see Dante

etings she now half-expected to be dragged in

sil

passed coworkers in the hallway. The quick hush in conversation. The slightly too-long stares f

dn't t

didn't t

was nothing li

tless charm. He had the easy confidence of a man who'd neve

Thursday afternoon, flashing a s

? The new star Dant

. "I'm just d

n't get many Wolfe & Wolfe alumni around here. It's a

al reasons," she s

nal. That's alway

ong on her blouse befor

lowering his voice, "about my brother

ator doo

inside wit

e couldn't shake the tens

find in the company's shared archive. Every time she

ected her. Maybe not the

made her

, her office

Internal.

G OR YOU'LL

ood ra

r. No si

a t

a long moment before shutti

n't involved. But maybe-just maybe

But she didn't go str

ain for half an hour, watching th

wa

she made

red on the

u said no pho

unnecessa

his is n

ropped. "Wh

ng me. Jared conf

us

eone sent a thre

razor-sharp.

r n

com

uickly. "Not her

ell me

this late at night. She sat at the farthest corner, back

a dark coat, his collar up, the hood

r, the warmth of his prese

reacted. How even in danger,

, voice low. "Tel

ssage. The growing unease. The feeling tha

, Dante's express

it wouldn'

said you'd

a

other before he hand

she saw the flicker

he process of isolating him-financially. B

kes him d

le. Just a brush of his fingers o

anything ha

whispered. "The moment

slowly. "Yo

ment, neither

. The streetlights shimmer

you something,"

look

u trus

t answer r

eing used like a stepping stone. Of watching the

Dante-flawed, ruthless,

re

t I don't think you lie to me. And tha

ething shifted in his expre

. "Come

he

and. "Somewhere

ld have

is, and she let him lead

to a private apartment-a penthouse in an older b

, leather, glass. No family photos. N

her as she s

he said. "But if you do, n

he window, rain stil

nt to go ho

on't h

ed. But something in his posture had

bring me here

han anyone else right now. And because the moment I saw that

eart bea

just be a problem

're

closer. "The

But the answer

ward her, slo

dn't s

ek, warm and rough. "I thi

let you," s

kno

d hers-just a t

he pulled her close. This kiss wasn't frantic li

as he backed her toward the be

blouse, unbuttoning her slowly, reverently. She gas

," he murmured a

," she b

tracing the scars and muscle beneath. His belt clicked open

outside

ly breath, s

ness, his body warm beside

all into him. Not thi

ng had happ

poken had cra

draped across her waist, his b

iling, wondering how

ret was

the d

en't careful-so