Kate stood with her back to him, phone pressed to her ear, wearing a smile Grayson hadn't seen on her all day. "Don't say things like that, sweetheart…" she murmured, laughing softly. Sweetheart… Sweetheart?! Grayson's brow twitched. He walked toward her slowly, silently, jaw clenched, every step measured. "I swear, I can't stop thinking about you either…" Her voice stayed soft, warm—almost caressing. Grayson's stomach twisted. A sharp, stupid ache shot through his chest, like someone yanked on a loose wire. Another pause. "My love! I already told you that's not funny." Grayson stopped half a meter behind her, eyebrows drawn tight, jealousy bubbling through him like acid. Who the hell was my love? And why did she sound like she was absolutely smitten? He was about to snatch the phone out of her hand when his own rang abruptly in his pocket. He let out a frustrated growl, yanked it out, and answered without taking his eyes off Kate. "What the hell do you want?" "

Kate crouched beside the desk and started typing like her life depended on it. Trent's unconscious body lay sprawled on the floor, and Grayson kept staring at him as if he still hadn't decided whether to kill him or stomp on his face. Mason guarded the door. "Did you really have to kiss him?" Grayson muttered as he stepped closer to the businessman. He nudged Trent's side with his foot—not hard, but definitely not gentle. Kate didn't even look up. "Relax, it was just a second," she said, fingers flying across the keyboard. "And it worked, didn't it?" "Worked, she says…" Grayson scoffed. "Sure. It worked. But it looked like you were enjoying every damn second." "Oh, how sweet. Are you worried about me?" Kate smiled wickedly, eyes still on the screen. "Calm down. My lipstick has more poison than a bitter mother-in-law. Trent should be grateful he's still breathing." Mason snorted from behind the door. "God, the two of you are a disaster. You should film yourselves. You'd be m

Grayson moved toward her, his mouth never leaving hers, kissing her with a hunger he had been holding back for far too long. The heat between them was palpable, electric. When he finally pulled back for just a breath, his blue eyes showed his desire… and something more dangerous: possession. "You've been playing with fire, Kate." His voice was rough. "Did you really think I wouldn't make you pay for every time you tempted me?" She parted her lips to answer, but Grayson was already claiming them again in a searing kiss, his hands going straight to the knot of her towel. Cool air rushed over her bare skin, but she barely registered it, because Grayson's hands were already exploring her, gripping her hips before sliding upward with a fierce kind of worship to her breasts. "God… you've always driven me insane, Kate." He muttered it against her mouth before dropping his lips to her nipple and sucking with intent. Kate shut her eyes and tipped her head back with a gasp. Between her l

Kate woke to sunlight slipping through the curtains. Warmth touched her skin, and she frowned before opening her eyes. The sun was high. It was most likely late. Then, like a sudden slap, flashes of the night before rushed in. Grayson's body over hers. His rough voice saying her name. His eyes… Heat climbed her neck in a slow, traitorous wave. She turned, expecting to find him beside her. The space was empty. "Typical of him to vanish." She hissed the words, jaw tight. She pushed the sheets aside, ready to get up, when the door opened. Grayson walked in as if it were the most natural thing in the world, wearing jeans and a gray T-shirt that clung to his torso. He held a few paper bags in his hands. His smile hit her first, soft and disarming. "Morning," he said in that voice that always scrambled her thoughts. The butterflies in her stomach woke instantly. She pulled the sheets higher out of instinct. She swallowed hard. She felt strange… and complicated. "I'm… going to

Two days had passed since they returned from Vienna. Grayson sat in his office, slouched in his black leather chair, his suit jacket open and his tie hanging loose. The laptop in front of him still showed the documents he'd pulled up hours ago. He didn't remember opening them. He hadn't touched a thing. Everything was ready for him to fly back to Chicago. The private jet could take off the second he gave the order. He just… wasn't giving it. Something held him back. That something was Kate. After rejecting him, she hadn't answered a single call. She'd even blocked him—on her phone, on her personal email, and on every social platform she had. Mason confirmed it once he got access. "She's in glacier mode. Give her space." Like that was remotely possible. And to make it worse, she wasn't even sleeping at the mansion. He'd forced it out of Thomas, the gardener, with a mix of pressure and suspicion. The old man hadn't said it outright, but the way he looked down and scratched th