I stretched, still caught in that hazy, semi-lucid space, and reached out. My hand found his strong body and I traced the firm ridges of his abdomen, each line sculpted like it had been personally carved by the Greek gods.
He exhaled in his sleep, the low, steady rhythm of his breathing stirring something deep in my chest. The man who had unraveled me just hours before lay beside me, thoroughly at ease.
Moonlight spilled across the room in silver streaks, the sheet barely draped over his hips, doing nothing to hide him. He was completely naked. Every hard, raw inch of him exposed. He appeared powerful even in rest.
My gaze lingered before reality crashed in.
I rolled onto my back and glanced at the clock on the nightstand.
4:03 a.m.
A sharp breath caught in my throat. I should have been back at Sophie’s by now. My friend was going to lose her mind when she woke up and found my bed untouched. She might have already called the police.
Carefully, I began to move.
The sheets slid away from my body as I shifted, and the movement caused me to wince. A dull ache throbbed betweenmy legs—a reminder of everything that had happened. But there was something else too.
I paused as recognition settled. I was clean.
My brows knitted together as I glanced down at myself. There was no trace of the night left on my skin. No stickiness. Nothing.
He had cleaned me, and then he’d tucked me in.
The realization sent an unexpected ripple through me. My gaze flicked back to him. He was still asleep, his face relaxed and boyish.
My feet met the cool hardwood floor. I stretched my arms above my head, stifling a yawn, then headed for the sofa.
My dress and his clothes were neatly folded in a pile.
I walked over, careful not to wake him up. When I picked up his suit jacket, his scent wrapped around me—rich, masculine, drugging. For a moment, I just stood there, breathing it in.
But there was no time to waste, so I tossed it aside and reached for my dress.
A soft clink echoed against the floor.
I froze, holding my breath.
Behind me, Lykos shifted, rolling onto his stomach. My heart leapt into my throat as I stood perfectly still, waiting.
His snoring resumed, and I let myself smile as I tried to reconcile the man who’d fucked me into oblivion with the one lying there, the softest sounds passing through parted lips.
I pulled my dress over my head in one swift motion, then crouched down, searching for whatever had fallen.
A faint glimmer in the moonlight drew my attention, and I lowered myself to my knees, reaching for it.
It was a ring.
My stomach tightened, weighing the cold metal in the palm of my hand.
“It’s just a… ring,” I whispered, turning it slowly between my fingertips.
There was an inscription.
My breath hitched as I brought it closer, squinting to read the delicate engraving along the inner band. Lykos & Amara.
Everything inside me stopped.
“No. No… no… no…”
