Page 57 of Forbidden Access

She looked off into the distance, and instead of the pinched expression she’d had since she got here, there was an almost peacefulness about her now.

“I know, but I still owe you an apology.” She paused. “I’ve done some thinking, and some tidying up, and I’m feeling much better.”

He stared, puzzled. “I’m glad.”

She gave a self-deprecating chuckle. “No more emotional outbursts, I promise.”

“I was glad to be able to help.” He paused. “At least, I hope I helped.”

A soft smile that made his heart sing. “You did.”

Something had shifted between them—he could feel it, even if he didn’t fully understand it. For the first time since they’d come to this farmhouse, he allowed himself to hope. Hope that whatever demons she’d conquered would leave a little space in her heart for him.

“How about a run?”

Damian glanced up from the book he’d started reading, one of Jaden’s, and broke into a grin. “Sounds good.”

The sun was dipping low in the sky when they set off, casting long shadows across the dry, cracked earth. The air was still thick with heat, but it had lost its punishing edge, making it just bearable enough to work out.

Damian fell into an easy rhythm beside Thorn, his boots crunching against the gravel as they made their way down the dusty path leading away from the farmhouse.

It felt great. Damn, did he need this.

The steady thud of his feet on the ground, the way his breath synchronized with Thorn’s—there was something oddly calming about it. A little too calming, given the storm of emotions swirling inside him.

He glanced over at Thorn, noting the ease in her stride, the way she seemed almost... light. Maybe she really had moved on. Her shoulders were less rigid, and there was a faint smile that tugged at her lips.

He didn’t know what to make of that.

It was like she’d finally let go of whatever had been holding her back. It made her even more irresistible, and that scared the hell out of him.

“Race you to that old tree?” Her voice cut through his thoughts, light and teasing.

Damian blinked, caught off guard by the challenge. “You serious?”

Her grin widened, and she took off without another word, sprinting ahead of him. For a second, he just stood there, watching her go, the sway of her hips almost hypnotic.

Then his competitive streak kicked in, and he surged forward, his longer strides quickly closing the distance between them.

She was fast, but he had the advantage of power. Within moments, he was right behind her, close enough to hear her laugh—an honest-to-God laugh—something that made his chest tighten in ways he didn’t want to examine too closely.

He pushed himself harder, and just as they reached the old, gnarled tree that marked the end of their makeshift race, he caught up to her. They both skidded to a stop, panting and out of breath, grinning like idiots.

Damian couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this free.

“You almost had me there,” he said between breaths, leaning forward with his hands on his knees.

Thorn brushed a strand of hair away from her face, her eyes sparkling with something that made his stomach flip. “Almost? I think I did.”

“Not quite,” he shot back, a playful edge in his tone. “You were just lucky I let you get a head start.”

“Is that so?” She raised an eyebrow, still catching her breath. “Well, next time, I won’t go so easy on you.”

Damian chuckled, shaking his head as he straightened up. His pulse was still racing, but not just from the run. The air buzzed around them, like it had after the live music at the taverna.

He wasn’t sure how to handle it, this new side to Thorn—the side that flirted, that smiled like she didn’t have the weight of the world on her shoulders.

His body did, however.

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