Page 3 of Come Inside

Was I actually considering using my own dating site? I had started the company on a want to bring light on an otherwise shunned subject.

Venturing into kinks, the taboo, all done in a safe environment. But I had never actually participated.

“You coming?” Kazi poked his head through the door eyeing me speculatively.

I was so lost in thought that I nearly jumped out of my seat. “Yes, one minute.”

He raised an eyebrow inquisitively but let me be, shutting the door behind him.

My attention refocused on my computer, and before I could change my mind, I moved the man’s profile out of the shared drive and into my personal one, a plan forming in my mind.

I would be reaching out to this man myself.

Chapter 2

Yara

After a long day of nonstop meetings, I was finally back in my office.

“Izzy, come on. You need to visit me before our stupid as fuck reunion in two months, I haven’t seen you in too flipping long.” Time had slipped by and I was currently changing into my outfit for the dinner with Liam tonight, my phone cradled against my ear. “I miss you and we need to catch up.”

“Iknow,” Izzy dragged the word out, her voice pitched with emotion even through the phone. “I just… ugh. I don’t know what’s going on with Harry. He’s been acting extra shady and I know he’s fucking up, but I need the proof. You know? So he can’t fucking lie to me.”

I readjusted, quickly tugging my dress over my head as my office door opened. I went to yell at the intruder, but it was just Kazi.

I gestured for him to shut the door. He obliged before leaning back against it. Sometimes I think he forgot he was my assistant, not my personal guard.

“Well, we can agree Harry isn’t shit. Did you want me to have Emil look into him?” I asked. Emil was the head of my investigation team forDarkest Desires; if there was dirt, I trusted Emil to find it.

Izzy’s boyfriend, Harry, didn’t seem like a good guy when they met, but you can’t tell a woman who to date, they needed to figure it out for themselves.

I knew all about not listening to outside advice.

Izzy was the reason I was brave enough to skip town. She was always there when I needed her. Especially after my break up back home with Daniel.

Now it was time for me to return the favor.

“No, it’s okay. I’m going to ask Oliver,” Izzy huffed out.

Uneasiness swam in my gut. Shortly after I met Izzy in high school, Oliver started showing up. He was always around, lingering in the background,watchingher. It was creepy, and she was oblivious. Their friendship had never been healthy, but again, she wouldn’t listen to me on any of it. “Okay…” I finally agreed, unsurely.

“I know, I know. We’re too close, blah blah blah. On that front, any news onyourlove life? At this point, I always thought you would be the one married with kids,” Izzy joked.

I thought so, too. My mind flipped back to the man on my database before my fingers moved on their own to a scar along my forehead. It had been left by the man I thought would be the father of my children one day.

The man that had kept me from wanting to start a family.

The scar was one of many I had, just another imperfection. I was littered with them.

I could feel Kazi’s intense gaze on me as I brushed over the puckered skin, but he had long since stopped asking where it came from. Where any of the scars originated. I gave a different answer every time.

Because the truth?

Well, I hadn’t admitted that out loud to anyone besides my therapist.

I wanted to tell Kazi, and I knew I would one day, but not yet.

“Funny. You know I’m too busy being a boss ass bitch. Just like you are.” I steered the conversation to safer waters, swallowing down the bile that had made its way up my throat.

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