With hesitant steps, I approached the doorway, my eyes fixed on Kelven's stoic figure. But as I drew closer, I realized with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that I no longer knew what lay behind those cold, impassive eyes. The warmth and familiarity that had drawn me to him earlier had vanished, replaced by an unsettling sense of distrust and uncertainty.

As I listened to Kelven's voice, the warmth of his words wrapping around me like a comforting blanket, I felt myself growing increasingly weary, the weight of the day's events finally catching up to me. And as I leaned back against the door, the soft click of the latch echoing in the silence, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to succumb to the gentle embrace of sleep.

At the return of my beloved nickname, I looked at him—really looked at him, and noticed change in him as well that I had been to blind in my own grief to see. I looked past his muscular frame that was a mix of bulky and lean. I looked past the rugged brown hair that I loved, the rough stubble on his handsome face that made him seem all the more devilish, and the piercing green eyes that I could easily and often fall into. I looked past the man that left me breathless and awed, and what I saw once I looked past it all left me shook. I saw the absent of his smile. I saw how stiff he held himself, as if the world was on his shoulders and he was losing the battle to bear it all. I saw hands that opened and clenched, like he didn't know what to do with them. I saw what me keeping my distance and not being open with him was causing him, and it pained me more than knowing the changes I, myself, was going through. I was hurting him by making sure he wouldn't get more hurt, and fuck if that didn't feel messed up and wrong.5Callan took the seat beside me on the bed, and carefully, as if he didn't want me to detect it, he put his arm around me and tugged me close to him, leaving no space between us. Only then, did he let out a sigh of contentment and I could feel a part of him relax.YOU'LL ALSO LIKEYes, Master2.9M94.9K| MATURE CONTENT | "You are fuckíng mine. Do you understand that?" That harsh growl echoed in my head.. His words scarring my mind. I could feel the heat of h...Lusting After Lucifer (18+) ☑259K2.5KThis is an erotic romance. Recommended 18+! Completed. Excerpt: His mouth was back on mine in an instant, the door behind us rattling loudly as he thrust against me. &qu...Not So Delicate ||18+67.4K1.5K"Bastard." She whispered. "Your bastard." He whispered back. ~~~~~~~~★~~~~~~~~ A shy at first girl but wild once you get to know her. Her innocence i...My Master, My Husband (BOOK 1)803K14.4KTHIS BOOK IS 18+/ NOW ON KINDLE VELLA WITH SOME ADJUSTMENTS! "Alright, I'll tell you the rules twice, and I'll need you to memorize them, write them down and give t...Yes, Sirs (Book 1 of Desire's Den)62.3M1.4M"You were ours from the second we saw you," he stated as if I didn't have a choice in it, and the truth was, I didn't need to because he was right. I was their...The Debt1.9M62.2KThe anticipation is too much. I found myself praying for The Boss just to say something, anything. "Strip." Anything but that. My eyes widened to sau...JAKE'S UNDOING (18+) ✔ (LOVE AND OBSESSION...7.4K88Jake despised weak women, especially women who showed interest in him. A strong and independent woman was what could drive the beast in him, but there was Cassie. Adopte..."I've missed this," he confided quietly, his hand once again finding its way to my hair.1"I've missed this too," I echoed, only it was said a lot quieter, with the intention of him not hearing me at all—still, I couldn't keep myself from saying it.Gideon came back not long after, and with a look to make sure that I was okay, he began making us a very late dinner.I tried to force myself to be in the moment, to appreciate the care they were giving me, but it was hard to. My mind wouldn't let up. Even though he was aware of them being here, and was as okay as he could be about it, I was still scared of the possibility of retaliation from him. He'd threatened that he would go to the board of directors at my college and give them proof of Mateo's relations to a student. He somehow knew what type of club Callan had, and who his members were, which could ruin his business if it got out; the members trusted Callan to keep their kinks private and from the public. He had some type of knowledge over Gideon too, something about his past that would ruin him if it ever got out, though my stalker never shared with me what it was—but I believed he truly knew something he shouldn't. A few weeks ago, after the public scene I'd had with Mateo, and Gideon had stormed off, Mateo had hinted that Gideon's childhood had been rough, and I wondered if the thing the stalker knew about Gideon had something to do with his childhood. If that wasn't enough to be scared about, I knew he wasn't afraid to get physical either.

feel Callan's eyes on me, taking in my position in his arms, but I didn't do anything to meet his gaze. I was done with hope and forgetting my predicament. It didn't help to forget, it only made things worse when I had to face the reality."You know, I came to the club to see you tonight," Callan confessed. "I wasn't going to talk to you or anything, I just missed you."4A soft, barely-there smile touched my lips. I wanted to tell him how much I missed them too, but I swallowed the words."Does that bother you?" he hesitantly asked, as if he was afraid of my answer.2"No, it doesn't bother me," I answered honestly."Good, because I'll probably visit the club again tomorrow, unless...do you want the day off tomorrow? You've been through a lot tonight, and I'm sure Gideon will give you paid leave. After all, this happened at his workplace, and it shouldn't have happened in the first place."He never stopped massaging my scalp, and a soft moan left me at the feeling of his fingers working through the tightness. "But nothing happened, you guys were there to stop it.""And thank God for that. I couldn't handle it if something happened to you. None of us could."1If you only knew how much I feel the same way about you guys, and the steps I've taken so I can make sure that nothing happened to you, I thought.I heard a drawer open and the clinking of what I guessed were the utensils a second before Callan nudged me gently. "Dinner is ready." The smell of pesto grew headier, and I opened my eyes to find Gideon holding a bowl with pasta and what looked to be shrimp in front of me.4With effort, I shifted into a better sitting position to be able to eat, and Gideon placed the dish on my lap. He then went to refill my glass which I'd placed on the nightstand before grabbing a pair of bottles for him and Callan, along with dinner for them both. He took the available seat on my right side, making the bed feel cramped but it was exactly how I wanted it.7The first bite of the dish should've been a delight to my tastebuds after having eaten food that had tasted like cardboard these past days, but it wasn't. It surprised me, how something that smelled so delicious tasted just like a piece of toasted bread with nothing on. From the looks on both Gideon's and Callan's faces, they didn't have the same issue, which meant I was the problem—or rather, my failing mentality was the cause of my problem. It was hard for me to enjoy food these days, and apparently it applied to Gideon's food as well. I forced myself to eat though, trying to sooth the ache in my empty belly.3None of us tried to make small talks, but the silence between us was anything but silent. There was some tension, sure, but most of all, there was a sense of togetherness and the only thing that was missing were Mateo to make us feel complete.2I was so done with this day. So done. Yet...I didn't want this night to end.

Read the following passage:I had waited so long for Robert to return home, and I realized that it would likely take a miracle. I should have been thrilled. But it wasn't Robert who returned from Vietnam. He had become someone else. Ghosts had followed him home and turned him into something he wasn't. There was no fire in his eyes, no warmth in his touch. Just an angry, hollow shell that looked like someone I used to know.How could the author best resolve this situation to create a feeling of optimism?A.The narrator vows to stick by Robert until he readjusts to life at home.B.The narrator gives Robert an ultimatum that either he gets help or moves out.C.Robert decides to visit a friend with whom he served in Vietnam.D.Robert buries the memories of war by pouring himself into work.

Feelings –• What were you thinkingand feeling at the time?• How have thosefeelings changed?