The sensation of kissing Leah was akin to plunging headfirst into the inferno of hell itself. Thomas thought. It ignited a blazing fire within him, a searing heat that coursed through his veins with an intensity that left him breathless. Thomas found himself unable to resist the primal urge to draw her closer, “Oh, Leah, my Leah,’ his hand instinctively finding its place on the back of her head, fingers entwining in the silken strands of her hair as he fervently deepened the kiss.For months, he had harboured a potent mixture of resentment and longing towards her, a tumultuous whirlwind of emotions that had consumed his every waking moment. And now, as their lips met in a fervent embrace, he was overwhelmed by a tidal wave of sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced before.Yet, as the kiss reached its zenith, Thomas couldn't help but feel a pang of disquiet gnawing at the edges of his consciousness. It wasn't just desire that fueled the intensity of the moment; it was Leah h

From the very moment Thomas laid eyes on Leah, resplendent in her wedding gown, radiating a captivating blend of sweetness and innocence with her shy yet elated smile, a seismic shift reverberated through the depths of his soul, stirring dormant emotions and igniting a fervent longing within him.Leah adorned herself in a simple yet elegant cream-coloured wedding dress, a stark contrast to the opulence often associated with such occasions. Her dark locks peeked out from beneath a delicate veil, framing her features with a soft halo of ethereal beauty, while she cradled flame-coloured roses in her unadorned hands, their vibrant hues a striking juxtaposition against her understated attire. There was an undeniable purity and authenticity about her, devoid of any pretence or artifice, her beauty emanating from within like a beacon of light amidst a world shrouded in darkness.As Thomas leaned in to bestow a fleeting kiss upon her lips, a tumultuous whirlwind of emotions consumed him, his

“I never lied to you.” His mouth pressed into a hard line as he stared down at her. “I said I wished to marry you and give the baby a name. Both of which are true.”She shook her head, fighting unbidden tears. “You made me believe you loved me,” she whispered. “You tricked me into marriage. Don’t you have any sense of honour—any honour at all?”“Honour!” Their faces were an inch apart as he looked at her with a sneer. “You accuse me of dishonour!”She felt suddenly afraid, trapped, his hard body over hers, his strong hands like shackles on her wrists.Then she felt his breath on her skin. Heard his breathing change as the mood between them electrified, changing from anger to something else. His grip on her wrists tightened, his gaze dropping to her mouth. Her heart stopped in her chest, then began to flutter wildly. Thum-thumm. Thumm-thum. She tingled from her lips to her breasts down to her deepest core.With a guttural inhalation, Thomas abruptly released Leah’s wrists, the force of

The moment Thomas felt Leah’s lips move against his, as she matched his fire with her own, a surge of reckless joy went through him that he could not control.He was going to take her right here in the alley. Against the wall. Damn the consequences.He would possess her now, even if he died for it.Leah’s breath came in little gasps as he slowly kissed up her neck, his arms tracing up and down her naked skin.“Why are you doing this?” she whispered. Feeling his mouth on her sent sparks down her body until she thought she might forget to breathe. “I did what you wanted. Why are you so angry? Why do you feel possessive because I danced with your friend—exactly as you wanted?”“Seeing all those other men lusting for you was never what I wanted,” he ground out.“Then why?” she managed as his hands stroked her roughly over the sequins of her dress. “Why are you killing me like this—kissing me one moment then pushing me away the next? As if you hate me? Why are you torturing me?”His hands

“And so I’ve been waiting for you to remember. Every place I’ve taken you, every memory I’ve hoped to reignite, was so you could tell me why.” Suddenly, she understood everything. “Not just that,” she whispered. “You wanted to punish me. It’s what you’ve wanted since the day you found me in London. You wanted revenge—” “Justice,” he corrected coldly. “But when you found out I was pregnant, that changed everything, didn’t it?” She gave a choked laugh, then covered her mouth with an intake of breath. “You felt you had to marry me because I was pregnant with your baby. You never loved me. All you wanted was to hurt me.” “I spent months trying to find you before you resurfaced at your father’s funeral. You’re a wealthy woman, Leah, so you couldn’t have betrayed me for money. So you must have done it out of love. You’re in love with Jake Skinner. It’s the only explanation.” She thought of the playboy with his bleached-white smile and shook her head. “I could never love him.” “Then wh