𝐀𝐠𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐩. 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. In which a 19-year-old girl falls for her older neighbor. ── ✦ ── "Violet..." He growls, his breath hot against my face, full of need as well as caution. "Stop this, or I won't be able to control myself." "I don't want you to..." I whisper, my hands running up his chest slowly, feeling his muscles twitch as I gaze at his lips, his heart pounding mirroring mine. "Are you sure you want this?" He leans in closer, brushing his lips against my neck, his hot breath and stubble tickling my skin, making me close my eyes as shivers run down my spine, an exhalation escaping my lips.

A broken girl. A quiet town that keeps too many secrets. And a man she should've never wanted. Her stepfather. Older. Off-limits. But sometimes, the heart wants what it shouldn't ︎❦ Dixon Norcross shouldn't be the one I reach for. He shouldn't be the one who makes me feel safe. But he's nice, stable, and the only thing in the world that doesn't seem to be slipping through my fingers. And I realize I shouldn't look at him like this. I know he should not look back. But Dixon has a secret that is strong enough to shatter the fragile thing we've built. And I won't know if it's too late or if I should run when I eventually find out the truth.

People always say I have the kind of lips that make you stare, soft, full, the kind that look like they belong in a glossy ad. And with my face, I guess I could get away with a lot more than I do. But I don't. I've never been that girl. I've always been quiet, a little shy, the kind who stays in her own little world. At least, I was. Because now, there's Toni Laurent. Charming, confident, and completely off-limits. He's about to become my stepfather, but that doesn't change the way he looks at me, or the way I feel when he does. Innocence doesn't stand a chance against a man like him.