Every single day. Over every inch of her body.
I’m still standing way too close for this to be considered cordial, but I give her one more lingering look before I take a step back.
“See you in the morning, Cricket.” I wink and see that fire light back up. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you–” I let my eyes run down the seductive curves of her body, “so much better.”
It’s move-in day with Jaxon Kane.
A sentence I never thought I’d think to myself.
Not even in some long-lost daydream or “what if” fantasy. Certainly not like this—after standing on a stage and selling my virginity to the highest bidder.
God.
I still can’t believe it happened.
Can’t believe I looked up, in the middle of that blinding spotlight, and saw him walking down the aisle—storm in his eyes, fury in his stride.
It felt like being caught red-handed in the middle of the most reckless decision I’ve ever made.
Now, less than twenty-four hours later, I’m supposed to live with him for a month.
What the fuck am I doing?
I pull out my phone and open the banking app, checking to see if half a billion dollars has hit my account yet.
Of course it hasn’t.
Not that I expected it immediately, but still—I can’t help the flutter of nerves in my chest. The contract said half now, half at the end. After… we’ve…
I can’t even finish the thought without my stomach doing anxious cartwheels.
Jaxon Kane. One billion dollars. For my virginity.
It’s absurd. Completely and utterly ridiculous.
And I’m the one who made it happen.
I try not to think about what comes next. About what it means once the second half is paid. About what I will have to do.
Instead, I focus on packing.
One large suitcase for clothes. A duffel bag for shoes. My cosmetics bag, and my backpack with all the essentials—laptop, sketchbook, headphones, and three half-read books I won’t finish but bring anyway.
Once it’s all packed in the trunk of my car, I make my way inside for breakfast with my mom.
Or rather, I eat while she sips at her tea.
She looks well this morning. Slept better than usual, but there’s something off, something that makes her seem smaller. Paler. Could be the dark head wrap or the oversized black sweater swallowing her frame, but still… I notice.
The hair loss has been hard on her. The cold that never seems to leave her bones, even harder.
But her face lights up when she sees Saving Grace in the pasture, grazing with Dominion.
“Still think it was genius,” she says softly, cupping her mug. “Breeding those two. You’ll lock in the best bloodlines in the league.”
I smile as I chew, then swallow. “That was the idea.”
She nods, eyes distant for a moment.
