The kiss was fierce and desperate, years of restraint pouring out in that single moment. It wasn’t gentle but raw, reckless, and fueled by everything he had never dared to say.

Candice stiffened in shock at first, her hands pressing against his chest. Her eyes widened, breath caught between them as his lips moved against hers, demanding, unyielding.

“Osman—” she tried to say, but the sound dissolved into a sharp inhale as his grip tightened slightly, not hurting her, just anchoring ...