Chapter 7 - THE RAIN AND THE WARNINGAfter dinner, he drove me home through a sudden downpour.
When the car parked outside the shop, he walked me to the heavy wooden door. He touched my face with his thumb, his fingers lingering just long enough for me to pull away if I wanted to.
I didn't move an inch.
His first kiss was surprisingly gentle, tasting of dark wine and winter air. But the second kiss carried all the raw, restrained hunger he had been holding back since the day he broke that crystal glass.
When he finally pulled away, his breathing was ragged. He pressed his forehead against mine.
"Listen to me, Camila," he whispered, his voice dropping into a lethal register. "A man was watching the shop tonight. If my rivals believe you matter to me... they will try to use you to break me."
I searched his face in the dim light of the streetlamp. "Do I truly matter to you, Noah?"
He answered without a single second of hesitation. "Yes."
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He asked for permission to post guards outside the shop. I allowed just one man to stand watch. Before getting back into his car, Noah stood out in the pouring rain until he heard the heavy deadbolt turn securely behind me.
As I watched his headlights fade down the wet avenue, one terrifying question echoed in my mind: Had Noah’s attention just saved my life... or had it painted an inescapable target on my back?
