supportive at any falter on her part, inserting himself at her side whenever he thought she might not be able to handle what he interpreted as possibly unwee attention. He hitched himself forward in his chair, gesturing for understanding, frowning over her reaction. ¡°It was just a friendly offer, Kat. Friendly!¡± he said. For him to now sit on the other end of the sofa and nursemaid her to the extent of massaging her toes¡­ It would drive her so crazy she¡¯d probably end up needling his crotch with them! She swung her legs off the sofa and stood up, viewing him with bristling hauteur. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you¡± she said. ¡°What¡¯s more, I can handle myself, Jensen, in case you haven¡¯t noticed. Which you should have, since I made the effort not to neuter myself today.¡± Jensen grimaced. ¡°Impossible not to notice,¡± he said. ¡°So what did I get wrong?¡± ¡°Wrong?¡± Katherine repeated. ¡°Yes. What did I get wrong? Or what did I do wrong? You seem to be mad at me for no reason at all¡± Jensen said, genuinely concerned about her actions. ¡°You seem angry and you¡¯re taking it out on me¡± Katherine knew he was right. But there was no way in hell that she was going to admit that. ¡°You weren¡¯t moved to make any positivement.¡± She lifted her arms and tossed her hair back over her shoulders in angry impatience with it hanging around her face-hair she¡¯d spent over an hour shampooing and blow drying so it would look fluffy and feminine. She was tired of crying. She was tired of the grief. Her father was gone¡­ She had to tell herself the truth.. And there was nothing she could do to bring him back. And so she had decided to move on and be happy. That was what he had wanted her to do anyways. He wanted her to be happy. She loved Jensen, and she was going to give him a chance. Starting from today. Except he hadn¡¯t noticed her. Hadn¡¯t done anything but treat her like a little sister who needed protection from her big brother. The Jensen she knew growing up was suddenly back again. And she dreaded that¡­ The worst part was the fear that it was all her fault.. He had offered a rtionship, and she had declined because she didn¡¯t think she was ready. What if he was okay with her decision now? What if she was toote. ¡°Still not good enough for you!¡± she muttered, mocking herself more than him.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Not good enough?¡± he repeated, incredulously, shaking his head as though hopelessly confused by her attitude. Of course her words made no sense in the context of his little sister¡¯s mind frame. The woman was definitely crazy. Totally incensed by his insensitivity to this major attempt at changing his view of her, or her view of him, whichever one, Katherine clenched her jaw and headed for the liquor cab at the other end of the room, determined on blotting out the stupid futility of trying to change anything where Jensen was concerned. ¡°Well, I¡¯m certainly old enough to get drunk, big brother¡± she tossed at him derisively. ¡°Entitled to, what¡¯s more. I just buried my father. So why don¡¯t you go off to bed, Jensen, and leave me to drown my sorrows?¡± He suddenly exploded off his chair, grabbing her arm as she moved past him. ¡°What do you mean by¡­not good enough?¡± he said. He bit out the words as though they were killing him. His eyes shed at hers, trying to cut through to her soul. The intensitying from him pumped Katherine up to defy him further. ¡°I dressed up specially for you today. Put on this stupid thing I know you like too¡± she touched the pearls around her neck. And you didn¡¯t even notice ¡± ¡°Of course I noticed them, Kat. I always notice you¡± he fiercely refuted her. ¡°They are beautiful and they look very good on you¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything!¡± Katherine said, not knowing exactly what hade over her. Or exactly what she was angry about. ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± Jensen asked fiercely. ¡°That you look fantastic? That I could hardly keep my eyes off you? That I wanted to beat every other man away?¡± 75 A sense of wild triumph zinged around Katherine¡¯s brain. She had his attention after all. It was a huge step forward, but where did it get her if he wasn¡¯t prepared to act on it? And she knew she was being selfish as hell, but for some reason, she just couldn¡¯t stop talking. ¡°So you think I need your protection now?¡± she flung at him. ¡°It¡¯s thest thing on my mind.¡± The emphatic beat of his voice was like thunder in her ears, thunder in her heart. ¡°I mean, I think you need someone to be there for you, especially now. But I don¡¯t mean protection in a big brotherly way¡­ Whatever you mean by that¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Katherine rolled her eyes. She wanted action. And she got action aplenty. He stepped closer, scooping her body around to face him. The hand that had seized her arm lifted, its fingers raking through her hair, dragging her head back so that it was tilted up to his. The raw desire ring from his eyes made her stomach quiver in anticipation. He still wanted her. His lips came down on hers with punishing force. He intended to teach her a lesson. Hell, show her just how angry and frustrated he was. Katherine leaned in and brushed her lips over his before she lost her nerve. One kiss, that¡¯s all she wanted. Maybe she wasn¡¯t thinking straight.. But right now, she didn¡¯t want to think at all. So she didn¡¯t care. Not that she would have been able to pull away. Because his hand cupped the side of her face right before she would have pulled away. Katherine leaned farther into him. Jensen¡¯s other arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer. His head nted and he kissed her deeply. It was a hard, demanding kiss, but a definite answer to the questions in her head. His lips and tongue yed across her mouth, causing her to crave more with each pass. She gripped his upper arm and pressed closer to him. She wanted to twist her position and straddle his hips. If she did that in this skirt, they¡¯d be screwed¡­or screwing. Her hand rested on the hard muscle of his thigh. She squeezed and was seduced by the power vibrating through his tense muscles. His slow tasting turned into a more insistent kiss, robbing her of breath and leaving her with no choice but to be lost in the delicious pleasure of his lips on hers. Voices near the door. They jerked apart, their breathing hard and heavy. The voices trailed away. He licked his lips. Katherine groaned and took stock of howpletely he¡¯d turned her body into a throbbing nerve of desire, her nipples hard and aching, panties damp, breathing uncontroble. If she didn¡¯t leave she would straddle his hips and slide him right into the spot that longed for attention. Jonathan walked into the room and stared at them. He frowned, and one of his eyebrows lifted. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah. Everything is fine.¡± Katherine said. Her voice was a husky whisper. ¡°Jensen and I were just¡­. Talking¡± Jonathan nodded. ¡°Hey, man¡± he said to Jensen and Jensen nodded back. ¡°I just need a ss of water¡± Jonathan said as he turned and continued his journey to the kitchen. Few seconds after he left, Katherine turned back to Jensen. ¡°Come with me,¡± she said. She took a hold of his hand before he could reply and pulled him out of the living room and to the balcony. It was a beautiful night. The gentle breeze fanning their faces and blowing her hair and looking at her, Jensen thought it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. Katherine smiled at him and moved closer. Taking hold of his shirt, she stood on tiptoe and lifted her lips to his, eager to continue what they had started in the living room. Jensen brushed his lips against hers slowly but she was surprised when he held her shoulders and pushed her gently away from him while taking a step backwards. She looked up at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be doing this, Kat,¡± Jensen said simply. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be doing what?¡± Katherine asked and Jensen raised an eyebrow. Sheughed. ¡°Okay fine.¡± she said. ¡°dumb question. But why shouldn¡¯t we? We both want this right?¡­. Don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course I do, Kat,¡± Jensen said. ¡°You know I do. I always want you. But you are not yourself right now¡±. ¡°And what exactly does that mean?¡± Katherine asked, her hands dropped from his shirt and she stared at him. ¡°I mean¡­. You just buried your father today¡± Jensen began. ¡°That¡¯s a really big deal. And you seem to be acting like you are perfectly fine. Like nothing is wrong¡­ Like nothing happened. You are in denial¡± ¡°What?¡± Katherine asked, frowning. ¡°Oh, so now you are a shrink, huh? Oh! This is bullshit. You know what I me myself for this. Goodnight Jensen¡± She turned, intending to leave him and return to her room. But her first step was herst as he reached for her arm and whirled her around to face him again. ¡°Listen to me, Kat,¡± he said fiercely against her lips. ¡°You have no idea just how much I want you. You have no freaking fucking idea. And I want nothing more than to take you to bed right now and make love to you over and over again until we both can¡¯t breathe¡­¡± ¡°So why don¡¯t you just do it?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Because it isn¡¯t right¡± Jensen replied as he tucked her hair behind her ear. ¡°This isn¡¯t the right time. Because I don¡¯t think you are in the right frame of mind.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell me how I¡¯m feeling, Jensen,¡± Katherine insisted. ¡°Few days ago, you wanted nothing to do with me¡­ Wouldn¡¯t even talk to me for more than five minutes¡­ But your father dies, you bury him and suddenly you want me again? That¡¯s messed up¡± ¡°So? I¡¯m just trying to move on¡± Katherine said. ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to grieve forever do you?¡± ¡°No I don¡¯t,¡± Jensen replied. ¡°But I know you. And I know you are doing this for the wrong reasons. You are trying so hard to move on so fast¡­ But grief doesn¡¯t work that way.¡± 76 ¡°Oh really?¡± Katherine said. ¡°Then please tell me how. Because obviously I¡¯m doing it wrong¡± ¡°There is no right or wrong way, Kat. You just have to let yourself heal¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell me how to heal, Jensen,¡± Katherine said. And from the way her voice sounded, he knew she was starting to cry. All the pent up emotions she was trying to hide to repress suddenly came back in full force. ¡°My father is dead, Jensen,¡± Katherine continued. The tears were flowing freely now. ¡°I¡¯m never going to see him again. Did I tell you that I didn¡¯t even get to say goodbye? Well, I didn¡¯t. Because I didn¡¯t want to ept that he was dying. I didn¡¯t get to say goodbye to my father. So please don¡¯t try to tell me how to grief. He wanted me to move on and be happy and that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do¡± Unable to watch her hurt like this, Jensen pulled her to him and wrapped his hand around her. She tried to move away at first, but he tightened his hold on her. Katherine let it all out, weeping on Jensen¡¯s big, broad shoulder, his cheek rubbing the top of her head, one brawny arm holding her while the other was engaged in delivering soothing pats on her back. ¡°He¡¯s gone¡± she said again and again and it was clear that the grief she had held in the past few days and at the funeral had suddenly overflowed and all Jensen wanted to do wasfort her. She pulled away from her after a while and wiped her eyes with her palms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I came after you like that¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was thinking. It won¡¯t happen again. And maybe you are right, maybe I¡¯m going about this the wrong way. I¡¯m so embarrassed right now¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± he said. ¡°Well I am¡­ I think I need to be alone right now¡± She didn¡¯t give him a chance to reply, but simply turned around like she was being chased and went to her room. He wanted it to happen again. Jensen thought. It just wasn¡¯t the right time. And he didn¡¯t want to take advantage of her grief. Especially not today. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Three weekster. Katherine unpacked the bags she had traveled with in her bedroom when her phone began to ring. She sighed. Definitely her mom calling. She thought and when she checked her phone and saw that she was right, she smiled. ¡°Hi mom,¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°Perfect timing¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± Delia asked. After the burial, Katherine and Tim spent more time with her mother and slept most times over there. She didn¡¯t want her mother to feel alone. Even Jonathan came over when he could and they didn¡¯t mind even when Delia assured them that she was fine and getting along well. ¡°I¡¯m home mom,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°Three hours ago actually, I just had to take a nap first. How are you and how¡¯s Tim?¡± ¡°We are fine. I¡¯m d you are back. Lots of people have been asking where you were.. Oh¡­ I wanted to tell you who came to see me yesterday.¡± Katherine didn¡¯t need anyone to tell her. ¡°Jensen¡± she expelled a calming breath. ¡°He came to visit?¡± she asked, trying to sound only vaguely interested. ¡°Yes. As you know, hees once in a while. Which is nice. Tim likes him a lot. But yesterday he wanted to see you. He said you haven¡¯t been returning his calls. Is everything alright, dear?¡± Delia asked. Yeah everything was fine. Katherine thought. She was just really embarrassed about theirst encounter. And a little bit angry¡­ Even if she knew that he had done the right thing. ¡°It¡¯s okay mom,¡± Katherine said. ¡°He left me a couple of messages. When he couldn¡¯t get an answer, he must have decided toe talk to you about where I was¡± ¡°Which, of course, I did.¡± Delia said. ¡°Did you tell him?¡± Katherine was wary. ¡°Yes,¡± her mother said tersely. ¡°Even told him you would be back today. I hope you didn¡¯t expect me to lie for you, Kathy¡± Katherine sighed. ¡°No mom. Did he say what he wanted to speak to me about?¡± ¡°He just said that he was worried about you as you weren¡¯t replying to his texts or returning his calls. Talk to him, will you?¡± ¡°Fine, mom. I will¡± Katherine said. ¡°I wille see you and Tim tomorrow. Give him a kiss for me. Katherine gritted her teeth as she hung up. She had been gone for only a week. She didn¡¯t need this. She¡¯d had a sessful business trip and she¡¯d been looking forward to taking a break today before having to return to her world. Life was gradually going back to normal. As for Jensen¡­ Well, out of embarrassment she didn¡¯t want to think about him. Sighing, she abandoned any idea of unpacking untilter and trailed into the bathroom to take a quick shower. She looked exhausted, she thought, tucking strands of dark hair back behind her ears. Gazing into the mirror, she wondered how much she¡¯d changed in the past weeks. She looked stressed. Of course, she¡¯d lost a little weight¡­ She wasn¡¯t sure if she liked it that way or not¡­ She touched her breasts.. Firm. She thought. Oh, well, who cares? she thought, too tired to even dry herself properly after her shower. Twisting her still damp hair into a loose knot on top of her head, she tumbled naked between the sheets. And not even her worries about her mom or work or Jensen could keep her eyes open. Soon she was asleep again. The phone awakened her. At least, she thought it was the phone, but when she groped for the phone beside the bed the ringing still went on. It was the doorbell, she realized. Someone was at the door. Sighing, she flopped back against the pillows and looked at the clock on the bedside cab. It was almost five o¡¯clock. She¡¯d slept for less than two hours, but that was something, she supposed. Amazingly, she didn¡¯t feel as tired anymore. The bell rang again and, throwing back the covers, Katherine slipped her arms into the sleeves of a green silk wrapper. Then, padding across the living room to the door, she asked. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Kat¡± It was Jensen, and her stomach made a sickening dive.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I know you are in there, Kat. Will you please open the door?¡± 77 Katherine didn¡¯t move. She couldn¡¯t. She felt frozen. The faint sense of disorientation she¡¯d felt when she¡¯d first woken up seemed to be paralyzing her ability to speak. For some reason she felt like she needed time to pull herself together. After making a fool of herself thest time they had talked, she had assumed that the next time they talked, it would be on her terms, not his. ¡°Damm it, Kat¡± She heard him swear. ¡°Kat, I know you¡¯re in there. Your mother was kind enough to tell me you¡¯d be home today.¡± His voice was bing more impatient. ¡°Come on, open the door. Do you want me to be arrested for soliciting or some such thing?¡± Anyone less likely to allow himself to be arrested for soliciting Katherine could hardly imagine. Jensen Packard was far too sure of himself for that. Besides which, that was just an excuse to get her to open the door. ¡°I¡¯m not even dressed yet, Jensen¡± she blurted atst, aware that her voice had a breathy sound to it. It was all she could think of to say, but it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°Kat, seeing you naked is nothing new to me,¡± he reminded her drily. ¡°Come. I¡¯ve been trying to reach you for the better part of a week. We can¡¯t all spend half the day in bed¡± That got her juices flowing again. ¡°I¡¯ve just flown over four thousand miles, Jensen,¡± she told him tartly. ¡°And if I remember correctly, you don¡¯t do jetg very well yourself.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Kat. Sorry.¡± But he didn¡¯t sound it. ¡°I guess that was thoughtless. Put it down to frustration. I¡¯m not very good at that either.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Katherine tried to sound sardonic. ¡°How are you, Jensen? Still as impatient as ever, I see.¡± she said. ¡°Kitty Kat, I have been patient, damn it. I think I have given you enough time. Now, are you going to open up, or must I break down this-¡± there was a pause while he obviously endeavored to control his anger ¡°-this door?¡± Katherine¡¯s jaw took on a stubborn curve. She badly wanted to call his bluff. Only the embarrassment she would suffer if he made good on his threat deterred her, and without another word she unlocked the door. She unlocked it but didn¡¯t open it. She simply retreated to the far side of the living room. She heard the heavy footsteps as he opened the door and although she told herself she didn¡¯t care what he thought of her, it urred to her btedly that she hadn¡¯t even brushed her hair since she¡¯d tumbled so unexpectedly out of bed. She was fingerbing it behind her ears when Jensen appeared in the doorway. Tall and lean, with the thick dark hair of his ancestors, he too looked stressed too, she reassured herself. But despite the threads of that, his face, with its familiar trace of dark stubble, was tougher, harder, but just as attractive. His presence had lost none of its impact.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Now he paused in the doorway, and then stepped into the apartment. He looked around, and then at her. But for all his irritation at the way she¡¯d kept him waiting outside, it was to Katherine that his eyes were irresistibly drawn. She stood the width of the room away, her arms wrapped protectively about herself. She was wearing a silk robe that she was holding tightly around her. As if he¡¯d threatened her, he reflected, disliking the notion. For pity¡¯s sake, what was she expecting him to do? Jump her bones? ¡°Kat¡± he said, before that idea could take hold and destroy his detachment, and her lips, which she¡¯d been pressing together, rxed a little. She looked good, he thought unwillingly. Too good to a man who had decided that he was going to move on if she didn¡¯t make a decision about them. But then, Katherine had always had that effect on him. It was why he was still here after being rejected by her, for God¡¯s sake. Why was he so reluctant to find another woman to take her ce? ¡°Jensen¡± Katherine responded stiffly, and when he leaned against the door to close it she stood a little taller, as if bracing herself for whatever was toe. She wasn¡¯t wearing any make-up, of course, and he suspected the color in her cheeks owed more to a mental rather than a physical source. Dark eyes, which haunted his sleep, as clear as mountain-fedkes. ¡°How have you been¡± ¡® he asked, straightening away from the door, and Katherine¡¯s mouth went a little dry when he moved further into the room. He had an indolent grace of movement that made anything he wore look like a designer item, though she guessed the casual cargo pants and ck leather jacket were the real thing. ¡°I¡¯m OK,¡± she said now, forcing a tight smile. ¡°Tired, of course. But then, I haven¡¯t had much sleep in thest twenty-four hours. Been busy. Work stuff.¡± ¡°And I woke you up?¡± he asked. Jensen came to stand beside one of a pair of mulberry printed sofas that faced each other across a taupe rug. It was the only floor covering at this end of the room, the stripped maple floor requiring little adornment. ¡°Yes,¡± Katherine replied. A dark brow arched in reluctant apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± he said. ¡°Are you?¡± Katherine asked sarcastically. She gave an indifferent shrug. ¡°So, do you want to tell me what you¡¯re doing here, Jensen? You didn¡¯te here just to pass the time of day. You said it was important in your text¡± Jensen averted his eyes, concentrating instead on his fingers massaging one of the sofa cushions. ¡°So you read my texts then,¡± he said. ¡°Just decided to ignore them, I see¡± Katherine didn¡¯t say anything. It was her turn to look away now. ¡°It is important. At least to me¡± he said tly, answering her previous question. Then he lifted his head again, giving her a look out of night-dark eyes, causing a shiver of apprehension to slide down her spine. ¡°I want to talk about us. For real this time. Is that straight enough for you?¡± 78 Katherine looked away from his cold stare. Despite her best efforts, she was trembling, and she hoped like hell that he couldn¡¯t see it. It wasn¡¯t a total shock to her, of course. She had somehow known that it was going toe to this. Especially when she had told him she couldn¡¯t be with him because she didn¡¯t know if she could trust him. ¡°I have been thinking a lot,¡± Jensen continued. ¡°And I think that I deserve better¡­ From you. Damn it, I call and text and you ignore me. I might have screwed up really badly in the past and God knows I¡¯m sorry about that and if I could I¡¯d change it but I have done everything¡­ Everything since you got back just to prove how much I want you but somehow I keep getting no as an answer. Something just keeps getting in the way and¡­ ¡± ¡°Thest time YOU got in the way¡­ You are the one who said no¡± Katherine snapped at him. ¡°But you are really good at that, aren¡¯t you? You keeping but the moment I¡¯m ready you say no and then me it on me¡± Jensen looked shocked. ¡°Am I really getting med right now for not taking advantage of you when you were grieving?¡± ¡°I offered myself to you¡± Katherine said, even if she knew she sounded really dumb and had no reasonable ground for her argument. ¡°If I thought you were taking advantage, I wouldn¡¯t have offered¡± ¡°What?¡± Jensen said. He shook his head. ¡°You know you should be thanking me for¡­ You know what this is the problem I have with you. We can¡¯t seem to have a conversation without getting into an argument or hurting each other. And you know what, I¡¯m done with this fuckery, Kat. You want me to leave you alone, I will¡± ¡°Fine. Do whatever you want¡± Katherine said, but her voice shook. They were locked in a staring match, and she sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to be the one to look away. Even as she felt her eyes get misty. He stared at her. ¡°You OK?¡± he asked softly. Dammit, he had noticed. And he wasing across the room towards her. Katherine had to get out of there, and fast, before he started feeling sorry for her. She didn¡¯t think she could bear that. She didn¡¯t want his pity. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let me get dressed,¡± she said, speaking without breathing, knowing that if she sucked in a gulp of air the sobs that were rising in her throat would choke her. ¡°Kat¡± the way he called her name was almost her undoing. ¡°Just give me a minute,¡± she said and, opening the door into her bedroom, she closed it firmly behind her. But once she was alone, she couldn¡¯t prevent the storm of emotion that engulfed her. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks and, with her nose running too, she groped her way across the room to the bathroom. Grabbing a handful of tissues from the box she kept there, she endeavored to staunch the salty flow, sinking down onto the toilet seat and burying her face in her hands. She couldn¡¯t me him for being fed up with her and wanting to leave. Her trust issues were what caused all this mess in the first ce. ¡°Kat¡­ ¡± she heard his voice call. She didn¡¯t know how long she¡¯d been sitting there when he spoke. Dear God! Her head jerked up in disbelief. Jensen was standing in the bathroom doorway watching her and she knew she¡¯d never felt so humiliated in her life. ¡°Get out!¡± she choked, struggling to get to her feet. ¡°How-how dare youe in here? You have no right to invade my privacy like this.¡± she said. Jensen merely sighed and propped his shoulder against the frame of the door. Then he regarded her with disturbing gentleness. ¡°I dare because I care about you,¡± he said, his voice thickening with emotion. ¡°Fuck, Kat. How was I to know you¡¯d react like this? I¡¯d have thought you¡¯d be d to get me out of your life. You seem to be pushing me away most of the time¡± Katherine sniffed. ¡°I am d,¡± she said stupidly. ¡°It looks like it.¡± Jensen said sarcastically. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t tter yourself, Jensen. I¡¯ve just returned from a busy week and I¡¯m exhausted.¡± she said. It was an effort but she managed a tight smile. ¡°It was a shock¡­ Somehow. I don¡¯t deny it. But I¡¯m not crying because I¡¯m-heartbroken. Far from it.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Jensen didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°So-what?¡± he said. ¡°Do you usually break down like this when you get back from a trip? Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be even more of a jerk than you have to be,¡± Katherine retorted, struggling to regain a little of herposure. ¡°OK. What do you want me to say, Jensen? That I¡¯m-crushed? Dested?¡± She managed a harshugh. ¡°Don¡¯t hold your breath.¡± Despite himself, Jensen was angered by her words. He¡¯de to find her with the best of intentions, he told himself, and now here she was, tearing his good will to shreds. That was so like Katherine: shooting first and regretting itter. Only something told him that this time she wasn¡¯t about to back down. He straightened. ¡°You¡¯re an ungrateful bitch, do you know that?¡± he snapped, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. ¡°Thanks for letting me know¡± she retorted, scrubbing her cheeks with the tissues onest time before flushing them down thevatory. ¡°Well, perhaps you ought to curb your tongue,¡± he muttered. Katherine¡¯s lips parted. ¡°Go away, Jensen¡± she eximed scornfully. ¡°Just get out of here. I want to get dressed.¡± Jensen stared at her. For all her air of bravado, he was fairly sure she wasn¡¯t half as confident as she was trying to appear. Those incredible dark eyes still shimmered with unshed tears, and her mouth-the mouth he¡¯d kissed so many times-couldn¡¯t quite hide its tremor. And, although her words had irritated him beyond all reason, he found himself saying softly, ¡°Is that really what you want, Kat? Do you really want to end this permanently.. Whatever this is?¡± 79 ¡°What else is there?¡± Katherine replied. ¡°I can¡¯t force you to stay¡±. ¡°You could make me¡­ If you wanted to¡± he said. She didn¡¯t reply. Tilting her head up to his, she stared back at him and he felt an unwilling twinge of admiration for the way she was handling herself now. A twinge of admiration, yes-and something else, something he didn¡¯t even want to put a name to. Something that had him suddenly moving to close the space between them. The bath was at her back and Katherine had nowhere to go. He smiled inwardly. So when he put out his hand and looped his fingers behind her neck, she could only stand there and let him look down at her with what she was sure was a mixture of amusement and derision in his eyes. ¡°How about this?¡± he suggested, ¡°You could do this¡±. His voice rougher than before, and, before she could anticipate what he was about to do, he¡¯d bent towards her and covered her mouth with his. Katherine didn¡¯t know how she stopped her legs from buckling beneath her. Out of control -That was the way she felt anytime those long fingers were against her skin. Heat wasing off him in waves, enveloping her in its sensual embrace, and, although she¡¯d determined not to close her eyes, seeing the closeness of his longshes, the dusky shadow of his jawline, she so much wanted to do so and sink into his kiss. But how could that be? A moment ago they¡¯d been dumping on one another, and now-now she was letting him touch her, kiss her, push his thigh between her legs as if she wasn¡¯t throbbing there already. It had to be because she¡¯d been crying, she told herself, trying to rationalize something that refused to be rationalized. She was always twice as emotional when she¡¯d been crying and Jensen knew that very well. Oh, yes, who better? He knew her so well, more than she¡¯d like to admit. He¡¯d made her cry so many times before¡­ But right now that didn¡¯t seem half as important as it should, and when he said, ¡°Kitty Kat¡± right against her mouth, her lips parted on a breath of submission. And then his tongue was in her mouth, sweeping intimately over hers, taking possession with a hunger that was far too appealing. Jensen trailed his lips across her cheek, savoring the lingering taste of her tears. Her skin was soft, smooth, endlessly fascinating, and he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close against him. Sanity seemed to have deserted him. The reasons why he¡¯de here blurred by the depth of his sudden desire. She was like a drug he was addicted to¡­ Could never seem to be able to keep his hands off her. His hand found the cord of her robe, loosened it, allowing the sides to fall apart. Then he was gazing at full round breasts, their peaks as hard in the flesh as they¡¯d looked outlined beneath the silk. With heavy-lidded eyes he watched himself cup one swollen globe in his hand, let his thumb rub over the sensitive nipple with an urgency that bordered on violence, and he swore. ¡°Fuck, Kat¡± he groaned, suspecting even then that he was going to regret this. But, damn, she was where he wanted her to be, nestled against him, causing him a hard-on that was in danger of giving him a heart attack if he didn¡¯t relieve the pressure soon. Katherine swayed, her own emotions rushing dangerously close to meltdown. She couldn¡¯t let him do this, she told herself. If he was really here to end things, she had to get away from him. But when she moaned into his mouth, Jensen sensed she wanted him to go on. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Jensen,¡± Katherine said suddenly, pulling her lips from his. ¡°I don¡¯t really want¡­.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Talkter, baby,¡± Jensen said, interrupting. ¡°Right now, just feel¡± Her robe was off her shoulders now, and, when he swept her up into his arms and carried her into her bedroom, she felt it slip away onto the floor. Then she was on her back on the bed that was still warm from when she¡¯d left it. Jensen was tearing off his jacket and T-shirt, exposing the muscled strength of his hard brown flesh to her distracted gaze. He came down beside her, straddling her body with powerful thighs, the revealing bulge of his erection tenting the suddenly tight crotch of his trousers. ¡°Jensen¡± she breathed weakly, half in protest, and for an answer he bent and took one straining nipple into his mouth. It was too much. Katherine couldn¡¯t fight him any more. With Jensen suckling her breast, she was already throbbing with the need for him to touch her in other, wetter, ces. She wanted to reach out and stroke him, to trace the line of soft hair that disappeared into his waistband. But when she reached for his zip, he stopped her. ¡°Soon, Kitty Kat ¡± he said, shifting back so he could unfasten his trousers and tug them off. ¡°Just not too soon, hmm?