. She leaned heavily against the handrail, keeping all weight off her ri

pen directly int

home; it was

palette ranged from charcoal to black. There were no family photos, no

ys into a ceramic bowl on the console tabl

e elevator, water dripping from her

looking back. He kicked off his sh

air of grey slide slippers. He droppe

zipped her soaked boots and stepped into the slippers

second door on the left," Julian sa

pered. She took a

owing as her struggle became

nk so. Just

al. "The news says you're practically engaged to him. The 'Sterli

he blanket tighter around h

voice dropping an octave, rough with disd

den, cut through her misery. "I'm not a d

le he played nursemaid to his jun

Liam, but the words died in h

softly, looking down at her fe

unreadable. For a second, the hardn

red. "The gene p

ve island of black marble. "Go shower. Unless yo

oom. It was stark, white, and smelled of absolutely

othes. Her skin was pale, mottled blue from the cold.

heat hammer against her back. She didn't cry. She was too tired

water off, she reali

d no c

sodden pile of cashmere

she wh

owel around herself and cra

ans

to yell louder, bu

anger. On it hung a white dress sh

have left them while

. It swallowed her whole, the hem hitting her mid-thigh, the sleeves hanging inches

elled like him. That cedar and tobacco scent. I

nts and tied the drawstri

ut into the

ed against the floor-to-ceiling windows,

t the white void. He held a lit cigarette in on

ly, but the powerful, chosen kind. Like a

r approach

et, traveled up the baggy sweatpants, and lingered o

is eyes narrowing slightly. His Ad

f smoke, turning his

gesturing to t

there was a first a

Zoe said, feeling su

d. He crushed the cigarette out in a heavy cryst