James’s POV

My throat became parched. I grabbed my cup of tea, raising it to my lips to give myself a brief pause. The steaming beverage almost scalded me when I gulped it down too fast, leading me to cough as I placed the cup down with a clunk.

"What sounds?" I succeeded in asking, attempting to maintain a calm tone. "I stayed up late watching something." "Perhaps that’s what you listened to."

Her gaze rested on me briefly, and I sensed the intensity of her observation like a beam ...