All Chapters of BLOOD CONTRACT : WINTER'S VOW: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

ALEXANDERI couldn't focus on the security report in front of me. Not when I kept remembering how Isabella looked in that teal dress, the slit revealing a flash of thigh that had made my mouth go dry."Sir?" James prompted, clearly not for the first time. "Your thoughts on the increased surveillance?"I dragged my attention back to the briefing, aware that my distraction was both unprofessional and potentially dangerous given the escalating security situation. "The pattern suggests coordinated effort rather than isolated incidents," I said, forcing myself to focus on the tactical assessment. "Multiple vehicles, different drivers, but consistent methodology."James nodded, though his expression suggested he'd noticed my momentary lapse. "The timing aligns with our meeting with Rebecca about the files. Someone is clearly monitoring your movements with increasing boldness.""And Isabella's," I added, unable to keep the edge from my voice. "Last night's surveillance specifically targeted

"My mother loved gardens," I said finally, the memory emerging before I'd consciously selected it. "She grew roses primarily, but also herbs and flowering shrubs. She would spend hours with her hands in the soil, completely absorbed in nurturing growing things. Sometimes she'd forget dinner or appointments because time disappeared when she was in her garden."Isabella's expression softened, her attention focused entirely on me as I continued, memories surfacing that I hadn't accessed in years."My father built her a greenhouse for their anniversary one year. Not the expensive professional kind he could easily have afforded, but one he designed and constructed himself, working weekends for months in secret, learning carpentry skills from books and trial and error. It wasn't perfect, the door never quite aligned, and one section leaked when it rained heavily. But she loved it more than any professional structure could have matched."The memory, my father's hands rough with splinters

ALEXANDERI woke to the scent of jasmine and warm skin, Isabella's naked body pressed against mine in the gray light of dawn. Her hair spilled across my chest like silk, and every breath she took sent her breasts moving against my ribs. Even in sleep, my body responded to her proximity, blood rushing south as I remembered exactly how she'd felt beneath me, around me, crying my name as I drove into her.Fifteen years of careful control, and this woman had shattered it all in one afternoon.She stirred against me, her hand sliding down my stomach in sleep, fingertips grazing the edge of my growing arousal. I bit back a groan, my body hardening instantly at her unconscious touch."Isabella," I murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. The silky strands caught the morning light, revealing golden highlights I'd never noticed before.Her amber eyes opened slowly, unfocused with sleep before sharpening as she took in our position, naked, tangled together, my very obvious desire press

ALEXANDERThe FBI interview was scheduled for ten AM, but I'd been awake since five, watching Isabella sleep in the pale morning light filtering through our bedroom windows. Her dark hair spilled across my pillow like silk, and even in sleep, her hand rested possessively on my chest, as if she was afraid I might disappear.I wouldn't. Not anymore. Not when I finally understood what it meant to have something worth more than revenge.My phone buzzed softly on the nightstand, a message from Miranda Walsh, the federal defense attorney Rebecca had arranged. Preliminary review complete. Meet at 8 AM to prep. This is manageable.Manageable. Everything in my life had once been manageable through careful planning and strategic thinking. Now, with Isabella curled against me, her warm breath tickling my neck, I realized I preferred the beautiful chaos she'd brought into my ordered existence."You're thinking too loud," she murmured against my throat, her lips pressing a sleepy kiss to my pulse

ALEXANDERThe media storm hit at dawn.I woke to my phone buzzing incessantly, the screen lighting up with calls from reporters, board members, and business associates who'd seen the morning headlines. Beside me, Isabella stirred against my chest, her warm breath tickling my throat as she emerged from sleep."Make it stop," she mumbled, pressing her face into my neck to block out the harsh light of my phone.I reached over to silence the device, but not before catching a glimpse of the notification preview: *WSJ: Tech Espionage Scandal Rocks Boston Elite as Caldwell Patriarch Arrested.*"It's started," I said quietly, setting the phone aside and pulling Isabella closer. Her naked body fit perfectly against mine, all soft curves and warm skin that made the outside world seem irrelevant.She lifted her head, amber eyes still hazy with sleep. "How bad?"Before I could answer, the landline in the penthouse began ringing, a number known only to family and essential business contacts. Then