Chapter 13
13
EMMA
T he colors of the sunset outside the watchtower are almost unreal.
Oranges and pinks bleeding into purples so deep, they look like bruises against the darkening sky.
From the watchtower balcony, the view stretches for miles, forest rolling out like a dark green sea beneath us.
As night creeps in, the shadows deepen between the trees.
I cradle my mug of hot chocolate between my palms, letting the heat seep into my fingers.
The marshmallows have melted into a gooey cloud on top, just the way I like it.
The iron stove in the tower room crackles and pops, throwing shadows across the faces of the three Alphas lounging around me.
It should feel awkward, this domestic scene with men I’ve known for less than a week.
Instead, it feels disturbingly comfortable, as though I’ve somehow stumbled into a life that was waiting for me all along .
That thought alone is enough to send anxiety spiraling through my chest.
“So,” I begin, trying to keep my voice casual despite the knot of dread in my stomach.
“Should I be worried about this police interview tomorrow?”
My right knee bounces nervously.
Atlas, sitting beside me on the oversized couch, places a warm hand on my bare knee, stilling it instantly.
The weight of his palm sends an electric current up my thigh that I desperately try to ignore.
“Not at all,” he says, voice steady and reassuring.
“It’s standard procedure for them to conduct follow-up interviews for any structural fire. They just want to go over your statement again, see if you remember any additional details now that you’ve had time to process.”
Levi nods from his position by the window.
“Police reports show a statistical increase in accurate recall after a 72-hour buffer period following traumatic events.”
“We’ll drive you there and wait for you,” River adds.
“Support you no matter what happens.”
“You can’t come in with me?” The question slips out before I can stop it, revealing more vulnerability than I intended.
Atlas shakes his head.
“They’ll want to speak with you privately. Standard protocol.”
My stomach clenches painfully.
What if they twist my words around?
What if they don’t believe me?
What if I accidentally say something that makes me sound guilty?
“Hey,” River says. “You look like someone just told you dragons are real, and they’re coming for your chocolate stash.”
I force a smile that feels more like a grimace.
“Just nervous about being interrogated, that’s all.”
“It’s not an interrogation,” Levi clarifies.
“In cases like yours where there’s no evidence of foul play, these follow-ups are merely formalities.”
“Right,” I say, though the reassurance does little to calm the riot of worst-case scenarios playing out in my head.
What if they’ve found evidence that contradicts my statement?
What if they think I deliberately set the fire for insurance money?
What if I somehow left a candle lit?
What if they arrest me on the spot?
God, I can’t go to jail.
I’d never survive it.
I’d be the world’s worst inmate—I can’t even handle spiders in the shower, let alone whatever horrors prison holds.
“Emma,” Atlas says quietly, somehow reading the spiral of my thoughts.
“I promise you, there’s nothing to worry about.”
Easy for him to say.
He’s not the one whose entire life went up in flames, literally, and now has to convince the authorities he had nothing to do with it.
“On a scale of one to completely screwed,” I ask, trying to inject some humor into my voice.
“How bad would it be if I just skipped town tonight? I hear Canada is lovely this time of year.”
River snorts.
“About a twelve on your scale. Fleeing before questioning tends to scream ‘guilty as hell’ to the authorities.”
“Besides,” Atlas adds, giving my knee a gentle squeeze.
“We’d just have to come find you and bring you back.”
The casual way he says it, as if it’s a foregone conclusion they would chase me down, sends an unexpected thrill through me.
I push the feeling away, trying to focus on the actual issue at hand.
“We’ll be right outside the whole time of your interview,” Levi assures me.
“And if there’s any problem, which there won’t be, my cousin works in the DA’s office. We have connections.”
The quiet confidence in his voice, the absolute certainty that they’ll protect me, loosens something tight in my chest. It’s been so long since I’ve had anyone in my corner like this, not since Gran died.
“Thanks,” I say, looking down at my mug.
“For everything. The room, the clothes, letting me stay here... especially after I barged into your lives like some disaster movie heroine.”
“Best disaster we’ve ever had,” River quips with a wink.
A comfortable silence falls, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the distant hooting of an owl.
The last sliver of sun disappears beyond the horizon, leaving us in the warm glow of the iron stove and a few strategically placed lamps.
“Can I ask you something?” Levi says suddenly, drawing all our attention, yet he’s staring at me.
