ngers were long, calloused, and cool. He traced the line of her ju

ting the ripeness of a

arched her neck, exposing the vulnerable column of her thr

g in the room's atmosphere. The a

less thud. He grabbed her waist, his hands spanning nearly the entire w

reezing against her bare back where the dress had slipped

ning in. His face was inches from hers,

sharp jawline, the cruel mouth, the scar cutting thr

the words, her mind a slush of d

wer he expected.

a mistake,"

ingers were clumsy, desperate. Sh

ce lacked the command from b

ed, tugging at his shirt

ruled a kingdom, he controlled markets, he dictated lives. But this woman-this unkno

ng them above her head against the glass.

d, a tear slipping from the corne

s the catalyst. Ignatius cr

ungry, tasting of blood from her bitten tongue. Edris met

paused. His hands were everywhere-rough, demanding, grounding. Every touch was a brand,

e room. They didn't make it to the bedroom. They coll

the friction of his body against hers. It was a blur of sensation-teet

n't the disgraced daughter or the rejected fiancée

st. There was only the rhythm of their breathin

r body limp, the drug's hold finally broken by exhaustion. Da

way slightly. The loss o

mumbled, her

t throw from the sofa and tossing it over her. He tucked

es flutter

rp noise cut th

Knock

the hallway. "Sensors indic

rigid. The pre