Chapter 95

The illusion of being choked sent a chill crawling over Juliet's scalp. "Ashton has always been careless, but he doesn't mean to be," Zachary murmured as he continued wiping her neck. His fingertip lingered on that pulsing vein, rubbing gently as if soothing a startled kitten, or perhaps savoring something precious. "He was just spoiled rotten from childhood, so he never learned how to truly care for someone else." His warm breath brushed against her ear. It was true. She had always been the one chasing after Ashton, caring for him since they were children. She watched every word and weighed every action, never once failing to consider his feelings. Friends in the know had joked that she was Ashton's governess. Juliet closed her eyes. A complex, unfamiliar emotion grew within her. It was a desire to escape this intimacy that had crossed a line, yet also a simultaneous, treacherous longing for this dangerous warmth amidst the chill Ashton had left. … In the dead of night, nightma