Chapter 1 Life Is Full of Simple Pleasures

The cold evening air cut through my cream-colored cashmere coat as I stood outside Willowbrook Estate, the most mysterious private club in the western hills outside the city. For two years, this quiet manor had been the subject of whispered rumors among the wealthy elite, and now here I was, finally about to enter its doors.

My breath formed small clouds in the frigid air as I waited. The vest beneath my coat did little to ward off the chill that seemed to seep into my bones. When the man finally appeared to escort me inside, his footsteps were steady and sure, leading me through corridors that spoke of old money and older secrets.

We climbed to the third floor of the main building, our footsteps quiet on the thick carpeting. At the last door down the hallway, he stopped and gestured politely.

"Mr. Marcus is waiting inside, Miss Sinclair."

I hadn't expected to gain access to Marcus so easily. As I reached for the door handle, his voice stopped me.

"Miss Sinclair, may I take your coat?"

His tone was so matter-of-fact, as if he'd performed this ritual countless times before. I didn't resist. With a casual flick of my maroon waves, I slipped out of the coat, revealing the black backless dress I'd chosen specifically for this encounter, and pushed through the door.

The contrast hit me immediately. Where the manor's exterior spoke of restraint, the interior was a study in calculated luxury. But it wasn't the décor that caught my attention. It was the space itself, divided into two distinct worlds by clever lighting. One half bathed in warm brightness, the other shrouded in intimate shadows.

I'd expected noise, laughter, and the sounds of whatever activities made this place so talked about. Instead, I found Marcus alone under the bright lights, his tall frame slouched lazily in a black leather chair, scrolling through his phone with obvious boredom.

No wonder I'd been granted an audience so quickly. The infamous Marcus appeared to be having a rather dull evening.

The soft click of the door drew his attention. When he looked up, I was reminded why half the women in high society whispered his name with such fascination. His skin was perfect, his features sharp and handsome. Those dark eyes held an almost playful gleam that might have fooled someone into thinking he was innocent.

But I knew better. No harmless man built a reputation on the motto "don't get close anywhere." And certainly no ordinary person wore that philosophy like a badge of honor, advertising it without shame or subtlety.

In terms of sheer audacity, Marcus had no equal in our social circles.

His gaze traveled over me with deliberate slowness, and when he finally spoke, his smile carried a predatory edge.

"Well now, how is it that I've never noticed such a striking beauty in our little city?"

I lowered my eyes demurely, letting my smile answer first. "Thank you for agreeing to see me, Mr. Marcus."

"Tell me," he continued, waving for me to sit while reaching for a bottle of red wine, "are all the men around here blind? A beautiful woman like you, and still untouched?"

I accepted the glass he offered, knowing exactly what assumptions he was making about my presence here. "I'm afraid you may have misunderstood my purpose in coming, Mr. Marcus. I'm here to apologize on behalf of my sister."

His hand paused mid-pour. "Your sister?"

"Sophia Quinn."

Marcus said nothing after I spoke the name, simply continued filling his own glass with careful precision. On the round table before us sat two whiskey tumblers, one clearly his, the other showing the condensation rings of recent use.

A gentle breeze stirred the curtains at the window, carrying with it a scent that seemed out of place here. It was clean and fresh, like pine forests and mountain air, nothing like what I'd expect from Marcus's sophisticated world.

My eyes drifted toward the shadowed half of the room. Could there be someone else here?

Marcus took a slow sip of wine, and when he met my gaze again, his expression had cooled considerably. He seemed unconcerned with my stated purpose, focusing instead on more personal observations.

"So you're not untouched after all."

His attention had settled on my left hand. I'd removed my wedding ring weeks ago, but the pale band of skin on my ring finger told its own story.

"Indeed," Marcus said quietly, studying the pale mark. "Unless you care to tell me which foolish man had such a beautiful wife yet clearly didn't know how to keep her satisfied."

His smile turned nasty, his voice dropping lower. "Tell me, Mrs. Sinclair, does your husband know you're here?"

I ignored his baiting tone and reached into my purse, withdrawing a folded check. "Sophia is young and made a mistake. While we're grateful that you were willing to lend her money, I don't want to take advantage of your kindness any longer. Please, take back the money."

"How fascinating." Marcus's laugh held no warmth. "Your sister struck a bargain with me yesterday, and today you arrive to break it. Do I strike you as someone who enjoys being played for a fool?"

"Life is full of simple pleasures, Mr. Marcus. A man with your experience surely knows that my sister is hardly special. Why waste time obsessing over one foolish girl?"

Marcus's eyes flashed dangerously. "Are you perhaps making me an offer? Suggesting I forget about your dear sister and focus on you instead, married woman?"

He emphasized the last word with cutting mockery.

I kept my face calm, meeting his stare directly. "I know perfectly well that someone like me couldn't possibly interest a man of your standards. I can only promise that if you ever need help with anything, I will do whatever I can. Won't you consider my request?"

Marcus leaned back, studying me with renewed interest. "You?"

"Yes. Me."

Something about my answer seemed to highly amuse him. I'd been told I was attractive, and I'd learned to use that when necessary. But something about the way Marcus looked at me made me feel like he could see right through whatever act I was putting on, past whatever careful image I was trying to project.

There was a sudden sharp sound from the darkness, followed by a brief flare of light. Someone had struck a match.

I turned toward the shadows again, catching just a glimpse of hands cupped around a small flame.

I expected to smell tobacco, but no cigarette smoke reached me.

As the match burned, Marcus began to laugh, a sound rich with dark amusement.

"You'll help in whatever way you can, will you?" He lifted his chin, nodding toward the shadowed area. "I have another guest this evening. He's been rather moody and difficult to deal with, I'm afraid. Perhaps you could cheer him up? Do that, and we can discuss your sister's situation."

I looked at Marcus for a long moment, then reached across the table for something before rising to my feet. My heels clicked softly against the hardwood as I crossed into the dimmer half of the room.

The change from bright light to dim shadow left me temporarily blind. Slowly, I could make out the shape of a man standing by the tall windows, his back straight and still as a statue. He stared out at the night, completely ignoring my presence.

That clean, mysterious scent was stronger here, mingling with the cool night air drifting through the slightly open window. There was something almost cold about it, like crisp winter mornings in the mountains.

I hesitated, then took two careful steps forward.

"Miss Sinclair," Marcus called from his bright sanctuary, his voice thick with mockery, "what do you suppose your husband would think if he knew about this sort of thing?"

Without hesitation, I closed the remaining distance to the stranger.

Even in the darkness, his height was intimidating. Though I couldn't see his face clearly, there was something powerful about him, a presence that seemed to fill the space around him.

Even in my heels, I had to look up to meet where I imagined his face might be. I lifted what I'd taken from the table, bringing it close to his lips.

In the darkness, I see him part his lips slightly, accepting what I offered.

The sharp scrape of another match being struck cut through the silence.

I cupped my hands around the small flame and lifted it toward him, creating a tiny circle of light in our shadowed world.

For just a moment, I saw his eyes clearly. They were black as midnight, deeper than the small flame could reach, and I had no idea what he was thinking.

The cigarette caught and began to glow. The match flickered and went out.

In the renewed darkness, I watched the red ember brighten with each breath he took, accompanied by the subtle shift of his jaw, the quiet intensity of a man lost in his own thoughts.