ISABEL
There were few things in the world that truly tested Isabel’s patience.
Waiting for food when she was starving? Agony.
Long, pointless meetings? Torture.
Sitting in a surveillance van for hours withVictoria Langley, forced to keep her hands to herself and pretend she wasn’t slowly unraveling from the inside out?
Pure, exquisite hell.
Because Isabel wasn’t just attracted to Victoria—she was becoming obsessed with her.Andobsessionwas dangerous.
It crept under the skin, settled in the bones. It made you watch too closely, linger too long, crave too much. And sitting next to Victoria now—shoulder to shoulder, close enough to feel the heat radiating from her body—Isabel could feel that obsession winding tighter and tighter inside her.
Because Victoria wasperfect.
Not in an easy, predictable way. Not in the way most people thought about perfection.
Victoria was perfect because she wasunshakable.
Because she built walls around herself so high, so impenetrable, Isabel knew very few people had ever made it past them.
And Isabel?
She wanted to break through. To watch them crumble. To see what Victoria looked like when shefinally let go.When she gave in.
And Isabel would wait as long as it took. Because if there was one thing sheknew—one thing she’d always known—it was that once she wanted something, she never stopped until it washers.
The hours had crawled by, thick with tension. Nothing had moved in the lot. No drop-off. No suspect. But Isabel hadn’t been bored, because this wasn’t about the stake-out anymore. This was abouther and Victoria, locked in this van together pretending neither of them noticed how badly they wanted to touch each other.
And Isabel was playing the long game.
She shifted, letting her knee bump lightly against Victoria’s thigh. A casual touch. Innocent, even. Victoria tensed. Didn’t pull away. Didn’t look at her.
But her fingers curled tighter around the steering wheel.
Isabel bit her lip, barely holding back a satisfied hum. And then, the perfect opportunity. The radio crackled.
Isabel reached for the dial at the same time Victoria did. And their fingers brushed for a mere moment. Just long enough for Isabel to feel the heat of Victoria’s skin. Just long enough for Victoria to inhale sharply. And just long enough for Isabel to know without a doubt that Victoria felt it, too.
Victoria froze.
Isabel didn’t. She let her fingers linger. Just for a moment. A test. A challenge.
Victoria’s breath hitched.
Isabelfelt it. She wanted tolean into see if Victoria would let her. Andfuck, Isabel had never wanted anything more than to ruin her in that moment. To make her lose that control, to make her admit how badly she wanted to be touched. But not yet.
Notyet.
When Collins’’ voice on the radio crackled, “Movement near the lot. Unmarked van just pulled in. No visual on occupants yet,” Victoria jerked back from Isabel quickly and gripped the radio. “Copy that. Hold positions.”
Isabel couldn’t help but notice Victora’s long fingers with perfectly trimmed nails as she gripped the radio. She began to imagine the way they would feel scratching down her neck and back. Suddenly the van didn’t feel so cold. Warmth pooled between her legs and on her cheeks. She gave a knowing look to Victoria, daring her to make a move.
Victoria turned back to the windshield, her jaw tight and her voice clipped. “Focus, Torres.”
The stakeout was a dud. By four a.m., they were packing it in, nothing to show for the night but frustration. Victoria drove. Isabel sat beside her, exhaustion creeping in, but her mind was still racing. She couldfeelVictoria beside her, stiff, silent, and holding the line by sheer force of will.
