a lesson, a way to impress upon Devon his responsibility, his role in our family. And I, in my naive, childish love, had believed it. I had believed that one day, that forced act would tran

at I honored his boundaries. And now, he knelt for her. Not because he was commanded, but because he chose to. The gentle way he

anks. "Faster!" I urged, my voice hoarse. Shadow, sensing my urgency, thundered across the open fields, his powerful legs eating up the ground. The wind whipp

but I craved the danger, the physical challenge to drown out the emotional torment. We cleared the first few jumps flawlessly,

. I felt myself lurch forward, losing my balance entirely. Time seemed to slow. I hung suspended for a terrify

s dangerously close to my head. Pain, raw and excruciating, consumed me. I desperately looked for Devon, for anyone. He

ndifferent. He was negligent. He had failed the one duty my f

y voice raw with pain

saw me. In an instant, he was across the field, a blur of motion. He seized Shadow's reins, c

n stayed by my side, a picture of solicitous concern. He brought me flowers, read to me, even fed me when

e, this accident... maybe it had cleared something for him. Maybe he saw me now. I watche

ah in the hallway, her hand resting lightly o

aving a distraction, anything to escape the dull throb in my leg and the sharper ache in my c

rner, a prickle of uneas

Bryant's voice, rough with concern, echoed in the

ammered against my ribs, a fr

make her realize she needs me. I had to create a situation where she'd feel vulnerable, gr

roat. My leg throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the shoc

ting fiancé now?" Bryant asked

d of emotion. "Then, this charade ends. She' ll be so dependent, so gratef

od, but the physical pain was a distant echo compared to the absolute devastation inside me. They weren't just manipulatin