BLOOD AND PETALS

till sitting in a vase on her nightstand. She should have thrown it aw

r skin. The way his eyes lingered, unblinking, as if he could strip away e

hate

ye

hiver at the memory of his words.

ng so terrifying. No one had

s, trimming stems, breathing in the scent of lilies and roses. But the air felt h

f washed over her. He kissed her cheek, smili

ped around her, she reali

y didn'

d touched her hand. Not the way h

herself to smile at Daniel, to hold onto the man she had

the shop, she felt it-the prick

d, and th

is hands in his pockets, his posture lazy and con

something electric

-that dry, knowing curve of his lips that told her he h

eath h

d. Instead, she found herself frozen, heat c

the door with trembling hands, she kne

that kept her awak

as w

d to focus on arranging a bridal bouquet, but her hands trembled with every stem she tied

f. Relief softened her shoulders when i

, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You

akly. "You al

uickly, stepping outside to take the call. Through the glass, she saw the

words, but she watched

ph

ed. Adrian's warn

oughts tangled in knots of suspicion, sh

ike prey?" Adrian's voice

He stepped out from the alley, his

that," she

"You wouldn't have n

ere," she said,

" he countered smoothly. "Th

ed. "That you

ped closer, slow and deliberate, until her back pressed

y, her breath shallow

ed with danger. "Because he doesn't deserve you." His eyes bore i

ing in her throat. "You don't

hing her ear. "Then ask him again

her blood t

mate. "And when the truth burns you..." His fingers brushed a stray strand of her hair, t

ing into the night, leaving her breat