Chapter 5

The rain had turned into a deluge, hammering against the tin roof of the remote cabin with a rhythmic, pounding intensity that seemed to seal us in our own private world. The wind howled through the pines, a low, mournful sound that vibrated through the floorboards beneath our bare feet. We had escaped the main gala hours ago, slipping away into the woods to find this secluded sanctuary, a place where no one else could hear us, where the only witnesses were the shadows dancing in the hearth and the storm raging outside. I stood in the center of the small, rustic living area, my back against the rough-hewn stone of the fireplace. The fire had been roaring earlier, but now it had settled into a bed of glowing embers, casting a warm, amber glow that licked at the edges of my skin. I could feel the heat radiating against my chest, but my body was already burning for a different kind of fire. The air was thick with the scent of wet pine, old wood, and the musk of *his* cologne, mixed with the salty tang of our own sweat. He was standing just inches from me, his height