로그인~ SIENNA ~She buried her head in her hands. “I’m so ashamed.”“You don’t have to be, Margo,” I said, rubbing slow circles over her back. “You did what you had to do.” “I hate that what I had to do was call the man who put her in that condition to come see her because the doctor suggested that seeing a deeply familiar and loved face might trigger her memory,” she rapped out, her voice cracking at the end. I passed her a bottle of water and she took a few sips. “It feels so wrong,” she whispered. “But I was desperate and running out of ideas.”“The intention is what matters, Margo,” I assured her. “Did she at least respond?” “Yeah. She recognized him.” Her mouth twisted bitterly. “I still don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse.”I exhaled slowly. “Natalie’s going to be okay. And next time you go to the hospital, I’ll come with you.”“Thank you,” she sniffled, then waved a hand dismissively. “Enough about me. How was your trip? How are your parents?”I shrugged. “Exactly
~ SIENNA ~The question hung in the air between us, and it made my heart rate quicken. Yes. I didn’t need to think. The word was already there, desperate and raw, clawing up my throat. But I couldn’t get it out. That would make my desire real, make me an accomplice in whatever was about to happen.I nodded instead, my lips parting before I could stop them.Gavin didn't wait for more.His hand came up, fingers threading into my hair at the nape of my neck, tilting my head back just enough. The touch was gentle but there was a firmness underneath, a claim. His thumb brushed the curve of my jaw, and then he leaned in.His lips met mine, and it was nothing like I expected. He had kissed me before and it had been hungry, bruising — a collision of urgency and searing heat. This one started soft. Almost hesitant. His mouth moved against mine with a tenderness that made my knees weaken. I felt the faint taste of eggs from breakfast, the bitterness of black coffee, and something else — som
~ SIENNA ~I woke up feeling like I was floating on clouds. The beddings were super soft and sunk deep where my body laid. My limbs were no longer sore and the fog in my brain was gone. Rubbing my eyes and looking around the room, I tried to recall the events of yesterday. It was such an eventful day, it felt like more than twenty four hours.The gala. The MD announcement. Running away from home. A four hour train ride. Arriving at Gavin's home. Meeting Maxwell. Dinner. A foot message—That was the last thing I remembered. Did I fall asleep during the massage? How did I get upstairs and into bed? Did Gavin carry me? It felt like being a child again; that feeling of falling asleep watching TV in the living room and waking up tucked into your bed with no memory of how you got there. I sat up straighter, leaning my back against the cushion headboard. Then I burst into laughter. Deep belly laughter. Because it was funny. How did I go from swearing I’d avoid Gavin the last time I w
~ GAVIN ~She frowned. “Why?”“To keep me company.”She looked at me like I had suddenly grown a second head. “You never want company, Gavin.”“That’s a rather bold claim. How would you know that?”“Look at this place,” she said, gesturing around the living room, like she couldn’t believe she had to point it out. “This is not how someone who ever wants company designs their home. Everything here screams: "Do what you came to do quickly and get out”.”I glanced around before returning my attention to her. “Well, you’re right. I generally don’t like visitors. But now I’m asking you to do what you came to do — and stay a few more days.”She shook her head. “No way. Your home looks like a hospital and I hate hospitals. I mean, except the art pieces, there’s nothing here to create excitement. Everything is just… bland and depressing.”I cracked a toe knuckle. “Ouch!” she shrieked. “Is that part of the massage or are you punishing me for telling you the truth?”“Two things can be correct,”
~ GAVIN ~Watching Sienna settle comfortably in my home was doing something to me. I couldn't name it. I wasn't sure I wanted to. All I knew was that I'd spent the last few days mildly annoyed that she'd traveled without a word to me, and the moment I saw her sitting in that train station — hood pulled over her head like she was trying to disappear into herself, every trace of that annoyance dissolved.Now she was here, working her way through the meal Todd had thrown together on short notice. And I was sitting across from her, pretending to be engaged with my tattoo and not watching her every move. With just a shower, she looked a lot better than when she walked in, but I still wanted to know what had made her cry. “Are you going to tell me?” I asked again when she broke eye contact and returned to eating her food — or more accurately, moving it around the plate. “I’m not. That’s an ‘official’ question and I’m not answering any tonight,” she said. I snorted in laughter. “No, yo
~ SIENNA ~He was sprawled along the sectional, headphones plugged in because of course, in the absence of a TV or anything like it, he had to provide his own entertainment. He noticed us immediately, even though he wasn’t looking at the door. The headphones were off in an instant. “Oh hi.” His outfit was very loose, like comfort was all that mattered to his style. Dark brown hair fell at the sides of his face even though it was long enough to be packed into a bun. The man looked younger than Gavin and was obviously very comfortable in his house. Could he be the brother Gavin had mentioned? I didn’t have to wonder for long. Gavin stepped in front of me. “Sienna, meet Maxwell, my longest-serving staffer and trusted friend.” Oh, so not his brother. But still someone important. “Max, this is Sienna.”I didn’t get a title which was telling. Either Maxwell already knew everything about me or Gavin didn’t have a name for whatever we were. Or both. Maxwell stood and shook my hand b
~ SIENNA ~I knew Gavin didn’t find my little joke funny because his grim expression didn’t shift even a little bit. “I have no idea what those are. But I believe I’ve passed my message. The next man would wish he hadn’t.”His eyes bored into me for a while longer, as if waiting for his warning to
~ GAVIN ~Sienna tried to hide the shiver that ran through her at my words but the goosebumps on her arms told me all I needed to know. It was getting easier to read her. Even if all I could tell so far was that she was as unpredictable as Kansas weather. One moment, her smile was as bright as a s
~ SIENNA ~It’s been a week since the day that would definitely win by a landslide, the position of ‘worst day of my life’. Harry and Cassy had watched in amusement as I gathered my belongings. They even forbade the housekeeper to assist me, completing the humiliation ritual with my struggle. I dr
~ SIENNA ~There was a strange screeching sound as I straightened the car tires to park properly and I made a mental note to check it out soon. The poor thing must have developed a fault from carrying all that load last night. I sat in silence for a while after killing the engine, looking around t







