I got tired of the game at some point and flopped onto the couch with a sigh, the bright lights of the screen flashing lazily against my face.
“Ugh, Daniel, I gotta go,” I mumbled.
He chuckled over the phone. “Alright, Bella. But admit it—we make a good team.”
I smiled faintly. “Yeah, we do. Thanks for playing with me.”
He hung up, clearly pleased with how far we’d climbed in the rankings. But as the silence of the penthouse closed in, I realized how hollow it felt without Jesse.
Minutes passed. Maybe an hour. I stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the city blur beneath a veil of twilight. Then—
Click.
The door opened, and Jesse stepped in, his silhouette cutting against the fading sun.
“Baby,” he said, his voice low and warm, “Did I take too long?”
I didn’t answer. I
