a's

ely closed in my mind before Carter's e

pale as a ghost. He doesn't look at me. He doesn't say a single word. He just walks over to the giant glass wall of his pen

se I have never seen him look this terr

avel. He keeps his back turned to me. "It's nothin

the warning bells screaming in my head. "You look like

a mix of anger and absolute panic. "Just like there is nothing for you to get attached to here! This fake relationship has an e

the ribs. The anger flares up inside me, hot and sh

alling for you, Carter! I didn't want to move into this ridiculous hotel pretending to be your gir

my entire life into this giant luxury penthouse. I hate it here. I hate the private chef who cooks meals I can't pronounce. I hate the massive walk-in closet fi

hen I passed by his home office, and I accidentally saw him talking quietly on the phone with a sobbing mother. I heard him pay thou

ctually someone who cares deeply, even if he tries to hide it

ghts in the entire penthouse flicker once,

music stops. A heavy, suffocating darkn

r, rubbing my ar

ough the dark, closer than I expected. "The e

e thick wool rug. I trip forward with a gasp, expecting to hit the hardwood floor hard. Instead

know those hands. I know that ex

. His voice is dangerously low

ngle. I can feel the fast, heavy thumping of his heart against my palm where my hand is resting on his chest. He doesn't let go

es out, sounding

" I whis

m the corner. There is no angry father waiting to destroy us, and there is no fake c

buried for five long years. My hands tangle in the soft hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer as I kiss him back w

e we were kids in colle

e both breathing hard, our forehe

ncy lights hum to life, flooding the p

wide and dazed, like he can't be

step backward out of his arms, touching my

. I punch the button frantically, waiting for the doors to slide open. The second they part, I step ins

us. I lean my forehead against the cool wall of th

i

floor and the doors slide open

I walk past the large glass windows that look out into the private alle

e in my

, a man drops a professional camera down from his fac

ding right outside the window. They