"Tell me to stop," he whispers, his voice hoarse, desperate. She looks up at him, her lips trembling, her pulse wild beneath his fingertips. She should say it. She should push him away. But she never could. "I can't," she breathes. And just like that, the lines between love and disaster blur. Because falling for Josh Carter was something she had no control over. From secretly crushing on him for years, to living with him in an unexpected turn of events, to being his pretend fiancé, just how crazy can things get. Especially when he gets obsessively addicted to her
Chapter 1 Meeting him
Leah's POV
The world slowed to a crawl.
One second, I was walking to school, my headphones in, the cool autumn air brushing against my skin. The next, I heard the screech of tires, the sharp blare of a horn, and my body locked in place as fear paralyzed me.
I couldn't move.
The car was too close, moving too fast. My heart slammed against my ribs, my breath caught somewhere in my throat, and in that frozen moment, I thought-This is it. This is how I die.
But then-arms. Strong, firm arms wrapped around me, yanking me back with a force that sent me colliding against a solid chest. A rush of warmth. The scent of something deep, musky, expensive. A heartbeat, steady and calm, right beneath my ear.
I gasped, my body trembling, my hands fisting into fabric-his fabric.
"Are you okay?" A voice, deep and rich, laced with something unreadable.
I lifted my gaze, and-oh.
The world, which had been on the verge of crumbling, suddenly stilled.
He was beautiful. Devastatingly, unfairly beautiful.
Dark brown hair, just tousled enough to look effortless. A sharp jawline, strong cheekbones, piercing eyes-God, those eyes. A shade of hazel so intense it felt like they could see right through me. His lips were slightly parted, brows drawn in concern, and for a ridiculous second, I forgot how to breathe.
I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper. "I... I-"
Before I could get a proper word out, he was already moving, already stepping away like I was nothing more than a momentary inconvenience. He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. "You should be more careful."
Then, just like that, he turned away.
And I stood there, heart still hammering, pulse still erratic, watching as he walked off like he hadn't just saved my life.
Like he hadn't just knocked the air from my lungs with a single glance.
I stayed there for a long moment, my fingers still curled into the ghost of where his shirt had been, my mind replaying the deep timbre of his voice, the way his touch had burned through my uniform.
And then I shook myself. You're being ridiculous, Leah.
With one last look in the direction he had disappeared, I forced my legs to move again, my heart still struggling to settle.
.............................
My heart was still racing when I walked through the front door.
I kicked off my shoes absentmindedly, still replaying the morning's events in my head-the screech of tires, the strong arms that had yanked me back, the deep voice that had sent a strange shiver down my spine. Him.
I hadn't been able to stop thinking about him all day.
Not just because he had saved me, but because there was something about him-something commanding, magnetic, impossible to ignore. He had barely looked at me, barely acknowledged me, yet my mind was trapped in the memory of his hazel eyes, the way his hand had gripped my arm so effortlessly, the way my body had reacted to his presence like it had been wired to do so.
I shook my head. You're being ridiculous, Leah.
I exhaled and stepped into the living room, expecting to see my brother, Ryan, sprawled on the couch watching basketball or playing video games. What I didn't expect was him.
The same him I had spent the last several hours trying to push out of my thoughts.
Sitting on my couch. Laughing with my brother.
I froze mid-step. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought it might crack.
What. The. Hell.
He looked different now. More relaxed. His posture was lazy, his long legs stretched out in front of him, an easy grin playing on his lips as he clinked a beer bottle against Ryan's. His hair was still tousled, but in a way that seemed intentional, like he had run his fingers through it a thousand times.
And then, as if sensing my presence, he turned his head.
And those hazel eyes-those same goddamn hazel eyes-landed on me.
For a second, time stopped.
I felt the floor shift beneath me, my breath tangling in my throat as the weight of his gaze pressed against my skin. Did he recognize me? Did he remember pulling me back from the street just hours ago?
His brows pulled together slightly, like he was trying to place me.
And then-nothing.
Just like that, his expression smoothed out, completely indifferent. Detached. Like I was just a stranger, someone not worth a second glance.
Like he didn't even remember me.
My stomach twisted into a hard knot.
"Leah!" Ryan grinned, completely oblivious to the internal meltdown I was having. "Finally home, huh? Come here, I want you to meet someone."
I already know him.
I already know the way his voice sounds
Chapter 1 Meeting him
22/02/2025
Chapter 2 Feeling invisible
22/02/2025
Chapter 3 Crushing on him
22/02/2025
Chapter 4 Uncharted territory
22/02/2025
Chapter 5 Trying to figure things out
22/02/2025
Chapter 6 Like a Blur
22/02/2025
Chapter 7 The beginning of something new
22/02/2025
Chapter 8 A city of strangers
22/02/2025
Chapter 9 Things got hard
22/02/2025
Chapter 10 Nowhere feels like home
24/02/2025
Chapter 11 A home that isn't mine
24/02/2025
Chapter 12 A Stranger in my Bed
24/02/2025
Chapter 13 The business of love
24/02/2025
Chapter 14 A fake relationship
24/02/2025
Chapter 15 Butterflies
04/03/2025
Chapter 16 Almost crossing the line
04/03/2025
Chapter 17 An unspoken shift
04/03/2025
Chapter 18 The line between business and something else
06/03/2025
Chapter 19 The business of love
06/03/2025
Chapter 20 Partners
06/03/2025
Chapter 21 It's a win
06/03/2025
Chapter 22 The distance between us
06/03/2025
Chapter 23 A kiss
06/03/2025
Chapter 24 Jealousy
06/03/2025
Chapter 25 No more running
10/03/2025
Chapter 26 Addicted
13/03/2025
Chapter 27 Can't get his hands off me
13/03/2025
Chapter 28 Date in the park
15/03/2025
Chapter 29 Uncontrollably hers
15/03/2025
Chapter 30 Movie date
16/03/2025
Chapter 31 The unexpected guest
17/03/2025
Chapter 32 How hard can it be to hide our relationship
17/03/2025
Chapter 33 The game of secrets
17/03/2025
Chapter 34 Almost getting caught
18/03/2025
Chapter 35 Getting caught
19/03/2025
Chapter 36 Speaking from the heart
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Chapter 37 Back to her
Today at 14:17
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