“What happened to make you not want an Alpha? Not that we’re pressuring you,” he adds quickly.
“I’m just curious.”
The question catches me off guard, though I’m not sure why.
I’ve been waiting for one of them to ask for more details since that first day when I’d made it clear I wasn’t looking for any Alpha attachments.
I shrug, nibbling on my lower lip as my mind spins through possible answers.
I could deflect, make a joke, and change the subject.
The guys are all watching me, but none of them push, which I appreciate more than they realize.
“Hey, it’s all good,” River says after a moment, clearly sensing my hesitation.
“No deep, dark secrets required.”
Something about his easy acceptance makes me want to answer truthfully.
Maybe it’s the hot chocolate warming my insides, the coziness of this tower sanctuary, or just the genuine kindness these three have shown me.
Whatever it is, I find myself wanting to be honest, even if it makes me look pathetic.
“It’s nothing exciting,” I say finally.
“Just... a pattern I’d rather not repeat.” I pause, gathering my thoughts, and none of them rush to fill the silence.
“I don’t want to be hurt again,” I admit, my voice smaller than I intended.
“Rejection just breaks you down after a while, and I’m tired of feeling less. Of losing my self-confidence every time another Alpha tells me I’m not good enough. ”
The words flow like a dam breaking after years of pressure.
“My first boyfriend in college told me my scent was too bookish, and it wasn’t sexy enough for him. The next one said I was too independent for an Omega and that Alphas want someone who needs them more.” My laugh is hollow, even to my own ears.
“Then there was the guy who said I was too passionate about my writing, and it made him feel secondary. Oh, and let’s not forget the one who said I was pretty enough but not quite what he was looking for in a mate.” I swallow hard, horrified to feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.
“The latest, my ex, Chad, told me he wasn’t attracted to me anymore, and my scent was wrong . Like I’d somehow gone bad, like milk left out too long.” I blink rapidly, refusing to let the tears fall.
“And I don’t want you to tell me none of these things are true because, trust me, I tell myself that. But that part of me inside still holds onto those damn words like a lifeline, and I hate it. Hate myself for it. Because I let them get under my skin.”
The silence that follows my outburst feels heavy.
I chance a glance up and find all three men watching me with almost frozen expressions.
“Well, those guys sound like complete assholes.” River is the first to break the silence.
“Grade-A fuckheads,” Levi blurts.
“Fucking idiots,” Atlas growls, his hand on my knee tightening slightly.
“Every last one of them. ”
I laugh, a watery sound that threatens to turn into a sob.
“You don’t have to say that. I know I’m a mess. Too emotional, too independent, too everything.”
“No,” Atlas says firmly.
“They were wrong, Emma. All of them.”
“You don’t know that,” I counter, my defenses rising automatically.
“You barely know me.”
“I know enough,” he insists.
“I know you’re brave enough to survive a burning building. You’re talented enough to have published multiple books. You’re strong enough to stand on your own feet, even when you’re still shaking inside.”
I blink at him, surprised by the force in his voice.
“I know,” River adds, “that you have the best laugh I’ve ever heard. And that you’re smart enough to keep up with Levi’s nerd talk, which is frankly impressive.”
“And I know,” Levi says quietly.
“That your scent is the most perfectly balanced combination of components I’ve ever encountered. The precise ratio of honey to vanilla to paper creates an olfactory harmony that’s mathematically elegant. You’re perfect.”
I stare at them, speechless.
They all seem so sincere, so earnest in their defense of me.
It would be easier if they were just being polite, offering empty reassurances.
This genuine belief in me is harder to dismiss, harder to protect myself against.
“God,” I say, forcing a laugh that sounds brittle, even to my own ears.
“You must think I’m such a loser. See? Told you, Atlas. Something’s wrong with me that everyone eventually sees.” I shove the last of my s’more into my mouth, needing something to do.
It’s sweet and delicious.
“Emma—” Atlas begins.
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” River interrupts, leaning forward intently.
“Those Alphas were the problem,” Levi states.
“Not you.”
Atlas shifts beside me, moving closer, but I can’t handle whatever comfort he’s about to offer.
Not when my heart is hammering so painfully against my ribs, not when I feel like I might shatter if anyone speaks too loudly.
“It’s okay,” I say quickly, cutting them off before they can continue with their well-intentioned reassurances.