¡± If he¡¯d been wearing any underwear, it disappeared along with his trousers and Katherine could see his manhood rearing proudly from its nest of dark hair. Then he parted her legs and lowered his head,ving her with his tongue until he had her twisting and turning beneath him. He went straight for her clit. No pretense, no artsy coyness. She gasped. And then, oh wow, he went right for the center of her heat, the briefest of touches so profound she nearly came all over his lips in an instant. ¡°Ahhhhhh,¡± she groaned, practiced arms reaching under her hips, establishing his power. Using his forearms, he guided himself to her clit, freeing one hand to touch her there, slipping a finger into her pussy and caressing so that it set off unexpected waves of pleasure. It was like being made love to by a silk mouth. Her body flushed red and hot, the fire focused on her hot nub as he teased it, slowly growing the release within, entering and pulling back with two perfect fingers. Her thighs twitched and shook, and she knew she woulde like a freight train soon. 80 She buried her hands in his hair, sinking her hands into him, pushing his face in tandem with her need to strum her to the next level- ¡°Oh, Jensen!¡± she murmured, fucking his tongue, which licked her, hard, dead center on her nub. His tongue opened up, hot flesh on hers, as he gave her focused and expansive flesh y. Two different sensations tipped herpletely over as every muscle tensed, her dripping hole clinging to his finger, riding his face like a stallion, his tongue working hard to keep her frenzy going. ¡°There! Oh Right there, Jensen¡± she groaned, hands curling into fists of orgasm, body iling as she murmured over and over, ¡°Oh, God! Oh, God!¡± She wasn¡¯t one bit self-conscious. He made her not care at all. He didn¡¯t flirt a bit with her clit, but engaged so fully. So, uh, deeply. He was clearly enjoying this. Reveling in it. He picked some perfect rhythm for making here, and she felt like she was being yed by a sex virtuoso. Give in to it, Katherine. Give in, she told herself. All worry faded as she orgasmed hard. Moaning his name as she did. Keeping her pussy on his tongue, he maintained, tongue pushing and withdrawing, getting everyst bit of her release as her muscles unclenched, her gasps subsiding, little sounds of exertion. He looked up and grinned, and slid his hands up her body, following her curves. One hot kiss full of her taste geared her up again, her clit and pussy clenching so hard she climaxed yet again simply from the kiss, her hips pushing into him, her juices in her mouth, his mouth, the scent so arousing that she was actuallying from a kiss. ¡°Fuck, you taste so sweet,¡± he muttered thickly. ¡°I need to be inside you now¡± Instinct drove him to kiss her again and just as he was ready to make his next move she surprised him by taking the lead. ¡°No-¡± Katherine said, her voice unsteady. ¡°Not yet¡± She reached for him with a familiarity, the skin on his aching cock so soft and eager, rising up to meet her. Katherine deftly massaged his thigh with her other hand, cupping his balls, pressing against the base with her thumb, a deep groan growing out of him unbidden. Oh, man, did this woman know how to touch him. Everywhere¡­ She even had his heart. He couldn¡¯t stop loving her. She licked her lips with intent, boldly staring him in the eye, then looking down and drawing out the wait, making him hold his breath with the agony of anticipation. She pushed him down on the bed. Then she held the base of his cock with one hand and began licking him slowly, flicking the tip until he groaned again, hoping he could hold out until they were ready to make love, his body so ready to dive into her flesh, to grab those curves and to luxuriate in her body. Taking him in inch by inch, she tongued him until he twitched. Licking the front of his cock below the head and then gulping him even deeper into her mouth, flicking her tongue against him, she made him tighten and release his breath, hips shifting as he moaned at the feel of her mouth around his cock. Her hand gently masturbated him while sliding her mouth up on his cock, making sure he felt the inside of her cheek, her tongue and her lips, not really sucking but milking him. Milking him. Oh, shit, at this rate he¡¯de in her mouth, and as seconds passed that idea became increasingly appealing¡­ One of his hands touched her head, stroking her hair encouragingly even as he struggled inside, fighting the pleasure she was draining from him, torn between wanting immediate release and craving the feeling of being in her.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Building up the speed almost excruciatingly slowly, she yed him like a damned instrument, and as his fingers tightened in her hair, her silky locks felt like anotheryer of possibility, her hair casual andforting and just right- like everything else this evening. She gently touched his balls and he felt his juices begin to ooze out into her mouth, so that she gasped even with his pole in her mouth, thebination of moist heat and cold, rushing air too much. The sound of her voice vibrated his cock in her throat, her lips kissing her own thumb and forefinger, wrapped like a cock ring, as Jensen waspletely enveloped by her. Nearly screaming, he sat up and grasped her head, grinding his hips in and out as she sucked hard, then let go, in rhythm to get him off. Shepletely covered his root with her lips. He panted, overtaken by this gem, his hands roaming over her gorgeous breasts, her hair falling in waves over her face as she mouth fucked him, and the better part of him stopped her, wanting to give her more. But holy hell, she was a master at this. She was good at this. Really good. Screw it. He wasn¡¯t letting her go, he told himself. Definitely not letting her go.. Ever. Katherine¡¯s mouth worked the magic she knew she possessed. She knew she had himpletely in her spell. And she liked it. His fingers sought out her arousal, discovering her wetness. ¡°I want you, Kat. I need to be in you,¡± he murmured, her eyelids fluttering shut and her brain bending into a pretzel, twisted by a sudden lust, a lushness to his words, their presence, this now that made her want to immerse herself in Jensen forever. You would think she would be sated from what he had done with that skilled tongue, but a new wave renewed within. She wanted every inch of him, however he was willing to give it. Katherine needed to impale herself on him, to ride that shaft, to feel his body on top, to have his hands on her, in her, over her -whatever her-and she wanted to exert control once again, to be controlled, to just- Have more. Shoving him back on the bed, she put her legs on either side of his hips, the rasp of leg hair and flesh like music to her ears, his mere touch connecting her to a confidence she enjoyed. 81 Aiming him carefully, she hovered over him, savoring the seconds, his eyes locked with hers, the skin around them warm and inviting, and she plunged herself directly over his gloriously-thick shaft. He was eager and pulsing, and she groaned when he went all the way in. What she wanted to say was something profound, the right words to match what her body was screaming. Instead, she sighed, ¡°Oh, Jensen,¡± for the feeling was indescribable, a denouement, emotional and psychological, all at once. Like a real hole being filled, finding a being strong enough to fill it. As she stretched up to his tip, sliding up his pole was a sweet sensation, her body moving toward a screaming orgasm more amazing than any before. He licked one hand and stroked her nipple; he was spasming her pussy. Moving slightly, changing everything, Katherine slid enough to make him beg, tightened her cunt, then plunged down again. ¡°Holy shit! Kat. You are so, so tight, so warm. You feel so good¡± he convulsed. She sighed, the feeling too intense. She didn¡¯t have a mind, just an ass he grabbed and nerve endings and her fullness. ¡°I love you, Jensen¡± Katherine said, unable to hold her feelings in any longer. She loved himpletely, totally and she would be an idiot not to tell him. He paused inside her for a moment and stared at her, then he took charge, he slid her off him and pulled her out of the bed, both of them standing now, bending her over the bed, tummy down. One hand slid him in as he took her doggie style, his other hand in her hair. She reached for her clit as he dove into her, face buried in the bed. She thrust back against his cock, the pleasure so insane, the force of his tip against her cervix making her scream. She clenched the bedsheets, her fists tightening, her finger finding her clit a swollen, hot mess ready to explode. ¡°Oh! Fuck!¡± And she screamed and screamed and rutted, an animal of need as wetness hit her, knew she was spurting, felt him jerk and jizz filling her with his semen, her pussy one big fuck bucket, as he screamed, too. ¡°Kat! Oh baby!¡± He couldn¡¯t speak any longer, she stopped thinking and her body tried so much toe as hard as it could, her flesh determined to work with the magnitude of climax as his slickness and the power of his legs moving him in and out of her turned their coupling into a well-oiled machine. He pounded and pounded, she thrust back, he stroked her belly, and created a tiny pain, the pain all blending with the creaming and the cum to split her voice into something fierce and low, until all that was left was a drained feeling, all sex and candy and heaven. They came down, little aftershocks from the remainders of their sex, Jensen still in her, as he melted into her, trapping her, their wetness all she knew. She stopped thinking, her pussy done, her body rxed, all sated. ¡°Oh, man¡­¡± he mumbled into her back, hot breath ticklish and sweet. She turned around and pressed into him. ¡°Oh, no. Oh, woman, ¡± she replied, a wicked grin stered across her face as she kissed him. When she could breathe evenly, Katherine cradled against him, flushed and warm. Her heart slowed beneath her cheek. He smoothed her hair across the rumpled pillow, then stretched in a lithe movement and gave a rough sigh of male satisfaction. ¡°Kat, I¡¯m not certain I¡¯m going to live. That was quite a flight. Katherine chuckled.¡± Ummmm ¡°she murmured, savoring thest tremors of their passionate journey. She kneaded the broad shoulders that only moments ago had tensed with the strength of his driving passion. Her fingers filtered through the moist hair covering his chest. For now it was enough to hold him sated in her arms, to have him content and near. A whileter, she lightly scratched a nipple, wringing from him a delighted, ¡°Hey!¡± Katherineughed and he tightened his arm around her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what just happened, witch¡± he said. ¡°Did you surrender, or did I?¡± he caressed the long sweep of her back. Katherine shivered but she said nothing. ¡°You made quite a statement, Kat,¡± Jensen continued. ¡°You said you loved me, baby¡± Katherine remembered the words slipping over her lips in the height of their passion. She inhaled deeply. ¡°Katherine?¡± his baritone was husky and uneven, and he pulled her up a bit so that he could look into her eyes. When she didn¡¯t say anything, he added firmly. ¡°Please tell me that you meant that. That you just didn¡¯t say that in the moment¡­ For the sake of saying it. I don¡¯t think my heart can take that¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Looking at the mouth that had tasted her body, she felt the desire within her to have him touch her lips again. Jensen was her love, for whatever time he would give to her. Slowly, she smiled and met his stare. She licked her lower lip. ¡°I love you, Jensen,¡± she said softly. His fingers tightened, his eyes igniting at the sweep of her tongue over her lower lip. ¡°Oh. Thank God¡± he said. ¡°I was afraid you were going to say it was something you just said in the moment¡­. I¡± The rest of the sentence was lost as Katherine kissed him softly. Her tongue moistened his lips. His mouth parted to nt gently across hers. Too gently. Katherine pulled away. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Jensen,¡± she said. ¡°What for?¡± he asked. ¡°For hurting you¡± she replied. ¡°I was confused about my feelings. Worried that I couldn¡¯t trust you. And all the while I wanted to be with you¡­ And I just couldn¡¯t make up my mind. Hurting you in the process¡­ I was worried about myself and I didn¡¯t think about how my actions were making you feel¡­ And all you have done is be there for me ¡± Jensen pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. His eyes zed with happiness.¡± It¡¯s fine¡± he said. ¡°I love you too. So much. And you are mine. Tonight proved it. And I¡¯m not letting you go ever again. I won¡¯t give you a reason to¡± 82 Looking up at him, Katherine knew she loved him. Nothing else mattered now. Her instep stroked his hair flecked calf. ¡°You will stay the night right?¡± she asked. ¡°Tim is going to be at my mom¡¯s till tomorrow¡± ¡°I will honey,¡± Jensen said. ¡°Good,¡± Katherine said, smiling. ¡°Now, are you going to talk all night or get back to work¡± Jensen chuckle was rich. ¡°Oh I don¡¯t n to talk tonight¡± he said. ¡°We have done a lot of talking. I¡¯m tired of it. I wanna touch every part of you tonight¡± ¡°You already did,¡± Katherine said, smiling. ¡°Not enough,¡± he replied. Katherine braced an elbow on the pillow next to his head. Her falling hair formed a canopy around them as her hips pressed against his rising hardness, epting him into her. ¡°Oh, Kitty Kat¡± he whispered before he pinned her beneath him. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª It was a good day. Katherine thought as she drove away from her office. She was on her way to deliver a cake to a client for her baby shower. It was a big cake and Katherine wondered how big this baby shower was going to be. Well, it wasn¡¯t really her business. She thought. As long as got her money. She smiled. Four weekster and life was getting better, simpler. Her mom was much better now, getting over her dad¡¯s death had been tough but Delia had somehow pulled through. Tim was doing well at school. He was growing really fast. Her business was booming and things were great with Jensen. He made her so happy, that the mere thought of him made her smile. Her life was falling back into ce and she hoped nothing was going to ruin it. Her phone rang. It was in her handbag and she kept one hand on the steering wheel while she fetched it. It was Tim. ¡°Hey sweetie¡± she said when she picked the call. ¡°Hi mom,¡± Tim¡¯s voice said. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Katherine replied. ¡°Are you back from school?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Tim replied. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I couldn¡¯te pick you up today, hun¡± Katherine said. ¡°I was so busy at work. I¡¯m still busy now actually¡± She tried to avoid a pothole but ended up driving right into it as she saw it reallyte.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Oh damn it all to hell¡± she swore, forgetting that she was on the phone with Tim. ¡°Oh¡± Tim said,ughing. ¡°Mom, you said a bad word¡­ Bad words actually¡± Katherine smiled. ¡°Sorry hun. When I get home, I¡¯ll put money in the swear jar. How is Mrs Be? Are you okay staying there till I get back?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah I¡¯m fine,¡± Tim replied. ¡°You know I like it here¡± Katherine knew. He liked it there because he was best friends with ire¡¯s son and he could y as much as he wanted. ¡°Good,¡± Katherine said. ¡°I wille pick you up when I¡¯m done and then we will go home together¡± ¡°Alright bye, mom,¡± Tim said. ¡°Bye sweetheart¡± Katherine replied. She hung up the phone and dropped it on the passenger seat then she turned around to check on the cake which was in the back seat. The stupid pothole had upset it and it was going to fall soon if she didn¡¯t adjust it, which was exactly what she turned to do without thinking. Bad mistake. Stupid mistake actually. She adjusted the cake and turned her attention back to the road. Only it was toote. The approaching car came like a bat out of hell. It shed into view. Katherine heard a high, squealing sound of tires biting into tarmac. Katherine swerved her car to the right. She struggled with the wheel, trying to keep the car straight. Toote. There was a crunching, ripping noise. The car that had hit her slewed across the road and crashed into the thickets. Her windshield suddenly turned into a spider¡¯s web of cracks and lines. There was a grinding noise and a scorching white light burst before her eyes. A searing pain tore through her head. Herst clear thought was of her mother. ¡°She is going to be so worried¡±. Then the light snuffed out and darkness came down on her. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Katherine floated on a sea of pain. The undertow sucked her body down unmercifully, then allowed her to surface briefly before sweeping over her once more. Pain shot through her skull as she turned on the pillow. ¡°Ah, she¡¯sing to¡± noted a cool female voice. ¡°Come on, Katherine. Open those big beautiful eyes ¡± said a baritone voice. Jensen. She thought as a wave of pain crashed over her. Jensen is here. ¡°I need Jensen¡± Katherine formed the words with effort. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Open your eyes, Miss Kavell. He is right here. Come on now, open your eyes. You have worried the poor man long enough¡± the cool voice said again. Katherine¡¯sshes seemed to lock together as she forced her lids open. Jensen¡¯s worried face was near hers, his hand warmly heavy and secure on her shoulder. ¡°Good. That¡¯s good, Mrs Kavell¡± the voice said. Opposite Jensen, a bird-like woman in a starched white uniform leaned over to Katherine. ¡°You have been hurt,¡± she said. ¡°And you are in a hospital. You have bruises, a slight concussion andcerations on your hands. None of the injuries are serious¡± ¡°Here now,¡± she continued. ¡°I¡¯m going to ce a straw between your lips¡± Her hand slid beneath Katherine¡¯s head and lifted it gently to sip through the crook necked straw. The nurse lowered the ss and ced two small pills on Katherine¡¯s tongue. ¡°Swallow, please¡± she said. Katherine closed her eyes against the woman¡¯s cheerfulness and felt her head being gently lowered to the pillow. She did as she was told. ¡°She will sleep now. Mr Packard¡± the woman said. Katherine sank into a pink cloud, her thoughts of her mother. Of Jensen. Why was he so worried? In the shadows of his face, his eyes were hollow and pain filled. His jaw was dark with blue ck stubble. Then she was too tired to wonder. When she woke again, early morning light outlined the clinicalfort of a hospital room. Arge man was sprawled in a chair near her bed, his arms folded over a half bared chest. 83 His long legs were stretched out before him, his hair a rumpled dark mop as his chin rested on his chest. Katheriney quietly looking at Jensen. His beard was thick and ck now. Long, silkyshes swept shadows across his weary face. He was wearing the same clothes as that morning. Or was it morning now? She frowned, the motion tightening the tape on her forehead.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Her arm ached as she touched the heavy white bandage on her head. Her palms burned slightly. Again she felt the splinters shooting into them, the fiery pain as they speared into her skin. Jensen shifted in the chair. He straightened and whispered huskily. ¡°Ah, sleeping beauty awakes¡± he said. He leaned over her, sleep still shrouding his dark eyes. In the muted light, a haggard, disheveled man looked at her with love. To Katherine. He was beautiful. His hard mouth lifted wryly. ¡°You really did it this time, Kitty Kat¡± he rumbled gently His thumb caressed her cheek, then winnowed through the dark hair syed across the white pillow. Her pain faded as she swirled into the depths of his soft gaze. Jensen¡¯sshes were suspiciously damp when he kissed her cheek. ¡°If anything happened to you¡­ I¡± a tremor ran through his voice, wrapped around Katherine¡¯s heart. She watched a single tear trail down his cheek to the ck beard. ¡°Jensen¡± My love. My own, she thought ¡°Oh, honey¡± He shuddered and buried his face beside hers on the pillow. His breath was ragged as it swept across her skin. ¡°I¡¯d better call the nurse,¡± he said gruffly. Her tongue stroked dry lips. ¡°Jensen, wait. Talk to me¡± He looked as if he needed to lie down. ¡°Have you been here since morning?¡± she asked. ¡°You woke up two days ago, Kat, ¡± he replied. ¡°Today is Monday. But, yes, I have been so damned worried, sweetheart¡± he snapped. Pain crossed the rugged features. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby, ¡± he added gently. ¡°When Jonathan called me and told me what happened to you, I felt as though my heart had stopped,¡± he said. ¡°He didn¡¯t want to call your mom because he didn¡¯t want to bother her. She has been through a lot already. So we decided to tell her when we were sure that you were going to be okay. We simply told her you had to go on an emergency business trip. Tim is with her. Jonathan had to leave because he didn¡¯t want your mom to get too suspicious and start asking what¡¯s up¡±. He inhaled deeply. ¡°When they brought you into the emergency room, you looked like a bloodied doll. Your hands were so cut up¡± A hand jerked through his dark hair. Katherine lifted a bandaged hand and touched his chest. As strong as she knew Jensen was, he looked as though he needed her assurance. She knew he was scared of losing her. She knew her ident was reminding him of his parents. She would feel the same way if she was in his shoes. ¡°Stay with me Jensen¡± she whispered. ¡°I need you. I love you¡± He tensed. A shudder ripped through his tall frame. The ck eyes closed against their brilliant fire. ¡°God. Thank you¡± he said. The ebony eyes zed down at her. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d hear those words again. I saw the most beautiful, intriguing woman I have ever known lying on a damn hospital bed and I felt so damned helpless¡± His broad shoulders straightened. ¡°I was so afraid I had lost you sweetheart¡±. ¡°You won¡¯t lose me, Jensen,¡± Katherine said. ¡°You are stuck with me, you know. You should know that by now¡± His indrawn breath was long and unsteady as he straightened. ¡°I have to call that nurse, Katherine. I don¡¯t know who needs her ministrations more right now, you or me. I feel like pieces of me are being alternately torn off and glued back together again.¡± He pressed the buzzer attached to her headboard. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d go through anything like this again, Kat. After my parents died, the pain was horrible and you were there. No one has ever reached inside me like you did.¡± The damp, spikedshes closed and his mouth mped shut. Katherine pressed a shrouded hand against his shoulder.¡± Hey, ¡°she said.¡± Where is Mr Macho boss man?¡±. She attempted a smile.¡±I admit that I wasn¡¯t looking where I was driving. It¡¯s my fault. It won¡¯t happen again¡± ¡°You bring a man up quick, honey¡± he stated and rested his chin lightly on the lump that was her hand. ¡°Thought this nightmare I realized just how much I care for you¡± Katherine traced the rugged angles of his face. She loved each one. ¡°I care about you too, honey¡± she said. He rubbed his beard. ¡°I can shave this off by the time you are ready to kiss me,dy. Or shall I let it grow?¡± he asked and smiled at her. ¡°I need to cover all the wrinkles I got in the past two days¡± Katherine smiled. Momentster the nurse entered, stuck a thermometer into Katherine¡¯s mouth and ordered Jensen to leave for a few minutes. Looking mutinous, he red at the nurse, who swished around Katherine¡¯s bed to straighten the covers and take her pulse. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere¡± he stated, hands on hips. ¡°Kat might need me¡± The nurse calmly threatened to have him barred from the hospital. Jensen protested in a smothered curse, then quietly shut the door behind him. As the nurse helped Katherine to the bathroom and back to bed, she chirped. ¡°Men are such little boys. Especially the really masculine ones. They throw tantrums when they can¡¯t get their way¡± Katherine smiled. Knowing it was true. Jensen didn¡¯t have a chance against this woman. When he returned, Katherine whispered, ¡°Jensen,e here¡± He approached the bed slowly, looking more like a big, soft, rumpled bear than the shrewd businessman he was. ¡°She says you have been awful. Have you?¡± Katherine asked him. She liked this shy, uncertain side of him, and loved the caring man she knew he was. ¡°Hell,¡± Jensen said. Again he ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up. ¡°I guess I have. ¡± he admitted. ¡± I couldn¡¯t help it, Kat¡± His hand trembled as it rested on her cheek, his thumb stroking the fine hair at her temple. 84 Katherine turned her head and kissed his rough palm. ¡°Jensen, you need to rest,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you out of my sight, Kat¡± he growled, then grinned ruefully as he realized he must. ¡°That little general gave me two minutes before she kicks me out¡± His expression stilled into one of urgency. ¡°Katherine, you mean everything to me. I can¡¯t exin how I feel¡± he said gruffly. His grin returned slowly. ¡°Will you give me a kiss to sleep on, honey?¡± ¡°Just put your bearded face where I can reach it, darling¡± Katherine said. His breath touched her face. Familiar scents drifted about her. A new softness marked the swift brush of his lips to hers. ¡°Are you all right, Kat?¡± he whispered. Katherine didn¡¯t reply at first. She showered tiny kisses on his parted lips. ¡°Are you?¡± she asked him instead. His tongue trailed around her mouth. ¡°Not until I can hold you again, and you know that you are mine. But that monster of a nurse would probably put me in chains¡± he said. As if on cue, the sprightly little nurse appeared. ¡°Now, Mr Packard¡± she said. ¡°I said two minutes. And don¡¯t crush my patient like that¡± Jensen straightened reluctantly. ¡°Go on now. Shoo¡± the nurse said. ¡°You can be reced,¡± Jensen threatened. ¡°I hired you, remember?¡± ¡°Ohe on now, Mr Packard. Of course I can be reced¡± she replied cheerfully. ¡°But you demanded the best, and that I am. Now off you go¡± Jensen¡¯s stormy eyes sought Katherine¡¯s before he shook his head. ¡°I will miss you, love, ¡± he murmured. ¡°I will be back soon¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°He is back¡± the nurse stated ominously. ¡°He has been pacing the waiting room like a panther. He sent this package in for you¡± She set the big ribboned package on Katherine¡¯sp.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Shall I open out dear?¡± the nurse questioned after Katherine looked helplessly at the wrapper. When Katherine nodded, the nurse carefully untied the huge bow. Layers of tissue paper unfolded to reveal a ruffled pink satin bed jacket with tiny sprigs of embroidered flowers. The nurse swept it out of the box and held it before Katherine. ¡°Goodness,¡± she said. ¡°isn¡¯t this pretty? Here, lean forward and I will help you put it on, dear. We will want to wear this for our visitors, Miss Kavell. * ¡± It¡¯s pretty, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Katherine whispered as the nurse helped her with it, amazed that Jensen had chosen something so feminine and delicate. Jensen entered the room, looking somewhat like a disced yard dog, uncertain of his territory, but refusing to surrender it. A huge bouquet of flowers was strangled in his hand, his eyes defensive as he faced the nurse squarely. ¡°How is she?¡± he questioned, his nce flickering to Katherine. ¡°Our patient is just fine, Mr Packard.¡± the nurse replied. She swept the flowers from him. ¡°I see you shaved that ghastly beard. Aren¡¯t we in a better mood this afternoon?¡± Oblivious to get chatter, Jensen feasted his eyes on Katherine. ¡°Hello, Kat¡± he murmured as he walked slowly to her bed. ¡°Hello Jensen¡± she returned. The beat of her heart elerated under the pink satin bed jacket. ¡°thank you for the present¡± ¡°I thought it looked like you,¡± he said. ¡°Not nearly as nice as that nightie you wore that one night though¡± he added lightly. His face neared hers. His kids brought the scent of soap and the touch of tenderness. ¡°Mydy Katherine,¡± he said. His raspy whisper brushed her cheek. ¡°I have missed you¡± ¡°I have missed you too¡± Katherine answered, aware that her mother, Tim and Jonathan had entered the room. He frowned, revealing a flicker of frustration at the interruption. Katherine ced her arms about his neck and drew him to whisper in his ear ¡°Don¡¯t look so disgruntled, darling¡± she said. ¡°I promise to give you the best kiss I can manage when they leave. Sit by me, Jensen?¡± she asked quietly. He nced ufortably at her family, then back down at her. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I will hurt you¡± ¡°Sit down, Jensen¡± she ordered crisply, smiling. ¡°Now¡± He eased down on the bed, big and dark and strangely at odds with the whiteness of the room. Katherine ced a bandaged hand over his thigh. She felt his muscles harden for a moment, then rx. She turned her attention to the door, her eyes fell on Tim and he forward and hugged her gently while Jensen greeted her mom and Jonathan. ¡°Mom,¡± Tim said, his eyes sad. ¡°How are you? Are you feeling better? They didn¡¯t want to tell me where you were. I knew something was wrong when you didn¡¯te pick me from Mrs Be¡¯s¡± ¡°I know, honey. I¡¯m so sorry¡± Katherine said as she kissed his forehead and cheeks so many times he had to smile. ¡°Stop mom¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry honey¡± Katherine said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you and grandma to worry¡± ¡°I have missed you,¡± Tim said. ¡°I have missed you too, honey¡± Katherine replied and kissed his cheek again. ¡°Hello, mom¡­ Jon¡± she said as she released Tim who went to talk to Jensen. ¡°Kathy, honey¡± Delia murmured slowly, her gaze traveling Katherine¡¯s body. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you want them to tell me, sweetie?¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want you to worry,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to see this look you have on your face right now l. You have already been through so much and because of my carelessness, I added to it¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± Delia said. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I love you and you are my daughter. You should never keep things from me again. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Fine I understand¡± Katherine said smiling. ¡°Thank you, Jon¡± she said and Jon nodded. ¡°I¡¯m d you are feeling better sis¡± Jon said. ¡°You really scared us all. I couldn¡¯t keep it a secret from mom any longer. Somehow she always finds out when we are hiding something from her¡± Katherine smiled. She understood. Delia¡¯s gaze traveled from her daughter to the man sitting on the edge of the bed. ¡°Jensen,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you so much for looking after my daughter. You shoulde over for dinner when she is fine andes home¡± Jensen smiled and nodded. ¡°Sure,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you Delia¡±. Delia turned and kissed her daughter¡¯s cheek. ¡°Are you sure you are feeling better, Kathy?¡± she asked. ¡°Everything is still here mom¡± Katherine replied. ¡°I¡¯m just a little bruised. That¡¯s all¡± 85 ¡°Good¡± Delia said. ¡°I have missed you all. All of you. So I mean what I said before, when you are feeling better, I¡¯m inviting all of you to dinner at the house. Jensen, Delia and Jonathan talked in hushed voices while Katherine pulled Tim closer and they talked about his school. All the while Jensen¡¯s hand rested lightly on her shoulder, his thumb caressing her corbone beneath the pink satin. When the discussion touched on Katherine¡¯s health, Jensen stated. ¡°I have arranged for that nurse to stay with Katherine for a few days after she goes home. The doctor said she will be fit to travel in about a week, and I have a business trip to San Francisco. I want her toe with me¡± His expression was guarded as he looked down at her. ¡°Will youe with me, Katherine?