Evelyn's dream of securing a scholarship to America's top ballet school shattered when her mother was brutally murdered during her teenage years. Determined to make a difference, she became a detective, ready to take on the world. Assigned to invest...
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The morning sun spilled through the thin curtains, cutting golden streaks into the shadows that had cloaked Jeremiah's room only hours before. The once-orderly space was now undone, clothes lay scattered across the floor like evidence of a storm, tossed without thought, each piece whispering of hurried hands and a hunger finally released. On the broad bed, two bare bodies rested entangled, skin against skin and warmth against warmth. It was like a portrait of satisfied exhaustion. The light crept across Evelyn's face, waking her from the heavy comfort of sleep. Her lashes fluttered, and as her mind surfaced, her lips curved into a soft smile. The rest had been deep, perhaps the most peaceful she had known in years, as though safety had wrapped itself around her. She stretched lazily, only to be met by the firm wall of a chest beneath her fingertips. Before she could retreat, a heavy arm snaked over her waist, tugging her closer into the heat of the man beside her. The sensation banished her drowsiness, and then memory came back.
Jeremiah's body pressed under her, his voice rough against her ear, his strength pinning her in place while he carried her to the most earth-shattering release of her life. The memorizes flashed, making her skin tingle. For a second she felt overwhelmed, pushing herself away from the solid warmth of him. In her frantic attempt to escape, she lost her balance, rolling off the mattress with a loud thud that broke the silence. Air fled her lungs as she hit the floor, and she gasped it back in on a sharp inhale. The groan that followed was not hers. Jeremiah shot upright, disoriented, the tousled brown hair sticking up in chaotic defiance. His eyes, still fogged with sleep, full of concern as he leaned over the edge of the bed.
"Did you just fall?" His voice was thick, strained between worry and the remnants of slumber. He swung his legs over the side, and when he rose, the full glory of his body was revealed. Muscles shifted with the lazy grace of a predator waking, the morning light spilling over every line of his frame. Evelyn's eyes betrayed her before her will could catch them, widening, drinking in what they had already memorized. Heat surged up her neck, and she slapped her eyes closed with a squeal, ashamed at her own weakness.
"For God's sake, put some clothes on," she blurted, clutching at her dignity like a shield. A low murmur rolled from him, followed by a chuckle that seemed to warm the air itself. To her this was absurd, what had she done?
"You're not exactly covered either, sugar." His gaze lingered on her with the kind of weight that made her skin prickle as if he had touched her already. She was more radiant than he had ever imagined. Evelyn cracked one eye open, met the smug smirk curling his lips, and let out a sharp huff. Snatching the blanket, she wrapped it tightly around herself. She felt the need to cover herself from both exposure and temptation.
"What have I done?" she whispered hi this time to no one but herself, shame and desire wrestling inside her chest as she scrambled to collect her belongings from the floor. this was so out of character for herself, to fall in bed with a subject, it had never been in her wildest dreams. Jeremiah leans back on his elbow, unhurried, his expression held none of her urgency. He was enjoying this far too much, savoring every frantic movement she made. She was a beauty and he knew she was his now, she may be panicking now but she and himself wouldn't be able to force themselves from the other one.
