I’d never betray them.
By the time we leave, Lev seems flustered as we get in the car. “Thank you for fighting for my little girl,” he tells me.
Guilt swirls in my gut. Like I haven’t imagined fucking her in twenty different positions in the last two days. To the point I can’t trust myself alone with her.
“Always.”
“I’m going for a nap,” Lev shouts as he heads upstairs.
The second his footsteps disappear, I pull up the monitors. And there she is.
Lily, down in the gym, pounding away on the treadmill like she’s trying to outrun her own thoughts. Skin-tight leggings hug her every curve, and the steady rhythm of her body moving makes my cock twitch before I can stop it.
Fuck.
I shut the screen down and strip out of my suit, swapping it for something more practical. Less obvious. More dangerous. Then I head downstairs before I can overthink it, before guilt has a chance to talk me out of this.
The moment I open the door, her eyes snap to mine.
Always aware of me. Even when she pretends she isn’t.
“Come with me,” I order, jerking my chin toward the door beside us.
She doesn’t even break her stride. Doesn’t slow the treadmill. Just looks at me like she’s daring me to try harder. “Sorry, I didn’t hear a please. No can do.”
My jaw tightens.
I step closer and lean over, hitting the stop button. The machine safely grinds to a halt beneath her feet.
“Please.” The word tastes like surrender.
She smiles, and my chest does something painful and stupid at the same time. “What do you want, grumpy?”
I arch a brow, forcing my voice steady. “You’ll see, sunshine.” And then I fucking wink.
Her cheeks flush instantly, pupils blowing wide like she’s just been struck by lightning. I see it. Feel it. The pull snaps tight between us, invisible and violent.
Why can’t I stop myself around her?
It was easier when I stayed in the shadows, when I was just a ghost in her life—watching from a distance, protecting without being seen, without wanting.
Now she’s in my space. In my head. Under my skin. Every look feels like betrayal; every breath near her feels like crossing a line I swore I’d never touch.
She is the daughter of my best friend. She’s the reason I still have a soul left.
And I want her anyway.
That knowledge settles heavy in my chest as I turn toward the door, waiting for her to follow.
This isn’t just temptation.
It’s a test.
And deep down, I’m terrified I already know how it ends.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Lily
