The Despirate deal

ke tears sliding down glass. Lena sat curled on the living room couch, wrapped in a thick blanket,

come home si

'd shared-the words, the kiss, the intensity-he'd

ret? Dista

oss a tightrope, tethered to a contract they wer

ed up her emails-anything to distr

nonymous Tip Regard

It was from an untra

over it for a moment

ou know the ma

out Rachel

about

really wanted

art dr

g cold in her hands. Rachel Sinclair... fire? What fire?

sent

y

e a wedge between her and

errupted by the soft

ri

is expression unreadable. Lena stood qu

you'd come ba

sighed as he loosened

ed. "We nee

t the

hel Sinclair.

froze m

ce before he finally spoke, his voic

l. They said you're hiding somethi

, he crossed to the bar, poured himse

ce her. "Rachel Sinc

nked. "F

years ago. In

hit her li

d city. "We were... engaged for a year. I loved her. Or

ned?" Lena

h Eric Crane. My former best

d the name before-CraneTe

upposed to be at a lakehouse for a getaway. Something went wrong-faulty wiring or deliber

tched. "You thin

make me suffer." Adrian t

hat why you married me? To... wha

ched. "No. N

why, A

eeded control again. I needed t

"And using me helped

ut not anymore. Now... I

ear she could feel the heat radia

real," he

no

he kissed

d she met him halfway, fingers gripping the lapels of his suit jacket. He pulled her against him, hands explo

art, breathless, he presse

an a man haunted by gh

than being alone in yo

-

Adrian stood shirtless at the window, the muscles of

email was from C

ng to rattle me for months. A few weeks ago, he t

really did put a t

"Not if I c

the lies and secrets, she believed him. Adrian wa

de her, silence fell betwee

ist, and her head found his chest,

ing to the only thing t

h o