sheet with her. She wrapped it around her body lik

the floor fo

door. It was ruined. Stained with mud,

ttered frantically to herself, picking up

ing gray sweatpants now, holding a small espresso cup.

ctly?" he aske

eels under a chair. She c

insisted, turning to him. "You know I

row. He set the espress

think it was a mista

member 2 AM

her hair. Her mouth on his neck. The desperat

his pocket and pulle

iving room and the hallway," he s

he clutched the

would

giant OLED screen mounted on

n flicker

ut clear. It showed the

pened. Charlton and

guide her toward the guest room.

ed. She grabbed the lap

him again

e Daphne

e kissed him. It wasn't a tentative kis

air for a moment, hesitant, be

ck slightly. Her face was v

he audio picked up clearly. "Ple

again, pulling him

blood rush to her face. She co

! Turn it of

froze on her face-eyes closed, lips

aid. His voice dropped an o

ached out and gently pulled

ok at him. She st

he said. "I don't re

m then. Her heart hamm

e was a question there, something

g back. Her defense mech

er voice shaking. "Our friendship...

ardened. The vuln

you dating a moron," he sai

. He disappeared for a moment and came

sed it

e have a situat

hift gave Daphne whiplash. One minute h

" she asked, cat

cleaned up

retreating towa

She leaned against the sink, star

d under her eyes. Her

oked c

purple, was bloomin

d it. It w

Charlton stood in th

ed at the way Daphne was holding him, as if he were

cted th

le

rm De

een wen

down. He would never let anyone see that. But he needed her to see it. He