I needed to delete the post before he looked at the site’s analytics.

I had to remove the photo of the caramelized plum tart.

“I’m going to go upstairs and change out of these damp clothes,” Julian said, checking his watch.

“Have you started dinner?”

“Just prepping the ingredients,” I said.

My voice sounded thin, like dry paper tearing.

He nodded, his gaze lingering on my face for a second too long.

“Good,” he said. “I will be down in five minutes.”

He walked toward the stairs, his leather shoes squeaking slightly on the polished wood.

The moment his footsteps faded on the second floor, I lunged for my laptop.

I flipped the lid open.

The screen flared to life, casting a cold blue glow over the dark granite counter.

I clicked on the bookmark for my blog’s administration panel.

The familiar login screen appeared.

My username and password were saved in the browser’s keychain autofill.

I clicked the blue *Log In* button.

A red error message flashed at the top of the screen: *Invalid password or username.*

My heart hammered against my ribs.