I walk into my condo. Melody's head snaps up from the textbook in her hand as I shut the door.

"Hey girl." She puts aside her book as I drop my key on the kitchen counter.

"Hey yourself."

"I'm so sorry about last night, where did you go? To your parents."

"I managed," I mumble, avoiding her eyes as I shrug out of my jacket, and drop it on the backrest of the dining table's chair.

I touch my lips the sense of Brian's soft and sweet kiss slowly fading away. A small smile creeps up to my face as I recall it.

Melody whistles and I spin to her. "Spill!" she squeals.

I giggle, shaking my head. I lean to the chair and push a strand of my curly hair behind my ear. "Brian kissed me."

"Oh my gosh! Finally," she gushes and I laugh. "Details?" She plants her hands on her hips, with raised eyebrows waiting for me to continue.

"We went to the movies... got dinner and he walked me home and kissed right in front of the door." I grin, looking at my feet.

"Girl, I'm so happy you're finally getting out of your shell." She throws her arms around me.

I frown and tilt my head away to look at her face. "I was never in a shell, to start with."

She straightens herself and rolls her eyes. "Of course you were. The adventures you told me you'd gone on, in the first few months I moved in here and the way you were living, were worlds apart like you were talking about someone else entirely. I'm glad you're taking your first steps to get back to being your fantabulous self again."

I cross my arms. Had I changed that much? How come I never realized that?

I didn't even feel the lack of wild things I used to do back then... being broke occupied a good portion of my mind I suppose. I shake my head and walk to the sofa, flumping on it.

"You know, Mel... Brian is really sweet... an incredibly cute guy." I examine my fingernails.

"Infatuated already?" she asks playfully. I glance up and she winks at me.

My brows furrow. "He's too sweet Mel... and I'm... too dark compared to him, does that make sense?" I tilt my head and gaze at her.

She jumps on top of the dining table, crossing her legs as she watches me. "Elaborate."

"He's too good. I can't find a single flaw in him, and I'm so dark and ugly from the inside. I feel like I'll contaminate him if I get close to him."

She frowns. "Do you trust this dude?"

I give her an incredulous look and she lifts her shoulders as if silently saying what? "Weren't you the one who told me to start living again, go on dates, and whatnot? Especially with Brian."

"I did," she hesitantly says, biting the side of her thumb. "But no one is that flawless. Maybe he's hiding his dark side from you, saving it for later. And you're not ugly from inside."

I shake my head. "I dunno. But I'm not good, that's for sure. I'm selfish as hell and... I just know I'm not good."

She sighs. "Everyone has bad quirks, dark stuff, even I do, we're all perfectly grey and that makes us special and beautiful." she holds her head high, probably feeling like one of those inspirational speakers.

I laugh. "What is it with you literarians being obsessed with dark sides."

"It gives depth to our existence."  She holds her hand skywards, looking at the ceiling pretending to be one of the Renaissance's philosophers.

Giggling I get to my feet and walk to the kitchen counter, frowning down at the textbook. "You're working on it again?"

"Editing." She hurries to me and lays her palm flat on the manuscript right before I flip it open.

"How many times are you going to edit it? It's not like we have an infinite do's and don'ts for punctuation."

"It's not just that." she hugs it to her chest.

I lean to the counter and smirk at her. "Maybe if you once let me read it, it'll work like your lucky charm and a publisher will accept it." I quirk an eyebrow.

"No way." Melody spins on her heels, her black frizzy hair bouncing with the movement as she totters away, and plops down behind the dining table.

I huff. "Whatever you say, but one day I will read that novel of yours," I say as I snatch my jacket and bag, making my way to my bedroom.

"Rae, I might go out later tonight." She glances at me over her shoulder.

"Have fun."

"I will," she laughs and I step into my room, shaking my head.

As I shut the door, a sigh falls from my lips. I do miss being wild, the way I was before everything happened. Happy and careless. But I had a billion-dollar, my parents, and my brother to watch out for me if I accidentally ended up in a big mess.

