Chapter 77

Caden’s POV It had been a month since the masquerade ball, and I couldn’t get her out of my head. Lila. Her name alone was enough to stir something deep within me, something I couldn’t name but refused to ignore. And yet, she had been avoiding me—successfully, I might add. I had my own methods of staying away as well. I wasn’t home as often, choosing to eat dinners out and bury myself in work at the agency or the gym. But none of it stopped her image from invading my thoughts. The memory of her sprawled on my bed, her soft, irresistible curves illuminated by the dim light, was branded into my mind. No matter how hard I tried to distract myself, I couldn’t escape her. Even now, as I sat in my private condo’s study, the chair creaking softly as I turned in it, my body betrayed me. The twitch of my arousal brought on a muttered curse, and I dragged a hand down my face, willing myself to think of something else. But it was futile. The buzzing of my phone broke through my thoughts, and I re