eral scent of expensive water filtration systems. She was lying on something soft th

ened h

he scent of unfamiliar, high-thread-count sheets registered, and the memory of Kevon's cold smile in the car flooded back, churning in her stomach. This wasn't her apartment. This wasn't a dream. A chandelier hung in

months ago, when Kevon had first brought her to meet his mother. She'd spille

steady herself. Kevon's jacket slid from her shoulders into her lap. She wa

her eyes and saw the frosted glass door of the bathroom, light glowing behind i

hing for the water glass on the coffee

n she saw

, lying face-up on the marble tabletop. The screen was lit, unlocked,

rnia coastline. And in the center,

an address she recognize

tails that didn't make sense until they suddenly, horribly did. A trail of red breadcrumbs leading nor

. The cliff. The moment s

ter sh

n't fall, but the sound of it rocking against the marble was loud a

on the coffee table, on the phone, on the evidence of something she

she'd traced with her fingers a hundred times. He was drying his hair with another towel, eyes finding her

screen that was still glowing with her location, her moveme

sed the side button to darken the screen. The motion was casual, u

art and selected a bottle. Ice clinke

bourbon into a glass. Her hands were sh

gh, sleep-rough and fear-rough.

d, the room held its breath. Then the bourbon spl

, the one that had graced the cover

h glasses, and settled onto the sofa beside her. The cushions comp

e second glass. S

t say tracking. Couldn't say spy. Couldn't say t

ching along the back of the sofa behind her shoulders. His skin was still warm from t

ign concept to a difficult client. "I had it installed in your car's computer six months ago. A

assed, hating herself for needing rescue. He'd arrived in twenty minutes with ju

worried," she whi

with practiced ease. "I am worried. That car is a death trap, Karley. The electrical syst

r hand away and demand he explain why he'd tracked her to the cliff, why he'd lied

"So I installed the GPS. Not to spy on you. Never that." He laughed, a soft sound tha

away from

n't meant to say them. They'd escaped l

t slightly, and something darker showed through. His

oing?" His voice dropped

This is all so fast, and you're so-" She gestured helplessly at the room, at him, at the

architecture, gravity, weather. "You're mine, Kar

sing gently at her jaw, forcing her to meet his eyes. They we

umbs traced her cheekbones. "When I checked the app and saw you

d, trapped in his

rformance she'd ever witnessed. "I felt like someone had reached into my chest and torn out something essential. I drove ninety mi

ers. His breath was warm,

d. "Say you're still mine

oiled in her stomach, but it was tangled now with something else-g

"I'm so sorry. I didn't m

th foun

her face to her waist, pulling her across the sofa cushions until she was pressed against

body knew him, responded to him, even as her mi

hone

elt it more than heard it, her senses overwhelmed by Kevon, by his hands slidi

e the notification preview, the name that app

there tomorrow? I'm so worried. Any ki

n sa

rified her. For a fraction of a second, something cold and calculating moved b

r dress, and his mouth moved to h

ove her head, the phone screen had gone dark again, hiding secrets she wouldn't di

rms, on the asset he had almost lost, on the blood type that matc

ow, the contracts would bind her t

oo overwhelmed to ask any more questions about GPS trackers or midn

und the button

on the table, its secr