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BreeI had just finished talking to Leslie, her laugh still echoing faintly in my ear, when my phone buzzed against my palm with a new message. Aaron Blackwood: We're going home.I stared at the screen for a long moment, my thumb hovering, my pulse doing something stupid and hopeful before I crushed it flat. Then I typed my reply.Yes, Mr. Blackwood. I sent it, tossed the phone onto the bed, and went back to folding my clothes with more force than the task required.Mr. Blackwood. It was formal, distant, and exactly how I intended to address him from now on. Each syllable felt like a brick laid in a wall, and I needed that wall badly.Last night had been beautiful, or at least it had been until reality came knocking this morning. For a few hours I had let myself forget that I was nothing more than his contractual mistress, that he was engaged to another woman, and that the man I was falling for had no intention of choosing me. I had let myself believe that something between us had
AaronI reluctantly walked out of Bree's suite and pulled the door shut behind me, the soft click of the latch landing harder in my chest than it should have. The other suite was only a few steps down the same corridor, but the walk felt endless.It wasn't the argument waiting for me that slowed my feet. It was the fact that the rest of me had stayed behind in Bree's room, still seeing her standing there after she told me to leave. She had forced her face into something calm and steady while I watched the hurt move behind her eyes.*Go back to her.*My wolf had been repeating those words since the moment I walked out, low and relentless, pressing against my ribs like a hand on a locked door. *She needs us.*I ignored him and followed Cassandra inside.The door had barely closed before she yanked her belongings from the wardrobe and flung them into her open suitcase, hangers clattering against the rail. I watched her for a moment, then crossed the room and lowered myself onto the sofa.
BreeI turned away before he could see how much his answer had hurt me.The bathroom door closed behind me, and I stood in front of the mirror for a moment, staring at my reflection. "Get a grip, Bree," I muttered.I had known exactly what I was getting into when I accepted Aaron's contract. He had made it clear he didn't want a relationship with me, didn't want to accept the mate bond, and certainly hadn't promised to leave Cassandra for me. So why was I acting like a heartbroken girlfriend?I turned on the shower and stepped beneath the warm water, hoping it would wash away the uncomfortable knot in my chest. It didn't. His words kept replaying in my head.*Last night doesn't change what we agreed to.*I closed my eyes. Of course it didn't. One night in his arms wasn't going to turn him into a different man, make him forget the woman he was engaged to, or convince him I was worth choosing. I had known all of that before I ever entered his bed.Still, some foolish part of me had hope
BreeThe first thing I felt when I woke up was the warmth. It wrapped all around me, from the heavy arm locked around my waist to the broad chest pressed against my back. For a few seconds I lay still, just enjoying how good it felt to be held like this.My cheeks burned as memories of last night rushed back—the argument, the heavy kisses, and finally, making love.I could still picture how carefully he watched me every time I pulled back, how he paused the second I felt pain, how he waited until I was ready to keep going. For a guy who usually acted like waiting on anyone was a waste of time, Aaron had been surprisingly gentle. And once my nerves washed away, the heat between us went beyond anything I had imagined.I had wanted him for so long that I used to wonder if I was making it up in my head. I wasn't.I smiled into the pillow. For the first time since Aaron told me I was his mate, I let myself relax and just enjoy waking up beside him. Last night I wasn't his assistant or an
Aaron.I studied her face in the quiet hallway, looking for any sign she might still change her mind. One last chance. One final moment to step back and decide this was a mistake.Bree didn’t look away. She reached for me instead, fingers curling into the front of my shirt, and pulled me closer.That was all it took.The control I’d held onto for weeks began to break. I had spent so long telling myself I could keep this contained, that the bond was just something to manage. Standing there with her body against mine and that quiet certainty in her voice, I couldn’t pretend anymore.I wanted her.Once we were inside, I shut the door behind us and didn’t bother with the lights. The city glow through the windows was enough.I kissed her hard this time. No holding back. My hands framed her face, then dropped to her waist, pulling her tight against me. She kissed me back like she’d been waiting for permission to stop being careful. Her fingers slid into my hair, tugging just enough to make
BreeBy the time I stepped outside the ballroom, I had convinced myself that whatever happened, I was going to ignore Aaron.I had spent enough time worrying about his moods for one evening. If he wanted to dance with his fiancée, he was welcome to do so. If he wanted to leave the gala without explaining himself, that was his business too.I was done trying to understand him.At least, that was what I told myself until I stepped outside and found him waiting beside the car.I stopped briefly, then walked toward it, determined not to let his presence affect me. The driver opened the door, and I was about to climb into the front passenger seat when Aaron spoke.“Sit at the back.”I turned to look at him.“Why?”“Because I said so.”I stared at him, wondering if he had any idea how exhausting he could be.“Of course,” I muttered before walking around to the other side and climbing into the back seat.Aaron followed me inside, and the driver pulled away from the hotel.Neither of us spoke







