Soft snores trickled from beside Kate in bed, Colton’s heavy arm crushing her to his heated chest as her fingers danced rhythmic circles in the thick, black spikes that fell dreamily on his forehead. He’d fallen asleep within minutes once she’d coaxed him to bed, his deep breaths telling her he needed it. The events of the last few weeks had taken their toll on him, the stress of the night consuming him; his body slouching in bed as Kate clambered beside him, rough hands sheathing her back and nuzzling her close, like a child with their comfort blanket. As she watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, the small parting between his lips that allowed a stream of air to escape, Kate allowed her mind to wander, just for a moment, reflecting back on the brash piece of work she’d met all those months ago. Being cocooned in his arms, her being bringing him solace in dark times, was something she could’ve never predicted. Aside from his light snores and the occasional grunt

The irritated tut vibrated through the speaker, burrowing deep in Kate’s eardrum before she had the chance to pull the phone from her face. “You owe that psycho nothing,” Paloma snapped, and Kate envisioned the harsh roll of her milk-chocolate eyes. “She grew some balls and did the right thing, for once in her pathetic life. She doesn’t deserve acknowledgment, let alone a fucking thank you.”“She didn’t have to come forward, P,” Kate argued, glancing over her shoulder to ensure Colton hadn’t snuck in the front door while she’d been occupied. “Colt was looking at jail time. She did spare him a whole court case.”“No, she didn’t. The prosecutor spared him. His lawyer spared him. She just stood up and agreed to do the bare minimum and you want to send her a bunch of flowers to say thank you?” Sucking in a sharp inhale, Kate heard her breath even out as she composed her

Sneaking into a random room, Kate blinked, her vision slowly adjusting to the darkness as Colton shut the door behind them. Callused hands clutched her waist, spinning her around to push her up against the wall; cool concrete soothing her heated skin as his mouth collided with hers, warm tongue wasting no time in claiming hers. His teeth scraped the sensitive flesh of her lower lip as his fingers gripped her thigh, lifting and bending it with ease, allowing him the space to thrust forward, the hard length of his erection pressing firmly against the junction of her hips. The stubble of his jawline scraped against her velvety skin as he trailed hot kisses down the side of her neck, lingering at the join of her shoulder, the sweet spot that had her whimpering with every nip. Following the curve of her throat, he crouched as his lips glided across the silky fabric of her dress, pausing to graze the mounds of her breasts with his teeth, indulging in the needy whimpers that shuddered bene

This was not the way it was supposed to turn out.Every single thing she’d done so far had only served to infuriate Preston, to elicit yet another condescending berating about all the things she’d managed to fuck up in their short span of working together. The police being called to the gym had somehow been her fault. Her stay at Colton’s being cut short had earned her an earful, regardless of the fact that Kate worked for a goddamn domestic violence organization – and one that found accommodation for victims at that. She did admit that destroying Colton’s mother’s dress had been a grave error, one triggered by her jealousy listening to the breathy moans traveling from their bedroom, Kate’s needy whimpers and Colton’s erotic grunts. She’d started looking for a distraction and lo and behold, the dress had been right there, perfectly positioned beneath her bed as if it were waiting for her. As she unboxed it, realizing exact

The bed squeaked as Kate shifted, one arm sleepily reaching out for the solid mass that was Colton. Her palm hit cool linen, the empty space beside her in Paloma’s small spare bed feeling gigantic. There was no lingering scent of cigarettes, no woody leather or mint from his toothpaste drifting in her direction, no soothing touch from his callused fingertips… It always took her being away from him to realize just how prominent his presence was in her life. The memories of yesterday morning came flooding back; the envelope, the photograph, Colton kicking her out again.From beside her, her cell vibrated – almost off the nightstand where she’d precariously balanced it before she fell asleep – and she jolted upright, scrambling to answer the call. She’d planned to be furious at Colton, but the lack of his presence had made her far too forgiving… already. “Hello?”“Hey, sorry I missed your