My Absence Teaches Better Than My Love

I fall for Asher Kline, the son of Mom and Dad's sworn enemy, and chase him for three years. When we finally start dating, our private life becomes full of debauchery.

From tents and luxury cars to lounges and studies, any place that offers privacy and a thrill becomes ours. We push into every advanced position we can manage, filming plenty of steamy videos along the way.

Then one day, I overhear him chatting with his best friend.

"Aren't you taking it too far, using Rhea to get back at her parents? Maybe you should drop it and find another way."

"No. I'm sticking with it. When the time comes, I'll leak those videos of us. Those two old farts will be so furious that they'll choke on their own rage. That's exactly what I want."

"But you've been with her so long. Don't you feel anything for her?"

"No. I only approached her to get revenge and destroy her family's company."

I'm crushed when I realize his so-called love is filled with nothing but payback and scheming.

But when I walk away and am about to marry someone else, he falls apart and begs me to forgive him.

I, Rhea Searle, had always been willful and bold, brushing off consequences and refusing to listen to reason as long as I was happy.

Even after I learned that Asher Kline was the son of Mom and Dad's sworn enemy, I still fell for him and chased him for three years. Besides, our private life was outrageous.

Any place that offered privacy and a thrill, from tents and luxury cars to lounges and studies, became ours. We tried every advanced position we could manage and recorded plenty of risque videos along the way.

Now, hidden on the balcony, Asher held me close and drove into me, hard enough to knock the air from my lungs.

I moaned and whispered, "Go easy."

He lowered his phone to record, his eyes darkening. Then, he chuckled. "You won't feel a thing if I go easy."

I wasn't having it, so I grabbed the phone. "You can film, just not there."

He hesitated, then grinned, teasing, "What, shy now?"

I shook my head, thinking there had to be a line with videos like this.

Asher's smile deepened as he tried to soothe me. "Babe, relax. I'll keep it safe and make sure it never gets out. It's just for us."

His gaze went soft, tempting enough that I gave in before I realized it. He took the phone back, and I didn't stop him.

He thrust hard, and pleasure broke over me. In the end, I closed my eyes and let myself enjoy it, shutting out the camera.

After we finished, Asher walked me back to my room so I could rest. He went to the study to keep working.

When I woke, I went to look for him. Outside the study, I overheard him talking with his best friend, Finn Locke.

"Asher, you're getting