Her words—then don’t stop—hung between them like a fuse burning down to its final spark.

Mason’s grip on her wrists tightened, his chest pressing harder against hers as if by pinning her down he could still control himself. But her eyes… God, those eyes. Wide, fearless, shimmering with a mix of innocence and defiance. They dared him. They begged him.

And that was the moment he broke.

With a guttural curse, Mason’s mouth crashed down on hers. The kiss was nothing like the gentle restraint he’d practiced for years—it was violent, desperate, the sound of two people colliding after too long apart. Her lips opened under his instantly, her tongue...