“Levine?” My voice cracked under the weight of my longing, a tremor betraying my hope. I couldn’t tell if this was real or some cruel trick of my mind.

He turned, and the sight stole my breath. His eyes burned with fury, dark and unyielding, and his black hair fell in unruly waves over his shoulders. The man before me was no longer the one I remembered—something had shifted, hardened him, tempered him in ways I couldn’t yet understand.

My heart raced, and without thinking, I stepped ...