Millie

Dr. Chen capped the tube containing the DNA sample and gave me a kind smile. "See, not so bad."

"Much better than a blood draw, that's for sure," I replied, hopping down from my chair and hoping the doctor and Lochlan missed the nerves behind my smile.

Unsurprisingly, Lochlan missed nothing. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and pulled me against him. Since Thanksgiving, he'd grown increasingly comfortable with displays of affection, a fact that both delighted me and made me feel guilty. The guilt won out every time I passed the closed door of his office and felt the thumb drive burning in my pocket.

"How long for results?" Lochlan asked.

"This is a busy time in the labs. I would usually say 3-5 business days, but for the Reeds, I think we can do better than that." He washed his hands and gathered his belongings. "I'm going to say no more than forty-eight hours."

"That soon?"

"Yep. I'll see myself out. Lochlan, it's good to see you. Ms. Gordon, it's been a pleasure."

When the door closed behind the doctor, Lochlan spun me around and tipped my head back to look him directly in the eyes. "Hey, it doesn't matter what those results say. You're a part of this family now. You know that."

His words were a near perfect echo of Anna's. I put my arms around his waist and melted against him. "You say that, but if I'm not her..."

"Millie or Marianna, I know who you are."

I pulled back, shocked by the harsh bite of conviction in his voice. "Who am I?"

His hands went beneath my butt, and he hoisted me off my feet, forcing me to wrap my legs around him. A thrill shot through me as I felt the proof of his desire against my center. Since the night in the cabin, we hadn't gone a day without sex. Sometimes it was slow and gentle, but most often it was the opposite—both of us consumed by need and maybe even the fear that it might be the last time.

"You're mine," he whispered, turning so the island counter pushed into my back. He dipped his head, but instead of kissing me on the lips, he dropped them along my jawline and down my neck, making me drop my head back to give him better access.

"Say it."

"Or what?"

I desperately wanted to say it and mean it. Teasing seemed a safer route and less of a chance he might hear how much I was desperately beginning to wish it meant more than just ownership of each other's bodies. But as long as this last secret stretched between us, I had to keep my heart to myself.

Lochlan growled against my throat. A sharp sting followed it as his teeth scraped against my skin harder than usual. Hard enough to leave a physical mark. A brand.

"You can say it now, or you can say it while I have you bent over this countertop." He dropped me on the cold quartz and stepped back. He unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt, never breaking eye contact. "Actually, either way I'm going to fuck you over this counter, just the way I've imagined doing since the first morning you were in my apartment."

"Oh, yeah?" I spread my legs and pushed my hand into the band of my leggings, nearly coming at the first brush of my finger against my clit. Because that was the effect this man had on me.

Lochlan must have seen how close I was. Buttons popped off his shirt as he ripped it off. "Don't you fucking come yet."

My hand stilled. "Better hurry."

"If you come anywhere but on my tongue, you won't be able to sit down later."

"Is that a promise?"

He jerked my pants down and hit his knees. Just before his mouth landed, there was a knock on the door. Marcus' voice rang out. "Millie, bitch. You're late!"

"Shit. I was supposed to meet Marcus for lunch." Lochlan looked up at me from between my legs. His breath was warm against my clit. Marcus pounded on the door. "I'm already late, right?"

He gave me a wicked grin. "Try to stay quiet."

Twenty minutes later, I sat across from Marcus at a quiet cafe near Lochlan's apartment. From the amusement on his handsome face, I hadn't stayed nearly as quiet as I thought. I hoped he knew me well enough to keep his comments to himself though, because as much as I'd enjoyed the intense orgasm Lochlan's talented mouth had drawn from me, I felt unsatisfied.

"So..."

"So," I cleared my throat. "Why did you want to meet?"

All traces of amusement dropped from his face. With a surreptitious glance toward the body guard Lochlan insisted on, Marcus leaned in and said in a low voice, "He's growing impatient, Millie."

I glared. "Has he forgotten the fact the only reason I'm doing this is because he's incapable of doing it himself?"

"Millie," Marcus groaned and leaned back in his chair. Fingers tapping on the edge of a saucer, he watched the traffic for a few seconds before continuing. "I told you a long time ago. Never fall for the mark."

"Lochlan wasn't supposed to be a mark," I hissed.

"He was always the mark."

"What do you mean?" My heart pounded in my chest. "Marcus."

"I'm sorry about all of this, Millie."

"Marcus, please just tell me what's going on. I choose knowledge. Screw freedom." Because what was freedom without Lochlan?

He let out a dark chuckle. "There was never going to be freedom. I was naïve to think that."

"Look," I said, reaching out to take his hands. "I know this is about Marianna. Somehow. If we can figure out what happened to her—"

"You think we can solve a cold case? Millie..."

"I was talking to Lochlan about it. He told me about the day it all happened. About Karen Whitethorn and—" I was speaking in a rush. I dragged in a deep breath. "And the more I think about it, the more I think there was an affair."

"That's been a theory for years."

"I know, but I've got something to add. What if Roman knew about the affair? What if that's why he and John had a falling out? I don't like the guy at all, but—"

"Stay away from him, Millie." Marcus sounded panicked.

I waved away his concern. "It's just a thought. Anyway, we only have a couple days before the test results come back before—"

"What test results?"

"The DNA test."

Marcus swore and hit the table, making the dishes clatter. My bodyguard jumped up but sat back down when I shook my head at him. "You knew I agreed to one."

"Fuck, Millie. Get the thumb drive on the computer." He pushed back from the table and stood. "Before the test results come back."

"You okay?"

Dazed, I looked up at the bodyguard, wondering how long I'd been staring at my friend's empty seat. What the hell just happened? The worst that could happen was we proved I wasn't Marianna. That wouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Unless...

The world tilted. Unless I was Marianna. And Marcus had known the truth all along.