Annabelle’s skin prickled with a coldness that seeped deeper than the air around her.

His voice was sharp and unyielding.

Each word was cutting her down and leaving her chilled inside.

The sheer cruelty in his tone made her want to shrink away.

To swallow every word she had spoken earlier.

She fleetingly wished she had not acted so recklessly.

Still, she knew it was necessary.

This was how she could take charge of her wayward heart and accept what he was willing to give without acting the fool.

Her earlier tirade echoed in her mind,

And for a fleeting moment, she thought she had seen pain flicker across his...