Trouble in Paradise by Three Way

It was my first time being a mother. One child already left me feeling overwhelmed, and I had no idea how to handle conflicts between the two.

That night, after both children had fallen asleep, I lay beside Tabitha, tossing and turning. My ears tuned to the sounds outside the bedroom door, waiting for Nicholas. I wanted to discuss the situation with him, or at least hear his advice. As the night stretched on, I grew increasingly disoriented. I had waited for Nicholas countless times in this villa before.

The month we agreed upon was already more than halfway through, yet I was still caught up in trivial matters, waiting for him here in the villa.

I knew repeating past mistakes was terrifying, but when the one-month agreement was up, would I truly be able to leave? I didn't know.

Frustration gnawed at me, and as the hours dragged on, sleepiness finally crept in. Just as I was about to doze off, the door to the room was quietly pushed open from the outside. A sliver of light spilled through the crack. Nicholas' tall figure slipped in and headed straight toward me.

His dark eyes caught mine, and he raised a finger to his lips in a silencing gesture. As he approached, my heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

He came to the side of the bed, pulled back the blanket covering me, and bent down to scoop me into his arms.

The faint smell of tobacco made me frown, but fearing he'd wake Tabitha, I had no choice but to hook my arms around his neck. I was afraid he might drop me.

wriggled to get down, but his grip was firm. He only released me

"What are you doing?"

backed away nervously. He didn't smell of alcohol, but under the light, his clear eyes betrayed a desire he couldn't hide. As he single-handedly loosened

tie to

his suit jacket. A few

on his shirt

the faint outline of

him in confusion. Everything about his demeanor signaled the onset of

down as he grabbed my shoulder. His weight bore down on me, and a barrage of kisses followed.

what had gotten into him. Seizing

dark eyes held a mix of restraint and pain. Gripping my chin, he looked down at me, then closed his eyes

and hoarse, spilled into my mind like a storm. "Ariana, I

thought was whether Pete had done something to provoke him again. But

face, his kisses became more like bites-not painful but tingling. A