In a world where vampires rule behind the veil of secrecy, Ryan Saint is a cold, domineering billionaire CEO and one of the world’s most renowned neurosurgeons. Ruthless in business and relationships alike, he’s untouchable—until an unexpected twist binds him to someone he never expected.

Mia Walls, a warm-hearted pediatrician with a mysterious past, lives in the human world, completely unaware of the supernatural forces surrounding her. She’s driven, kind, and fiercely independent—a woman who doesn’t believe in fate, let alone mates.

When their lives collide through a sudden contract marriage—meant to silence pressure from Ryan’s powerful vampire grandfather—they're forced to play a game neither of them wants. What starts as pretense soon tangles with unspoken emotions, stolen glances, and dangerous secrets.

Mia doesn’t know the truth about Ryan's world… yet.
Ryan refuses to believe he could ever be bound to one woman… until her warmth starts melting his icy walls.

But love isn’t safe in a world built on lies.
And the greatest threat might be what they’re both trying hardest to deny—
their feelings.

The morning light slipped through my curtains far too boldly for the chaos still dancing behind my eyes. I blinked, sat up, and ran a hand through my tangled hair.


Ezra Saint. The cousin of Ryan Saint. A man built like a sin, dressed in wealth, and carrying that subtle edge of danger I usually avoided.


But last night, that smirk he wore had softened. The moment our lips met, there had been a stillness, like the world dared not interrupt. It wasn't the wine—I'd only had a glass. It was him.


And now? I didn't even have his number.


Paula Deen—her name echoed like a song in my head. She was fire in heels, sharp with her tongue, and yet… she kissed like she'd been waiting to.


I hadn't expected it. I'd been amused at first, teasing Mia's pretty best friend, but somewhere in the evening, I stopped playing.


She wasn't like the women I'd entertained before. She had a calm confidence, the kind that whispered instead of screamed.


She left me wanting more. And that was dangerous.


I stared at myself in the mirror, the black dress from last night draped over my vanity chair. I hadn't worn the one Ryan chose for me—and I saw the flicker in his silver eyes when I walked out.


That tiny flare of surprise. And then, something else… something I wasn't ready to name.


I touched my lips, remembering the way he looked at me when everyone had gone. He hadn't said a word, and I hadn't either. But the silence between us was anything but empty.


Something had changed. Not spoken. Not acted on. But it simmered under the surface.


And I hated how part of me wanted to know what would happen if I didn't run next time.


I couldn't stop thinking about her in that dress.


Mia Walls was supposed to be a contract. A means to an end. But last night, when she ignored the dress I had selected and stepped into the room like she owned the night, something in me stirred.


She didn't beg for attention. She just had it.


And when everyone else left, and she stood across from me, saying nothing, just looking—I felt the pull.


Chapter 34 - Chapter 32: Lingering Heat