CHAPTER 696. IN MY NEXT LIFE. An Opportunity“Can I see that picture?”For a second, Peter’s question made Kim feel like she was reliving the realization that all the risk she’d taken no longer mattered. But her camera was intact, sitting in a corner, and there was no real reason not to show him what was on it.She stood up slowly, taking it out of its case and handing it to him, while Peter sat behind her, pulling her against his chest. The small digital screen lit up within seconds, and soon they were both looking at the last photo she had taken.The profile was strange and slightly distorted—the snowboard looked massive from below, with him atop it, his expression a mix of fury and focus beneath his snow goggles. Behind him, the sky loomed dark with the storm, and the terrifying shadow of Skatgan Peak stood out in the background.It was an incredible photo, proof of her expertise as a professional.“Damn it! How old are you, and who else have you photographed in your life?” Peter a
CHAPTER 697. IN MY NEXT LIFE. Shadows of DesireShe wasn’t lying. Because at that moment, no matter how strange it might seem, Peter’s smile brought a sense of peace to every part of Kim’s body. She knew there would be a time for regret, but it certainly wasn’t now.For Peter Ferguson, the day he had accidentally walked into her hotel room was the first time he’d even known she existed. Kim, on the other hand, had seen him countless times already. She had studied his every jump, his every competition, to ensure that he was, indeed, the man she wanted to photograph.Maybe it was that one-sided connection, or maybe it was simply the allure of the unknown and the dangerous, but deep down, she knew the real reason she’d chosen him was because she liked him—more than any other, even if some were better athletes.She felt herself melting as every inch of her skin made contact with Peter’s. He was so damn warm it drove her crazy, as if her body craved him in some inexplicable way. All the su
CHAPTER 698. IN MY NEXT LIFE. What Would You Change?It was strange how much he liked that sound, but the way she purred against his chest made Peter melt. She was smart, she was beautiful, and something about her made him feel she deserved all the good things in the world, especially since it was obvious life wasn’t exactly treating her kindly.“Hungry?” he asked when he saw her open her eyes and smile.“Am I allowed to want more?” she teased with that effortless sensuality she seemed incapable of controlling.“As much of me as you want,” Peter murmured, pulling her close, rolling her over, and kissing her. “But if you want to keep playing this game, babe, we need to refuel because I fully intend to fill your stomach first… and then every inch of you… as deeply as I can.”“Ouch!” Kim laughed, running her fingers through Peter’s curly hair. “In that case, Mr. Ferguson, let’s feed the body first. We’ll deal with the soul afterward.”Outside, the weather was still awful, but inside, the
CHAPTER 699. IN MY NEXT LIFE. It Was HerThe sound made Peter lift his head immediately, hurriedly patting Kim’s hip to wake her up.“Do you hear that? Can you hear it?” he asked, his heart racing. Within seconds, he saw her react, having heard it too—the unmistakable sound of helicopter blades.Both of them jumped to their feet and dressed as quickly as possible. Peter wrestled with the door, climbing over the small mound of snow blocking it and stepping out to signal the aircraft.He was certain that the moment he failed to show up for the competitions, his family had begun searching for him. Still, he hadn’t expected them to find him so quickly, much less there. But the resources of the Kellers and his new political family were undeniable. Sure enough, there was one of his cousins, frantically waving from the helicopter to signal he’d been spotted.“Kim, come on! Grab whatever you need—we’re leaving!” he shouted. The young woman grabbed only a thick coat and her camera.She threw a
CHAPTER 700. IN MY NEXT LIFE. The Best in the WorldHe would have preferred someone punched him. He would have literally preferred to take a fist to the nose than to watch another man kiss that woman. It was obvious they were a couple—a legitimate one—but perhaps the worst part was seeing the wedding ring on the man’s finger.Why wasn’t she wearing one? Why on earth didn’t she have a single damn mark that showed she wasn’t free...? And just that thought made him understand. Of course. Because of the marks—she didn’t wear chains, earrings, or rings because they left marks.“Kim, look at me! Are you okay?” the man asked as she tried, futilely, to step back.“I’m fine. I’m fine. We just got stuck for a few days in a storm, but that’s all,” she replied, running her hand through her hair. Only then did her husband turn to look at Peter.“In a storm?! What are you talking about?! I came here looking for you—they couldn’t even tell me where you were! I’ve been calling your cell nonstop, Kim!
CHAPTER 701. IN MY NEXT LIFE. Being SelfishKim Russell sat in the passenger seat of her husband’s luxury car. She couldn’t say he was a bad man, though it was true that his temper sometimes got the better of him. But it would’ve been unfair to claim he didn’t care about her.The problem was that after six years and knowing all that lay ahead, the only thing Kim wanted was to be exactly what Peter had told her: selfish. She wanted to do only what made her happy.“Percy... I want a divorce.” Those were the only words that came out of her mouth, and the car braked so hard it nearly skidded off the road.Her husband’s expression was a mix of disbelief and shock as he turned to her, looking as if she’d suddenly sprouted a second head.“Kim, what are you saying? Have you lost your mind?” he demanded in a frustrated tone. “What do you mean, divorce?”She closed her eyes with a weary expression and shook her head softly.“It doesn’t make sense... You know it doesn’t make any sense to keep ou
CHAPTER 702. IN MY NEXT LIFE. Consequences“You’re crazy! Or rather: you’ve swallowed a truckload of crazy if you ever thought I would actually go after that woman to have her come take more pictures of me!” Peter exclaimed with such determination that his aunt Andrea, his honorary agent, stood there with her finger raised, a look of confusion on her face mixed with something resembling an epiphany.“Well... I never said ‘go after’,” she replied. “And I’m pretty sure I never said anything about the photographer coming to take more pictures. But now that you mention it...”“No, no, Aunt, no! I said no!” Peter grumbled, backing away when suddenly, a loud slam of the door blocked his escape from the office.“Sweetheart, she’s not asking you nicely, she’s telling you,” another female voice said, and it made Peter's stomach drop.“M-mom...!”“I’m not even going to ask why the hell you skipped a championship,” Noemí said, locking eyes with him. “And let’s just say I have enough faith in my
CHAPTER 703. IN MY NEXT LIFE. A Tour of Your Favorite ThingsIt was the most absurd thing in the world, and yet Peter couldn’t explain what he felt just by seeing her again, as if two years had passed, not just a few days, since the last time.He swallowed and frowned because he had certainly expected some photo session or something like that, but the definition of “your shadow” was something he already knew since his aunt had tried to impose it on him before.“No, no, no, no, no, no!” he declared, approaching them. “I’ll do a regular photo session, but I’m not going to have a bodyguard behind me all the time...”The next thing that was heard was a slap to the back of his neck, and Peter gritted his teeth, glancing sideways at his mother.“I think you learned how to greet people when you were about three years old. Any reason you’ve lost your memory?”Peter took a deep breath and reached out to shake Kim’s hand, but damn it, just grazing her hand made something inside him shoot back t