The gravity of his words settles deep into my soul. For so long, I felt like a ghost walking through my own life.
I’ve been protected by my father’s name, hidden behind walls, watched over by men in leather cuts, yet completely alone in my own head. Knox tried to turn me into collateral. He tried to reduce my life to a line on a manifest, a bargaining chip in a violent game of power.
But with Locke, I am not collateral. I am not an outsider looking through the glass. I am seen, held, and cherished for exactly who I am. Loved for it, even.
He leans down, taking my mouth again, but this time the kiss shifts. The sweet, gentle reverent touch begins to build, catching a spark of that low, burning heat that never truly leaves the space between us, not ever.
"Locke..." I gasp out against h
