I gasp. He stills, giving me a moment to pull away.
I don’t. I tilt my face up, allowing his fingers to slide into my curls.
And the kiss deepens.
Slow. Warm. Excruciatingly tender.
The kind of kiss that holds years inside it—years of what-ifs, years of grief, years of longing neither of us said aloud.
He kisses me like he remembers exactly how I used to melt against him. Like he’s relearning me with careful, devastating precision. My hands slide up his chest, and he pulls me closer, his thumb brushing the curve of my jaw as he kisses me again, deeper, slower, heat curling through my stomach.
When we break apart, his forehead rests against mine.
His breathing is uneven.
Mine is worse.
His hand cups my cheek. “Tell me you didn’t feel that.”
I close my eyes.
Caden. God.
“I did,” I whisper. “That’s the problem.”
He huffs a soft, pained laugh. “Yeah. It is.”
Before either of us can say anything else—before we can untangle the mess we just created—his phone rings.
A sharp, piercing tone.
He freezes. “It’s my lawyer.”
My stomach drops.
He steps away to answer, but he keeps his eyes on me the whole time, as if afraid I’ll vanish if he looks away.
He presses the phone to his ear. “West.” Silence. Then his posture stiffens. His tone changes—sharper, deeper. “What do you mean the petition was challenged?”
My blood chills.
Challenged? What petition? I frown, trying to remember the conversations we’ve had over the past week. This doesn’t ring any bells.
He paces toward the windows, shoulders tense enough to snap. “What grounds?” he demands.
More silence.
Then—rage. Pure, barely controlled rage flashes across his face. “That’s impossible.” His voice drops dangerously. “They can’t file that—she has no standing.”
My breath turns to ash as realization hits.
They. She.
Someone from his company? Another lawyer?
No. Not with the way he’s glaring at the floor. Not with that particular tension in his jaw.
The answer must be devastating, because he closes his eyes for a long, slow second before whispering, “You’ve got to be kidding me. Figure out another play.”
