The silence of the apartment was shattered when Damian moved. Before Alina could process his proximity, he reached out and scooped her off her feet.
He picked her up as though she weighed nothing at all, his grip firm and possessive. Alina let out a sharp cry of surprise as he carried her straight into her small bedroom and kicked the door shut behind them.
As he held her, Damian couldn't help but notice the subtle changes in her. In the six months they had been apart, her body had softened in some places and sharpened in others. Even the way she expressed herself felt different—more guarded, more like a woman who had learned to survive on her own.
"Let go of me!" Alina yelled, her voice cracking. She began to rain blows down on his back with her fists, her tears falling like a broken dam. She hated how easily he could still handle her, how his strength made her feel small and fragile.
