Inside a luxury hotel in Geneva, Switzerland.
Snow was falling heavily outside, painting the night streets in pure white.
But Jane’s situation was far from beautiful.
“В этой стороне! 이쪽이야!”
At the sound of Russian coming from below the stairs, Jane’s eyes trembled.
“Damn it.”
She ran upstairs.
The closer the footsteps got, the louder her heartbeat grew.
She arrived at the hallway where she had parted ways with that man just moments ago, but there was nowhere to hide.
Her communicator was gone, so she couldn’t contact headquarters either.
The only fortunate thing was that the ambassador had been evacuated safely.
Then, at the end of the corridor, the shadows of the pursuers flickered into view.
She had no choice.
Knock, knock.
Without hesitation, Jane knocked on his door.
Desperately hoping he would open it, she recalled what she had said earlier.
“We’ll never see each other again.”
She had said it so confidently—only to now seek his help again.
But this time, there was no guarantee he would help her.
For all she knew, he might not even be in.
Is this how I get caught?
Just as despair was sinking in—
Click.
The door opened.
And Jane’s breath caught.
Drip, drip—
Droplets of water rolled down his solid chest from his wet hair, as though he had just gotten out of the shower.
She had never seen a body sculpted like that before.
The only thing covering his nakedness was a towel slung low on his hips.
“Um, that is…”
She opened her mouth but had no idea what to say.
The moment her eyes met his deep gaze, a jolt ran through her entire body.
But then—footsteps echoed in the distance.
No more time to think.
She pushed him aside and stepped inside.
Thud—
The door closed with a heavy sound, and silence fell.
The heat of his body, the rich scent of him… Her vision swam for a moment.
“You were warned to be careful.”
His low voice crawled into her ear, making the nape of her neck tingle. The sharpness of it made her fingertips tremble.
“There are dangerous people everywhere.”
It was only then that Jane realized—
The place she had run to for safety… might be even more dangerous.
“I think you need to relax.”
When he slowly turned around, Jane finally let out the breath she had been holding.
He walked to the minibar and poured wine into a glass, and she couldn’t help but follow his movements with her eyes.
From his broad shoulders down his back, the muscle contours were perfect. She had never found a man’s body beautiful before.
What am I thinking right now?
She was in the middle of a mission. On the run, no less—and she was having leisurely thoughts like these?
Jane quickly turned her head, but her heart still raced.
“Here.”
He was suddenly beside her, handing her a glass of red wine.
“Ah, thank you…”
As she took it, their fingers brushed.
Even that brief touch made her skin burn.
Was it her imagination?
The moment they touched, his eyes seemed to darken.
His gaze slowly swept over her.
“This is a first.”
From her forehead to her eyes, nose, and finally lips—his gaze felt as if it were physically brushing her skin.
“…”
“I want to know everything about you.”
Jane inhaled reflexively.
His eyes on her stole her breath.
And stirred something unfamiliar inside her—was it fear? Excitement?
This feeling was entirely new.
Then—
“Huh…!”
His large hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her in. The wine in her glass swayed dangerously.
Get a grip. This isn’t right.
Her body was already reacting to him.
His scent, his heat—everything about him was stimulating.
He pulled her tighter by the waist until their bodies were pressed together with no space between.
Heat rushed up her neck.
A sharp alarm blared in her mind.
“I-I’m sorry for barging in like that…”
The words tumbled out—an empty apology. It was the best she could do.
“It’s already too late.”
At those incomprehensible words, Jane looked up—
And his lips crashed into hers.
“Ah…!”
Her stifled gasp became the signal. The man’s movements grew bolder.
The wine—untouched—was now forgotten.
He placed it on the table and laced his fingers through hers, pulling her even closer.
Push and pull. Rough, needy movements.
His lips explored, unrelenting.
A thrill she had never known jolted through her.
Everywhere he touched melted with heat.
“Hah… stop…”
Her breathless surrender finally made him pull away.
Through her blurred vision, she saw his lips curve into a faint smile.
It was a smile she had never seen before, and it made her heart ache.
What is this feeling?
Before she could figure it out, his deep voice came again.
“You should’ve run when I warned you.”
His dark gaze seemed to scold her—as if saying it was her own fault for knocking on his door again.
Her instincts screamed: This man is dangerous.
Without giving her a moment to catch her breath, his lips trailed down the line of her neck.
Slowly. Leisurely. And all the more arousing because of it.
“Hnngh…!”
Her head tilted back on its own.
Their body heat mixed, breaths tangled.
The night deepened like that—
Without knowing each other’s real names.
Without knowing each other’s true identities.
Back then, she had no idea—
That this wasn’t the end, but the beginning of something far more dangerous.