¡± he added softly. Katherine stared at Jensen¡¯s intense face. He was asking for amitment from her. He wanted her to acknowledge his possession in front of her family. It was enough for Katherine that he wanted her to be with him.¡±I will go with you, Jensen,¡± she said softly. ¡°I have arranged for you toe with me. Think of it as a vacation¡± Jensen said. A tentative note still threaded his tone. ¡°Maybe next time we decide to take a trip like this, we will take Tim with us¡± ¡°Yes yes¡± Tim yelled and Katherineughed. ¡°Will you be okay with grandma while I¡¯m gone, Tim?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Tim said. ¡°I¡¯m a big boy. Just don¡¯t be gone for too long¡± Katherine smiled. She stared at her mom and Jon. ¡°Are you waiting for my permission?¡± Delia asked, smiling. ¡°Come on. Go. Have fun. You need it actually¡± ¡°All bases covered then, Jensen¡± Katherine said. ¡°Then I¡¯m ready to go right now¡± Jonathanughed. ¡°We should go then,¡± he said. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go mom. Let¡¯s give these two some time alone¡± After her family left the room, Jensen leaned over her. But before he could say anything, she interrupted. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you but other things just keeping up¡± she said. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Jensen said. ¡°The person I crashed my car into¡­. Is the person¡­.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Jensenpleted for her. ¡°Thankfully he is. He admitted he wasn¡¯t watching the road either. And he¡¯s fine. Your injuries were much worse than his¡±. Katherine smiled with relief. ¡°Thank God¡± she said. ¡°It has kind of been on my mind. I would also like to see him before we leave the hospital. To apologize. I know it¡¯s not a lot but I have to. ¡°Alright. But when you¡¯re feeling better¡± Jensen said. ¡°Okay¡± Katherine agreed. ¡°So, What were you saying?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Jensen said. ¡°You know you can¡¯t change your mind abouting with me right? I consider this a binding contract¡± Katherine smiled. ¡°I feel the same way, darling,¡± she said. He stroked the sensitive skin of her neck. ¡°You may not like San Francisco, Kat,¡± he said. ¡°Especially the business part¡± ¡°Your San Francisco may not like me ¡°Katherine said.¡± But I¡¯m game. As long as I am with you. Lean down here, handsome. I promised you a kiss¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- A week and a halfter, Jensen sat beside Katherine in the first ss section of the ne. A clear blue sky streaked past the windows. They were on their way to San Francisco. Jensen was dressed in jeans and a cotton id shirt turned back at the cuffs, his long body settledfortably in the seat. Katherine yawned and rxed in her seat next to him. He turned to look at her and he smiled slow and easily. His unhurried gaze drifted over her mint green blouse and matching cks. ¡°Are you feeling alright, sleepy head?¡± he asked her. His handy on her knee, thumb circling on a gentle pattern. Katherine¡¯s still tender palm, tickled by the hair sprinkling the back of his, rested on it. Her other hand bore a gauze bandage. ¡°Mmmm¡± she said. ¡°I ate too much for lunch. I hope you don¡¯t spoil me with food in San Francisco as you have in the past week at my house. Without any exercise, I have put on pounds, I know¡± His raised eyebrows prefaced a hot stare over her curves. ¡°If you have, they havended in some pretty delicious ces¡± he said. Katherineughed. ¡°I had a lot of chocte cake too from the store. You know it¡¯s funny how you like food so much but you don¡¯t cook¡± she said. ¡°ine makes fun of me all the time because of it. I can grill though¡± he said. ¡°but maybe when you are feeling better, you can teach me one or two things in the kitchen¡± Katherine stared at him, and from the look in his eyes she wasn¡¯t entirely sure he was talking about cooking. ¡°Thank you for everything,¡± she said. ¡°everything you have done for me. For Tim too. I think a part of him is so happy that I¡¯m going to be with you. He adores you. Listens to you. I get jealous sometimes¡± Jensen smiled at her. ¡°I think one of the reasons he was so okay with us taking this trip was because I left Rufus stay with him and Delia¡± Katherineughed. ¡°Yeah that too¡± she said. ¡°He has wanted that for a long time¡± ¡°He reminds me of myself when I was growing, ¡± Jensen said. ¡°I remember how we used to be so close, Kat. You have always been in my life. Every moment. You are my soul mate Kitty Kat. I¡¯m so lucky because I got to share almost all of my life with my you¡­. I love you¡± ¡°I love you too, Jensen,¡± Katherine said.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. His ebony eyes glittered down at her. ¡°I¡¯m d you are with me,¡± he said. His gaze heated her up. Filled with promise and desire. It locked around Katherine¡¯s heart. During her week¡¯s recovery, Jensen had stayed with her at her home. Taken his business calls there, refusing to leave her side. She loved him too.. Dearly. ¡°Ah-hum¡± he said, pulling her out of daydreaming. The corner of his mouth eased upward. ¡°This may be unnecessary of me, but a kiss right there would be partial payment for my gentlemanly behavior since your ident. He pointed to his lips. 86 Katherine leaned over and touched his lips lightly with hers. He was a beautiful hunk, a business magnate, and he was hers. But at times, she loved to defy him. It produced such interesting consequences. ¡°Hey, what was that?¡± he eximed. ¡°Your kisses have improved measurably since right after the ident but that dry little thing can¡¯t possibly count. I think I will just screw the fact that we are on a ne and collect a real sizzler of a kiss¡± he teased. Katherine¡¯s yawn produced his heavy browned frown. She apologized with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m just messing with you, Jensen,¡± she said. ¡°You better be¡± he said and she chuckled. He turned away from her and Katherine watched him. Something unpleasant wasting him. She read it in the muscle tightening in his cheek and the jut of his jaw. ¡°What is wrong, Jensen?¡± she asked softly. One hand lifted to glide through his hair. ¡°Jensen?¡± she repeated. He turned to her. His expression darkened. ¡°Do you have any idea what my life was like before you came back, Katherine?¡± he asked. ¡°I imagine it was full of exciting people and challenges. The kind that most people only read about. You have traveled all over the world¡­¡± she said. ¡°I suppose it would look like that to you¡± he said slowly, ¡°But on the inside¡­¡± A loneliness crept over his expression as he sought her eyes. ¡°I want to show you my life, Kat. What it was like without you. Then I want to close that chapter of my life. I was okay. Money and shit like that¡­ I had all that. But the way you make me feel¡­ You make me so happy.¡± He took her hand and lifted it to his lips. ¡°When you left I was broken, angry, couldn¡¯t get over you and I pretended that I had, lied to myself, tried to shut it out and all it took was you walking into my office to bring it all back. I fell in love with you all over again. Because you are mine, Kat. Made specially for me. Your heart, your body¡­ I know that if something happens again, that I will find my way back to you¡­. I will always find my way back to you¡± Katherine¡¯s eyes shone. She wanted to cry and hug him really tight. ¡°Oh, Jensen,¡± she said. ¡°I love you so much. And I¡¯m sorry that I left. I shouldn¡¯t have. I¡¯m sorry that I med you too¡­ But I¡¯m right here now. And I¡¯m staying this time¡± ¡°Good,¡± he said and smiled. His hand left hers to arrange the curls lying on her shoulder. He studied her thoughtfully. ¡°Honey, you can hardly keep your pretty eyes open. You are supposed to get plenty of rest. Rx in your chair¡­ I promise not to disturb you¡­ As much as I would like to¡± ¡°I just tire easily, Jensen,¡± Katherine said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about. And In a few days I will have both hands out of bandages¡± She paused, frowning. ¡°You may be ashamed of this Ozark hillbilly in San Francisco, Jensen. My hands are still too tender to arrange my hair. Mother has been doing it¡± He wrapped a long dark strand around his index finger. ¡°I will do it. I dreamed about it in my empty bed, as a matter of fact¡± The hungry look in his eyes dried Katherine¡¯s throat. I¡¯m proud of you, sweetheart, ¡°he stated quietly.¡± I want to show you off. My secretary is arranging a little cocktail party to introduce you to my staff and associates¡± ¡°Jensen, I¡¯m not your usual San Francisco party goer¡± Katherine protested. ¡°Don¡¯t look so stricken,¡± Jensen said. ¡°They all stand up naked in their clothes the same way as you. However, yours is a beautiful nakedness, Katherine,e on now and rest¡± he insisted. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C When theynded, two men quickly unloaded their luggage into a motorized lift while Katherine stood waiting beside the transport vehicle. She gripped the lift¡¯s fender with her good hand and wondered when the pavement beneath her feet would stop trembling. Jensen circled the cart to her. He grinned down at her, then frowned. ¡°Is something wrong, Kat?¡± he asked. ¡°You look pale¡± She swallowed the lump rising in her throat and tightened her hand on the fender. How could he look so fit when she felt so disced. ¡°I feel fine,¡± she said. ¡°For someone who has just dropped out of the sky¡± Jensenughed. ¡°You will catch up with yourself in two hours¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª As they drove through San Francisco¡¯s busy streets in a ck limousine, Katherine felt that the giant city was a world of street cars, rushing people, and crowded, tall buildings. The limousine slid into an underground parking lot. In his penthouse, Jensen tipped the uniformed building attendant who helped carry their luggage, and closed the door behind him. Katherine wandered around the living room. Thick white shag carpeting contrasted sharply with the ck and white id couch sprawling across the room. A huge round ss table stood before it. The chrome and ss beauty of the apartment was expensively sterile. It contrasted with the warmth of her own home, even his back at home and Katherine understood how different Jensen¡¯s life was here.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s functional, Katherine,¡± he exined. ¡°I didn¡¯t design it though and I don¡¯t stay here a lot¡± He shrugged. ¡°We can go some other ce if you don¡¯t want to stay here¡± ¡°I¡¯m staying, Jensen,¡± Katherine said. ¡°You can¡¯t get rid of me that easily¡± He stared at her for a moment, then strode quickly to her. He cupped her shoulders with his hands, ¡°Lady, I want to take care of you, not get rid of you. Don¡¯t say that, ¡± he said. ¡°Shhh,¡± Katherine said. Her index finger sealed his lips. ¡°Now show me my room. I have to freshen up¡± ¡°At your normalmand, madame,¡± he said yfully. He lifted her suitcases easily, tucking one under each arm. ¡°Follow me¡±.. The hallway was as stark as the living room. White wall relieved by ck and white prints. ¡°Your suite, mydy, ¡± Jensen said. Katherine walked past him into therge bedroom. Decorated in French provincial, the room was a gold and white fantasy world with a beautiful bedspread and canopy and satin drapes bordered in tiny fleurs-de-lis. 87 She turned to Jensen, noting how his masculinity shed with the delicate patterns of the room. ¡°I wanted you to myself¡± he murmured. ¡°There is a chef and a maid avable if you want them. But I have ordered the staff to appear only on demand¡± ¡°Did you fix this room specially for me?¡± Katherine asked. She smoothed the satin drapes at therge windows. He moved to stand behind her, his arms sliding around her waist to draw her back against his body, his face tucked into the curve of her neck and shoulder. ¡°Yes¡± he replied. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Katherine leaned against him. He was solid and warm, and so necessary to her. She sighed contentedly. ¡°I love it¡± she said softly. ¡°I¡¯m d you are here, Kat¡± he said quietly. He lifted her bandaged hand for his inspection. ¡°You aren¡¯t to get this wet until the stitchese out. Either the maid or I will help you bath¡± He breathed heavily against her cheek. ¡°I had to fight that damned nurse too much to let a maid have you now. I don¡¯t ever want to feel that helpless again, Kat. So you are stuck with me¡± The thought of Jensen acting as a handmaiden made Katherineugh. ¡°And I feel as if I have entered a panther¡¯sir, and he is asking me to dinner¡± she said. ¡°You¡­¡± he breathed. ¡°I need you, woman¡± He held her tighter. ¡°Kiss me. I can¡¯t wait any longer to taste your mouth¡±. ¡°Jensen, I would really like to rest now,¡± Katherine said. His palm stroked the warm flush of her cheek. ¡°It¡¯s hard for you, isn¡¯t it, honey?¡± he asked slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t want this trip to embarrass you¡± Katherine turned her face into the cove of his neck and jaw. ¡°I said I would like to rest, Jensen. How much more of an invitation do you need?¡± she whispered. ¡°My Kitty Kat,¡± Jensen said. He groaned with aching desire. She stroked his jaw. He trembled as she turned to mold her body to his. ¡°I need you so much, Kat. I haven¡¯t slept well since Jnrst time you gave yourself to me. I miss making love to you¡± His hands slid down her spine, cupped her fullness, and edged her higher against the strength of his male need. She traced the fine lines of his face, noting the dark shadows under his eyes. ¡°Jensen, you need a good tranquilizer¡± she diagnosed softly. ¡°Hell, Kat, it¡¯s you I need,¡± Jensen said. ¡°I¡¯m the tranquilizer, dummy¡± she murmured, and ced her wrists on either side of his neck to tug him down to her. Her tongue outlined a trail of moistness on his mouth. ¡°Undress me, darling¡± she breathed against his chin, her lips prowling the rugged contour of his jaw. ¡°I thought you would never ask,¡± he said. Momentster, Katheriney naked and waiting as Jensen removed thest of his clothes with shaking hands. For a time, he stared at her as though enjoying the picture she made between the creamy satin sheets. ¡°Now, what about my tranquilizer?¡± he demanded. His eyes glittered as they traced each curve. He stroked her from shoulder to breast to stomach to thigh. Katherine¡¯s lifted arms invited him, and Jensen slid between the sheets. He tucked her close, a heavy thigh possessively enfolding her. His hands lightly stroked the sweep of her back. ¡°I missed you in my bed, Kat. I have dreamed of every inch of you since thest time we were together.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. His hand shaped her breast. She pressed her hand over it as her mouth met his. ¡°Don¡¯t wait, love. Don¡¯t wait. I want you, too¡± she urged. ¡°Oh, sweetheart¡± he groaned as he lifted himself over her and entered her gently. Her hips rose to receive him as her arms encircled his back. She reveled in the full extent of his pulsating need as he waited, supported by his elbows, his chest ttening her breasts. A dark flush rose to his skin, his rugged features honed by desire. He stroked her temples gently, ¡°You are like silk, mydy. Sweet, warm silk¡± he whispered raggedly. One hand slid down her side, cupping the roundness of her breasts before seeking the fullness of her buttock. He angled his hips upward to fully sheath him and sighed deeply. ¡°I knew I didn¡¯t dream this¡± he smiled and looked tenderly at her face. ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel like a tranquilizer at all. Just the opposite¡± Katherine¡¯s fingernails drew light circles on the tensile smoothness of his back. ¡°In a moment darling¡± she promised softly as she eased away from him, only to ept his full length again. ¡°Make love to me, now¡± Jensen¡¯s body settled heavily over hers. A tremor ripped across his wide shoulders as he thrust slowly into her. With rigid control he asked. ¡°Are you positive, Kat? Are you ready?¡± Katherine rotated her hips beneath him. ¡°My love, I will be hurt only if you don¡¯t hurry¡± she whispered huskily. He needed no more encouragement. His thrust was long and deep, king yet building their hunger. The first rippling within her gripped him in a silken vise of weing moistness. He wrapped her against him as they ascended to the pulsating teau of mutual pleasure. She took and gave, matching the rhythmic joining of their bodies until the final explosion zed over them. As Katherine held him within the cradle of her body, his heart beat heavily against her breasts, his breathing unevenly against her cheek. He nuzzled behind her ear. She stroked the love damp smoothness of his back. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a dream, Kat¡± he breathed heavily. He shifted to one side, still sheathed by her. ¡°I know,¡± she agreed. ¡°Hold me, Jensen. Keep me close to you¡± He chuckled and stroked the moist hair from her temples. ¡°I need a shave, Kitty Kat. You have tiny scratches around your mouth. The rough pad of his thumb circled the soft flesh.¡± Will you sleep with me every night while we are here, Kat?¡± he asked. ¡± Every night, my love ¡°Katherine replied.¡± Her hand fluttered down his body. His eyes darkened to ck velvet as she continued to caress him. Jensen¡¯s big hand slid over her left breast ¡°I wanted to taste this my love¡± he said. 88 ¡°You gave me no time¡± he said. Thenughed when her hands went lower.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Hey!¡± he growled roughly. ¡°You are touching a delicate area there!¡± Katherine withdrew her finger tips, slid them over his steel hard hips. ¡°I like touching you, Jensen. I love it actually¡± She cupped his lean buttocks. ¡°This is a fascinating part of your anatomy. Looks great on tight jeans. You could pose for a pinup calendar¡­ One of those sexy ones with the bare, hairy chest and just the top button of your jeans undone¡± Jensen¡¯s smile matched thee hither smile of the poster models -soft and sexy and all male. Heavy sensuality washed over her as he shifted against her with a new surge of desire. His thigh edged between hers and he entered her. ¡°Maybe I will taste just a little of this¡­¡± He said. He lowered his head and nuzzled the softness of her breast before taking her nipple into the heated moistness of his mouth. At the first tug of pleasure, Katherine felt a warm flood of desire open within her loins. The second tug yielded a gasp and another contraction. He pushed slowly higher as his mouth plied her breast, and Katherine groaned as his ripe fullness touched the center of her desire. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for your second tranquilizer, my darling¡± she breathed before his tongue entered her mouth to match the thrusting rhythm of his hips. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Muchter, they watched the evening shadows creep across the sky. Katherine¡¯s body was sated and heavy and aching tenderly. Jensen sighed and nuzzled her earlobe. ¡°You were right, Katherine. Those tranquilizers did the trick. If I wasn¡¯t hungry right now, I could sleep until morning¡± He grinnedzily and stretched in a long dark arc of satisfied male animal. Katherine smiled as she watched him. Naked, Jensen was a sprawled dark male outline against the white and gold headboard, his long legs crossed at the ankles. Katherine thought he looked like a worn and rxed pasha after a feast. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? He asked her, still smiling. ¡°I wasn¡¯t staring ¡°Katherine said.¡±Fine, then let¡¯s go eat¡± then added when she saw his gaze rest on her breast ¡°Jensen look at me¡± she sputtered. His arms lowered, his hand resting on the roundness of her hips beneath the sarong. ¡°Oh I am looking¡± he said. ¡°You are beautiful. You are soft and cuddly. I¡¯m rather proud of myself. You look well loved¡± ¡°I¡¯m a mess¡± Katherine said. ¡°You can never be a mess. I¡¯m going to enjoy giving you your first San Francisco bath, sweetheart¡± He stood up and unwrapped her, then swept her into his arms. He stalked into a bathroomrger than Katherine¡¯s living room and stood her on her feet while he adjusted the gold faucets. Water foamed into the marble tub. He looked at her over one tanned shoulder. ¡°Honey,¡± he said. ¡°The doctor said to watch that hand. It has to be kept dry, so be careful¡± Her palm swept downward from the muscr shoulders to his haunches. ¡°Are you going to scrub my back, Jensen?¡± she asked. ¡°Yep¡± he replied. ¡°That and everything else. Step in Kitty Kat¡± A momentter Katherine protested. ¡°Jensen, you can¡¯t get in too.¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s my tub¡± he replied. ¡°And you look plenty inviting, Kitty¡± After the shower and they had dressed up, Jensen asked ¡°Hungry?¡± When she nodded, he said. ¡°Come with me. I have ordered the refrigerator stocked, and you canmand the chef. Within limitations of course¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª A few hourster, lying next to her on the couch, he nuzzled the softness of her hand pressed against his cheek. In a moment he was breathing in the deep, slow rhythm of sleep. ¡°I love you, Jensen Packard. Super tough guy. Macho boss man¡± Katherine murmured yfully. ¡°Hurt little boy grown big¡± She touched the sweep of his eyeshes lightly and noted that the lines on his face seemed fainter. He was rxed. Kathrine slipped from beneath him and padded over to a closet for an extra nket. She tucked it around him and kissed his forehead. ¡°Good night my love¡± she said. On her way to her bedroom, she turned off the lights. Unable to remove her bra because of her bandaged hand, she slid in bed and hugged the pillow that bore Jensen¡¯s earthy musk. Later in the night, she protested therge hand easing her from her tightly curled position. ¡°More over, Kitty Kat. I want to hold you¡± Jensen¡¯s voice said. Warmth, strong and possessive, filled therge bed as Jensen covered her body with his. He gently loosened her bra and swept it from her, his hands supporting her breasts as she snuggled her panty covered hips into the nest his thighs provided. Dreamily aware of Jensen touching her, of his warm hands sweeping over her. Katherine sensed he needed assurance. He held her tightly against him, but it wasn¡¯t entry into her body he sought in the midnight hours. It was the closeness of loved ones. ¡°I¡¯m here, darling. Hold me¡± she whispered sleepily. ¡°I love you¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Stopughing at my shirt, Jensen¡± Katherine said the next day and Jensenughed. ¡°It looks better on you than on me love¡± Jensen said. ¡°I like to tease you. You know that¡± he nced at her te. ¡°Are you going to eat that omelet or massacre it?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry. But it¡¯s delicious¡± Katherine said. Jensen stood and lifted her into his arms, then strode into the living room and fell on the couch, pillowing her fall. ¡°I thought you had business to manage today¡± she half protested as his hand slipped inside the shirt to im her breast. He sprawled beneath her, his leisurely grin suggesting he had all the time in the world. ¡°Exactly what do you have nned today, Jensen?¡± She asked and then gasped as his fingers delicately plucked the hardening bud of her nipple. ¡°First, the major things. Kiss me¡± he demanded. ¡°I can¡¯t start a day without a kiss from my woman¡± When Kathrine obeyed he plumbed the depths of her mouth. ¡°I have business to take care of before the party this afternoon. I will be gone only a couple of hours¡± he rasped against her lips. ¡°You coulde with me, Kat¡± 89 Jensen demonstrated all the ease of a man well contented this morning, Katherine noted with a tender smile. She felt pride rise within her.. She was the cause of his contentment. Her fingertip rimmed his mouth. ¡°I would like to. But I¡¯m exhausted by certain strenuous activities. I need to rest¡± She added softly. ¡°I will be waiting when you return, darling¡± She kissed him with new found expertise. ¡°Call me if you like. I will be here¡± she said. He nuzzled the soft spot behind her ear. ¡°I like this, honey¡± he said. ¡°What?¡± It was difficult to think as Jensen¡¯s mouth and hands caressed her body. Impossible, she decided, as his hips shifted and his hardness pressed into her. ¡°You here¡± he replied simply. ¡°You here with me¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C After he left, Katherine returned to the bed they had shared, hugged Jensen¡¯s pillow to her, and slept until noon. She awoke feeling rested, then rose and soaked in a hot bubble bath. Without Jensen lodged in it with her, the size approximated that of a small swimming pool. Careful to keep her damaged hand dry, Katherine eased from the tub and dried herself with an immense think towel. She slid a peach lounging gown over her head andbed her hair with her fingers. When Jensen¡¯s key atst turned in the lock, Katherine raced towards him, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him thoroughly. His briefcase fell to the floor, his arms encircled her waist as he lifted her high against him. ¡°Hey¡± he said. ¡°What is all this?¡± ¡°I missed you, Jensen¡± she said against his mouth. He slid her down the length of his body. ¡°I missed you, too, Katherine. But your wee makes the wait worthwhile.¡± he said. For a long moment he held her quietly, his breath stirring her hair. ¡°I¡¯m d you are home, darling¡± she whispered as she leaned back against the support of his arms. He stroked the peach gown over her breast. ¡°Not every manes home after a day¡¯s work to a seductress. I must have charms I don¡¯t know about¡± She slid her arms beneath his linen suit jacket to sp his lean waist and press against him. ¡°Egotist¡± she teased lightly. ¡°I want to take you shopping, Kat,¡± he stated in a guarded tone. ¡°But I have everything I need, Jensen,¡± Katherine said. He cupped her chin in one hand and shook it. ¡°We have a cocktail partyte this afternoon, Kitty Kat. I didn¡¯t notice anything appropriate when I hung your clothes in the closetst night¡± Katherine flushed. She imagined the stares as people acknowledged her as Jensen¡¯s new mistress. ¡°I have my own things, Jensen, ¡± she said. ¡°Katherine, please humor me. A man likes not only to take his woman¡¯s clothes off, he also likes to provide them¡± he shrugged and teased. ¡°I admit it¡¯s a macho way to behave¡± Katherine recognized her own defensiveness. She was independent, unused to gifts from men. Yet Jensen asked for nothing more than what she was willing to give. A gift from him expressed his pleasure in giving. ¡°All right¡± Her first tapped his jaw lightly. ¡°But don¡¯t count on dressing me like a San Francisco model¡± ¡°Fine I won¡¯t¡± he agreed. ¡°Let me take care of it. I have already lined up a small fashion show. They will start modeling when we arrive at the shop in¡± -he checked the expensive watch on his wrist -¡°About one hour¡± ¡°You already knew I would say yes¡± Katherine said. ¡°Mmmm,¡± Jensen said. ¡°I was moderately certain. I am nning to enjoy everyst minute of you, Katherine.¡± He kissed her lightly. ¡°You aremitted to me now, Katherine. You admitted it¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m yours, Jensen,¡± she agreed. ¡°But I reserve the right to choose my own clothes¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Jensen sat in a delicate chair next to Katherine¡¯s, his hand looped loosely around her wrist, as models paraded before them. Heplimented the manager of the elite shop. ¡°Your presentation is excellent on such short notice, Mrs Darcy¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to help you, Mr Packard¡± the wiry woman responded. ¡°Once you gave me a description of your friend, it was not difficult to choose clothing that would disy her marvelous coloring to advantage. Ah, notice this dress¡± she said as a model pivoted slowly before them. ¡°I thought you would be interested in the green silk¡± ¡°I think it would suit Katherine, Mrs Darcy¡± Jensen said. Katherine leaned close to Jensen and whispered ¡°I¡¯m not about to parade in front of you in that, Jensen Packard¡± she said. His fingers tightened about her wrist and drew it to his mouth. From his eyes smoldered a sensual fire that melted Katherine¡¯s bones. ¡°Please, Kat?¡± he said. A short timeter, she stood before him d in the green gown with its thigh high slit. Katherine red down at him. ¡°If you think I am going to wear this, you are mistaken,¡± she said. His eyebrows shot upward. What¡¯s wrong with it? ¡°he asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°except that I can¡¯t afford it. Or any of the other things you told her we¡¯d take. I don¡¯t know how I feel about you getting me all these expensive stuff¡± ¡°Damn. I thought we had this all hashed out, Katherine. I want to buy you the dress. What is wrong with that?¡± he asked. Katherine stared at him. He trampled across her sensibilities as easily as he had conquered her heart. It seemed that Jensen¡¯s purpose in life was to keep her constantly off bnce. The upward curve of his mouth was whimsical.¡± Honey, if I could, I¡¯d lock you up so no other man coulde near you. It¡¯s primitive. I know. But these clothes are a ve to my jealousy. Thismitment business is a new game to me, too¡± he exined. ¡°You are going to bend a little bit, aren¡¯t you, Kat?¡± The smile softening his dark features sent Katherine¡¯s determination reeling. That smile had the power to win wars, she concluded. ¡°For me, Kat?¡± The husky rasp sent tingles into her love tender flesh. ¡°You know I would rather have you dressed only in your skin anyway. What difference do clothes make? And who cares who pays the bills?¡± he questioned. ¡°I guess you are right,¡± Katherine agreed slowly. 90 ¡°Of course I am¡± Jensen said. His righteous male tome earned Katherine¡¯s pinch. ¡°Ouch, you little devil¡± He rubbed his side. ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°Equality¡± Katherine replied. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Jensen carried the mound of packages across the living room and dumped them on the couch. He turned to Katherine. ¡°Come here, woman. I want my kiss¡± he said. Later he said. ¡°That was worth waiting for. Do you have any idea how hard it was keeping my hands to myself while you tried on those clothes. At one point considered tossing you over my shoulder and running out of Mrs Darcy¡¯s. That ckce evening gown did it. The front barely covered the necessities. And the back was low enough to show the two cute dimples at the base of your backbone ¡± ¡°Your expression made me decide against the dress¡± Katherine responded with a smile. ¡°It bordered on the lecherous. But you bought too many things¡± she protested, ¡°And spent too much money¡± He lifted her hands to his mouth and looked into her eyes. ¡°I enjoy spending money on you¡± she said. Katherine brushed his knuckles with her mouth. ¡°I love you, Jensen,¡± she said. ¡°Keep telling me that, Kat,¡± he said roughly. Over their joined hands, hisshed veiled another unreadable emotion. ¡°Jensen¡± she murmured, ¡°Are you feeling in need of a tranquilizer? The party is at five and it¡¯s only three thirty¡± Jensen smiled. ¡°I always want your brand of medicine, Kitty Kat,¡± he said. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The elevator throbbed beneath Katherine¡¯s high heels as it rose to the penthouse of the building that housed Jensen¡¯spany. She smoothed the green dress once more and nced at Jensen. His hands rested lightly on a bare shoulder. ¡°You are lovely, Katherine,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything¡± The people crowding the smoke filled room were expensively groomed. In one corner a bartender sshed drinks into crystal sses. A uniformed waiter moved about therge room carrying a tray of hors d¡¯oeuvres. Jensen exchanged pleasantries with some people and then he urged Katherine to the center of the room, one hand on the small of her back. He raised his other hand to demand everyone¡¯s attention. The room quieted. ¡°Friends,¡± he announced. ¡°This is Katherine Kavell. A special friend of mine and business partner. I hope you will extend your courtesy to her during her stay with us¡± Immediately, an expensive mist surrounded Katherine. She smiled, but noted with sadness the uniformity of the expressions. The smiles of the guests stopped before they reached their eyes. Most of the women asked her lots of questions, some even personal questions and made some embarrassingments, but Jensen was there by her side to give them appropriate replies. And she was d that he was with her. Soon Jensen excused himself to talk to one of the men at the party. ¡°I will be right back, honey¡± he said to her. Katherine followed his winding path through the clusters of people in the room. He nced over his shoulder and winked at her. She acknowledged the wink with a nod and a smile before a young man touched her arm. ¡°Hi, Katherine,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m Stephen Miles, executive vice president of thepany¡± Hello ¡°Katherine answered, feeling ufortable as he edged too close to her. His blue eyes eximed her low neckline before rising to her face. ¡± Jensen knows ss when he sees it ¡°he said.