*Lexie’s POV*

I wake up in Noland's arms, a strange mix of fear and comfort surging through me. His chest rises and falls gently, the rhythmic beating of his heart beneath my ear both soothing and unsettling. At this moment, he seems almost vulnerable, a stark contrast to the powerful, dominant man I've come to know.

As I lay there, unable to tear my eyes away from his sleeping face, I can't shake the feeling that what we're doing is catastrophically wrong. ...