The storm hadn’t moved on, instead, it had embedded itself into the retreat compound, curling through the eaves and windows like smoke, a living weight pressing on every surface, every breath. Thunder rolled across the mountains, a low, relentless rumble that made the walls shiver, and lightning arced across the sky with violent indifference. Inside, the candles guttered, half spent, casting long, wavering shadows that pooled in corners and twisted across the polished floors.Valerie stood near the window, her hand pressed to the cool glass, watching the rain streak down the panes. She could feel the lingering heat of what had passed between them, in her chest, the magnetic ache that hadn’t yet settled. Every nerve in her body was alight, every heartbeat a drumbeat in the dark. And yet she was aware of Sebastian behind her, the space between them charged as if the storm had moved inside the walls as well.He did not speak. He did not move. He was just there, leaning lightly against t
Last Updated : 2026-02-09
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