The morning light filtered softly through the curtains of Kael’s quarters, catching dust in its glow and making the shadows of the previous night seem to linger stubbornly in the corners. Ariana sat on the edge of the bed, still trembling slightly, her mind replaying the storm of heat and tension from the night before.
She hated the way her body remembered every brush of his touch, every whisper of possessive command, every look that made her knees weak. But there was no denying it—she craved it, even as her mind screamed caution.
Kael moved about the room, his presence like a low, controlled hum that she could feel vibrating in the air. He dressed methodically, precise and almost mechanical, yet the barest hint of stiffness betrayed that he too was still unsettled.
Ariana’s gaze drifte
