The kitchen was quiet when Mailah opened her eyes. Morning light streamed through the tall windows, casting soft golden strips across the wooden floor.
Beside her, the sheets were empty, but there was no sound of crashing pans or smoke rising from the hallway.
Mailah pulled on her warm cardigan and walked down the stairs. When she reached the kitchen doorway, she stopped.
Grayson was standing by the stove. He wore a simple black sweater with the sleeves pushed up his forearms, dark trousers, and no shoes. His long dark hair was brushed back, framing the sharp angles of his face. He moved with a smooth, silent grace that made him seem more like a shadow than a man.
Without looking up from the copper pot he was watching, Grayson spoke. His deep voice rumbled softly in the quiet room.
"You are awake early."
Mailah leaned against the doorframe, a small smile touching her lips. "I thought I heard something."
