After She She Stopped Loving Him

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The next morning at eight sharp, Yolanda arrived to pick Ian up. With fingerprint access to his place, she let herself in without a second thought.

She set the breakfast she’d brought on the kitchen counter. Their call time was ten, and with no signs of him downstairs, she knocked on the master bedroom door. “Ian? You up?” she asked.

To her surprise, the door wasn’t latched, and her gentle push made it swing open. Ahead, the ensuite bathroom’s sliding door stood slightly open, the sound of running water drifting out, along with low, muffled groans.

Yolanda froze. Through the steam, she caught a glimpse of Ian–his toned frame, his head tilted back, and water sluicing down his body. She stumbled backward, her hip smacking into the dresser hard enough to make her wince.

Ian’s eyes flew open at the noise. Through the haze of the shower, he turned and spotted Yolanda hovering in the doorway.

Her face burned. She ducked her head and bolted.

The water kept running. Ian’s muscles tensed under the spray. He looked down and dragged a hand through his wet hair, droplets flying as he reached for a towel.

After drying off, he caught his reflection in the fogged mirror: jaw clenched, and something too sharp to name flickering in his eyes.

Downstairs, Yolanda sat stiffly on the couch, her pulse still hammering. In all her life, she’d never walked in on a man like that. Her skin burned, and her thoughts tangled into knots.

She’d always treated Ian as just her friend, completely ignoring how charming he was. But the image of him, water–slicked and sinfully built, burned behind her eyelids. She groaned, thumping her forehead with her palm.

A movement in her periphery made Yolanda glance up. Ian was coming downstairs, unusually quiet–not that he was ever talkative, but today, the silence felt deliberate. Like he was avoiding her after the bathroom incident.

Heat prickled her neck. She scratched her cheek, staring at the floor. “Hey, uh, sorry about before. I thought you’d still be asleep. Didn’t mean to walk in on you showering. Well, I’ll drive you to the set. We’ll leave by ten.”

Ian just slid into a chair, shoulders rigid as he unpacked the breakfast she’d brought without a

word.

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Chapter 28

:

:>))

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for not calling first. Next time, I’ll make sure you know before I

cut in, voice

shoulders. Then, almost against her will, a wry thought flickered through her mind. ‘Twenty–three–year–olds and their endless stamina. Between his boxing routines, that unfairly perfect face, and–well–everything else, some lucky woman’s going to have

back, that fleeting blush long faded, her usual sweet–but–sharp

with deliberate slowness. An amused smile tugged

to say

until they were in the car that Yolanda

first month of production would take place almost entirely in the mountains. And the drive there would take

bridge of her nose. Last night, when she’d asked him about the schedule, he’d been vague. And like an idiot,

his voice carefully neutral. “If it’s too

trouble-”

back out now. “No trouble at all,” she cut in, forcing cheer into her tone. “Pack whatever you need. I’m your agent and assistant now,

the

leaned against the car, arms crossed, as she watched him haul out his suitcase and backpack. With his casual clothes and slightly tousled hair, he really did look like some

into the backseat before sliding into

four hours in the car, so when Yolanda

past two years, and as she drove, she

11:36 Wed, Sep 10

Chapter 28

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had painted the city in bursts of color,

all these? I don’t remember this section being so… floral,” she

years ago,” Ian

pulled over to

Sinclair, your wedding anniversary

and the whole estate transformed into

business trip, though she later learned he’d been with Sophie. All she got was an emerald