The morning sun filtered through the gauzy white curtains of Grace’s penthouse, casting golden rays across the marble floor. The air held the warmth of a rare peace, the kind that only came after a storm had passed. Grace stretched beneath the silk sheets, her hand reaching instinctively toward the space beside her.
Empty.
The warmth was gone.
She sat up quickly, heart skipping, only to catch the scent of black coffee drifting from the kitchen. A smile crept across her lips. She pulled on Nathaniel’s shirt from the night before and padded barefoot down the hallway.
There he was.
Shirtless, wearing only joggers, standing in front of the coffee maker with that signature scowl of concentration. Her favorite view. Always has been.
Nathaniel turned just as she entered.
“You look…” His ga
