The divorced military queen awakens novel

Chapter 697 Unexpected Balance Chapter 697 Unexpected Balance 55 % +10 Free Coins Quinn paused . The attempt had been pure impulse ; she hadn't really expected it to work , let alone this unsteady success . Still , the compromising pose fit Laura's mischievous advice perfectly . She smiled ; she did indeed have Julius beneath her now . Her fingers remained curled around his tie . " If I told you I want to kiss you right now , what would you do ? " " I never said you could kiss me ." Julius pushed the words out before his courage could drain away , and they sounded sharper than he intended .

Quinn only tilted her head . " So that's a no ? " she asked , voice so calm it pricked at his pride . The word reject echoed and stuck , tasting like cheap metal on his tongue . He wasn't eager to push her away - not when the memory of her mouth still curled warm in his chest . Quinn's face drifted lower , close enough that he could count the tiny freckles across her nose . Her breath grazed his ear . " If you hate this , just push me away ... " The words slipped in like permission and challenge at once .

Then the lightest brush - her lips tapped the edge of his earlobe , nothing more than a sigh made solid . A shiver bolted down his spine and back again . Every drop of blood seemed to abandon reason and stampede toward that single , burning ear . She leaned back just enough to study him ; he felt , rather than saw , her notice the violent flush climbing his ear . The knowing curve of her mouth told him she'd gathered proof - proof that his body , traitorous thing , wanted her . How could nerves flare so hot for a woman who looked so fragile now , all angles and shadows ?

Yet the heat inside him said it remembered every soft place she used to be . An almost strategic light flickered through her tired eyes , like she'd just solved a problem he hadn't been told about . Her hand settled on his chest , firmer now , exploratory , as if testing a theory with his heartbeat . The weight of that simple touch tightened every muscle he owned . Lips trailed along his jaw , mapped the short distance to the corner of his mouth , then 1/4 1905 Mon , Feb 2 GOD . Chapter 697 Unexpected Balance lingered there , teasing the shape of surrender against him .

55 % +10 Free Coins " Good boy , Open up . " Her whisper feathered across his lips , equal parts praise and command . He stared at her , confusion and hunger colliding inside his chest . Was he really about to obey like a trained pet ? Yet his jaw loosened , lips parting on reflex before his pride could claw them shut . She rewarded the betrayal of his will with a small , pleased smile . " There's my good boy . " Heat flared behind his eyes . Damn it , did she really think he was eight years old ? The kiss deepened , slow and possessive , until the room shrank to nothing but breath and skin .

Her fingertips skimmed his throat , flicked open his tie , coaxed each button free , then traced the ridges of his abdomen like she was reacquainting herself with an old song . She smiled against his mouth , a low approving sound vibrating between them ; apparently , the hours he'd spent in the gym had not been wasted . He felt enchanted , strings cut , floating wherever she directed . Control was a door someone else had locked . Somewhere , a thin thread of sanity tugged - push her away , regain air - but it frayed the moment he pictured doing it .

His fingers curled around her waist , startled by their own eagerness . Her figure was sharper now , almost brittle , and still his body folded around her , desperate to please the woman it remembered . Only the echo of the doctor's warnings about her condition held him back ; otherwise desire alone would have shoved patience aside . Two days later , even the recycled air of the cabin carried phantom notes of her skin . Julius closed his eyes and the memory of her taking what she wanted unfurled , slow and addictive .

The wheels kissed the runway at Capital Airport with a jolt that rattled Quinn's bones and announced , clear as a trumpet , that the journey was truly over . Minutes later she sat in a narrow airport wheelchair , a staff member's steady hands guiding her down the ramp while stale cabin chill still clung to her skin . At the terminal entrance , familiar characters lit the wall in bold strokes she'd copied a thousand times as a child . The sight blurred ; moisture glazed her vision before she could blink it away . Five years gone , and now - finally - she was home .

2/4 F303 Mon , Feb 2 G D 55 % Chapter 697 Unexpected Balance +10 Free Coins A sudden blur of movement cut through the crowd . The figure skidded to a halt two paces in front of her , eyes wide , tears tracking down both cheeks as if gravity had doubled . Quinn answered the raw emotion with a gentle curve of her mouth . " Why the tears ? Look - I made it back alive , didn't I ? " Fine ? The word rattled inside Harlan's skull , sharp as broken glass . He had braced for weakness , the rasp he'd heard over the phone had warned him .

But nothing prepared him for the blade - thin woman before him , bones jutting under hospital cotton , her back pressed to a wheelchair that looked far too big . Memory collided with vision : Quinn once racing the sunrise in a wingsuit , shouting orders through the comm , always first into the smoke while the rest of them scrambled to keep up . And now she sat trapped , the sky reduced to airport fluorescent lights . His mind replayed that cursed day five years ago . If he had been on that op , right at her flank , would she still have fallen ?

Would she need to pay in broken bones for his absence ? Harlan's throat burned . " I'm sorry ... I'm so sorry .. Before anyone moved , his knees hit the polished floor , spine rigid , head bowed to the level of her frail hands . Gasps rippled across the waiting crowd . Strangers stared : the suited , sharp - jawed man weeping on his knees before a woman in a wheelchair was a tableau no one had rehearsed . Quinn's eyes softened , but tears glazed them all the same . " Harlan , it isn't your fault , " she murmured . " Look at me - I'm still here , and I'll get better . See ? I'm fine .

" He drew a shuddering breath and wrapped her trembling fingers inside his own . " Quinnie , whatever you need from this day on , I will deliver , " he said , voice steadying . " For you , I'll walk through fire without a second thought . " From the edge of the throng , Julius narrowed his eyes , arms folding across his chest , a faint tension gathering along his jawline . For an instant , something flickered behind that controlled gaze - recognition , or maybe a forgotten ache - but it vanished before Harlan could be sure .

Still , the air around Julius felt suddenly colder , as though a silent growl hung between them . A tiny voice piped up , clear and curious . " Mommy , who is that uncle , and why is he crying ? " 3/4 13.03 Mon , Feb 2 G Chapter 697 Unexpected Balance- 有 55 % 15 Free Coins Harlan's breath caught . He turned toward the speaker , heart thudding louder than the airport PA . One look was all he needed ; realization slammed into him . 4/4 admin Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels.

With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia's stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.