Chapter 22 Twenty Two

• RYAN'S POV
• Ariel stirred in sleep, mumbling beneath her breath while I watched, my usual calm expression intact, except beneath, I was a mess. Every bit of the façade was cracking and leaving void spaces for her to see through.
• I kissed her. She kissed me back… and I’d almost slipped—let myself off that restraint I’d so carefully placed myself on. It made me sick down to my bones to see how badly I’d fallen for this woman.