Chapter 209: Bound by Flames

Zande slowly lifted her head from the solid warmth of Jacob’s chest, her heart heavy with sadness. Her large, expressive eyes reflected the inner turmoil she felt. "You don’t understand, Jacob," she said softly, her voice tinged with regret. "But I cannot stay here with you. My family needs me. I have been selfish for too long." She could feel the tension in her own hand as it rested over his heart, her fingers trembling slightly. She half expected Jacob to argue, to insist she stay with him, but his response wasn’t what she anticipated. His golden eyes swept over her face, filled with a possessive hunger that took her breath away. It was a hunger so deep, so raw, that it left her feeling completely exposed, her resolve teetering on the edge of collapse. How could any man need someone so fiercely, so utterly without ego? And how could he show that need with such vulnerability? The intensity of his gaze shook her to her core, and she found herself torn, pulled in two directions by the