onsciously holding her breath as though time itself had slowed

ati

had stretched her body to the point of pain suddenly dissolved, leaving her so weak with relief that she almost couldn't st

removed a heavy set of shackles. What remained before her now was anothe

soft click came

the bedroom door being pus

ilhouette behind him. She couldn't see his face clearly, but she could feel the pressure radiating from him-

inst her ribs as she instinctiv

ff the last trace of light from the hallway. The warm yellow glow of t

p and striking, his nose high and straight, his jawline clean and defined,

, and not the slightest trace of the

This could not possibly

, or a brother-an

her simple dress and obviously worn shoes. Then, without giving her

n, staring after

t gave him the right to barge in

hand was the very pregnancy test she had just thrown away. He held it delicately bet

t of her and slowl

pla

on a winter night, devoid of even the slighte

until she could barely breathe. This stranger had barged into her room, rummaged thr

helmed her panic, lending her voice a sharpness it had

appeared at the corners of his

ing until her back collided with the cold marble coun

ith a voice as cold as shattered ice, "I'm the pers

lowly and clearly. "

her mind completely shutting down. The breathtakingly handsome man standing b

d disbelief on her face as pani

his fingers and hit the polished

ngle pink line for only a momen

efore moving into the Montgomery residence, exactly what were you doin

tly, every word carryin

retend none of it mattered onc

a slap across the face.Her lips

first time.If that nig

d any line, and yet she stood there bearing

couldn't

buried secrets into the light-se

remaine

d no different from guilt.A cold, mocki

r boundaries than I expected."He let out a quiet, humorless la

l finally jolted Ch

ght she

urse

posed to t

e had made to Ava all weighed heavily on her shoulders, leaving her without even the

ised a hand and pointed toward the door, undi

for a moment, his voice so cold i