Vera rubbed her tired eyes and glanced at the clock on her computer screen. 9:17 p.m. The office was silent except for the low hum of the air conditioner and the faint honk of cars far below on the city streets. She was thirty-two, stuck in a life that felt like a comfortable cage—same desk, same deadlines, same husband who barely looked at her anymore. Tonight she had stayed late again, telling herself it was for the extra pay. Really, she just didn’t want to go home to nothing.
The knock on the glass door made her jump. She looked up and forgot how to breathe for a second.
Marcus stood there in a dark shirt, sleeves rolled up over strong forearms. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a calm face that somehow made her stomach tighten. His eyes were dark and direct, like he could see stra
