As if a switch had been flipped, I realized I wasn't just talking about tonight with Lucy, but about Hendry and me. My heart ached for something like forever with him. Or as forever as I could get with this damned collar around my neck. I would take what I could get.

I lifted onto my tiptoes, my lips parted, my heartbeat crashing until it hummed a steady note. A muscle twitched in his jaw. He settled his free hand on my hip, pushing me away while his fingers dug into the ...