Hungry kisses rained between them, lips locking in vehement desperation until the passion started to inevitably steam up several notches too high. Insatiable in their quests, their mouths explored each other with a familiarity which was as scary as exhilarating. It seemed like their instincts recognized what their stubborn hearts were deliberately denying.Dev felt his iron-clad control slip through his hand when she touched him on his chest, the imprint of her palm affecting him like a burning furnace would. Groaning in iniquitous delight, he resisted the urge to rip her nightdress apart – a feeling which had ingrained itself in his mind ever since he’d seen the sexy black number on her. Like a gawky teenager, he fumbled inside needing the feel of her soft skin, and nearly howled when the straps fell from her shoulders granting him copious access.A frenzied excitement caught up with him, like a teenage jubilation awaiting his most precious gift, something he’d never experienced with

With a sense of premonition, Devin held a glass of whisky in hand and stared broodingly at the A4 white envelope lying on his office’s desk, recently being delivered by a peon from Angel Agency. After three weeks of total silence, not even a word from her had been heard, he was facing a new challenge with apprehension, not wanting to know the content of the file.More than once, he’d been sorely tempted to call her under the pretext of informing about the status of her new mission. She’d been so adamant, so determined the last time they’d spoken that he felt like she was literally throwing him out of her life. What sane woman wouldn’t? What woman would want to deal with a monster like him for more than strictly necessary?Had she succeeded in her quest? Had she acquired the properties he would have given his life to possess only one month ago? Was that her final memorandum that she was sending him? A white envelope clearing his dues, with the subtle message to get the hell out of her

“There must be some mistake,” Dev announced to the lawyer as he entered his office dumping the files on his table along with his huge body on the chair opposite.Jeremy Miller stared at him for a second, before lifting the documents he’d flung on his table and presenting them towards him. “No mistake, young man. Anastasia specifically sent over the two transfer papers in guise of compensation for your family’s loss.”Her selfless act only served to fuel his anger. How dared she undermine what they had shared by paying him off like a vulgar gigolo? How dared she?“Really? How is she going to pay back for the other things we’ve suffered?” he inquired with sufficient amount of sarcasm to make the lawyer sit back in his chair and give him undivided attention. Trying not to squirm under the scrutiny, Dev frowned furiously to give more credulence to his anger. “You tell Ana that she will never be able to atone what her father did to my family.”Miller still stared at him with fascination,

Being a man of various devises, Dev came up with several strategies, exploring different scenarios but ultimately realized that things didn’t quite worked systematically in the matters of heart. Finally defeated, Devin found himself doing the only thing he’d promised himself he wouldn’t succumb to – phoning the aggressive Aimee McKenzie.He was adamant to conquer her back. There was no way he would let her slip away from his fingers, he would beg and grovel until she would have no other option than to accept him back. There was no other salvation for him – he was too far gone to ever hope for peace of mind. He was going to be her redemption.It had not been easy to convince that harridan McKenzie of his sincerity; she had railroaded him so much that he had to ultimately beg for her cooperation.“You don’t have to like me,” he abruptly announced the moment she arrived at the restaurant after several persistent calls.“You’ve better come up with a good explanation right now!” she retort

Dev awoke with a start like he’d been jerked from a profound dreamless sleep, something which had always eluded him in the past. Then, something that he could feel even in his deep subconscious had changed.Ana was gone.For a panicked moment, a feeling of abject desolation gripped him as he fumbled in the empty sheets trying to get his bearings. He felt like that lost teenager once again caught up in indecision and despair, struggling to adjust to the cruel reality of life.What appalled him was that Ana had left despite the beautiful intimacy they’d shared, making a point to turn into something sleazy and cheap. Not because she was aiming for retribution – no, that was not in her nature, but she was most probably trying to protect herself from him.From the monster he was.Completely wretched, he could only stare blankly at the wall, trying to figure out his next move. How could he offer any future to Ana when he could not even forgive himself? Then, her words from the previous migh