The tension in Damien’s office was suffocating. Bella sat on the edge of the leather sofa, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. Her chest still ached from the intensity of recent encounters, and yet her mind was clouded with unease. Every glance at Damien reminded her of the man she both feared and craved—the man who had claimed her body, mind, and now, it seemed, her heart.
The sudden sound of the office door swinging open made her jump. Her head turned sharply, and there he stood—Ethan Thompson, her older brother, tall, broad-shouldered, and every bit as imposing as she remembered. His eyes blazed with a protective fury that made Damien’s smirk falter for just a moment.
“Bella,” Ethan’s voice was steady but carried an undercurrent of warning, “we need to talk. Now.”
Bella
