Page 64 of Thirst Trap

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I was Penny fucking Potter. Gossip queen. Parasite. Woman who could slice reputations with a headline.

But staring at that sunrise?

I wasn’t sharp. Or cold.

I was a woman who wanted him.

So I sent another message. The one that burned my throat.

Beautiful. I wish I was there. With you.

And the second it left my screen, I curled into myself like I’d set the world on fire.

What the hell was I doing?

Falling for Logan Creams?

My laugh was shaky.

Maybe I was insane.

Maybe I was tired of pretending I didn’t already belong to him.

I dropped the phone on the cushion beside me, staring at the photo again.

The sun breaking over the water.

A glimpse of something soft in a man who only ever showed teeth.

I whispered into the quiet “Don’t you dare break me, Creams.”

But my chest already knew the truth.

I’d let him.

Chapter 32

Shadows on the Sand

The villa reeked of salt, sweat, and money. Palm leaf roof, bulletproof glass. Pretty on the outside. Rotten inside. Lucas stepped in first, suit sharp, jaw tight. He scanned the room with the edge of a man who trusted nothing.

Maddison followed, heels silent, her eyes on him. She felt the twitch in his jaw, the way his fingers curled too tight. She brushed his arm, voice low.

“You’re grinding your teeth.”

He didn’t look at her, but he exhaled.

“I don’t like this deal. The numbers don’t match.”

“Then don’t shake,” she murmured.

His mouth twitched. Just barely.

From the corner, Logan watched. He didn’t like the vibe either. But his mind wandered anyway. To Penny. To the chaos she calmed in him without even trying.

[To: Penny ??]

She’s doing that thing you do.

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