Too Late, Guardian: I Choose Him Now

of secret love to my guardian, I found another w

rrick Harmon wor

ut it was the scent clinging to the fabric-a suffocating cloud of vanilla and garde

r bag of cold medicine clutched against her chest. The October rain had plastered her hair to her scalp and s

rd glided down the grand staircase. Ashley Vance. The supermodel wrapped a proprietary a

ey's voice dripped with honeyed condescension.

a little more, revealing a

ry* good ca

still warm from the pharmacy, suddenly felt like it was branding her-a

Derrick

oyance. When his gray eyes landed on her standing in the foyer, dripping rainwater onto his

om bullies when she was nine years old. Th

from the fever, flat and unwelc

ied in her throat. What a fool she was. H

ng her flag with the confidence of a conquering g

e loudest sound Ala

f shattering, the pieces rearranged themsel

han an obligation, a burden he had inherited along with his father's second marriage. She had

toni

ving wet footprints on the marble, and set the paper bag down on

sessing sweep that stripped away the supermodel's veneer o

ly spoke, her voi

elf a prescription." Her lips curved into a smile that didn't

pression flicker

lash of something unreadable

already tu

one traitorous heartbeat, her body leaned toward him

ropping into the paternal tone that had always twist

en back up at his face. The question she had

er see me?

ed her arm free.

kered in his eyes. Guilt? Regret? She

if the name itself was an expl

nail in the coffin of

rless laugh. "Good for you.

oak door, stepping into the cold, cl

d so tight the muscle jumped, his hands balled into fists inside the pockets of his rob

a didn't

figure watched the entire scene unfold through the lens of a smart

oud server ten minutes later, tagged w