The Grove’s AssignmentThe glade was quieter than it had any right to be. Elenna stepped beyond the last bramble line and paused, breath held. The world on the other side was still — not with fear, but with that particular hush found only in sacred places. The kind of silence that settles after a song. No wind stirred the fern-fronds. No birds called. Just the slow creak of old trees and the steady rhythm of her breath. Sh...

Lea stepped into the boutique and instantly regretted it. The place was way too nice. Rose-gold racks, moody lighting, soft jazz humming under everything. The kind of boutique where bras weren’t just bras — they were lingerie. Intimate. Intentional. Something to show, not to hide. She shouldn’t have come in. Not dressed like this — hoodie, leggings, scuffed sneakers. Not with her hair in a messy bun. Not alone. But she wa...

He kissed her shoulder like it was a formality. A dry, sand-dusted press of lips—quick, impersonal. Then he rolled onto his back, muttering something about how the sun was stronger than he expected. Ryan always underestimated the obvious. Ava lay still, skin warm beneath the bikini she’d bought just for this trip. Red. Cut high on the hips. Supposed to be dangerous. Flirtatious. A test, maybe—not for strangers, but for hi...