Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Intrigued, I notice a small box nestled among her treasures, containing a handful of jewelry pieces. Among them, a pair of dainty heart-shaped earrings catches my eye; I recognize them from previous occasions, an intimate detail of her personal style.
My attention then shifts to her closet, the door creaking softly as I push it open. Stepping inside, I'm greeted by a kaleidoscope of colors and fabrics—dresses she's worn on nights out at Club Greed. My gaze wanders upward, landing on a small wooden box perched on the top shelf, seemingly waiting to be discovered.
Despite the nagging sense of intrusion, my curiosity gets the better of me. I reach for the box, the wood cool against my fingertips as I carefully extract it from its perch. Returning to the comfort of her bed, I gingerly lift the lid, revealing its precious contents.
Nestled inside are two journals, their covers decorated with Posey's personal touches—old photographs, keepsakes, and even pressed flowers. As I thumb through the pages, I can't help but feel a sense of intimacy, as if I'm glimpsing into a private world she's carefully curated.
I snap the journals shut. I can’t betray her trust like this. If there’s anything I want to let Posey know is I’m the man she can count on. Not the man who will continue to send her to a club where she was brutally attacked.
Why would Bane do that?
I return the box to its spot, and notice a pack of post-its on her counter. There’s a pen right next to it, and I write her a little note and leave it underneath her pillow, and then I make my way back to the party.
“We were looking for you,” Dev says, finding me at the bar.
“I’ve been around.”
Dev raises his brow, obviously not buying whatever I’m laying down. “Right. I see Posey hanging off Bane’s arm, and it really makes me think about what she sees in him.”
I laugh as I order a whiskey from the bartender. “You and me both.”
Dev shrugs. “Love is crazy. I never thought I’d fall in love, but when you meet the right woman, there’s really nothing you can do. I tried to fight my feelings for Chloe, but man, love is something you have no chance of winning against.”
At that very moment Chloe waltzes up to Dev, and slides her hand along his waist.
“Take me home,” she says, gazing up at Dev like he’s the man who hung the moon.
He kisses her square on the lips and nods. Then he holds out a hand for me to shake. “I guess we’re going to go and relieve your brother and my sister from their night of babysitting.”
I shake his hand, and then wrap my arms around Chloe, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you both on Sunday.”
My eyes scan the party the minute Dev and Chloe leave. I spot Posey instantly, and her arm is wrapped around Bane.
I know it shouldn’t piss me off, but it does. I can’t escape these feelings. I swear the more I’m around her, the louder my feelings pound in my chest, wanting to be heard.
It’s suffocating.
Her eyes crash into mine, and I lift my drink to her.
Then I bring the glass to my lips and down the whole thing.
I need to get out of here.
Without saying my goodbyes to anyone, I haul ass toward the front door, and I don’t even let out a breath until I’m in my Lamborghini and racing back toward my condo.
Chapter 20
Posey
“And this is Father Carmichael,” Bane says as I shake yet another hand. “He’ll be the one marrying us.”
I look up at the priest, taken aback by how good-looking he is. Father Carmichael stands tall, with chiseled features and piercing blue eyes that seem out of place in his clerical attire. His dark hair is neatly trimmed, and there's a calm yet intense aura about him. He appears to be in his early thirties, far younger than I expected for someone leading the local church. His warm smile contrasts sharply with the tension of the situation, making me wonder about the path that led him to this role.
“Nice to meet you,” I say to him.
“Likewise.”
Bane says something witty, and then we’re off to meet another couple. After a while, all the faces blur together as Bane parades me around the party. Like I’m some trophy on his arm.
Which I guess I kind of am.
I haven’t seen Ledger in over thirty minutes, and a small part of me thinks he’s left. Doesn’t matter, because my eyes still search for him every chance I get.
When he kissed me in my room, I couldn’t not kiss him back. There was no way I could deny him anything. Even giving me an orgasm.
It nearly makes me burst into a million tiny pieces thinking about what a mess I’ve made of my life.