gainst it as if the solid wood could shield her from the memory of Damien's lips o

No

aged panther. The room was a masterpiece of cold elegance-all steel grays and icy blu

Just for the damned cameras.

herself like someone fi

e of his mouth, the possessive grip of his hands at her waist,

gs were goin

udden knock on the door sounded,

is t

hough she already gues

e door to pull it open. And there he was, Damien Blackwood,

d, neither o

alked back inside, leaving the door open. She

oorframe, watching her with

she turned around to face

rules," Is

ow arched. "Do

just want to know why you kissed me like that...y

door, advancing with predatory grace. "That

rate

gh that she caught the subtle spice of his cologne. "Unless you

ched. "There ar

pped to her mouth. "And none that i

a slap. Isla stiffened, b

e this." Sh

step ahead of everyone. How effort

it. No flinching when I touch you." His fingers brushed her waist, igniting sparks where they grazed. "No hesita

in her body

him away. Instead, she held her ground, her ch

I want answers. Why me? Y

"Because you're Nate's greatest mista

greatest

ust how deep did the rif

once, and responded in a much lower t

expression still not

ugh." He n

r, as if testing her limits, before fina

rd, he left the room, lea

staring blankly at the sp

mained still, staring at the same door as

signed sigh; she turned, went ne

g her eyes briefly as if that alone

ed some d

th a swipe, and started to scroll search f

he screen lit up,

reen, an overwhelming heap of messages, ta

ernet wa

ust trying to avoid. Her name and that of Damien w

flashing with an abs

l media, the barrage of headlines an

n were plastered across the internet, ca

moment when Dami

d gra

scrolled down, the co

ake long. Someo

e this billionai

ia's text

his isn't t

jaw ti

media storms before when she married N

f their labels was worse

call log, her head feeling hot at th

her parents they had bo

d just seen, she didn't

red-beautiful, brutal, and utterly indifferent. Somewhere out there, Nate and Vaness

e and ruin, with no idea which side of the