The silver radiance of the mountain moon filtered through the translucent, tattered paper of the window frames, casting an ethereal, shimmering glow across the cramped, earthen room. In this muted, spectral light, the figure reclining on the simple wooden bed appeared like a masterpiece stolen from a Renaissance gallery—a vision of ivory skin and soft, flowing curves that seemed to breathe in tandem with the quiet, haunting rhythm of the night. Ace stood in the doorway for a heartbeat, his breath hitching as he surveyed what he believed to be his private sanctuary. The woman’s back was a smooth, uninterrupted expanse of porcelain, her long, graceful legs stretching out beneath the thin, rough-spun covers that did little to hide her form.
It was an intoxicating sight, one that set Ace’s pu
