nc note when her phone vibrated in her coat

ng to force entry to your unit. Police have

art slammed against her ribs. The only

bo

and burst out of the store. She ran.

y, her carefully constructed anonymity, would be

ted a sickening crunch of torture

an stumbled out, her chest heaving,

ched herself forward, planting her body directly in

that door. They wou

cket. "Mr. Carlisle is prepared to compen

icient. Break into a woman's home, terrify her household, then wave paper at her as if manners

calling the police was worse. There was only one w

go. But your men leave. Now.

hotel's private elevator o

adying breath and

gback chair, idly flicking a

e and victimized. Her eyes widened with

condescending amusement. "The great Dr. Vivian

was not bought. I was abducted by your thugs. There is a diff

n lik

." She didn't flinch. "You are not the first rich man to mist

he conversation. Instead, the cool contempt in her voice

u speak to him that way? You're supposed

ts who need it. You, from what I can see, need an audience far more than y

fully arranged fragility crackin

voice, a razor edge beneath the French accent, that hooked into his attention and refused to

d me here in the middle of the night. Your woman is cl

ned. "My fiancée is i

ra, stopping to look down at the woman who had systematically dismantled her lif

erling. "Ster, I don't w

ong moment, then nodded to Owen

tient to be partially undressed. I won't have an audience.

ticked. He gave a curt nod,

using at the door. "I

tion too long, a beat of silent, unwilling

rdened. "I know what this is. You're attracted to him. Ever

almost

wo years ignoring his own wife, who h

gaged men," she said lightly. "Some women may fin

it vu

less like a wounded swan and more like a woman

is your problem." Vivian's voice remained smo

with exaggerat

tion, Kara launched into he

on cue. "It ruined everything. I can't have a normal intimate lif

ingers stilled fo

No children. No in

became when a man decided

at he wanted in the dark and

bsence was treate

obing. The scar tissue distribution told a very different story. T

full medical file. Proper imaging as we

? I'm in

te has silk cushions, champagne, and bodyguards. It does not have an MRI machine, a surgical

ent red with

o the door and

htened as she e

nd a full blood panel. I'll

t for hours, and all you can gi

he night," Vivian corrected. "I'm giving you a p

t of him pressed against the cold space between them. "C

faction of retreating. "And you threaten as if you expe

st him toward

of her shoulders, the way she moved through the hallway as if she owned

ave infuriated him.