Page 50 of Crossing Lines

I swallow hard and nod. “Okay.”

“If I can’t confront them, we’ll have to barricade ourselves inside here and wait for help to arrive. Ideally in the bathroom.”

I nod again and pull him toward the bathroom. “I don’t have much furniture to use as a barricade.”

He scans the room before saying, “Grab something to use as a weapon and hurry.” He glances outside againand freezes. “Get in the bathroom now!” he whisper-shouts.

I run into the bathroom, and he’s hot on my heels. Slamming the door, he locks it.

“What did you see?” I whisper.

“They’re at the pool,” he says, the words so quiet I have to strain to hear him.

Oh my God, they’re close. I must make some sort of noise, because next thing I know, Evren pulls me into his body and lowers us to the floor. He adjusts me so I’m basically in his lap and he wraps his arms around me, hugging me tightly.

“Don’t worry,” he says, kissing the top of my head. “I’ll protect you.”

I lean into his warmth and listen. At every sound I tense, convinced it’s the intruder getting closer.

“Shhh, you’re okay,” he says again, rubbing small circles on my back.

“How are you so calm?”

“I wasn’t…when you first wrote. But then my training kicked in.”

“Training?”

He nods. “Against kidnapping and robbery attempts. I was robbed at gunpoint some years ago and it made me realize how vulnerable I was. After that, I refused to be a victim again.”

The weight of his words presses down on me, and a knot forms in my chest at how casually he said them. As if being robbed at gunpoint,being trained for whatever isgoing on now, is just a part of his story. Like it’s nothing. Like the fear I’m trying so hard not to drown in is his normal.

This isn’t some once-in-a-lifetime nightmare for him. It’s routine.

I want to say something, anything, but my throat tightens. Instead, I press my hand against his chest, desperately needing to feel the steady beat of his heart that anchors him to life. That he’s okay.

He places his hand on top of mine and says, “I’m so sorry that you’re having to go through this because of me.”

A crash sounds from the main house, followed by another.

“It’s not your fault,” I say.

“It is,” he whispers, gaze somber as he stares at me.

I should be running away from Evren, from the danger that follows him, from the fact that he’s almost twenty years older than me. And based on the way he’s looking at me, it’s like he expects the same.

I should blame him. I should be angry that he’s dragged this danger to our front door, that I’m caught up in something I don’t understand. But I don’t. I can’t. It’s not his fault—this is just the world he’s had to survive in. Just like how Stella had to pick up the pieces after her break-ins. I guess this is the price of being a billionaire. And despite every instinct screaming at me to run as far away from him as humanly possible once we get out of this bathroom, I can’t. Leaving would mean abandoninghim—abandoning the man who risked his life to come for me. And more than that, it would mean walking away from whatever this is between us. Messy, complicated, but…real.It’s not the fear that holds me here—it’s him.

“Stop blaming yourself,” I say, “for other people’s actions.” I lift my chin up and our lips are so close, just an inch separating us. Another crash from the main house echoes, and he tightens his arms around me. If I die right here, right now, I don’t want to leave the world without kissing Evren again. A tremor runs through me,a silent earthquake threatening to swallow me whole, as I lean into him. Time slows,stretching into an eternity of anticipation.Then my lips are on his,a tentative brush.

He stiffens for a heartbeat, and I’m immediately filled with regret. Of course, he’s not interested in me like that right now. It’s dangerous and?—

His lips crash against mine, and the world goes silent. Everything inside me tightens, like I’m on the edge of a breath I can’t release. He tastes like desire, safety, and something I didn’t know I craved until right now, setting every nerve in my body on fire. It’s wild, overwhelming, and I can’t stop myself from pressing closer, my fingers gripping his hair like he’s the only thing tethering me to this moment, to the reality I’m trying to escape.

When he deepens the kiss, it’s not just a kiss anymore. It’s an unraveling. His tongue grazes mine, teasing, coaxing, and a shiver races down my spine so fast I almost forget how to breathe. My heart pounds in my ears, drowning out every thought except the way he feels,the way he tastes. His hand slides down my back, pulling me tighter against him, and I’m dizzy with the heat of it—his body, his mouth, everything about him demanding, taking, giving all at once.

Evren’s phone buzzes, and I jerk away from him.

“Easy,” he whispers, stamping his lips on mine one last time before lifting me off his lap and reaching for his phone. He reads whatever it says on the screen and meets my gaze. “Part of my security team is here. The intruder ran away and some of my men are chasing him.” Evren gets to his feet and holds his hand out for me. “Come, let’s go find out what’s going on.”

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