Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 116597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
I was still laughing when Maven was dragged onto the floor with Vince.
And then my laugh died in my throat at the sight of Carter sliding in front of me.
His hand closed around mine before I could protest, and suddenly I was being pulled through the crowd, straight into the chaos.
“Carter—” I warned, heels digging in, but he spun me out before I could finish. The crowd whooped. I nearly toppled over, but Carter was there, steadier than ever.
“Relax, Professor,” he teased, catching me by the waist and spinning me back in. “It’s just a little dance.”
I scowled, or tried to. It was hard to look menacing when he twirled me again, his grin wide, his body warm against mine each time he reeled me in.
“Carter,” I hissed, though laughter cracked through my voice. “That’s enough.”
“Mm, I think not. Besides, what are you going to do? Punish me?”
“That’s exactly what I’ll do.”
Carter’s grin turned salacious, and he dipped me low enough I gasped before slowly, dramatically, pulling me upright once more.
“Don’t you think that’s exactly what I’m counting on?”
His wink was too smooth, too charming, and I couldn’t fight the laughter that bubbled out of me even if I’d tried.
And I hadn’t.
I’d let it consume me, that breathless, unguarded laughter.
For one wild, fizzy second, the lighthearted girl I used to be burst free. No fear. No past. Just the dizzy joy of music and motion, of him holding me steady as the world spun.
And for just a moment, I decided to let it stay.
Impossibly Lost
Livia
The party stretched into the night, winding down somewhere near when Cinderella’s carriage turns into a pumpkin.
The music had softened, the band gone and replaced by quiet classical music from Chloe’s phone, and only the core of us remained. Aleks and Mia collected empty glasses from tabletops, laughing together as they bumped hips. Vince and Maven stacked plates at the bar, their bickering playfully punctuated by stolen kisses. Jaxson and Grace perched on the edge of a lounge chair, Jax whispering something in Grace’s ear that made her cheeks pink even as she swatted him away.
From beside the pool, Ava squealed, hiking up the hem of her tulle dress before launching herself straight into the water. A chorus of gasps and laughter rang out — and seconds later, Will kicked off his loafers and jumped in after her, the splash enormous.
Chloe’s jaw dropped, her delighted shriek carrying over the water. “William Perry!” she yelled, tossing off her heels and diving in, too. The three of them surfaced, sputtering and laughing, and the whole backyard echoed with joy.
I smiled to myself, warmth blooming in my chest at the sight of it. For a brief, fragile moment, it was enough to simply stand on the fringe, martini in hand, watching love ripple outward like rings in a pond.
Then a hand slid into the crook of my elbow.
I startled, turning — but Carter was already guiding me wordlessly away from the crowd. I abandoned my drink on a cocktail table as we passed, looking around to make sure no one had eyes on us.
The only one who did was Maven, and she made a motion like her lips were zipped shut.
Carter’s grip was steady, his body close enough that his heat bled into mine, and before I could ask what he was doing, we rounded the house and my back hit the wall.
His mouth found mine with a hunger that stole every ounce of air from my lungs.
His hands braced the wall on either side of my head, caging me in, his chest pressed hard against my dress, his breath shaking like he’d sprinted from the ends of the earth to get to me.
“I couldn’t wait another second to kiss you,” he rasped against my lips. His hands moved from the wall to my hips, bunching the fabric there. “You in this dress…” He groaned, kissing me again, reverent, desperate. “You in anything. You existing, Liv — it’s the very thing that undoes me.”
My pulse thundered. I kissed him back because how could I not, because every ounce of me had wanted this, but my body trembled with confusion, with fear of what it meant. This wasn’t a lesson. This wasn’t something safely outlined in a contract. This was Carter’s graduation, and for his final assignment, he was claiming me like there was no other option than for me to be his.
He finally broke our kiss, his forehead against mine as our breaths met in a panting rhythm between us. My hands clutched his jacket and his held fast to my waist.
I felt the heaviness of the emotions warring inside him before he spoke them into existence, but I still wasn’t prepared for their impact.
“Livia, I… I can’t do this anymore. I can’t skate within the boundaries of the deal we made or the contract we signed.”