The Billionaire's Secret Quartet

Alaric stood rooted to the spot, digesting Hertha's words before the penny dropped. He hurried after her, "Hertha, they're newlyweds, basking in their honeymoon bliss. Is it really right for me to intrude and expect thanks?"

"There's nothing wrong with it," Hertha said.

"Every moment of a honeymoon is precious, don't you know?" Alaric said.

"I wouldn't know; I've never had one," Hertha replied nonchalantly, not slowing her pace.

"How can you say you've never had one? Three years ago, we had our moment, and that night gave us two beautiful kids," Alaric whispered, edging closer to Hertha with a mischievous grin, his words laced with an intimacy only they could understand.

Just thinking about that night made Alaric's throat tighten and warmth spread through his abdomen.

all these years, only Hertha could make him feel this

strangers passing by, with whom he never wanted a second

Hertha was different. Though they'd been together just once, she had lingered in his heart, impossible to

the mere memory of that night, its sweet intoxication, would

thought of Hertha, the more his heart yearned

years of flitting from flower to flower, Alaric realized, this

into the quagmire of

with his roguishly charming demeanor,

on Hertha's ear made her skin tingle, and she instinctively recoiled, stopping in

mocking me?" Hertha hissed, bristling like a

was taken aback, "How could I be mocking you? I was