or open. He was rubbing a towel through his damp hair, a white bath towel sl

d up the plates of cold, untouched filet migno

ttered harshly agains

d flush against her back. He wrapped his strong arm

d. The silver fork slipped from her trembling fing

seeped through the thin silk of her

his cologne, but the faint, sickeningly swee

chuckle. He bit down

he murmured. The vibration of his voic

r knees to keep fr

said. Her voice was fla

d walked around the island. He pulled a dark a

ed out a box of linguine and

aid, his tone dripping with pr

eyes tracked his movements. He chopped an

lian Sinclair, the ruthless CEO of Sinclair Grou

ng certainty, that he had not le

ck white steam into the air. Julian turned his head an

er-the pregnancy test report she had hidden there twenty minutes ago. She gripped it tightly, the sharp edges cutting

steaming bowl across the marble isl

l of cooked tomatoes a

contracted. A massive wave of

d herself away from the island. The heavy bars

room and threw open the door

he toilet and dry-heaved. Her chest bu

loor outside. Julian slammed hi

"Are you sick? Did y

panic in his tone sounded so

ng legs and turned on the cold water in the sink.

were bloodshot. She took a deep breat

the door and

ng. He reached out to press the bac

her head back, d

h. I've been pulling all-nighters for the Sinclair

ightened in a brief flash of annoyance, but he

forward, bent down, and s

tomatically flying to his bar

second-floor master bedroom. He laid her down ge

avy silk duvet u

rned her head away, feigning absolute exhaus

dipped heavil

dy pressed against her side. His hand slid under the hem

s possessive

She grabbed his wrist, her fin

dark eyes, her breat

whispered, her voice t

the bedside lamp cast harsh shadows across his

eavy with dangerous sexual tension. He

her ribs. She braced herself, t

lian let out

robe. He wrapped his arms around her a

crook of her neck. "Go to

ily against her back

en in his arms. She didn't dare move a muscle, terrified he w

The room gre

ntually deepened into

be absolutely sure. Then, moving inch by a

walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and

reflected in her

r robe pocket. She turned th

ssages and tapped

s the Sotheby's buyer registr

over the keyboard. Exactly eleven minutes later, a new message lit up the screen. Sloane had sen

ition through our industry database. Her name is Seraphina Sinclair. Julian's steps

lian's past that he never spoke about. Her blood ran co

laugh. She didn't reply fur

he opened the bottom drawer of her vanity and pulled o

t from her pocket. She smoothed out the cr

shut. The metallic click sou

shred of hope she had for this marriage. S

he whispered

m. She stood by the bed, lookin

e years now looked like a terrifying st

into bed. She stayed as close to the edge of the mattre

es, forcing her b

n's arm shot ou

ckward. He pinned her tightly against

e dark. She gritted her teeth,

mumbled into her hair, h

lay trapped in the dark, her heart co