She turns to face me, her brow furrowed. “Then what is it?”

“It’s me trying to make things right,” I say, stepping closer. “It’s me trying to show you that I’m not the same man I was three years ago. That I care about you. That I never stopped.”

Her breath catches, her eyes searching mine. For a moment, the space between us feels like a chasm, impossible to cross. But then she takes a step closer, her voice trembling as she speaks.

“I want to believe you, Levi,” she says. “But I don’t know if I can.”

“You don’t have to believe me tonight,” I say, my voice low. “Just let me prove it to you.”

Her gaze flicks to my lips, and my heart pounds in my chest. I lean in slowly, giving her time to pull back, but she doesn’t. When our lips meet, it’s like the rest of the world falls away. The kiss is slow at first, tentative, but it quickly deepens, the intensity between us igniting like a spark to dry wood.

My hands move to her waist, pulling her closer, and she melts into me, her fingers tangling in my hair. The line between fake and real dissolves completely, and all I can think about is her—the way she feels, the way she tastes, the way she makes me forget everything else.

“Levi,” she whispers against my lips, her voice shaky but sure.

“Tell me to stop,” I murmur, my forehead resting against hers. “And I will.”

She doesn’t say anything. Instead, she pulls me closer, her lips finding mine again, and it’s all the confirmation I need.

The night unfoldsin a blur of heat and longing, the barriers between us breaking down completely. The city lights cast a soft glow through the windows, illuminating the way her skin glows beneath my touch. Every kiss, every movement feels like an unspoken promise, a silent vow that this isn’t just about the past—it’s about everything we could be.

When we finally collapse into the sheets, tangled together and breathless, the silence that follows is heavy but not uncomfortable. I brush a strand of hair from her face, my fingers lingering against her cheek.

“Tania,” I say softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Don’t,” she says, her eyes fluttering shut. “Don’t ruin this.”

I nod, understanding what she means. For tonight, words aren’t necessary. We’ve already said enough.

As she drifts off to sleep in my arms, I stare at the ceiling, my mind racing. The line between fake and real has been obliterated, and there’s no going back now. Whatever happens next, I know one thing for certain.

I’m not letting her go again.

Chapter Nineteen

Tania

The morning light filters through the expansive windows of Levi’s penthouse, casting soft shadows across the room. I sit at the kitchen island with my laptop open, scrolling through emails and trying to focus on work. But no matter how hard I try, my mind keeps drifting back to last night.

To Levi.

To the way he touched me, the way he whispered my name like it was the only thing that mattered.

I shake my head, my fingers tightening around my coffee mug.Get it together, Tania. This isn’t what you’re here for.

Last night was… a mistake. It had to be. I agreed to this arrangement to save my firm, not to rekindle something that was supposed to stay buried. And yet, the memory of his hands on my skin, his lips on mine—it lingers like a flame I can’t extinguish.

“Tania?”

Levi’s voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I look up to see him leaning casually against the doorway, his dark hair still slightly tousled from sleep. He’s wearing a plain white T-shirt and gray sweatpants, and somehow, he looks impossibly good.

Great. Just great.

“Morning,” I say, keeping my tone brisk as I return my attention to my laptop.

“Morning,” he replies, his voice softer now. He moves to the counter, pouring himself a cup of coffee before leaning against the island across from me. “You’re up early.”

“I had work to do,” I say, my tone clipped. “Unlike some of us, I can’t afford to lounge around.”