Selena watched Detective Jace Monroe from across the room as he scanned her apartment with practiced ease. He moved like a man used to being obeyed, his presence commanding without force. His dark leather jacket stretched across broad shoulders, and there was something simmering just beneath his calm expression something wild, barely restrained.
He turned to her, brows drawn tight. "How long have you known Adrian Kane?"
She folded her arms, the silk of her robe slipping slightly down one shoulder. "Long enough to know this isn't a casual inquiry."
Jace didn't smile. His eyes dark, intense, unreadable remained locked on hers. "There's a lot of money missing. Wire transfers. Ghost accounts. And someone close to Mr. Kane is behind it."
Selena's heart skipped. "And you think that someone is me?"
"I think you're not telling me everything."
She stepped forward, the sway of her hips accentuated by the sway of her robe. "That's not the same thing as being guilty, Detective."
His gaze dropped, just briefly, to the exposed skin of her leg. "No. But it makes you very interesting."
The tension grew taut. Air thick with something that wasn't just suspicion. Her breath slowed. His jaw clenched. The line between interrogation and seduction was thinning.
"Are you always this charming when grilling suspects?" she asked.
He tilted his head slightly. "Only when the suspect's lying."
She laughed low, smoky, a sound that curled between them like silk. "I'm not lying, Jace. But I'm not innocent either."
His brow lifted. "Is that a confession?"
"No," she said, stepping close enough to feel the heat of his body. "It's a complication."
He didn't retreat.
Selena brushed past him, pouring a glass of wine in the kitchen. "Want some?"
"I'm working."
"Suit yourself." She sipped, her eyes not leaving his.
Jace's voice deepened. "I want to know why Adrian Kane opened a secret offshore account under your name."
The wine glass stilled in her hand. "Come again?"
"Discovered it this morning. Hidden behind layers of encryption. That takes skill. Or motive."
Selena crossed the space between them slowly, the hem of her robe whispering against her thighs. "You think I'd betray Adrian like that?"
"I think a mistress can turn into a liability. Especially if she realizes she was just entertainment."
"I wasn't just a mistress," she snapped. "I was... more."
"Then tell me everything."
The heat shifted. No longer the fire of accusation, but of curiosity... and desire.
She reached out and lightly ran her fingers along his chest. "You want truth, Detective?"
"Always."
"Then stop pretending this is only about the case."
The second before he kissed her, the world stilled. Then his lips were on hers rough, urgent. She tasted the tension he tried so hard to control. His hands slid into her hair, tilting her head as the kiss deepened. Her robe slid down completely, baring her to his gaze.
He groaned against her lips and lifted her onto the kitchen counter, pushing between her thighs as her arms clung to his shoulders. Their mouths moved feverishly tongues dueling, breaths mingling. Her nails scraped lightly down his chest as she pulled at his shirt.
His jacket dropped to the floor, followed by his gun holster, then shirt buttons scattered as her eager fingers pulled them apart. She kissed his chest, biting lightly at his skin. Jace let out a sharp breath and gripped her hips tightly.
He bent down, his lips trailing down her neck, over her collarbone, then lower still. Her back arched as his mouth found sensitive places that hadn't been touched in too long. She whimpered when he parted her thighs further, lowering to kiss her inner thighs, his stubble scraping deliciously against her skin.
"This is reckless," he whispered between kisses.
"This is overdue," she replied, pulling him back up.
He entered her with slow, deliberate force, drawing a gasp from her lips. They moved together, skin on skin, rhythm building with every breath and moan. Each thrust, each kiss, every whispered curse was a surrender to something neither could stop.
They moved to the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothing behind. Jace laid her down gently, brushing strands of hair from her face. Then he took her again slower this time, exploring, learning every inch of her. He kissed her deeply, possessively, and when she cried out his name, something inside him unraveled.
They collapsed together, tangled in satin sheets, breathless.
After some time passed, Selena curled into his chest, fingers tracing the edge of a scar above his ribs. "Where did you get this?"
"Old job. Undercover narcotics. Went sideways."
"You don't talk much about your past, do you?"
"No one listens unless it's about blood or betrayal."
She kissed the scar gently. "I'm listening."
He ran his hand down her back, settling it on her hip. "You should be careful, Selena. Secrets like the ones you're keeping... they have a cost."
"So do feelings like these," she whispered.
They lay in silence. But her thoughts churned.
If Adrian had put that account in her name, what was he planning? Was she a scapegoat or a pawn in a bigger game?
Jace sat up, dressing quietly. The detective had returned.
"I'll be in touch," he said, heading for the door.
Selena sat up, clutching the sheets to her chest. "Jace?"
He turned.
"Be careful. Adrian... he doesn't forgive betrayal."
Jace's expression hardened. "Neither do I."
The door clicked shut.
Selena let her hand rest on her stomach, feeling the flutter that had nothing to do with lust.
She wasn't just carrying secrets now. She was carrying Adrian's child.
...
Elsewhere, in a mansion veiled in quiet luxury, Vivienne Kane stood by the window, watching raindrops streak down the glass like tears.
In her gloved hand, she held a photograph Adrian and Selena at a gala, unaware of the camera that had captured their illicit gaze.
She dropped the photo into the roaring fireplace.
"You always underestimated me, Adrian," she whispered. "But I'm done being the elegant wife who waits in silence."
The flames devoured the image as she turned, the glint of revenge gleaming in her eyes.
"I'm going to ruin you. Both of you."