Ruby’s POV
The morning sun sliced through the heavy curtains, painting patterns of bright gold across the rumpled sheets. I stirred slowly, my arm automatically reaching out to the other side of the bed.
Cold. Empty.
I opened my eyes, blinking against the light. Alex was gone. But the faint, unmistakable scent of him—woodsmoke, clean linen, and that deep masculine warmth—was still trapped in the fabric of the pillows. A soft shiver traveled down my spine as the memories of last night rushed back in a breathless wave. The red lace. The look in his dark eyes when he crossed the room. The bruising, desperate hunger of his mouth against mine, and the heavy, earth-shattering weight of those three words.
I love you.
I sat up, a slow, radiant smile taking over my face. I pulled his sil
