“And an engagement fixes that?”
“No.” Kamiyah lifts her eyes to mine—haunted, vulnerable, painfully earnest. “But marriage, if you agree, and motherhood would.”
Motherhood.
And I realize her proposition isn’t driven by greed or manipulation.
It’s driven by fear.
By survival.
And by something deeper. Her reckless faith in me.
“Kamiyah,” I breathe, stunned.
Before I can say anything more, she leans in—so close our lips brush with the faintest ghost of contact. My breath stutters. Her scent wraps around me, warm and intoxicating.
She whispers, “I wouldn’t be here unless you were my only chance.”
My restraint snaps, just enough for my hand to rise, fingers brushing her jaw, tracing the line of her cheek. Her breath hitches, lips parting.
The air between us becomes molten.
Dangerous.
Want surges through me, raw and undeniable.
I should pull back.
I don’t.
“Tell me one thing,” I murmur, my thumb stroking the corner of her mouth.
Her eyes flutter.
“Anything.”
“If I say yes…” My voice drops, low and dark. “Are you prepared for what comes next? For the consequences? For the intimacy this will require?”
Her pulse leaps under her skin. She leans even closer, her lips nearly touching mine, her breath warm and trembling.
“I came here prepared for anything,” she whispers.
Her mouth tilts up, barely a breath away.
“Anything,” she repeats.
And I almost close the distance.
Almost claim her right there.
Almost give in to the heat, the desperation, the promise of something I’ve wanted for years.
Her breath catches and I shut my eyes. Because I know the decision I’m about to make… will change everything.
CHAPTER SIX
KAMIYAH
