EMBER’S POV

My heart is hammering. This isn’t the smooth, controlled Rafael I’ve come to expect. The one who never truly bared his cards. This is something else. Something… darker.

“That wasn’t for you.”

“No?” He leans in, close enough that I can smell his cologne — something warm and spiced, nothing like Knox’s addictive scent. “Because it felt like a message, querida. It felt like you were showing me exactly what I’m not allowed to have.”

“You’re not allowed to have it. That’s the point. I’m with Knox.”

“With Knox.” He says it like the words taste sour. “Yes. I saw exactly how with Knox you were. His hands...