ALINA-S POV
Panic shot through me, my breath catching, my hands struggling, but then the heat hit me: the familiar scent of him, sharp and commanding, that signature cologne that always made my heart betray me.
Edrick.
His lips crashed against mine, hard, insistent, and despite the whirlwind of fear and disbelief, I let him. I let him because a part of me had been craving this release, this chaotic, overwhelming connection I thought I had buried forever. His hands roamed, gripping me, holding me close, and for a long, unmeasured moment, the world narrowed to his touch, his presence, the way my body recognized him even when my mind screamed that this was wrong.
Finally, when our breaths came fast and shallow, I pulled back slightly, searching his eyes. “What are you doing here?” I aske
