The sunlight was aggressive, stabbing through the thin curtains of the guest room like needles. I groaned, shielding my eyes as I realized the sun was already high in the sky. I didn't need a clock to know it was near noon; the heavy stillness of the estate and the dry heat of the air told me the morning was long gone. For a few seconds, I lay there in the quiet, forgetting. Then, the memory of the ballroom, the sneering women, and Lucien’s dismissive, possessive touch crashed back into my ...