Three days had passed since Samuel had taken flight. Alyssa counted every hour, every minute, while Kaio kept her distracted with tantalizing stories and touches that left her skin aflame — but he never crossed the line. It was as if they both knew that any step taken without Samuel would amount to a true betrayal.

When the front door finally creaked open that night, Alyssa was ready.

"Where have you been?" Alyssa materialized in the entrance hall like a ghost, clad only in a sheer ...