The adrenaline crash hit them as soon as they entered the townhouse.

Let me check your shoulder, Stella insisted. "That champagne might have been hot. Or sticky."

It was cold champagne, Stella, Julian snapped. He wheeled himself backward, away from her. "Leave it."

He retreated to his study and locked the door. The click of the lock felt like a slap in the face.

Stella stood in the hallway, feeling the silence of the house wrap around her. She felt shut out. Again.

She wandered the empty rooms. In the back of the first floor, she found a room she hadn't seen before. It was filled with architectural models. Miniature skyscrapers, sleek retail stores with the logo L'Unico etched on the tiny glass fronts.

She touched one of the models. It was exquisite. He must be a fan, she thought. Or maybe he wanted to be an architect before the accident.

Later that night, a storm rolled in over Manhattan.

Thunder crashed directly overhead, shaking the old window panes.

CRACK.

The lights in the townhouse flickered and died. Pitch black.

Stella froze. She hated thunder. It reminded her of the night her parents died. Her breath hitched in her throat.

Julian? she called out.

No answer.

She fumbled for her phone, turning on the flashlight. The beam cut through the darkness, illuminating the dust sheets like specters.

She made her way to the study. "Julian?"

Inside the study, Julian was standing.

He was reaching up to a high shelf behind the desk, trying to retrieve a backup battery for his secure server. The wifi had cut out, and he needed to maintain the connection. He heard the doorknob turn.

Shit.

He dropped.

He didn't have time to get back to the chair. He let gravity take him, crumpling to the floor just as the door creaked open. He dragged his legs behind him, contorting his body to look like he had fallen trying to reach something.

The flashlight beam swept the room and landed on him.

Oh my god! Stella screamed.

She rushed over, dropping the light. "Julian! Did you fall?"

Julian gritted his teeth, pressing his face against the Persian rug. "The security system... it runs on a separate circuit. I needed the battery from the shelf. I tried to... use the grabber tool."

You idiot, Stella cried. She wrapped her arms around his torso. "Help me. On three."

She pulled.

He was dead weight. And he was heavy.

You're... really heavy, Stella panted, straining to lift his chest off the floor. "For someone who doesn't walk, your back is... hard."

Julian stiffened. He had to stay limp. "Dead weight feels heavier, Stella. Physics. And I do pull-ups."

She managed to drag him toward the leather armchair. They were tangled together, limbs awkward, breathing heavy. Her face was inches from his.

A flash of lightning illuminated the room.

Stella saw his eyes. They weren't pained. They were dark, intense, dilated.

She touched his arm. Her fingers grazed his bicep. It was rock solid.

Don't try to be a hero, she whispered, her voice trembling. "Call me next time. I'm here. I'm your legs, remember?"

Julian looked away. The guilt was a sharp knife in his gut. She was so sincere. So desperate to help him. And he was lying to her with every breath.

I don't need a babysitter, he growled.

You need a wife, Stella corrected.

The power came back on with a sudden zzzt. The lights blinded them.

Stella stepped back, realizing she was straddling his lap on the floor. She scrambled up, smoothing her pajamas.

Are you hurt? she asked.

No, Julian said. "Just... leave me."

Stella nodded, hurt flashing in her eyes. She turned and left the room.

Julian sat on the floor for a long time. He looked at his arm where she had touched him. His skin felt like it was burning.

The next morning, the atmosphere in the kitchen was frigid.

Henderson came in, his left hand wrapped in an ACE bandage.

I'm afraid I've sprained my wrist, Madam, Henderson lied smoothly. "Old injury acting up."

Stella looked up from her coffee. "Oh no. Do you need a doctor?"

No, just rest, Henderson said. "But... I cannot assist Master Julian with his therapy bath this morning."

Stella choked on her coffee. "His... bath?"

Julian wheeled into the kitchen at that moment. He looked at Henderson, eyes narrowing. What are you doing?

I can manage with a wet towel, Julian said coldly.

The doctor was very specific, Sir, Henderson insisted. "You need the hot water circulation for your legs. To prevent further issues."

Stella looked at Julian. She saw the muscle ticking in his jaw. She thought it was pride. She thought he was embarrassed to be naked in front of her.

I'll do it, Stella said. She stood up, putting on her 'brave face'. "We're married. It's fine. It's just... bodies."

Scene: The Master Bathroom.

Steam filled the air. The room was tiled in black marble, slick and hot.

Julian was in the tub. He was wearing thick, black compression leggings that went from his waist to his ankles. He claimed they were for "circulation," but in reality, they were to hide the muscle definition in his legs.

Stella tried not to stare at his chest. But it was impossible.

His upper body was magnificent. Broad shoulders, defined pectorals, a six-pack that looked carved from stone.

