Better than any clumsy teenage kiss, better than any practiced date. This felt new and ancient at the same time. Like he was discovering me and remembering me all at once. I melted against him, dizzy, boneless, completely lost in the storm he’d become. He broke the kiss abruptly, only to reach for my blouse with the same ruthless urgency he’d used on the skirt. Fabric tore with a sharp rip, buttons scattering across the floor like tiny casualties. “We can’t do this, Mr. Chester,” I gasped, voice shaking. He hissed low in his throat, eyes flashing dangerously. “I told you— to call me Helio.” Before I could draw another breath, his fingers hooked into the front of my bra and shredded it like tissue paper. My breasts spilled free, heavy and exposed to the cool air of the room. His

