Chapter 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
DYLAN\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t help but think of how Beckett reacted upon hearing that we\u2019re finally over.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Z\u00a0<\/p>\n
For years, I\u2019ve been dying to see that care in his eyes. I was dreaming of the day that Beckett will see me as a woman who has done nothing but love him and care for him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing how our divorce affects him gives me a painful joy. I was happy to see him lose control with the thought of losing me. But it\u2019s sad to think that it\u2019s too late for that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was actually surprised to find myself immune to his charm. The old me would have run into his arms as soon as he ordered me to go home without a second thought. That\u2019s how I was completely head over heels about him. But now, just the thought of being with him even for a day disgusts me. Especially with that woman beside him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re shivering.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A deep baritone voice pulled me out from my deep thoughts. I was startled and completely forgot about him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Our eyes met, and I found him glaring at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Did I do something to piss him off? Why does he look mad?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I immediately took a step back when he slowly took the distance between us. I held my breath when I felt the cold metal of the elevator touch my back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re thinking about your ex\u2013husband, aren\u2019t you?\u201d he asked in his cold tone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze under his sharp gaze, my breath hitching in my throat. His nearness, the heat of his body compared to the cold elevator wall pressing into my back, sent my heart into a wild, confused rhythm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u201d I started to deny it, but the words dried up on my tongue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
scent\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned closer, his arms bracing on either side of me, trapping me in the best and worst way possible. His\u00a0<\/p>\n
clean, woodsy, with a hint of that same stubborn scotch\u2013wrapped around me, clouding my thoughts even more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like it when there\u2019s another man occupying that pretty little head of yours, bunny,\u201d he said in a low, rough voice. \u201cI don\u2019t like to share,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed hard, feeling both defensive and guilty. Why was I feeling guilty? I hadn\u2019t done anything wrong. It was normal to be a little shaken after facing the man I\u2019d once loved for years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still\u2026 there was something about the way Hunter was looking at me, as if he could see straight into my heart, that made me feel exposed, stripped bare without him even touching me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going back to him,\u201d I finally whispered, forcing myself to meet his burning gray eyes. I didn\u2019t know why I said that, but there\u2019s something urging me to say those words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:29 Thu, Dec 25 M\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
94\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something in his expression shifted. The anger faded just a little, replaced by something deeper\u2026 something almost possessive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He smirked; he looks satisfied with what I said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know,\u201d he said. His voice softened, but there was still a rough edge to it, like he was holding something dangerous just beneath the surface. \u201cAnd even if you wanted to, I will no\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a second, the world outside the elevator disappeared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was just me, him, and the tension pulling tighter and tighter between us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re shivering,\u201d he repeated, quieter this time. Without asking, he slid off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders, his fingers brushing against my bare arms, leaving trails of warmth in their wake.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clutched the jacket tighter around me, breathing in his scent all over again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d I murmured, my voice barely audible.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not done,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I frowned in confusion, completely at a loss with what he meant by that. But my eyes widened in shock when he suddenly took the little distance between us, crossing the\u00a0<\/p>\n
His lips were firm but careful, as if he was giving me a chance to pull away. But I didn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2014\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, my mind blanked out completely. All I could feel was him the strength of his hands braced on either side of me, the rough brush of his stubble against my skin, and the heat of his mouth coaxing mine to respond.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Slowly, almost shyly, I kissed him back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A soft, broken sound rumbled from his chest, and then the carefulness slipped away. His hand found the curve of my waist, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. My heart pounded so loud I was sure he could feel it against his chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he finally pulled back, it was just a breath away, his forehead resting against mine. His gray eyes burned into mine with something raw, something that made my knees weak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s enough to keep your bastard ex\u2013husband out of your head for a while,\u201d he said in a husky whisper.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood there, frozen, my hands still gripping the edges of his jacket like it was the only thing holding me up. Everything had happened so fast \u2013 the kiss, the way he touched me, the way he looked at me like I was something precious. I didn\u2019t know what to do, what to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All I knew was that my lips still tingled from his kiss.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And no matter how much I tried to deny it\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:30 Thu, Dec 25 04\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 21\u00a0<\/p>\n
I liked it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I liked it far more than I should.\u00a0<\/p>\n
F:\u00a0<\/p>\n
I bit my lower lip, trying to hide the heat rising in my cheeks, trying to push down the fire that was slowly waking up inside of me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But he noticed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course he noticed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Slowly, with a touch so gentle it made my heart ache, he ran his thumb across my bottom lip, as if he was memorizing the feel of it. His eyes darkened, turning stormy with something raw and dangerous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStop biting your lip,\u201d he growled, his voice deep and rough, thick with emotion he wasn\u2019t bothering to hide. \u201cYou have no idea\u2026\u201d He leaned closer, his forehead almost brushing mine. \u201cYou have no idea how hard it\u2019s been trying to control myself around you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could even react, he closed the tiny space between us, pinning me gently but firmly against the elevator wall. The cold metal pressed against my back, but all I could feel was him\u2013the heat of his body, the way his hands framed my waist, the intensity of his gaze that left no room for doubt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My breath caught in my throat when I felt it\u2013his hard, thick member pressing against my belly through the fabric of his pants. My heart skipped a beat, my whole body going tense and then melting all at once.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was holding himself back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could see it in the way his jaw clenched, in the way his hands trembled slightly where they rested on my hips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He wanted me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought alone sent a wave of heat crashing through my body, leaving me breathless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, he didn\u2019t push, didn\u2019t demand. He stayed perfectly still. giving me the choice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was always my choice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked up at him, my lips parting slightly as I searched his face. His breathing was ragged, his control slipping, but he didn\u2019t move first. He was waiting for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Waiting to see if I\u2019d step closer\u2026 or walk away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And God help me, every part of me screamed to lean in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
**\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:30 Thu, Dec 25 M\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 22\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 22\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Alchemist of Broken Dreams by Sienna Rose Blackwell 21 Chapter 21\u00a0 Chapter 21\u00a0 DYLAN\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t help but think […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-alphas-golden-cage-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24372\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}