. Each morning, she woke up with renewed determination, and each

never w

e. He was infuriatingly patient, as if he had all the time in the

the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was breathtakingly beautiful, but to her, it was just a remi

re plotting yo

dence, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked effortlessly composed, dressed in a crisp white sh

ghts. "I wouldn't call it plotting," sh

smooth. "And what brilliant strate

rk gaze head-on. "I haven't decided ye

ating. "You're relen

around the armrest. "I do

able. "That's the problem, isn't it? You want to hate me. You tell yours

enched. "You'r

his elbows on his knees. He w

ulse quickened, but she forced herself to hold his g

ath hitches when I get close. The way your eyes f

in a shar

imaginin

deepened

thing dangerous. This was the push and pull between them t

her face. The touch was feather-light, but it sent a

o stop," he

uldn't come. Her lips parted, and for a bri

y crashed d

breaking the contact. "This doesn't mean

his expression unreadable. Then, slo

muring, "Keep tell

field, torn between the undeniable pull she felt to

lose yet impossibly far away. Adrian's words lingered in her mind, his touch a phantom agains

into the room. The penthouse was silent, but

. She found Adrian already seated, reading a newspaper as he sipped his cof

asked, voice ri

of coffee and sitting across f

aper neatly. "And where

that isn

g her. "And if I let you, w

, fire burning i

nstant. "Honest

leaning forward. "You can

aid simply. "

her off gu

ocking onto hers. "You'll stay because

her spine. "That w

ed to pull away, but he held firm, his touch both gentle and pos

ished, tension crackling like a storm waiting

could she stood abruptly, pulling

d, slow and de

ithout another word. But she knew, deep

s heavy on her back. She wanted to look over her shoulder, to challenge him one more time

ssigned felt too smal

lace. It was as if Adrian had meticulously crafted her environment to remind her that she wasn't in co

onto the bed, he

harder to see a way out. Adrian had anticipated her every move, every reaction.

t, but now felt like a trap. A very carefully laid one. But Adrian didn't understand o

s what she kept

roke through her thoughts. She didn

ght of the hallway. His eyes locked onto hers, and in that momen

made her ques

ftly, "you don't need to

acing. "Don't you da

"I think you'll find that's the la