Violet drifted in and out of sleep, lost somewhere between dreams and waking. When she finally blinked her eyes open, the room was still dim — just one floor lamp glowed faintly in the corner.
Her throat felt painfully dry. She tried to sit up, but the second she pushed herself up, a wave of soreness rolled through her body — her limbs heavy, her thighs weak. Heat rushed to her face.
She wasn’t on the couch anymore. She was in bed.
Her hair slipped over her bare shoulder like silk, and even that small movement made her shiver. Red marks dotted her skin, his touch still there in every faint bruise, every breath that brushed against her neck. She ran her fingers over one of the spots — it still felt warm.
Violet bit her lip, the memories from last night flooding back — Julian’s heat, wi
