kiss as violently a

reathing was heavy and ragged. His dark eyes were locked ont

ke a trapped bird. She gripped the lapels of his shirt, trying to ground

ng buzz shatte

too long. The mechanical alarm

He reached up and adjusted his shirt collar. In the span of a single second, the fi

miliation crept up her neck. It felt as if the de

ached into her Birkin bag. She pulled out a thick, cream-colo

this weekend," Elodie said. Her voice was barely above a whisper. She

intricate McCarthy family crest embossed on the front.

't reac

dragging down your family's reputation?"

ut and grabbed his wrist. His skin was

eaded. "I don't care what anyone e

wrapped around his arm. The silence stret

ut of her grasp. He took t

" he said. His tone was

elief washed over her. She offered him a fragile, h

ors sl

He marched straight to his desk, opened the bottom drawer, an

evator doors opene

had cracked open. A torrential downpour was washing over Ma

to-ceiling glass wall of the lobby. She crossed her arms, shiverin

ok at the outdoor patio area att

n-streaked glas

utside. He was holding

wasn'

lding two steaming paper cups of coffee. She tilted her head

, but he didn't move away. He didn't

ger woman brushed a stray raindrop off the shoulder o

done with Elodie upstairs. He just looked down at Dani

les of her Birkin. Her knuckles turned bo

onference room flashed in her mind. The cont

horn

bach pulled u

d through the revolving doors and sprinted through the

e felt freezing cold. Her teeth chattered. She pulled her p

overed over

re you

After a long, agonizing minute, she hit th

. Elodie stared out the wet window. A dark, ugly s