Ryder swung his legs off the bed, the floor cool against his bare feet. He raked a hand through his damp hair, the kind of restless gesture that said his head was already far from the room they’d just burned down.

Behind him, the bedsprings sighed as Victoria rose, the sheet wrapped loosely around her curves. “Leaving so soon?” she teased, voice still thick from their tangle.

“This wasn’t a good idea,” Ryder muttered, searching the floor for his jeans.

Victoria padded toward him, ...