But all the while, she couldn’t help but wonder if the feel of his kisses still lingering on her skin revealed the true story: that where Darius was concerned, she wasn’t in control of anything at all.

“No, Miss Adler,” Nathalie’s client said to her over the phone the following afternoon,

“there’s no way I can get there earlier. My son is sick, so I couldn’t take him to day care. But my husband will be home by five, and it will only take me fifteen minutes to get to your office.”

Nathalie breathed deeply, then calmly replied,

“That’s fine. These things happen, and I hope your son feels better...