Page 6 of Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

As I settle back into bed, the echo of the blaring alarm resonates in my mind, singing a dark lullaby of vulnerability that lingers. The mask of a good girl I wear every day is nothing more than a flimsy shield against the gaping hole in my soul. The absence of strength and peace feels more pronounced than ever.

Chapter 2

Stranger Danger

When I wake up the following morning, the weather is abysmal, with the sky painted in dreary shades of gray and the clouds looking restless. Just before I hit the road, I text my best friend Arietta.

“Finally on vacay! Packing right now. Hope you’re having fun, send pictures, plz.”

She won’t answer me right away because she’s on a hiking trip along the Hardangervidda mountain plateau in Norway with her fiancé. I run an annoyed hand over my soft stomach as I think about Arietta’s slim figure and Donovan’s toned abs. I wish I was fit enough to hike a mountain. Or had a fiancé as hot as Donovan.

That’s not happening.

My phone rings, and the name ID makes my eyes roll. “Hi, Arietta. Isn’t it like three in the morning where you are?”

Her mocking giggle tickles my ear. She launches into speed talking in Russian, and I don’t understand.

“Jeez, doll face, slow down.”

She scoffs. “Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, bitch?”

I smirk. “Yeah, you weren’t in it.” Flirting with her always puts her in a good mood.

Another giggle rises, but it turns into a hysterical laugh. “Sorry,” she says through her laughter, “Donovan has been a bad bunny, so I was busy putting him to sleep. I swear, that ten-inch dick is a whole lot of maintenance.”

I squeak and my face turns red-hot. “T.M.I. Arietta. Please. You win.” Flashes of Don’s crotch come to my mind, and I must admit, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was hung.

“Course I do!”

There’s no winning here, for sure. I blink away the image of my first meeting with the six-foot-one police officer. Seeing a hunky cop get yanked down by his choker for a kiss is something I haven’t been able to get out of my mind. Never seen a man get on his knees so fast. But they both radiated so much happiness that I pushed my unease down, and it turned out that I liked Donovan Forester.

I shake it off. “What were you calling for, then?”

“Did you put the dress in your suitcase?”

“No.”

“Marianne! You promised! That dress is your ticket to a fun and sexy vacation. Pack it. And the black bikini, too!”

Never.

Those things are too revealing, drawing attention. I don’t want attention. I want peace.

“Vacation at the beach is to have fun and be daring,” she singsongs.

I groan, but she’s right. Arietta always knows how to push me out of my comfort zone. I open my suitcase and cram the floral ruffle shortdress between stacks of neatly folded clothes. And then the bikini. “Fine, fine. It’s done. Happy?”

“Ecstatic,” she purrs. “Promise you’ll wear it. The off-white makes your tanned skin pop, and the bow on the bikini makes those big tits of yours look so juicy.”

Such a filthy mouth, Jesus… I love it.

“Only if I meet someone worth wearing it for,” I reply.

“Deal.” A soft snoring rumbles through the line. “He’s so precious when he sleeps.”

An unnerved exhale escapes me. “Are you sure you’re talking about a grown man?”

And a cop, nonetheless. Ew.

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