Page 286 of Midnights
My cock is in full fucking denial. Clearly, it didn’t get the memo that it was just a dream and that she’s asleep in her own room. Not here next to me.
A slow breath hisses out as my hand drags down my face, settling at the back of my neck where the muscle knots hard—tight with the need to break something.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
She’s under my skin. Embedded. And I have no clue how to shake her loose.
Her scent has been haunting me since the moment she crashed into my life, challenging me with that sharp tongue and impossible fire in her eyes.
This is getting ridiculous.
It’s still early, and I’m not about to be the asshole who wakes her up. But if I don’t do something about the situation between my legs, I’m going to regret it the second she walks out of her room.
If Cam were here, I’d drag his ass into the ring, and make him give me something else to focus on. But he probably won't be for a few hours, so the gym will have to do.
She’s lit a fire and left me to burn in it.
Two hours later, sweat runs down my skin as I take the stairs two at a time. My body should be wrecked, but it isn't. I still feel strung too tight.
Her door is shut and the kitchen's empty. Which leaves two options—she's still curled up in bed, or she left without a word. I check the cameras anyway, flipping through feeds until I'm sure she's not in any other room.
The thought of her leaving without saying anything irritates me more than it should.
By the time the coffee hits my hand, unease has already set in. The alarms would've gone off if she'd stepped outside. And she wouldn't leave without spitting fire at me first.
Before that thought even has time to take root, I'm already on my feet, heading toward her room. My knuckles hit the door, hard enough to echo down the hall.
“Hey, Princess. Rise and shine.”
No answer.
My jaw tightens and I knock again, a little harder. “Raven?”
Silence.
I reach for the handle, pushing the door open. Her scent is the first thing that hits me and it’s fucking distracting in all the wrong ways.
I grind my teeth as I force the frustration into silence. My eyes land on the nightstand, where her phone sits untouched.
She wouldn’t go far without it, which means she's here.
“Raven, where are you?” My voice is quieter now, scanning the space.
The bathroom door is open, so I glance inside, but it’s also empty.
I take in the room, and it’s a mess. Her bag is tossed onto the floor, her sweater is draped over the chair, and her shoes are in the corner. Where the hell is she?
I check my phone as I head for the back door. One glance at the feed confirms it—the alarms have been disarmed. What the fuck?
That can’t be right.
I know I turned the damn thing on. I don't miss the details like that. No matter how distracted I was by her, there's no version of last night where I wouldn't have.
And yet, here it is. Off.
My fingers flex at my sides as I head outside. I'll check the gardensfirstthis time.
I half-expect to find her curled up on the stone bench, lost in thought, and completely unaware of anything around her. But, she's not there.
