I on your own will 1 In her heart, Sienna thought, ‘Only when you’re both strong enough to stand at the very top of this world on your own wi our of your lives. Then you… Winifred stared at her in shock.

ever step

Sienna’s voice was gentle, like a warm breeze drifting into Winifred’s heart. “I’m not nning on getting married anytime soon. I’ll be here with you for a long, long time.

Winifred finally let out ba /bbreath she’d been holding, hugging Sienna tightly.

Julian stood quietly at the doorway, listening. He lowered his eyes, then turned and headed into the kitchen to ask Lana if Winifred had any food preferences.

He could understand Sienna’s sisters. After she left, the Hart family copsed, and the girls blost /btheir pir–the only one who ever trily bloved /bthem. Now that she was back, they didn’t want to lose their b“/bbsun/b” band /bwere terrified that it might be taken away from them.

Winifred kept reying the moment when Fay saved her. Something about it just didn’t sit right, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Restless, she got up, nning to go find Sienna.

That was when she bsaw /bJulian, dressed bin /breal pajamas, quietly slipping into her sister’s roo

room.

Winifred

suffered, a shiver running through her as she awkwardly turned and hurried back to her own room.

Him Winifred’s mind screamed.

“It’s the middle of the night. Just the two of them alone? she thought, her heart pounding with unease.

Winifred’s eyes burned with fury. “What is he doing going into my sister’s room? What the hell does he want? she fumed.

to?”

What bis /bhe up to she thought, her mind racing with suspicion.

Winifred mmed her fist into her pillow in bfrustration/b. She wasn’t a child. She knew exactly bwhat /bthis meant. But just imagining Sienna being touched by some guy made her feel sick to her bstomach /b

She was seriously pissed off Should I just take him out myself? That would settle everything once and for all, she thought darkly.

No, Sienna said she likes him, Winifred fumed, clenching her teeth.

The more she stewed over it, the angrier she got. She stomped off to the gym and started wailing on the punching bag, trying to vent ball /b

her frustration.

“What brings byou /bhere?” Sienna was still busy working at her desk.

Julianb, /bwalked up behind her and gently started massaging her shoulders. “I’ve got something to handle tomorrow, so I might have to head out for a bit

“Need me to help? Sienna basked/bb. /b

Julian gave her a soft smile. “Rx, I’m not that fragi

fragile. Sienna… We will be together forever, right?”

He bent down, resting bhis /bchin lightly on her head, bhis /bbvoice /bcarrying a trace bof /buncertainty

He already knew about her history with Thorn. Even though he bunderstood /bbthat /bher feelings for Thom were nothing more than a sliver of gratitude, he still couldn’t help but feel uneasy

If the ever found out what I did to Thorn behind her back, would she end up bhating /bme?‘ he wondered.

Sienna turned to face him, intertwining their fingers. Their eyes met, and with her other hand, she tagged down his cor, pressing a grutle kiss to the corner of his lips.

“Yes,” she whispered.

bJulian /bdropped to his knees, wrapped his arms around her bwaist/bb, /band deepened the kiss.

b10:26 /bbAM /b

Sienna closed her eyes, only breaking the kiss when everyst bit of air had been stolen from her blungs/b,

Her cheeks burned crimson. The once cool, untouchable goddess now pulled from her pedestalb, /bswept into the depths of desire by Julian.

Julian swallowed,pletely losing bany /bself–control he had in front of her. All he wanted was to follow his heart.

He trailed kisses down her face, his heavy breaths hot against her neck, while Sienna’s bslender/bb, /bpale fingers tangled in his bhair/b.

Julian’s hand slipped beneath her white nightgown, his touch both tender and burning with longing as he drew her closer.

With one arm around her waist, he gently lifted her andid her down on the bed.

The restraint in his deep eyes melted away as he gazed at her flushed lips, the gentle rise and fall of her chest, her scent lingering sweetly in the air.

With restraint shattered, bdesire /bbwas /bfinally set free from its cage.

Julian’s gentle blook /btransformedb, /btuming intense and possessive in an instant.

E