My heart sank as I walked out on her. My pulse quickened, throbbing in my ears. I didn’t look back because I knew I would crumble if I did. I knew I would grab her, kiss her, pin her against the wall—but I never wanted to get her in trouble.
Just one careless second. One slip. She could have realized it was me—and everything inside me snapped. Every principle I had told me to stay far away from her, yet I kept crawling back to her like a coward.
If she had pulled off my mask… if she had seen my face… I might never have been able to stop myself again.
I pushed through the crowd, not caring who I brushed past. I needed distance. I needed to get away from her before I did something I would regret for the rest of my life.
I ended up in a private lounge tucked into a secluded corner of the
