courtyard. Caddie paused, her hand hovering over the heavy b

and one of Julien's most pathetic sycophants-a guy who built

ith a mix of terror and rage. Realizing the crowd was staring at he

ked, her voice cracking. She brandished her hand,

ruth! Julien chose me! Our wedding is next month, and all of New York's high societ

s clinging to a sinking ship, too stupid to

die and the door, blocking her path. He puffed out his chest, wearing a design

ered, his voice loud enough for

are? You threw away your internship at NASA to pla

o watch. The tension in

e stepped closer, invad

r Sterling will take pity on a cast-off? Face it, sweetheart. You a

ac

through the courty

hat followed

owing red handprint blooming across his pale cheek. His eyes went wide wit

stammered, disbelief cra

s brushing her cheek the night before still lingered in her mind.

d in her head, wrapping around her lik

unyielding, dangerous protection. She belonged

Instead, she raised her hand again, slow

yelp and scrambled backward, nearly tripping over his own expe

lence. Todd Tucker, the campus bul

ngle, authoritat

shoved his way blindly through the crowd,

ng her own wrist, her earlier

woman standing in front of her was not the quiet, sub

ine. She didn't look at Kiersten or the stunn

heavy mahogany doors, and stepped into the

ut behind her, the courtyard

s of a large office window, a tall, imposing man s

old from above. A flicker of genuine interest-somethi

beside him, holding a tablet.

emained fixated on the spot where Caddie had just s

mured, his voice smooth and dangero