Page 88 of The Heart of Winter

My suspicion, that Blue’s mysterious bodyguard could be Gabriel Nolan, my own cousin, remained unconfirmed.

But how the hell would he have ended up with Blue? That would be ironic, especially knowing what got him into trouble with the law in the first place: being part of a group of eco-activists attacking… Malden Pharmaceuticals.

That’s why he ended up in the Second Chance Program, focused on reforming young criminals. It was a funny idea, a so-called eco-terrorist being forced to be a bodyguard for… the company he swore to destroy? I chuckled at the thought.

Oh well, since it didn’t directly concern me, I brushed it off and focused on getting ready for the trip.

***

A day and a half later, early in the morning, I was at the airport parking lot.

Our flight was scheduled for 6:00 am CST, and we were set to arrive in Tokyo at 10:00 am local time, thirteen hours later. Since we’d be crossing time zones, it would feel like we were landing ‘ahead’ by several hours.

As soon as I stepped out onto the parking platform, my phone buzzed with a text from Sariel, making my pulse spike.

"I’m a few cars behind you."

I turned around just in time to see Sariel stepping out of his car, pulling a rolling suitcase behind him, with a small personal carry-on slung over his shoulder.

And I simply basked in the view!

His hair was ruffled by the wind.

My heart immediately picked up speed as he started walking toward me.

I caught myself staring for a few seconds at his lean frame. God, he was so well proportioned, like a tennis player. So nicely toned. I vividly remembered the way he danced, his movements flowing effortlessly. Maybe that passion of his had shaped his natural grace, almost feline in quality.

His teal bangs fell over one eyebrow, and his vibrant eyes locked onto me.

He looked like he had stepped straight out of one of his manga drawings. His soft, naturally pink lips, so expressive—drew my attention more than I wanted to admit.

Why the hell was I noticing all these little details?

Then, as he stopped right in front of me, those delicate lips curved into a wide smile, revealing perfect, white teeth.

"Hey, Winter. I missed you."

And without waiting for a response, he leaned in slightly, his warm lips grazing my cheekbone in the lightest, quickest kiss.

Wow.

The feeling was… nice. Too nice. Something I could have melted into. But I forced myself to remain composed, acting like it was the most natural thing in the world, as if this was just how we greeted each other on a daily basis.

My heart was pounding, and I knew—I knew!—he could hear it. No point in denying I was reacting to him. My supposed indifference was nothing but a flimsy mask.

Damn those alpha senses.

There was something undeniably strange about the silent understanding forming between us. Neither of us had said a word about it, yet we were acting like… like we were already something.

Sariel broke the moment, his voice smooth as he asked, "Did you hear my uncle isn’t coming with us?"

Grateful for the neutral topic, I exhaled.

"Yeah. Probably for the best. Less chance of the plane exploding," I muttered, grimacing slightly.

"Exactly what I was thinking. My uncle is a walking trouble."

"I heard his new bodyguard has already saved his life a couple of times."

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