Contract Hearts

ia'

pretending to read. Every little sound seemed loud, the old wood creak

e my heart hurt. He whispered thank you - for staying with us, for

y heart beating fast. I knew which floorboards would make noise, so I avoided them. Th

opened easily. Inside, the air felt colder and still, like the walls were ho

on what I came here to do. The laptop was turned off. I didn't touch it

pulled out books, looking for fake ones. When I pressed on the side panel of the b

steel safe built into the wall. It was sleek and black, with a fingerprint scanner

dn't dare touch it - Josh might have alarms on it. But knowing the safe existed was something. Vict

here it was, and the bookcase hiding it. Then I stepped back.

assword. I opened a side drawer and found pens, paperclips, receipts, and a torn piece o

ened and I gasped. There weren't many folders, but one calle

ne thread made my heart break. It was three months old. Josh wrote t

shook as I

e up again. I handled it. You said it would stay b

ex-fiancée. The one who disa

etting sloppy. Handle this before it explod

h's past. Someone powerful enough to decide wh

"recipes," then shut down the laptop and carefully wiped my

s hadn't heard me. No one came in. No one called m

dy and hurrying toward my bedroom. But I didn't make it. Josh was stan

" he asked in a

e. "I just need

t me slowly. "You

s rea

closer.

ngry, but something else. Cur

I said, my pulse rac

is head down slightly. "I'm sorry about thes

fine, Josh. Nothi

, "and I can't tell if you're staying or j

aky breath.

tween us getting smaller. He brushed my

. "I don

ips touching my temple, staying there longer than

g. The emails, the safe, Victor's voice, the revenge plan. All I could see was Josh, lo

d back. "Sorry. My feelings are getting the bette

ht," I w

ad just closed my eyes when there was a soft knock. I expected Eliza,

looking into my eyes like he'd been fightin

a rough, almost scratchy voic

to come in?" I

m. "I can leave if you want," he said,

who you are, Sofia," he said, his fingers touching my j

I felt my willpower breaking as hi

ce barely above a whisper. "No

haky breat

st bit of food left. His hands went through my hair, pulling me closer

re that this wasn't part of the contract an

asily, and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me to the b

is hands pushed up my nightgown, exposing my breasts to the cool air. I

his muscles tense. I couldn't stop the moan tha

gainst my breast. "Y

and ready. His fingers pushed inside me while his thumb w

in a rough, hungry voice. "Tell

I felt. "I want this," I gasped as his fi

ook off his boxers, and I could see how badly he wanted me. He posi

. He pushed inside slowly and we both moaned at the f

to move. Slowly at first, then faster as I met his movements. The bed creaked

n a strained voice, even though he was buried deep inside me. "Tell

voice broke through the pleasure. I could see the fear in his eyes - fear of

putting my hands on h

ch movement sent waves of pleasure through me. I tighten

oaned with his lips agai

uld feel my body getting tighter around him as I got closer. He

ispered in my ear.

washed over me, my body shaking around him. The feeling sent him over too,

to hurt him, and I wasn't sure what scared me more: that I wanted him as much as he wanted

y - the contract, the revenge plan, Victor's demands. In his arms, I could feel

I was at a turning point. I had the safe's location memorized,

ver had before. I was falling in love with the man I was supposed to de