Cleo’s POVMy heart hadn’t stopped racing since Marcus’s hands steadied me by the grill. Every time I glanced his way across the backyard, he was already watching me… quiet, steady, that small knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth like he held every secret I’d ever whispered in the dark. I helped carry plates and refill drinks, smiling at relatives, but my skin felt too tight, my thighs still slick from the rush of heat his whispered “princess” had caused. The word echoed in my ears, no longer pixels on a screen but a living breath against my neck.The afternoon stretched lazily into evening as the barbecue shifted toward dinner proper. Dad had set up long tables on the dinning table, laden with grilled meats, fresh salads, golden cornbread, and Mom’s old recipes that he’d tried so hard to recreate. String lights flickered on one by one as the sun dipped lower, casting a warm, golden glow over everything. The air smelled of charcoal, rosemary, and summer jasmine from Mom’
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