Their foreheads touched, a thousand unspoken words exchanged in silence. Then, slowly, gently, Lucien tilted her chin up and kissed her. Not rushed, not filled with desperation, but with reverence. Their lips moved with quiet intensity, the kind that speaks of healing, of forgiveness, of reconnection.

They melted into each other, collapsing onto the bed, a tangle of limbs and whispered reassurances. Their kisses deepened, hands exploring with rediscovered affection, bodies remembering each other in all the ways they’d longed for.

“I’ve missed you,” Aria whispered between kisses.

Lucien smiled against her skin. “I’ve missed everything about you… your touch, your voice, the way you look at me like I’m...