On the ind.


    Susanna was going through her usual training routine today, and she was getting faster and more efficient at runningps. Her marksmanship was getting sharper, too.


    But man, her skin had gotten so tan-she barely recognized herself in the mirror after her shower. She stared at her reflection, sucking in a sharp breath.


    She poked at her sun-darkened cheeks and thought, How many bottles of moisturizer is it going to take to fix this? What if I never get my old skin tone back? If I end up as tanned as Yvonne, I don''t even want to think about it. Utter despair.


    Just then, Chloe''s voice sounded from outside her door. "Susie?"


    "Chloe, I''ll be out in a sec!"


    "Yvonne says you can take half a day off today. Once you''re done showering, just rx."


    "Wait, seriously?"


    Susanna''s eyes lit up like Christmas morning. She''d never imagined a half-day off could feel so precious, but now she totally got it.


    Chloe just nodded. "Yep." And with that, she walked off.


    Without another thought, Susanna beelined for Yvonne''s room. Yvonne was still dead asleep-it was barely eight in the morning, after all.


    Susanna had just finished her morning run, nning to shower, grab some scrambled eggs and toast, then hit the shooting range. But with half a day off? No way was she wasting it. She grabbed every single one of Yvonne''s fancy skincare products and hauled them back to her own room.


    She''d barely made it through the door when a big hand shot out of nowhere, grabbing at her.


    Susanna reacted instantly-she hurled the expensive moisturizer at the intruder and bolted for the door.


    But she didn''t make it far. A strong arm caught her by the back of her hoodie and hauled her right back into the room.


    Susanna: "!!!"


    She didn''t hesitate. She fought back with everything she had, about to scream for help, but before she could even get a word out, the intruder had her locked in a bear hug, a broad palm covering her mouth.


    Then, she caught a familiar scent. Her mind nked for a split second.


    She knew that smell...


    A deep, warm voice rumbled near her ear. "Getting pretty tough, aren''t you? Actually managed to put up a fight."


    Hull''s voice.


    The tension in Susanna''s body melted. She spun around, and the second she saw him after nearly twenty days apart-tears sprang to her eyes.


    She looked pitiful and vulnerable as she choked out, "Hull..."


    Hull saw the tears shining in her


    eyes and felt something strang


    twist in his chest. A voice in his head screamed: Hold her, kiss hergust kiss her already.


    But before he could even move,


    Susannaunched herself into his et


    arms, wrapping her arms tight around his lean waist and snuggling close, as if she never wanted to let go.  s?novel


    Hull froze for a second, stunned. Then, all the pent-up longing from the past weeks exploded inside him, like a volcano ready to blow.


    He kissed her, hard and desperate.


    The room seemed to spin as Susanna melted in his arms, clinging to him like a little wild rabbit while he held her close.


    The air in the room grew warmer and warmer, Hull''s self-control snapping atst after being stretched to its limit for weeks...


    Yvonne, meanwhile, slept straight through till ten. The past couple weeks had been rough-not just for


    Susanna, but for Yvonne too


    keeping herpany.


    "Yvonne, Yvonne."


    In a groggy haze, Yvonne was jolted awake by Chloe shaking her shoulder.


    She blinked blearily. "Mmm, what''s up?"


    "It''s an emergency."


    Yvonne''s eyes snapped wide open, sleep gone in an instant. She threw off her


    rumpled robe and hurried to fling open the door.


    Chloe was waiting outside, face deadly serious.