KAEL
I didn't look back after kissing her.
Didn't give her a second glance as I slid into the driver's seat, slammed the door, and pulled away from the curb.
I couldn't afford to. The roads blurred past me, the engine roaring low and mean under my hand. I kept my focus locked ahead, even though my mind kept flashing back to her — the way her lips had parted in shock, the way her fingers had twitched like she almost chased after me.
Almost.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel until the leather creaked. That kind of weakness could get a man killed. A few stolen seconds of pretending, imagining her in my house, in my bed, wearing my ring, was all it took to remind me why emotions were a liability.
I wasn't built for dreaming. I was built for conquest. For survival. And right now, there was a fucking empire to run.
The XE tower loomed into view, cutting into the sky like a blade.
