Liam’s breath brushed against the sensitive skin of Olívia’s neck before the words came—low, firm, undeniable.— Where do you think you’re going dressed like that? — he said into her ear, without raising his voice. — I’m not letting you walk out like this.Only then did he press a kiss there—a slow, deliberate kiss, pure dominance—right where he had just caught the scent of her skin.It was enough.Olívia shoved his chest hard enough to make him take half a step back. She struggled in his arms until he finally let her go. The moment her feet touched the floor, she moved away, quickly adjusting her dress with an impatient gesture, then ran a hand through her hair, rebuilding her composure piece by piece.Liam stepped back two paces, drawing in a deep breath, his eyes locked on her with an intensity that didn’t reveal whether it was irritation, desire, or both. Then, without looking away, he opened the bedroom door with a firm motion.The hallway was empty.He shut the door again, preci

Alex let out a slow hm. He tilted his head slightly, studying his friend with the precision of someone who already knew it was going to be messy—he just didn’t know how bad.And Liam kept going.— When I realized someone was listening behind the door… — he said, clenching his jaw — I said a few things to make whoever was outside believe it was just a couple’s fight. — He paused. Took a deep breath. — But… some of those things were true. — he admitted in a tense whisper. — And she didn’t believe a word of it.Alex leaned back into the couch, resting his elbow on the back as he crossed one leg over the other, calm and composed.— Why would it be any different? — he asked, lightly ironic. Then his eyes narrowed, dropping the teasing. — And then? — he added, taking it seriously again.Liam ran a hand over the back of his neck, frustrated, irritated with himself.— Then I pinned her against the door. — he said without looking away. — And I kissed her. It was inevitable.Alex blinked slowly

The electronic beat throbbed through the nightclub floor as if it had a life of its own, climbing through the legs and chest of everyone who crossed the doorway. LED lights sliced through the room in streaks of color, shifting between pink, blue, and violet, casting hypnotic reflections across bodies moving to the music.The moment the three women stepped inside, Isis threw her hands into the air, already laughing, already buzzing, completely charged by the atmosphere around her.“Ladies...” she said, pressing a hand to her chest in dramatic disbelief. “This is officially the first time I, Isis Murphy, have entered a club without standing in line. The Holt last name really is a VIP pass to everything. Seriously, those doors opened like the Red Sea for Moses. I’m shaken.”Laura laughed, bright and full of life.“Enjoy it while it lasts, babe,” she said. “Because along with the VIP treatment comes a full package of drama, therapy, and security guards following you all the way to the bat

Liam raised the glass to his lips before allowing his gaze to drift down toward the dance floor. He was in no hurry. Showed no urgency. At least, that was the version of himself he insisted on maintaining. Absolute control, always.But when he finally turned his head toward the crowd below... one second was enough.He found her.Olivia stood right in the center of the room, as if she were the only illuminated point in the entire club. She laughed, danced, and moved with instinctive grace, as though she belonged to the music itself. She tossed her hair back in a gesture so natural she didn’t even realize it drew eyes to her. She glowed, completely unaware of the effect she had.There was something different about her.A natural sensuality. Spontaneous. Free.A lightness that only appeared when he wasn’t near.And that hit Liam in a way he hated admitting—even to himself.He loved her. That was no longer a secret, not even to him.But loving Olivia did not make him a better man.It made

Olivia looked at his hands on her shoulders… then lifted her gaze with that stubborn courage that always made Liam lose his balance.“I know exactly what you’re capable of,” she said calmly. “Let me go.”Liam released her immediately, but did not break eye contact.“We’re leaving. Now,” he said, every word a command wrapped in ice.Olivia held his stare—that look of hers that always dared to challenge him—then turned away with infuriating ease. She opened her purse, took out her lipstick, and leaned toward the mirror as if Liam weren’t standing a few steps away from losing control.“How am I supposed to go back to the dance floor without touching up my lipstick?” she murmured, her voice low, almost syrupy.She applied it slowly, the red gliding over her lips with calculated precision. Through the reflection, she met his eyes and gave him the same look from the lingerie photo—the one that had made him cross lines he would never admit he had crossed.She put the lipstick away.Then turn