ADELE’S POV

The world came back to me in fragments—coolness lapping at my skin, strong arms wrapped around my waist like a lifeline, and the faint scent of soap mixed with something deeper, more primal.

Him.

I felt like I was floating, submerged in water that soothed the fire raging inside me. My eyelids fluttered open, heavy and disoriented, and it took a second for everything to click into place.

I was in a bathtub. A massive one, filled with cold water that sloshed gently around us. My back was pressed against a hard, warm chest—Lucien's chest. His breath was steady against my ear, but his grip was firm, unyielding....