a's

arage to our bedroom, Step

ed all evening, as though I had done nothing except sit there quietly and

later, my

sent over a file t

ed it

had studied nursing at a community college, but dropped out before finishing, choosing instead to work as a jewelry sales assistant in order to es

de me feel someth

did

t rea

r a girl like her to resist. The gifts had come first, then the flowers, then the carefully timed concern, the kind of tendern

note beneath

a wedding band recently removed. If she did, she chose not to ask. Instead, the repor

he k

. Maybe not the whol

otsteps outside the room, light but f

d later, carrying a

e drink this while it's warm. Alpha

esitation, my fingers st

ot," I said. "I'l

almost imperceptibly. "

," I pr

lf a second longer,

bathroom, and poured every drop into the toilet. The amber liquid disapp

by Stephen now mad

ld myself, tomorro

warm enough to ca

awn to the weight of an

ented second,

scent r

store, the perfume lingering in the air long after she stepped away f

y went

with the easy possession of a man who thought he still had every right to touch me,

he tightened his hold

urmured, his voice s

face him, the words alrea

shoul

d beside my head as he pinned me into the mattress with a

"Or were you awake all this time be

down on mine bef

st his chest.

o look down at me, desire still

before I could speak,

's me. Are you here alrea

ast Stephen and

s no warmth in it now, only irritation, suspi

s early?" he asked. "T

at him. "It's late enough for you to

rd me again. "I told Enzo to clear my schedul

need yo

oice should have bee

st from behind, pressing a trail of soft kisses along my neck as if te

uppy," he murmured against my sk

e second, I cou

me and shoved him a

aking fury for flirtation, resista

my chin and k

letting

r this time, stripped of everyth

must finally have reached h

ether. For the first time that mornin

slowly, "what's

any longer and straightened my clothes

driver I called is downstairs.

ad already invited the m

pboard awkwardly against his chest. "Are you

rd the staircase. "C

m to the

chest, every trace of sleep gone from his face. His gaze landed on

n?" he said co

tered at once and looke

I said before Stephe

pened the doors wide, and poin

. "Can you weig

he room went co

sealed boxes on the floor, and something in his face change

w, more dangerous for how controlle

the boxes wit

pened. "Why ar

said n

two steps, caught my shoulders in b

oothness gone now, replaced by something r