d, cornered by the intensity of Grayson

door as she tried in vain to put di

nt of effort could escape the suff

clung to her senses, pulling her unwillingly back to that summer afternoon three years ago-cicadas droning their relentless

er through her, her he

she stepped forward, widening the small gap between the

heat spreading through her skin th

ove a whisper. "It's too far

their sharpness cutting t

imal within him, an unwelcome desire that

three years, she h

t it go. Her fibs were st

" he asked, his tone lace

but steady. "I got a new number. My old

number from the Wheeler fam

son ordered, his voice lea

e handed her phone over reluctantly, her fin

screen slightly scratched a

urned it over in his hands, then

back to her, his voi

tone calm but distant. "They're your frie

heeler family for long and wasn't particul

gering from his touch. Without thinking, she wiped th

ayson's gaze darken, a flicker of ange

icy. "Are yo

the phone tightly. "I have classes to

ghtly. "I'm heading out as

he scrambled for an excuse. Before she coul

asked if you could take her home," Ryla

son's features as he frowned. "She

ated her on your upcoming engagement, and she might

Cathryn. For a brief moment, his eyes lingered on her pale

f her clothes as she looked down. "No need,"

s fixed on her for another second bef

rom sight that Cathryn let out a shaky b

aged to his childhood

hy he had returned two

f relief as she grabbed

y was alive with energy, its

rs, her delicate sketches earning her plenty of admiration. A few patrons even saved her number, placing

dow of a nearby tree, a sleek bla

is city, and even a specially modified bullet

aled by the shadows, a ma

l, his gaze cold and unrelenting, like a hawk zeroing in on it

nce in his direction, an involunt

d seen Grayson's relentless determination firsthand. Grayson was not a man who allo

affairs was far from unusual, barely rais

s sister-in-law made the situation murkier

son finally withdrew his g

move out of the Wheeler Mansio

carefully. "She is still young. Pe

one, his eyes lingering on the screen. Cathr

tone turning sharper. "Do you know of an

wered, "Not really... Unless they experience something truly

r belongings. In just a few minutes, she had neatly tucke

d by the soft glow of streetlights, oblivious to the

ke turned into an old, di

lled to a stop a

when the door of a nearby Ferrari swung open with force. A strikingly handso

froze, his sharp gaze narrowing

rald, his

rrier to sound. Grayson rolled down his window slightly, the sharp night air

voice sharp with anger. "You'd rather live in

er wince as she struggled to free herself. "Let go. You'

nto her, their intensity la

ed features were twisted by his fierce expre

thryn instinctively stepped back, tryi

roughly against a tree. His voice was low and filled with venom as he gritted through clenched teeth. "You h

mask cracking just slightly as a fl

situation. "Let go first. How can you treat me like this? I'm

, his words dripping with contempt. "You're not. So stop pretending. Y

in in her eyes as she replied softly, "I d

elicate features, his gaze lin

m he viewed as conniving and desperate to climb the social ladder.

realizing it, her image had begun to haunt him, her pr

those feelings. To him, she was unbearably beautiful-too much

bed her chin roughly, his intentions