Sunlight, a pale gold intrusion, sliced through the blackout shades of the master bedroom, finding the contours of two bodies wrapped in a post-reconciliation truce. Larissa was pressed entirely against Jasper’s side, the geography of their bodies intimately familiar, the rhythm of his heart a grounding beat beneath her ear. The lingering scent of their passionate, desperate reunion was heavy in the air, not just a memory of desire, but a palpable declaration of renewed strength. The silent war of the past days had been vanquished by the shared revelation of betrayal, and they had spent the night reaffirming their allegiance. Every touch, every kiss, had been a physical vow: We are united against them.
Larissa ran her hand down the hard plane of his stomach, pulling a slight, satisfied gr
