Avery:
Fuck, it was too early to wake up. The first thing I noticed was the pain. Not sharp, not urgent—but a deep, sore ache in every inch of my body. My thighs trembled when I shifted. My stomach flinched when I tried to sit up.
Then I noticed the heat.
And the weight of the gaze.
I blinked, eyes adjusting to the soft, grey light of dawn creeping through the window blinds. My sheets were tangled around my hips. My chest was bare. My body was—completely, utterly—naked.
So was he.
Cruz.
He was sitting beside me, propped up against the headboard, his big body tense, tattooed arms crossed over his chest like he’d been sitting guard all night.
His dark eyes didn’t move from mine.
They consumed me. Devoured me. Like I was something to be hunted and cherished all at once.
I swallowed,
