#Chapter 27: Reflections

Amelia I snuck back in my own suite, but it didn’t feel like I’d left his bed. Not really. The heat of him still lingered on my skin, like the memory had followed me through the door and slipped into my sheets. I hadn’t meant to wake up in his arms—again. I’d told myself I was just going to lie there to help him rest, just long enough for him to stabilize. But I hadn’t meant to sleep so close. And I definitely hadn’t meant to wake up so aroused. The ache in my body was immediate, and it wasn’t just emotional. I felt flushed all over, my skin too sensitive, like I was still wrapped in the memory of his hand on my waist. Of how close we’d gotten without quite crossing a line. I stripped off my sleep shirt and stepped into the bathroom, turning the shower cold enough to sting. For a few minutes, I stood under the icy spray, arms wrapped around myself, forcing my mind to blank. But I hated being freezing. It wasn’t sustainable. After a while, my fingers went numb, and I caved—twi