After dinner, she wandered outside for a bit, yed with MiloBuddy until he got
tired, then headed upstairs to get ready for bed.
Dn was actually behaving himself tonight. He sat by the window, reading a
off to wash up.
ra bent down and picked up theic he''d left on the floor. She flipped
through a few pages, pausing when she spotted handwriting that looked almost
like hers—except it was way too childish.
She frowned, standing there, lost in thought for a moment. When Dn came out
of the bathroom, she finally went to take her own shower.
Afterwards, wrapped in her robe, she opened herptop and started working
through a stack of Ferguson Corporation files. She must have been staring at the
screen too long, because suddenly, Dn''s voice was right beside her.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
She startled, turning to answer, but he was so close that her lips brushed his
cheek.
Hisshes lowered, eyes dropping to her mouth.
Realizing where this was headed, she quickly turned away, pushing him back a
little.
He just grinned at her.
She had no idea what he found so funny. Clearing her throat, she mumbled, "No, I
was just... zoning out."
Honestly, her mind kept drifting back to that silhouette she''d seen earlier. It left her
uneasy, like it was some kind of warning. And after what the housekeeper said,
her nerves were shot.
Then Dn leaned in, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Will youe with me to
the Ferguson family tomorrow?"
She blinked in surprise. Her? Go with him?
Walter would probably lose his mind.
But then she thought, why not? Let the old man get mad. He was always trying to
pin everything on Dn, ming him for things he didn''t do and hoping he''d just
give up. What kind of father did that?
Anger bubbled up again, making it impossible to focus. The words on her screen
blurred together. She took a steadying breath.
"Sleep—" she started to say, but before she could finish, his lips pressed softly
against hers, right at the corner of her mouth.
She froze. Before she could even react, his tongue brushed against hers—she
hadn''t realized her lips were parted, and he took full advantage.
A rush of adrenaline hit her. He
wasted no time, deepening the kiss,
his hand sliding up her back and
cradling the back of her head
holding her in ce.
"Mmm..." she tried to protest, her
hand wedged between them. Maybe
he sensed her hesitation, because
he let go of her lips and took her
fingers, kissing and nibbling each
one.
By now, ra was more than just flustered. Heat rose up her neck, spreading all
the way to the tips of her ears.
Her fingers trembled, curling away as if she could hide them. She wanted nothing
more than to disappear under the nkets.
Her mind was spinning as he finally let her go. "Come with me in the morning,
okay?"
Sitting on the edge of her bed, ra bolted under the covers and wrapped herself
up tight. "Okay."
He stood there for a second, watching her, then broke out in anotherugh.
ra only burrowed deeper, her
heart pounding so hard it actually
hurt. She''d been sleeping just fine
she could drift off. Her heartbeat just
wouldn''t settle, and the warmth in
her cheeks lingered.
She tossed and turned, stealing a nce at the big bed. He was already asleep.
The sight of him resting, after all these nights, made her feel oddly relieved.
Just let it go, she told herself. Don''t overthink it.
She tried not to care, but her dreams betrayed her anyway.
She dreamt of a pool filled with white mist, and finally, she saw his face clearly—
every bit of restraint and joy shining in his eyes.
"Do you really know who I am?" he asked.
He didn''t dare get too close, his gaze fixed on the flush in her cheeks.
Her eyes were full of confusion, but she reached out, grabbed his chin, and kissed
him.