Adrian.
I paused outside the bathroom door, my hand hovering over the handle. I knew I should knock once more, give Chloe some privacy, but my impatience got the better of me. I needed to speak with her to lay out the terms of our arrangement.
As I pushed the door open, my gaze immediately fell on the tub, where Chloe sat, her body half-submerged in the steaming water. For a moment, I couldn't look away, transfixed by the sight of her pale skin, the curve of her hips, the way the water beaded on her shoulders.
My heart clenched with an emotion I couldn't quite identify. It had been so long since I had allowed myself to be moved by the sight of a woman's body. I had lived my life burying my grief and pain beneath a veneer of ruthlessness and single-minded focus.
But Chloe... there was s
