pacious blac

lite smile. "Thanks for earlier, Mr. Brooks. You really sa

than he expected. He forced down a wave of poss

... Her tone had been so gent

tration settle

lexander turned to s

ing me off at a hotel

ipped aroun

'd just stay at a hotel for the night and start looking for a pl

g up at Alexander's villa, being treated like

she'd ever know

it didn't matte

her-she couldn't just be sheltered and hidden away lik

as s

ut she couldn't let him keep seekin

going to

h l

er murmured. The unspoken mes

nto fists, and his v

wn, scared of the ugly parts of himself su

e. "That's not really appropriate, Mr. Brooks.

ed," Alexander said w

blinked

ke last

e months. When he finally showed up again, the first thing he heard was a maid mocking her-say

the maid out, and then took Vivian str

made Vivian's heart swell

hook off the

know, two people meet, get to know each other, fall in love

ned. Three ste

, his voice low: "Is there a

done

you trying to hook up first and deal with the consequen

ing, practically choked. He held ba

ght just end up being the first g

a sharp motion, he pulled the divider

So next. getting t

did that

ask

as there wasn't someone else. he could b

stand me, and I understand everything about

er lips, she caught the way Ale

chest, like something invisible