Jesse awoke to the feeling of Alec’s arm wrapped around her, his warm breath tickling her exposed neck as each breath caused his slight stubble to prickle against her shoulder. This feeling, this safety, it eclipsed anything she thought she’d found in the recess of her mind.
Moonlight streamed through the small gap in the curtains, bringing a cool glow to the otherwise darkened room. She stared at the door, wondering if she could slip from his embrace, free him from his obligation of staying. But then she remembered the last ten years had been a lie.
All the anger and betrayal, all the heartache she had felt from each unanswered letter, had been by her father’s design, of this she was certain. Had he seen how she felt about him, had he orchestrated her abandonment thinking she would simp
