Page 60 of Theirs to Corrupt

I was wrong about him.Once again.

“Shall we?” he asks as a clerk waves us over.

Link pulls out a credit card and pays the fee.

In less time than I imagined possible, we’re issued an official license.

Document in hand, Link turns to me.

Then, with a wicked smile, he leans in close, stealing the air I need to breathe. “Too late to escape now, little dove.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Tessa

“This is where I say goodnight.”

Link’s words hang in the air, heavy.

I frown.

We just had an amazing dinner, and I had no idea he wasn’t planning on us spending the evening together.

He reaches past me to press the Down button on the elevator.

“Leave?” I ask.

“I have an appointment.”

With who?

All through the meal at a table tucked away in a private alcove, both men were totally attentive.

A candle had flickered on our table, next to a small vase filled with tiny flowers. Soft jazz played in the background, and the nighttime view of the city took my breath away.

We’d dined European-style, and for the first time since this nightmare began, my tension slipped away.

Now, as we wait for the elevator, that bubble of normalcy bursts.

“I’ll be back soon,” Link promises, his voice low and reassuring.

He leans in, dropping a casual yet intimate kiss on the top of my head. The tender gesture sends a shiver down my spine.

His elevator arrives with a soft chime, and he enters the compartment, Torin a silent shadow behind him.

Link pulls out his phone, and a moment later, he vanishes from view.

“You knew he had plans?” I ask Pax.

“I did.” He offers no explanation.

For a moment, I stand there, staring at the closed doors, a thousand questions swirling in my mind.

Pax presses the button to summon an elevator for us.

Its arrival interrupts my thoughts, and Pax gently guides me inside with his palm against the middle of my back. His touch is both grounding and electrifying.

We’re not alone. Mira steps in, followed by a man I don’t recognize. He’s wearing a suit that screamssecurity,and he positions himself in front of Pax and me, his stance mirroring Torin’s earlier posture.

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