But something twisted in her gut.
She reached for it.
One glance at the screen drained the heat from her skin.
Unknown: You looked beautiful last night. Did he tell you?
The words landed like a blade.
The illusion cracked.
The safety she’d dared to believe in—shattered.
Her grip on the phone tightened.
Gideon stirred, voice low and concerned. “Arden?”
She locked the screen. Forced her voice steady.
“It’s nothing.”
Too fast.
He scanned her face. Didn’t speak. But she felt it:Don’t lie to me.
He didn’t push.
Instead, he pulled her close again.
“Whatever it is… we’ll handle it. Together.”
She wanted to believe that.
God, she wanted to.
But the message burned in her hand.
You looked beautiful last night. Did he tell you?
Her eyes drifted to the window.
Outside, the night felt heavier now.
Because someone was watching.
And she didn’t know how much longer she could pretend she didn’t feel it.
CHAPTER 47
Where You Are
Arden stirred against sheets that no longer held his weight. The warmth of him had faded, but his presence hadn’t. His scent lingered—clean, masculine, a little dangerous. It clung to the linen, clung to her skin. Something dark, threaded with heat. Sex. Him. The kind of scent that didn’t let go.
She didn’t panic.
Morning light pushed through the curtains in soft gold stripes, brushing across the rumpled space beside her. And he’d left something behind.
On the nightstand, a cup of coffee, still warm.