You work out... with your arms? Stella squeaked.

Upper body strength is all I have, Julian lied, gripping the edges of the tub. He was terrified. Not of her seeing him, but of his body reacting to her.

Stella wetted a large sea sponge. "Lean forward."

She touched his back.

Julian flinched. Her touch was soft, but it sent an electric shock down his spine.

She began to scrub. Circular motions. Shoulders. Neck. Down the spine.

Julian closed his eyes. Think about baseball. Think about the quarterly earnings report. Think about tax law.

Is the water too hot? Stella asked, noticing his breathing had stopped.

No, Julian grated out.

She moved the sponge to his chest. Her fingers grazed his nipple.

Julian's breath hitched.

She moved lower. Toward his stomach. Then she reached for his leg.

I need to wash the leggings, she said innocently. "Or... under them?"

Julian felt the blood rushing south. He was a healthy, twenty-eight-year-old man, and his beautiful wife was touching him in a steaming bath. His "paralysis" didn't stop erections.

If she touched his thigh, she would feel the muscle tense. She would feel the heat. The compression gear could only hide so much.

Stella, he warned.

She placed her hand on his thigh.

Snap.

Julian's control broke. He grabbed her wrist before she could squeeze. His grip was bruising.

He splashed water violently, covering his lap.

That's enough! he roared.

Stella jumped back, dropping the sponge. "What? Did I hurt you?"

I said GET OUT! Julian shouted, his voice echoing off the marble. "Leave me alone! I can finish!"

He needed her gone before he humiliated himself. Before he proved he wasn't the invalid he claimed to be.

Stella's eyes filled with tears. She looked at him-at the anger in his face-and thought she had disgusted him.

She turned and ran out of the bathroom, slamming the door.

Julian slammed his fist against the water.

Damn it, he whispered. He looked down at his body, fully betrayed by his own biology.

He sank lower into the water, miserable and aroused, listening to his wife cry in the hallway.

Stella avoided Julian all day. She cleaned the kitchen furiously, scrubbing the grout until her fingers were raw.

Julian stayed in his study. He felt like a jerk.

He was typing a message on his secure phone to Nate Rivera, the public CEO of L'Unico.

Julian: Transfer the funds to the Cayman account. Use Protocol 10-M.

Nate: Done. By the way, I heard you got married. To that runaway bride? The Dalton reject?

Julian: She's my cover. And watch your mouth.

Nate: The board is restless, Julian. They want the Founder to appear. They think the 'Silent Partner' is a myth.

Julian: Not yet. My uncle is still tracking my accounts. If I show my face, he'll know I built L'Unico with the money I hid from him.

Nate: You lost the bet. You said you'd never marry.

Julian: Business only.

Nate: Is it? Henderson texted me. Said you were shouting in the bathroom. Trouble in paradise?

Julian glared at the screen. "Henderson talks too much."

Nate: We have a problem with the Spring Collection. The lead designer quit. We need fresh blood.

Julian: Find a new one. Flag any submissions that focus on adaptive wear. I want something different.

Outside the door, Stella walked by with a tray of food. She heard the clicking of keys and a low murmur, but couldn't make out the words.

She knocked hesitantly. "Julian?"

Julian locked the phone instantly. He spun his chair away from the desk, slumping his posture to look smaller.

Come in.

Stella entered. "I brought dinner. Since you didn't eat lunch."

She placed the tray on a side table. She kept her distance, like he was a wild animal that might bite.

About earlier... Stella started, looking at the floor. "I'm sorry. I know it must be hard for you. To be... helped. To feel vulnerable."

Julian looked at her. She was apologizing to him. After he had screamed at her.

You're too kind for this city, Stella, he murmured.

Kindness is free. Rent isn't, Stella smiled sadly. "I need a job. I can't just live off your... stipend."

Julian's eyes lit up. An idea formed.

What are you looking for?

Design, Stella said. "Fashion. I'm actually... I'm applying to L'Unico. They have an opening."

Julian kept his face impassive. "L'Unico? The luxury brand?"

Yeah. It's a long shot. But I have a portfolio.

Show me, Julian demanded.

Stella hesitated, then ran to get her sketchbook.

Julian flipped through the pages. He expected amateur work. He expected fluff.

What he saw was brilliance. Structural, edgy, yet wearable.

He stopped at a sketch of a suit.

This lapel, he said. "It's cut high."

It's designed for someone seated, Stella explained shyly. "So the fabric doesn't bunch at the waist. For... wheelchair users."

Julian froze.

She had designed it for him.

A strange warmth spread in his chest, melting the ice he kept there. He looked at the sketch, then at her hopeful face.

It's good, he said roughly. "Submit it."