“You don’t need to say anything. I’m saving you all from me, from future yous feeling like you’re stuck with me.”
My face burns with humiliation.
Why did I say all that?
Why did I lay myself bare to three men I barely know, men who’ve shown me nothing but kindness and are now witnessing me at my most pathetic?
“Anyway,” I say, standing abruptly, “I just need some fresh air.”
I set my empty mug on the small table and head for the balcony door, desperate to escape the weight of their gazes.
The night air hits me like a blessing, cool against my flushed skin.
I move to the darkest part of the wraparound balcony, where the shadows are thickest, and lean against the railing.
Behind me, I can hear the murmur of male voices, too low to make out words.
Probably discussing what a disaster I am and how they can politely ask me to find other accommodation now that they’ve seen the emotional wreckage beneath my attempts at normalcy.
Great job, Emma. You couldn’t hold it back just a bit longer while stuck in this town?
I scrub a hand across my eyes, angry at the wetness I find there.
And the pity is, I really like it here.
The tower, the town, and yes, the three men who are growing on me in ways that terrify me to my core.
Which is dangerous. So dangerous.
The path to getting hurt again is paved with thoughts exactly like these.
I stare out at the dark forest stretching before me.
In the distance, a wolf howls, the sound echoed by others further away.
It’s haunting and beautiful and somehow perfectly matches the ache in my chest.
A floorboard creaks behind me, and I stiffen, quickly wiping my eyes.
Be cool, Emma. Remember what Jason said—Alphas don’t like emotional Omegas.
Too needy. Too much work.
I hear my grandmother’s voice in my head, gentle but firm as always.
“A true Alpha will want all sides of you, firefly. The laughter and the tears, the strength and the vulnerability. Don’t settle for less.”
Well, I clearly haven’t met those Alphas in my past.
I turn, expecting to find all three, but it’s only Atlas.
Through the glass walls of the tower, I can see the living area is empty now.
Levi and River must have gone downstairs.
Atlas joins me at the railing, standing close but not touching, his gaze fixed on the forest below us.
He says nothing for a long moment, and surprisingly, the silence isn’t uncomfortable.
The breeze ruffles his dark hair, carrying the scent of pine and something wilder from the woods.
“Did you know,” he finally says, voice low and steady, “that there are three wolf packs living in these woods? In winter, when food is scarce, they sometimes come quite close to town. We’ve had to scare them away a few times.”
I appreciate the neutral topic, the chance to gather myself.
“Are they dangerous?”
“Not usually to humans. They’re more interested in easier prey. But they’re territorial with each other. Each pack has its own section of the forest, and they defend their boundaries fiercely.” He points to the north.
“The largest pack lives that way, near the ridge line. Sometimes at night, you can hear them calling to each other.”
As if on cue, another howl rises from the darkness, sending a shiver down my spine.
“They mate for life, you know,” he continues, still not looking at me.
“Once they choose, that’s it. Even if something happens to their mate, some never choose another.”
I’m not sure why he’s telling me this, but I find myself oddly captivated by the low rumble of his voice, the way it seems to blend with the night sounds around us.
He turns to face me.
“It’s okay to be scared if you’ve been hurt.”
The abrupt shift in topic catches me off guard.
“I’ve avoided Omegas since my ex, Caitlin, cleaned out my bank account and disappeared a year ago.”
I blink in surprise.
Of all the things I expected him to say, this wasn’t it.
“I thought she was it for me,” he continues, a muscle in his jaw clenching.
“We were together for nearly a year. She was... everything I thought I wanted. Beautiful, sweet, seemed to understand me better than anyone had before.”
“I’m so sorry,” I murmur.
“Looking back, there were signs I should have seen. The way she never answered my calls but always expected me to answer hers. How she only seemed to call when she wanted something. The way she’d push for things, like a shared bank account to save for our future, but always had excuses for why she wasn’t ready to move in together.”
He laughs, a bitter sound I’ve never heard from him before.
“I was so fucking blind. So desperate to believe I’d found my mate that I ignored every red flag. Then, one day, I came home to find her gone. No note, no explanation. Just empty drawers and years of savings gone.”
“Atlas, that’s horrible,” I whisper, genuinely horrified.
He shrugs, but I can see the tension in his shoulders.
