We drove back to the mansion in silence. The city lights faded behind us as Marcus’s car moved through the quiet roads. My body still felt warm from everything that had happened in his studio. My skin remembered his hands, his mouth, the way he had looked at me when he said he loved me. But my mind was a storm. I kept replaying his words. His confession. The way he had protected me without me even knowing.
Marcus glanced at me from the driver’s seat. “You are quiet,” he said gently. “Are you okay?”
I nodded, even though I was not. “I just need time to think. Everything feels… a lot right now.”
He reached over and squeezed my hand. His touch was warm and steady. “I meant what I said back there. I will protect you. No matter what.”
I squeezed his hand back but did not reply. The words fe
