James’s POV

The morning sunlight poured through the gaps in the blinds, bright and intrusive. I startled awake, feeling dazed and confused. The initial thing I noticed was the clock mounted on the wall. 10:24 in the morning. Excessively tardy. Much too late. My heart leaped into my throat as I turned my head—and there she stood.

Alexis was lying next to me, the covers drawn up to her shoulders, her expression calm in the manner possible only for someone utterly at ease. At the same ...