I feel a drop of sweat traveling south from the back of my neck to my spine on this cold winter night, until it escapes into the cotton of my pajamas. The moment stretches with neither of us saying a word. With every passing second, it’s becoming more and more difficult to decide what the right words are anyway.

Sorry, I should have knocked.

Um, do you work out a lot?

I’ll go back to the bathroom.

Do you need my help?

While I’m trying to find an appropriate reply, Lukas’ gaze travels from my face to my polka-dot fleece pajamas. My night clothes aren’t at all sexy. In fact, if I had to rate them, they would be somewhere in the negative on the sexiness index.

But…under his hot stare, I feel like I’m wearing the sexiest lingerie in the whole world.

I’m still held in a foreign state of daze, where my body is hypersensitive but my mind is losing every sense, when Lukas looks away. From the way his body shakes as he releases a loud breath, I know whatever I felt, he did too.

“Good night, Autumn,” he says in a hoarse voice before throwing the T-shirt onto the chair and getting into the bed.

The weather isn’t suited for sleeping naked, but all our rooms have heat, so I’m sure Lukas won’t be cold. Plus, as I walk toward the couch, where he’s placed a pillow and duvet for me, I can’t stop hoping I’ll get a good look at those abs in the morning.

But when I wake up at the sound of my alarm clock, I’m a tiny bit disheartened. Lukas is nowhere in the room.

Did he not sleep well?

Thankfully, my question is answered soon.

I swipe my phone to silence my alarm, which is the sound of chirping birds, and there’s a text waiting for me.

Lukas: I’m in the gym.

There’s another text, sent several seconds later, as if he was wondering why the hell he was reporting to me about his day.

Lukas: In case you’re looking for me.

But for some reason, it brings a smile to my face.

I quickly get ready for the day and put on my lavender pullover. I love wearing pastel shades in winter. I’m brushing my hair when I notice the white scrunchie on the dresser.

My brain immediately goes back to last night on the porch, when I pulled up my hair. There was a flicker of something in Lukas’ gaze. It was the same thing I saw when our eyes locked under the golden glow of the lamp.

My mouth goes dry, but before my poor brain can imagine more, my cell phone vibrates on the dresser.

It’s a text from Chiara.

Chiara: You’re back. WITH HIM.