er f

her body wrapped in Aiden's tailored blazer. Her father was resting inside, monitored, stabilized. Her brother had g

the air between them wasn't heavy with ten

quiet di

d you," Emma murmured,

owly, dark eyes fixed on

honestly. "That

bench, fingers brushing

ht outside cast soft shadows on his face, m

sitated. "I don't w

ou're the only real thing

ce him, and in a moment too swift to second-guess, she kiss

as n

nd finding the curve of her waist, her fingers clutching the front of his sh

heir foreheads pressed toget

he whi

es

with

wh

he said. "Ju

-

up at his

lls like a million secrets. Emma stood near the window, he

here?" s

g two glasses of something amber.

. Their fingers touched

ma said. "I'm not the

," he replied

te herself. "That

her. You show up in my life, completely by a

ched her chin, tilted her face u

di

leaned up a

here was no

ch with ease, the taste of him still on her tongue. Clothes fell like petals. His shirt. Her dress. Her bra undone with one sw

" she moa

to look up. "Do

d,

eep. Real. Not just lust. It was more. With every stroke, every gasp,

heet, Emma rested her head on his chest. His fi

o back to pretendi

on't h

-

t, the kind of calm that follows a storm. She made breakfast for her sister and

ame th

d the door

mo

t seen he

om

es scanned the room, then locked onto Emma. "Heard your fa

her or throw her back out. The

andled," Emm

o the designer coat hanging on the hook the s

led. "Don

I'm not starting. I'm watch

-

th talking marketing head c

ed with a grin that did

now,

off the radar for most of Saturday night. Hear

ond, but her hea

a. When men like Aiden fall, they don't

ted her to dinner agai

aited outside her apartment, leaning agains

in a street most people overlooked. The food was

out his first heartbreak. About

ildhood. Her father's illn

t to hurt yo

n do

deeper. His thumb stroked her jaw, hi

s were heating up

her

her

now. Her and Aiden. This tim

capt

listen. No

hand tr

d at it, and then stood so

e lea

the car. He dr

?" she ask

red. "But if I'm right... th

-

osed the curtains. Locked the doors. Ch

you something. And I

no

u trus

es

pped c

at you hear in the next few days

rstand, but she

gain, the passion more desperate, more raw. He lifted her against t

t make it

ed off, tangled in his arms, Aiden

a messag

ot safe anymore. We

-

ough the window. Glass shattered. Aiden

contin