“So, I heard Harlan's wedding was quite the spectacle last night. Were you involved in the drama?"

Norwood had filled him in about the fiasco, the bride pinning the blame on Rosalynn, and Barlow stepping up to shield her.

“Let's not delve into that. It's all been taken care of," Rosalynn retorted, her attention focused on brushing her teeth. It was clear she had no desire to rehash the past.

Brian leaned against the door frame, his gaze lingering on her.

Had Barlow been the one to clean up her mess?

The thought rattled him.

As Rosalynn rinsed her mouth and moved to cleanse her face, she caught sight of the love bites adorning her neck in the mirror.

She traced the marks with her fingertips, a quick glance thrown Brian's way.

Snapping out of his reverie, Brian quirked a brow.

“Something wrong?"

“Are you a canine in disguise? Look what you've done.”

She gestured at the damning evidence of their tryst.

Brian chuckled, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"And you? Are you a feline? I suspect my back tells a similar tale.”

He turned slightly, revealing several long scratches marring his skin, souvenirs from their passionate encounter.

Rosalynn was caught off-guard, quickly shifting the conversation.

“I'm heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Go get dressed. You can't parade around in a towel all day."

As she exited, Brian tossed her a sequence of numbers, his mood clearly buoyant.

Puzzled, Rosalynn looked back at him.

“My home security code," Brian explained.

Taken aback, Rosalynn nodded, making her way to the kitchen.

Brian caught her hand, an expectant look in his eyes.