¡±How long have you known each other?¡± he asked, his hand slipped intimately to her neck. Katherine met his hot stare with a cold one. Stephen had all the basicponents of a man fascinated with himself, confident that he was irresistible. She moved away from his touch. ¡± Long enough to know when Jensen is angry¡± she said. ¡°He is looking over here now¡± Jensen¡¯s face rose over the others in the room. His swarthy features expressed the smoldering anger she knew prefaced an outburst. Stephen nced at him and sighed. ¡°Ah, well,¡± he said. ¡°Jensen easily tires of affairs. Look me up when you are free, Katherine¡± He shot her onest leer before walking away. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C In the apartment a short timeter, Jensen stood over her, his eyes brooding. ¡°The old ghosts were all lined up at the party, Katherine. I wanted you to know what my life was like before I met you¡± Katherine patted the cushion next to her as she kicked off her shoes. ¡°Sit by me, my love¡± she invited. He stripped off his jacket and loosened his shirt. He sprawled next to her and threw his arm around her. Katherine snuggled against the familiar chest. ¡°This is nice, Jensen. I still get tired easily, I¡¯m afraid -I was ready toe home¡± ¡°I saw you field Stephen¡¯s advances¡± Jensen said. ¡°Were you reminded of yourself, Jensen?¡± she asked as she remembered that day she danced with Kevin James at Jonathan¡¯s wedding. ¡°I have had my share of affairs, Katherine,¡± Jensen said. ¡°None of them mattered. I was never concerned enough about a woman to care if Stephen made a pass at her. Until tonight, I will speak to him, however, about a hands off policy where you are concerned¡± he said in a voice Katherine expected he used at board meetings.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. His fingers tilted her chin upward. ¡°Kat, when you were away, my life was full of parties like that. My friendships were superficial. People came and went. No one really stayed. I didn¡¯t really let them. I was lonely, though I didn¡¯t really notice at the time. I ignored the pain of losing you, covering it up by moving so fast it couldn¡¯t catch me. You made me care again, Katherine ¡± His eyes closed. As theyy together on the couch, he drew her to rest full length against him. Pillowed by his shoulder, Katherine opened his shirt and slipped her hand inside to rest over his heartbeat. ¡± I was so angry when you left ¡°Jensen continued. ¡°and once you came back, I nned a campaign to devastate a certain beautiful dark haireddy and make her beg¡±. ¡°Oh really¡± Katherine murmured smiling, ¡°And how did you n to do that?¡± His hand shaped a silk covered breast, then slid to the zipper and drew it down. ¡°Shh, I will show youter. Right now I¡¯m on a roll¡± The light tone turned serious as he added, ¡°I need to say this Kathrine. Be patient with me¡± 91 She rubbed the tip of his nose with her own and whispered against his mouth. ¡°Go on, my darling,¡± she said. ¡°I realized once more at the party tonight what you mean to me,¡± Jensen said. ¡°Your presence there helped me to put the past and future in perspective. I want¡­ I need¡± he corrected. ¡°You to keep me sane. You can¡¯t imagine how much you mean to me. You have captured every part of me, Kat¡± ¡°You were hard to take at first, Jensen,¡± Katherine agreed. ¡°Arrogant -making waves in my very smooth life. I never realized how narrowly focused my life was until you entered it. I thought I had everything I wanted. With Tim I was happy. But you created shambles out of the neat order. Suddenly, I had to deal not only with one very desirable male, but also with who I was and what I wanted from life.¡± ¡°My darling,¡± she continued. ¡°You made me realize my life needed to be lived¡± she kissed him gently. ¡°You wanted me out of it, as I remember,¡± he said. As Jensen smiled against her lips, she went on. ¡°You rattled me, love¡± she said. ¡°You did not tread lightly¡± Jensen¡¯s hand cupped the back of her head. ¡°I had to realize that my feelings for you were just as strong as ever. You are an amazing woman¡± His shoulders lifted and fell in a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s as much a part of you as the sweet sounds you make when we make love. This kind of love doesn¡¯t happen often between a man and a woman. It¡¯s a rare sweetmitment. You are my love, Kat. You are my life from now on¡± Emotion flickered deep within Jensen¡¯s ck gaze as he whispered. ¡°Do you love me, Kitty Kat?¡± She feathered his lips with her own. ¡°I love you, Jensen Packard,¡± she said. He shook his head slowly. ¡°You don¡¯t have a chance to leave anymore, Kat. Not now¡± he said. ¡°Did I before?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Not really,¡± he replied. I never saw one woman wrapped up in a single beautiful package. A desirable package of curves and beautiful dark hair. No other womanpares to you ¡± ¡°Oh Jensen¡± Katherine said ¡°I want to be in your life. I want to participate in all your rtionships. From Tim, to your mom, to Jonathan, to your friends¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that would make Tim very happy too,¡± Katherine said. ¡°He loves and adores you¡± ¡°How about you sweetheart?¡± he asked. ¡°How do you feel about including me in your future?¡± ¡°I¡¯m d for every hour we spend together,¡± she said. ¡°You are a ss in self enrichment, Jensen. I was in danger of bing a small minded snob. Apart from my family, my life before you was empty. You made me realize that I had more life to live, the fulfillment of being a woman in every sense¡± Jensen caught her fingertips with his teeth. ¡°I want to hold you in my arms each night¡± he murmured huskily. ¡°You are a necessity to me now, Kat¡± ¡°As you are to me, my darling¡± she replied with a kiss that mated their lips in an open, moist surrender.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. After a long enjoyable moment, Jensen asked. ¡°Will you marry me, Katherine?¡±. Her palms slid to frame his hard jaw, her gauze wrapped hand a white banner against his dark skin. ¡°Of course,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°Yes I will marry you, Jensen¡± ¡°Good¡± Jensen said. ¡°I have nned a lifetime of backyard barbecues, homemade ice cream and fishing trips. I want to be in your life, not just traveling through it, sweetheart¡± He paused, then asked ¡°Unless you want to try San Francisco high life?¡± ¡°I want you, Jensen,¡± Katherine said. ¡°But everything else I want lies back at home¡± she said firmly. ¡°Good, Kat. I¡¯m leaving my past here and I won¡¯t reopen any of the chapters¡± Gently he eased the green silk dress and slip from her and smoothed her lower back with his palms. ¡°Beautiful Kat. I love you¡± ¡°And I you¡± she whispered solemnly. Deep emotion filled his face as he tugged her mouth to his. ¡°Thank you foring back into my life, Kat,¡± he said. She trembled as his hand slid over her buttocks. His tongue prated her ear. As his uneven breath entered the coils, her legs twined around his, and her hips pressed against a very distinct male outline. ¡°Love me now, Jensen¡± she whispered huskily. ¡°Oh, I n to, Kitty Kat,¡± he assured her. ¡°All my life. In every way¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- THE END ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR. Did you enjoy this book? Lol.. Of course you did. Why else would you still be here? First of all I want to thank all of you for reading my book. You are all so amazing and I really do appreciate your efforts. I love writing romantic novels, and if you want to enjoy another journey of love, romance and adventure with me, then you should check out my second book ¡°HAPPY FOREVER AFTER¡±. It¡¯splete and also very interesting. Thank you for your support. Don¡¯t forget to leave a review on this book before you move on to the next one. Thank you once again. I love all of you. 92 Hello everyone, I already ended this book, but I noticed most of my readers loved the book so much and kept asking me to continue the book by writing about the lives of Katherine Kavell and Jensen Packard after they got married. I appreciate the love for my book so much that I have decided to go with it. Yes¡­ This is a continuation of the book.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. I also urge my readers to be understanding if my updates are not fast enough as I have other books to write and I¡¯m also a student¡­ If you would like to read aplete book, please check my other novel HAPPY FOREVER AFTER. This book continues from six years after their marriage¡­ So here goes.. ENJOY ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Katherine Packard-Kavell sighed as she got into bed. It had been a long day at work, at home and also at Tim¡¯s school. A long day at work because she had a big birthday party she was catering and she and her team had to bake hundreds of cupcakes. She hated doing things at thest minute and so she had pushed her staff so they could work harder and faster. Sometime during the day, she had to leave her store to pick up her three year old daughter Deanie Packard from school. She would have loved to drop Deanie off at her mom¡¯s house so she could go back to work without any distraction, but today was clearly not her day as her mother was out of town, and so she had to bring Deanie back to the store with her¡­ And it wasn¡¯t easy trying to work with a little kid around.. Trying to work while keeping an eye on a kid wasn¡¯t easy. She didn¡¯t have a babysitter. After Deanie was born, she wanted to get one but Delia Kavell, her mother had insisted that she didn¡¯t need one when she was so close to them. Delia had insisted that one of the benefits of having grandma so close to them was that she didn¡¯t have to pay a stranger to look after her kids and so Katherine had agreed. But today was not her day. Katherine thought. Not that she didn¡¯t like being a mom. She did. Infact she loved it.. So much. It was fulfilling. She had aplete, happy family¡­ Including an extended family so close that they could visit each other¡­ After calling of course. They made sure not to take advantage of their closeness and respected each others privacy. Now she understood why her husband, Jensen Packard had always wanted to stay here¡­ Having family around. People willing to help you in times of need was indeed an underrated gift. Even Jonathan and Kate had a five year old son now. His name was Rance. Rance loved his little cousin Deanie and yed with her every chance he got. It was really cute watching them y. Katherine¡¯s mind drifted to Tim. Tim was Sixteen now. Sometimes she couldn¡¯t even believe it. Tim grew up so fast she didn¡¯t even know how. Her little Tim was almost a young man now. He had grown into his handsome looks and was exhibiting the normal behavior of a teenager. Both good and bad. Just hours after she picked Deanie from school that afternoon, Kathrine had received a phone call from his school regarding his truancy and missed homework. She was even supposed toe to his school the next day with him for a meeting with his principal. Katherine hadn¡¯t said anything to Tim when she got home. Though from the look on her face, Tim knew she was disappointed in him. She simply told him that she was going to drive him to school the next day for the meeting with his principal. To which Tim grunted a reply and hurried to his room. From the look on his face when she told him about the meeting, it was obvious that he already knew what the meeting was about and he knew that he was in trouble with his parents. Jensen often said that Tim reminded him of himself when he was that age. Stubborn, strong willed, temperamental and he had the same hatred for school. They had talked to Tim so many times, but it was beginning to look like all those talks were falling on deaf ears as Tim seemed to be getting worse daily. Speaking of Jensen, Katherine turned to the other side of the bed where her husband should be, but he wasn¡¯t there. Jensen seemed to being homete a lot these days. It bothered her, but she knew that he wouldn¡¯te home sote if he didn¡¯t have a lot of work to do at the office, so she tried to be understanding. When he returned, they would talk about Tim, probably go see his principal together. They had to do something before Tim got out of hand. And she wasn¡¯t sure she could handle this problem with Tim alone. After so much thinking and wondering, Katherine fell asleep. Hourster, she felt the bed dip and strong arms wrapped around her. She awoke and stretched slowly. Her body rubbed intimately against her husbands. 93 ¡°Oh honey¡± Katherine heard Jensen say. ¡°Don¡¯t move like that¡± She turned around so she could face him. ¡°Jensen,¡± she said. Her breath against his neck. ¡°Hmmm¡± he murmured sleepily as he pulled her closer and she buried her face in his neck. He sniffed her hair and smiled contentedly. ¡°You just got home?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Hmmmm¡± Jensen murmured again. ¡°What time is it?¡± she asked. ¡°Three thirty¡± Jensen replied Katherine sat up, her brows came together as she frowned. ¡°What?¡± she said. ¡°And you are justing home?¡± ¡°Yep¡± Jensen replied, his eyes still closed as hey beside her. ¡°Look Jensen,¡± Katherine began. ¡°I know you have a lot to do and I know that you are really busy at work. But you have to make out time to be with us at home. The kids and I need you and I don¡¯t want this to be a habit¡± Jensen sighed. He knew she was right. He opened his eyes then he wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her down to the bed so she was lying next to him again. ¡°I know, baby,¡± he said. ¡°And I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s just that we have so many ongoing projects at the office and it¡¯s gonna take a lot of time toplete. We have deadlines and so there¡¯s a particr amount of work we have to handle each day so we know that we are making progress. But don¡¯t worry, honey. I will try to hurry things up at the office so I cane home early¡± Katherine nodded. ¡°Alright. Thank you¡± she said. She snuggled closer to him and then sheughed softly when she felt the hard ridge of him pressed into her stomach.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°I thought you said you were tired, honey. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be?¡± she asked teasingly. Jensen chuckled. ¡°I am,¡± he said. ¡°But not so tired that my body won¡¯t react to you being pressed up against me like that¡± Katherine giggled and reached up. She cupped his face in her soft hands and kissed him deeply. He kissed her back softly, and then deeply and hungrily. He kissed her over and over, tasting her as if it were the first time. She was as sexy to him as she¡¯d always been. Maybe more so. He pulled back, trying to control himself, but Katherine moaned in protest. She caught his hand and brought it to the apex of her thighs. He felt her heat, even beneath the nightie she wore. And when he pressed his palm against her, her alreadybored breathing sped up. ¡°Jensen,¡± she whispered, then gasped again. ¡°Oh!¡± Her hand covered his, and she pressed down against his palm. He listened to her shallow, rhythmic breaths, her small cries. And clenched his teeth to keep from fol-lowing her climax with his own. ¡°I want to be inside you.¡± Jensen said softly. She didn¡¯t say anything, but helped him pull her boxer shorts down. She pushed him back to bed and he tried to rise, then lifted her nightie and mounted his cock as she wore no panties. Since she was already wet from her own orgasm, he slid inside her with no resistance, and he expelled a pent up sigh. Silently she began riding him, her movements slow and deliberate, her gaze locked on him. He liked it when she took charge like this. He lifted her hands and peeled off her nightie. With her breasts so close to his mouth, he couldn¡¯t resist tasting them, couldn¡¯t resist squeezing them together and relishing their soft fullness against his hands, against his tongue. ¡°Can I touch you?¡± he said softly. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, and he slid his hands over her torso, around her hips, to her ass. He pressed her harder against him, coaxed her into a faster pace as the sweet tension mounted inside him. A few more strokes was all it would take, but he wanted her there with him, wanted to give her a little bonus for giving him such hot sex and always making him happy. Slipping his fingers down, he caressed her hot little clit, he found her most sensitive spot and massaged her there. She gasped and ground against him, contracted around his cock, almost with him¡­A little more, and she¡¯d be there¡­He pushed farther, flexed inside her, tried hard to hold himself back until just the right moment. She came hard, bucked against him, cried out, and he let himself go, too. Just the way he¡¯d wanted it. He spilled himself, felt the pure, white hot release shooting out of him again and again, his cries mingling with hers until she copsed against him. He could feel her heartbeat, listened to their breathing, which slowed to normal again as minutes passed, and finally she stirred. She sat up and looked at him and then smiled, she rolled over to her side of the bed. ¡°That was amazing,¡± she said. ¡°You know, Jensen, There are things I want to tell you but let me wash off first¡± Jensen nodded slowly, still spent from their love making. 94 ¡°You can¡¯t believe what happened today. I got a call from Tim¡¯s principal today¡± Katherine began as she emerged from the bathroom. ¡°Apparently he has been missing sses and he hasn¡¯t been doing his homework. I can¡¯t tell you how embarrassing it was listening to his principalin about him over the phone. I honestly don¡¯t know what is happening with Tim. I know he¡¯s a teenager and I understand that he¡¯s going through all that teenager mood swings and attitude stuff, but honestly I¡¯m beginning to worry about him¡± ¡°You are worrying too much¡± Jensen said as he yawned and stretchedzily on the bed. ¡°He is just going through a phase. It¡¯s normal. Everything will be fine. I went through that phase too and I turned out okay, didn¡¯t I? Katherine took him a deep breath as she climbed back into bed, but she sat up instead of lying down.¡±I know. I know he is just growing up, but honestly, I¡¯m starting to get worried. I feel like we should do something about the way he has been acting because if we don¡¯t, he might just get worse. You know we are supposed to go with him to school tomorrow¡­ Or today rather, to see his principal. Oh¡­ I hate meetings like that¡­ But it¡¯s going to be better because you areing with me ¡± She stopped talking when Jensen didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Jensen?¡± Katherine called. ¡°You areing with me to Tim¡¯s school right?¡± Jensen still didn¡¯t reply and then Katherine smiled when she heard him breath deeply. And she knew he had fallen asleep. He must be very tired and she was sitting here rambling. Shey down and put his hand around herself. They could talk about Tim in the morning. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°No, Deanie¡± Katherine said as she fixed the breakfast table. ¡°No ying with your food, honey¡± Deanie wasn¡¯t listening. ¡°Toast¡± she said as she banged her small, chubby hands on the table. Katherine sighed as she pulled the cup of milk away from Deanie¡¯s reach. ¡°Tim! Breakfast!¡± she yelled. ¡°Come down here¡± A minuteter, Tim came down the stairs, already carrying his backpack. His face grumpy. ¡°Good morning mom,¡± he said. ¡°Then he proceeded to walk out through the back door¡± ¡°And where do you think you are going, young man?¡± Katherine asked as she watched him, her hands on her hips. ¡°School,¡± Tim replied. ¡°Without having breakfast?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Tim said. ¡°You only refuse to eat whenever you are mad about something¡± Katherine said. ¡°And you should know by now that there is no way I¡¯m letting you go to school without having breakfast, so drop that backpack and sit down. I¡¯m the only one who has any reason to be angry by the way¡± Tim rolled his eyes, but he did as he was told, although he picked at his food. ¡°And besides, you know your dad and I areing to your school with you. So we are taking you to school today¡± Katherine said. ¡°Why?¡± Tim said, looking even more pissed. ¡°I have my car. I can drive to school. I don¡¯t need you bringing me to school. I¡¯m not a little kid¡± ¡°Well, you should have thought about that before you decided to act like a child,¡± Katherine said. ¡°If you want to be treated like an adult, you have to act like one. And from the look of this, it¡¯s obvious that your dad and I have been giving you way too much freedom to do whatever you want and you are abusing the privilege. Tim said nothing. But he rolled his eyes and focused on his food. Jensen came down that minute too. And Deanie smiled immediately she saw him. ¡°Hi!¡± she yelled, smacking her little table once again. ¡°Dada¡­ Ba.. Ba¡­ Ba.¡± she said. The little girl had Jensen¡¯s dark eyes and small smiling mouth. Like most kids her age, she had chubby legs. Hers sprouted from a pair of pink shorts. The friendly sparkle to her eyes was all from Jensen. She really was a cute kid. No one was immune to her charms and despite Katherine¡¯s bad mood concerning the issues she was having with Tim, her expression seemed to soften as she stared at her daughter. ¡°Ba to you too¡± Jensen said to Deanie smiling as he reached out to kiss Katherine on the cheek. ¡°Hi, honey,¡± he said. ¡°Good morning dad,¡± Tim said. ¡°Morning son,¡± Jensen said as he patted Tim on the shoulder. He turned to Katherine. ¡°See you tonight honey,¡± he said. ¡°What?¡± Katherine said, her eyes widening ¡°I thought we were supposed to go to Tim¡¯s school together today.¡± Jensen eyebrows came together. He looked confused and then Katherine remembered that he had slept off while she was talking to him the previous night. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the living room¡± she said, as she left the dining room.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Okay¡± Jensen said, and followed her, but not before he grabbed a toast from the table and bit into it. 95 ¡°What¡¯s up¡± he asked as he got to the living room, still chewing the toast. ¡°Wow. You look pissed. What¡¯s wrong honey? Did I forget to do something again?¡± he teased, trying to make herugh. It didn¡¯t work. ¡°Wow¡± Jensen said, as he swallowed the toast and smacked his hands against each other. ¡°You are not in a good mood¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes I¡¯m not¡± Katherine said. She began to pace the living room. ¡°Look, I know you have really busy a lottely. But I want you to remember that you also have responsibilities here at home. I don¡¯t want to have to keep handling stuff like this alone. I told youst night that Tim is having problems at school and I have to go see his principal. I was really hoping that you woulde with me. You are supposed to be involved in this too. I can¡¯t handle everything alone especially when ites to the kids.¡± Jensen sighed deeply.¡±I know baby,¡± he said. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry. I really am. I wish I could go with you but I can¡¯t. I have a meeting today and I¡¯m already a bitte for it. We have potential investorsing in today and I want to make sure I get this deal. And that also involves making a good impression¡± Katherine¡¯s rolled her eyes and stopped pacing. She wrapped her hands around her self. ¡°You have to understand me, Kat¡± Jensen said. ¡°It¡¯s just that work is taking so much of my time. You know I love spending time with you and the kids. I will try to find some time to talk to Tim too. Okay?¡± ¡°Fine¡± Katherine said. She knew she would lose the argument if she kept talking. She knew how much Jensen loved his job and how important it was to him. ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± Jensen said, and he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. ¡°You didn¡¯t even have breakfast,¡±Katherine said when she finally pulled away from him.¡± You didn¡¯t have dinnerst night either. And you know it¡¯s not everyday that I prepare lunch for you. I¡¯m a bit worried that you are stressing too much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Jensen assured her. ¡°I will eat at the office anytime you don¡¯t prepare my lunch. And it might be a bit stressful, I know, but it¡¯s fulfilling.. Especially after a project isplete¡± Katherine nodded. She understood. ¡°Alright¡± she said. ¡°You should get going so you won¡¯t bete. Try toe home early today¡± ¡°I will, honey,¡± Jensen said as he kissed her briefly on the lips. ¡°Give the kids a kiss and a hug for me¡± And then he was gone. Katherine remained on the spot for a while. She didn¡¯t know what it was, but she had this nagging pit in her stomach that something was wrong. Or that something was going to go wrong. She hoped it was all it was going to be-a bad feeling that would eventually go away. She loved her life right now. Despite the little issues, it was perfect. She had a wonderful, happy family, and she wanted it to stay that way. She would do anything in her power to keep it that way. She turned and returned to the dining room where she hurriedly carried the breakfast things to the kitchen. She would clean them up when she returned from work. Right now, she had to take her kids to school. After she dropped Deanie off at her school, she headed for Tim¡¯s school with him. The ride to his school was very quiet. And when she tried to talk to him, she realized that she was speaking to herself as Tim had his earphones on. ¡°Great¡± she said aloud, ¡°Obviously I can¡¯t talk to anyone in this family for more than two minutes any more. Everybody has their own stuff going on.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Come back here, young man?¡± Katherine said as she marched angrily out of the principal¡¯s office. ¡°Where the heck do you think you are going?¡± she asked Tim, who was hurrying away. ¡°Ermm¡­ To ss¡± he said. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s toote for that now, Mr¡± Katherine said angrily. ¡°You didn¡¯t attend those sses when you were supposed to and suddenly now you want to? Now tell me, what is this your principal just told me about you also getting into a fight?¡± Tim didn¡¯t reply, instead he looked at his shoes. ¡°I will not repeat myself,¡± Katherine said. ¡°Look, mom, it wasn¡¯t my fault, okay? Paul started it¡± he said stubbornly. ¡°And you thought the only way to fix whatever issues you guys were having was to get into a fight with him?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°My God. Tim. Skipping sses, not doing homework and now this? What exactly is wrong with you? Do you know that you could get suspended. Aren¡¯t you even worried about your future? This could affect you really badly if you keep on acting this way¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care,¡± Tim said stubbornly. 96 ¡°Oh really?¡± Katherine replied. ¡°Well then, I am your mother and I¡¯m going to make sure that you start to care from now on¡±. Tim stared wide eyed at her. The expression on his face showed that he knew exactly what wasing next. ¡°You are grounded,¡± Katherine said. ¡°What?¡± Tim asked like he couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard. ¡°Yeah¡± Katherine said. ¡°You heard me. You are grounded. And don¡¯t even act surprised. You should have known this wasing since you¡¯ve been acting like a brat. So from now on, apart from school, and football games and practice, you are not allowed to leave the house for any reason. You will go from school, to practice and back home. You are not allowed to have any friends over too. You will stay at home and work on those assignments you missed ¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± Tim said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry mom¡± he said, trying to look sincere. ¡°That is not going to work young man. You know me. I¡¯m not falling for that¡± Katherine said. ¡°How long am I going to be grounded?¡± Tim asked, epting his fate. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Katherine said smoothly. ¡°You will be grounded until you change this terrible attitude you picked up. And I mean real change. So you better don¡¯t think of faking it because I will know. And oh, before I forget, give me your car keys¡± ¡°What? Tim yelled again.¡± What for? ¡°he asked. ¡± Don¡¯t ask me stupid questions.¡± Katherine said.¡±You are not allowed to drive while you are grounded. Just hand it over¡± Tim sighed and fished the keys out of his pants pocket and handed it to her reluctantly. ¡°How am I supposed to get to school if you are taking away my car keys, mom?¡± He asked, sounding frustrated. Katherine grinned at him. ¡°Good question,¡± she said. ¡°You walk to school, young man. Most of your school mates do, so you will join them. I¡¯m taking away certain privileges. So you better wake up very early from now on. And if I get any report from your school that you arete, your punishment increases. You walk to school, or you take your bike like you did before¡± ¡°My bike?¡± Tim repeated. ¡°Oh that is such a huge step down mom. I can¡¯t go back to riding my bike. It¡¯s humiliating too¡± ¡°Good,¡± Katherine said. ¡°Then my work here is done. Maybe now you will learn your lesson. I¡¯m going to work now. Your punishment starts today, don¡¯t forget. Do as you are told if you want this to end real quick. So better go to ss and don¡¯te homete. Have a nice day¡± She leaned forward and gave him a peck on his cheek, which he wiped away angrily. Katherineughed at his reaction. ¡°Bye, honey,¡± she said.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Jensen walked back into his office after hours of talking at the meeting and sank into his chair. He groaned and buried his face in his hands. Damn. He was very tired. And he was starting to develop a stupid headache.. The worst part was that he still had more things to do which he had to hurry up. And so he wasn¡¯t thrilled when he heard a knock on his office door. ¡°I thought I made it clear that I did not want to be disturbed, Debbie?¡± he said angrily, assuming that it was his assistant. When he looked up, it wasn¡¯t his assistant, but one of the potential investors he had just concluded a meeting with. His ex, Shay Trevor. Not that they actually had a rtionship, it had been purely sexual, and they hadn¡¯t kept in touch after they ended things. Behind her, his assistant, Debbie, followed closely. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry sir,¡± Debbie said.¡±I tried to exin to her that you did not want any form of disturbance, but she walked right past me. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Debbie.¡± Jensen said. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You may return to your desk¡± Debbie turned to go, but not before she gave Shay Trevor a look that said ¡°I don¡¯t like you one bit¡± Shay gave her the stink eye right back, and after she left, she turned to Jensen. ¡°That assistant of yours has a lot of nerve,¡± she said. ¡°I would love to see her get fired. Maybe that will put her in her ce¡± ¡°She is just doing her job,¡± Jensen said. ¡°Which she is very good at by the way, so I don¡¯t see that happening¡± ¡°Yeah whatever¡± Shay said. ¡°She is very rude¡± ¡°Please sit down,¡± Jensen said. Shay didn¡¯t sit, but paced the office, her heels clicked loudly and Jensen felt his headache be worse. ¡°Is there something you need help with, Shay?¡± he asked, as he rested his left hand on his table, hoping she would leave soon. Shay stopped pacing and then took the seat he offered and smiled at him. ¡°I just wanted to say hi,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s been a while¡­ Really long actually. Or am I not allowed to do that any more? Is it because you are married now?