Kenneth stood near his desk, his hands drumming impatiently against the top as he waited for Mauve’s arrival. He hadn’t seen her in weeks, and the thought of her being here, now, stirred something inside him. He couldn’t deny the effect she had on him—she always had. From the moment they’d met, Mauve had been like a fire that consumed everything in her path, including him.

Then the door to his office opened, and there she was.

Mauve stepped inside, her platinum-blonde hair cut into a sharp bob that framed her face with perfect precision. Her red lipstick was bold, her fake lashes exaggerated her already striking eyes, and every...