HARPER.

The grandfather clock in the hall struck midnight, each chime vibrating through the quiet house like a warning I tried to ignore. I tiptoed down the stairs in nothing but my oversized t-shirt, the hem brushing my thighs with every step. The cotton felt too thin against my skin, my nipples tightening from the cool air drifting through the vents. I just wanted water. Something normal after the long drive home from campus. No big deal.

I pushed open the kitchen door and froze.

Damien stepped out from the shadows near the fridge, shirtless, his skin still glistening from whatever workout he'd been doing this late. Muscles carved across...