When Gonzalez walked back into the room, he didn't see Norah. He checked the bathroom—empty. Panic flared in his chest, and just as he was about to rush out to look for her, he noticed the lump under the covers.

He walked over and sat on the edge of the mattress. Gently pulling back the blanket, he found her curled up and fast asleep.

In that split second, his entire heart melted.

He sat there, staring down at her for a long time. His long fingers tenderly tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, revealing her soft, flushed face. She looked as tempting and adorable as a perfectly ripe peach.

His thumb trailed down to trace the plump curve of her slightly parted lips, caressing them as though she were a priceless treasure.

Wasn't she supposed to stay up and keep him company so he wouldn't be sad? How did she fall asleep first?

He remembered how fiercely she had slapped Hannah earlier today. Her eyes had been brimming with tears, so consumed by pure outrage and hatred on his behalf that even when he held her back, she had tried to lunge forward again.

In that moment, it had hit him so profoundly: she hurt for him. Her tears and her fury were entirely for his sake.

Because of her profound empathy, all his deeply rooted hatred had simply washed away, leaving him at peace.

Whether he was Xavier Flemmings or Gonzalez Hanson, she was the brilliant light capable of illuminating the darkest corners of his soul.

Suddenly, she parted her lips and the tip of her tongue darted out, lightly sucking on his finger-just as he had taught her when they were kissing.

A jolt of electricity shot from his fingertip straight to his heart. He went completely rigid. His breathing instantly grew heavy and ragged, echoing loudly in the quiet night.

As she continued to nuzzle against him, Gonzalez smoothly replaced his finger with his own lips.

He kissed her deeply and lingeringly until she naturally settled back into a deep sleep. Left frustratingly hovering on the edge, he took a sharp inhale, stood up, and marched right back into the bathroom.

By the time he returned and slid under the covers, Norah immediately rolled over and nestled perfectly against his chest.

It was then that Gonzalez realized she had absolutely nothing on underneath her nightgown...

He let out a shaky breath. Refusing to take another freezing shower, he gently nudged her away.

Less than a minute later, she gravitated right back to him. She was just as clingy as she had been back in Bloomfield, chasing his body heat the entire night.

Norah was awakened by a kiss. She responded on pure instinct, a soft, seductive moan escaping her lips in the hazy light of dawn.

As consciousness slowly returned, her palms pressed flat against his scorching chest. Her mind was spinning. She reveled in the dizzying intoxication, yet her subconscious flared with a slight flutter of panic at the unknown. sŵnovels

Her nightgown had hitched all the way up to her waist, and his robe was already discarded on the floor. His large hand traced the stunning curve of her waist, trailing agonizingly upwards...

He swallowed her tiny gasp as his mouth crashed down on hers.

She had been pampered her whole life, and her luminous skin was flawlessly smooth and delicate. In her dreamy haze, she suddenly remembered Sara's teasing joke: "I wonder which lucky bastardis going to get his hands on you?"

A rush of thrilling friction flooded her senses, sending her heart into an absolute frenzy.

Outside, the sky was just beginning

to lighten. Qut on the living room balcony, Circe was roused by the strange noises coming from the bedroom. The cat pricked up its ears for a second, then immediately squeezed its eyes shut and went right back to sleep.

Whatever the humans were doing was none of its business. As long as they weren't fighting, it wasn't going to interfere, let alone watch!

"Xavier!"

Her sweet, breathless cry broke the quiet morning, snapping the man out of his feverish daze.

Heavy, ragged pants replaced all words, wrapping the morning in an incredibly sultry tension. Even the pale gray streaks of dawn seemed to blur with intoxicating heat.

By the time the room finally fell silent again, the sunlight streaming through the windows had brightened into a brilliant, golden morning.