The morning smelled like coffee, gunpowder residue, and Theo's skin.
I woke tangled in white sheets that still carried the faint metallic scent of yesterday's violence. Sunlight poured through the bullet-proof glass, turning the bedroom gold. My body ached in the best way (thighs sticky, breasts heavy and tender, pussy swollen and full from the three slow, reverent times my husband had filled me before dawn).
Husband.
The word sent a fresh pulse of heat between my legs.
Theo stood at the window in nothing but black boxer briefs, bandage stark against his ribs, phone pressed to his ear. The city glittered behind him like it was bowing.
"Tell the board the merger is on hold until further notice," he said, voice cold steel. "And if Lucien surfaces in any territory I control, I want him detained. Permanently if necessary."
He ended the call and turned.
