The last week had passed in complete bliss and harmony. Day by day, the change in Jared was more noticeable as he worked toward his new goal, determined to be a better person. The contrast between the old Jared and the new one was stark, and I was proud of him for being able to change and work on his anger issues.

He was leaving his family’s business, fully dedicated to paving his own path toward a brighter future in which he wouldn’t be restrained by bounds of duty to his family. He would finally be able to use his skills to the fullest—to use them for something that would actually fulfill him instead of doing something he disliked and brought him terrible anxiety.

He wasn’t that stressed or angry anymore compared to when we met. Following my advice, he was thinking twice now before reacting to triggers, always focusing on being mindful in situations that might provoke him and noting down the things that set him off. This way, he was able to study the issue and go around it instead of letting it influence him and react to it. His new-found patience allowed him to avoid reacting or at least postpone his reaction.

On top of it all, he was full of energy since he had a good goal. These days he was working hard on establishing his own company, having already sold his shares of Real Estate Silver. I was filled with happiness each time he spoke about his own business, so enthusiastic and ready to go for it, and I gave my best to support him.

I’d never been happier than I was now, falling more for Jared each day. We usually went to dinner after my work and spent nights at his or my place, getting better “acquainted” with our bodies. The man was insatiable, showing me that real pleasure knew no boundaries, and it only increased my appetite for him.

So it was no wonder that the whole morning I’d been fantasizing about our night, wearing a smile I simply couldn’t wipe from my face. I was in his kitchen, making us breakfast while humming one of my favorite songs by Beyoncé, but all I could see was Jared’s naked body as I moved my lips all over his taut skin. He was incredibly built, all his muscles perfectly combined in one potent whole that left me drooling for him like a schoolgirl.

He’d made me come four times, and that was only in his office. I didn’t count those from his bedroom. It was hands down unbelievable. I knew Alison wouldn’t believe me for sure if I’d told her about Jared’s skills in bed.

“You’re unusually happy so early in the morning,” he muttered into my ear, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. His delicious scent engulfed me, creating a fresh wave of desire. “How come you have so much energy?”

It was difficult to come up with an answer when he was nuzzling my neck. His left hand was resting on my upper thigh, taunting me with a promise of a touch I needed badly. I squirmed, hoping he would move his hand a little higher and palm my pussy.

“I’ve always been a morning person. If you start your day with positive thoughts, your day will surely be amazing.”

He let out a small chuckle, sliding his other hand up my waist and under my breast. I was only in my bathrobe, so I wasn’t wearing any underwear. My nipples puckered, reacting to his hand before he even made any contact.

“I feel like if I’m next to you, my day will be amazing no matter what.”

My lips formed a smile. “Now you’re flattering me. Or should I call it bombarding me with your charm?”

“I’m just telling the truth.” He nibbled my earlobe, caressing my waist and thighs without ever making a contact with my intimate spots. “Look at you. Smart, gorgeous, sexy, and so, so sweet. What more can I ask for?”

I looked at him over my shoulder. It was ridiculously easy for him to make me melt. “Touch me, Jared.”

He groaned at my soft whisper, spinning me around a moment later. He met my lips mid-way, tracing my back with his hands as he backed me to the counter, and I returned his kiss with equal ardency, our bodies molding as one. I tugged at his bathrobe and pulled it apart, revealing a tan chest. His nipples hardened when I slid my fingers over them, a low moan leaving his lips before they latched onto my neck.

“If we keep doing this, we won’t have time for breakfast,” I told him through giggles, arching my back when he found a delicate spot right below my ear.

“Fuck breakfast.”

He unfastened my bathrobe and pulled it off my shoulders. His hands covered my breasts, his mouth making love to my heated skin on their way to my nipples. I was trembling, burning with desire.

“Yes,” I moaned. “That feels so good.”

He was licking my nipple slowly, creating a coiling tension low in my belly. I was already wet, my clit throbbing with need. He ground himself against me, only a thin material of his bathrobe separating our sexes, but I could feel his warmth penetrating through it. My pussy pulsated harder, responding to his hard bulge.

The next moment, I was on the counter with him kneeling in front of me. He pulled my legs apart and buried his head into my mound, rewarding my hypersensitive skin with a feathery kiss that set my nerves on fire.

“Ah, yes, right there...” My toes curled, suspended in the air as he held my thighs apart. I supported myself against the counter and focused on the erotic image of his tongue sliding down my puffy lips. “Yes...”

Sweet pleasure spread through my stomach, increased with each stroke of his tongue. He started rubbing his face against me, left and right, over and over again, and it was wonderful.

I threw back my head and began moaning, my whole body tight with increasing tension. He was too good. He knew exactly where to put the right pressure, moving at an increasing tempo that was making my head spin. Working me faster, he let go of my leg to caress my vulva and clit.

Swiping his fingers over them, he collected my juices. “Taste yourself.” He pushed two digits into my mouth, watching my reaction as I sucked them dry. The bittersweet taste on my tongue only added to my arousal, to which Jared groaned, lapping my overflowing juices up.

“I’m so close. So, so close.”

He increased the pressure of his mouth on my hot flesh, thrusting two fingers into my hole. He wasn’t gentle, penetrating me relentlessly, and it was too much. I grasped his shoulder and screamed, coming hard. It was too powerful—so powerful that my legs were convulsing like crazy and my juices spurt all over his mouth.

He licked his lips, looking at me wickedly as he straightened himself up. “Fucking delicious.”

“I need you. I need you right now.”

