The last sentence of Charles Vane's handwritten letter hung in the warm air of the master suite like a sacred promise.

Clara stood motionless for a few seconds, holding the thick white paper against her chest. Her heart beat wildly inside her ribs, filled with a deep, wonderful sense of destiny. Her father had planned everything. He had looked into the future and trusted his three adopted sons to stand as her eternal protectors and loving husbands.

Lucian let out a deep, rumbling sigh of pure emotion. He buried his face deeper into the crook of Clara's neck, his warm lips pressing a slow, tender kiss against her smooth skin....