LOGINThe awe-filled look in his eyes and conviction in his voice make me believe him. I think this man could make me feel sexy in one of those god-awful giant hot dog costumes. Feeling extra confident now, I reach behind me and unhook my bra, letting it fall away. Leo sucks in a breath, his eyes flashi
** Poppy’s POV **Leo’s mouth crashes back against mine, and this time there’s nothing restrained about it. No hesitation, no careful distance, just heat.His hand slides from my jaw to the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair as he deepens the kiss, pulling me fully against him. I gasp soft
“Yes.”Leo leans forward slightly, his eyes never leaving mine.“I’m going to need you to say it, Poppy. I need you to be very clear about what it is that you want, because I can’t mess this up again,” he says, his voice low. He leans back in his seat; releasing my wrist to put a little distance be
** Poppy’s POV **After spending the morning with Paige and the kids, we leave to give them some space to adapt to their new family dynamics. We stroll into town, taking our time to just be around each other without the pressure of being in a confined space. I love the cabin, I do, but there are no
Bastian sees it, probably even feels it. His expression darkens slightly.“You’re feeling it too, aren’t you?” I ask.“Yes.”We don’t speak for a moment. Because now we both know that whatever this is, it’s not just me.“Where is it coming from?” he asks quietly.I hesitate because I know the answer
** Alaric’s POV **I’m not thinking about her. That’s the first lie. The second is that I’ve stopped checking my phone.I don’t pick it up this time. Don’t look at the screen; don’t open the message thread that hasn’t changed in hours. Instead, I stand at the window, watching the treeline as if it’s
** Callen’s POV ** I find Remy where I knew I would. Not far into the woods, just beyond the clearing where we used to meet up to be alone. He’s sitting on a fallen tree, elbows on his knees, head down. The hoodie he wore earlier is bunched around his arms, like he pulled it off in frustration.
“We’ll figure this out,” I whisper. “Together.” He nods against me, silent and shaking. “How do I even start? How do I fix the damage I’ve already done?” I don’t answer right away. I just hold him while he falls apart. The morning light creeps over us, finally sharing its warmth like it knew
They both go quiet. The only sounds are the usual ones you’d expect to hear in the woods at night and the steady thrum of my pulse in my ears. Callen looks like he wants to touch me, but he doesn’t. “You’re right, Paige,” he says finally. “You didn’t ask for this. You didn’t choose us.” “But
** Paige’s POV ** I wake up to warmth. Surrounded by body heat. It’s everywhere. I blink, and it takes a second for my brain to catch up. Callen is behind me, one arm around my waist, his warm breath on the back of my neck. Ryder is in front of me, one leg thrown over mine. I’m







