ne, and that warmth terrified me m

ly the chair scraped against the

len

in my head. "You deceived me. You came into my bed wearing your brother's f

. But if I had introduced myself properly, Adrian would have barred me from the

w did you

unlocked my entire world to a lie. "I told myself I only wanted to see you. To make sure you were sur

suddenly cold despite the heated f

t to sa

't need

ld object. "Adrian has a rotating schedule of mistresses. Did you know that? He keeps them in apartments across the

the unfamiliar perfume on his collar, the way he never looked at me after taking what he wa

you tellin

ensity. "He bought you like a painting. He hangs you on his wall and ignores you. But I-" He reached for me, then sto

ying t

you opened the door and looked at me with those eyes-" His voice dropped to a whisper. "You look

e tenderness built on deception. How is t

onse. When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse. "It's different because I never pretended not to want you.

on in the glass looked hollow, a ghost of the woman who had once been the shining cente

called me brave.

without asking. Both had treated me like somet

said quietly. "Befo

until midnight. His

you kno

brother's schedule. I've spent years tracking his movements, anti

ace him. "What

te sabotage, blackmail, even hiring people to dig through my past for anything he could use." Julian's jaw tightened

lized. "I'm not just a woman you

that followed

nd. He took something I loved-my father's respect, my place in the family, everything that should have been mine. But

climbed in

that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. "That was about wanting you. Watching you, thinking about

ht. "Honest? Yo

hat was me. The way I kissed you. The way I held you. The way I made you come apart and put you back

uld have done anything but stand there, trembling, feeling every

couldn'

whispered. "To thi

ave the key in the garden, beneath the

't say I

ausing at the door. "But I'll wait

the lingering scent of sandalwood and

uxury that felt like chains. The clock on the mantel

husband who had caged me, or the strange

in the darkness below, and some