He removed his bathrobe in one swift move and positioned himself in between my legs. His hand wrapped around his rigid cock before he slid the hard tip all over my mound, teasing me.

“I just love your pink, puffy pussy. And the way you squeeze me when I’m inside...” His eyes rolled to the back of his head when he rubbed my clit with the hard tip of his cock, his teeth biting into his lower lip.

“Fuck me,” I begged shamelessly, desperate to take all of him inside of me. “Fuck me hard.”

“You don’t need to tell me twice.”

He pushed into me and slammed his lips against mine, filling me at once. I wrapped my legs around him and drew him closer to me, clinging to his shoulders as he pounded me.

“You feel so fucking good,” he said with a strained voice before he continued kissing me, stroking my tongue sensually with his. His hands covered my breasts, holding me possessively. My hands were restless, roaming over his firm chest, abs, and waist, reveling in his silky skin.

“So tight and hot. My Claire.” Our eyes locked, and a myriad of emotions crossed between us. No words were needed, all our feelings out in the open as he drove faster into me. Never had I felt closer to someone like I felt to Jared now, and the words were right on the tip of my tongue...

I fell for you.

But I hadn’t said them. Instead, I screamed when he hit the special spot inside of me, which was all I needed to fall into a thousand pieces again. The orgasm washed over me, but Jared didn’t stop, fucking me through it, which only prolonged it, and it felt divine.

I was numb with pleasure, barely aware that Jared had picked me up and brought me to his dining table.

“Turn around,” he told me when he put me down. His lips traced my neck as he pressed himself against my ass, his cock sliding in between my ass cheeks. “Look at that big ass.” He leaned away to check it out, stroking it languidly, while his other hand played with my nipple. “I want to cum all over it.”

“Then do it.”

Grabbing my hips, he rammed back into me, and I almost lost my balance. I caught myself before I fell and lay down on the surface of the table, raising my ass higher in the air.

I clenched my inner muscles around him, which earned me a loud grunt and a slap on my right ass cheek.

“Ah fuck... Do it again.” I clenched my muscles again, moaning when he plunged even deeper into me and hit the wall of my womb. “So damn good. I don’t want to stop. I want to fuck you until you can’t walk. I want to rip your pussy apart. I want everything.”

My moan turned into a scream when he sped up his thrusts, pushing through my throbbing walls in frenzy. The tension in my stomach grew higher, mixing with heat that flooded my whole body, and I was already so close to another climax.

He wound his fingers through my hair and pulled me up, snaking his arm around my waist. He bit into my shoulder, pumping me faster and faster until the world started swirling and I was coming again.

“Claire!” This time he followed me, pulling out of me and pushing me back to the table right before he began cumming all over my butt. “Fuck!”

“Jared... That was so good.” I closed my eyes after the last aftershock, my legs trembling. His arms embraced me, holding me close to him as the comfortable silence enclosed us.

And then I was giggling uncontrollably. I felt high—like I was on some drugs—well spent after such intense sex. The sex with Jared was something else indeed.

“Now that’s what I call a great start of the day,” I said.

“You know, I’m so tempted to take a day off and repeat this with you over and over again.”

“But we have to be responsible.” I ran my fingers across his lips. “Maybe one day.”

I was bubbly after we separated and I went to take a quick shower, wearing a million watt smile. I felt like nothing could spoil my good mood, ready to deal with whatever might come my way. Jared and I were doing so well, growing closer to each other each day, and I couldn’t wait to see what our future had in store for us.

Little did I know that the tower of happiness would soon come crashing down, breaking my heart into tiny pieces.

Just as I put my clothes on, my phone rang. It was Marissa.

“Hey, girl. What’s—”

“The contractors are all over the clinic,” she said. Her words had flowed out of her mouth so fast that at first, I couldn’t comprehend them.

“Wait. What?”

“The contractors are in our clinic, Claire. They’re going to demolish the building today.”

And just like that, my world stopped moving, my limbs turning cold. This couldn’t be right. No way.

“That’s not possible. Jared didn’t tell me anything.”

“Well, they’re here, and it’s final. Alison and I tried to convince them to at least give us a few days to move out, but they didn’t even want to listen. Asses.” The panic in her voice added to the ice in my chest, putting an end to any feelings of hope that had resided in me these last few days.

“I don’t know what we are going to do about it, Claire. It’s too soon! And nobody even notified us about this! I can’t believe it. It’s outrageous!”

I tried taking deep breaths, but panic gripped me too tightly. There was no positive outcome. We would lose our clinic.

But what really put my back up was that they were doing this out of the blue. Bobby hadn’t even notified us about this, keeping it under wraps.

And the worst thing?

Jared had lied to me.

I’d been so, so stupid. I was supposed to know better. I was supposed to be smarter. Instead, I’d let him enter my heart and build a presence there. This was all on me.

How foolish of me was to believe his promise to save Pathways? He’d never intended to save it, working behind my back.

“Hold on. I’ll be there soon.”

I ended the call, but I couldn’t move, trapped by increasing heartbeat and fear that settled inside of me. What were we going to do now? There was no way we could think of a solution when everything was happening so suddenly!

And Jared...

I closed my eyes, losing my battle with the tears. A loud whimper escaped me, and I pressed my hand against my mouth, telling myself to calm down and think positively.

Calm down. Calm down...

It was impossible. Fury mixed with fear and my legs carried me out of Jared’s bedroom before I could stop and rethink my next move. I was hopping mad, on my way to confronting Jared and ending whatever I had with him once and for all.