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gainst the pristine gravel driveway of Blackwoo
he cream leather seat. Her small hands pressed flat against the tinted window, leaving smudges on the glass
hand moved toward the collar of Finley's miniature plaid unifo
dodging his fingers completely. She didn't care about he
the sound loud in the quiet cabin of the car. He tu
ted on his lap. He wasn't looking at the glossy photographs of the finished machines. He was tracing his small finger over the compl
said, his voice carrying the weight of a father who
face remained entirely blank, but his deep, gray-blue eyes had already shifted. They locked
e door. The crisp mo
vy with brand-new crayons, slapped against her shoulder
step. Her body pitched forward. The r
recise and unyielding. The fabric pulled tight against her th
kay. He simply released his grip once she found her balanc
ts buzzed overhead. The floor was covered in a thick, expensi
e took a deep breath, smelli
she
large window that let in a square of yellow sunlight, sat a si
d across the carpet, her small black shoes squeaking against the fibers
r, another hand slammed down on the top of it. The
apped her
d on the other side of the chair. Willow Mason tilte
ce was loud, echoing off the walls and cutti
ped both of her hands around the curved plastic of the
aid, her voice shaking slightl
lled back. The plastic legs dragged across th
n the room stopped what they were doing. The
a mother in a designer suit. She had her back to the classroom.
, and heavier. She planted her feet wide, took a dee
d off the smooth plastic. He
of her hands scraped against the rough, synthetic fibers o
raight to her chest. Her eyes flooded with hot moisture. She blinked, looking up at the c
ne m
ook a collective step back. Two little girls who had been walking toward Finley earlier i
like a physical blow to t
hot tear spilled over her eyelashes and sp
into her line of sight. They stopped exactly between her and
He reached into the pocket of his tailored slacks
into her jawbone to hold her head still. With his right hand, he pressed the silk against her wet c
still, like a frozen lake. The frantic, terrified beating of her he
nymore. He turned his head and swept his gaze over the circle of
of the room seemed to drop. T
abbed Finley's small, scraped hand, and pulled her up from the floor. He pulled her close to
jawline, and his expensive clothes. A faint pink flush crept up Willow's neck. The aggres
to her. "You can sit here," she said loudly, h
l her strength. Her fingernails dug into his skin. If he sat with Wi
e shifted his grip. He opened his hand and swallowed her small fist entire
his mouth twitched upward, forming a small,
. Two seconds. Three seconds. He watched Willow's eyes w
ing Finley with him. He stared directly into Willow's da
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