“For months, I kept expecting her to come back. To explain that it was all a misunderstanding, that she needed the money for some emergency. Even after I knew better, even after I accepted that she’d played me for a fool, part of me still missed her. How fucked up is that?”
I reach out without thinking, placing my hand on his arm.
“It’s not fucked up. You loved her. That doesn’t just disappear because she betrayed you.”
He looks down at my hand on his arm, then back up to my face.
“My point is, I understand being wary. Being afraid to trust again. Being afraid to believe what’s right in front of you because you’ve been burned before.”
The sharpness in his blue eyes makes my breath catch.
“But I don’t think you’re cursed, Emma. I think you’re incredible. Brave and brilliant and so goddamn beautiful that any Alpha who turns his back on you is a fucking idiot who deserves to have his knot shrivel up and fall off.”
The fire in his voice startles a surprised laugh out of me.
“I’m serious,” he continues, eyes flashing.
“Those pathetic excuses for Alphas who hurt you? Those worthless pieces of shit who made you doubt yourself? I want names. Addresses. I’ll find every last one of those cocksuckers and make them regret the day they made you feel less than the incredible Omega you are.”
“Wow,” I say, both alarmed and oddly touched by his ferocity.
“I’m quite liking this side of you.”
Something shifts between us then, the air suddenly heavy.
My heart beats faster, and I know I should step back and put some distance between us before this goes somewhere I’m not ready for.
A sudden movement overhead makes me glance up just as a massive bat swoops low over the balcony.
I let out a small shriek, not my finest moment, and instinctively leap forward.
My hands land flat against Atlas’s chest, his arms coming around me automatically, holding me steady against him.
For a moment, we’re both frozen, staring at each other.
I sense his heart pounding beneath my fingers, matching the frantic thump of my own.
“Just a bat,” he murmurs, but he doesn’t loosen his hold.
I should step back. I know I should.
But the heat of him, the solid strength of his body against mine, makes it impossible to move away.
“Why do I always feel safe around you?” The question slips out.
“I’m a protector.” His hand slides up my back, coming to rest at the nape of my neck.
“Haven’t you noticed?”
He slips his other hand under my chin, tilting my face up until our eyes meet.
Something molten and dangerous flares in those midnight depths, something that makes my pulse race.
“Nothing’s going to happen,” I whisper, even as I sway closer to him.
“That so?” he murmurs, his thumb brushing across my lower lip in a touch so feather-light, it might be my imagination.
“We both know better,” I continue, my voice betraying me by dropping to a husky murmur.
“Speak for yourself,” he counters, his face dipping closer to mine.
“I don’t have that kind of willpower where you’re concerned.”
Then his mouth is on mine, and any pretense of restraint evaporates like morning mist under a blazing sun.
This isn’t a gentle first kiss.
It’s ravenous, consuming, as if he’s been starving for the taste of me.
His lips claim mine with a possessive hunger that makes my knees buckle and my mind go blissfully blank.
One hand cradles the back of my head, fingers tangling in my hair, while the other splays across my lower back, pressing me closer until there’s not even air between us.
I should pull away, but my body rebels against all logic, my hands sliding up his chest to tangle in his hair, holding him to me as if I’m afraid he’ll vanish if I let go.
He tastes like chocolate and sin, a combination that makes my head spin and my body burn.
His tongue traces the seam of my lips, seeking entrance, and I open to him with a soft whimper that would embarrass me if I had any capacity for shame left.
The kiss deepens and turns molten.
His tongue strokes against mine in a way that has me moaning against him.
I’m drowning in sensation, in the heat of his body against mine, in the way his hands seem to brand me through my clothes.
When we break apart, he doesn’t go far.
His forehead rests against mine, both of us breathing hard, his hands now framing my face as if I’m something precious he can’t bear to release.
“That was...” I try to find words but fail spectacularly.
“A mistake?” I suggest, pulse still racing.
He shakes his head, eyes locked on mine.
“Not even close. That was inevitable. I’ve been fighting it since the moment I sat next to you on the plane.”
“This is a bad idea,” I say, though my body screams otherwise.
“I’m not looking for?—”
“An Alpha. I know.” His thumbs stroke my cheekbones, gentle despite the hunger still evident in his gaze.
“But sometimes, what we’re not looking for is exactly what the universe gives us.”
Before I can form a response, he backs me gently against the railing, caging me with his arms on either side.
The position should make me feel trapped.
