I woke up with a start. My heart was pounding heavily against my ribcage, my breathing shallow and hitched. The sheet beneath me was soaked in sweat, and my clothes clung uncomfortably to my skin. I had just escaped a terrible nightmare, but the details dissolved into smoke the second I tried to grasp them, leaving behind only a lingering knot of dread.

My throat was parched. I stretched out a hand to turn on the bedside lamp, then swung my legs over the edge of the mattress. Reaching for my phone, I squinted against the sudden glare of the screen.

2:45 AM.

I tossed the phone back onto the bed and slipped quietly out of my room, padding barefoot down the darkened hallway toward the kitchen for a glass of water.

I pulled a chilled bottle from the refrigerator, but just as I was about to close the door, a sound froze me in place.

Low, muffled whispers.

I stood still, holding my breath, until I heard it again coming from the direction of the balcony. My pulse spiked. Was someone in the house? A burglar?

I set the bottle softly on the counter and crept toward the glass doors leading outside, every muscle in my body coiled tight. I peeked around the frame—and let out a silent breath.

It was Rey.

He was leaning against the decorative railing, his broad back turned to me, the faint moonlight outlining his shoulders. Relief washed over me, but it evaporated just as quickly when his words carried over the night air. He was talking in a harsh, low thread—not a casual midnight chat, but a threat.

"Do not let him slip away," Rey growled into the receiver, his voice dropping into a register that made my skin prickle. "If he does, you better disappear with him, because when I find you both—"

"Rey?" I called out, unable to stop myself.

He spun around, his blue eyes flashing with surprise before dropping into a guarded calm.

"Let me call you back," he said into the phone, hanging up immediately and sliding it into his pocket. He took a step toward me, his gaze scanning my face. "How long have you been standing there?"

My brows pulled together. "Who was that on the phone?"

"Nobody," Rey responded smoothly.

"Nobody?" I echoed, stepping out onto the cool tile of the balcony. "You don't talk to 'nobody' like you're about to put a bullet in them."

"It was just someone you don't know. A family member."

"Who calls a family member at two in the morning to threaten them?" I interrogated, watching him closely.

Rey let out a sharp sigh, his posture hardening as he deflected. "I'm your bodyguard, Amelia, not the other way around. Who I talk to on my private time isn't your concern."

"Really?"

"Why are you cross-examining me?" he snapped, his jaw setting tight. "I haven't had a chance to deal with my own life because I've been keeping you alive, and the second I step out to handle a call, you act like I'm running an operation."

My eyes narrowed into slits. "Don't turn this on me. I heard a strange voice in my house at two in the morning—anyone with half a brain would be security conscious. You don't have to be a dick about it."

Rey closed his eyes for a brief second, taking a breath that visibly expanded his chest. When he opened them, the defensive edge was gone.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, stepping closer and raising his hands in surrender. "You're right. I shouldn't have snapped. It was just a work call that went sideways."

"Whatever," I mumbled, rolling my eyes, though the tension in my chest eased slightly.

"Come here, Princess," he whispered, leaning down. Before I could pull back, his lips brushed gently against my cheek, sending a sudden, unwanted shiver straight down my spine. "Don't be mad."

I pressed my lips together, fighting the faint smile trying to pull at the corners of my mouth.

Rey noticed, his lips twitching as he reached out and lightly pinched my nose. "Why are you up anyway?"

"A nightmare," I said, looking away.

"A nightmare? What was it about?"

I gave him a skeptical look. "What are you now, a dream interpreter?"

"You never know," he said, a slow, dangerous smirk touching his mouth. "I might have a few answers."

"Very funny. Unfortunately, I don't remember a single thing," I said, turning back toward the house. "I just came down to get some water when I heard you muttering out here."

"I see." Rey nodded, following a half-step behind me as I walked back into the kitchen to grab the bottle off the counter.

"Now that I know the house isn't being broken into, I'm going back to sleep," I said, taking a quick sip.

"Let me walk you back," Rey offered softly.

I paused, looking at him over the rim of the bottle. His hand was casually tucked into his pocket, his expression completely unreadable, but the sheer size of him in the quiet, dark house felt overwhelming.

"If that's okay with you," he added, his voice dropping an octave.

"Yeah... sure."

We walked side by side up the carpeted stairs, our footsteps silent in the dark. When we reached my bedroom, I pushed the door open and stepped inside, Rey following close behind.

His eyes landed on the bed immediately, scanning the damp stain on the white sheets from where I'd woken up sweating.

"That's a hell of a nightmare," he remarked, a faint glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Mind your business," I shot back, though I couldn't stop the flush warming my cheeks.

I walked into my walk-in closet, grabbing a fresh set of dark red sheets. When I came back out, Rey was standing near the foot of the bed, his arms crossed over his chest, watching me.

"Let me help you change those while you shower," he said, extending a hand to take the bedding.

"No," I said instantly, clutching the fabric to my chest like a shield. "It's fine. I can do it myself."

Rey didn't argue with words. He simply closed the distance between us, reached down, and took the sheets straight out of my hands.

"Go take a shower, Princess," he ordered, his tone leaving no room for debate.

I pouted, but I didn't push him away. I gathered a clean change of clothes and ducked into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

Ten minutes later, I turned off the water, wrapped a plush white towel tightly around my body, and stepped back out into the bedroom.

Rey had already stripped the damp sheets and fitted the dark red fabric perfectly over the mattress. The old bedding was folded neatly on the armchair in the corner. He was sitting on the edge of the mattress, waiting for me.

His eyes locked onto me the second I stepped out. His gaze didn't stay on my face—it trailed slowly down the line of my neck, lingering on the damp skin exposed above the towel, then down to my bare shoulders and legs.

The weight of his stare made my stomach flip. My cheeks burned, and for a fleeting, terrifying second, my mind flashed back to the way his broad chest felt pressed against mine earlier, the memory of his hands on my skin sending a sudden spike of heat straight between my thighs.

I bit my lip, forcing my eyes down to the floor.

"Princess?" Rey called softly, his deep voice cutting through the heavy silence.

"What?" I stammered, my heart hammering against my ribs. "I... I need to get dressed. Can you excuse me?"

"I'm not even looking," Rey replied smoothly, though he hadn't blinked once. He tilted his head, a dark, slow smirk spreading across his lips. "And besides... it's nothing I haven't already seen."

The words hit me like a physical touch. A heavy, aching warmth pooled low in my belly, my pulse racing as I stared at him, paralyzed.

Rey stood up from the bed, his tall frame blocking out the faint light from the hallway as he took a deliberate step toward me.

"Or," he rasped, his voice thick and low, "do you want me to help you get dressed?"