Lachlan Byrne's quiet voice carries the same authority as the leather strap that hangs behind the pantry door. Sabrina Urquhart has seen the way his eyes darken when she questions the terms of their joint claim on the homestead, and the way her body answers with a flush she cannot hide.

The narrow pantry offers little room when the door closes on a sudden draft. His hand reaches for the strap while hers grips the edge of a shelf, the scent of flour and aged wood mixing with the tension that has built since their first meeting over the deed papers. With the legal battle pressing in from outside, Lachlan steps closer and the promise of measured strikes on bare skin fills the air between them, leaving Sabrina to wonder how much she will yield before their partnership breaks under the weight of what they both need.