"YOU'VE GOT announcement to make?" Zachary Bruce asked, wiggling his brows at his son. "About what?" Brad asked, feigning ignorance. "About 'sweetheart' just now," Zachary replied, gesturing toward the door Evelyn had just left while the others nodded to second Zachary's words. Blood crept up Brad's cheeks. "Come on, dad. Knock it off." "No, no, Brad!" Pierre said in his thick French accent. "Really, share with us the good news, 'cause there's obviously something going on between you two." "Yeah, like, hell, Brad, the last time any woman called you sweetheart was you-know-who?" Clement asserted His ex-wife was literally Lord Voldemort to The Bruces clan ‘She who must not be named’. . . and he preferred it that way. "Come on, guys. We're just friends," he hurriedly said, then hoping to head off any explanations, he asked, "Who's in for a game of pool?" But that didn't work. "Yeah, right. Friends indeed," Caleb interjected sneeringly. "I said the sa

A DARK sense of foreboding hung in the air like a shroud, the eerie quiet broken only by the sound of their footsteps. The hallway was a stark contrast to the brightness outside, the closed classroom doors and windows shrouding them in shadows. The only light came from the harsh fluorescent bulbs overhead, casting a sickly glow across the linoleum floor. Even the silence felt ominous as if they were walking through a tomb rather than a school. Every nerve was on edge, every hair on the back of their necks standing on end. The children hurried along, their eyes darting from side to side, searching for any sign of movement in the shadows. Lena shivered, wishing she had never gotten involved in this mess. "Geez! It's so eerie in here," she muttered as she picked up her pace, scurrying to keep up with the others. "Why is so quiet?" Gina rolled her eyes. "Uh, because everyone is at the Halloween party?" She snapped, the irritation in her voice was palpable. "What did you exp

"LANA. . .?!" Doris' eyes were wide, and her mouth hung open in shock. It was Brad's sister, Lana Bruce. Lana closed the remaining distance between them. Her countenance was identical to Doris'. "Doris, What. . . what are you doing here?" She stammered. Doris' face broke into a small smile. "Well, I just got enrolled for this class," she answered. "What are about you? What are you going here?" Doris was most certain Lana shouldn't be here at this time. She should be at the firm, or in the court defending her client. From the little she knew about them, The Bruces were nothing but serious when it came to their field of work. Take Brad for an example. That man was MAD when it came to work. Lana chuckled, a little too nervously. "I'm the temporary instructor for this class!" Doris' features froze for the second time that day. "You're what? Shouldn't you be at the Law firm? Do your family even know you're here?" Lana scratched the back of her neck. "W

DORIS' BODY trembled as his hands found her waist, pulling her flush against him. His lips burned against hers, devouring her with a reckless abandon that made her head spin. She found herself melting into him, surrendering to the fire that raged between them. She was helpless to resist the surge of desire that overwhelmed her, like a wave crashing against the shore. She clung to him, lost in the moment, giving herself over to the intensity of the feelings that consumed her. She had never imagined she could feel this way again, with such overwhelming need and emotion. Her body was on fire, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Her heart pounded, and her head spun with the dizzying rush of it all. He broke away from her only to immediately seize her lips again from a different angle as he moved the two of them inside the house, absently shutting the door. He slammed her against the wall, a little too hard as his hands memorized her every inch, caressing and stroking.

NORA BURST into the office, her eyes flashing with frustration. She stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, staring at her father with a mixture of disbelief and indignation. "Dad!" she exclaimed as she closed the distance to his table. "Are you really going to let Doris go on a date with that guy?" Her voice was high-pitched and trembling with emotion. "Aren't you even going to try to talk her out of it?" Brad looked up from his desk, taking in the sight of his upset daughter. She looked so frustrated that she was close to tears. He couldn't help but blame Doris and her elusive beau for his current predicament. Just a few days ago, he'd met the man in question and Doris had made the introductions with an irritating sense of ease. For the first time in many years, he'd been left speechless. Every time he thought about it, his mind would spin in circles. And the more he thought about it, the angrier he became He was still trying to make sense of why Daniel ha