¡± she asked, as her eyes dropped to the ring on his finger. 97 ¡°Of course you can,¡± Jensen replied, as he rxed in his chair. ¡°Forgive me, I¡¯m just¡­ Really tired¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Shay replied. ¡°I have to admit, I honestly couldn¡¯t believe it when I heard you got married. I mean it¡¯s you. You who hated getting into serious rtionships and avoided them like a gue.¡± Jensen sighed. ¡°Well I guess things just change when you meet the right person, don¡¯t they?¡± he asked. Shay rolled her eyes. ¡°The right person,¡± she repeated. ¡°Well, It¡¯s such a shame that things didn¡¯t go that far between us, you know we were really perfect together, you and I. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Did youe to talk about that, Shay?¡± Jensen asked, sounding uninterested, ¡°Because I have a lot of work to do¡± Shay frowned. ¡°Is that your way of asking me out of your office, Jensen? Wow, that is so rude, you have never chased me out of a room before, if I remember correctly, you were always such in a hurry to get me into one¡± Jensen decided to change the topic. ¡°Have you and Drake made a decision about investing in thepany?¡± he asked. ¡°Not exactly¡± Shay said, ¡°You know how Drake is, he likes to take everything really seriously. Wants to make sure there isn¡¯t going to be any problem. I¡¯m sure he wille around anyway, I will make sure of that so don¡¯t worry. Plus, we will get to work together again and I¡¯m so looking forward to that ¡°. Jensen nodded.¡± Thank you, Shay¡± he said. ¡°And you wife¡± Shay continued, not caring that Jensen wanted to go back to work. ¡°Will she be okay with you working with me? I mean, I know she has never met me, but I was just wondering if she would be okay with our partnership, especially when she finds out we were, you know¡­. Lovers¡± Shay¡¯s mouth formed into a small O when Jensen didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Wow¡± she said. ¡°So I see you haven¡¯t even told her. That¡¯s a risky move, baby. Tell me, Jensen¡± she stood up from her chair and cat walked to Jensen, and then sat on his desk, exposing her smoothps through the slit in her skirt, ¡°Are you happily married?¡± she asked. Jensen rested his head on his head rest and looked directly at her, his hands tapping on the hand rest of the chair. ¡°Of course I am, why would you ask me that?¡± he asked. ¡°Urmmm¡± Shay began, trying to make her voice even more seductive. ¡°because happily married men tell their wives before they get into business deals with their exes. I mean, I¡¯m not married but even I know that. Wow, if I didn¡¯t know better, I would think you wanted me back in your life¡± Jensen rose slowly from his chair and adjusted his shirt cor. ¡°I am happily married, Shay¡± he said, cing emphasis on the married, ¡°And as for my wife, I can talk to her. That shouldn¡¯t be your business at all. You just focus on Drake and get him to make a decision quickly. Now, I don¡¯t mean to rude, but I really do have a lot of work to get back to, so¡­ if you don¡¯t mind¡± ¡°Oh I don¡¯t mind at all¡± Shay replied as she slid off his desk and ced a one hand with beautifully manicured nails on his chest. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to make small talk. Like I said before, I¡¯m super excited to be working with you again. I will be going home now, see you tomorrow¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She leaned over and kissed his cheek before he realized what she was about to do. She smiled as he suddenly jerked away from her. ¡°Rx Jensen. You really need to rx¡± she said. ¡°You are so uptight¡± Then she walked out of his office, making sure she swayed her hips left and right. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Katherine looked at her wrist watch as she put little Deanie to bed after an hour of crying on Deanie¡¯s part. She missed her daddy and Katherine could do nothing but say ¡°daddy is gonna be home soon, sweetie¡±. But Deanie wasn¡¯t listening to that. Katherine looked at her watch again. It was almost twelve and Jensen still wasn¡¯t home and the worst part of it was that neither was Tim. Tim¡¯s phone wasn¡¯t going through either and she had called everyone who she thought Tim would be with. After she made sure that Deanie was finally asleep, she went back to the kitchen and after washing up the dinner things and putting the kitchen back in order she called Jensen. He picked up after the fourth ring. ¡°Hey sweetie¡± Jensen began before she could say anything. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I¡¯mte again. I know I promised I woulde home early today but I had a lot of stuff to do at the office. But, I¡¯m on my way home now, honey. I¡¯m gonna be home in like two minutes¡± 98 Katherine shook her head. They could talk about thatter. ¡°Tim isn¡¯t home yet, Jensen¡± she said. ¡°I have been trying to reach him but I can¡¯t get through to him. I¡¯m really getting worried here.¡± Katherine was staring at panic as lots of thoughts were going on in her head. What if something bad had happened to him? What if someone grabbed him? He didn¡¯t have his car. This was all her fault. ¡°What?¡± Jensen said. ¡°He¡¯s not home by this time?¡± ¡°Yes¡± Katherine said, almost screaming with fear. ¡°Alright baby,¡± Jensen said. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I will be home soon okay? We will figure this out. Try not to overreact¡± ¡°Okay¡± Katherine said, trying to calm herself down. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª By the time Jensen got home Katherine was totally loosing it. ¡°Is he home?¡± Jensen asked as soon as he got into the house. Katherine was pacing the house, unable to sit down, unable to think straight. ¡°No he is not home obviously¡± she snapped at him. ¡°I have called everyone. No has seen him. I have called ire, I called Dillon and Jon. I even called mom. He is not with them. Jensen I took his car keys today. What if something happened to him? It¡¯s all my fault. Look, it¡¯s starting to rain and he is not here. Oh by God¡­ I can¡¯t.. I can¡¯t¡± Katherine broke down, unable to say anything else, and Jensen pulled her into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Kat¡± he said, trying to reassure her and trying not to panic as well. ¡°I¡¯m sure he is fine. But just to be safe I¡¯m going to call the police so they can-¡± The sound of the back door opening made him stop talking and they both watched in surprise as Tim walked into the house, all wet from head to toe. Katherine forgot all about her fear and ran towards him. She pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly. ¡°Mom¡± Tim protested. ¡°Mom, you are choking me¡± Katherine released him, but she held onto his shoulder. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked and he nodded. ¡°Where the hell have you been? I have been calling you. What the hell happened to your phone?¡± ¡°It died,¡± Tim said. ¡°It died?¡± Jensen asked as he moved closer. ¡°And you couldn¡¯t find a way to call home and let us know that you are okay? You couldn¡¯t charge your phone so we could reach you? Do you have any idea how worried we have been?¡± Tim shrugged. ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t have to be worried,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m fine, ain¡¯t I?¡± Then he began to walk out of the living room. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare take another step, young man¡± Jensen thundered. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare walk away from us. Now get back here¡± Tim frowned, but he did as he was told. ¡°Now tell us where the hell you have been and why you areing home sote¡± Jensen said. ¡°And I want the truth¡± Tim rolled his eyes, looking exasperated. ¡°I was at a friend¡¯s ce¡­ I kinda lost track of time¡± ¡°A friend¡¯s ce?¡± Katherine repeated, her anger returning now that she saw that he was okay. ¡°How could you be at a friend¡¯s ce when I told you that you are grounded? I told you this morning that you had to go from school to practice and back home¡± ¡°Yeah I know what you said¡± Tim replied carelessly. ¡°And maybe I would have been able to get home sooner if you hadn¡¯t taken away my car¡± Katherine moved towards him angrily and Jensen held her back. ¡°Hey¡± he said to Tim. ¡°Don¡¯t you talk back to your mother that way. You do not get to leave this house ande home whenever you want¡± ¡°And why can¡¯t I?¡± Tim snapped at Jensen. ¡°You do it all the time. You are hardly home these days. You don¡¯t even eat at home anymore. And now when I do it, it¡¯s such a bad thing. You know, maybe before you start to give me any advice, you should¡­.¡± ¡°Alright that¡¯s it¡± Katherine shouted and Tim shut up. ¡°You know you are getting way out of line Tim. I don¡¯t know what you are trying to prove here but I have had it with you. Your acting out doesn¡¯t change anything. Now that I see that you are okay, You are still grounded. You still won¡¯t have your car back, and now I¡¯m taking away more stuff, like you videos games and stuff¡­ And oh guess what? Your phone too¡­ Hand it over ¡± ¡°What?¡± Tim yelled. ¡°Yeah that¡¯s right,¡± Katherine said. ¡°I have had enough. You decided not to call today because you wanted to act out. You decided to stay outte. So you are going to face the consequences. You obviously don¡¯t need your phone then if you won¡¯t call us to tell us where you are. And just so you know, your punishment will only get worse as long as you continue to misbehave. Now give it to me ¡°Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. 99 Tim handed the phone to her, obviously frustrated that things had backfired. ¡°You are both so annoying,¡± he yelled before he rushed to his room. Katherine buried her face in her hands. Confused about how she was feeling. She couldn¡¯t decide if she was more angry at Tim for being such a brat or relieved that he was back home and safe.. She sighed, and then she felt Jensen¡¯s hand on her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Jensen said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much about him. He is just acting out and being a teenager. It¡¯s normal. At least we know that he is safe and not into trouble. At least we know he is home.¡± Katherine¡¯s anger returned in full force. She lifted her head and dropped her hands, then she turned to face him. ¡°Excuse me?¡± she said angrily and Jensen took one step backward. ¡°I¡¯m in trouble too, am I not?¡± he asked. ¡°Like hell you are¡± Katherine yelled as she took one step towards him. ¡°Now where the hell have you been and why are you justing home now?¡± she asked. Jensen frowned. ¡°Honey,¡± he began. ¡°I told you on the phone. I was busy at work. I had a lot to do. I still have a lot to do. Look, baby, I understand that you are really upset right now about this thing with Tim. I¡¯m upset about it too, but please don¡¯t take out your anger on me. I handle that right now ¡± He turned and grabbed his suit jacket which he had removed earlier and began to walk towards the stairs. Which made Katherine even more angry ¡°I¡¯m not done talking, Jensen¡± she yelled, ¡°So don¡¯t you dare walk away from me right now¡± ¡°Oh really now?¡± Jensen asked sarcastically as he turned to face her. ¡°Talk? Is that it? Do you really want to talk, Kat? Or do you want to yell? Because those are two different things and you are yelling. That is exactly what you are doing right now and I¡¯m not in the mood for that. As you can see, I¡¯m really, really tired¡± ¡°You see, that¡¯s what I am talking about,¡± Katherine said, as she ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. ¡°You are tired because you spend almost every hour of every day at the office working. Tim is right, you are never home these days. You don¡¯t even eat with us anymore. You promised me you would be home early today, but of course you arete again. And I¡¯m left to handle everything about the kids alone. Even little Deanie wanted you here tonight, but of course you weren¡¯t here. She cried herself to sleep. Tim has been acting out and I don¡¯t I don¡¯t know what his problem is. But of course I am left to handle it alone¡­ ¡± Jensen sighed and threw the jacket on the chair once more, then he faced Katherine.¡± You make it sound like I¡¯m at the office ying with toys or something? I¡¯m working, Kat. For all of us. I don¡¯t understand, are you ming me for what is happening with Tim?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ming you for that. I just want you to care. I have a job too and I don¡¯t let it affect my time with my family. My job is important too¡± Katherine yelled. ¡°I care. Don¡¯t you dare say that I don¡¯t care. And yeah, I know-how know you have your job too, But it¡¯s not as¡­ as¡­.¡± Jensen began. ¡°As what?¡± Katherine asked angrily. ¡°Are you trying to say that your job is more important than mine?¡± ¡°No. Of course that is not what I¡¯m trying to say¡± Jensen said immediately. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that you should understand that my job could be more demanding than yours. It could take more of my time and you should be more understanding¡± ¡°You know that I have tried to be understanding,¡± Katherine said. ¡°But it¡¯s bing a habit. It has be a normal thing for you toe home sote that even Tim notices it. It has be a normal thing for you not to have breakfast or dinner with us. I know your job is important, but your family is too, Jensen. We need you. I need you. How can you not see that?¡± Jensen lifted his hands and rubbed his forehead.¡±I can¡¯t do this right now, Katherine¡± he said. ¡°I have a fucking headache and I can¡¯t talk about this. I don¡¯t want to have this conversation right now¡±. ¡°Why not? Katherine asked. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to, okay?¡± Jensen snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk because I¡¯m tired. Do I need your permission to get some rest too?¡± ¡°And so we are just going to push this aside, like we push aside everything elsetely?¡± Katherine asked. Her voice shook. ¡°Yes, Kat, that is exactly what we are going to do¡± Jensen replied carelessly.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Katherine stared at him, unable to say anything else. Right now, it was almost like she couldn¡¯t recognize him. 100 He was acting so differently that she was beginning to wonder if she did something wrong? How things had gotten to this extent she didn¡¯t know. ¡°You know I can¡¯t even look at you right now¡± she said. ¡°So maybe you should just spend the night in one of the guest rooms¡± ¡°Great,¡± Jensen said. ¡°You read my mind¡± Katherine shook her head, but she didn¡¯t say anything else. She couldn¡¯t. Her perfect little family seemed to be falling apart right in front of heryand she couldn¡¯t really do anything about it. She felt so helpless. She moved past him and ran up stairs into the bedroom and only when she curled up in bed did she let the tears flow. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Hey Tim¡± Dn Winchester said as he shut his locker. ¡°You areing to my party tomorrow night, right?¡± he asked. ¡°Ermmm no. I don¡¯t think so. Sorry man¡± Tim replied regretfully. ¡°Why not?¡± Dn asked. ¡°Because our Tim here is grounded¡± Oliver Be chipped in. Making Tim want to punch him. ¡°You are grounded? Why?¡± Peter Salvatore asked. Tim sighed. ¡°Guys, just forget about it,¡± Tim said. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to talk about it. I¡¯m just noting to the party. Let¡¯s leave it at that, shall we¡± His friends exchanged knowing looks and grinned. ¡°Come on, tell us,¡± Dn said. ¡°You know there is no way we are going to let it go until you tell us.¡± ¡°Fine. I will tell you¡± Tim said, banging his locker shut. ¡°I¡¯m grounded¡­ for skipping sses and not doing my assignment. And oh! I stayed over at Dn¡¯s house the other day and I got home reallyte. Really pissed my mom and dad off. So she took my car keys, myptop, my phone, and my video games. I gotta tell you guys it¡¯s hell. I have to be well behaved from now on if I want those things back and because I know that she will take away something else if I piss her off again¡­ Like my allowance ¡± ¡°Oh God forbid, ¡± Peter said.¡±Oh man, without my allowance I¡¯m always in a terrible mood.¡± ¡°Tell me about it¡± Tim grumbled, and then he turned to Oliver. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t already know. I thought my mom must have told your mom¡±. ¡°Well she didn¡¯t. Or maybe she did. Who knows. Doesn¡¯t matter¡± Oliver said. ¡°What matters right now is that you can¡¯te to the party and that sucks.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Tim said. Dn shook his head. ¡°Come on man, you can find a way,¡± he said. ¡°You can sneak out of the house now, can¡¯t you? If you do it right, your parents won¡¯t even know you were out of the house in the first ce¡± he said. Tim shrugged. ¡°Yeah, that sounds tempting I gotta admit¡± he said. ¡°But I think I¡¯m just going to skip this one too. Things could get worse for me and I don¡¯t want to piss my mom off right now. She and my dad are going through some stuff and I really hate seeing her get hurt. I don¡¯t want to add to it¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ohhhhhh¡± Peter said giggling, and the others joined him. ¡°Such a momma¡¯s boy¡±. ¡°Yeah whatever¡± Tim said, rolling his eyes. Just then, Dn nodded to the right ¡°Hey guys check it out¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s the new girl¡± They all turned in the direction he indicated, the topic of the party briefly forgotten. Tim watched as Chloe Gilbert.. Yes, that was her name. He was sure it was because he had been captivated by her the first time he saw her in ss some days back. He had even tried to smile at her but she had given him this ¡®stay the hell away from me look¡¯. It was weird. The girl didn¡¯t seem to like him. And it was weird because everyone did. But that hadn¡¯t stopped him from watching her, especially when she had toe to the front of the ss to introduce herself. He had shifted ufortably in his chair as she had talked about her family. Lucky enough to have the noble blood of African chiefs and the integrity of not one but two aplished professors flowing through her veins. Skin a dark sunset gold, so smooth and soft and warm. Tim had watched her with growing interest. Being a jock and one of the most popr and cutest guys in school, he always got a lot of attention, especially from girls. He was used to that, but it was different with Miss Gilbert here. She seemed to want nothing to do with him, didn¡¯t seem to notice him. Even when he stared continuously at her, just so she would look in his direction. That drew her to him even more. ¡°Oh look¡± Oliver said, when he saw the look on Tim¡¯s face as he watched her. ¡°Looks like Tim has a crush on the new girl¡± They allughed, and Peter pped Tim on the shoulder. ¡°You like her, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think she is even that hot¡± 101 Tim shook off Peter¡¯s hands. ¡°No one asked for your opinion, Peter. And I don¡¯t have a thing or a crush on her. Not that it¡¯s any of your business if I did¡± he said defensively. Then he watched as Chloe opened her locker and withdrew some books¡± ¡°Rx man. Jeez¡± Peter said. ¡°I¡¯m just messing with you obviously¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Well then¡± Dn said to Tim. ¡°From the look on your face, you look like you are scared of talking to her then. I totally understand if you like her though, she is kinda cute¡± ¡°What?¡± Tim said, though he knew deep in his heart that they were not entirely wrong. ¡°Scared of what exactly? I¡¯m not scared of talking to her. She¡¯s just a girl. There is nothing to be afraid of¡± ¡°Well then¡± Oliver chipped in ¡°She is right there. Why don¡¯t you go talk to her¡± Tim gave him a look and swung his backpack over his shoulder. ¡°No way. Go talk to her and say what?¡± he said. Then he added when they grinned at each other. ¡°Not because I¡¯m scared or any stupid shit like that. I just don¡¯t have anything to say to her. And I don¡¯t have to prove anything to you shit heads¡± ¡°Ohhhh¡± Dn said when Tim tried to leave. ¡°He is definitely scared. Come on Tim, don¡¯t be a wuss¡± Tim stopped walking, then he turned and looked from his friends to Chloe and then back to his friends. ¡°Fine. I will do it¡± he said, not wanting to gain a reputation as a wuss who couldn¡¯t talk to a girl. ¡°Douche bags,¡± he added. ¡°Can I help you hold your backpack?¡± Peter asked, grinning. ¡°Shut up, Peter¡± Tim said, then he walked up to Chloe Gilbert, trying to look tough and brave and hoping that she couldn¡¯t hear his heart beating. Because he could swear it was beating very loudly right now. ¡°Hi¡± he said when he got to her, he leaned against the locker near hers and waited for her to turn. She was reading a book, or ncing through, he didn¡¯t know which, but she turned secondster and her eyes met his. ¡°Hi¡± Tim said again, marveled at how all words seemed to fly right out of his head. ¡°Hello,¡± she replied. Then shook her head when Tim didn¡¯t say anything else. Her eyes seemed to ask ¡®Can I help you?¡¯ Tim got the message. He cleared his throat. ¡°Hi¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Tim¡± shepleted for him. ¡°I know¡± ¡°You do?¡± Tim said stupidly. ¡°How¡­ I mean how did you know that?¡± She shook her head again. ¡°Duh¡­ Hello. We are in the same ss, right? I have heard people call you or talk to you¡­ And I have a brain. I can remember stuff¡± ¡°Oh right,¡± Tim said. ¡°Or maybe you have been watching me,¡± he grinned at her. ¡°Yeah you wish¡± she said, rolling her eyes. Tim decided to ignore that ¡°And you are Chloe¡± She nodded, then said ¡°Is there something you need help with¡­ Tim?¡± she asked. ¡°Oh no not really¡± Tim said quickly. ¡°I.. Urmmm¡­ Just wanted to say hello. And Urmmm to tell you that since you are new here, you cane to me if you need help with anything. Maybe find the library or something¡± he smiled nervously. ¡°I¡­. Urmmm.. see you like books a lot. I mean, you seem to always be reading one¡­. So if you need anything, you can just ask me. Like if you need a friend¡­ Or something¡± Chloe stared at him for a few seconds like she didn¡¯t understand what he just said, then she looked away and rolled her eyes a little. ¡°Yeah right¡± she said. Tim frowned. What was with this girl? ¡°What does that mean?¡± he asked, not understanding her reaction. Here he was trying to be a nice guy. He had never offered anyone that kind of help before. Chloe returned her attention to him. ¡°Look,¡± she said. ¡°Thanks for offering. But there is honestly no way I could be friends with the likes of you¡± she shifted her gaze to his friends who were watching them and giggling. She shut her locker and tried to move past him but he blocked her path. ¡°Now wait. Wait. Wait¡± Tim said. ¡°The likes of me. What the hell is that even supposed to mean?¡± Chloe held her book to her chest now, and she faced him and looked him directly in the eye. ¡°I mean¡­ That I know your kind of people. Had lots of them in my old school. Jocks, popr, good looking, rude, think they can get everyone and everything¡­ And from what I have seen during the few days I have been here, you and your team aren¡¯t different. So yes, I would rather stay far away from you than have any sort of friendship with you¡± ¡°Wow¡± Tim said grinning, one hand held his backpack which was still hanging from his shoulder. The other rested on one of the lockers. ¡°You sound angry. And for someone who is so mad about other people being mean, you are even worse.¡± 102 ¡°Why don¡¯t you practice what you preach sister, and oh, a piece of advice, that rolling thing you do with your eyes -doesn¡¯t look good at all. Just saying¡± Tim said. Chloe Gilbert had had enough of this arrogant jock and his friends. ¡°Will you please get out of my way now¡­. Tim? Or does the hallway belong to you too? And oh, tell your friends that it¡¯s rude to just stand and stare¡­ Like morons¡± She didn¡¯t wait for him to move this time but she brushed past him and was on her way. Tim turned around and watched her. It was weird. If someone else had spoken to him that way, he would have taken it pretty badly. Not that anyone ever did. He would be seeing Chloe Gilbert again. He was sure of that. And not just in ss. At least she thought he was good looking. His friends hurried up to him. ¡°Well that didn¡¯t go well¡± Peter said. ¡°Shut up¡± Tim said. ¡°Let¡¯s go guys. We are alreadyte for ss. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Mom. We are here¡± Katherine yelled as she walked into her mother¡¯s house. In one hand she carried two bags. Deanie held the other as she walked slowly beside her mother. ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here¡± Delia said as she rushed out of the kitchen. ¡°Grandma¡± Deanie screamed when she saw her, she immediately let go of Katherine¡¯s hand and ran into her grandmother¡¯s arms. Delia picked her up and showered her face with kisses which made Deanie scream andugh even more loudly. ¡°How are you sweet pea?¡± Delia asked Deanie as she bnced her on her left hip. ¡°Fine¡± Deanie said cheerfully as she cupped Delia¡¯s face in her little chubby hands.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Of course you are,¡± Delia said. ¡°Excited about spending the day with grandma?¡± Deanie nodded and Deliaughed. ¡°Oh I¡¯m excited too. You and grandma are going to have so much fun¡± ¡°Alright then¡± Katherine said, since you guys are obviously not going to miss me, I guess I should be on my way then¡± ¡°Wait¡­ Wait¡± Delia said, she sat Deanie on one of the chairs and handed her one of her toys, then she turned back to Katherine. ¡°I have something to tell you before you leave¡­ And I don¡¯t know how you will take it. I just want you to promise me that you will try to be understanding¡± ¡°Wow¡± Katherine said, ¡°This sounds interesting¡­. And a little frightening. What is it, mom?¡± Delia cleared her throat. ¡°Rememberst time I went on a trip?¡± she began and Katherine nodded. ¡°Well, I met someone. A man. His name is Michael. And I have kinda been seeing him since then.¡± Katherine said nothing and so Delia continued hurriedly. ¡°We have only been on a few dates, it hasn¡¯t been going on for a long time and nothing serious has happened yet. I just wanted to let you know before¡­ You know¡­ I just didn¡¯t want you to find out any other way¡± Katherine said nothing but stared wide eyed at her mother. ¡°Okay¡± Delia said. ¡°Kathy, sweetie. Now would be a great time for you to say something¡± Katherine shook her head. ¡°Oh¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry mom. It¡¯s okay. I mean¡­ I¡¯m actually happy for you. It just took me a while to process the news because I wasn¡¯t expecting it. But it¡¯s great. I mean, dad has been gone for almost seven years now and I want you to be happy. In Fact I think he would want you move on sometime and be happy too¡± ¡°Oh I¡¯m very relieved to hear that you feel that way Kathy¡± Delia said. ¡°I wanted to tell you first before Jon because I don¡¯t know how he would react.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine mom.¡± Katherine said. ¡°I¡¯m sure he wants you to be happy too. Even though he might find it weird at first. You know how Jon is¡± Delia nodded. She knew her son well. ¡°Hope everything is alright at home?¡± she asked Katherine. Katherine nodded and looked away. And Delia, knowing her daughter well, knew at once that something was up. ¡°Alright. Spill it¡± she said and Katherineughed. ¡°Spill what?¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything¡± ¡°Whatever it is that¡¯s bothering you?¡± Delia said. ¡°Don¡¯t make me start investigations myself, because I will¡± Katherineughed again, ¡°Indeed I¡¯m sure you will¡± she said. But her face got serious when she thought about Jensen. ¡°Things haven¡¯t been¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ Going smoothly at hometely¡± she said finally. ¡°Tim has been acting out a lot. I think it¡¯s normal for teenagers to act that way sometimes but I just wish that he would talk to me if something is bothering him. He hasn¡¯t been doing well at school either and then there¡¯s Jensen. Hees homete almost every day and thest time I tried to talk to him about it we got into this fight. We never brought up the topic again but I can still feel the effect it had on our rtionship.¡± 103 We don¡¯t talk much any more. He hasn¡¯t stopped theteing¡­ He says he is just busy at work. And I want to believe him¡­ I do¡­ But I just wish he could just understand that we miss him at home. I just see and feel this distance between us.. You know mom, I honestly don¡¯t know what to do¡± Delia nodded. ¡°Maybe he is really busy, you know¡± she said. ¡°and maybe he just wants you to be a bit more understanding. I understand how you feel too, but not talking about your problems won¡¯t make them go away. Nobody is going to fix it for you, so just make out time, whenever he¡¯s home and just talk to him¡­ And no yelling ¡°she added. ¡°Just talk¡± Katherine smiled. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t yell¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m just d that at least one of us is happy¡± ¡°Oh rx,¡± Delia said. ¡°It¡¯s just a normal thing all families go through. And I¡¯m sure it will be fine. I know how much you and Jensen love each other¡± ¡°Alright¡± Katherine said as she hugged her mother. ¡°Thanks. But I have to go now. I wille pick Deanie in the evening.¡± She kissed Deanie¡¯s forehead. ¡°Bye Deanie. I wille pick you upter, okay. Have fun with grandma¡± ¡°Bye momma¡± Deanie said, biting the ear of her bunny. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Hey hard worker¡± Shay Trevor said as she walked into Jensen¡¯s office. Jensen looked up from hisptop and stared at her. ¡°You know you are not supposed to just walk into my office right. The fact that we know each other doesn¡¯t mean that you can. You are supposed to make an appointment with my¡­.¡± ¡°h. h. h¡± Shay said as she rolled her eyes. ¡°How boring. Jeez. You have changed so much. Is that what marriage does to people? You are not such a fun person anymore¡± Jensen sighed and rxed in his chair. ¡°What do you want, Shay?¡± he asked. ¡°I came to give you this¡± Shay said as she took a seat. She dropped a folder on his desk. ¡°Drake and I finally made a decision. We are going to invest in yourpany. You have to sign that¡± Jensen reached out and took the folder, then went briefly through the documents. ¡°Ermmm, you know you didn¡¯t have to bring it to me yourself, don¡¯t you? I mean¡­. You could have just given it to¡­.¡± ¡°Oh please,¡± Shay said, interrupting him. ¡°Can¡¯t you just say thank you to me for getting Drake to agree?¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry. I just don¡¯t think you had to stress yourself that much¡± Jensen said. ¡°Thank you Shay. I really appreciate this. I will let you know as soon as I¡¯m done signing this¡± He put the file on top of a stack of papers already on his desk. ¡°Oh please. Don¡¯t worry. You know that I like to find every opportunity to spend time with you¡±. Shay said. She stood up from her chair and walked slowly around the table to Jensen. She stood behind him and ced her hand on his shoulder. ¡°You look so tense all the time, Jensen. I have been watching you. You work so hard. You should chill out once in a while¡± Jensen sat up in his chair. ¡°Ermmm. Thanks Shay. But there is really no need for that. I¡¯m fine¡± ¡°Rx¡± Shay said, pushing him back so he could rx in the chair. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s just a massage. You don¡¯t have to overthink everything. The Jensen I used to hang out with then wasn¡¯t so uptight. Sometimes I wonder what happened to you. You know what I think, maybe you and I should hang out again sometime. Maybe I can help you rx. Get you back to the way you used to be.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine the way I am,¡± Jensen said. Shay giggled. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°Just stay still, will you? It¡¯s just a massage and it feels good doesn¡¯t it?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah I guess so¡± Jensen said. Shay smiled. