tstep s

In the shadows, Frederic's head lifted

ne's t

hoes struck the marble, deliberate, approaching. Evia pressed herself against the colu

cologne now, mixed with Penelope's per

osed over

lencing her instantly. The arm attached to it was iron, dragging her backward, into th

reduced to instinct. The arm tightened. A body pressed against hers from beh

to

inners, at the funeral where they'd buried Frederic's father. The

um H

e, see the confusion on his face, the suspicion giving way to dismissal. A curtai

voice, petulant, close

d, merged with softer ones, and then the terra

co. Cuban. Expensive. She stopped struggling. There was no point. Callum Holt was six-four,

gain, barely above a whisper, directly against her

d forward, catching herself a

hts. She could see the glow of his cigarette, the orange point moving as

ed steady. She didn't kno

. "I would have thought the lady of the house would be inside, enduring her mother-in-

cording was still active. She could feel t

was

your shoes. Quite the stealth operative." He exhaled smoke. "The question is

r dress was rumpled. She had never felt less like

." The words came out fl

tte glowed. "How refreshing. And

oat, close enough to see the gray of his eyes in the darkness. Cold eyes. Calcul

the p

ughlin prenuptial agreements were legendary, studie

e stock price. I won't go to the press. I just need to-" She stopped. Her hands we

his fingers. She could feel him weighing her, measuring her agains

So docile. So accommodating." He pushed off the wall, towering over her, close enough that she had to tilt

t a perf

ines. No tremors in the share price." He reached out, his hand finding her chin, tilting her face to the light. His fingers were warm. Rougher

'd spent three years l

derst

ened his cuffs, the gesture precise, ha

one that led to the service corridors, the p

He didn't look back. "Y

closed be

e was still recording. She stopped it, saved the file, upl

scuffed, the leather creased. She smoothed her dress,

he stepped into the light, smi