Early morning.

Julian bhadn’t /bslept a wink, yet he was buzzing with energy. He traced the lines of the woman in his arms, his finger gliding from her. brow to her nose, then down to her chin. He punctuated the journey with a soft, adoring kiss on her lips.

He could kiss her forever.

If it weren’t for the daylight streaming in, he wouldn’t have stopped at all.

Afterst night, he finally understood. He’d been living on bread and water for twenty–eight years without even realizing what a feast tasted like. bIt /bwas barely a life.

He pressed another kiss to her smooth cheek. His eyes were soft, his lips curved into a smile that bmade /bhim lookpletely revitalized. He’d shed his emotional inhibitions overnight.

Sienna had never been bso /bexhausted. Every bone in her body ached. A tickling sensation on her face made her frown, and she lifted at hand to brush it away.

But her hand was caught, her fingertips gently nipped before being pressed against his bare chest.

“Too bhot/b.” Sienna mumbled, trying to push him away

Julian relented, shifting back a little but keeping bhis /barm wrapped around her.

An hourter, Sienna still showed no signs of waking Julian slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of ck silk pajama pants.

Julian tucked the nkets around her, ced a bfinal /bkiss on her brow, and quietly left the room.

Lana and Reno bsaw /bhim emerge and instinctively took a step back

“I’m going to make her something to eat. She’s fine bnow/b.” bJulian /bbsaid/b.

“Okay,” bLana /breplied.

As Lana led Reno away, Reno shot a fuming look at the bites band /bscratches marking Julian’s neck. Men were all animals.

“If the boss didn’t need a man, I could do the job just fine, Reno thought bitterly

“Hey, watch where you’re going.” Reno snapped

Reno, who had been sulking by the door, was knocked to the groundb. /bA sharp pain shot through her backside.

She red up at the person who’d run into her.

rk offered an apologetic grin. “Sorry, my bad. I didn’t mean to. I’m looking bfor /bmy boss. It’s urgent.”

He hurried past her and into the room.

Reno was seeing red. She shook her fist, but Lana stopped her. “Calm bdown/bb. /bHe’s with Mr. Ford”

“My ass hurts. I bet it’s bbruised/b. Reno grumbled.

“Tll put some cream on it for you. Come on, Lana bsaid /bwith a sigh.

Reno’s eyes lit up. “Really? Oh, Lana, you’re the best. Let’s go, it really, really hurts.”

“Sir, we might bhave /boverdone it with the drug. bThorn /bNoir bis /bstill out cold” rk said.

rk watched Julian carefully, his stomach churning with anxiety. He worried his bboss /bwould think he’d been reckless.

Hut Julian bdidn’t /blook displeased at all. In fact, he seemed happy.

10:35 AM c

rk felt a strange sense of dissonance. His boss was different. It was like he was a new man, though rk couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed.

“Sir?” rk called out bagain/b, noticing Julian was lost in ba /bsmile.

Julian finally snapped out of it, his mind still reying scenes from the night before. He cleared his bthroat/b.

“You were saying? Thorn? Let him sleep for a few more days. You’re in charge of bwatching /bhim. Just make sure nothing looks suspicious Julian said.

“Yes, Sir. And. Sir… what about my bonus this month?” rk asked carefully.

“Double it.”

rk was ecstatic. “You got it, Sir. I’ll bmake /bsure the job gets done.”

Julian prepared a light porridge and carried the bowl back to the bedroom.

He set it on the nightstand and leaned over the bed. “Sienna,” he whispered. “Are you hungry? How about you get up and eat something? I’ll feed you.”

Sienna’s eyes fluttered open. As consciousness returned, so did a full–body awareness of every sore muscle.