Juliette:
Early morning light filtered in through the hotel blinds, leaving soft golden stripes dancing across the bed. The room was still, except for the gentle hum of the city outside and the quiet, steady rhythm of Maddox’s breathing. He lay on his back, the sheets just barely covering his hips, his broad chest rising and falling with each breath. His dark lashes rested against high cheekbones, jaw slack in sleep, mouth parted ever so slightly. He looked peaceful. Vulnerable, even.
I sat up slowly, the ache between my thighs a silent reminder of what we’d done.
What I had done.
I drew the blanket tighter around my chest as the gravity of the moment settled over me like a weight. My eyes stayed on him, scanning the lines of his body, the scratches I’d left on his shoulders, the mess
