I smiled and nestled closer to him.
For a few minutes, we lay in comfortable silence, catching our breath. The entire time, Henry traced slow, soothing circles along my back, while I pressed soft kisses to his chest because I couldn’t get enough of him. This man meant everything to me—and more. I had once struggled to imagine living in his world, but even more impossible was the thought of living in a world without him.
55
Dear Henry,
Getting to know you is the best thing that’s happened to me in the last few years. You’ve shown me that even the worst storm passes. You gave me a chance when no one else was willing to. And you gave me hope when I had lost mine. You’re the reason I can dream again.
Kate’s message in the DVD case
Kate
I opened my eyes at a gentle touch on my cheek. The bedroom was dark, but not completely—soft light filtered through the curtains, casting faint shadows across the room. Henry was watching me. As our eyes met, his lips curved into a slow, sexy smile meant for me alone. A delicious shiver ran through me as memories of last night came rushing back.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he murmured.
“It’s fine,” I whispered. His breath was warm against my lips, which were so close to his, it was an effort not to close the distance and kiss him. “Did you sleep well?”
“The best sleep of my life,” he said, his voice rough. His hand traced from my cheek to my arm, then down my back. In one fluid motion, he pulled me against him until my bare skin was flush against his. “And the best sex of my life.”
I couldn’t explain how, but I knew he was telling the truth. Henry would never lie to me. And besides, I had been there. I had nothing to compare it to, but even I had felt how special last night had been. “I thought it was incredible too.”
“I was worried I got too rough towards the end,” he admitted, his fingers tracing lazy patterns up and down my spine. A shiver of pleasure rippled through me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. He pulled me even closer, and I felt him against me—already hard again. A delicious, searing heat shot through my belly straight to my core.
“No, not at all,” I reassured him. “It was perfect.”
“You’re perfect,” Henry murmured, holding my gaze. His blue eyes were stunningly clear this morning—open, unguarded. There was nothing left between us. No walls. No uncertainty. No secrets. I hadn’t known it could be possible to feel so deeply connected to another person. And I couldn’t imagine ever sharing this kind of intimacy with anyone but Henry.
“No,we’reperfect,” I replied, and kissed him.
Henry’s hand slid to the back of my neck as he deepened the kiss. He shifted me effortlessly so I was straddling his lap. His erection pressed against me, firm and insistent, and a familiar ache bloomed between my legs. We both knew what we wanted—what we needed. And once again, we lost ourselves in each other.
After Henry had rolled on a condom, I positioned myself over him. Being on top felt different from lying beneath him, but no lessincredible. I relished the sense of control, but even more, I savoured the way Henry devoured me with his gaze—hungry, reverent, completely undone. His hands explored every inch of my body, holding me close as I moved, driving us both closer and closer to release.
When it was over, I collapsed onto his chest, breathless. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close as we basked in the warm afterglow. I never wanted to leave his bed, to leave him. But eventually, I untangled myself from his embrace, even though every fibre of me longed to stay.
He frowned. “Where are you going?”
“To the bathroom,” I replied with a smile.
“OK, but be quick. I want a second round.”
So did I. And a third. And a fourth. And a fifth, because I just couldn’t get enough of him.
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and headed to the bathroom, only to catch my foot on something. Henry’s jacket, like the rest of our clothes, had been strewn across the floor. I bent down to pick it up—it was far too expensive to be left lying around.
“Don’t—” Henry started, just as the small box of mints he always carried with him slipped from his pocket. It hit the floor, the lid sprung open, and dozens of tiny white tablets scattered across the floor. It took me a couple of heartbeats to realise I wasn’t looking at mints, but pills.
I froze, blinking.
Henry leapt from the bed and was beside me in an instant. He snatched the box from my hand and dropped to his knees, hastily gathering up the pills. I didn’t move. My mind raced to make sense of what I was seeing. Because something wasn’t right.
“I told you not to touch the jacket,” he said. His voice wasn’t angry, but there was an edge to it—agitation, maybe even nervousness. It didn’t make sense.
I crouched down and reached for one of the pills. The moment Henry realised what I was about to do, he lunged for it, but I was quicker. His eyes widened, shock flashing across his face. It didn’t seem like a normal reaction. I examined the small pill in my palm. It was white and unremarkable—except for theVimprinted on one side.
“What’s this?” I asked, my voice flat.
