Chapter 72
The air was thick with a sweet, feverish heat that felt anything but normal.
Latham’s kiss was all hunger and punishment, leaving Dorothea reeling. She knew she should push him away, tell herself to stop, but that strange fire burning deep inside made her weak. Her body just wouldn’t listen.
Her heart dropped, and a small whimper escaped her lips.
“The soup p>
Latham felt the heat in his own body too, and he instantly knew. That soup was to blame.
“You His voice was rough, barely more than a whisper as he stared at Dorothea. Her cheeks burned red and her eyes were glazed, unfocused. “You drank the soup Linda brought you p>
Dorothea was panting, grabbing at the strap slipping off her shoulder, her big eyes shining with tears. “Yeah, I did p>
Latham understood in a heartbeat. Only his father could’ve told Linda to do something like this.
He sat up, shaking his head hard, trying to clear the haze in his mind and the double vision in front of his eyes.
Dorothea was struggling too. It felt like someone had lit a match inside her after years of quiet, and now she was desperate for something, anything, to cool her down.
She tilted her head back, her neck curving in a way that made Latham’s gaze burn even hotter as he stared at her collarbone, at the soft rise and fall of her chest.
“Do you want to keep going p>
Dorothea bit her lip. Latham was absolutely shameless, asking her to say it out loud at a moment like this.
But she did want more.
She pressed her teeth into her lip, tasting a hint of blood, hoping it would help her stay calm.
She forced herself to sit up. The moment her feet touched the floor, she felt dizzy, like everything was spinning.
Latham’s throat worked as he swallowed. His warm fingers closed around her arm. “Sorry. I’m the one who wants to keep going p>
He tugged her back into his arms.
His kisses came down like a storm, all rough edges and no hesitation.
Dorothea’s eyes fluttered shut, her long lashes trembling. She couldn’t help herself -her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer.
The air felt almost electric, thick with want and danger.
The faint scent of cedar drifted over from the nightstand. Dorothea glanced over and spotted the blue diffuser sitting there.
Latham
rumbled in his chest. Yet g on the kiss Manet
even
I’m just not good enough.
Clothes were everywhere. Dorothea felt like a fish flopping on a hot skillet, every nerve on edge.
Everything was spinning out of control. She bit her lip, a soft sound escaping her. “Enough p>
Latham just chuckled, slow and deep, as he opened the drawer,
grabbed a box, and tore open
the
wrapper with his teeth.
His voice dropped even lower. “It’s still early. We’ve barely started p>
Dorothea could only let herself get swept away in this wild, accidental wave, powerless to stop it.
The next morning, it was Linda’s voice that pulled Dorothea from sleep.
“Did Dorothea not come home last night? Or did she leave early p>
Footsteps got closer. “Latham, breakfast is ready p>
Dorothea was still half-asleep, but she noticed the heavy arm thrown across her waist before anything else.
It felt solid, possessive, like he wasn’t about to let her go.
She shifted a little, and his arm only tightened, pulling her closer into his warmth.
Last night came rushing back, every second of it. This was real, not some fever dream.
She squeezed her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep.
Latham brushed the hair from
behind her ear pressed a lazy kiss to herearlobe, and spoke up voice
rough from sleep. “Heard you
Linda p>
Dorothea jabbed him with her elbow. “Move p>
Latham let out a low, sleepy laugh.
“What, you’re just going to pretend nothing happened after sleeping with me p>
Dorothea glared over her shoulder. “Excuse me, who slept with who p>
Latham pointed at the marks on his neck and shoulder. “Take a look. You left these. Still want to deny it p>