Nikolai's Point Of View
She was lying beneath the covers, eyes fluttering open and closed like she was fighting sleep… but not quite ready to give in.
I sat by her side in silence, my fingers lightly brushing against hers. I didn't say a word. I didn't need to. Just watching her chest rise and fall with each soft breath… it anchored me in a way I couldn't explain.
Morana Sinclair had no idea what she did to me.
Or maybe she did and that scared me even more.
I was trying to give her space. Trying not to cross any lines. She was hurt. Vulnerable. She had been humiliated in public, nearly fell in front of hundreds of people, and now had bruises on her skin that made my blood boil every time I looked at them.
But just when I thought she was about to drift off, her hand moved, slowly, deliberately across the sheet and curled around my fingers.
My gaze snapped to hers.
She was looking right at me.
Wide awake.
Quiet.
Intent.
