“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Ford settles me on my back, and I almost expect panic to take over, putting a stop to this before it begins. But the weight of his body isn’t suffocating. Instead, it’s the strength that grounds me in a place where pain and fear reign.

“I’ve wanted you for so long.” His quiet voice amplifies the confession.

“Then why didn’t you do something about it, when you had the chance?”

He searches my face, hesitation tugging at the corners of his eyes. “You made me rethink things I wrote off once I understood how the system works.”

“What kinds of things?”

“Monogamy. You almost made me reconsider my views on it.”

“Almost?”

“I’ll always be a fuckboy, baby girl.”

I cradle his cheek, taking in his sad, intoxicated stare. “You’re more than that.”

A tease of a smile, then his lips trail down my neck, igniting every nerve in their path. He bites lightly through the silk bodice, teeth closing over a stiffened peak, and I fail to breathe as his hand glides up my thigh, fingers skimming the edge of my panties.

“Don’t stop,” I plead, tilting my hips toward him.

As he slips a finger under the hem, the door to his bedroom bursts open, and I find the silhouette of Liam, towering on the threshold like a sentinel.

4

“Remove your hands.” The words cut low and lethal, infiltrating the space with every ounce of Liam’s authority. Ford springs to his feet as the chancellor enters the room, and my gaze darts between them. He opens his mouth to speak, but Liam halts him with a lift of his hand.

“Leave us,” he commands, voice ice-cold and unyielding. His fists clench, tension coiled tight beneath his suit, but it’s the narrowing of those deep umber eyes that flips on the loudest of alarms.

“You’re in my house,” Ford points out, squaring his shoulders.

“I wasn’t asking.”

A silent stand-off ensues, fraught with unsaid threats, until Ford gives voice to them.

“Are you going to summon the Brotherhood?”

“That isn’t necessary.” Liam folds his arms. “Now get out before I change my mind.”

With a heavy sigh, Ford casts a remorseful glance at me before making his way into the hall.

As soon as the door shuts, Liam lowers onto the couch beside me. “I only need to know one thing,” he says, letting the moment stretch. “Did he use force?”

“You know he didn’t.”

He hangs his head, then glances at me again, unable to hide the accusation in his pained gaze. “We’re going to walk out of here as if nothing happened. No one can know about this. Do you understand?”

My stomach twists with nausea as I try to shake the weight of my actions, but it clings to my chest. “I understand.”