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to breathe in more of his scent, to touch his skin. “Who are you then? Why have I never seen you before? Not at school, not at home, nowhere in town…”
    He reached out to take my hand as he stepped closer, his hold keeping me from backing away again. He had strong hands that were surprisingly gentle. “I am someone who knows your father.”
    “That can’t be,” I whispered. I wanted to believe him, wanted to have that connection with my father, but the thought seemed impossible. “How?”
    “You’ll have plenty of time to learn of all that. For now, my only mission is to ensure you're aware of your destiny.”
    “My Life’s Plan?”
    “No, your true destiny is not the Life Plan you’ll receive.”
    For the first time since seeing him, his gaze shifted away from my eyes to just over my shoulder. In the distance I could make out the faint sound of light footsteps and knew Liam was returning from the house.
    Torrid’s gaze drifted back to me, now distant and wary. “I won’t have time now, but…”
    Liam’s steps were now clear and close. Any moment now he’d turn the corner.
    I turned to look back, feeling guilty, though I knew very well that I’d done nothing wrong.
    A heated touch brushed against my cheek and I realized it was Torrid’s fingers, tracing over the line of my jaw and grasping my chin. His touch was gentle but firm as he brought my gaze back to him.
    “You're more beautiful than I’d imagined. Much more…”
    As Liam’s steps bounded behind me, Torrid’s retreated as he disappeared into the black thickets beyond the garden.
    My mind raced with thoughts and emotions. The touch of his fingers still warmed my skin. The hint of my destiny rattled my brain. The thought that he knew my father opened my heart. I already anticipated our next meeting.
    Liam stood behind me, silent. His passionate hands grabbed my waist and turned me to face him. For a moment I couldn’t look him in the eye. Traces of Torrid’s touch still lingered and it felt like a betrayal as Liam now brought the same touch to my cheek.
    “I have a surprise for my lovely birthday girl,” he whispered.
    I finally met his gaze, smiling and warm, as it always was when he looked at me. Would he ever get angry with me? Would we become too accustomed to one another? Would the passion fade away and we’d settle into a monotonous routine as so many couples seemed to do? No, I thought as I stared into his eyes. Our love had already brought us to this point and it would live on.
    “You’ve already done so much, Liam. What more could you do?”
    Taking a formal step back, he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small silver box wrapped in a perfect white satin bow.  “Happy birthday, Kama.”
    “Liam,” I gasped while my hands traveled instinctively to cover my heated cheeks. “With all that you’ve done… you didn’t have to get me a gift.”
    “Open it,” he said simply.
    I pulled on the white satin, releasing the bow from its knot then opened the box.
    Tears filled my eyes and I wanted to melt into his arms. A perfect platinum heart encrusted with diamonds sat on the satin cushion inside the box. On a white gold chain that was as fine and delicate as could be, it was an elegant and simple piece of jewelry, just the type of jewelry I loved. I knew that I would never take it off.
    “Let me,” Liam offered. His fingers pinched the thin chain and pulled the necklace from the box.
    I turned away from him and tilted my head forward as he clasped the chain around my neck. The moment the heart touched my chest, I knew all the love Liam had put into choosing this particular gift. This was more than a bauble, trinket or token. It was his very heart on that tiny chain.
    My fingers immediately reached for it, fingering the smooth edge and tracing over the diamonds. “I love it, Liam,” I said as I turned to face him.
    His face beamed with pleasure as he smiled at me. “I’m happy to see you like