/1/115218/coverbig.jpg?v=6452e0440505ab4d76d4171a8605a4ec)
on the center cushion of t
kept her eyes locked on the antique wooden grandfathe
nd the glass case. Tick. Tock. Each mechanical sou
. The hands on the clock showed it was
he polished glass coffee table. The red wine inside had
sip. The liquid tasted bitter and flat on her tongue. She swallowed, feel
chime broke
r at the end of the
ack down on the table. She pu
dwood floor as she walked straight toward the grand entryway. Her h
private elevator slid open
already reaching up, pulling at the knot of his dark silk ti
stepped out from the elevato
ng. Her feet froze
oversized black suit jacket. The broad shoulders of the jacket swal
d prepared vanished from her face. The mu
y metal car keys onto the solid marble surface. The keys hit
n our anniversary?" Areli asked. Her
ed, his dark eyebrows pulling together. He
urtland said. His voice was cold and dismis
uickly shrank back, hiding her body sli
e shook, thick with fake tears. "I really di
as twenty-four-hour armed security in the lobby," Areli said,
up, clutching the fabric of the jacket tight agai
ed straight down onto the hardwood
tely dropped to his knees, squatting d
training kicked in. She took a quick step forward, reaching out to c
stantly igniting Courtland's protective instincts. Hearing her cry out in fear, Courtland's mind bypassed all logic. He completely misunderstood Areli's clinical movement as a physical attack. He threw his arm ou
d, her feet slipping
into the sharp edge of the k
cked the breath completely out of her lungs. She gasped, her mouth opening,
cious," he yelled, his voice echoing in the kitchen. "Yo
to keep from falling. She looked up, fighting through the phys
gaze shift
looking right at her. Holli's lips
to a freezing, absolute numbness. She saw the entire three years
noring the throbbing ache. Her eyes turned completely c

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