Chapter Eighteen

Leo

I stood in front of the mirror, buttoning up my shirt.

I reached for the brush and ran it through my hair. Brynn had always liked when my hair had a bit of that messy, just-rolled-out-of-bed look. I chuckled to myself, thinking about the night we’d just shared.

After we’d gone to her room, we hadn’t wasted any time. We made love again, but it was different than before—slower, more deliberate. It wasn’t about the heat or the rush. Every touch felt familiar yet new, like we were learning each other all over again. I could still feel the softness of her skin under my fingertips, and the way she sighed when I kissed her neck. We took our time, no need for words, just us wrapped up in each other like the years hadn’t passed.

I shook my head, trying to focus on the day ahead, but the memories clung to me like the scent of her still on my skin. The way her body had felt in my arms, the way she whispered my name when we were together—it all made my chest tighten in the best possible way. She wasn’t just someone I used to know. She was Brynn. She was my Brynn.

I buttoned the cuffs of my shirt and adjusted the collar, giving myself one last look in the mirror. Satisfied, I slipped on a pair of black leather shoes and straightened. I was ready for the day, but that didn’t mean my mind had left last night behind.

I stepped out of my room and made my way down the hallway to Brynn’s door. My hand hesitated for a second before I knocked. The echo of the knock sounded louder than it should have in the quiet house, and for a moment, I felt a strange rush of nerves. Ridiculous, I thought. After everything we’d shared last night, why was I suddenly nervous?

The door opened, and there she was.

Damn.

My heart leapt in my chest, like it always had when she walked into a room. Even after all these years, she had that same effect on me. Standing there in front of me, Brynn looked… breathtaking. She wasn’t dressed up or anything—just casual, simple clothes that hugged her body in all the right ways—but it wasn’t the clothes that took my breath away. It was her. The way her hair tumbled down around her shoulders, the glow on her skin, the light in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. The way she smiled at me, soft and knowing, like she was thinking about last night too.

She was all mine again. Hell, she had always been mine, even during the years we weren’t together. I still loved her. That love had never gone away. Even when we were apart, even when our lives had taken us in completely different directions, there had always been a part of me that belonged to her. Now, I could feel that same pull, that same connection that had brought us together all those years ago.

“Good morning,” she said, her voice soft and teasing.

I couldn’t help but grin. “Good morning, beautiful.”

Her cheeks flushed just slightly at the compliment, and damn if that didn’t make my heart race all over again. I stepped closer, unable to resist the pull between us. She stepped aside to let me in, and as I walked past her, I reached out and brushed my fingers against hers, a subtle touch that sent sparks through me.

Brynn closed the door behind us, and for a moment, we just stood there, the weight of what we’d rekindled last night still lingering in the air between us. I reached out, pulling her close, my hand resting on the small of her back.

“You know,” I said quietly, my lips grazing her ear, “I don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of seeing you like this.”

Her arms slid up around my neck, her fingers threading through the hair at the nape of my neck, and she tilted her head up to look at me. “Like what?” she asked, her voice a whisper.

“Like you’re mine,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended. “Because you are, Brynn. You’ve always been mine.”

Her eyes softened, and she reached up, brushing a strand of hair from my forehead. “And you’ve always been mine,” she whispered back.

I leaned in, pressing my forehead to hers. For a moment, we just stood there, breathing each other in. We belonged to each other, no matter what had happened, no matter how many years had passed.

After a moment, I pulled back slightly, my hand still resting on her waist. “You ready today?” I asked.

The mention of what was going to happen today sobered us both.

Candace.

I clenched my jaw at the thought of her. Candace had been a thorn in my side for too long, and today was the first real chance we had to deal with her. I wasn’t going to feel any kind of peace until she was six feet in the ground, and even then, it might take a while to shake off the memories of what she’d done. But this was the first step.

We needed to convince her that Guy Maranga was still alive. If we could pull that off, if we could make her believe it, then we could get her where we needed her—at Wyndemere. After that… well, she wouldn’t be causing anyone any more trouble.

Brynn let out a heavy sigh, drawing me back to the present. She had a tension about her that wasn’t usually there, her shoulders stiff, her lips pressed together in a tight line. This wasn’t easy for her. None of it had been. But she’d stepped up, like she always did.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”