Darian's POV
I let the warm water hit my shoulders, letting it roll down my back and arms, over every taut muscle that still thrums with the memory of her. Serenity. Even thinking her name sends a shiver down my spine. That heat, that closeness, it’s still clinging to me, a residue that makes my skin alive in places I shouldn’t feel alive. We’ve taken baths together before, sure, but right now—if she stepped in with me—I don’t know if I could control myself. I’d lose track of boundaries, lose track of restraint, and it wouldn’t end cleanly. I’d probably push us too far, overstep, and I can’t let that happen. Not yet. Not now.
I close my eyes and let the steam curl around me, imagining it swallowing the echoes of her—her weight against me, the heat of her body, the sparks of contact that