I change into a comfortable tank top and shorts. My heart beats faster as I prepare my notes and laptop for a long night of searching and finding a topic to show to Wright.

Butterflies flutter in my stomach as I think about him, knowing in less than twenty-four hours I'll be seeing him again. I grin like an idiot as a giddying excitement course in my veins warming me from the inside. Like a teenage girl preparing to meet her crush.

I sit behind my desk and begin the excruciating process of finding a topic I don't need and won't be working on but have to pretend in order to get to the actual theory I want.

∞ ∞ ∞

I wait in front of his locked office door until he finishes his class.

Handsome as ever, Wright walks down the narrow hallway and flashes a small smile at me before opening the door. He walks in and I follow behind him, shutting the door and holding my papers close to my chest.

He's wearing the same well-fitting black button-up shirt he wore on Wednesday. Or maybe he has more than one of them. He places his satchel on his messy desk and turns to me, leaning to the edge of the table and crossing his arms, the toned muscles flexing as he does so.

I press my legs tighter together as I stand in the middle of the room, watching him.

He holds out his hand and I place the file on his palm. Wright breezes through it, nodding with approval.

Daring, I inch towards him, deeply inhaling his woody cologne scent. My heart hammers in my chest, leaving me breathless and my mouth dry.

He looks up and his dark blue eyes lock with mine, making my breath hitch. "Well done," he slowly says. His deep voice sending tingling sparks down my spine.

"I've been working on them all night," I softly mumble, nearing him. An odd urge of omitting the space between us tickling my limbs.

His gaze darkens, traveling along the length of my body before fixating on my face, jumping between my lips and eyes. "Good girl," he murmurs.

His voice and the way his intense gaze burns through me, make my core clench with a sudden surge of desire. I stare at his parted lips.

"But the very thought of you didn't let me do anything last night," he whispers, leaning down to me and placing the papers on his desk.

My insides get warm and fuzzy. His mouth is less than an inch away from me, hot breath fanning over my face. The need to be closer to him, to feel him and his lips overpowers every other sense in me and I crash my lips on his.

He's fast to react, his lips molding with mine, moving in a hot and hungry force. One hand finds the back of my head as his other hand pulls our bodies together, moving me slightly until my back is pressed to the edge of the desk.

He lightly bites my bottom lip, making me gasp, and slips his tongue in my mouth. His hand explores my body.

Desire burns in me, stronger and brighter every second. I pull him closer to myself, tangling my fingers in his hair as our lips move feverishly against each other.

He slips his hand under my shirt, his fingertips brush over my skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.

His mouth finds my neck, leaving hot and wet kisses. I moan, tugging his hair and earning a groan from him. My hands roam around his perfectly toned back before I inch to his waistband, fumbling with his belt.

He grasps my wrists in one hand. "Someone's in a hurry," he whispers next to my ear. His hot breath washing over my skin and I bite my lip to hold back a moan, my core clenching with need, throbbing for more.

He sucks my neck and I whimper with surprise, arching my back and running my hand through his soft hair.

He unzips my jeans and pushes his hand down to my crotch, and runs his palm over my soaking panties. He groans and I throw my head back, resisting the urge to thrust my hips for more contact.

He pushes my underwear aside, like a soft breeze dragging his fingers over my sensitive skin, as I ache for his touch, needing more and more.

A loud knocking sound echoes in the room.

We freeze. Eyes wide like deer caught in the headlight.

∞ ∞ ∞

Hehe told you steamy scenes are coming, lol xD but my goodness, this was hard to write, tell me what you think about it? I was like testing my writing abilities in this area, so I would appreciate any sort of feedback =) More [actual] smut coming up in 2-3 chapters (I think, I haven't written yet, lol)

Alright... hope you liked this chapter, don't forget to comment your thoughts and prepare yourself for another rollercoaster 'cause we're getting close to Gracie coming up with her plan B (if you've read the blurb, you probably know what I'm talking about :D)

See you tomorrow ^.^

love ya, Happy reading <33