Chapter 74

Theo’s POV

She kneels with the kind of grace that should come with warning signs.

There’s no hesitation in the movement. No glance back. No wavering. She simply lowers herself onto the padded floor with a quiet, deliberate certainty that tells me this isn’t a game for her. This isn’t curiosity dressed up in silk. This is trust. Raw and real.

And I can feel it, like gravity pulling at something deep inside me that I’ve spent too long locking away.

I step back for a moment and just look at her. She’s still and poised, her spine perfectly straight, her head tilted ever so slightly upward, waiting for whatever comes next. The lingerie she’s wearing is deliberate, no question. It’s black and sheer, embroidered with lace so fine it looks like smoke against her skin. Her breasts are framed by the open cups of her bra, bar