NORA POV
When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was how soft everything felt. The bed, the pillow, even the blanket was different from anything I had ever used. I turned a little, stretching my legs, and that was when the smell hit me. Clean. Warm. Expensive. It was nothing like the scent of the packhouse. For a few seconds I just lay there, feeling like I was in a dream I didn’t want to wake up from.
Slowly, I opened my eyes. The ceiling above me was so high I had to tilt my head back a little to see all of it. The corners had some gold designs that looked hand-painted. Light was coming in through tall silk curtains. I sat up quickly. This was not my room.
I blinked, trying to put the pieces together. Then I remembered the dinner. The stares. Derek’s hand holding mine. The big car t
