“Fine. I’ll marry you. But don’t think for a second that our agreement goes beyond the name. Try to touch me, ever, and you’ll suffer the abrupt withdrawal of my gift to you. In other words, I’ll take your life myself, and I’ll make sure you feel every second of your age catching up to you.”

Falcon didn’t know whether to feel thrilled or threatened. Yet he found himself laughing at her tone, her frown, and the way she glared at him like he was a piece of filth she couldn’t wait to scrape off her shoe.

And still, there she was, in his bedroom, wearing an oversized brown pajamas,...