And then I saw her.
She stood by the bed, undressing, her back to me. Her bra strap was cutting across her smooth, flawless skin. Just her in panties and a black bra, the curves of her hips framed by the low light pouring in through the window.
I froze again—but for an entirely different reason.
My body reacted instantly, traitorously. I should’ve turnedaway, should’ve said something. But I just stood there. Watching. Wanting. Guilt twisted in my gut, but the desire was stronger. I’d pictured this moment since the first day I saw her. And now that it was real, it hurt.
Not because of how beautiful she was, but because now I understand the pain she carried beneath that beauty.
“Why did you tell me something so personal just now?”
She pulled on the black shirt she wore to work like armor, and I stayed frozen, locked in some sick mix of lust and heartbreak.She had a beautiful body but a poisoned mind and heart.That thought pulsed through me. And now, I knew the reason for both. Still, my body didn’t care about her trauma. It only knew she was close, half-dressed, and mine, at least on paper.
“I know we are married, but can a girl get some privacy?” Her voice was calm, but there was steel under it. She looked over her shoulder, challenging me with just a glance.
I didn’t move. Couldn’t. My eyes drank her in like I’d been starving.
“Who’s that dog?” she asked, grabbing the rest of her clothes.
I blinked, breaking from the trance. My eyes landed on the framed picture on my nightstand—Chaos and I, his goofy tongue out, both of us grinning like idiots.
“That was Chaos, my K-9.” I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to find my footing. “We were partners in crime. Best friends.”
She bent over to grab her pants. And Jesus. The vision that flashed in my head—her bent over like that, face buried in my pillow, me behind her, taking her how I’d imagined a hundred times—nearly made me groan out loud.
She had to know what she was doing.
“Why is a dog your best friend?” she teased.
“Was,” I corrected her.
She looked at me again, something flickering in her eyes. “Don’t you think I should know stuff like that? I’m sure your number one fan, Alexa, knows more about my husband than his wife.”
“What do you think I was trying to do downstairs? And what makes you think Alexa is my number one fan? We never went on missions together. She was already in the reserves when I returned. That’s how we got to know each other. She was looking for a job, so I offered her one at Villa Ravenna. We’re friends. Nothing more.”
The air shifted.
She turned, her expression unreadable as she walked toward me. My back hit the top step. She didn’t stop until her bare feet were inches from mine. My heart thudded. Her scent—soft and warm, like vanilla and skin—wrapped around me.
“Have you and her fucked before?” Soft. Almost too soft. But it was loaded, sharp—a test.
Jealousy?Or was it something deeper—freedom, now that she’d finally let me see the darkest part of her?
“Don’t change the subject. Why did you tell me what you just told me?”
Her lips were right there. And God, I wanted to taste them.
“We’re married. If this is going to work, then we can’t lie to each other, right?”
Her lips dropped to mine. It wasn’t soft or hesitant—it was deliberate, like she needed to anchor herself. Like she wanted to feel something real. And I wanted nothing more than to press my lips on hers. This girl—she made me crazy. She tore me apart and held me together all at once.
“Good point. Does anyone besides me know?”
“Yes. Olga. She was my nanny growing up.”
“Why haven’t you told your mom?”
Her eyes dimmed. She pulled back just slightly.
