Page 4 of The Temptation
January 17,2026
Declan was so lucky.I thought I was going to choke on my jealousy.
It was Declan’s birthday, and his fiancé had thrown him a spectacular party filled with loving friends and even some of Parker’s family from Arizona. But all that big, silent man cared about was the smile on his fiancé’s face and the baby in his arms.
Joy loved every second of the attention, the colorful balloons, and the snacks Declan regularly sneaked to the soon-to-be one-year-old.
When the family’s new nanny swept in to put the little princess to bed, Declan swapped the child for Parker, keeping his arm around Parker’s waist as if he couldn’t bear to be parted from him.
Even though Declan had always been reserved and withdrawn, it was easy to see how happy Parker made him.
And I wanted that.
I wanted it so badly, I could spit blood. Why didn’t I have someone who worried about whether I was cold, hungry, or tired?
Oh, that would be because I was a complete dumb-ass, hung up on a guy who couldn’t stand to be in the same room with me.
Yeah, I was the one who justhadto choose the hard route in life.
The usual crowd of close friends had shown up for Declan’s party. Even Pierce. There was no way he could bow out from this get-together and not appear to be a total douchebag for it.
Out of kindness to Declan, I was keeping a careful distance from him. There were roving groups of partygoers in almost every room on the first floor, and I tried to make sure I didn’t occupy the same room as Pierce. It wasn’t too hard. Declan had a large house and Parker had completed several murals on the walls, giving guests ample opportunity to peruse as they wandered about with their drinks and tiny plates of canapés.
As far as I could tell, Sebastian, Declan, and Rome hadn’t noticed my tactic yet.
“I take it he’s still being an asshole?”
My head snapped up to find Dr. Liam Rose standing next to me, a smirk twisting up the left corner of his mouth. It shouldn’t have been a shock that Rome’s new boyfriend had noticed my “subtle” movements.
He was looking good in slacks and a hunter-green V-neck cashmere sweater that complemented his dark-red hair. His eyes twinkled with mischief, reminding me that Declan wasn’t the only one who’d found the perfect boyfriend in life. Rome couldn’t have gotten a better match than Liam. They were both stubborn, hotheaded, and impulsive when they wanted to be, but they also had the same wicked sense of humor and deep loyalty.
“Pretty much,” I mumbled as we turned together from the front parlor and strolled through the less crowded foyer. “We haven’t talked. Or rather, I haven’t tried to talk to him.”
Liam was the only one in the group to know my shameful secret—I was still stupidly infatuated with Pierce Sutton. A normal person would have moved on after years passing with zero encouragement and far too much cold shoulder. But not me. Oh no, I had to cling to memories of the warm smile and gentle laugh I’d gotten tiny tastes of as a kid.
Part of me kept praying that I would gaze at him one day and wonder what I’d ever seen in him. That I would grow indifferent to him. Or that someone would cross my path who shone a thousand times brighter than Pierce ever could.
But it never happened, and Pierce remained Polaris: cold, distant, and shining, as if he were calling me to him.
“Tonight, I’m giving my pursuit of him a rest,” I announced, forcing a grin I didn’t feel. “It’s Declan’s birthday party, and I want him to enjoy time with all his friends on his special day.”
Liam grunted, appearing dissatisfied with my plan. “Are you sure you won’t tell Rome or Sebastian? They might be able to help.”
“No, they can’t know. I don’t want to mess up this group’s dynamic.”
A heavy sigh slipped from Liam, and he tossed back the rest of the amber liquid that remained in his crystal tumbler. “Do you have any idea how hard it’s beennotto tell Rome? We talk abouteverything. He’s worried Pierce’s shitty attitude is going to drive you away.”
I huffed a soft laugh. “Not likely.” If Pierce being an icy prig was going to drive me off, that would have happened a long time ago.
“That’s what I told him, but he’s still skeptical.”
“Yeah,” I muttered.
Pierce and I were at a crossroads. My stubborn infatuation had gone on for more than fifteen years, and since becoming an adult—moving me out of jailbait territory—we’d made zero progress. Pierce barely spoke to me, and that only made me more determined to overcome his stubbornness and prove that we’d be perfect together.
I lifted my eyes to my new friend and confidant and offered him a weak smile. “I’m sorry to have put you in the middle of things.”
Liam shook his head. “No, don’t be. I wish there was more I could do to help.”
