Chapter Five

Juniper's pulse pounded in her ears as the shadow outside the office door shifted. The villa was too quiet, the usual crash of the waves against the cliffs suddenly feeling distant, muted by the suffocating silence.

She gripped her phone tighter, her body pressed against the wall. Where the hell was Adrian?

The doorknob twisted.

Juniper's breath hitched.

Before she could react, the door burst open, and a dark figure lunged inside.

She spun away, scrambling toward the desk, her hands fumbling for anything she could use as a weapon. Her fingers wrapped around a heavy glass paperweight just as the intruder reached for her.

"Don't," she warned, lifting the makeshift weapon.

The figure hesitated. The dim moonlight filtering through the windows revealed a man dressed in black, his face partially concealed by a mask. His stance was tense, calculated.

Not a burglar. Someone with a purpose.

"What do you want?" she demanded, inching toward the door.

The man didn't answer. Instead, he took another step forward.

Juniper gritted her teeth. "I swear, if you…"

A loud crack split the air.

The intruder jerked, his body going stiff before crumpling to the floor.

Behind him, Adrian stood with a gun in one hand, his expression cold and lethal.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," he said.

Juniper exhaled sharply, lowering the paperweight. "Took you long enough."

Adrian stepped over the unconscious man like he was nothing more than an inconvenience. "Next time, try not to text me after you break into my office."

Juniper rolled her eyes. "Next time, try keeping your secrets in a better hiding place."

Adrian's gaze flicked to the laptop on his desk, then back to her. His jaw tensed, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he knelt beside the intruder, yanking off the mask.

The man was unfamiliar to Juniper, but Adrian's expression darkened.

"Damon Sinclair," he muttered.

Juniper crossed her arms. "Should I know that name?"

Adrian let out a humorless laugh. "CEO of Sinclair Tech. And a royal pain in my ass."

Her stomach tightened. "Wait…you're saying a rival CEO sent someone to break into your house?"

Adrian stood, dusting off his hands. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Juniper stared at him. "You say that like it's normal."

"In my world, it is."

Something about the way he said it made her chest tighten.

The Adrian Blackwood she knew—the arrogant, smooth-talking billionaire was untouchable. Always in control. But right now, standing over an unconscious corporate spy in his dimly lit office, there was something raw about him.

Something dangerous.

She exhaled, shaking her head. "You need to start explaining. Right now."

Adrian's gaze met hers, sharp and assessing. "I don't owe you an explanation."

Juniper took a step closer, ignoring the way her pulse quickened. "You do if I'm caught in the middle of whatever war you're fighting."

His lips pressed into a thin line.

For a moment, she thought he was going to shut her out completely.

Then he sighed. "Sinclair and I have a history. He wants what I have—my company, my tech, my connections. But he doesn't play fair." He gestured to the unconscious man. "This is just his latest attempt at screwing me over."

Juniper frowned. "And the corporate espionage accusations? Are they connected?"

Adrian hesitated. Just for a second.

That was all she needed.

"You're hiding something," she said quietly.

Adrian ran a hand through his hair, his usual composure cracking. "Juniper…"

A groan from the floor cut him off.

Damon was waking up.

Adrian exhaled sharply, stepping toward the intercom panel on the wall. He pressed a button.

"Evelyn, send security to my office. Now."

A crisp voice responded. "Yes, sir."

Adrian turned back to Juniper. "This conversation isn't over."

She lifted a brow. "No, it's not."

Later That Night

The storm had passed, but the tension hadn't.

Juniper stood on the villa's balcony, the warm island breeze brushing against her skin. The moon was high, casting silver light over the dark waves below.

Behind her, Adrian stepped outside, holding two glasses of whiskey. He handed one to her without a word.

She took it, watching him carefully.

"You're being quiet," she said after a moment.

Adrian sipped his drink, his gaze fixed on the ocean. "So are you."

Juniper exhaled. "Maybe because I'm still processing the fact that I was almost murdered over a corporate feud."

Adrian smirked. "Murdered? That's dramatic."

She shot him a look. "Oh, I'm sorry. Should I have said 'mildly inconvenienced' instead?"

His lips twitched. "Much better."

Despite herself, Juniper laughed.

The moment felt… different.

The usual sharp edges of their banter had softened, replaced with something warmer.

Something dangerous.

Adrian turned to her, his expression unreadable. "You really aren't afraid of me, are you?"

She met his gaze. "Should I be?"

A slow, wicked smile curved his lips. "Probably."

Juniper's heart pounded.

She should walk away. She should finish her drink, say goodnight, and pretend she didn't feel whatever was crackling between them.

But she didn't.

Instead, she stepped closer.

Adrian's eyes darkened, his grip tightening around his glass.

"Juniper," he warned.

She tilted her head. "Adrian."

His breath hitched. Just slightly.

That was all the confirmation she needed.

She closed the remaining distance between them, placing her glass on the balcony railing before reaching for his shirt.

Adrian's control snapped.

His lips crashed against hers, one hand tangling in her hair, the other gripping her waist.

Juniper gasped against his mouth, the heat between them instant and electric.

She had spent so much time arguing with Adrian Blackwood, challenging him, pushing his buttons.

She hadn't realized how badly she had wanted this.

His hands tightened on her hips, pulling her flush against him. She could feel the rapid beat of his heart, matching her own.

It was intoxicating.

It was reckless.

And she didn't care.

She kissed him harder, losing herself in the moment, in him.

For once, there were no games. No power plays. Just this.

Just them.

The Next Morning

Juniper woke to the sound of birds outside the window, the scent of salt and citrus lingering in the air.

For a moment, she lay still, replaying last night's kiss.

Then she realized something.

She was alone.

Frowning, she sat up, glancing around the room. Adrian was nowhere to be seen.

Typical.

With a sigh, she pushed the covers aside and got up. She wasn't the type to swoon over a kiss, no matter how mind-blowing it had been.

Still, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling in her chest.

She wandered into the villa's main office, hoping to find some clue about where Adrian had gone.

Instead, she found something else.

A photograph.

It was old, slightly worn, tucked inside a drawer in his desk.

Juniper's breath caught in her throat.

It was a picture of her mother.

She stared at it, her mind racing.

Why the hell did Adrian Blackwood have a photo of a woman who had died over a decade ago?

Her fingers tightened around the edges.

Whatever was happening between them…

It had just gotten a lot more complicated.