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Nick groans behind me—a low, guttural sound that sends a shiver down my spine. It’s not loud. It’s not even threatening. But it’s primal.

A warning growl that vibrates through the floor and coils tight in my stomach. I feel the force of his body without even turning around. The heat rolling off him, the way the very air shifts, bending around him like it knows who dominates the space.

My breath stutters in my chest. I can barely hold it in.

“Fuck off, Theo. Don’t test my patience.”

Theo only laughs—not mocking, just wildly amused. Like a man who’s been in worse situations and knows how to come out laughing.

He reaches out and clasps Nick on the shoulder with the kind of ease that only long-time allies or absolute lunatics possess.

“Long time no see, man,” he says casually, then adds with a wink in my direction. “You’ve got yourself a smart and beautiful woman there.”

I can’t help but shake my head with a little laugh despite the tension.

There aren’t many people in this world who would dare to provoke Nickolas Hardy and live to tease about it. But somehow, I’ve found one.

And I definitely like Theo more now. He’d be the perfect guy to make Nick jealous—bold, charming, unapologetically unbothered.

Good thing I love this stubborn man too much to ever try something like that.

Not that I’d ever say it again. Not after everything that’s happened between us. Not with the wounds still so open. Not with the shame and the ache still bleeding beneath my ribs.

I start to turn toward Nick, the smile already forming—soft, controlled, the kind of mask I’ve worn a thousand times before when I didn’t want the world to see the cracks underneath.

But I never make it. Before I can move, Nick’s hand wraps around my waist. Firm. Commanding. Like he’s reclaiming what’s his—not violently, not publicly—but with the kind of quiet fury that demands attention. That marks territory without ever saying the words.

He pulls me flush against his chest—my back molded to the solid, burning heat of his body. His arm tightens around my waist, his grip unyielding.

I can feel his heartbeat thundering through his shirt—wild and erratic, like mine. Our breaths collide. My throat goes dry. My entire body freezes—but not from fear.

From him.

The way he touches me—even angry, even barely holding himself back—it sets my nerves on fire. My skin reacts before my brain can catch up. My eyes close for half a second, just enough to feel him. To remember. To burn.

And yet, I’m trembling.

Because I want to melt into him and scream at him—all in the same breath. Because I miss him more than I can survive, and I hate how easy it is for him to still own every inch of me.

He keeps his arm locked around me, his grip still firm, claiming me like it’s the only way he knows how to speak right now. His presence is a roar I can’t escape.

Then he turns slightly toward Theo, his voice low but sharp as glass.

“I’d like to say it’s good seeing you, Theo. But finding your hands on my wife’s body makes that a fucking lie.”

Theo laughs again—a deep, delighted sound that echoes past the tension thick in the air.

“It was all friendly,” he says, still grinning. “From the second she walked into our business meeting wearing those rings, I knew she was taken. But she’s grounded… real. Something rare in this world,” he says it without flinching, looking Nick straight in the eyes—not a challenge, not a threat. Just the truth.

And Nick… nods. One tight, short movement of his head.

Then his hand reaches out, landing on Theo’s shoulder with a subtle squeeze—almost like an acknowledgment. Like a silent code only men like them speak fluently.

“You’re good as long as you keep your distance from my wife.”

Smirking, Theo steps a little closer and drops his voice.

“Considering I haven’t seen or heard anything about your marriage, and you just shouted across a packed club that Sierra’s your wife… I’d suggest you both get ready for what’s about to hit the press,” he says, glancing at Nick and then at me.