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Katherine had rushed work that morning. After she talked to her mom, she had done some serious thinking. She realized that maybe her mother was right. Maybe she could be a little bit more understanding. She trusted her husband and maybe right now, what she really needed to do was to support him. So after she was sure that her staff couldn¡¯t handle the rest of the baking without her supervision, she hurried home to prepare lunch which she packaged for Jensen. She could pick Deanie upter. She arrived at Jensen¡¯s office fifteen minutester. On her way to see him she greeted his assistant Debbie, who was always so friendly. ¡°Hi Mrs Packard¡± Debbie greeted cheerfully.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hello Debbie,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, how have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. It¡¯s been a while since you came here¡± Debbie said. ¡°Yeah¡± Katherine agreed. ¡°Been busy with work¡­ And the kids. So I decided to drop by today and bring Jensen lunch. Is he in his office¡± 104 ¡°Oh yes. He is¡± Debbie said. ¡°Good¡± Katherine said as he began to walk to the door. ¡°Have a nice day, Deb¡± ¡°You too Mrs Packard¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Katherine wasn¡¯t sure what she expected to see when she knocked and entered her husband¡¯s office. Probably see him working on whatever had been keeping him away from home. But definitely not to see a woman standing behind her husband and giving him a massage. She almost dropped the food she was holding. They were obviously startled to see her too. Because the moment she came in Jensen slid thedy¡¯s hands off his shoulders and stood up. ¡°Hey honey¡± he said. Then he moved towards her. She hadn¡¯t left the ce she was standing and from the look in her eyes, he could see that he had hurt her so much. He knew that things hadn¡¯t been great between themtely and he didn¡¯t want to add to their problems. But he had. And he hated himself for it. ¡°Hi¡± Katherine said finally as he stood in front of her. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that you wereing, honey¡± Jensen said. ¡°Yeah,¡± Katherine replied. ¡°I made you lunch¡­ And I didn¡¯t call because I wanted to surprise you. You have been working a lottely and I thought maybe you would be hungry or something. But apparently you are not¡± her gaze shifted to Shay, who hade to stand in the middle of the room. Jensen didn¡¯t like the look they were giving each other. He cleared his throat, ¡°Ermm, honey¡± he began. ¡°This is Shay Trevor. She is one of the business investors that I told you about. Shay, this is my wife, Katherine Packard¡± Shay moved forward and extended a hand to Katherine for a handshake. ¡°Hi, Katherine,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s really nice to finally meet you. Thedy who got my Jensen here to settle down¡­ I honestly couldn¡¯t believe it at first. I have heard so much about you¡­.¡± Katherine stared at her outstretched hand for a few seconds before she took it. ¡°That¡¯s funny,¡± she said. ¡°I wish I could say the same, Because I haven¡¯t heard a thing about you¡± Shay gave her a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about what you saw when you walked in earlier¡± she said, although she didn¡¯t look sorry one bit. In fact she looked like she was enjoying every second of what was happening. ¡°You see Jensen looked stressed. He had an ache and so I just decided to help him out. He has been working a lottely, you see. But of course you know that. You are his wife after all.¡± Katherine smiled. ¡°Yes I am his wife¡± she replied. ¡°But I was wondering, is that a hobby that you have?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Shay said. ¡°I mean¡­ Is going around and giving married men massages in their offices some kind of hobby that you have?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Because my husband could havee home and I would have done that for him¡± ¡°Oh it¡¯s not a big deal, ¡± Shay said, and then she smiled again. ¡°You see, Jensen here is an old friend¡­. We were more than friends back then actually¡­ I suppose you know that already ¡± She grinned when she saw Katherine¡¯s surprised look and then she continued. ¡°So when I saw him looking that tired and stressed, I just knew that I had to help him out. That¡¯s just the way I am. I try my best to help in any way that I can. Anyways I¡¯m going let you two be. It was nice meeting you you Katherine.¡± She brushed her finger against Jensen¡¯s arm slowly.¡±Don¡¯t hesitate to let me know if need anything dear¡± she said to him. ¡°And I mean, anything¡± Jensen grabbed her hands and ripped it off his arm, furious at her for giving Katherine the wrong idea. ¡°That is enough, Shay,¡± he said. ¡°Please leave¡­ now¡± Shayughed. ¡°Oh rx. I was just messing around. You know I don¡¯t take things like this too seriously¡± she said. And after one more look at Katherine, she walked out the office. Swaying her hips provocatively as she did. Katherine didn¡¯t know how she managed to stay calm when all she wanted to do that minute was to punch someone.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Here¡± she said calmly. ¡°Your lunch¡± Jensen took the food from her outstretched hands and ced it on a nearby chair. And then he grabbed her as she turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Kat,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for that. For everything. For what you saw. I don¡¯t know what is going on inside your head right now but I want you to know that it didn¡¯t mean anything. Forget about what Shay said, I¡­.¡± ¡°What Shay said?¡± Katherine repeated. ¡°I¡¯m more interested in what I saw. Here I was worried that I was doing something wrong. Worrying that I wasn¡¯t being supportive enough and I was worrying, thinking of a way to make our family happy again, because I and the kids miss having you at home and you are here getting massages from your ex?¡± 105 ¡°An ex who is an investor and you didn¡¯t even bother to tell me about it. What exactly do you take me for? You know what, I me myself for this. I shouldn¡¯t havee here in the first ce. I¡¯m leaving. Maybe there is anotherdy outside your door waiting for me to leave¡± Katherine said. ¡°Come on, baby. Listen to me¡± Jensen said. ¡°Baby?¡± Katherine repeated. ¡°Don¡¯t Jensen. Don¡¯t baby me right now¡± ¡°Will you please just listen to me?¡± he asked. ¡°No I won¡¯t¡± Katherine said, and please don¡¯t even try to make me. I do not want to cause a scene here at your office. So if you want to talk, you can juste home or you can stay here and ¡®work¡¯ if you want. It¡¯s your choice, Jensen. As always ¡± And before he could say anything else, she was out of his office and rushing down to her car ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°What you saw means nothing?¡± Jensen said that night after he got home. He knew he was wrong and he understood why she was angry but he had to try to make her understand. Katherine turned to him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to yell,¡± she said. ¡°I just put Deanie to bed in her room and I don¡¯t want her to wake up. There is actually no need for you to exin anymore, Jensen. I honestly don¡¯t care¡± ¡°But I want to exin,¡± Jensen said. ¡°And I said I don¡¯t care,¡± Katherine said, then she wrapped her hands around herself. ¡°You are suddenly home early today because you want to exin why your ex was giving you a massage in your office. Why would you go into partnership with her and not even tell me about it? Why was she so bold enough to flirt with you right in front of me? God knows what happens when I¡¯m not even there ¡± Jensen closed the distance that separated them and grabbed her shoulders.¡±Nothing Kat¡± he said. ¡°Nothing like that has ever happened before. Baby, I need you to believe me. I know things haven¡¯t been great between ustely, but I love you and I would never hurt you that way. As for not telling you about the partnership, that was a very stupid thing to do. I wanted to tell you though. That night Tim came homete, I wanted to tell you, but we got into this big fight and I know that¡¯s not even enough of an excuse and so I¡¯m sorry. I was just really okay with it and I thought you would be too because what ever happened between Shay and I happened a long time ago and I ampletely over it ¡± ¡°Well obviously she isn¡¯t,¡± Katherine said. ¡°Kat, Baby, look at me,¡± Jensen said. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Katherine stared at him. She trusted him. She knew she did. But it was Shay she didn¡¯t trust. She didn¡¯t tell him that though. ¡°Of course I trust you, Jensen,¡± she said softly. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m okay with.. With that I saw. I¡¯m still really hurt and I think that maybe we¡­ I just.. I need some time¡± Jensen bit his lower lip and pulled her into his arms. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Kat,¡± he said and kissed the top of her head. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that I hurt you baby. I¡¯m sorry that I have been such a jerk.¡± Katherine sighed. She was angry and sad and confused. And she wanted to get away from him. She needed some space. She wanted to run away, and she wanted to touch him. Because she missed him so much. Missed himing home and kissing her and the kids goodnight. She missed him making love to her. Missed falling asleep in each other¡¯s arms. Ever since hispany started that project, he had be so distant. She wanted to reach out and run her hand down that lean, muscled chest, but something, some innate wisdom, stopped her. Despite the fact that she must have done that, and much more, in the past, she knew she shouldn¡¯t do it now. No matter how much she wanted to feel the warmth of his skin beneath her hand. Something just felt wrong. ¡°I know you are still worried, Kat,¡± he said in a low, sinuous voice, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be. Let it go. I¡¯m all yours. I will always be¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Quite casually he released her only to reach out again and then he took her by the shoulders, drawing her unresisting body towards him. ¡°I have missed you so much. I know you might not believe me but I have¡± he said. His voice was rough, and his mouth covered hers with a sudden force that left her shocked, stunned, paralyzed. He held her in an unbreakable grip as he caught her chin in his hand and continued to kiss her, with slow, contemptuous deliberation, refusing to allow her to escape, until she was a shaking, trembling mass of confused reactions, reactions she was powerless to control. 106 And then his mouth softened, and it was no longer a punishment but a reward, and she kissed him back, sliding her arms around his waist, pressing up against him with helpless longing she didn¡¯t quite understand. She needed to be here. Locked tight against him, his mouth on hers, demanding nothing butplete surrender. She made a quiet little sound in the back of her throat, and surrender it was. His mouth and hands subdued her, not by force but by skilfully using against her own desires. He hurriedly stripped them off their clothes and carried her to the bed. Then he kissed her again. The sensual brush of his mouth and hands against her skin induced a voluptuous sense ofnguor. His tongue skimmed her nipples and ripples of pleasure spread through her body. Her flesh seemed acutely sensitized by his touch, thezy ripples intensifying in depth and urgency as his lips moved delicately over her stomach, finding the hollows against her hip-bones. Suddenly she was very hot, her skin burning, damp with the prickles of perspiration breaking out on it, thenguor gone, the swift resurgence of desire making her move restlessly against Jensen¡¯s touch. He made a sound in his throat, a primitive male growl of appreciation. His fingers touched the fine, silky triangle of hair between her thighs and she shuddered, her stomach muscles locking in a fierce spasm of desire. She wanted to touch him, but he was out of reach, the satin sheen of his skin highlighted by the dim light in the room as he moved, pushing back the duvet until it fell off the bed. Her body ached with primitive need, tense with the frustration of the unwanted cessation of her pleasure. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but the words were impossible to form. But oh she felt so good.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She wanted him toe back to her, to take her in his arms and fill her body with the hard heat of his flesh, but instead he knelt at the bottom of the bed, his palm cupping her foot, his thumb stroking slowly over her toes. She quivered involuntarily in response to his touch, her toes curling protestingly. His bulk blocked out the light, his expression hidden from her. She shivered beneath the slow caress of his mouth against her skin. His tongue investigated the sensitive nerve endings behind her knee, her muscles locking treacherously as she drew in a sharp breath. His fingers caressed the inside of her thigh, turning her muscles to liquid jelly. Hot quivers of pleasure burned her skin, her mind trying to deny the effect he was having on her at the same time as her body ached for more. A pulse beat feverishly deep inside her. A small moan that could have been delight or despair was torn from her throat. She wanted him to stop. She wanted him to go on. Quickening ripples of desire gripped her muscles and his hand moved to lie against her stomach to register its subtle quiver. The loss of his intimate touch made her tense with frustration. Perspiration soaked her skin, her nails curling painfully into her palms as she moved her head frantically from side to side on the pillow, and she closed her eyes as she moaned his name. What was he trying to do to her? ¡°Tell me you forgive me, Kat.¡± He said. His voice was harsh with tension. The hand that was spread against her stomach tautened. For a moment she was tempted to deny him¨Cand herself¨Cbut her desire was stronger than her hurt pride. Whether she said the words or not, her body had already betrayed her. ¡°I forgive you, Jensen.¡± She said, The words seemed to be dragged from some ce deep inside her, hurting her throat and making her eyes prickle with unwanted tears. Just saying them seemed to rx her almost unbearable tension; a dull sense of misery overwhelming her desire. She suddenly shivered, disliking both herself and Jensen. She moved beneath his hand, intending to drag herself away, her misery pierced shockingly by the pressure of Jensen¡¯s hands pushing her back against the bed, his voice raw with an emotion that was unfamiliar to her as he muttered against her skin, ¡°I need you, Kat.¡± And then his tongue moved delicately against her sensitive flesh, caressing her with exquisite care. All the breath seemed to quit her lungs at once, leaving her gasping for air, her intended protest lost beneath the sharp high sob of pleasure that rasped her throat. She wanted him to stop; she wanted to escape the flush of moist heat engulfing her body; to evade the pulsing rhythm passing from his mouth to her flesh, but more than any of this she wanted him to go on inducing the frantic pleasure absorbing her. Her hips writhed and twisted in his hands, possessed of a life divorced from her mind, the hoarse sharp sounds of pleasure splintering from her throat unfamiliar to her as he continued to caress her intimately. 107 Her body lifted, arching eagerly towards the source of its pleasure, and he seemed to like her responsiveness to him, his mouth suddenly hot and demanding against her flesh, enforcing on it a fierce rhythm that beat frantically through her blood, making the world explode into tingling shock waves of sensation that mingled with her sharp cries of pleasure until it became too much to bear and darkness overwhelmed her. Her body felt weak,pletely boneless, her skin damp, her mind still grappling with the shock of her arousal. Jensen moved and she felt the rough brush of his tongue against her belly. It was like being licked by a giant cat, Katherine thought drowsily, feeling her skin grow warm and rx as life flowed back into her drained body. He made a sound in his throat that was almost a purr; a sexy male sound of satisfaction and pleasure. He had enjoyed what he had just done to her, she knew that. He liked the sensation of her bodypletely abandoning itself to him. His tongue still stroked her skin, his hands sliding firmly over her body. He reached her breasts and caressed them slowly, lingering over his self-imposed task until unbelievably she could feel an unmistakable surge of desire sweep through her. Her nipple hardened under his tongue, her fingers locking behind his nape as her body tensed. As though it was what he had been waiting for, he buried his mouth in her throat, kissing it fiercely. Her body, acutely responsive to every thing about him, arched in frantic invitation, her mouth finding the hard warmth of his shoulder and sucking feverishly on it as though she couldn¡¯t get enough of the taste and feel of him. He made a harsh sound of pleasure against her throat, lifting his head to look into her eyes. The world stood still as he slowly moved his body against hers, his eyes refusing to let her look away. It shocked her that she could be so moist and eager for his possession, her flesh clinging hotly to his as though obsessed by the need to be filled with it. She hadpletely forgotten about anything but being touched by her husband. All the hurt and worry seemed to vanish. ¡°This is how it is always going to be between us,¡± he muttered hoarsely, letting his body fill her. ¡°And I¡¯m not letting anything or anyone ruin it for us. You belong to me¡± His throat moved, and she felt the tension in him, the supreme self-control. She touched her tongue to his throat, absorbing the tiny bead of sweat that clung to his Adam¡¯s apple, and almost instantly his control shattered, his mouth possessing hers with something close to savagery. He probed her lips, his body moving rhythmically within hers, driving them both towards the outer reaches of human control. Fierce quivers of spasmodic pleasure erupted inside her, making Jensen groan her name against the soft skin of her throat and then move demandingly within her, his body shuddering into release as it was gripped by the spiraling convulsions of her muscles. It took her several seconds to realize that the harsh alien sound tormenting her ears was Jensen¡¯s tortured breathing. His weighty slumped against her, threatening to crack her ribs, but ridiculously she didn¡¯t want him to move away. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and keep him close to her forever, and not just because of the pleasure his body could give hers, pleasure that had almost frightened her by its intensity, she acknowledged mutely. She missed him. She wanted her husband back. She wanted things the way they used to be. He moved, and she subdued the small protest tormenting her throat. She felt him push her hair back off her hot face before he pulled the duvet back over them both. His arms held her against his body, her face resting against his throat. She nuzzled it softly with her lips, liking the salt- sweat taste of his skin. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about everything¡± Jensen said softly after a while¡± he said softly. ¡°And I don¡¯t want you to think that there is anything going on between Shay and I. She is a business partner, and that¡¯s all there is. Whatever we had before, it was way back in the past and it wasn¡¯t even that serious. I don¡¯t want her to get to you. I don¡¯t want her or anyone else toe between us. She is not worth it, baby. I really hope you believe me ¡± Katherine sighed deeply. She was just too d he was here, and the intense love making made it harder for her to stay angry. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Jensen,¡± she said. ¡°I believe you. I just don¡¯t like that you guys work so close to each other now¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I will put an end to hering to my office unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary¡± Jensen said and Katherine nodded. ¡°And oh by the way, the projects are going to beplete next week. And there¡¯s going to be a party. You¡¯reing with me. You know always love a chance to show off my beautiful wife¡± 108 Katherine smiled and kissed his neck. ¡°And maybe you can see for yourself that Shay is just a business partner and nothing more. In case you still have doubts¡± Jensen thought. ¡°She doesn¡¯t matter anymore¡± Katherine said as she let her hands roam his chest. ¡°I won¡¯t worry about her anymore because I believe you and I trust you. I¡¯m just d that you are going to be back home. Spending time with us again. It¡¯s all I want. We all miss you¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Jensen said. ¡°I¡¯m all yours after the projects are finalized.¡± Katherine fell asleep with a smile on her face. Maybe the party was just what she needed to help her put this thing about Shay aside once and for all. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Hey grumpy¡± Tim said as he slid into the seat beside Chloe Gilbert. They were in the library. He hade to borrow a book when he saw her sitting alone and decided to say hi. Despite the fact that she was never nice to him, he didn¡¯t mind. And for some reason he just enjoyed getting on her nerves. Chloe took one look at him and then looked away, rolling her eyes like he was thest person she wanted to see that minute. ¡°Oh it¡¯s you again,¡± she said. ¡°Looks like today is going to be a really bad day then¡± She returned her attention to her book, hoping he would take the hint and go away. But he didn¡¯t. He took a seat beside her instead. ¡°I see you are grumpy as usual¡± Tim said, grinning, ¡°Are you this way towards everyone or is it just me? Because I see you smiling at other people. What would it take for you to smile at me once in a while?¡± Chloe turned to him and rolled her eyes again. ¡°You disappearing from my life¡± she said. ¡°And you wonder why you don¡¯t have any friends,¡± Tim said, rubbing his jaw as if In deep thought. ¡°Maybe your attitude is the problem. Maybe that is the reason why you are sitting alone in the library reading God knows what. Probably a boring book I suppose¡± Chloe turned her attention to him fully. ¡°I have friends, dummy,¡± she said. ¡°And of course you wouldn¡¯t notice them because you are so wrapped up in your perfect world with your annoying friends acting like you own the school. And why are you in the library anyways? Were you on your way to go make out with some cheerleader and maybe got lost?¡± she asked. ¡°Wow. Careful there¡± Tim said. ¡°You sound jealous. Would you prefer I make out with you instead?¡± he whispered in her ear. ¡°Because that can be arranged¡± ¡°E. You wish¡± Chloe said and Timughed. She stared at him for a while, then she asked. ¡°Why are you here Tim? What do you want from me? What do I have to do to get you to stay as far away from me as possible?¡± Tim grinned. ¡°Well, unfortunately for you, I don¡¯t want to be far away from you. I actually think that if you are nicer, you would look cuter¡± Chloe hissed and began to pack her books into her bag. She seemed in a hurry. ¡°Where are you going to?¡± Tim asked, watching her with a glint in his eyes ¡°ss¡± She said simply. ¡°We have chemistry¡± Tim nodded. ¡°Yeah¡± he said. ¡°But that¡¯s in like twenty minutes. What are you going to do? Just sit there and wait for the ss to begin?¡± Chloe raised an eyebrow. ¡°Better than sitting here with you,¡± she said. ¡°At least there I can read in peace¡± She began to walk away and after a few seconds, Tim got up and followed her. ¡°Fine¡± he said, and smiled when he saw her roll her eyes again. ¡°Then maybe I will wait with you¡± Chloe didn¡¯t reply but she began to walk faster, but before they got to ss they ran into their Math teacher, Mrs Sabrina Andrews. ¡°Hi Miss Andrews¡± they both greeted. ¡°Hello,¡± she replied. ¡°Packard, can you see you for a minute?¡± Tim frowned slightly, wondering what this was about, and then he turned to Chloe, ¡°See youter¡± he said. Chloe nodded, while Tim followed Mrs Andrews into the nearest ssroom.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I wanted to talk to you about your grades, Tim,¡± Mrs Andrews began. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good. You missed a lot of assignments and you didn¡¯t do well in thest test. What exactly is the problem, son?¡± Tim shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, ¡± he said. ¡°I guess math is not really my thing¡± Mrs Andrews frowned at him. ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke Tim.¡± she said strictly. ¡°in fact I have decided to talk to your coach. If you don¡¯t pick things up and do well in the next test, you won¡¯t be allowed to y in the next football match¡± ¡°What?¡± Tim eximed. ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Mrs Andrews. I¡¯m already trying to keep up. I¡¯m doing the assignments I missed. Please don¡¯t talk to Coach Baker. I promise I will do better¡± he said. 109 ¡°Then it won¡¯t matter if I talk to Coach Baker or not, will it?¡± Mrs Andrews said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear, but my mind is made up. Maybe this is the motivation you need to buckle up. You may leave now, Tim¡± Tim stood there for a few seconds and when he saw that she wasn¡¯t going to listen to anything else he was going to say, he walked slowly out of the room. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨CContent is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chloe Gilbert knew what she was doing was wrong. She knew she wasn¡¯t supposed to stay and listen to Tim¡¯s conversation with Mrs Andrews. She knew she was supposed to go on to ss. She knew this was a private conversation and she shouldn¡¯t be eavesdropping. But her legs seemed rooted to the spot she had taken beside the door, and she didn¡¯t even know why she was so interested. She felt so sorry for Tim Packard. He sounded so hurt when Mrs Andrews told him he might not get to y football. She didn¡¯t know much about him, but she knew he loved being on his team. She had watched him y a few times, and he was really good at it. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t know when Tim came out of the room, and then they were both staring at each other. He seemed to look even more dejected when he realized that she had heard everything. ¡°You were listening,¡± he said simply. It was a statement not a question. Chloe nodded, knowing it would be useless to lie. He nodded, and then turned and began to walk in the opposite direction, obviously he nned to miss the ss they had been going for. And that certainly wasn¡¯t going to help his situation. Chloe thought. So she followed him ¡°Tim¡± she called. He stopped when she caught up with him and turned to look at her. ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to listen,¡± he said, sounding hurt. ¡°That was private¡± ¡°I know. I know¡± Chloe said quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I did it. I don¡¯t usually act like that. Anyways I know I have no excuse, so I just want to say that I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯m sorry I spied on you¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± Tim said, although he didn¡¯t look fine. In Fact he looked a bit embarrassed that she knew about his situation. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. It doesn¡¯t matter now¡± ¡°You are not going to attend the ss¡± Chloe asked. ¡°Screw it,¡± he replied angrily. ¡°Look I know it¡¯s none of my business¡­.¡± Chloe began but Tim interrupted her. ¡°Yes. Exactly. It¡¯s none of your business, Chloe¡± Tim said. ¡°And I know maybe I¡¯m always bothering you and you might want to get back at me but now is really not the time. Maybe some other time but not now. Right now I just want to be alone. So please just go¡± He expected her to leave but she didn¡¯t. Instead she moved closer. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to get back at you,¡± she said softly. ¡°Really I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just thinking that maybe you don¡¯t have to be off the team. You can y football and also pass the test. You can have both. You just need some help¡­. And I can help¡± Tim stared at her for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m bad at math,¡± he said. ¡°I mean really bad. I can study for any other subject, but just not math. So how are you going to help me, Miss Gilbert? You¡¯re gonna write the test for me¡­ Or maybe slip some answers to me during the test¡± he asked. The look on Chloe¡¯s eyes made himugh. ¡°Rx, Chloe,¡± he said. ¡°It was a joke. Maybe a bad one though. I know you think I¡¯m bad but I¡¯m not that bad. Honestly, I would be too scared to do something like that. Especially now that I¡¯m already in a lot of trouble with my mom. She would kill me if she heard that I did something like that¡± Chloe smiled. For the very first time she smiled at him, that Tim thought he had imagined it. ¡°I meant helping you by helping you study. If you want I could be your study buddy. I¡¯m good at math. And I think that if you really put your mind to it and concentrate you¡¯d be good at it too. I can help you¡­ That¡¯s if you want my help¡± she added. Tim put his hands in his pocket and grinned at her. ¡°Of course I want your help¡± he said. ¡°I need it actually. I really don¡¯t want to be kicked off the team. I love football¡­¡± he hesitated for a while then added. ¡°Why did you decide to help me? You seem to want to be as far away from me as possible¡­ And suddenly you want to help me study? You know that means you are going to be hanging out with me, right?¡± he asked. Chloe nodded. ¡°I know¡± she said. ¡°And even if I think you are an annoying, pompous, brat, I think maybe¡­. You are not so bad after all¡± 110 Tim grinned at her. ¡°Or maybe you actually find me very irresistible, and you are just looking for an excuse to spend time with me¡± ¡°Oh please. Get over yourself¡± Chloe said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Did I forget to add proud to that list. Oh I did. You are such a brag too. Come on let¡¯s go to ss¡± she started to walk away and Tim followed her. ¡°So now we are going to ss together now?¡± he said. ¡°How cute. Who knows we might be best friends¡± Chloe didn¡¯t say anything. But she couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°See,¡± Tim said. ¡°You look beautiful when you smile. You should smile more often¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Katherine hated every second of this god forsaken party. Yes, there were some people she was familiar with. Some even family friends now, but it was hard to enjoy a party when your husband¡¯s ex was there to annoy you¡­ And Shay had gone the extra mile tonight, without caring that she was there. Without caring that there were people around. Katherine knew that if she stayed one more minute in that hall to watch Shay Trevor flirt with her husband one more time she was going to explode. So she simply excused herself and went into the bathroom. Thest thing she was ever going to do was embarrass herself and her husband in public by getting into a fight or an argument with Shay. She knew that was exactly what the woman wanted and she wasn¡¯t going to give her that satisfaction. She stared at herself in the mirror and touched up her makeup. Never in her life did she think she would have to fight over her husband with another woman. But she wasn¡¯t too surprised. Some women were just like that -without shame. And if Shay Trevor had decided to throw away her dignity, she wasn¡¯t going to do the same. She was better than this. All she had to do was get through this damn party and she hoped that it would end real soon. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°I have to admit, Jensen, I never expected you to go to these lengths.¡± Shay tsked, appearing at his side, her familiar scent teasing his nostrils.¡±I didn¡¯t mean to piss you off. That was never my intention. I was just joking around, you know the way I am. You know me. I didn¡¯t know your wife would take it so seriously, but anyways, since it has already happened, I¡¯m going to use this as an opportunity to tell you how I really feel¡±. Jensen frowned down at her. At one time, he¡¯d found the floral fragrance alluring. Now it was just cloying. She trailed fingertips down his arm and over the back of his hand. Tilting her head to the side, she offered him what she probably considered a coy smile. She didn¡¯t pull it off. Not when he knew the real woman behind the mask. He knew she was lying. He knew she had intentionally flirted with him, trying to piss Katherine off. Trying to make it seem like there was something going on between them.