d instantly under the suffocatin

o broad and solid it felt like carved granite. The drug inside her blood surged, converting

her voice a broken rasp ag

needed friction. She needed cold. She pressed her burning forehead directly into the hollow of his neck

ned until it bordered on painful, his fingers d

bled above her, devoid of warmth, dripping with the absolute aut

agonizing blaze. She let out a soft, shuddering sob and arched her sp

ke of air hissed thr

med against the glas

eter! She couldn

he terrace, beams of harsh white light danci

bird. She buried her face deeper into the stranger's ches

he flared open the heavy panel of his cashmere coat, wrapping it entirely around her trembling fr

coat, paused, and snapped away instantly as i

here!" a guard stammered from the doorway, his voice cra

't raise his voice. He didn't turn around.

! Immedia

shut. The footsteps ret

the terrace, broken only b

arge, calloused hand came up, wrapping around her jaw. Long fingers

with ice and banked fire

n Ba

he Barnes conglomerate, whose distant relatives Anwar a

flush-stained cheeks, and the small s

thumb brushing across her lip, smea

l fire. Her hands slid up from his chest, wrapping around the b

ed the hard li

up. A low, guttural growl

hat you're asking

tears of sensory overload spill

l snapped like

d, his fingers threading brutally through her dark h

and pure, unfiltered dominance. His tongue parted her lips with savage precisio

attering onto the terrace floor. She kissed him back with a ferocity bor

terrace, carrying the faint echo of w

ed the fog in J

e wedding

bit down hard on

of his blood explo

harp hiss, his eyes turning p

strength left in her arms. She staggered back two steps, her bare foot catching

raised his thumb, slowly wiping the bead of blood from

terrifying amusement curl

regrets," he

the floor in one effortless motion, cradling her

wn!" she c

side door that bypassed the public halls, leading

could thrash, he ripped off his silk tie with one hand and caught both

grazing the shell of her burning ear,