The Blackwood Mansion's kitchen glowed with dawn's light, the velvet curtains parting just enough to spill golden streaks across the marble island.
Victoria stood by the counter, her silk robe clinging to her curves, the emerald fabric shimmering as she sipped her coffee, its bitter warmth grounding her.
Across from her, Alex lounged shirtless, his sweat-dampened hair catching the light, his lean muscles taut from last night's fervor in James's bedroom. Their connection hung in the air, palpable, a thread of heat woven through the morning's quiet.
Her fingers brushed his as she set her mug down, a deliberate touch that sparked a memory of their tangled sheets, her gasps echoing through the mansion's walls.
Alex leaned back, his smirk softening though his eyes still held a calculated edge. "I'm focusing on college for a few weeks," he said, his voice steady, deliberate. "I'll swing by the office when I get time."
