** You can skip the chapter, as this chapter doesn't have any development to the story other than our leads getting steamy **
The master bedroom of the penthouse was bathed in a soft, amber glow, wrapping the space in hushed intimacy. The city beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows pulsed with life like distant constellations. Yet within the room, time seemed suspended.
The vast bed, draped in black and green blankets, dominated the space, its shadow stretching toward the glass where the faint reflection of the couple could almost be seen, a blurred silhouette of an entangled couple.
On the bed, Aveline lay with her head tipped toward the footboard, her gaze locked on the depth of Alaric's eyes. Desire smoldered in his gaze, sharpened by the warm, dim light that outlined his jaw and the fine tension in his lips.
He hovered over her, his weight carefully measured, pressing down just enough to remind her that she was inescapable.
