Caspian knew the moment Astra stepped into the penthouse that tonight would be different.
She moved with purpose, but it wasn’t the seductive, playful kind he was used to. Her eyes—usually filled with curiosity and submission—held something else. Something dangerous.
Emotion.
He exhaled slowly, watching as she walked toward him, shedding her coat and letting it pool at her feet. The sheer black slip she wore beneath barely covered her, but tonight, he barely noticed. Not because she wasn’t beautiful—she was. But because her beauty wasn’t the problem. Astra stopped in front of him, tilting her chin up, searching his face for something he wouldn’t give her.
“I need to ask you something.”
Caspian remained perfectly still. “Ask.”
She hesitated. Then, before he could stop it, the word
