LOGINFor a beat, no one spoke. Then, he lowered Kaelani gently until her feet touched the ground, but he didn’t let go—his fingers slipping into hers, holding on like it was the most natural thing in the world. Kaelani’s gaze dropped to their hands. The contact stilled something inside her. No one ha
“You do.” He let his gaze drop—just for a second—to the space between them, the inches that still separated them. Then back to her. “But I meant it when I said I’d never leave you again… that was real.” A brief pause—not for effect, but because he meant it. “Not when it’s hard. Not when it’s me
Kaelani’s smile hit him harder than anything else had. For the first time, it was meant for him. Julian stepped into the room, closing the door quietly behind him and shutting out everything beyond it—the chaos, the noise, all of it. In here— was his peace. His heart. His whole world. He move
The room. The light. The faces. A breath caught in his chest. “Kaelani…?” His focus sharpened. His room. His packhouse. Familiar walls and scent. But something was wrong. His gaze moved quickly—his mother at his side, Jace by the window. No Kaelani. Julian pushed himself upright, pain tear
She didn’t look at him. “Julian Hale… fugitive status removed.” Another keystroke. “Jace Romano… fugitive status removed.” Her fingers paused for a fraction of a second before continuing. “Garrick Blake… charges dropped.” A quiet tap followed. “Release scheduled for… tomorrow morning.” Then—
A brief pause. “Am I wrong?” Councilor Voss didn’t answer. He simply watched her for a moment longer before speaking. “What is it that you want?” Kaelani held the room for a moment. “What I wanted the day I stood before you in the Chamber of Elders,” she said. “What I asked for then.” “To liv
Julian’s grip tightened on her hips, holding her open as his tongue dove between her folds. He devoured her without restraint, slurping up her sweetness, his groans vibrating against her clit until she was writhing against the counter. The sounds—wet, obscene, relentless—filled the room, each stroke
He frowned, confusion flickering. He didn’t remember leaving his office, let alone making the drive back here. Yet the room was vivid—every chair in place, the display case gleaming, the scent of fresh bread wrapping around him like it was real. And then he saw her. Kaelani stood behind the counte
The bakery was quiet, the ovens cooled, the front lights dimmed. Kaelani sat at the desk in the small office tucked in the back, receipts and order slips spread out before her. The calculator clicked beneath her fingers, but the numbers blurred on the page, her mind circling elsewhere no matter how
She was fucking beautiful. Not in the way Elara was, all polish and performance—makeup sculpted, hair smoothed to gloss, ensembles stitched in precision and expectation. Elara’s beauty demanded attention. Kaelani’s simply existed. Raw. Unforgiving. Impossible to ignore. The kind of beauty that mad







