She was suddenly hit with the memory of their very first time. Even though she had been a bundle of nerves, she remembered precisely how prominent he was

everywhere.

Stella tried to bolt, but he grabbed her ankle and dragged her right back.

Caleb dipped down to kiss her. "Too late to run now."

He had been plotting this revenge ever since they were sparring at Iron Haven Fitness.

Stella tried to argue, but every word she had was shattered by his relentless drive, reducing her to breathless, broken gasps.

His body was like a roaring furnace, making it impossible for her to escape his grasp.

Right now, only one word echoed in her mind: Regret!

She never should have listened to Janice's terrible advice, and she absolutely shouldn't have doubted Caleb's stamina.

The next morning.

In the master bedroom.

Lemira woke up with a yawn, but the moment she stretched her arm out, she realized something was very wrong.

Her arm was completely bare, and it felt like she wasn't wearing a single piece of clothing.

Slow realization washing over her, Lemira turned over and came face to face with the strikingly handsome man lying beside her, his arm draped possessively over her waist.

The heat rushed to her cheeks. She had completely blanked out on what happened after they got back to the apartment last night.

But because she was always so comfortable around Orion, her guard had been entirely down.

"You're awake?"

Orion opened his eyes and gently pinched her cheek. "Do you remember what you did last night?"

Lemira met his dark, profound gaze, racking her brain to recall the previous evening's events.

She drew a total blank.

At that exact moment, the hand on her waist casually slid upward.

Lemira quickly pinned his hand down. "Nice try. Shouldn't I be the one asking what

happened last night? Why am I completely naked?"

"Because you threw up all over yourself. And me."

Orion's utterly calm tone left Lemira with absolutely no room to argue.

She lowered her eyes. "Okay, fine."

"Does your head still hurt?"

"No, I'm okay."

Orion pulled her closer, and Lemira ended up sprawling right on top of him. Panic flared in her chest-she was completely bare.

Orion was only wearing a pair of boxer briefs. No shirt.

The position was highly intimate, and wildly dangerous.

Lemira tried to slide off, but his hands clamped down on her hips, locking her in place.

Without a word, Orion leaned up and captured her lips. The kiss was gentle yet devastatingly deep.

Still half-asleep, Lemira couldn't

keep up. By the time he finally pulled

back, she was completely drained of energy, securely locked in his

embrace.

She took the opportunity to shove at his chest, and after a brief, playful struggle, she finally burst into laughter.

Orion gave her a meaningful look. "There are people outside."

Lemira clamped a hand over her mouth, whispering, "Stella and Caleb are back?"

"Yeah."

"When did they get in?"

"Last night. Probably before we did."

Remembering how they had acted last night, a wave of embarrassment washed over her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Relax. They're going to be way more embarrassed than us. When we got back, the living room was totally empty."

Lemira's eyes went wide, the gossip instantly taking over. "Did things escalate that fast for them?"

"Stella went back to the Waverlies last night. Probably had to deal with something." Orion had people keeping an eye on the Waverly family, so naturally, he knew exactly what Stella was dealing with.

Thinking for a moment, Lemira swatted away Orion's roaming hands. Flushing deeply, she scrambled up

I'm getting wel

bed."

If she stayed under the covers, things would only get more awkward.

Orion watched her retreating back with a lazy, satisfied look, making no move to get

up.

After Lemira got dressed and walked out, she noticed the guest bedroom door was wide open, and the living room was empty.

Did they leave?

Orion finally strolled out, wearing his sleepwear. "They probably felt too awkward and bolted early."

Most likely, Stella couldn't handle the embarrassment.

Lemira cleared her throat awkwardly and glared at him. "Do you think everyone is as thick-skinned as you?"

"If I were really thick-skinned, I would've taken you bare last night."

He hadn't touched her only because he didn't want her to wake up feeling awful.

Orion closed the distance between them, his dark sleepwear hanging loosely against his frame. He asked with dangerous intent Do you have morning classes? fo