The memory hit me so hard that I pulled away and tried to sit up. He seemed to read my thoughts from my expression and loosened his arms, letting me move.
I leaned back against the headboard and fixed my eyes on the window across the room.
"I'm the one who should apologize," I said quietly. "I know meeting that man was important to you. And I know if it weren't for me, you would've already done it by now. If you hadn't come for me last night you would've met him, wouldn't you?.. I wish you hadn't come."
He sat up and cupped my chin, turning my face toward him.
"Don't, Duru. I don't want to hear you say that again," he said, firm. "None of this is your fault. All you did was try to help me. I can always find another way to meet that man. And besides—no meeting could ever be more important than you."
I wanted to believe him. I really did.
But I knew he was saying it to calm me down.
And somehow, that only made me feel worse.
We hadn't been this close in a long time. Looking into his eyes was pulling feelings back to the surface—feelings I'd tried to forget.
And the last thing I needed was my love flaring up again for someone who'd clearly said he didn't want me in his life.
So I broke eye contact immediately.
From now on, it would be better for my sanity if I avoided his eyes. Otherwise, it would take five minutes to turn into my old hopeless self again.
He lowered his hand. I lifted the blanket and climbed out of bed, straightening my dress.
When he stood up too, my eyes automatically slid to his bare upper body—because he wasn't wearing a shirt.
Kerem wasn't as huge as Demir, but he wasn't skinny like Rüzgar either. His body was built in all the right places—balanced, defined, and easily the sexiest male body I'd ever seen in real life.
Especially the muscle structure under his chest. It looked like it deserved a doctorate in geometry. And it looked… very touchable.
"See something you like, Sunshine?"
The shameless grin on his face—framed by sleep-messed hair—made him look unfairly cute. Cute enough that I had to fight myself not to jump on him and glue my mouth to his.
I forced an irritated expression.
"Stop torturing my eyes and put something on, Hotshot."
His grin widened as he winked.
"Don't bother, Sunshine. We both know you want to jump me right now."
My fake anger turned into real shock.
There was no way he could actually read my mind, right?
"And no, I'm not reading your mind," he added smoothly. "I've been with enough girls to know what that face means, sweetheart."
Now my brows knit for real. My lips pressed into a thin line so I wouldn't say something stupid.
I turned around and walked out of the room, while he muttered to himself behind me.
"I probably shouldn't have said that."
Downstairs, I went straight to the kitchen. First thing I did was search the medicine cabinet for something to kill the brutal headache.
When I finally found it, I grabbed a glass and filled it with water. I was about to take the pill when a hand reached from behind and snatched it away.
I turned on him, furious.
"I'm not in the mood for your games, Kerem. My head is splitting, and I need that pill before I start wanting to slam my head into the wall."
"Eat something first," he said. "Then you can take it."
I sighed and set the glass down on the counter. Leaning back against the sink, I rubbed my temples with both hands.
"There's never anything to eat in your house. And I don't have the energy to make anything. Just give me the pill. I'm not going to die from one painkiller."
He shook his head and took my hand, dragging me toward the living room.
I tried not to think about how good the warmth of his hand felt wrapped around mine.
Then I stepped inside and froze.
To the right was a huge dining table.
And it was packed.
At least enough breakfast for ten people. Not a single thing missing. Everything arranged with obsessive neatness.
Just looking at it made my eyes water with joy.
Other than those ridiculous tiny appetizers last night, I hadn't eaten properly. My stomach was practically about to file a complaint.
I yanked my hand free and dropped into one of the chairs with a grin. I ignored the annoying man across from me who was watching with clear amusement.
I poured tea into both our glasses from a teapot nearby. For ten minutes, I didn't say a word. I focused entirely on my plate.
When I finally decided I was full, I leaned back with a satisfied smile.
"If you slept with me too, then who made this breakfast?"
"The woman who cleans the house," he said.
I looked around, confused.
"It feels like there's nobody here but us."
"I told her to prepare breakfast and leave."
"Why?"
"Because there are things we need to talk about," he said. "And I don't want anyone else around while we do."
"And what exactly are these things?"
The relaxed expression he'd had earlier was gone. In its place was something I'd never seen on him before—sadness mixed with tension.
My stomach twisted. I shifted uncomfortably.
This didn't feel like it would end well.
"It's time you learn why all of this happened, Sunshine."
So the mystery that had been dragging on for months was finally going to be solved…