Page 44 of King of Obsession

That couldn’t be right.

‘Shit,’ I muttered, untangling myself from the sheets as I stood. Pressing a hand to my forehead, I tried to clear the fog.

Sleeping in wasn’t like me; dawn was always my alarm.

So—why had I slept in?

My gaze landed on the pillow besidemine. Its center was pressed inward, preserving the impression of another person’s head.

A scent lingered in the air—cologne, musk, and maleness.

Alessio.

The man I’d shared my sacred space with—and because of it, I’d rested deeper than I had in months, perhaps even years.

I recalled his heat, scent, and solidness, which, while not touching me, had soothed me inexplicably.

A chill seeped through my pajamas, sending a shiver down my spine as realization hit—he’d seen me at my most vulnerable.

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

No man had woken in my bed with me still in it.

What had he glimpsed?

Had I drooled?

Talked in my sleep?

Stunk of morning breath?

Made a freaky fool of myself?

I took an inhale, needing to calm the fuck down.

But where the hell was he?

The faint scrape of furniture outside on the veranda triggered a stomach lurch.

I scooted from under the sheets and shuffled to the living space. My pulse quickened as I focused on the outer door, the wood mocking me with its silence.

My mind spun with self-doubt, imagining his judgment.

With a suck of my teeth, I silenced the unwarranted shame and crossed the floor, pushing the door open.

The veranda greeted me with a chill breeze, as did the sculpted mountain of a man sprawled on the outdoor lounge, sunlight casting a halo around him.

He was rolling his freakin’ gold coin over his knuckles, eyes canted to the view.

Holy fuck.

It was unfair for any human to look this good in the morning.

His lips curled in awareness of my presence, and the penny paused for a beat, and then he continued.

His movements were smooth and deliberate, each flick of his lean fingers sending the golden coin spinning in a mesmerizing dance.

I’d learned from an early age that men could be dangerous.

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