Who am I kidding, she’s already running.

Slowly the corner of my mouth begins to lift because the chase is going to be exhilarating, and I’m going to enjoy every second of it.

Rising to my feet, I leave my bedroom. The door to Ariana’s room is shut, and it only makes my smile grow wider.

I head straight for the security room and check the monitor for Ariana’s room.

She’s pacing near the closet, only wearing one of my shirts.

Fuck she looks sexy in my clothes.

‘What did I do?’ She stops walking and then covers her face with her hands, and letting out a groan she repeats, ‘What did I do?’ Suddenly she drops her hands and stomps her feet while letting out another frustrated groan. ‘You begged him to fuck you.’ She pulls a self-pitying face. ‘How am I going to look him in the eyes?’

Slumping down on the bed, I hear her mutter, ‘Girl, you can be damn glad you have an IUD.’

Fuck, I didn’t even think of a condom.

Then again, I wasn’t thinking at all. There was only the need to be inside Ariana.

‘He probably thinks you’re a hussy now. It doesn’t matter that he’s only the second guy you’ve ever slept with.’ She lets out a long sigh, but then she lifts her head and smiles. ‘And the first to make me orgasm… damn, it was so good.’

Hearing how inexperienced she is, I feel a twinge of guilt for not being gentler with her, but then she says, ‘Hot damn,’ she falls back on the bed and lets out a happy shriek, ‘Demitri blew my mind.’ She darts back up and goes to the closet to put on a pair of sweatpants. ‘Screw it. That was the best sex of my life, and I’m going to own it.’

When she leaves the bedroom, I sit down on the chair and take a deep breath. My eyes follow Ariana from monitor to monitor.

The way she moves is mesmerizing, and everything about her calls to me.

It’s only been a week.

Still, can you let her go when the time comes?

My eyes narrow on the screen as I begin to shake my head.

No.

I’ve seen her at her worst. She’s pissed me off to no end. We’ve fought. Still, none of that did anything to stop me from being attracted to her.

If anything, it only made me want her more.

ARIANA

I keep alternating between feeling awkward and grinning like an idiot until guilt creeps in and douses all the other emotions.

Dad’s dead.

Standing in the kitchen while I wait for the coffee pot, I close my eyes as the sharp sting of grief floods back.

“My dad died, and I have sex with Demitri? What kind of person does that make me?” I whisper to myself.

“It makes you human,” Demitri suddenly answers, and my eyes fly open. “You’ve had a lot of shit to deal with, Ariana. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”