Her heart faltered in an instant, and the air seemed to constrict around her. The shock struck hard and fast, and when reality took hold, her eyes flew open, staring up at the muddled sky.

Marcello had released her wrist, only to draw her tightly into his arms. His muscular frame caged her delicate waist, his embrace like unyielding bands of steel crushing her soft body against the rigid planes of his chest. Her feet no longer touched the ground; one slipper slipped free, abandoned.

The ...