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CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ALMOST TWO MONTHS LATER, Stefan was in theoffice when his laptop pinged Still listening to his s, he looked at the screen and stilled

The e what it was that Nadia, the deceptively strong woman his friend had married, would send him, Stefan clicked on it

His heart pounding so hard in his chest as he viewed the thumbnail, he clicked the attachment open

It was a shot of hi that someone must have clicked unknown to them

They were standing at one of the turreted balconies in the Gazbiyan palace, thesun behind them He remembered the moment instantly

Rocco and Olivia, Christian and Alessandra, he and Clio, and Zayed had just finished breakfast Clio had wandered to the balcony, and as if pulled forward like a string, he had instantly joined her there

Had covered her bare arms with his and shuddered as the scent and warmth of her had stolen into him Had pushed the thick fall of her hair away so that he could see the delicate crook of her neck Had loved tracing her slender hips with his hands, had loved how naturally she had fit against him

An instant surge of yawningly desperate need claimed him and he closed his eyes

Dio, how she would respond when he pressed his ers would rake over his skin,him as he pushed into her, how boldly she had looked at hi him to her Drenched in the memories of her, which were at the same time so vivid and yet so distant, Stefan almost reached out for her

She hadn’t flinched or pulled back thatinto his body, she had looked up at him and smiled

He opened his eyes and stared greedily at the shot again

And the shot had captured that smile

There had been no hesitation, no artifice, no shadows in it Everything she felt for him—it was in that smile

It spoke of love, courage and the thing that stuck in his chest like an ice pick, open joy It said so loriously perfect that moment had been in his life

Life with Clio would be full of such indescribable moments—of love and happiness