Chapter 67

• I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept so peacefully. Perhaps it was the exhaustion, the blood loss, or simply the chaos of the past few days catching up to me, but whatever the reason, I woke feeling strangely rested. The cool silk sheets draped over my bare skin were the first sensation I noticed. As I opened my eyes, a faint smile formed on my lips before I caught myself, warmth flooding my cheeks as flashes of the previous night raced through my mind.
• Instinctively, I raised my hands to shield my face, as though I could hide from my own memories. But when I lowered them, I realized I was alone in the bed. Panic gripped me for an instant before my eyes darted around the room and landed on Hadrian, standing near the window. Relief washed over me as I took him in.
• He was naked, bathed in the golden hues of the sunrise. Every sculpted line of his body seemed carved from stone, a living masterpiece that caught the light in a way that made him appear almost otherworldly. My breath hitched, and I couldn’t stop myself from staring. He looked like an angel—no, something even more divine, the most perfect being I’d ever laid eyes on. The sunlight danced across his skin, and I couldn’t help but whisper, “Doesn’t it hurt you?”