The scent of coffee hit me before my eyes even opened.

It was rich, dark, and unfairly comforting. The smell of something normal, something grounding. Something that had no business being so tempting when I was still reeling from the way my stepbrother whispered in the dark last night.

You moaned my name.

God.

I sat up on the couch, blanket tangled around my legs, heart already racing just knowing he was awake.

Cole was in the kitchen, shirtless—as usual. His back was to me, ...