When Love Is a Lie

Noel lifted whitney with ease and placed her on the desk, itis hands rested on either side of her, and his intense gaze locked onto hers. There was a storm brewing in his dark eyes, and whether it empted depended entirely on her next m

But Whitney wasn tone to hack down

“Am I your time or vour pet? Why should I listen to you?” she snapped, leaning slightly back to keep some space between them. Her hands braced against the desk, but she winced, forgetting that her lett wrist still wasn’t fully heated

Not need inmediately. He polled ber doser, cently supporting her inom

you want to be my pet?” he said, histone mocking. “I could make you my canary–kept, pampered, and caged.”

“Are you delusional?

hot back, heranger flaring,

Acar meant woman who was kept with na freedom and no identity of her own. The thought made her stomach chum. She would never be that person. His words weren’t just insulting they were degrading

(what’s your plan?” Noel leaned in, his voice low and war against her ear. “Why are you playing nice with Stachel?!

His breath brushed her skin, and his lips grazed her railobe as he spoke. The unintentional intimacy sent an welcome shiver down her spine

It’s none of your business,” she hissed, poshing him away.

He didn’t budge. His tall, leantime towered over her, and his piercing eyes searched herster a crack in her defiance.

Without warming, Neel grabbed the back of her head and kissed her hard. There was no tendemess in the kiss–it was a mix of punishment and frustration—in

het ista

“Mm You

to protest, twisting her head to break free. Her lips

waist sharply, and she instinctively gasped. He took the

of air post when she thought she

a low grow. “What are you planning with Rachel?

hers, unrelenting. He suspected that Damian had refused to break off the engagement and do something unforgivable

common ground and decided to team

furiously, her fingertips

concem,” she said coldly.

scupped. “You made me a

with defiance. “You forced that promise out of

him, ber anger matching his Neither of them was

breaking the tention Whitney glanced at the screen. “I need

grab the phone she checked the caller

my life anymore,” she told Noel firmly. “We’re done. Let’s keep it that way. You

I’ll go

With that, the

the dida

her plans. The less he knew, the better. If he found out she intended to send Damian to prison, would he help or stop

enough to believe she meant that much to him. It push came to shove, he’d probably protect his family. She couldn’t afford to take that

retumed the real estate agent’s call “Sorry, I was busy earlier,” she