Chapter 138

Evelyn melted into Liam's embrace, her body surrendering completely to his touch.

His lips moved over hers with exquisite tenderness, each caress sending waves of pleasure through her. The kiss deepened, stealing her breath and thoughts alike.

The warmth of his body pressed against hers. The softness of his lips was intoxicating, a sensation she craved more of with each passing second.

She arched against him, the thin fabric of their clothes doing nothing to disguise the heat between them.

A quiet whimper escaped Evelyn's throat as her skin tingled with desperate need. The air between them crackled with unspoken desire, a fire slowly building to an inferno.

Liam's fingers trailed down the column of her neck, eliciting a sharp gasp. Reality came crashing back as she blinked up at his face - blurred yet devastatingly handsome.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she struggled to process what was happening.

His grip tightened possessively, the raw intensity in his touch startling her awake.

"No! Stop this!" Evelyn shoved against Liam's chest with surprising strength. He stumbled back, giving her just enough space to dart past him and flee through the door.

Liam exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. His pulse hammered wildly in his veins.

Evelyn collapsed against the study door the moment it closed behind her. Her legs gave out as she slid to the floor, trembling uncontrollably.

Her mind whirled with chaotic thoughts. She pressed shaking fingers to her swollen lips, still feeling the ghost of his kiss.

Had she lost her mind? Had he? What had possessed him to act this way?

The memory of his hands on her body, his lips claiming hers with such fierce possession - it felt like some forbidden dream. Even in her wildest fantasies, she'd never imagined this.

Evelyn buried her face in her knees, wishing she could scream away the confusing emotions.

She spent hours hiding in the study, attempting to lose herself in books. But the words blurred before her eyes, her concentration shattered.

When the maid came to summon her for dinner, Evelyn claimed she wasn't hungry. Facing Liam was impossible. The embarrassment burned too brightly.

From dawn until twilight, she remained sequestered. Another knock came at the door.

"I'm still not eating," she called out weakly.

Her phone buzzed twice. Evelyn fished it from her pocket, heart stuttering at Liam's name on the screen.

"Open the door."

Her fingers flew across the keyboard. "I can't see you right now."

The humiliation was too much. Her emotions were too raw, too exposed.

Outside, Liam clenched his phone until his knuckles turned white. He drew a shuddering breath, eyes burning with frustration.

There was no denying it now - he'd fallen hopelessly for Evelyn. But her heart remained an impenetrable fortress.

Did any man truly matter to her? Her ex-husband, former lovers, even him - her current husband. None seemed capable of breaching those walls.