“Relax,” Harper drawled, fanning herself as if in a mock swoon. “From what I’ve heard, Mrs. Blackwood is the whole package—elegant, refined, strong as hell, runs everything with an iron fist. She’ll either adore you on the spot… or eat you alive. No pressure.”
Damien’s jaw tightened, his stare slicing across the table like a blade. One look, and Harper shrank back into her chair with both hands raised. “Kidding, kidding,” she muttered, though her grin betrayed her.
Maya forced out a laugh, but inside her stomach twisted tighter.
Damien stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the wood floor. His entire presence shifted—harder, colder. “James. How long?”
“An hour, maybe less,” James answered quickly.
The weight of his words dropped like a stone, silencing the cabana. Even the waves o
