Chapter One - His Dark Pull
Rain hammers against the windows, each drop a tiny explosion against the glass .
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I shouldn’t be here.
My hand trembles on the doorknob, every instinct screaming to turn back. But the scent of woodsmoke—and his cologne, faint and haunting—pulls me in like a tide.
I step inside.
Crimson flames flicker in the fireplace, shadows writhing across the Persian rug. The velvet armchair still cradles a half-open book. Every surface whispers his name.
The fire isn’t the only heat curling under my skin. Footsteps echo. Slow. Deliberate.
He’s here.
He steps from the shadows—tall, tailored, terrifyingly familiar. The firelight carves out the planes of his face. Blue eyes meet mine, sharp as shattered glass and just as dangerous.
Alexander Bourne is back in Port Haven.
The news whispered in hushed tones in town, reached me days ago, but I dismissed it as wishful thinking, a cruel trick of myownlonging heart.
Yetherehe is, standing before me, asrealas the rain soaking through my clothes. I blink once or twice as if trying to clear a fog from my vision to make sure he is real.
It’s him, all right.
His dark hair, usually meticulously styled, is tousled, spillingover his forehead in a way that makes him lookbothrugged and undeniably handsome.His tanned skin and blue eyes hold a mixture of longing, regret, and something darker, something that sends a chill that sinks deep into my bones.
My Alexander.
The scent of his cologne, that same mix of musk and spice, hits me first. My stomach clenches, and suddenly, I’m twenty-two again, standing across a crowded room, his eyes burning into mine at the grand opening of the EverBlue Group’s new headquarters. I was hired to design a new logo, and he was a rising star in the shipping industry, drawing me in like a river to the sea. His eyes met mine across the crowded room, a curious familiarity stirred as if we were two puzzle pieces finally discovering their fit.
Our relationship was short, a whirlwind of stolen moments, passionate encounters, and whispered promises.Heopened my eyes to a world beyond my own, a world of traveling, parties, and excitement,a worldwhere anything seemed possible. But it was also a world shrouded in shadows.
I knew that, but he never told me anything specific.
And then, as suddenly as he entered my life, he was gone. No explanation, no goodbye, just an empty space where he had once been. I was left to pick up the pieces of my shattered heart, to rebuild my life without him.
That was three years ago, the exact time it took to move on, to heal.
And now, here he is, back in Port Haven, back in my life.
My hand trembles as it reaches him, but then I pull it back, my fingers curling into a fist. The ghost of his touch lingers on my skin, a bittersweet reminder of everything we lost.
What does his return mean? Is he here to stay? Or will he disappear again, leaving me with nothing but memories and a broken heart?
Even now, with the years of hurt separating us, my gaze is drawn to him, tracing the familiar line of his jaw,the way his lips curve into a smile that once promised forever,and then stole it away.
The questions swirl in my mind in a chaotic storm. A thrill pulses through me, a feeling I haven’t allowed myself to acknowledge for years. It is the same thrill I feel speeding down a deserted highway, the world a blur outside my window, a feeling of being on the edge of something reckless and exhilarating. Hisreturn has changed everything.
“Ava,” Alexander’s low growl sends a tremor through me. “I didn’t expect you to come.”
Cheeks flushing, my breath quickens. What’s wrong with me? My eyes dart around the room, unable to settle on anything, least of all Alexander’s face.
“I don’t know why I came,”I say. “I just—I needed to see you.”
He inches closer, his presence overwhelming, a wave of warmth threatening to drown me. My body, traitorous, yearns for his touch, for the oblivion of his embrace. Forget the hurt, forget Tyler, forget everything but this moment. “You know what will happen if you stay,”he whispers, his breath hot on my ear. “You know what I will do to you.”
And I do. I recognize the darkness that lies within him, but even knowing that, why do I feel this pull, this desperate urge to stay? Why am I letting him do this to me again?
Alexander Bourne, the love of my life, the man who ruined me in every way possible.I thought I had finally escaped him, that Icould move on with my life and forget the past.But here I am, sitting in his living room, surrounded by the same furniture and decorations that once filled me with happiness.
