ley

d jeans, I grabbed the folder I had printed out in the stud

had laid out a spread of eggs Benedict, berries, and bagels across the mahogany table. I

slung low around his waist, sweat gleaming across the ridges of his abs. As an elite a

me and drained a glass o

m my tote and slid it across the wood until it hit his knuckles. The bo

terminate t

o his ice‑blue eyes,

erminate it?" He laughed, low and humorless. "An

e is nothing between us e

s chair back, stood, and walked slowly around the table toward me. Be

ley. Tell me there's

my chest hurt. I forced my

"Have you forgotten Clause Four of that contract? As long as this

face. "That's for the ca

he chair. Before I could catch my balance, he scooped me up against his

t his bare shoulder. At the kitchen doorway, Donna poked her

marched up the grand staircase. He kicked the master be

e it two feet. He came down on top of me, his t

as no tenderness-only raw anger, punish

Against an NHL center who fought grown men on the ice for a li

ripping it at the seam. Cold air hit my

from my eyes and ran into my h

ner of his mouth twisted into a cruel, victorious smirk. "Now tell me," h

my head into the pillow. Everyt

f tearing fabric and my muffled sobs against the linen. It was a cold, ruthless claim of o

word. He rolled off the mattress an

strings cut. On the nightstand, the termination agreement he had