ening sun painting the glass towers gold. Yet serenity was a lie. Every shadow seem

ck rise. He hadn't spoken much, only issuing terse updates about his investigation into the blackmailer. But every glance he

ut every sound-a car door slamming, a distant siren, a knock on the guesthouse door-made my heart leap. My mind replayed the mes

low, carrying across the kitchen. He leaned against the counter, eyes

the storm in his gaze. "I...

feel the heat radiating off him. "You think about what? How fast you can g

trembling as his eyes scanned me with that consuming int

ot allowed to say that word around me." His hand brush

claimed me, ignited me in ways I hadn't known possible. My chest tightened, wa

happen," I whispered, tho

into that low growl that always made my knees weak. "

nd desire clashed violently inside m

most tender. "Because we're past pretending now. You

dy betrayed every logical thought. I stepped toward him, drawn like a moth to

e, suspended in the storm of our own making. Then he lowered his lips to mi

g over me with precision, testing, teasing, igniting every nerve. My knees nearly buckled, and he caught me without a word,

I gasped, but m

be. "But I won't. Not yet. You need to remember w

. He never had. Every touch, every look, every whispered word forced me to confront truths I had been avoiding for years: that my

reeze. My pulse spiked, panic surging. Julian

red, voice low, comm

nd then I saw it: a plain envelope, slipped under the door. No name. N

g it open with careful prec

yours. Make the wrong ch

te, but his voice was steady, almost lethal. "The

tion. My chest tightened, heart hammering in my ri

rying. We'll find them. And when we do..." His voice trailed

never felt before. The danger, the thrill, the desire-all tangled togeth

murmured. "But I can't stop thi

o his chest. "Whatever comes, we face it together. No one gets to touch you, hurt

one who had risked everything for me, who had burned every bound

w what to do

t. And you know who's willing to fight for it. Let them try to stop us. Let th

nto me with unwavering determination, I realized the truth: I was do

that guesthouse, wrapped in Julian's presence, I finally understood something I had been too afraid to