“Ava,”he says, his voice deep and smooth. “I didn’t know how to live without you.”
I shake my head, trying to fight the pull of his gaze. “It’s too late for that, Alexander. You broke my heart.”
A flicker of memory surfaces – a stolen glance across a crowded room, a shared laugh under the starlit sky, the intoxicating rush of our first kiss. The good times, the happy moments, all overshadowed by the way it ended.The way hevanished without a word, leaving a gaping hole in my heart.
“It’s too late for that, Alexander,”I repeat, my voice trembling despite my attempt to soundstrong.
I try to pull away, but I can’t.My body is glued tohis, tohisbreath,hisvoice,hisscent,hisvery being.
His eyes, usually so cold, are clouded now, like a storm brewing over the ocean. For a fleeting second, I see the boy I fell in love with,the boywho promised me forever. But then the shadows return, and I’m left wondering if he’s capable of regret.
“I know,”he admits, his voice hoarse. “And I’m sorry. But I promise you, Ava, I’ve changed. I’m a different man now.”
Can I believe him? Can the man who once held my heart so carelessly be different? As the storm outside subsides, all I can focus on is the warmth of his hand on my cheek, the intoxicating scent of his cologne, andthe waymy body aches for him.
Defiance sharpens my voice. “I have someone now, someone kind, someone I can trust—”
The words die on my tongue as Alexander cuts me off. “I know,”he interrupts, his words slicing through my declaration like a shard of ice.
My eyes narrow. “You know? What’s that supposed to mean?”
Alexander turns away, his broad shoulders tense as he pourshimselfa whiskey from the decanter on the dark wooden bar. The clinking of glass against crystal makes every muscle in my body tense. It’s a sound that evokes memories of late nights, whispered confessions, and the intoxicating scent of his whiskey-laced breath on my skin. I push the memories away, focusing instead on the anger simmering within me like molten lava.
He rasps, turning to face me.”Tyler Fletcher. Fancy lawyer, pretty boy. Son of Harvey Fletcher, the chief of police. That Tyler?”
My blood runs cold. Heknows.
“The best lawyer in Port Haven,”I counter, my voice a touch too sharp.
A humorless chuckle escapes his lips. “It won’t last.”
“You’re one to talk,”I retort, my words bitter. “Tyler is kind, he’s stable. He doesn’t vanish without a word.”
A flicker of pain crosses his face, his eyes momentarily clouding over. He turns away, his back to me. Then, swiftly, he turns around and closes the distance between us, his intense eyes locking onto mine.
I find it difficult to breathe, let alone look away.
“He doesn’t know you,”Alexander says,his voice a low rumble that vibratesthrough me.“The real you. He doesn’t know what you need , Ava.”
I can feel the blood rushing to my face, a heat that has nothing to do with the fireplace. My skin prickles underhisgaze.
His words strike a nerve, and I feel a tremor run through me. I turn away, fighting the urge to wrap my arms around myself to shield the sudden vulnerability that threatens to expose me.
“And you do?”I challenge, my voice barely a whisper.
He leans closer, his scent – musk, spice, and something darkly intoxicating – filling my senses. “I know you, Ava. All of you. Every inch .”
The blush deepens, spreading like wildfire through my body, pooling low in my belly, ending at the apex between my legs.
It’s hot in here.
His fingers tangle in my hair, his thumb tracingthe line of my jaw.I gasp as he pulls me closer, his lips crashing down on mine with a hunger that ignites a wildfire within me.
I don’t know if I can trust him, but as the storm outside fades away, all I can focus on is the feel of his lips on mine, the way his hands roam over my body, the ache in my chest that screams at me to stay.
He runs his hand from my lower lip across my throat and stops at my soaked blouse. His other hand grabs the back of my head, pulling me close to him. His hips lock against me, his hard length pressing into me.
“You’re wearing a bit too many clothes for my taste, Miss Parker,”he growls as he unbuttons my shirt and runs his hand over my exposed breast, my nipple hardening from his touch. Before I know it, my bra is unhooked, and (….)