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. He shifted his arm, knocking her hand away. Foolish as hell of him to think he could slip unseen into the closed-off room that reminded him of his den at home. He¡¯d needed space and time to walk off the killing rage that had consumed him when Shay had almost caused a scene. If not for Katherine, he would¡¯ve caused one too at the party. But his name in that soft voice and the fear darkening her lovely eyes had stopped him. Reminding him that he had worked so hard for this day and he couldn¡¯t let anyone ruin it. Still, even with rage roiling inside him like a volcano set to blow, he hadn¡¯t wanted to leave her alone when she went to the bathroom. He knew that she was hurt, and very angry. Who wouldn¡¯t be? But she did a good job of keeping her emotions in control¡­ For his sake. But right after he marched into an empty room to cool off with a ss of bourbon from the bar, Shay appeared. Goddamn, he didn¡¯t have the patience to deal with her machinations right now. ¡°What lengths, Shay ?¡± He asked her. He lifted the tumbler to his lips, downing thest of the dark alcohol before setting the ss on the mantel. ¡°You knew exactly what you were doing. I don¡¯t have time for your games.¡± he said. ¡°Time for me,¡± she corrected, assuming a hurt expression. ¡°That¡¯s what went wrong with us, you know? That¡¯s why it didn¡¯t work out between us. You spent so much time at the office or out of town at meetings, I felt neglected. I missed you and couldn¡¯t stand the loneliness.¡± He snorted, and anger zed in his eyes. ¡°You know whatever we had back then wasn¡¯t serious. We both knew that. I made it clear to you. But even if it was, you thought now is the right moment to bring shit up?¡± he said. 111 ¡°Jeez Shay,¡± Jensen continued angrily, ¡°if I had known you were going to be so immature, I wouldn¡¯t have let you into mypany in the first ce. So forget it, sweetheart. This guilt trip not only isn¡¯t going to work. I don¡¯t give a fuck.¡± ¡°We both know that¡¯s not true, Jensen,¡± she crooned, clutching his arm. He stiffened, hating her hands on him. It felt¡­wrong. There¡¯d been a time when he¡¯d enjoyed her teasing caresses, her heated strokes. But now? Now his skin prickled and crawled as if his very body rebelled against her. Now, he weed the touch of only one woman. His wife, Katherine. Again he shifted away, dislodging her touch. ¡°Stop it, Shay,¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯d answered any of my phone calls this week, you¡¯d know-¡± she began. ¡°I didn¡¯t answer them because we have nothing to talk about,¡± he said. He hadn¡¯t even told Katherine that she had been calling and texting him, because he didn¡¯t want her to worry. ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t calling me concerning anything about work. I¡¯m married Shay, I have a family, and I love my wife¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going to tell me that your love for me just died? Went away just like that?¡± She snapped her fingers, eyes shing. ¡°I know we ended things and I thought I was over it. Until I saw you again and those feelings came rushing back. You can¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t feel anything for me anymore. Not even a little. Everything couldn¡¯t have just gone away. I see the way you look at me. I don¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°Believe it,¡± he growled. ¡°It¡¯s over. It has been over a long time again. And you don¡¯t get a do-over. Get it through your head, sweetheart. I. Don¡¯t. Want. You.¡± he said. ¡°You know I realize that I made a horrible mistake letting you into mypany. And that¡¯s a mistake I intend to rectify as soon as possible. You are nothing but bad news.¡± Tired of this, he went to move around her, but she sidestepped, blocking him. Unless he wanted to grab her, pick her up and shift her out of the way, he couldn¡¯t pass. And at the moment, the thought of putting his hands on her caused his stomach to curdle.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then what was this whole¡­act with Katherine about?¡± Shay asked.¡± I know you. You are not the kind to fall in love, talk more of getting married. You don¡¯t expect me, or anyone for that matter, to actually ept that you¡¯re really madly in love with her? You don¡¯t even do rtionships. You told me that yourself¡± She shoved into his personal space, so her perfume clogged his nose, crawled down his throat. He grabbed her shoulders to prevent her froming any nearer. She ttened her palms on his chest. ¡°I love you, Jensen.¡± she said.¡±I realize I never stopped caring for you. Immediately I saw you I realized I never stopped. I made a mistake by letting things end between us. You are perfect for me. We belong together. It¡¯s been you all along. And I know you still love me if you¡¯ll go to these lengths. You would only show so much emotion because deep down inside of you, you still care. You know you do. You just have to admit it to yourself¡± Screw this. He tightened his grip on her, prepared to move her. ¡°Shay ¡­¡± he growled. ¡°Yes, Jensen.¡± She moaned, and shooting up on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and crushed her mouth to his. Shock froze him. But just for a second. Bile scorched a path to the back of his throat. Muttering a curse, he jerked his head back, circled her wrists and yanked her off him. ¡°Dammit, Shay. Stop this right now¡± he snapped. But any more words died on his tongue. Katherine stood in the doorway to the den, her shuttered gaze on them. ¡°Oh, Katherine,¡± Shay cooed, panting lightly. ¡°We didn¡¯t see you there.¡± Perverse satisfaction threaded her tone. She knew that she had caused a lot of trouble, and she was happy with her hand work. ¡°Kat,¡± he breathed, already leaving the bitch standing in front of him, forgotten, and moving toward the woman with the wounded eyes. ¡°I¡¯m ready if you are, I think I¡¯m ready to go home now¡± she said, her voice t, hideously polite. Shay moved closer to Katherine. ¡°Oh I¡¯m really sorry you had to see that. I¡¯m sorry you had to find out about Jensen and In this manner. But of course you had to find out someday. We couldn¡¯t hide it forever. Everythinges out eventually. Isn¡¯t that right, Jensen?¡± Katherine turned her attention to Jensen ¡°What the hell is she talking about, Jensen?¡± she asked him. ¡°Nothing important,¡± Jensen said. ¡°She is probably drunk. There is nothing going on. Come on, let¡¯s go¡± ¡°Oh please, Katherine¡­¡± Shay began again, but this time Katherine interrupted. 112 ¡°You know what I believe Jensen¡± Katherine said. ¡°Because I trust my husband a lot more than I trust you¡± she ignored the stupid look on Shay¡¯s face and turned to her husband. ¡°And oh, Jensen, please get rid of this trash¡± she said, referring to Shay. Then she turned on her heel and left, leaving a void in his gut. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Please Kat¡± Jensen said as he took off his suit jacket and flung it on the bed. ¡°Please say something, Kat. Anything. Please¡± Katherine made no effort to reply and Jensen wanted to bang his head against the wall. She had been quiet since they left the party. Hadn¡¯t even said a word, but Jensen knew that she was very angry. And he feared her silence. Feared whatever was going on inside that head of hers. He wanted her to say something, shout, scream, even hit him¡­ Because he knew that whatever she did, he deserved it. He wanted her to do anything but shut him out. She was standing in front of the mirror, removing the pins from her hair. He moved closer to her as she removed thest one and dropped it on the table. He reached out to touch her, but she jerked away from him. It hurt him to see her move away from his touch that way. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, Jensen,¡± she said angrily. ¡°Just. Don¡¯t. I¡¯m not in the mood.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Kat,¡± he said regretfully. Katherine turned to face him that instant. ¡°You are sorry, Jensen?¡± she asked. ¡°Do you know you have been apologizing for a lot of stupid stufftely?¡±she shook her head.¡± Do you have any idea how hard it was to resist the urge to make a scene at that party, watching that woman make a fool out of herself over you¡­ And that happened because you let her¡± she yelled. ¡°I didn¡¯t let her, Katherine,¡± Jensen said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would turn out this way¡± ¡°Oh yes you did. You let her¡± Katherine replied, she poked a finger in his chest. ¡°You let her into our lives by letting her into yourpany without telling me. You let her get close to you so that she could give you a massage in your office where anyone could have walked in and seen the both of you. And it is because you let her get close to you that made her flirtfortably with you in public, in my presence, without any regard for me¡­ And don¡¯t let me get started with the fact that you guys kissed -¡± ¡± We didn¡¯t kiss, ¡± Jensen interrupted. ¡°She kissed me and it was only for a second. I went in there to get some space and she followed me¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Katherine shook her head and turned away from him. ¡°Well I honestly don¡¯t care anymore¡± she said. ¡°You should care,¡± Jensen said softly. ¡°Please talk to me Kat. Tell me what you need me to do to fix this mess and I will do it.¡± Katherine turned to look at him. Her eyes watery. ¡°I want her out of yourpany¡± she said finally. ¡°Done,¡± Jensen said. ¡°I want her out too¡± ¡°And I want it done tomorrow,¡± Katherine added. Jensen stared at her for a while and then he took a deep breath. ¡°Honey,¡± he began. ¡°Sure I understand why you want it done so fast. I want the same thing. But you know it can¡¯t be done that way, no matter how badly I want it. There are protocols for stuff like this and I just can¡¯t break them. Katherine shook her head.¡± Well I don¡¯t care¡± she said. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t. I¡¯m done listening to reason. I have tried to be reasonable and it hasn¡¯t worked so well for me so now I¡¯m going this way. You know you can get rid of her if you want. It¡¯s yourpany and you can do whatever the hell you want¡± she yelled. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Jensen yelled back. ¡°You know I can¡¯t. I have to file for a dissolution of partnership, and that may take some time. I know it¡¯s mypany, but it¡¯s not just mypany anymore. I have directors and partners and investors who are part of the decision making process. Shay has invested a lot in thepany and it may be a bit hard to convince some of the board members that it¡¯s better for thepany if she¡¯s out. Some might insist that this is a personal problem and so it doesn¡¯t affect thepany¡­ Which it is.¡± ¡± Like I said before, Jensen. I don¡¯t care ¡± Katherine said again.¡±I want her out of yourpany and out of our lives and I want it done now¡± Jensen shook his head. ¡°You know you sound very selfish and unreasonable right now,¡± he said. Katherine gasped. She couldn¡¯t believe he had just said that. Without thinking, she lifted a hand and pped him hard across the cheek. She regretted it that instant, but she was too angry to stop and think. 113 ¡°I¡¯m the one who is selfish?¡± she asked him. ¡°Are you really going to y the victim card right now? After everything I had to do through in the hands of your ex tonight. I have told you what I want. It¡¯s up to you now Jensen. I want her gone, with immediate effect¡± She turned and left the room angrily and then bumped into Tim. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry honey,¡­ ¡± she began, and then she stopped and looked at him. ¡°Tim, What are you doing here? Have you been listening to my conversation with your dad?¡± she asked. Tim stared at his feet, then nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mom,¡± he said. ¡°I know that I¡¯m not supposed to, but I just heard you guys yelling and¡­. I thought you guys had fixed whatever the problem is? Why are you yelling again? I don¡¯t like the way I feel about this¡± Katherine ced a hand on his shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Tim¡± she said. ¡°Your father and I are just having some issues. No big deal. It happens sometimes. We will get over it. No need for you to be concerned¡± Tim stared at her. ¡°But you are crying, mom,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Tim,¡± Katherine repeated. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go to your room. And don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t see how hard you have been trying at school. Tomorrow you can have your car keys and phone back¡± she said as she forced a smile. Tim frowned. ¡°Are you trying to bribe me so I stop asking questions?¡± he asked. ¡°Is it working?¡± Katherine asked, still smiling. ¡°Yeah a little bit,¡± Tim replied. ¡°I will be going to my room now, but can you and dad please fix this. I hate it when you guys fight. You guys have been doing that a lottely¡± Katherine nodded. ¡°We will be fine, good night honey¡± she said, kissing his cheek.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Goodnight mom,¡± Tim replied. When Katherine returned to the room, she was surprised to see Jensen packing some of his clothes into a suitcase. She stood at the doorway and watched him for a while, then she asked, ¡°What are you doing, Jensen?¡± ¡°Leaving¡± he replied simply. Katherine¡¯s heart began to beat faster, he wasn¡¯t really going to leave because of this. ¡°What for?¡± she asked. He turned around to face her. ¡°What do you mean by what for?¡± he asked angrily. ¡°Because we clearly need some space. I¡¯m tired of fighting. I know I screwed up. I¡¯m not denying that fact, but you won¡¯t even listen to reason and I¡¯m tired of trying to exin shit to you. I¡¯m going to kick Shay out of mypany like I said. But I need my space, away from all of this. I thought after this project wasplete things would go back to the way it used to be, but I guess I was wrong ¡± ¡°You are the one who decided to spend every hour of every day at the office, away from your family¡± Katherine snapped back. ¡°No one made you do it. You had to choose and you choose your work. Don¡¯t put this on me¡± He suddenly stopped throwing clothes into the briefcase and walked up to her in a few strides. He grabbed her by the shoulders and she gasped. ¡°And do you think that I enjoyed being away from you guys so much? I didn¡¯t. But I just thought you would be a little more understanding. You know I love my job. I just thought my family would understand that I love them and I¡¯m just going to do something I care about. I needed your support. I screwed up, I know that, and I will fix it ¡± He released her suddenly, not wanting to look at her as the tears streamed down her face. He hated seeing her this way, but now he was just tired. He returned to his suitcase. ¡°And you honestly think that the best way to fix this is by leaving?¡± Katherine asked, she hesitated and when he didn¡¯t reply, she added. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can have your space. Take all the time in the world ande home whenever you want. Good night¡± Katherine slept in the guest room that night, and when she woke the next morning, a part of her hoped that Jensen would have changed his mind. That he would have stayed. But when she got to their room, he was gone, and so were some of his clothes and the suitcase he had been packing. Her heart broke into a million pieces, but she wasn¡¯t going to cry. Not again. She had done enough of that the previous night. She wasn¡¯t going to overthink this. At least not yet Right now, she had to prepare Deanie for School. She had kids to take care of. ¡°Tim, breakfast!¡± she called from the kitchen, ¡°Your food is getting cold. Hurry up you do not want to bete for school¡± When Tim came down for breakfast he looked round the table and then he finally asked the question she dreaded. ¡°Mom, where¡¯s dad?¡± he asked. 114 Katherine blinked at him. ¡°Urmmm, he already left for work¡± she said. ¡°He left for workst night?¡± Tim persisted. ¡°I heard him leave¡± ¡°Just eat your food, Tim,¡± Katherine urged, hoping he would drop the topic. ¡°Is he going toe back?¡± Tim asked. Ignoring her suggestions. Katherine swallowed hard, she couldn¡¯t deny that the thought hadn¡¯t crossed her mind too, but she shook the thought away. No need to overthink. She reminded herself ¡°Of course, he will be back, Tim¡± she said. ¡°Now finish your food¡± ¡°When is he going toe back?¡± Tim asked again and Katherine gave him a look. ¡°You are going to upset your sister if you keep asking those questions, Tim. You know how she acts when she¡¯s upset¡± she said. ¡°Daddy will be back. Now finish your food and go to school¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Tim said. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Hey, Tim¡± Chloe called as she walked towards Tim and his friends. They all stopped and watched as she walked up to them.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Hi,¡± she said. ¡°Hello,¡± they all replied, his friends grinning at her. ¡°Hey Tim¡± Peter teased, ¡°Look, it¡¯s your girlfriend¡± ¡°He¡¯s not my¡­ I mean, I¡¯m not his girlfriend¡± Chloe chipped in before Tim could say anything and Peterughed. ¡°Rx, Chloe,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m just messing with you. Besides, it¡¯s not such a bad thing if you are his girl. Come on guys¡± He said to his friend. ¡°Let¡¯s give these love birds some privacy¡± Theyughed as they went and Chloe returned her attention to Tim. ¡°Hi¡± she greeted again. ¡°Hi¡± Tim said, ¡°Wow, you seemed very offended when he called you my girlfriend. That hurt I gotta admit¡± ¡°Oh stop it¡± Chloe said. ¡°And I wasn¡¯t offended. I was just¡­. Clearing things up¡± Tim nodded, but he said nothing, just waited for her to say why she came. Chloe stared at him for a few seconds and then shook her head. ¡°Ermmm. I was just wondering if you¡­ Are you okay?¡± she asked. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be okay?¡± Tim asked her and she sighed. ¡°Be serious for once, Tim,¡± Chloe said. ¡°Is something bothering you? Are you sick?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Tim replied. ¡°I¡¯m not sick. If I was I wouldn¡¯t even be in school¡± Chloe nodded ¡°Owkay¡± she said slowly. But she looked like she didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°I just noticed that you have kinda been¡­ quieter these past few days, and I just wanted to make sure that you are alright¡± ¡°Been spying on me again huh?¡± Tim asked, smiling. ¡°When are you going to admit that you have a crush on me?¡± Chloe gave him a look that said, ¡®Be serious¡¯ and then she said. ¡°Ermm, so I saw when Mrs Andrews gave you your test answer sheet. She said well done, which I assume meant you passed¡± ¡°And so you came to gloat?¡± Tim asked. ¡°What?¡± Chloe asked, looking surprised. ¡°No, I didn¡¯te to gloat. Maybe you and your friends can do such nonsense but not me. I was just trying to be a friend. But I guess that ends now since we don¡¯t need to study together any more. Take care, Mr Packard¡± She tried to move but Tim blocked her path. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry¡± he said quickly. ¡°I was just messing with you, but I guess that was a bad joke. Of course we are still friends, and I don¡¯t want to stop being friends. You are right, I passed the test. Ny Two percent. And It¡¯s all because of you. It wouldn¡¯t have happened if you hadn¡¯t offered to help me. So thanks¡± Chloe stopped and stared at him, then she said. ¡°You¡¯re wee. But that¡¯s not why I came to talk to you. I noticed that you still didn¡¯t look happy even after Mrs Andrews gave you your answer sheet. So I thought maybe something was wrong. That¡¯s why I wanted to talk to you¡± Tim smiled. ¡°I wonder if you are this sensitive with everyone or if it¡¯s just with me¡± Chloe smiled. ¡°The fact that you keep joking even when you are not fine is the reason why your friends don¡¯t notice that something is wrong with you¡± ¡°But you did,¡± Tim said. Chloe decided to ignore that. ¡°What is the problem, Tim?¡± she asked. ¡°Let¡¯s sit here¡± Timplied. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± he began. ¡°At least I hope it¡¯s not. It¡¯s just that my mom and dad have been having some issuestely. I thought they fixed it before, but obviously they didn¡¯t because my dad left one night after they yelled at each other. It¡¯s been a week now and my dad isn¡¯t even home. He just talks to my sister and I on the phone. He won¡¯te home, mom keeps acting like she¡¯s fine when she¡¯s not and they won¡¯t tell me exactly what is happening. I¡¯m scared they might get a divorce ¡± ¡°Maybe they won¡¯t,¡± Chloe said. ¡°Maybe it won¡¯te to that. Maybe it¡¯s just a fight¡± 115 ¡°Yeah right¡± Tim said sarcastically. ¡°I know how stuff like this happens. I watch a lot of movies and I know how stuff like this goes. This is how it starts and before you know it, they are giving you a speech about how it isn¡¯t your fault and that sometimes things just don¡¯t work out. I just don¡¯t want to have that talk with my parents. I know how much they love each other¡± Chloe nodded. ¡°Okay¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I understand because I don¡¯t. My parents aren¡¯t¡­ Divorced. But I¡¯m certain that whatever it is, it¡¯s not your fault. And honestly, there is nothing you can do about it but hope that they find a way to fix their problems. And sometimes, they might just be going through a tough time. Doesn¡¯t mean they are gonna get a divorce, so you might just be worried for nothing. Come on¡± she nudged his shoulder. ¡°You can¡¯t be worrying about this when nothing permanent has happened. Remember you have a game next week. One of you has been training for a long time now. You know you don¡¯t want to lose. So you better concentrate¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Tim smiled. ¡°Yeah I don¡¯t want to lose.¡± he agreed. ¡°I hate losing.¡± he stared at her for a moment then added, ¡°Thanks for trying to make me feel better, Chloe. You are the only one who noticed I wasn¡¯t feeling too good. I really appreciate your concern¡± ¡°Well, what are friends for?¡± Chloe asked. They stood up. ¡°I¡¯m still convinced that you only noticed because you have a huge crush on me though¡±. He said grinning. Chloe stopped walking, ¡°Are you ever going to stop teasing me with that?¡± she asked. Tim rubbed his jaw, stroking some fake beard and pretending to give her question some thought. His face made herugh. ¡°No. Not really¡± he said finally. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop. I enjoy doing it. Plus, I can¡¯t stop even if I wanted to. it¡¯s our thing¡± ¡°Our thing¡± Chloe repeated. ¡°We have a thing?¡± ¡°Oh yeah we do¡± Tim replied grinning. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Hey Tim, congrats¡± Chloe said as she slid beside him on his way to the locker room. He grinned at her. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said. ¡°Although I gotta admit at some point I thought we were going to lose. That thought scared the crap out of me¡± Chloe smiled. ¡°As if,¡± she said. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think you guys were going to lose. Not with you on the team¡± Tim stopped walking and faced her. ¡°Wow¡± he said. ¡°You have so much faith in me. That is, you know, for someone who isn¡¯t my girlfriend¡± Chloe punched him in the shoulder and he groaned. ¡°Owuch¡± he said. ¡°That hurt¡± ¡°Good. I wanted it to hurt. I don¡¯t have to be your girlfriend to support you¡± she replied. ¡°Anyways there¡¯s something I want to ask you, but I don¡¯t want you to be a total douchebag about it.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Tim said, wondering what it was. Chloe took a deep breath, like she was summoning courage. ¡°It¡¯s about the dance next tomorrow¡± she began. ¡°I ermmm¡­.¡± ¡°Tim¡± a voice interrupted them. They both turned around. It was Jensen. ¡°Hey dad¡± Tim said, his face lit up immediately. He walked up to him and gave him a big hug. ¡°You came¡± ¡°Yeah I did,¡± Jensen replied. ¡°I watched the whole game. And then before I coulde find you after the game, the field got so crowded that I lost you¡±. ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry dad. But I¡¯m so happy that you came. Mom couldn¡¯t make it. She said she had some work stuff to handle¡± His gaze fell on Chloe. ¡°Oh dad,¡± he said. ¡°I want you to meet my friend, Chloe Gilbert. Chloe, this is my dad¡± ¡°Hi Mr Packard¡± Chloe said. ¡°It¡¯s really nice to meet you¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you dear,¡± Jensen replied. ¡°I¡¯m a little bit surprised. Tim has never introduced me to a female friend before. This is nice¡± Tim groaned aloud. ¡°Please don¡¯t start now, dad,¡± he said. Chloe smiled. ¡°I think I will be going home now,¡± she said. ¡°Nice to meet you once again Mr Packard. See you around.. I mean,ter Tim¡± ¡°Yeah bye,¡± Tim said. He turned to Jensen. ¡°I have missed you Dad¡± ¡°I have missed you too soon,¡± Jensen replied. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go on and change, and then we can go grab something to eat. I will wait for you¡± ¡°Cool¡± Tim said, and he ran off to the locker room with the other guys. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°So Tim,¡± Jensen said as he popped one of the French fries into his mouth. ¡°This Chloe Gilbert, is she your girlfriend?¡± ¡°No she¡¯s not¡± Tim said, as he lowered his gaze. ¡°She is just my friend. But I wish she was my girlfriend. In Fact, there¡¯s a dance next tomorrow and I was about to ask her to be my date.. Before you showed up. It¡¯s probably a good thing you did, because I have no idea how to go about it and I¡¯m very scared that she might say no or that I would just embarrass myself. ¡° 116 ¡°Oh¡± Jensen said. ¡°I gotta say that I¡¯m really d you told me about this. It¡¯s kinda hard to believe how fast you have grown. I mean, there was a time when all you cared about was video games, but now here you are, having girl problems¡± Tim grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me dad¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not¡± Jensen said, raising his hands. ¡°And I gotta say that In my time, I was never turned down by a girl. Not bragging¡± Tim rolled his eyes and smiled. ¡°Show off¡± he said, and Jensenughed. ¡°But,¡± Jensen continued, ¡°With your mom, I hesitated. I was stupid. Didn¡¯t know what I had. I was enjoying all the attention I was getting that I forgot to go after the one thing that mattered, and I almost lost her. So I say, suck it up kid. To hell with that fear. Just ask her to go to the dance with you, what¡¯s the worst thing that could happen? ¡± ¡°Ermmm, she could turn me down,¡± Tim replied. ¡°I could get embarrassed and I will never ever show my face in school again¡± Jensen threw his head back andughed. ¡°Oh please¡± he said. ¡°You will be fine even if she says no. But I don¡¯t think she will say no though¡± ¡°Oh really? How do you know that?¡± Tim asked. Jensen smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I have a gift¡±. He said. ¡°I know these things. Just ask her.¡± ¡°Fine¡± Tim said, then he leaned closer and said. ¡°So while we are still on the subject, I want to ask. Are you and mom getting a divorce?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Jensen almost spat out his fries in his mouth and immediately went wide eyed. ¡°What!¡± he eximed. ¡°Where did you get that idea from? Did your mom say we are getting divorced?¡± Tim almostughed at his reaction, but he knew this was noughing matter so he held it in. ¡°No she didn¡¯t say that¡± he replied. ¡°I was just wondering, you know, because of the way you guys have been acting. First yelling at each other and then you moving out. It just seems like the first step to getting divorced¡± ¡°Oh¡± Jensen said, sounding very relieved. ¡°Look, Tim. Your mom and I are just going through a rough patch right now. And I didn¡¯t really move out. I just thought we needed some space. But we are definitely not getting divorced. Hopefully that thought hasn¡¯t gone through her head.¡± he paused then added, ¡°I miss all of you. You, Deanie and your mom¡± ¡°Thene home,¡± Tim said. ¡°It sucks not having you around. Deanie misses you so much¡­ and it¡¯s even worse for mom because she is trying so hard to act like she¡¯s fine. And she might kill me for telling you this, but she misses you too¡± Jensen sighed. ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know, son,¡± he said. ¡°I messed up really bad this time¡± ¡°And I¡¯m sure mom will forgive you in a heartbeat because she loves you. You know I hear her crying sometimes in her room or sometimes in the kitchen when she thinks no one is listening¡­ Or when she thinks we have gone to bed¡± Tim said. ¡°Can you guys just talk. I don¡¯t wanna be from a broken home¡± Jensen smiled at him. ¡°Thanks son,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your mom and I are going to fix this.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Tim said. ¡°Now can you give me lines? You know¡­ Things to say to Chloe in case she says yes to going to dance with me¡­ I wanna ask her to be my girlfriend too¡± Jensen grinned at him. ¡°Luckily for you¡± he said as he took a big bite to his French fries, and rxed in his chair. ¡°Your dad is the master. Buckle up kid. It¡¯s show time¡± Timughed. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Jensen tucked his hand into his pocket and shook his head nervously. He was holding a beautiful bunch of flowers in his hands. His finger ran over the edges, For a long while, he stared down at it before breathing deeply again. As his driver pulled to the curb in front of Crimson Bay, he held the flowers closer to his chest. He had asked his driver to drive today because he wasn¡¯t sure he could drive with the way his hands were shaking. Katherine wouldn¡¯t be expecting him. Hell, he wasn¡¯t expecting him. To be here, that is. He was supposed to have flown back to San Francisco. He had a number of issues to deal with including talking to his team about their new projects. Yet, here he was, getting out at his building because he wanted to see his wife. He missed her. He missed his family and he wanted to fix things. Couldn¡¯t travel without talking to her, so he put it on hold. Right now he was choosing his family. He instructed his driver to find suitable parking and to swing back around when he phoned to say he was ready. Then he headed into the building to take the elevator up to her floor. 117 Behind the desk, a cheerful looking younger woman smiled a warm wee as he approached. ¡°Good morning, Mr Packard¡± she said. ¡°And wee. I assume you are here to see Mrs Packard.¡± He returned her smile. ¡°Is she in?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes. But she is not here right now. If you will wait in her office, I¡¯ll get her at once. Would you care for some coffee?¡± she asked. ¡°No, thank you.¡± he said, he wasn¡¯t sure he could keep anything down right now. She turned to stride down the hallway, leaving Jensen standing there. He walked into Katherine¡¯s office and went to the window to look down on the street instead of sitting.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. A few momentster, he heard the tap tap of heels and turned to see Katherine walk into the office, a confused, wary look in her eyes. ¡°Jensen,¡± she greeted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you. I thought you were going to San Francisco. Tim told me so. Is anything wrong?¡± She¡¯d put her impersonal business face on the moment he looked up. It annoyed him that she was pushing him away, already distancing herself from him. He was tired of staying away, which was why he was here, trying to get her back. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. My ns changed. I thought we could have lunch. If you¡¯re free, that is.¡± he said. He handed her the flowers which she took. ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s beautiful¡± she put it on her desk. Then she checked her watch, a quick, nervous motion that told him she was merely stalling-and trying to think of an excuse why she couldn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t want her toe up with an excuse. ¡°I would very much like to have lunch with you, Kat.