The Rules We Break

minutes before the agreed time. On her way up, she stopped by the convenie

ome for a few minutes

m Fred: "D

shower before he arrived. Guess

utes later, th

ened t

attention on stage was now standing righ

ck early,"

to come home and re

before casually hanging his

back. "I'm gonna t

ove, a strong hand

a firm, warm embrace. Fred's low, slig

T Y

d glimpses of her legs. His eyes narrowed slightly before he dipped his head

ran thr

ertips grazing along her body. Just as he was about to

iced the lingering scent of

I should was

straight for the bathroom

ck out, fresh and clean, wr

m his shower or his own body temperature, but whe

rubbing slow circles over her earlobe. His d

ouched-before his lips brushed against the side o

d laid her onto the bed, his lips trailin

r tickled her thighs, and she could tell-tonig

it only by the faint g

rly, but they didn't need to. Every movem

a soft sound, and the warmth of

t seemed like tonight, he wanted to make up for all th

sharp pang shot th

the arm she had hooked around his ne

w her movements and the sounds escaping her l

lost

y were done, he

pushing against

k, almost swallow

as gone, but right at this

his was a

ulled away without a word, head

ightly. She reached for the bedside drawer, found h

of working hersel

f running w

es had dimmed. He stood by the doorway, wat

u o

You can go," Chloe said, knowin

stayed

ever k

their uns

at and turned the heat up a notch. After that, he picked up her empty water gla

ank

he start get

s back as he put

the same patience and consideration he did with everything el

some

bed his coat and l

ticeably quieter than the previous week. Many ha

over a week left to wrap up the final

glass doors. At the center of the front desk

ic receptionist, Bella, gre

going after Friday night's annual event, drinking at a bar until dawn. Yet somehow,

o be

nod and strode inside w

y gathered the documents in her hands. She needed to deliver them to the Operations Depa

htly, Bella low

re you seei

arched

, turning to look at Bella.

ment she walked in. But now, up close, it was even more

lla stare

e softer. She was beautiful, highly capable at wor

e. "Aren't you heading to Operations?" she asked, then g

o reality, tightened her grip

t toward the Mark

vot fully, BAM- her elbow c

H

ce as she watched in horror-a coffee cup tiltin

bout to be

n, something caught her arm, ste

s ave

hloe quickly turned aro

was a perfectly pressed,

ed, she met Fred's sha

were unreadable, c

ep their distance-completely di

tantly st

she sai

replied, his voice

her hand before he adjusted his suit jacke