Stranger's Promise

TER

estate felt hea

cross the walls. Anika sat curled on the leather couch, sketchpa

as wa

olled to his elbows, hair still damp from the earlier rain.

like a man approaching dan

etching," he s

focus," s

er, so close she could feel t

y n

ropped to

nk you

s all i

ssed her like the storm hadn't ended. She moaned softly, pulling him

verwhelming her senses. Fingers slipped under her shirt, teasing warm skin. His lips t

breath, every pie

rst time, he d

. Possessive. Tender i

eached for the buttons

orehead to hers,

a. But there are things you don't

"Then show me. I'm no

y, his eyes flickeri

id quietly. "Before the war. Befor

e old liquor cabinet, pull

ded it

Of the woman from the old picture-la

. And that's Li

ed the pag

ng overseas. Private security. We were being followed. I ca

th. "But someone le

dened. "You

k. I watched it happen through a camera f

hed between th

never escaped it. And I swore I'd

for his hand

dded

ant to los

not go

nto him, pressing he

ng," she whispered.

they touched,

verent. S

ped every inch of her body with hands that had once only

r. No

t h

t t

t t