I hadn’t so much as skimmed my fingers over the cover page when Asher came through the front door. A jolt of surprise swallowed my voice and made my heartrate jump, forcing me to snap the book shut and slip it back into my bag.

Asher rounded the corner and appeared in the kitchen before I could question my sneaky behavior and why the feeling churning in my gut told me to keep the book a secret—even from him.

The next few hours I spent with Asher were anything but relaxing. Even after taking out the rest of my frustration in the cushy master suite he had designed for us, there was still plenty weighing on my mind. I’d always envied Chelsea for her lack of conscience, especially lately.

Both Maya and I knew that keeping Cordelia’s book was wrong and that thievery, no matter how it happened, had consequences. The urge to return it with a heartfelt apology was strong, but there was something even more powerful brewing in the back of my mind.

It had found it’s way into my bag for a reason,