After a string of failed relationships, Mia Hart agrees to a "friends with benefits" arrangement with her best friend, Colton Hayes, a powerful Alpha and billionaire. But when Mia's feelings deepen, she's torn as Colton grows closer to his manipulative ex, Sabrina Lane. "You said this was just physical," Colton says coldly, arms crossed, his intense hazel eyes locked on hers. "It was," Mia replies, her voice breaking as her heart aches. "But things have changed. I can't pretend it means nothing anymore." Colton's jaw tightens. "We had an agreement. I thought you understood." "Did I?" Mia's voice trembles with frustration. "Or was I just fooling myself into thinking I could handle this? Do you think I wanted to fall for you?" For a fleeting moment, his gaze softens, but he quickly masks it. "That pull? It's just lust, Mia. Nothing more." "Is it?" she retorts, her voice rising. "Or are you too afraid to admit you feel it too?" Colton runs a hand through his hair, tension radiating from him as he wrestles with emotions he's not ready to face.
Chapter 1 1
Mia's POV
The sound of laughter filled the crowded rooftop bar, mingling with the low hum of music and the faint clinking of glasses. Mia Hart shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the soft leather of the booth pressing into her back. Across from her, Colton Hayes leaned against the table with a casual confidence only he could pull off. His dark hair was slightly tousled, as if he had run a hand through it one too many times, and his hazel eyes sparkled with amusement as he recounted another one of his ridiculous stories.
Everyone at the table hung on his every word. They always did.
Mia sipped her cocktail, the tart taste of lime and vodka barely registering on her tongue. She forced a smile at the appropriate moments, nodding along, but her thoughts were a thousand miles away. Or, rather, directly across the table.
Colton. Her best friend. Her partner in crime. The man she'd somehow stupidly, recklessly, fallen for.
He caught her staring.
"What?" he asked, one eyebrow quirking in that way that made her stomach flip. "You're looking at me like I've got something on my face."
Heat rushed to her cheeks. "Nothing. I was just... zoning out." She waved a hand dismissively.
"Zoning out?" His grin widened, revealing perfect white teeth. "Am I boring you, Hart?"
"No, just tired." She gave a half-hearted shrug. "Long day."
Colton's expression softened, just for a second. "You work too hard. Remind me again why you insist on managing that whole department solo?"
"It's called being competent, Hayes," she shot back, grateful for the distraction.
His laughter rolled out easily, warm and familiar, drawing the attention of the others. Mia pretended not to notice the curious glances aimed at her. Colton had that effect on people-a gravitational pull that seemed to pull her in no matter how hard she fought against it.
The night dragged on, and Mia found herself retreating into her thoughts again. The casual touches Colton gave her- his knee brushing hers under the table, the way his arm rested across the back of her chair-were enough to send her heart racing. She knew better than to let herself feel this way. Their arrangement was clear. No strings, no expectations. Just an outlet for their mutual frustrations and the chemistry they couldn't deny.
But lately, her heart hadn't gotten the memo.
By the time the group decided to call it a night, Mia's head was spinning-not from alcohol, but from the weight of everything unsaid. Colton offered to walk her to her car, as he always did, and she let him, knowing it was a mistake.
The crisp night air hit her like a welcome slap, cooling her heated cheeks. Colton's hands were shoved into his pockets, his stride easy and unhurried beside her.
"You've been quiet tonight," he said finally, breaking the silence. "Everything okay?"
Mia hesitated. "Yeah. Just tired, like I said."
He stopped walking and turned to face her, blocking her path. His hazel eyes searched hers, and for a moment, she thought he could see everything she was trying to hide.
"Bullshit," he said softly.
Her breath hitched. "What are you talking about?"
"You're not okay, Mia. I know you better than that."
The vulnerability in his voice made her chest ache. It would've been so easy to tell him the truth, to spill everything she'd been holding back. But then what? He'd remind her of their agreement. He'd tell her she was overthinking it. He'd walk away.
"I'm fine, Colton." She forced a smile and stepped around him.
He didn't follow immediately.
"Mia..." His voice trailed off, but she didn't stop walking. She couldn't. Not if she wanted to keep the fragile threads of their relationship intact.
Colton's POV
Mia was lying to him.
The thought stuck with Colton as he watched her disappear into the driver's seat of her car. He leaned against a lamppost, hands shoved deep in his pockets, his chest tightening in a way that was becoming annoyingly familiar... This was supposed to be simple.
From the beginning, they'd agreed to keep things casual. No complications, no feelings, just a convenient arrangement between two friends who had been through their fair share of relationship disasters. And for the most part, it worked. They laughed, they teased, they burned up the sheets, and they walked away unscathed... At least, that was the plan.
Colton ran a hand through his hair, frustration simmering beneath the surface. Lately, things had felt... different. Mia had been pulling away, her usual fire dimmed, her sharp wit dulled by whatever was weighing on her. And Colton hated it.
He wanted to fix it... Hell, he wanted to fix her.
The realization hit him like a sucker punch, and he cursed under his breath. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He couldn't afford to get tangled up in emotions, not with Mia. It would ruin everything they had.
But the truth was impossible to ignore.
Mia wasn't just his best friend. She wasn't just the woman he slept with when they both needed an escape. She was... everything. And that terrified him.
Pushing off the lamppost, Colton climbed into his car and started the engine. He couldn't shake the image of her eyes-so full of something she refused to say out loud.
By the time he reached his penthouse, Colton had made up his mind.
He wasn't going to let Mia shut him out. Not this time.
Mia's POV
The weight of the day pressed down on Mia as she kicked off her heels and sank onto the couch. Andy, her orange tabby, jumped into her lap, purring softly. She ran a hand over his fur, her mind drifting to the way Colton had looked at her tonight.
It was like he knew.
Her chest tightened as she replayed their conversation in her head. The concern in his voice, the intensity in his eyes-it was too much. She couldn't let herself believe there was anything more to it than that.
Her phone buzzed on the coffee table, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Colton: "You left in a hurry."
Her fingers hovered over the screen, her heart pounding. She could ignore him, pretend she was already asleep, but she knew he wouldn't let it go.
Mia: "I was tired."
His response came almost immediately.
Colton: "Liar."
A small smile tugged at her lips despite herself.
Mia: "I thought you didn't believe in texting."
Colton: "I don't. But you're avoiding me, and I want to know why."
Mia stared at the screen, her stomach twisting in knots. She wanted to tell him everything-that she'd fallen for him, that she couldn't keep pretending this was just physical. But she couldn't bear the thought of losing him completely.
Instead, she typed out the safest response she could think of.
Mia: "I'm not avoiding you. Goodnight, Colton."
She set the phone down and leaned back against the couch, her eyes drifting shut. Sleep didn't come easily, but when it finally did, Colton's hazel eyes haunted her dreams.
Chapter 1 1
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Chapter 2 2
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Chapter 3 3
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Chapter 4 4
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Chapter 5 5
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Chapter 6 6
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Chapter 7 7
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Chapter 8 8
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Chapter 9 9
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Chapter 10 10
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Chapter 11 11
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Chapter 12 12
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Chapter 13 13
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Chapter 14 14
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Chapter 15 15
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Chapter 16 16
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