Instead, I feel strangely protected, sheltered from everything but him.
“If you were mine,” he says with an almost growl.
“I would tear down the fucking world if it made you doubt yourself for even a second. Would brand my claim on every inch of you until you couldn’t remember the names of any man who came before me. Would worship your body, your mind, until you never questioned your worth again.”
His words send liquid heat coursing through me, pooling low in my belly and between my thighs, where I’m already embarrassingly wet.
Every Omega instinct I possess is screaming at me to submit, to offer my throat, to let this powerful Alpha claim me completely.
I fight it, fight the pull of biology and desire alike.
“Big promises, Chief, but I’ve heard pretty words before.”
His head tilts to the side at the challenge in my tone.
“I don’t make promises I can’t keep, Emma. And I don’t just use pretty words.” He leans closer, his breath warm against my ear.
“I use actions. Would you like me to show you?”
God help me, I would.
Despite every warning bell clanging in my head, despite all my promises to myself, I rise up on my toes and press my mouth to his again.
This time, there’s no hesitation on either side.
His hands slide down to my hips, lifting me effortlessly until I’m sitting on the railing, my legs parting instinctively to make room for him between them.
The position brings us perfectly aligned, his hardness pressing against the core of me through our clothes, and I can’t suppress the moan that escapes me.
His mouth leaves mine to trail fire down my jaw to my neck, where my pulse hammers beneath my skin.
When he nips gently, then soothes the sting with his tongue, I nearly combust on the spot.
“You taste even better than you smell,” he murmurs against my throat, his stubble creating delicious friction against my sensitive skin.
“And you smell like fucking heaven.”
“Atlas,” I gasp as his hands slide under my sweater, calloused palms skimming over my ribs, thumbs brushing the undersides of my breasts through my bra.
“We shouldn’t?—”
“Tell me to stop,” he challenges, pulling back just enough to meet my eyes.
“Tell me you don’t want this, and I’ll walk away right now.”
I open my mouth, but the lie won’t come.
I do want this. Desperate for him.
He seems to read the surrender in my eyes.
With a growl, he captures my mouth again, kissing me until I’m dizzy with desire.
Then, to my shock, he pulls me off the railing and onto my feet.
He then drops to his knees before me, looking up with such naked hunger that I nearly come undone on the spot.
“Let me taste you,” he says, hands sliding up my thighs, pushing my skirt higher.
“Let me show you how an Alpha should adore his Omega.”
The possessive growl in his voice should terrify me.
Instead, it sends a fresh flood of wetness between my legs, my body betraying my mind’s caution with enthusiastic abandon .
“Someone could see,” I protest weakly, even as I lean back slightly, giving him better access.
His smile is pure sin.
“We’re in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forest. But if the idea of being watched excites you...” He leaves the suggestion hanging, his eyes gleaming with wicked promise.
“You’re incorrigible,” I gasp.
“I’m thorough,” he corrects, pressing a kiss to my inner thigh, just above my knee.
“And attentive.” Another kiss, higher.
“And very, very determined to make you forget every Alpha who came before me.”
His hands slide higher, thumbs tracing circles on my inner thighs, each pass bringing him closer to where I’m aching for his touch.
My head falls back, a whimper escaping me as he teases, approaching but never quite reaching where I burn for him the most.
“Atlas,” I plead, beyond pride now.
“Please.”
“Please what, Emma?” His breath is hot against my most intimate place, only the thin cotton of my underwear separating us.
“Tell me what you need.”
“You,” I gasp, hands fisting in his hair.
“Your mouth. Please, I can’t… I need…”
He growls with satisfaction, hooking his fingers into the waistband of my underwear and drawing them down my legs with agonizing slowness.
The cool night air against my heated flesh makes me gasp, but it’s nothing compared to the shock of his mouth on me, bare and intimate and devastating in its skill.
“Oh God,” I moan as his tongue pushes between my folds, flicking across my clit.
“Atlas, that’s… fuck…” I grip the railing behind me with a death grip, holding on, my knees melting as he pushes my legs wider, pushing himself closer, deeper.
He hums against me, the vibration sending shockwaves of arousal through my body.
My thighs tremble, threatening to give out, but his strong hands hold me steady.
“So responsive,” he murmurs, pulling back just enough to look up at me as he bunches up my skirt, pushing it up to my waist and tucking in at the band so he can see me.
