DANTE

I wake before dawn with Aria sprawled across my chest, her silk nightdress twisted around her waist, and her hair a wild mess across the pillow. The terrace doors are still open, letting in the cool morning air that carries the faint sounds of the city waking up.

Last night was exactly what we both needed, a raw, primal release of all the tension that's been building since this nightmare with her family began. But now, in the quiet before the storm, reality settles back ...