Chapter 409

His lips were cool, carrying a crisp, clean scent that was uniquely his, and they ruthlessly stole all her breath away. Before Calliope Godfrey could react, her back hit the cold glass with a soft thud. “Mmm…” Conrad Hilliard pinned her there, one arm braced firmly as he pried her lips open—what started as a careful test quickly turned wild and aggressive, like he was staking his claim. But his eyes, sharp and provocative, weren’t on her. They cut through the rain, landing squarely on Lucien Sterling kneeling motionless in the yard. Calliope was stunned. Her hands went up to push him away on reflex. Instead of backing off, though, Conrad held her even tighter, deepening the kiss until it felt like he wanted to sew her into his very bones. Then she got it. This wasn’t for her. He was putting on a show for Lucien. Her hand, the one that had been pushing at him, hesitated—then slowly wrapped around his slim waist as she tilted her face up and kissed him back. Above them, a single wall lam