His lips glisten with evidence of my slickness.
“So fucking perfect. You taste like honey and sin.”
Before I can respond, his mouth is on me again, more insistent now.
His tongue circles my clit while one thick finger teases my entrance before pushing inside.
The sensation is overwhelming.
I bite my lip to keep from crying out, my hips moving of their own accord, seeking more.
“Don’t hold back,” Atlas commands, adding a second finger alongside the first, stretching me deliciously.
“Let me hear you. I want to know exactly what you like.”
“Everything,” I gasp, beyond coherent thought now.
“Fuck, you’re doing everything right… just don’t stop, please don’t stop.”
He increases his pace, crooking his fingers inside me to hit that spot that makes stars explode behind my eyes while his tongue works relentlessly against my clit.
The pressure builds, higher and higher, my body drawing tight as a bowstring.
“That’s it,” he encourages, his voice rough with desire.
“Come all over my mouth, coat my hand in your sweet juices, Emma. Let go. Show me how good I make you feel.”
His words, combined with the twist of his fingers and firm press of his tongue, send me hurtling over the edge.
I come with a cry that echoes across the night, my body convulsing around his fingers as the most incredible orgasm crashes through me in waves.
Almost immediately, a chorus of wolf howls rises from the distant forest, the wild sound mingling with my gasps as I ride out the aftershocks.
Atlas stays with me through every tremor, gentling his touch but not stopping until I’m a quivering, oversensitive mess above him.
Only then does he pull away, pressing one final kiss to my inner thigh before rising to his feet, snatching my underwear in the process, and shoving them into his pocket.
His gaze meets mine, glittering in the darkness, pupils so wide there’s only a thin ring of blue around them.
“That,” he murmurs, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear with unexpected tenderness, “was the most magnificent fucking thing I’ve ever seen and tasted.”
I stare at him, still trembling from the force of my release, wondering how this man, this Alpha I’ve known for less than a week, has reduced me to my most elemental self with such ease.
In his eyes, I see galaxies, universes.
The reality of what we’ve just done crashes over me suddenly, bringing with it a wave of panic.
What am I doing? This is exactly how it starts…
The intoxication, the feeling of being special, unique.
And then inevitably comes the crash, the moment when they decide I’m not enough after all.
I can’t do it again.
I can’t survive another rejection, especially not from him.
Not from any of them.
I push down my skirt.
“Hey,” Atlas says softly, clearly reading the shift in my expression.
“Stay with me.”
“I-I can’t,” I stammer, though every cell in my body screams at me to do just that, to see where this could lead.
“Yes, you can,” he counters, his hand cupping my face.
“Whatever you’re thinking right now, whatever doubts are creeping in, they’re lying to you.”
For one breathless moment, I consider believing him.
Consider letting myself fall into whatever this is, consequences be damned.
But then I remember the hollow feeling in my chest after Chad, after Jason, after all the others.
Remember how each rejection chipped away at something fundamental inside me until I barely recognized myself.
“If I stay,” I whisper, the truth of it burning in my throat.
“If I let myself have this, have you... I’ll never recover when it ends.”
“Who says it has to end?” The certainty in his voice is almost enough to convince me.
Almost.
With a force of will I didn’t know I possessed, I slip from the railing and step to the side, putting precious space between us.
“Goodnight, Atlas.”
Before he can respond, before I can change my mind, I hurry around the balcony to the stairs.
I take them carefully in the dim lighting, my legs still unsteady from what just happened.
I rush through the living area, past Levi and River, who are chatting in the kitchen.
They both look up as I enter, and something in my appearance, flushed cheeks, mussed hair, the scent of arousal I’m sure they can detect, makes their conversation halt abruptly.
“Everything okay?” River asks, concern evident in his voice.
“Fine,” I manage, aiming for casual and missing by a mile.
“Just tired. Goodnight, boys.” I don’t wait for their response, just continue to my room on legs that still feel like jelly.
Once inside, I close the door and lean against it, my heart hammering in my chest.
“Oh God,” I whisper to the empty room.
“What did I do? Why did I do that?”
But even as panic and regret swirl through me, I can’t deny the truth—it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt.
His mouth, his tongue, the way he looked at me like I was something precious, something worthy.
I slide down the door until I’m sitting on the floor, knees pulled to my chest.
I’m in so much trouble.