Keira woke to sunlight streaming through the room. She blinked slowly, memories of the night before flooding back from Alexei's proposal on the terrace, and the multiple times they'd made love, her body was sore in all the right places.

Stretching, she reached across the bed only to find cool sheets where Alexei should have been. A note rested on his pillow, his handwriting recognizable.

"My Love,

You needed your sleep. Please don't rush this morning. I have some business to attend to. See ...