At first, Victoria struggled desperately, certain she’d been ambushed by a thief. But when she caught the unmistakable scent of pine on his skin, she froze, her panic giving way to shock.
Before she could gather her thoughts, his lips pressed against hers—hard, urgent. McNeil's breath was hot and ragged in the small space between them. His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her flush against him until there was barely air between their bodies.
She was breathless, almost suffocated by his kiss.
Finally, when she managed a brief moment of freedom, she drove her knee sharply into his abdomen. In the darkness, his face was so close to hers that their noses brushed. McNeil’s grip never loosened as he twisted her arms behind her back, his expression tight with frustration.
"Been a while, huh? You’ve gotten stronger—and feistier. Like a little wildcat," he murmured, pinning her against the wall until she could barely breathe.
Victoria’s frustration flared. "Where’s Gwyn?"
"I took her to the old house. My mother’s with her," McNeil replied evenly.
Victoria pressed a hand against his chest, glaring. "Your mother doesn’t even like Gwyn. You just left her there with her?"
Realization dawned a second later. "Gwyn isn’t even sick. You had Xenia lie to me so I’d come back, didn’t you?"
Suddenly, the lights flicked on, and bright illumination swept across McNeil’s features. Victoria caught a faint whiff of alcohol.
She remembered he never liked drinking—he hated social events, too. But tonight, he’d clearly had a few—and maybe more than a few.
A cold, humorless chuckle escaped her lips.
McNeil’s mouth curved into a wry, almost mocking smile. "Does a husband really need to resort to trickery just to get his wife to come home?"
He braced his arms against the wall, caging her in, his body a barrier between her and the world.
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