¡± he said, hoping she would say yes. Her forehead wrinkled in indecision. She nibbled at her bottom lip. He took advantage of that moment to move closer until he crowded her. Before she could take a step back, he grasped her arm. rm red in her eyes, and she broke the contact, stepping hastily away as she stared wildly in all directions. ¡°For God¡¯s sake, Jensen, not here,¡± she hissed. Her hand trembled as she raised one to smooth her hair. Instead of repairing the knot, she only managed to work more strands free. They fell down her neck, calling attention to the slim column. He was reminded of all the time he¡¯d spent nibbling at that sweet flesh. He wanted to do it again. He missed that so much. He raised an eyebrow at her vehemence but kept his distance. ¡°Lunch?¡± he repeated. ¡°All right. Let me get my purse. I¡¯ll meet you downstairs.¡± Katherine said finally. Her dismissal rankled him. But he didn¡¯t care. As long as she gave him a chance to show her how sorry he was. He hadn¡¯t stopped thinking about her. He couldn¡¯t. She lived in his mind. In his anger, he hadn¡¯t liked it, but he was powerless to rid himself of her assault on his senses. He stared at her for a long moment, and only because he was convinced she was ready to bolt, did he acquiesce. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll call my driver around. Oh, and Kat. You know I don¡¯t like to be kept waiting.¡± he said. Katherine spun around before she exploded. She wished she could me it all on her anger and his arrogance, but she¡¯d been bbergasted when Shelby had rushed into her office to tell her that her husband was here and he wanted to see her. The giddy thrill that sizzled down her spine annoyed her. And then his arrogant presumption that she¡¯d drop everything to have lunch with him. He didn¡¯t like to be kept waiting. The man sure knew how to get on her nerves, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that she had missed him like crazy too. She sighed as she collected her purse. Where to even begin? He was her husband. The father of her kids and she loved him. She missed everything about him. She missed making love to him. A hot blush shot up her neck and nearly burned her cheeks off as she remembered just how often made love. They¡¯d been insatiable. It was always been that way with them. She wanted her husband back, and if he was ready to fix things between them, so was she. After a quick wave to Shelby, she rode the elevator down to the first floor. She passed the busy cuisine restaurant with the lunch crowd lined up at the door and exited the building. Jensen was standing at the curb, one hand resting on the open door to the backseat of his car, the other shoved into his pocket. He looked positively arrogant. Like he not only belonged in the world but owned it. He nodded as she approached and motioned her inside the car. Then he slid in beside her and shut the door. ¡°I thought we could eat at this restaurant across town. We have been there before. They prepare something new almost every day¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s small, but as you know, the food is excellent and it affords privacy.¡± 118 He looked at her almost like thest was a challenge. She tilted her chin up and stared coolly at him. She hoped that she looked as unruffled as she wanted to portray. ¡°Why did youe to my office today, Jensen?¡± she asked. His mouth tightened briefly before he rxed and eyed her with thinly veiled amusement. ¡°We are married, Kat, ¡± he said.¡±I can¡¯t take my wife to lunch?¡± She curled her fingers into tight fists. ¡°Jensen.¡± she said. She stopped when her voice cracked. She felt like the worst sort of idiot. Right now, she felt ridiculously tongue tied. ¡°Yes?¡± he prompted. He wore a curious smile, almost as if he found her and the situation amusing. It made her angry. ¡°Look Jensen, I¡¯m not going to act like I didn¡¯t miss you. I did. But I don¡¯t know what you are up to, and if you think that -.¡± She didn¡¯t finish her sentence because Jensen didn¡¯t let her. He simply hauled her into his arms and stifled her tirade with a kiss. Not just any kiss. He devoured her whole. She melted-positively melted-in his arms. She went limp against him. Yep, she thought. With him she was always at the mercy of her hormones. She ced both hands on his chest and shoved until they sat apart, both breathing raggedly. She probably looked demented sitting there, hair askew, chest heaving up and down as if she¡¯d run a marathon. ¡°Stop kissing me!¡± she said. He smiled again, azy, sensual smile of a lion standing over its prey. She was having lunch apparently. ¡°But I like kissing you and I try never to deny myself life¡¯s little pleasures.¡± he said. ¡°You know that¡± She rolled her eyes then caught herself before sheughed.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Dammit, Jensen. Be serious for one minute. I mean it. You can¡¯t just kiss me and take me to dinner and expect everything to just go away. It doesn¡¯t work that way. Stop kissing me and stop touching me.¡± She said He held his hands up in surrender. ¡°Okay, okay. I won¡¯t touch you.¡± he replied. She crossed her arms protectively over her chest and moved as far over in the seat as she could. Why had she agreed to lunch with him? Why? Because you are madly in love with him you can¡¯t resist him. There was that. There was a time she thought it was a myth. The out-of-control hormones that made an otherwise intelligent woman waste her brain cells every time she came into contact with a man she wanted. She was certainly proving the waste of brain cells to be true. The rest of the journey was spent in brooding silence. Jensen was silent and Katherine brooded. When they finally pulled up to the restaurant that boasted the best seafood on the area, she raised a skeptical eyebrow. ¡°Try it first and then tell me if you disagree,¡± Jensen said in amusement. ¡°You loved it thest time we came here, you will love it now¡±. He was so adept at reading her and it annoyed her to no end, especially since she had no idea what was going on in his head right now. A part of her was afraid to find out. Jensen guided her into the rustic cedar building with its quasi-southern charm mixed with California d¨¦cor. The two sat in the far corner where the lighting was so dim a small kerosenentern sat in the middle of the table to offer ambience. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m on a first date,¡± she said ruefully after Jensen had ordered the wine. He smiled and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. ¡°Would it make me less of a jerk to be up front about the fact I n to have you in bed with me tonight?¡± he asked. She sucked in her breath until she felt curiously lightheaded. She suspected of course, but to hear him say it outright was way sexier than it should have been. ¡°I have to go back to work,¡± she murmured. He nodded. ¡°Of course. I didn¡¯t intend to spirit you away for an afternoon tryst, though the idea has merit. I wonder if your staff would call the police?¡± She red at him-determined not tough. But even her scowl twitched. The waiter appeared with food, and she blinked because she hadn¡¯t remembered ordering. She nced at the half-empty winess and couldn¡¯t for the life of her remember drinking so much as a sip. Jensen was bad, bad for her brain. He was as bad as some wasting disease. She wouldn¡¯t survive, either. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Katherine,¡± Jensen said. ¡°I know that I screwed up real bad. And I¡¯m sorry about that. I can¡¯t begin to tell you just how sorry I am. But I miss you, baby. I miss you and the kids and I want toe home where I belong. It wasn¡¯t easy convincing all the board members that kicking Shay out of thepany was a good idea, but like you said, it¡¯s still mypany and I still call the shots.¡± 119 ¡°All they needed was some convincing. I¡¯m finalizing the documents for the dissolution of the partnership. I know you might find it hard to forgive me, but I don¡¯t want us to grow apart over this. No one is worth it. So please tell me that you want me back home too, Kat. And maybe this is a little too fast, but I don¡¯t care, I wanna be with you tonight. It¡¯s been so long. Let me hold you tonight.¡± Katherine sighed. Oh, the man really knew how to get to her, with his words, his touch, his kisses. Everything. ¡°Jensen,¡± she began again, and promptly shut up when it came out more as a intive wail than a protest. ¡°I¡¯ll send a car for you, Katherine.¡± he said.¡± You are my wife. But I want this to be special, kinda like a first date like you said. I¡¯ll have my driver pick you up from work, or if you prefer, you can drive your car to the house and I¡¯ll have him pick you up there. Tim can take care of the house for one night and Deanie can stay at your mom¡¯s.¡± Why wasn¡¯t she immediately shutting him down? Why wasn¡¯t she telling him that in no uncertain terms would she agree to that. But boy did that sound so inviting. And she couldn¡¯t deny that she wanted that too. She chewed absently at the food, not registering the taste or even what she ate. Her throat was as dry as the desert and her tongue was swollen and clumsy. ¡°You act as though it¡¯s a crime for us to be together,¡± he said in an oddly tender voice. ¡°I know things have been rough between us, but I really want to let it go and move forward. Come on, Kat¡± If it had been coaxing or wheedling, she could have been cold to him. But she could swear he was reassuring her and attempting to ay her fears. She licked her lips and raised her gaze to meet his. Awareness hit her square in the chest. In his eyes she saw undting bodies. Hers and his. In perfect rhythm. So beautiful and so pleasurable that she closed her eyes to further immerse herself in the memory. ¡°Say yes,¡± he said. His voice stroked her as surely as his fingers always did. A prickle of goose bumps spread rapidly over her shoulders and down her chest until her nipples tightened into two painful knots.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Kat,¡± he prompted. Finally she opened her eyes and fixed him with her unfocused gaze. ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Promptly at a quarter to five, Katherine headed down the elevator-fifteen minutes before quitting time so she¡¯d miss the majority of her staff. For some reason she felt naughty and she didn¡¯t know why. Jensen was her husband. It wasn¡¯t like she was doing anything wrong, and he was doing a really good job of making this look like a first date. The house wasn¡¯t far, and usually she¡¯d enjoy driving her car with the top down-it really was a sassy, smooth handling dream machine-but today she was just impatient to be home, and the traffic was driving her mad. When she reached the house, she saw one of the cars out front and the driver standing on the curb beside it. With a groan, she slowed to a stop on the street and rolled down her window. ¡°I¡¯ll only be a moment,¡± she called. The driver smiled, tipped his hat and said, ¡°No hurry, Mrs Packard. Take your time.¡± he said. She maneuvered into her parking spot and dashed inside, ready to do battle. Hopping on one foot as she stepped out of her clothing, she went over to her drawer to find the most sinful set of lingerie she owned. She settled on pink. What was more feminine or soft looking than pink? Unsure of whether she¡¯d return to the house before going to work the next day-and she did like to be prepared for anything-she threw an outfit into an overnight bag along with her toiletries and avender bra and panties. She felt like she was going to see her boyfriend and not her husband. She did a quick check of her messages and then she called Tim and told him that she wouldn¡¯t being home, reminded him toe home early from Oliver¡¯s and look after the house, then she called her mom and asked that Deanie stayed with her for the night, which Delia agreed to. Then she made sure everything was fine with work and none of her staff would be calling her. Tonight was hers. She needed no reminders from the business world. If she was going to indulge in this fantasy, she was going whole hog. She locked up and hurried out the door to the street where the driver waited. He ushered her into the backseat and they drove away into traffic. It amused her how exciting she found the whole experience. She could be a mistress at the beck and call of her ¨¹ber-wealthy benefactor, discreetly bundled into a private car and rushed to meet him at an undisclosed location. 120 ¡°Get it together, Katherine,¡± she muttered. Lord, but she did lose all her brain cells when it came to Jensen. Sheughed outright and it had the effect of someone popping her thought bubble with a sharp pin. The driver looked up in the rearview mirror, and she valiantly tried to look back with a straight face. If he only knew the absurd thoughts she was processing. If she was truly the naughty girl of her fantasies, she would have ridden over with only a trench coat covering her sexy lingerie. Then when she walked into Jensen¡¯s room, she could discard the coat and watch his reaction. The idea certainly had merit, and if she ever received another invitation such as tonight from him again, she¡¯d give it serious consideration. Just to tease him. But for now, she would concentrate on the moment. A few minutester, the driver pulled up to the sumptuous hotel Jensen had been staying in since he moved out, by passed the main entrance and stopped at the second pull in where her door was immediately opened by one of the hotel staff. Maybe Jensen had his own entrance. The thought amused her, but then he had so much money, it wouldn¡¯t surprise her¡­ Correction, they had so much money. Jensen hardly did the show off thingy, but when he wanted to, he made sure he did it well. She was immediately met by the concierge and was handed a keycard. ¡°Mr. Packard wishes for you to go right up,¡± the older man said. She blushed from head to toe. The man didn¡¯t know her and she knew well what it looked like. Like she was some hooker or mistress-precisely what she¡¯d imagined on her way over-all set to have a ndestine meeting. She took the key card, murmured her thanks, and shot past the doorman and into the small hallway leading directly to the elevators. Thankfully she bypassed the lobby entirely. It seemed like everyone in the world knew what she was here for. She sighed. In the elevator, she inserted her key and punched the button for the top floor. She was whisked to the top in no time at all and stepped into the eerily quiet hallway. There were only a few doors. The rooms must be huge because she only counted four doors total. Jensen¡¯s room was on the very end, and she took a deep breath before inserting the key into the slot. When she opened the door and stepped inside, she immediately saw Jensen standing across the room, drink in hand, his eyes fixed on her. He¡¯d been waiting. She could sense his impatience and see the triumph in his expression when she closed the door behind her. She stood there, unmoving, as he put his drink aside and crossed the room in just a few, long strides. ¡°You came,¡± he murmured. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but for a moment, I thought you wouldn¡¯t. I thought you would change your mind¡± He didn¡¯t give her a chance to respond but he swept her into his arms and kissed her. He wasn¡¯t gentle or even particrly careful. Their bodies came together in a sh she felt all the way to her bones. ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t?¡± she asked when she was finally able to draw a breath. His eyes glittered, and his throat worked up and down as if he was trying to hold on to his control. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t, I was prepared to go and drag you out of the house,¡± he said. ¡°Or maybe juste immediately. But I just wanted to have this night together. Just us. Alone time¡­ Without the kids. I¡¯m sorry if I sound a bit selfish¡± All her concerns fell away. All the anger she had felt, all the hurt fell away. Nothing else mattered but the intense need they felt for each other. She shook her head ¡°No you don¡¯t sound selfish, ¡± she said. ¡°But next time, if you do this, I won¡¯te. I have a caveman fantasy wherein the Neanderthal drags me off to his cave.¡± Katherine said and smiled. He growled low in his throat and before she could react, he had her in his arms and was striding toward the bedroom. They made it as far as the dresser. Jensen slid her onto the polished surface of the wood and leaned in until she straddled his hips.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I swore that I would savor this the first time,¡± he said against her mouth. ¡°Dammit, but seeing you right now, all reason flies out the door.¡± She hooked her legs around his back and pulled him into the V of her groin. ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?¡± she said. ¡°Ermmm¡­ Once or twice,¡± he murmured as he swept hungrily over her mouth. Her excitement mounted as Jensen ripped at her shirt. He shoved it down over her shoulders, trapping her arms to her sides. His hands smoothed up her bare skin to her shoulders. He gripped her so hard, she knew she¡¯d wear his prints. 121 His breath blew hot over her chin and then her jaw. He kissed a line to her ear then sucked the lobe between his teeth. Shivers overtook her. Delicate little goose bumps dotted her flesh until she trembled uncontrobly. He stepped back, his hands falling to the waistband of her pants. His fingers hung in the snap and he stood there staring at her heaving chest. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful,¡± he said. ¡°I have missed you so much¡± He raised one finger to hook in the strap of her bra. He ran it up then down, and he grazed the tip over the swell of her breast. ¡°I love the lingerie.¡± he said. She leaned back on the dresser, resting her palms on the top to give him a better glimpse of her cleavage. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely merciless, aren¡¯t you?¡± he murmured. She smiled and arched invitingly until the barest hint of her nipples peeked at him over thece cups of her bra. He wrapped both arms around her waist and lowered his mouth to the valley between her breasts. He kissed and nibbled at the plump swells until she gasped and struggled for each breath. The straps had loosened and tumbled down her shoulders. He slid his palms up her body, hooked his thumbs in the straps and dragged them back down. He tugged until finally one cup slipped down and freed her breast. He licked the nipple until it puckered and strained outward. Then he closed his mouth ever so gently around the tip. ¡°Jensen,¡± she whispered as her hands tangled in his hair. He sucked softly and then with more pressure until her entire focus was the streaks of pleasure radiating from her nipple.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Clumsily, he yanked and fumbled with the sp of her bra until it fellpletely free. He shoved it aside and focused on unbuttoning her pants, his mouth never leaving her breast. He lifted her hips. She hoisted herself up, giving him room to pull her pants down. They fell to the floor and he took a step back and ran his gaze up and down her body. She felt beautiful and desirable. Even irresistible. He ate her with his eyes. Appreciation didn¡¯t adequately describe what she saw in his gaze. This was a man who saw only her. There were no other women. ¡°I can¡¯t say I ever fantasized about having sex with a woman on top of a dresser, but I¡¯m re-evaluating. I can see the appeal.¡± he said. She wiggled a little closer to him so that she was perched on the edge. Right now she wanted him so much, even the short distance to the bed seemed too much. He tucked his finger underneath thece of her panties and ran it along the edge until he delved into her hot, liquid heat. She leaned back, closed her eyes and moaned as he grew bolder with his exploration. The sensation of his hands rasping lightly over her behind as he cupped her and began to slide her underwear off was enough to drive her beyond endurance. She had to have him. Her nerve endings were fried. And then she was naked under his seeking gaze and inquisitive fingers. He stroked and caressed until she was a mass of gasping, breathless anticipation. ¡°No fair,¡± she panted. ¡°You still have clothes on.¡± He gave her a faint smile before quickly shedding his clothing. Then he dropped to his knees in front of the dresser. His hands slid sensuously up her legs, setting fire with the barest of touches. Her breath caught and held when he parted her thighs and pressed his mouth to her most intimate flesh. ¡°Oh¡­..¡± She gasped. It was all she could manage. Everything went fuzzy around her. Swimming. She was swimming in the most exquisite, mind-numbing waters she¡¯d ever navigated. The man was talented. He was generous. Even when he was pushed to his limits, he brought her to the brink of ecstasy before satisfying his own needs. ¡°Jensen, please!¡± She said, He rose up, gripped her knees and yanked her forward until she perched precariously on the edge of the dresser again. There was savage menace in his expression, the look of a man pushed too far too fast and struggling to hold on with everything he had. He found her center and plunged deep. His hands slid under her bottom, gripped tight and pulled her to meet his thrusts. He was deep and she felt him in every part of her soul. She ended, he began. He was a part of her, taking, giving and sharing. He leaned forward to bury his face in her neck as he rocked against her. Lightning sizzled down her spine as he nuzzled her sensitive skin and suckled the column of her neck. She wrapped her arms and legs around him until there wasn¡¯t an inch of space between them. Still buried tightly inside her, he lifted her up and backed toward the bed. He fell, her on top, and theynded with a jolt. 122 ¡°Ride me,¡± he said in a strained voice. His pupils dted and his brow constricted. Tight lines were etched into his forehead, and his hands gripped her hips so tightly that she could do nothing more than squeeze her inner muscles around his erection. ¡°Sweat heaven,¡± he groaned. She wasn¡¯t going tost, and she was helpless to do anything about it. She needed to move. She had to move. cing her palms t on his chest, she wiggled free of his grasp and began to move up and down, taking him, releasing him, then taking him again. Sweat beaded his brow. His eyes were narrow slits, and he never took his gaze from hers. He urged her closer so he could cup her breasts. They filled both palms and he rubbed the pad of his thumb over the painfully erect nubs. ¡°I can¡¯t hold on,¡± she whispered.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then let¡¯s go together,¡± he urged. His hands left her breasts and he gripped her hips, lifting her and pulling her down in time with his upward thrusts. The burn spread. Tension mounted. She wound tighter and tighter until it was all she could do to hang on. She threw her head back, her mouth open in an endless cry of agony. The sweetest, most breathtaking agony of her life. His hands left her hips to tangle in her hair. He rose up, pulling her harshly to meet his kiss. Frantically, his hands moved up and down her back, into her hair, through her hair, over her face as if he couldn¡¯t get enough and wanted to memorize every feature. And then it was as if the world went silent. The wave rolled, crashed and then broke into a million tiny ripples, each feeding the other. She was no longer cognizant of holding on to him. She was riding high and fast. She had no idea how long shey sprawled over Jensen, her heart beating so frantically that she literally felt each thud. His arms were wrapped around her, and their legs were all tangled up. He was still buried inside her, and she could feel the remnants of his orgasm. Each little pulse sent a tiny shock of aftermath flooding through her body. Slowly she became aware that he was stroking her back and her hair. He murmured little sweet words in her ear but nothing seemed to make sense. She waspletely befuddled by this man, her husband. ¡°I think I blew it.¡± he said. She smiled and snuggled a little closer, tucking her head under his chin and nuzzling his chest. ¡°You blew, all right. But I think I blew first.¡± She replied. His chest heaved as he chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re such a naughty girl.¡± Summoning energy she sorelycked, she raised her head and propped up on his chest so she could stare down into his eyes. What she saw sent a pang of longing straight through her heart. He looked content. Sated, but not just in a sexual way. He looked at home. Oh, she had an overactive imagination. She was sure of that. But when he looked at her like that, with the world in his eyes, a world where only she existed, it was hard not to get caught up in the fantasy they¡¯d created between them. He ran a gentle finger over her mouth. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±he asked. ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain a man should never ask a woman what she¡¯s thinking right after sex,¡± she said lightly. ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain women like to talk after sex. Well, talk and cuddle, or some girly thing like that. And I know you. You like that.¡± he replied. She grinned and leaned down to kiss him. ¡°I like the cuddle part.¡± she agreed. He gathered her in his arms and rolled until theyy on their sides. ¡°Don¡¯t wanna talk, huh?¡± She reached down to touch him again. He put his hand down to stop her. ¡°No, don¡¯t do that . You don¡¯t have to mess with it.¡± he said. She smiled and kissed him again then scooted off the bed to the bathroom. When she returned, he was propped on one hand, watching her intently. His naked body was a gorgeous sight. Even in a rxed state, his proportions were generous to say the least. ¡°If you keep looking at me like that, it¡¯s not going to stay down,¡± he growled. ¡°You only nned to do this once?¡± she asked in mock horror. He reached over, grabbed her arm and yanked her back down beside him. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, You have no idea what I n to do to you tonight.¡± She snorted withughter. ¡°Really? Did you n an orgy?¡± ¡°Okay I may have exaggerated¡­.. slightly. But only slightly,¡± he said with a sly grin. ¡°That¡¯s good to know. I¡¯d hate to think I was under that kind of pressure.¡± She said grinning. He tweaked her nose then followed up with a kiss. ¡°Somehow I think you could hold up quite well. You amazing woman.¡± he replied. 123 She cuddled deeper into his embrace. She hadn¡¯t lied about the cuddling part. She had missed him so much. And she was just so d to be in the arms of the man she loved. She loved this man. She loved her husband. And she wanted him toe home. She shook her head when she realized that he was talking and she hadn¡¯t been listening. ¡°We have options,¡± Jensen said. She blinked and focused her attention back on the here and now and the fact she was in bed after hot, sweaty sex with the man she loved. It was all she could do not to groan. ¡°What options?¡± she asked huskily. ¡°I can feed you. I can make mad, passionate love to you again. Or we can take a short nap and then do either option one or two. Or both. See? I¡¯m easy.¡± he said. She smiled and squeezed him. She did love him. It scared her to death just how much she loved him, and she was flooded by so much emotion she couldn¡¯t think straight. ¡°I never really replied at lunch?¡± she said. ¡°I want you toe home. I don¡¯t care what happened. I realize that I screwed up too. I should have tried to be more understanding. I should have tried to support you in yourpany projects. But all I did wasin that you weren¡¯t spending time at home. And that was wrong. And so I¡¯m sorry, Jensen. I promise to do better next time. ¡± He leaned up and cradled her so he looked down at her. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± he said. ¡°We both have our faults. But the important thing is that we move past them and we grow so we can handle things better next time.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Katherine smiled and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°Did you bring clothes to go to work in?¡± he asked. She swallowed. ¡°I did bring clothes. I can dress here.¡± She said, ¡°But you are taking me to work tomorrow as I don¡¯t have my car¡± ¡°With pleasure mydy,¡± he said, smiling. Unable to resist, she kissed him. It wasn¡¯t a yful little peck this time, but a warm, deep kiss that showed without words the depth of her feelings. When she finally drew away, his eyes were zed with passion, but there was also contentment that she didn¡¯t want to specte about. ¡°In that case, I vote we go with eat, mad passionate love and then sleep,¡± she murmured, answering his previous question. ¡°Sold,¡± he said. A half hourter, they sat cross-legged on the bed, devouring the room service Jensen had ordered. She was swallowed up by one of his robes, and he was wearing a pair of boxer shorts. She ate indelicately, with her fingers, foregoing the utensils. It was finger food anyway, and it was too scrumptious to be all highbrow about eating it. ¡°Tell me your ns for the rest of the week. Are you still going to go to San Francisco?¡± Katherine asked. He cocked his head and studied her intently. ¡°San Francisco can wait,¡± he said. ¡°It can?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Jensen replied. ¡°I can call Stephen and he can handle stuff up there. I just got you back. And I know I have been distanttely, so I¡¯m gonna spend some time you and the kids¡± Her cheeks warmed. Her mouth suddenly went dry and she gulped a mouthful of water. ¡°I love you so much, Jensen,¡± she said. He smiled. A genuine, warm smile that told her he was pleased with her. ¡°I love you too, Kat,¡± he said. He reached out to wipe a smudge from the corner of her mouth. She nced down to see his food gone and most of hers, as well. And the way he was looking at her, she had a good idea what was for dessert. ¡°Give me two seconds to clear this away and roll the cart out into the hall and we¡¯ll get on with option two, although I¡¯m thinking that option three should be significantly dyed.¡± he said. She raised an eyebrow and her heart started tripping double time. ¡°Oh? How dyed?¡± she asked. ¡°Very dyed,¡± he said silkily. ¡°I¡¯m thinking option two could be divided into options three, four, five¡­..¡± In response, she untied her robe and tugged it away until she sat naked on the bed. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Jensen picked her up from work that evening. And after they got Deanie from her mom¡¯s house and returned home, they were surprised to find their house empty. ¡°Where¡¯s Tim?¡± Jensen asked. Katherine pped her forehead. ¡°Oh my God¡± she said. ¡°The dance. We totally forgot the dance. Oh, Tim is gonna be mad¡± ¡°Rx Kat¡± Jensen said, as he put Deanie down and she began to run around the house. ¡°I¡¯m sure Tim will understand¡± And he sure did when he returned. Katherine gave him a big hug. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry honey,¡± she said. ¡°We totally forgot about the dance. How was it?¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry mom. I¡¯m fine¡± he said. He stared at the both of them for a while. ¡°So¡­. Everything is okay now?¡± he asked. Katherine smiled. ¡°Yes, baby. Everything is fine now¡± she said. ¡°Great. I can¡¯t tell you how happy I am to hear that¡± Tim said grinning. Every part of his life was great. As he turned to go to his room, Jensen stopped him. ¡°So, did you get the girl?¡± he asked Tim. Tim grinned. ¡°Hell yeah¡­ I mean.. Heck yeah I did¡± Katherine stared at them in surprise. ¡°What girl?¡± she asked. ¡°There¡¯s a girl now?¡± Jensen and Tim grinned at each other. ¡°Dad, do you think mom is ever going to be okay with the fact that she¡¯s gonna have to share my affections with someone else?¡± Tim asked. Jensen shook his head. ¡°You know¡­ I don¡¯t see that happening¡± Timughed and began to go up the stairs to his room. ¡°Hey¡± Katherine called. ¡°I wanna hear all about this girl¡­ And I want to meet her too¡± ¡°Sure thing mom¡± Tim called back. Jensen smiled and wrapped his hand around her. ¡°Rx Kat,¡± he said. ¡°Tim is all grown up now. You have me. You will always have me¡± Katherine turned and kissed him deeply on his lips. ¡°And you will always have me too, Jensen,¡± she said. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C THE END¡­ For real this time. LOL. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Don¡¯t forget to read my other books- HAPPY FOREVER AFTER SILENT DESIRES HER BODYGUARD The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!