Kate stirred in Colton’s arms. He brushed the soft waves from her face, shorter than the rest of her hair and framing her full lashes. Her mouth was ajar, the sheen of her teeth visible as she breathed slowly and steadily. Her fingers curled against his chest, her face trying to nuzzle into the nook of his arm that just seemed to fit her perfectly.He could tell she was in a deep sleep. Spending every night with her for the last few weeks, he had learned her sleep rhythms, what the different speeds of her breathing meant, just like he knew her favorite foods, the way she liked her coffee in the morning, and the things to do to her body to make her toes curl and her pant his name.Their relationship was intense. Arguing was a regular occurrence, but it never lasted long. It was usually a product of Colton’s jealousy or Kate’s disapproval of his behavior and it was settled faster than it started. But it was passionate, and he spent the majority of his days striving to make

The knock on the door sent Colton racing. Skidding over the broken glass and splintered chair leg, he flung open the door, praying to whatever it was he believed in that Kate would be on the other side.He knew better though. For all her kindness and compassion, she was stubborn as fuck. Just like him.A sharp stab seared through his foot and as he looked up at his guest, he let out an aggressive “Shit.”“Lovely to see you too, Colton,” Paloma scowled, her eyes traveling over his shoulder and to the mess that he’d created. “Fucking hell, what happened?”Waving her in, Colton sagged to the sofa, analyzing the damage the shard of glass had done to the sole of his foot, “Kate’s not here if that’s who you’re here for.”“She’s not answering the door or her phone, for that matter. Do you know where she is?”Narrowing her gaze to Colton, his brows furrowed as his thick fingers and clipped nails tried to burrow out the glass. He shrugged nonchalantly, “Sh

The restaurant was small and intimate. Kate had passed it on her daily runs but had never actually been inside. At the front of the restaurant, behind the hostess station, were huge wood-fired ovens where talented chefs prepared pizzas for the already crowded room. The heat from the ovens, along with the large fireplace at the back of the restaurant, flushed her cheeks. She shrugged off her jacket, glancing around the space in hopes of spotting Mrs. Huang or Wade.A long table by the back of the room was filled with people and balloons erupted from the center with the words ’we’ll miss you’ scrawled across them. It seemed a bit much considering he’d be back soon, but Kate shrugged. At the end of the table, Mrs. Huang was seated, deep in conversation with the man next to her.Her matured gray eyes twinkled as she caught sight of Kate, waving her over to the table. She rose on shaky legs, wrapping her arms around Kate in a warm hug, “Oh, I’m so glad you came! Wade said he

Muffled voices rang through the stairwell, slurred words and stumbling footsteps. Colton’s eyes shot open. He’d been unable to sleep for the past four hours, his mind racing from Kate’s declaration of love while his body pulsated at the thought of that fucking piece of shit daring to lay a fucking finger on her. Watching Kate doze peacefully against his chest had calmed him, and he thought maybe sleep would come to him at some point during the night. But as he listened to Wade’s incoherent mumbling and laughter, Colton knew that the only way to overcome his fury was to pummel the shit out of Wade’s fucking stupid face.Rolling Kate smoothly onto the pillow, he slipped silently from the bed, shrugging on a pair of sweats and trying to keep quiet as he raced to the front door. With his heart pounding in his throat, ready to pounce the minute he saw that prick, he turned the knob and widened the door. Wade’s drunken frame floundered up the stairs, a few of his equally drunk frien

“Is the blindfold really necessary?” Kate whined, tightening her grip on Colton’s forearms as he led her into a darkened, musty room that she assumed was the garage. “Seriously, is this the part where you kill me?”“You’re a dick,” Colton snorted. Guiding her a few more steps, his hands fumbled to untie the makeshift blindfold before hovering beside her. His head bowed towards the grimy, concrete floor although obsidian eyes stayed on her, awaiting her reaction.Sitting before her was a very un-Colton-like car. Kate would’ve expected a sleek, black classic car or a powerful, bulky motorcycle, not the red SUV that nuzzled between the two white lines of his car-space.Clearing his throat, Colton rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “It’s for you… well us, but for you mainly. Do you… do you like it?” Kate’s mouth opened and closed, floundering for a response, and Colton’s wide palm brushed against the furrows of his brows, “You hate it. I knew I should’ve-”Th