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“I trust your judgment completely, Lucille.” His fingers trace my collarbone. “Though I’m partial to white and gold. Pure, classic.”

“Perfect choice.” She beams at him. “Audrey, you should come along. The florist will need your input.”

Before I can respond, Gio’s hand tightens on my shoulder.

“Actually, Lucille, would you mind if Audrey stayed with me this afternoon? The pain medication makes me drowsy, and I’d appreciate her company.”

“Of course.” Lucille’s smile doesn’t falter. “I can handle the florist. You two enjoy some quiet time together.”

With a final approving nod, she disappears down the hallway, heels clicking a retreat that leaves me trapped with him.

“Alone at last,” Gio murmurs, his hand sliding from my shoulder down my arm. “Now, where were we?”

“Why don’t you rest for a while?” I suggest, seizing the opportunity for escape. “I’ll check on you later with your medication.”

He considers this, then nods. “A nap might help. But I expect your company at dinner. No more disappearing acts.”

“Of course.” I step back, creating precious distance between us. “I’ll just be in my room, catching up on emails.”

He allows me to retreat, though his eyes follow me to the doorway.

“Audrey?”

I pause, one hand on the doorframe. “Yes?”

“I love you.” The words sound like a warning. “Don’t forget that.”

I force a smile. “I won’t.”

The walk to my bedroom feels endless, each step measured to avoid appearing too eager to escape. Only when my door is closed and locked behind me do I allow myself to breathe.

Hours later,I slip out of the house into the backyard. The east garden stretches before me, roses and hydrangeas creating dark silhouettes against the night sky.

I pause, listening for any sound that might indicate I’m being followed. The night is still, broken only by the distant hoot of an owl and the soft rustle of leaves stirring in the breeze. I check behind me one last time before hurrying across the open lawn.

The old oak looms ahead, its massive trunk and sprawling branches offering the perfect hiding spot. I scan the darkness beneath it, searching for any sign of Reign.

“Looking for someone?”

The whispered question comes from behind me, and I nearly jump out of my skin. A large hand closes over my mouth before I can cry out, an arm banding around my waist, pulling me back against a solid wall of muscle.

My initial panic subsides instantly as I recognize the scent of him. Pine, leather, and something uniquely Reign that I’d know anywhere. I relax into his hold, reaching up to pull his hand away from my mouth.

“You scared me,” I whisper, turning in his arms to face him.

In the filtered moonlight, his face is all sharp angles and shadows, his eyes gleaming with an intensity that makes my breath catch. He looks dangerous, standing here among the manicured gardens of my family estate. Too wild, too real for this carefully cultivated world.

“Hi, Princess,” he murmurs, his gaze traveling over my face as though memorizing every detail. “Missed you.”

The simple words unleash something desperate inside me. I rise on tiptoes, threading my fingers through his hair, pulling his mouth down to mine. He responds immediately, his arms tightening around me, lifting me slightly off my feet as his lips claim mine with a hunger that matches my own. This kissis different from our others. There’s fear in it, and need, and something dangerously close to desperation.

Suddenly, Reign pulls back and his eyes darken as they sweep over me. “What the fuck are you wearing?”

I glance down at my sleep shorts and tank top. “My pajamas. I was getting ready for bed when I got your message.”

His hand slides up beneath my shorts. “No panties?”

“I didn’t have time to change,” I explain. “I just threw these on and came to meet you.”