Chapter 10: The Reckoning

The scent of expensive leather and an undercurrent of something dangerously potent – that was Wilder’s signature. Harper inhaled it now, a familiar comfort that always came with a jolt of adrenaline. She traced the lines of his jaw, the stubble a delightful rasp against her fingertips. They were draped over the plush sofa in his penthouse, the city lights a glittering tapestry far below. It had been a week of fragile peace, a fragile calm that felt as precarious as a house of cards in a hurricane.

“You’re quiet tonight, disaster,” Wilder murmured, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through her. His arm was a solid anchor around her waist, pulling her closer.

Harper chuckled, a sound that was more breath than noise. “Just appreciating the view. Both of them.” She nudged his chin with her nose, a playful challenge.